Connection: Volume 8, Number 1

A Publication of Connors State College

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2017 Agriculture Hall of Fame Class Inducted

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C O N N O R S S TAT E C O L L E G E W ARNER CAMPUS 700 College Road Warner, OK 74469

Inside this issue V O L U M E

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T H R E E R IV E R S PORT CAMPUS 2501 N 41st St E Muskogee, OK 74403

A D M I N I S T R AT I O N PRESID ENT Dr. Ronald S. Ramming V IC E PRESID ENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Dr. Janet Wansick V IC E PRESID ENT FOR FISCAL SERVICES Mike Lewis

CONNECTION LA Y OUT & D ESIGN Jonathan Dallis C ONT RIBUT ORS Cindy Anderson Wayne Bunch Jonathan Dallis

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A ggi e A m bas s adors C ollec t C anned G oods • Fal l B ul l Tes t S al e • 2017 A gr i c ul t ural H al l of Fam e I nduc t i on • 33 N ew N urs es P inned Meet Tyrrell, Ogden, Harding, and Walker Cowboys Overwhelm Murray State • C ow gi r ls C laim V i c t or y over H owar d C ol lege • Muse Gets 600th Win • S hoot i ng Team M akes T heir M ar k

Muskogee Christmas Parade

Social

Media

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Connors State College, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, crime statistics for both the Warner and Muskogee campuses may be reviewed at http://connorsstate.edu/asr. This publication was printed and issued by Connors State College as authorized by the Director of College and Community Relations. The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination or endorsement is intended by Connors State College.

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Feature

Agriculture Ambassadors Collect Canned Food for Season of Giving

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s the holidays drew near, the Connors State Agricultural Ambassadors launched a canned and dried food drive to rally against all of the food drives the college has hosted in years past.

“Our Ag Ambassadors strive each year to not only be leaders on campus and for the division of Agriculture, but also to find a way to serve those around them,” said Matthew Staples, Agricultural Ambassador.

“The ambassadors have hosted a canned food drive with a decent amount of success in the past, and this year we decided to take it up a notch by including not only canned food, but also pasta, dried

food products and the most demanded item, peanut butter.”

In an attempt to make this food drive more successful, the ambassadors decided to add a bit of flair and competition into this by challenging the faculty, staff, and students to go head-tohead against each other.

The two campuses began collecting on October 23, and the last can was counted on November 20, just before Thanksgiving Break. Together, the two campuses collected more than 1,700 food items to be donated to families in need this winter.

“We are all very proud of our fellow Cowboys for doing their part with this

drive,” said Staples. “The items were split between McIntosh, Okmulgee and Muskogee County food pantries. All three spots were very grateful for every donation. Everyone came together and really helped out a great cause and we want to say thank you for that.”

The focus of the Agricultural Ambassador program is to encourage and promote the development of personal growth, principled leadership, and career preparation by representing the Division of Agriculture in recruitment, collegiate, and community events.

Bull Test Sale Brings Average $3,100 Per Head

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onnors State College hosted the annual Fall Performance Bull Test Sale on Thursday, November 30, 2017. On sale day, cattle breeders and buyers from across the Midwest packed into the CSC sale facility – while others placed bids online and by phone call, while watching the sale live via Facebook. The 43 bulls on display sold for an average of

$3100 per head despite an uncertain beef cattle market.

“We are pleased with the outcome of this fall sale,” said Dr. Ron Ramming, president of Connors State College. “This success was the result of a tremendous set of bulls that were offered by the breeders as well as the hard work and dedication of the farm crew and our

students.”

Breeders from across Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri put their bulls on test at Connors, where they are evaluated for growth performance, structural soundness, and fertility.

Contact Todd Trennepohl at 918.463.

6279 for more information, or to place a bull on test.

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2017 Agricultural Hall of Fame Class Inducted

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our significant figures in the history of agricultural education at Connors State College were inducted into the 2017 Agricultural Hall of Fame class on Saturday, December 2, 2017 in the A.D. Stone Student Union on the Warner main campus of the college. These inductees include: Gary Harding, Robert A. “Bob” Hodges, Dr. Gary W. Updyke, and Fred Williams.

The event began early Saturday with a reception held in the McPeak Agricultural Hall of Fame followed by “Braggin’ Rights and Banners”, a livestock judging contest for the young and old held in the Fred

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Williams Indoor Arena, and a barbecue luncheon and induction ceremony immediately after.

Jerry McPeak, 2016 Connors Agriculture Hall of Fame Inductee, served as Master of Ceremonies for the day’s events, followed by a welcoming message from Dr. Ron Ramming, president of Connors State College.

“This is a monumental day at Connors State College. These men have molded the program to what it is today and it is clear to see their influence in every aspect of the agricultural department,” said Ramming. “As a product of the college I

can speak for the students, faculty and staff, and all of us involved, and say that we are thankful for these men. It’s a big day for them, but it’s also a big day for the college. We’re proud of everything they’ve accomplished.”

As the ceremony progressed, each inductee, or their respective family members, accepted their place in the Hall of Fame and recounted a number of stories which delighted all in attendance.

Bob Hodges’ induction was accepted by his son Ken Hodges, and his grandson, Daniel.

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33 New Nursing Graduates Pinned

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onnors State College celebrated the graduation of 33 new nurses in a pinning and candle lighting ceremony

held December 8, 2017, in the Fine Arts Auditorium on the Warner Campus. Graduates were pinned by a faculty, staff, family member or friend of their choice, and provided with a Bible courtesy of the Gideon’s International Auxiliary.

“The ceremony signifies the student’s official initiation into the brotherhood and sisterhood of nurses,” said Joyce Johnson, Division Chair for Nursing & Allied Health.

“The ceremony is rich with symbolism. It is the right of passage which can be traced all the way back to the twelfth century.”

The modern ceremony dates back to the 1860’s, when Florence Nightingale was awarded the Red Cross of St. George in recognition for her diligent service to the injured during the Crimean War. To share the honor, she in turn presented a medal of excellence to her brightest graduates. By 1916, the practice of pinning new graduates was standard throughout the United States,

and Connors follows this practice.

Justin Chad Duke gave the invocation, Kerry Herron read a poem to commemorate the event, while student speakers Malinda Figueroa and Casey Wineland gave prepared remarks about the classes’ journey together, followed by the benediction from Na’Quiya Nelson.

Traditional Graduates: Jordan Allen, Joni Cantrell, Patricia Combs, Kimberly DeLong, Brittany Dennis, Justin Chad Duke, Breanna Farr, Malinda Figueroa, Kerry Herron, Charlene Johnson, Katrina Jones, Amanda Lumpkin, Cassandra Mackie, Lacey Mattingly, Desiree Medina, Tammy Morris, Kyla Morse, Na’Quiya Nelson, Kohley Ogle, Lauri Osburn, Haillie Rolston, Tori Rowland, Mayra Sandoval, Whittney Whittmore, Casey Wineland, and Nicole Wright.

Career Ladder: Maresa Beason, Brittani Lang, Shereca Lang, Christina Mann, Sara Poindexter, Katelyn Scott, and Jordan Towie.

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Cowboy Family

Ken Tyrrell, Faculty

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t Connors State College Ken Tyrrell teaches a number of courses, including Chemistry I and II, Introduction to Microbiology, and General Physical Science.

Tyrrell was born and raised in Muskogee, and was a first generation college graduate.

He earned his Bachelor of Science from

then Northeastern State College, now University, his M.N.S. in mathematics from the University of Oklahoma, his M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tulsa, and his M.B.A. from Northeastern State University.

While studying for his M.S., he enlisted into the armed services to be a “chemical operator” which he later learned was a flame thrower operator and promptly changed direction to officer’s candidate school. After a short tour of duty in Korea, he left with four years of service and the rank of first lieutenant.

“I married before shipping out for Korea and my wife was in graduate school at OU when I returned,” said Tyrrell. “We both found work in the Oklahoma City area as public school teachers. We taught in the Oklahoma City area until OG&E called and offered me a job as chemist at the Muskogee Power Plant.”

Tyrrell said as the time grew near to retire from OG&E after 28 years, where he was plant process engineer, a chemistry position became available at Connors State. He first came to Connors State when he completed

makeup undergraduate accounting and economics classes while preparing for his M.B.A. “These classes not only helped with my family finances, but also to manage the finances of my church and prepare project proposals with expected return on investments for OG&E,” said Tyrrell. “Teaching had been a good experience for me, and I had nothing planned for retirement,” said Tyrrell.

Tyrrell says he believes Connors State is a good institution of learning, because the students have available individual attention for their specific needs.

“I am not the only instructor who will sit and answer student’s questions as long as they will ask,” said Tyrrell. “That includes email – until a reasonable time of night, of course.”

“This is my ninth year at Connors. I have attended five National Science Foundation workshops to keep my classes up to date,” said Tyrrell. “I have also attended conferences of the Oklahoma Society of Professional Engineers each year to maintain my license.”

Madison Ogden, Student

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adison Ogden grew up in Quinton, Oklahoma with the dream to be a nurse, just like her mom. When deciding on where to go to college, she said the choice was easy, because she knew that Connors State has one of the best nursing programs in the state.

When looking at campuses, Ogden said she was looking for a small town, somewhere she could feel at home.

“This is the place where I have learned more about myself than I ever had before,” said Ogden. “The people around here are all so kind, it just makes me feel right at home.”

During her first semester at Connors State, Ogden had aspirations to be part of the Cowgirls softball team, but with life and responsibilities getting in the way, she decided to simply focus on her studies and her future career goals.

“Here at Connors, I have learned how to apply myself and take responsibility for things,” said Ogden. “Once I decided to just focus on my education, I have done very well in my classes and I am excited to learn.

Ogden is part of the Social Sciences club and works in the Office of the President under the supervision of Ms. Cindy Anderson.

After Connors State, Ogden plans to receive her nursing degree and to travel around the country as a practicing nurse.

Ogden said she lost her father in a tragic accident six years ago and she believes that now, at Connors State, she is on track to make her father and her mother proud of her after all the hard times they have been through.

“After the accident we went through some very hard times as a family,” said Ogden. “But a number of years later my mom met my now

stepdad, Bo. To call him a sweet, kindhearted man is an understatement, he has brought so much happiness into not only my mom’s life but our whole family, he has also blessed us with his three kids and two grandkids and they all take after him as they welcomed all of us into their family with open arms.

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Gary Harding, Alumni

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ary Harding was born in Carnegie, Oklahoma in 1944. He attended Council Hill Schools before graduating from Checotah High School in 1962. Gary went on to earn his bachelors in Animal Science at Oklahoma State University in 1966. During his time at OSU, Harding was involved in Block & Bridle, Collegiate FFA, Alpha Zeta and on the OSU Livestock Judging Team. He went on to complete his masters in Animal Science at the University of Nevada-Reno in 1969.

Gary married fellow OSU student Marjorie Bryant in 1966 and they were married for 38 years. During that time they welcomed two children, Dee Dee and Chad.

Ranching and farming started off Harding’s career before moving on to a short stint with Oklahoma Farm Bureau. Then in 1977, he was hired by Connors State College as an instructor of Agriculture later becoming the Department Head before becoming Dean of Agriculture in 2004. During his time at CSC

the Department of Agriculture experienced increased enrollment and a revitalized faculty.

He oversaw the restarting of the College’s Bull Test while also supervising the Oklahoma Simmental Bull Test, and the Oklahoma Forage Bull Test. Harding added the Santa Gertrudis, Simmental and Angus herds to the program, in addition to the sheep flock.

He was also responsible for the acquisition of a 1300-acre property, since named Harding Ranch, which is used to by the college for grazing, a demonstration waterfowl habitat, as well as home to the Connors State Dr. Stuart Woods Shooting Sports Complex and Wetlands.

During his time in the agriculture industry, Harding has served on the Board of Directors for the Santa Gertrudis Breeders Association as well as their Vice President for Breed Improvement. He also had the opportunity to judge at the Brazilian National Santa Gertrudis show and judge Denver carloads twice and served as the superintendent of the

Nate Walker, Staff

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ate Walker, Director of Human Resources, and ADA, Affirmative Action and Title IX Coordinator, earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas with graduate studies toward MBA at Elon College in North Carolina.

Walker began his career at Connors State in June of 2006 as an Accounting Clerk, responsible for payroll. In 2013 Walker was appointed as Interim-Director of Human Resources and in September of the same, he was appointed to the permanent position.

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college because of the reputation Connors State has within the community as being a stable employer. Walker has also had several family members either work or attend Connors State and all spoke very highly of the faculty, staff and institution.

“Connors State’s ties to the community have provided opportunities to participate in civic and community programs, such as Leadership Muskogee, Lake Area United Way, and the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce,” said Walker.

Walker is the United Way Coordinator for the college and both he and wife Victoria, former CSC employee, enjoy serving on United Way’s Community Investment Committee and serving as volunteers.

“Going inside of agency locations and seeing firsthand the actual work that they do gives you a better appreciation of how important it is to support them in any way that you can,” said Walker.

Muskogee Junior Livestock Show for 25 years.

After almost 39 years of marriage, Marjorie passed away in January of 2005.

Harding retired from Connors in 2005. In 2013, he married former OSU classmate Karen Martin and together they enjoy traveling, gardening and taking care cattle.

Walker’s responsibilities as Director of Human Resources and Title IX Coordinator involves providing solutions to faculty, staff and student situations that, when managed correctly, circumvent negative outcomes.

Often times the event could be disruptive or have a negative impact on a student’s ability to learn, or a faculty or staff member’s ability to perform their job, and in some cases an escalation may affect the learning environment or safety of others.

Walker has been married for 17 years to wife Victoria, between them, they have three daughters: Chrystal, Michelle, and Rachel; two granddaughters, and six grandsons all ranging in age from four-months to 25.

“We spend time on the phone and on the road to Tulsa and Texas providing direction to our children and grandchildren, supporting extracurricular school activities, church, college preparation, and discussing social challenges that they face,” said Walker.

Athletics

Cowboys Overwhelm Murray State in OCAC Play

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onnors State Cowboys placed five players in double figures in overpowering host Murray State College 92-64 in Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference play on Monday, January 8, 2018 at A.H. Beames Field House.

Darius Roy led the Connors offensive

assault with 18 points followed by Mason Jones with 14, ReShawn Langston 13, A.J. Cockrell 12, and Bishop Coulter 10.

Cowboys (2-1, 14-2) used a 15-2 run to open second half of play to put the game out of reach for the outmanned Aggies.

Murray falls to 1-2 and 7-7.

“The first five minutes of the second

half I thought we played really well,” said Cowboys head Coach Bill Muse. “We had a 12 point lead in the first half and let it get away. Then late in the half they came back to within four. We regrouped and I thought we played well the second half.

“Then we maintained it. We got up 20 and maintained that lead throughout the final half,” said Muse.

Connors led by just four points at the half 36-32 before exploding on a 15-2 run to open the final 20 minutes to take a 54-34 advantage with 15-46 remaining.

The Cowboys then increased its lead to 28 points, 88-60 with 1:30 left in the game.

It was the largest lead of the game for the Cowboys.

Connors shot 51 percent from the field (34-of-67), including 9-of-21 from behind the arc. Cowboys out rebounded the Aggies 37-28.

“We were bigger than Murray and we came in wanting to control the boards,” said Muse. “That was the game plan and we did the job on the glass.”

Cowgirls Claim 57-45 Victory Over Howard College

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olding a two point lead with four minutes remaining, Connors State Cowgirls Bailey Pendley drained two 3-point shots to spark the Cowgirls to a 57-45 victory over Howard College on Friday, January 5, 2018.

The Cowgirls, who drained eight from behind the arc, improved to 9-7 on the

season.

Connors is 1-1 in league action.

“We played much better defensively today than on Thursday at Midland and knocked down some shots at the end to finish the game,” said head coach Jamie Fisher.

“We also did a much better job on the

boards,” added Fisher.

Connors never trailed in the game, leading 10-8 after the first quarter and 33-21 at the half.

DeAuja Thompson led the Cowgirls’ scoring with 17 points, with Pendley adding 12 points and Tierra Jones 10 points.

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Muse Gets 600th WIN

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onnors State Cowboys head men’s basketball coach Bill Muse posted his 600th career victory during the 2017-18 season. In 26 seasons as head coach, Muse

has set a high standard for success.

Muse has won 71 percent of his games, eight Bi-State Conference titles, six Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference crowns and nine Region II titles.

He has led Connors State to the National Junior College Athletics Association Final Four in 1994, 1996, 2009, a fifth place finish in 1997 and an Elite Eight in 2015 and a sweet sixteen in 2017. The Cowboys made four straight NJCAA trips for the first time in Region II history.

His winning record makes him the winningest coach in Connors State history.

“Getting 600 wins is a tribute to all our players and assistant coaches, but mainly all the good players we’ve had here,” said Muse. “The one thing about this is you usually get 600 wins moving around and not at one school. This has been good for me and my family. It’s a nice number but we still have a lot to accomplish.”

But rest assured he won’t settle on past successes. Muse cut his coaching teeth on the NCAA Division I level. In 11 seasons,

he was an assistant coach at four major universities: South Alabama, Morehead State, Georgia State and Clemson.

A native of New Jersey, Muse attended the University of Mississippi, where he earned his undergraduate degree in 1979. He later obtained his Master’s Degree in Physical Education in 1981 as an assistant coach at South Alabama.

Following a 4-year stay, he was Associate head Coach at Georgia State University for two seasons. He got his first chance as a head coach and general manager with the Georgia Peaches professional women’s team for a year. Muse points to that year as being very instrumental in his development as an administrator as well as a coach.

He returned to college coaching for three seasons at Morehead State before spending two years at Clemson University. When Connors State came calling, it didn’t take long for Muse to jump on the offer.

Muse has brought an exciting style to Connors State with his fast-paced offense and a tough defense.

Connors State Shooting Team Makes Their Mark

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he Connors State College shooting team competed at the ACUI Eastern Super Shoot and USAS Qualifier November 16 – 19, in Tillar, Arkansas.

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Jim Stone, Interim Shooting Sports Coach, led the team to compete in new events during the fall. The team added the Super Sporting Clays to their events in anticipation of the national competition in March. Several members of the team have also competed in the international division for the first time out.

Fighting 20 mile per hour wind and stronger wind gusts, the team members competed alongside students from fouryear universities from all over the country.

Connors State College shooting team finished fifth overall behind universities, Texas A & M, University of Missouri, Alabama and University of the Ozarks.

Shelby Skaggs, Connors State freshman from Nash, Oklahoma was the standout with Champion High Point Overall

American Events after finishing first place in Sporting Clays; first place Super Sporting Clays and first Place American Trap. Skaggs finished third overall in international events after shooting for second place International Skeet and third in International Trap.

Zane Arnold, Connors State sophomore from Tishomingo, Oklahoma, placed fifth in American Trap and Logan Knight, Connors State sophomore from Muskogee, was fifth in sporting clays.

The team also included sophomores Amos Scott of Inola, Kyle McGregor of Purcell, and Blaine MacKenzie of Pawnee; freshman Kallen Hallman of Drumright, Dakota Byus of Chandler, Clay Galbreath of Stonewall, and Robert Ernsting of Okarche.

Campus Life

MUSKOGEE CHRISTMAS PARADE On Saturday, December 2, 2017, Connors State College Student Activities and President’s Leadership Class participated in the annual Muskogee Christmas Parade. Connors State took 3rd place out of more than 100 participating floats with their float “Joy To The World”, for the International Christmas themed parade. Interim Student Activities Coordinator Jonathan Rowe lead the concept, design and creation of the prize winning float. Along with the students, Dr. Ron Ramming, president of Connors State College, Mike Lewis, vice president for Fiscal Services, and Dr. Anita Thompson, executive director of the Connors State College Development Foundation, lead the procession representing the college.

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C O N N O R S S TAT E C O L L E G E 700 College Road | Warner, OK 74469

The Connors State College Fall Performance Bull Test Sale averaged $3,100 on 43 head of cattle on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017 in Warner, Oklahoma.

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