WNC News & Notes: Student designs official college seal

Western Nevada College Graphic Communications student Jesse Mireles has a new showpiece for his portfolio; he has designed WNC's official seal. The seal will be used on important college documents, eventually to include graduation diplomas, letterhead and invitations.

Mireles originally submitted a proposed 40th anniversary logo design to the college's Information and Marketing Services department as part of a class project. While his design for that project wasn't selected, his work captured the attention of the marketing team, and he was offered the opportunity to create the seal for Western.

"I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to do this. It is definitely a big accomplishment for me," he said.

Mireles is a 2008 graduate of Carson High School. He plans to graduate this spring with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Graphic Communications.

Construction students enter competition

Students from the WNC construction management bachelor's degree program had the opportunity for hands-on development of construction projects during the Associated Schools of Construction-Region 6 and 7 student competition. Two teams represented Western at the event Feb. 16-19 in Sparks.

The heavy civil team included Adam Loomis, Ryan Anderson, Tom Hunt, Alex Jares, Cory Jares, Curtiss Elliot and alternate Cassandra Noll. The team was charged with developing plans to construct a jetty in Tillamook, Ore., for the Army Corps of Engineers.

Representing WNC on the commercial team were Randy Contreras, Dave McGarry, Bryan Forster, Don Beibel, Lee Mason, Taylor Allen and alternate Reuben Rios. Their project involved creating plans for the ShoWare Center, a sports arena in Kent, Wash.

Curtiss Elliot, who also participated in the competition last year, said "The colleges and universities that we compete against are some of the finest institutions in the region, so it's a challenging and beneficial experience for us."

Teams that placed at the top included Boise State University, Colorado State University, Montana State University, Brigham Young University and Arizona State University.

Star parties on tap at Davis Observatory

WNC continues to host weekly star parties on Saturdays beginning at 6 p.m. at the Jack C. Davis Observatory.

The events are free and open to the public. Stargazers can view the night sky through the observatory's various telescopes, and volunteers will be on hand to answer any questions. Western Nevada Astronomical Society President Mike Thomas or occasional special guest speakers present astronomy seminars at 7:30 p.m. The next star party is March 5. Telescope viewing and seminars are weather permitting and may be canceled in the event of inclement weather.

Follow WNC on Twitter

Western Nevada College is now on Twitter. Anyone interested in receiving information about campus happenings, athletics and more can choose to follow WNC at www.twitter.com/WNC_Information.