A Publication of Connors State College
V O L U M E
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Higher Education Day at the State Capitol
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C ON NO R S S TA TE C OL L EG E WARNER CAMPUS 700 College Road Warner, OK 74469
INSIDE THIS ISSUE V O L U M E
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THREE RIVERS PORT CAMPUS 2501 N 41st St E Muskogee, OK 74403
ADMINI STRA TI ON PRESIDENT Dr. Ronald S. Ramming VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Dr. Janet Wansick VICE PRESIDENT FOR FISCAL SERVICES
FEATURE
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COMMUNITY
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Law Enforcement Banquet • Baseball Bash & Auction
COWBOY FAMILY
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Meet Cotten, Calico, Hildebrand, & Gandy • Henson Inducted Into Sports Hall of Fame
EDUCATION
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CSC Hosts Senior Day
Mike Lewis
CONNEC TI ON LAYOUT & DESIGN Zadie McElhaney CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Janet Wansick Cindy Anderson Wayne Bunch Emma Long Von Caster Rochelle Vanover CSC Agricultural Department
ATHLETICS
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CAMPUS LIFE
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Higher Education Day
Cowboy Basketball • Cowgirl Basketball • Show Team • Cowgirl Softball
Aggie Homecoming • All-School Homecoming
SOCIAL
MEDIA
#CONNORSSTATE
facebook.com/ connorsstate
twitter.com/ connorsstate
youtube.com/ connorsstatecollege
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, 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
Connors State Attends Higher Ed Day at the State Capitol Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff members from Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities traveled to the State Capitol on Tuesday, February 12, to promote the value and importance of higher education in Oklahoma. Among the hundreds included were Connors’ State Student Government Association members and President’s Leadership Class, along with a nearly a dozen faculty and staff members from the college, including members of the president’s Executive Council. “The opportunities that our students get and the scholarships that they receive for all their hard work spent helping the college and surrounding communities, is why the state needs to keep investing in higher education,”
stated Rochelle Vanover, PLC advisor. “When you invest in higher education, you invest in students like our PLC students.” The students took this rare opportunity to meet with their local state representatives and thank them for their contributions to help restore higher education. Speakers included Chancellor Glen D. Johnson, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education; Chair Jay Helm, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education; Matt Pinnell, Lieutenant Governor; Senator Roger Thompson, Senate Appropriations Chair; and President Tim Faltyn, Oklahoma Panhandle State University. Three students also spoke at the event. Palmer Tetley, Tulsa
Community College; Caitlin Anders, Cameron University; and Aleysa Franz, Northwestern Oklahoma State University. The speakers told attendees how they have benefitted from higher education and how attending one of Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities has positively impacted their lives. For FY 2020, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education have requested an addition of $101,500,000, which is based on funding three key areas: faculty salary increases of $38,700,000, restoration of base operational funding of $50,500,000, and financial aid and scholarship programs of $12,300,000.
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COMMUNITY PLC Recognizes Local Law Enforcement The President’s Leadership Class of Connors State College recognized local law enforcement officers on Tuesday, February 19, 2019, in the Nursing and Allied Health Auditorium on the Muskogee Three Rivers Port Campus. The recognized men and women included: Officer Kelsey Kelley, Haskell Police Department; Officer Randy Cox, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Troop C; Officer Randy Donelson, Connors State College; Officer Adam Satterfield,
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Warner Police Department; Officer Chris Gilfillan, Muskogee County Sherriff’s Department; and K-9 Officer Jangus, Muskogee Police Department. The students of the President’s Leadership Class took time to reach out to the recognized officer’s superiors and asked them to provide a biography of the officer, a photo and any and all warm-wishes they would like to give the officers. The students then read aloud the biography of the
officers being recognized and handed them with a certificate of appreciation and posed for a photo. Connors State College president, Dr. Ron Ramming, welcomed the audience to the ceremony, letting all in attendance know just how much the Connors State family respects and appreciates these brave men and women who protect our community.
Opening Day Baseball Bash & Auction On Saturday, January 26, supporters of Connors State Baseball gathered in the Warner Student Union for the fifth Annual Baseball Opening Day Bash & Auction. Cowboy fans had a chance to meet the 2019 baseball team and coaches, enjoy ballpark foods and bid on auction items for the Cowboys’ fundraiser.
Live and silent auction items were donated to this annual fundraiser. The funds collected will be used for artificial turf, which the Cowboys will play on this season, on the Biff Thompson Field at Perry Keith Park in Warner. Auction items included: four Tulsa Drillers tickets/field premium seats and dinner at Red Lobster; four
Texas Rangers tickets with a hotel stay; golf for two at Cobblestone Golf Course and dinner at Cowboys BBQ in Muskogee; St. Louis Cardinals tickets; Kansas City Royals tickets; truck rim table; and countless other Cowboy themed memorabilia, along with various other collectable items.
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COWBOY FAMILY Josh Cotten, Alumni Joshua Cotten has been a resident of Muskogee, Oklahoma, for most of his life. Cotten was raised by his single mother, Sandra, alongside his two brothers, Dan and Adam. When he was 5, his mother moved them to Warner where she finished her nursing degree at Connors State College while working full-time. After her graduation, they moved back to Muskogee and he attended Hilldale Schools and graduated in 1999. Cotten continued to higher education in Lawrence, Kansas at Haskell Indian Nations University, where he played football for one semester. Cotten began working full-time in a manufacturing plant, Graham Packaging Company, and decided to hold off on pursuing his degree. “Fortunately, while working at Graham, my co-workers urged me to go back to school,” he said. “After taking their advice, I began attending Connors State College while working full-time. I graduated from Connors with an Associate in Business Administration.”
Cotten continued to work full-time and began attending Northeastern State University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on financial planning. Josh’s mother, Sandra, was attending NSU at the same time to earn her bachelor’s degree in nursing. “My mother graduated one semester before me, becoming the first person in our family to obtain a bachelor’s degree,” he said. After graduating from NSU, Josh began working with Edward Jones Investments as a Financial Advisor where he obtained his Series 7, Series 66, and Oklahoma life insurance license. He opened an office in Muskogee and worked there for ten years. “In July of 2017, I made a lifechanging career choice and opened a wealth management firm, Cotten Wealth Management/Raymond James, in Muskogee,” Cotton said. He currently lives in Muskogee with his wife, Carrie, and their two sons, Elijah and Noah.
“I am very active in my community,” Cotton said. “I volunteer my time with the Muskogee Exchange Club, Muskogee Chamber of Commerce Tourism and Agribusiness Committees, Muskogee S.T.E.A.M. Center, Muskogee Area Human Resource Association, Muskogee Leadership, and I am a volunteer fireman at Gooseneck Bend Fire Protection District. I am also active in my church, Grace Episcopal Church, where I am currently the Senior Warden.”
Braden Calico, Student Braden Calico, recently named the Connors State College All-School Homecoming King, is a sophomore at Connors State College. Calico is from Coweta, Oklahoma and is a graduate of Coweta High School. Calico is a member of the Connors State College Baseball team and has been an active athlete his entire life, he said. In high school Braden was named a National Guard Student Athlete of the Week in baseball. “Connors was a great fit for me to not only pursue my degree, but to also play baseball,” he said. Calico said he is a big family guy, so with Connors being close to home
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it made his decision to become a Cowboy much easier. Calico said he is the first one to be a collegiate athlete in his family. When Calico was younger, he aspired to be a fireman. During his freshman year at Connors, Calico made the decision to pursue a career as a coach. “After graduating from Connors I plan to attend Northeastern State University in Tahlequah where I will play baseball and major in kinesiology,” Calico said. “After obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I hope to then go to graduate school.”
Calico said he wants to be remembered at Connors as the guy who would help anyone in need.
Nolan Hildebrand, Faculty Nolan Hildebrand, Connors State head judging coach and agricultural instructor, said Connors has given him the opportunity to coach a competitive livestock judging team and work with some of the best and most driven young adults in agriculture. Hildebrand is from Templeton, California, but traveled to Oklahoma to obtain an Animal Science degree at Oklahoma State University. “Most of my family members are agricultural instructors in some regard,” Hildebrand said. “It has always been a goal of mine to follow in their footsteps.” Hildebrand also assists the Connors State Aggie Club, helps with Aggie Day, the school’s sheep and hog units, and is always willing to lend a hand with other tasks within the Division of Agriculture at Connors. “Within our the Agricultural Department we have four highly competitive teams, a school farm that is located on campus to utilize in
the classroom, opportunities to have real world experiences within our industry and with our class sizes being more moderate compared to a senior college students receive more hands on training in the classroom,” he said. Hildebrand said Connors is an excellent place for students because the institution provides so many unique opportunities for the students to get involved that a four-year university does not. “I have been at Connors four years now and I can confidently say I learn from the students everyday and those lessons have made me a better coach and mentor,” he said. “Also within my department I get to work with some special people that have been working in the real world a lot longer than I. Watching my fellow agricultural faculty members has taught me how to be a true professional at work and how to do the little things right on a day-today basis that leads to success within the job.”
Sandy Gandy, Staff Sandy Gandy, a programmer analyst at Connors, has been a part of the Cowboy family for six years. Gandy is no stranger when it comes to big families. She has four brothers and four sisters and is the youngest girl. “As of January 31, 2019, I am the only one of my siblings who is still working,” Gandy laughed. “I have to keep working so I can pay into Social Security for the rest of them.” Gandy is from Vinita, Oklahoma. She obtained her Associate of Applied Technology degree at Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma. “I began working at Connors because I believed I could bring something to the institution while working with Banner, Connors’ student information system,” she said.
“I see a desire in the staff and faculty here at Connors. We want to help our students and motivate them to continuing their education.” Gandy said she loves the atmosphere at Connors and has made some great friends throughout her six years as an employee. Although Gandy’s office is hidden upstairs in the rock building on the Warner campus, her office has an inviting feeling with her western images of John Wayne. “Next to my Dad, John Wayne is my hero,” Gandy said. “I have more pictures of him in my house than I do of my son, though my new grandson, baby Jack, is slowly replacing the Duke,” Gandy teased.
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Former Connors Alumnus Gets Inducted Into State Sports Hall of Fame Okay native Lou Henson, who played at Connors State College in 1951 and 1952 before going on to a successful collegiate coaching career, has been named to the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame it was announced Wednesday. Henson will be inducted in Oklahoma City on February 19. Henson is part of an induction class that will include former Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former
Kansas City Chiefs star Will Shields, Mike Moore and Mickey Tettleton, Olympic wrestling gold medalist Kendall Cross and OU softball coach Patty Gasso. Henson was born and raised in Okay. He graduated from Connors State in 1952 before starting his coaching career at Las Cruces (N.M.) High School before moving on to Hardin-Simmons University, New Mexico State and Illinois. He finished
2012 Connors State Athletic Hall of Fame Induction
Courtesy New Mexico State athletics
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his career with a record of 779-412, taking both the Illini and the Aggies to the Final Four. Henson was the first Connors State player to have his number (11) retired in 1996. He was inducted into the Connors State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012. Henson was previously inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Illinois Hall of Fame in 2018.
EDUCATION
Hundreds of High School Seniors Visit Campus On Tuesday, February 19, Connors State College welcomed more than 300 students, their parents, school counselors, faculty and staff to the Warner campus for Senior Day. During the day, students met with Connors’ administrative staff as they gave a brief overview of what to
expect during their college experience, and gained valuable information about who to speak with when applying for scholarships. The students were then given a tour of the campus. The tour ended in the Stone Student Union where various clubs, teams and organizations had
booths set up. The booths provided information about getting involved while at Connors. Sodexo then provided the students and their families lunch in the cafeteria before departing.
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ATHLETICS Cowboys Gain Sweet Revenge Against NEO The Cowboys avenged an early season loss to Northeastern A&M by dropping the Norsemen 85-78 at Melvin Self Field House in a crucial Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference clash. Connors is now 21-5 overall and 10-3 in league play to pull within one game of Northeastern A&M at 20-6 and 10-2. The Cowboys who placed five players in double figures, led by pointguard Callen Haydon, who scored a career high 25 points, including 11 straight free throws down the stretch to preserve the victory. He finished with 12-of-14 at the stripe. Connors finished 27-of-31 at the free throw line. “It was sweet revenge, but we can’t look ahead,” said Coach Bill Muse. “We have three games left and we can’t
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stub our toes. We are going to face NEO in the region tournament. They are an experienced team and they are the same team we played in the championship game last year. “They are hard to guard. When they play zone you have to hit shots and rebound,” said Muse. Concerning his proficiency at the line, Haydon said “You just have to make them when it counts. I practice them every day. Burke (Putnam) also hit some at the end, so it was a good team win. “This feels good to get back in the race, but it feels good to beat the No. 1 team in the league. Now we are looking for help down the stretch. We just have to worry about ourselves,” said Haydon. Trailing Haydon in the scoring was Tyrees Sidberry with 20 points
followed by Putnam’s 16 with Isaiah Jones and Terrance Jones with 10 points each. Muse praised the play of Hayden and Sidberry, who scored 45 of the Cowboys 85 points. “Sidberry was really, really good, and Haydon who sat out eight minutes of the game, finished with 25 points.” The Cowboys held a one-point lead at the half, 35-34 and trailed 51-50 with 14:24 left in the game. Isaiah Jones put the Cowboys back on top 52-51 with 13:58 remaining. It was a lead they never relinquished. Their largest margin was nine, 63-54 with 8:20 remaining. The Norse came no closer than two points 63-61 at the 5:30 mark, when the Cowboys stretched its lead to eight points late in the game.
Cowgirls Rally to Beat Eastern State Connors State Cowgirls never led in the first half against visiting Eastern Oklahoma State, but caught fire offensively in the final two quarters to post a 73-61 Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference win at Melvin Self Field House. The win lifted the Cowgirls to 14-9 on the year and 6-5 in league play. Eastern falls to 6-18 overall and remains winless in conference play at 0-11. “Last time we played them (Eastern) we didn’t press them the whole game like we should have,” said Cowgirls head coach Jamie Fisher. “Tonight we did a great job of changing the tempo
defensively and kept them out of game with our defensive pressure. “In the second half we just wore them out with hard nose play.” Trailing 39-35 with 5:50 remaining in the game, the contest took an unusual twist. Eastern was issued a technical foul when a player on their squad was not listed in the scorebook (Eneily Rodriquez). Shaniqua Patterson, who led the Cowgirls in scoring with 22, scored just moments before the technical and was fouled on her shot. She drained the free throw to give Connors its first lead of the night 40-39.
Cowgirls’ Cheyenne Marshall, who followed Patterson in the scoring with 14, then drained the two-shot technical. “That was an unfortunate incident and I feel really bad for them,” said Fisher. “We then made that big run (15-4) and put it away.” Connors never trailed the remainder of the contest as they stretched their lead to 15 points, 73-58 with 1:36 remaining. K’neship Bush led the Eastern scoring with 18 points with Britnee Gabriel adding another 17 in the loss.
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Connors Bull Named National Grand Champion The Connors State College Livestock Show team Santa Gertrudis bull, Crap Shoot, was crowned National Grand Champion Bull at the Dixie National Livestock Show in Jackson, Mississippi. The Crap Shoot 11-7 is sired by Vegas and is grand sired by High Roller. Connors State Livestock Show team member and freshman from Sapulpa, Oklahoma, Paige Hoover, presented the bull to the judge. This is the first time Connors has won a national title with one of the farm’s bulls. Connors yearling heifer,
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Paula, was named the reserve division champion yearling heifer and was exhibited by Lili Benson, Livestock Show team member and sophomore from Randlett, Oklahoma. The cattle exhibited at the livestock shows are produced on the farm at Connors State College on the Warner campus. The team has been awarded multiple champion and reserve champion banners this show season, including the Top Herdsman award at the North American Livestock Exhibition in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Connors Livestock Show team manager is Larry McFarland. Roger Morton is the Connors Farm Manager and Debby Golden coaches the Livestock Show Team. The Connors Livestock Show team members are: Colton McCorkle; Chance Sweeten; Analani Lorett; Taylynn Williamson; Abbi Walker; Kaylee Gum; Jessica Burg; Emily Remington; and Kassi Barnard.
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CAMPUS LIFE
AGGIE HOMECOMING Connors State College held its annual Aggie Homecoming on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019, during half-time of the men’s basketball game against Western. Will Shelby and Alexa Wandrey were named the 2019 Aggie Homecoming King and Queen.
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ALL-SCHOOL HOMECOMING Connors State College held it’s annual all-school homecoming on Thursday, February 7, 2019, during half-time of the men’s basketball game against Eastern. Braden Calico and Brooklyn Herriman were named the 2019 Homecoming King and Queen.
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CO N N O RS ST A T E CO LLE G E 700 College Road | Warner, OK 74469
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