WNC News & Notes: Discounted Wildcats athletics gala tickets still available

Reserve a table today for the 10th annual Western Nevada College Wildcats Athletics Gala on Jan. 24, and save money while helping a great cause. Tables for 10 are $850 through Monday, and $1,000 afterward. Individual tickets also are available for $100 and can be purchased at www.wnc.edu/wildcatsgala/or through the WNC Foundation at775-445-3240.Major League Baseball great and Carson High School graduate Matt Williams will headline the event, which features a gourmet dinner, entertainment, and both a live and silent auction. This year’s auction items will feature “Nevada Experiences.”The fundraiser benefits both WNC and Carson High School baseball/softball teams.College faculty and staff set pace for givingWestern Nevada College employees have once again come forward to support their college and students. Faculty, administrators and staff members pledged or donated more than $25,000 to the WNC Foundation during the annual employee giving campaign. The autumn event raises awareness about the needs of the college and the many ways that employees can help support students and community. Funds can be designated toward any identified need — scholarships, academic programs, musical theatre, arts, athletics, the Jack C. Davis Observatory, campus beautification, and numerous other initiatives. Employees can donate through payroll deductions or with a one-time gift. Potluck raises more than $300 for ‘Circles’Western Nevada College turned its annual faculty/staff holiday potluck luncheon into another opportunity for sharing the spirit of giving. Along with the casseroles and desserts, more than $300 was collected for the Carson City Circles Initiative. The initiative helps local families who live in poverty to learn and practice the skills to achieve self-sufficiency, through education and supportive friendships. Participants set their own goals and chart their own course to achieve financial independence. Family members successfully complete a 20-week workshop and are then matched with community members who work with them to achieve their goals. Up to eight families may participate each year. Several program completers have gone on to attend college. Executive Director Shelly Aldean was a special guest at the college potluck, where she spoke about the success and goals of the organization. College Director of Development Katie Leao then presented her with the donation check.Learn how to invest for the futureIt’s never too soon to start planning a financial future. The college offers a spring course at the Carson City campus that will help students map out their financial plan. FIN 115, Introduction to Investments, will teach basic investing principles and concepts. The class meets Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.. Topics include mutual funds, annuities, equities and managing risk.Novice investors as well as those with some experience will benefit from the course. Students who are already investing and working with a financial planner will gain knowledge to help them to become an active partner in developing a strategy. The course is designed to apply toward a degree and/or transfer to another school within the Nevada System of Higher Education. Compressed classes keep students on track WNC students who want to get their math requirements out of the way can now complete them more quickly. This spring, Carson City is offering accelerated math courses that will allow students to complete several math requirements during the same semester, keeping them on track toward graduation.Students can now take MATH 95 during the first eight weeks of the spring 2013 semester, followed by MATH 96 and Math 120 during the second eight weeks. “This is a great opportunity for students to get their math requirements done more efficiently,” said Deborah Case, director of Counseling Services. “I’m hopeful that many students will take advantage of this opportunity.” MATH 95 is a first course in algebra. It provides a foundation for the math used in business, science, engineering and related fields. MATH 96 allows students to study more advanced algebraic problems and principals. Students taking Math 120 will study probability, statistics, business, finance and consumer mathematics. The course is broad in scope and emphasizes applications.Complete course descriptions and schedules can be found at www.wnc.edu/academics/catalog/math/. Spring classes begin Jan. 22. Need assistance? College remodel enhances customer serviceCollege students and the public will have better access to educational information and general assistance at the Carson City campus, thanks to a complete remodel of the main information desk. The holiday break between fall and spring classes allowed the time for demolition of the decades-old information desk that had been built by inmates at the Nevada State Prison. It was replaced with a larger, modular office that offers room to carry out projects and serve students and visitors. More important, the desk is now compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, allowing for improved service to students in wheelchairs.“Having all of these ADA changes on campus lets all students know they are important, and that we are trying to assist and accommodate them,” said Linda Hipol-Rollings, who works at the information desk. “It’s a lot more approachable, and brightens up the area. The remodeling project also included moving a mobile computer terminal to a new location that also is ADA compliant, allowing students to review their myWNC accounts in a more accessible location.Register at www.wnc.edu.