WNC News & Notes: Summer course for teachers at Davis Observatory

Western Nevada College is offering a three-week summer course to help education students and practicing teachers develop basic skills and classroom resources in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

STEM-Tools and Applications (EDP 295B, Special Topics in Educational Professional Development, Call No. 20238, 3 credits) will be offered Monday, Wednesday and Friday, July 11-29, 5-10 p.m., at the Jack C. Davis Observatory at WNC Carson City. Cost: $233.25. The class is team taught by WNC professors Robert Collier, Dr. Thomas Herring and Dr. Michelle Rousselle.

It focuses on increasing physical science knowledge through hands-on activities, team projects, experiments and tools that teachers can apply in the classroom. To register, go to www.wnc.edu.

Fall class registration beginning online

Western Nevada College fall registration has opened for the semester that begins Aug. 29. Hundreds of classes are available in dozens of academic and career areas.

Students will use a new, statewide student online registration system that has been customized for each school in the Nevada System of Higher Education.

MyWNC will be used for class registration, fee payment, finding textbooks, and other services. Students will also be able to personally monitor online their progress toward a college degree.

For more information, visit www.

wnc.edu/mywnc.

Board of Regents to

award honorary degrees

The Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents is recognizing several community members for their generosity and service to Western Nevada College. The board will award honorary associate degrees to Michael Thomas and to Locke and Betty Ray Lesch.

Thomas is the president of the Western Nevada Astronomical Society and volunteers to help host and lecture at the Jack C. Davis Observatory each Saturday evening. He also serves on the observatory's Board of Governors.

Locke and Betty Ray Lesch have supported WNC's nursing program through generous donations for five years. Their donations have enabled the nursing department to purchase innovative simulation equipment to enhance instruction, and have provided scholarship funds for nursing and education students. They established the Lesch Nursing Scholarship Endowment in 2007. Each of these individuals has been instrumental in providing WNC students a high quality education, and their support is greatly appreciated.

'Oklahoma!' to take

the stage May 6-15

Plan now to attend Rodgers and Hammerstein's groundbreaking musical, "Oklahoma!," which will play at the Carson City Community Center weekends, May 6-15. The Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company production depicts a high-spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys with a love story mixed in.

Musical numbers include "People Will Say We're In Love," "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" and "I Cain't Say No."

"What's unusual about this production is that the leads in this cast are all close, personal friends," said Stephanie Arrigotti, producer and director of the show. "While everyone in our company is close knit, I don't ever remember casting a tight group of friends simultaneously. It makes for very strong chemistry in the scenes."

Leading the cast is Lynette Brown as Laurey and James McDuffie as Curly. Their comic friends, Ado Annie and Will Parker, are played by Melody Ricketts and Thomas Fisk. Leoney Berg is the surly farmhand, Jud, Christopher Willson is the traveling peddler, Ali Hakim, and Carla Wilson is Aunt Eller.

Some 45 performers complete the cast, accompanied by a 14-piece professional orchestra. Gina Kaskie-Davis is the choreographer.

Tickets are available at Realty Executives, 1071 South Carson St., or by phone at 775-445-4249.

Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 p.m., Sunday matinees, and a Saturday matinee on May 14 are at 2 p.m. Admission: $22 general, $20 students/seniors, and $18 for youth 17 and younger.

For information, www.wnmtc.com or 775-445-4249.

Student art show intrigues, decorates campus

The walls of Western Nevada College are now adorned with creative works in all shapes and sizes. The annual student exhibit fills all three galleries at the Carson City campus and includes creations from the Douglas campus and rural teaching centers. Works are as diverse as the college's course offerings - from painting and drawing to multimedia art, electronic arts, printmaking, photography, sculpture and pottery.

According to Art Professor Sharon Tetly, close to 400 individual works of art were submitted for the exhibition, which continues through Friday, May 6.

WNC Carson City art galleries are located in the Bristlecone Building. Hours: 8-9 p.m. weekdays; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, with holiday closures. Information: 775-445-3000.h