12 minute read
Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center
Learning at the Water’s Edge
On the shore of King Lake, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday campus life, is Emporia State’s newest facility, the Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center (PAROC). The first academic facility at ESU to be built entirely with private donor gifts, PAROC (sounds like pay-rock), as it’s called around campus, officially opened its doors on May 22, 2021. From a rendering on a page, to the beautiful facility that overlooks the lake and other natural areas studied in the building, PAROC was built to serve as a hybrid space between classroom and the field for Emporia State students and faculty, as well as an area for students in the community to engage in the biological world and higher education. In its first four months of opening, the Center has already become home to creativity and discovery. Hosting nature craft classes, micro-safaris and activities celebrating National Moth Week, PAROC allows ESU students, faculty and staff, as well as community members of all ages, to connect with nature and explore the local biodiversity of the Emporia area. As the only on-campus aquatic research facility in Kansas, Emporia State students whose classes and research projects take advantage of PAROC will have opportunities to get real-world experiences in their field of study from the very beginning of their college career. Those experiences, along with their strong education in theory and scientific principles, will prepare them to leave ESU and jump into their field at a higher level than their peers. PAROC is also a valuable resource for K-12 students. Through camps and classroom fieldtrips, they can learn about science in ways they can see and touch. This facility will inspire students to appreciate the natural world around them and the way education can be exciting and dynamic. The facility is named in honor of Dr. Carl Prophet. Prophet graduated from the biology department at then Kansas State Teachers College in 1955 and again in 1957. He served as a faculty member and eventually became chair of the Division of Biological Sciences before retiring from ESU in 1996. Providing students hands-on experience and involving them in the scientific world was essential to Prophet, both as a faculty member and for himself as a student at Emporia State. That philosophy is what PAROC is all about.
As the newest hub of scientific exploration and engagement at Emporia State, there are great things in the future, both for the university as we provide more high-impact learning experiences, and for students who get to explore the world in a new way. To learn more about the Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center, visit emporia.edu/paroc.
Setting a Course for Teaching Success
For Samuel Baker, serving other students as an embedded tutor is just one piece of the ESU experience that will put him at the head of the class after graduation.
For courses known to be significantly challenging, an embedded tutor is assigned to attend the course alongside the other students, serving as a tutoring resource for every student who wants assistance. First-hand knowledge of where the class is in the curriculum helps them assist students with understanding course concepts and engaging with the material. The embedded tutor’s presence and familiarity helps some students who wouldn’t normally seek tutoring assistance overcome their reluctance to asking for help.
When Samuel transferred to Emporia State University from Butler Community College in 2018, he already had his sights set on a teaching career. That’s what brought him to campus in the first place. “They said ESU is recognized nationally as a teaching school,” says Baker. “That sounded very desirable to me.” Baker discovered a love for social studies early on. He particularly enjoys the colonial era in the United States. “I really do like history. In high school, that was my favorite subject,” says Baker. “It’s always fascinated me.” He credits some great influences in high school for inspiring him to seek out a classroom to call his own. For the Wichita native, a major in secondary social studies education made perfect sense. Plus, he chose to broaden his horizons by adding a minor in geography. “I really like places and culture and seeing the world as a puzzle.” When Baker landed a position as an embedded tutor with the Academic Center for Excellence and Success or ACES, a major piece of his academic experience—and hands-on career preparation—fell into place. Like many college students, Baker wanted to pick up a part-time job. He already spent plenty of time in the William Allen White Library, where ACES is located. When a floormate who served as an embedded tutor for biology suggested looking into the position, it seemed like a great fit. “This job made more sense for my career path since I would be doing a lot of the same things I’ll be doing after I graduate.” After meeting with Deborah Hann, associate professor of social sciences, sociology and criminology, he signed on as an embedded tutor for her World Regional Geography class. The duo collaborated in person and via email to discuss Baker’s tutoring plans. He created a PowerPoint presentation for Hann to share with her classes, introducing him and the embedded tutoring program and letting students know when they could find him in the library. ACES offers plenty of assistance to ESU students who need a hand in the form of designated walk-in tutoring and small-group tutoring. The embedded tutoring program takes peer mentoring to the next level.
As an embedded tutor, a high-achieving student like Baker becomes an integral part of the classroom experience, joining in on class sessions for particularly challenging courses. By observing and working closely with the professor, the embedded tutor gains firsthand knowledge of where students are in their coursework. “Being in the class with them, it’s just another layer of understanding for both me and them,” says Baker. Baker feels his presence in the class made it easier for students to approach him during tutoring hours. “It can be hard to ask for help sometimes,” he says. “Once they were there and saw me, it was more of a familiar feeling. I think it made it a lot easier. Making it as easy as we could was one of our goals.” For Baker, his biggest challenge was scheduling. When setting up his tutoring hours, he needed to work around his involvement with Christian Challenge. He also needed to make sure his own classes didn’t conflict with Hann’s so he could be available for lectures.
Baker has no question that the rewards far outweighed any challenges. “I learned a lot about myself,” he says. Baker practiced patience, giving students the time to formulate an answer before jumping in with facts he already knew. “It’s not about what I want,” Baker says. “It’s about serving others.” He also gained some advanced career prep, giving him additional skills for student teaching this year. For Baker, the best part was connecting with students who joined in for his tutoring sessions. “Probably the most joyous part of being a tutor was seeing the regulars. That was always nice because it’s hard to establish any kind of relationship if you only see someone a few times.” Once he graduates, Baker hopes to land his dream job—teaching at the high school level—so he can impact students while they’re discovering their independence but still need guidance. Though he was born and raised in Wichita, he’s come to enjoy life in Emporia and would like to maintain his connection to the Twelfth Avenue Baptist Church. A small school district outside of Emporia would be his perfect place to land. “One of the main reasons I want to become a teacher is so I can do what a lot of my high school teachers did for me—steer me straight, speak truth into my life and just be an encouragement,” says Baker. “If I can do those things while doing something I like, history or geography, that’s a win-win. I do enjoy serving others. I like to think that I have a servant’s heart.”
1998 Emporia State
Lady Hornets A Legacy of Achievement Built on Teamwork
When the Emporia State women’s basketball team fell short in the national championship game in 1998 following a historic season, they didn’t realize the impact they would have on the program for years to come. At the time, they could only see the loss. Since then, these 20+ years have allowed the players and coaches alike to see just how much that season sparked a flame, which has continued to burn in the women’s basketball program to this day.
Making History
The 1997-1998 Lady Hornets were the first athletic team at ESU to play for an NCAA Division II National Championship, going 33-1 on the season. Emporia State went undefeated in the regular season while leading the nation in scoring (91.3 ppg) and scoring margin (+29.3 ppg). Head Coach Cindy Stein always knew this team was one she could push past its limits. “The thing we did going into the whole thing, is we said, ‘We don’t want this to be a really good DII,’” Stein said. “We basically ran it as a DI program, and recruited kids that we thought could play DI. They allowed us to push them though, too. We did push them; we tried to make them uncomfortable, meaning you’re trying to push them past what they think they can do, and they allowed us to coach them up.” There was no shortage of elite players on the 1998 runner-up team. Four of them would go on to earn first-team All-American honors and end their careers with at least 1,000 points. From freshmen, to transfers, to four-year players, everyone on the 1997-1998 roster undoubtedly played a role in each others’ success. Sisters Aneta (BSB 99-International Business) and Jurgita Kausaite (BSB 00-International Business), natives of Lithuania, left their marks on the program. Each received the MIAA award for Most Valuable Player in back-to-back seasons, Aneta in 1998 and Jurgita in 1999. Aneta was Emporia State’s first Kodak All-American as a member of the NCAA. She was the first NCAA Division II player to play in the WNBA following her college career, playing one season with the Detroit Shock. While the awards were nice, Aneta says there was a bigger picture for this team. “The most important were the wins,” Aneta Kausaite said. “I am very competitive and winning is all that matters. Awards and honors are nice especially at that age, but later in life all the memories of playing and being part of something great is what matters. Playing a sport I love and seeing people enjoy it made it the best experience ever.” Jurgita Kausaite was a first-team All-American. She set the NCAA Division II record for most field goals in a single NCAA Tournament with 55 during ESU's run to the 1998 national title game. ESU went to the NCAA Division II Final Four in both of her years. Emily (Bloss) Carpenter (BS 01-Recreation) was a freshman on the 1998 team. She went on to be the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball National Player of the Year and Academic All-American of the Year as a senior. She was the Most Valuable Player in the MIAA as a senior. Carpenter credits much of her career success to the teammates surrounding her early on. “You play against those girls, even though you play with them during games, during practice is when you really get better as a player,” Carpenter said. “Going against those ladies, they did not make it easy, at all. Boy, we were so competitive. They definitely made me much stronger, mentally and physically, they pushed me harder and harder. As for the awards, a BIG thank you needs to go to Don Weast (current associate director of Intercollegiate Athletics at ESU), JD Campbell (former director of Sports Information), Mason Logan (former assistant director of Sports Information), and all the graduate assistants. They helped promote not only me but the entire team.” Tara (Holloway) Churchill (BSE 01-Physical Education) went on to be named the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball National Player of the Year as a senior as well as a CoSIDA and WBCA First-Team All-American. She was a two-time first-team All-MIAA selection and was a part of ESU's first four teams to make it to the NCAA Tournament.
While the 1998 team produced numerous All-American caliber players, the entire roster posed a threat to opposing teams in unique ways. Many agree this is what made this group so successful. Amanda (Flick) Gutierrez (BS 00-Recreation) was a transfer player on the team in 1998.
“As a player, you understand what your strengths and weaknesses are,” Gutierrez said. “When I’m playing with the Kausaites, when I’m playing with an Emily Bloss, when I’m playing with a Tara Holloway, it didn’t take me very long to figure out that’s who I wanted shooting the ball. I was able to recognize quickly that the best thing I could do to help my team win was to play really good defense, to rebound the ball, to set really good screens. I could see how much talent was on this team. Shanna (Spann) Perine (BS 98-Recreation, MS 10-Educational Administration) did a really good job of getting the right people the ball. We just had a lot of kids that were willing to modify their game to play to the strengths of our teammates.”
