A few inches under five feet tall, Ayleen Pfeiffer is a nearly 30-year-old who is often mistaken for a high school student both on and off campus. Frequently silent and noticeably petite, it could be easy for some to underestimate the strength and perseverance that she has shown through her Read more…
Life changes in unexpected ways, but for UCC student and library worker Ashley Swearingen, change happened fast and derailed her life. While striving toward her goal of working in a museum living in Portland three years ago, Swearingen began having severe migraines, neck pain, and vertigo likely related to a Read more…
Outstanding Student Award recipient and engineering transfer student, Hector Cardenas, does not relish the spotlight. When he was nominated for an outstanding student achievement award, some aggressive cajoling was involved to convince this remote student to drive from his present home in Portland to attend the 2022 student achievement ceremony at Read more…
A 2020 UCC graduate who is regarded by many as a friend, fierce protector of human rights and hard worker extraordinaire became a 2022 UCC teacher this spring. Vyla Grindberg, the spring GIS 235 instructor, moved to Douglas County in June of 2018 to be closer to family and start Read more…
A singular exceptional student is chosen every year for the Harry Jacoby award at UCC. Named after former UCC President Jacoby, who was president from 1964-1975, this award is given to an exceptional student who excels beyond academics. The award is chosen by a faculty led committee made up of Read more…
Our stomachs talk to our brain more even than our brain talks to our bodies, but are we listening? If we don’t, it’s detrimental to our mental, emotional and physical health, according to representatives from UC-VEG and nutrition authorities. “Your gut is connected to your brain in a way that Read more…
The fight against the coronavirus pandemic is far from over in a world that has become increasingly confusing for students because, in some ways, student lives look the same while, in other ways, many facets of life are unrecognizable compared to pre-pandemic normalcy. The way we engage with the school Read more…
Zoom cameras, on or off? Zoom has created a new environment for teachers and students who are still navigating the online classroom. Some students have found through virtual learning that they would prefer to keep their cameras off, whereas many instructors believe that this negatively impacts the learning experience. Cameras Read more…
UCC is hiring two new vice presidents; one for academic services and one for student services. The college’s current president, Rachel Pokrandt, is choosing to return to the traditional VP administration structure instead of the previous provost structure that combined these two positions under president Debra Thatcher. A hiring committee Read more…
Free pizza at a college has been a tried and true method of gathering students in one location on campus, but students who answered the invitation to question candidates for UCC’s next vice president of student services were more interested in being heard than eating. The search for VPSS particularly Read more…
Often quiet with a small smile at the ready, AAOT student Tayla Griffin regularly attends her Zoom classes with the camera on, eyes focused on the instructor, her own office in the background. Math professor Mary Stinnett praises Griffin as a model remote student. “Tayla ensures her camera is on, Read more…
Mind over matter may be seen as a mantra for achievement, but most successful people suggest taking a break and re-evaluating how sustained herculean effort affects health. One UCC student shared his story about finding balance through school. Kodi Fisher, a second-year UCC student, spent five years of  his young Read more…
The pandemic caused many of UCC’s most active clubs to go dormant. The Queer StraightAlliance, Healthy Minds, Automotive Club, and the Nursing Club, even the Nerd Herd whichused to be UCC’s most active club. Students struggle with making student connections from thelack of availability of meeting times from classes being Read more…
While UCC students have begun to return to in-person learning, the campus still resembles a ghost town. To get students back on campus, ASUCC has been scheduling an assortment of events and activities in the LaVerne Murphy Student Center. “The events are fun and almost always include food and drink. Read more…