NN VATION

In The Cl Assroom

Reefs And Ruins

In December, twenty-two Wildcats packed their suitcases and set out for a rainforest expedition to explore tropical ecology and environmental history. Led by Dr. Scott Giltner and Dr. Lauren Schellenberger, this travel study experience would mark the sixth anniversary of this expedition for Culver-Stockton College. Giltner said since the expedition began in 2010 and travels in alternative years, to date, nearly 130 students have experienced the Belize and Guatemala trip. He shared, “This is a great opportunity for students to experience the world and expand their horizons, which I think is invaluable. Selfishly, for me, it’s a great opportunity to do something really engaging with students and build a community.” Giltner explained that the group that forms from these expeditions becomes something of a family and, most times, will stay connected for years to come.

Throughout their fourteen days in Central America, the group hiked volcanoes, explored coffee plantations, and climbed Mayan temples before finishing their travels in Belize with time in the rainforest and on an island off the coast. There, students explored marine habitats, rainforests, and coral reefs.

Senior Abby Done ’23 was most anticipating the travel because she had never traveled internationally. She said the 12-week class allowed her to secure a passport while gaining firsthand knowledge of environmental history. During the 3-week session, she connected classroom knowledge to real-world learning. She said, “This class has given me the opportunity to learn about different cultures while experiencing tropical ecology. We get to travel to see rainforests, and coral reefs, meet different people and eat new foods, and that’s awesome.”

BIG-TIME EVENT MANAGEMENT

Junior Brianna Eissman ’24 relished every moment on and off the field during ESPN’s Bowl Week in Boca Raton, Florida. The knowledge she captured in the classroom prepared her for the event, but the resiliency she gained during her week of on-on-the-job training, will set her apart for years to come. “The most eye-opening thing I learned about event management is you have to be flexible because there will be obstacles and things won’t always go as planned.”

In 2018, Culver-Stockton College alumnus Doug Mosley ’85 connected the Sport and Event Management departments to the ESPN Boca Raton Bowl. This dynamic travel study opportunity provides students the ability to work alongside professionals in Sport Managment and Event Managment while college football championship games take place. C-SC students assist in every aspect of the week-long event including press conferences, welcome activities, pep rallies, band competitions, field security, field organizaton, vendor management, social media, and even the trophy presentation! This year, twelve students and two faculty members played a major role in the Liberty University versus Toledo Rockets NCAA game. Mr. Dan Mahoney, Senior Lecturer in Sport Management, appreciates the variety of learning activities that Wildcats participate in during the travel experience because the fast paced environment is challenging to simulate in the classroom. He said, “The students get an amazing look into every aspect of the bowl game and gain an understanding of all the people and organizations that need to work together to pull off an event of this size. I believe this experience gives them a greater appreciation for their chosen career field.”

Religion In America

Every semester since 2005, Culver-Stockton College has offered the course “Religion in America.” To date, over 1,000 Wildcats have completed this course, and Dr. Andy Walsh has proudly taught many of the classes. Upon completion, participants will have created a journal of material learned and opinions on how religion shaped American history and, ultimately, the Disciples of Christ (DOC) church.

Dr. Walsh shared that this course is repeatedly one of his favorite classes to teach because he enjoys reviewing the students’ reflections. Walsh said that after reading hundreds of journal entries, he learned that the most powerful grasp of knowledge occurs during religious site visits. Toward the end of the course, students traveled to St. Louis to participate in a melting pot of religious cultures. During the travel study, Wildcats gained first-hand knowledge as they toured worship centers and met with religious leaders, asking questions. Tour locations included the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, the Buddhist Center, the Hindu Temple of St. Louis, the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis, and a meeting with Rabbi Rosenberg at the United Hebrew Congregation.

Dr. Walsh shared that, sadly, our worldviews of religions are clouded by stereotypes, but site visits like these provide opportunities to overcome and reverse negative thought patterns. One student wrote, “My first encounter with Islam was life-transforming. Before this experience, I would make fun of the Islamic religion at how they dressed and talked. After going to the Islamic center, I now have a different outlook on them and a broader understanding of the Islamic tradition. At first, I thought it was a bit funny how they prayed. After hearing about how they pray five times a day, I became overwhelmed and became interested in how they were so committed to God. After watching how they pray in action, I felt uplifted with spirit wanting to know more and more.”

Corporate Experiences

The opportunity to spend time with CEOs, corporate managers, leaders, and even the founder of Ring Doorbell is different from the typical college class experience. Thanks to Dr. Dell Ann Janney ’87, students in her Corporate Experience class were able to learn from business leaders to understand better what they may encounter when they enter the workforce.

During the 3-week class, students met with leaders from U.S. Wellness Meats (Canton, MO.), DOT Foods (Mount Sterling, IL), Food Service Direct (Quincy, IL), Refreshment Services Pepsi (Quincy, IL), interviewed Ring Doorbell founder Jamie Siminoff (Virtual). Freshman Isaac Ellison ’26 served as the group’s photographer and said he was surprised to learn how many many multi-million dollar companies started in the back of a car and have grown to 14 different countries all over the world! He said, “I enjoyed the Corporate Experience class because we could learn about the companies before visiting them. Then, when we arrived on site, we learned first-hand from the professionals. Through conversation, we learned that many of these companies provide internship opportunities to students, which can lead to greater experiences.”

Gaining Perspective In Technology Classrooms

If technology is the way of the future, Education majors got a first-hand view when they toured Knox County Schools in December as part of the Content Literacy, Tests and Measurements courses. The rural school district has been recognized for its innovation in transforming an old school bus into a cafe, transitioning to electric buses, and facilitating its classrooms with 1:1 Apple education technology. This unique problem-solving methodology in action gave our students an interesting perspective on how to rethink content literacy and classroom management. C-SC future educators met with administrators to learn more about implementation, tests, and measurements and to ask questions regarding the next steps in their own educational journeys.