Human strength test page 10

Volume1, Number 3 Spring 2006

Pancakes fuel for nursing

scholarshipspage 4 Hot Spot

page 6

Turkey: Bridge between East and West - page 2

Government/Community Relations

ProjectSILVER

Carolyn Aanestad

PostcardSILVER

RoJean Thayer

Brochure/Flyer 2GOLD

RoJean Thayer

Brochure/Flyer 3GOLD

RoJean Thayer

CWCPublicationsCoordinatorRoJeanThayerwashonoredbyherpeersattheMarchconventionoftheNationalCouncilforMarketingandPublicRela-tionsinAustin,TexasasDistrictIV’s“Communica-toroftheYear.” DistrictIVofNCMPR,whichincludesWyoming,Colorado,NewMexico,Arkansas,OklahomaandTexas,usuallyholdsare-gionalmeetinginthefallwherethe“Communicator”ishonored.ButbecausethenationalNCMPRcon-ventionwasscheduledinAustin,thetwoconferenc-eswereheldconcurrently. TheCWCPublicInfor-mationOfficepickedupseveralMedallionAwardsatthemeetingforpublica-tionsandadcampaigns.

A G R E A TCommunicator

SnippetsCentralWyomingCollegeisahalfmilliondollarsclosertoitsgoalofbuildinganIntertribalEducationandCommunityCenter.

CWCPoliticalScienceProfessorJimThurmanhastheopportunitytoreturntoTurkeythissummer.

AscholarshipcreatedbytheveteransgroupFortyandEightwillbeherelongafterthepancakesareeaten.

WhatislurkinginthehotspringsofThermopolis?ACWCstudentandfacultymemberhopetofindout.

CWChasreviseditsscienceprogramstomakethemmorestudentfriendly.

Aninspirationalstoryofhopeandarealtestofhumanstrength.

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ConnectisapublicationoftheCWCPublicInformationOfficeandisscheduledtobepublishedquarterly.

CentralWyomingCollegeisahalfmilliondollarsclosertoitsgoalofbuildinganIntertribalEducationandCommunityCenteratitsRivertoncampusthankstothegenerosityofaJacksoncouple. BerteandAlanHirschfield,20-yearresidentsofTetonCoun-ty,madethe$500,000giftandchallengedotherstomatchtheamount.CWChasbeenworkingwiththeHirschfieldsandwiththeNorthernArapahoandEasternShoshonetribesforseveralyearstogetthecenterbuilt. AlanHirschfieldsaidNa-tiveAmericansdeserveaplaceto“rejoiceintheirculture.”BerteHirschfieldsaidit“seemssoessen-tialinourstate”tohaveaplacewherebothnativesandnon-nativescanrealizethedepthandbeautyoftheculture.“It’sadreamAlanandIhavesharedformanyyears.” Lastmonth,U.S.SenatorMikeEnziannounceda$1millionfeder-alappropriationhesecuredforthe

center’sconstruction,and$1.1mil-lionwasincludedintheWyomingLegislature’s2006budgetbillforthecenter.Thecollegestillneedstoraise$1.8milliontocompletethe$4.4millionproject. Uponhearingofthefederalandstatesupportforthefacil-ity,theHirschfieldspromisedCWCPresidentJoAnneMcFarlandtomakea$300,000donation.Butthecouplesurprisedprojectsupportersbyuppingtheamountbyanother$200,000atarecentcampuseventwhereafundingraisingstrategywasunveiled. Hirschfield,formerlythechair-manandchiefexecutiveofficerof20thCenturyFoxFilmCorp.,andCEOofColumbiaPicturesInc.,saidwhen“youarefortunateenoughtohavesuccessinlife,youareobli-gatedtogiveback.” PresidentMcFarlandsaidthehalfmilliondollarchallengewill“makeusreachhigher”andasked

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Native hoop dancer Jake Hill entertained guests at Central Wyoming College when Berte and Alan Hirschfield (seated in the audience at left) announced a $500,000 donation to the college’s proposed Intertribal Center. Right of Hirschfields are CWC President Jo Anne McFarland, Sho-shone Business Council Chair and CWC Foundation member Ivan Posey, and retired CWC counselor Scott Ratliff, who also made a donation to the center on behalf of his family. Photo by Lonnie Slack

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JimThurmaninfusesaninternationaldimensiontohisteachingatCentralWyomingCollege.

AnewprofessorofPoliticalScience,ThurmancomestoCWCfromTurkeywherehespentfouryearsatoneofthecountry’sbestprivateuniversities,BilkentUniversity,locatedinthecapitalcityofAnkara. HehastheopportunitytoreturntoTurkeythissummertodevelopacoursewithsubstantiveinternationalfocusthatwillgivestudentsinWyominganopportunitytodeve-lopaninterculturalawarenessandapprecia-tionforpoliticsofthiscountrythatissaidtobethe“bridge”betweentheEastandtheWest. ThurmanwasadoctoralstudentinAn-karaandisthefirstAmericantoeverfinishPhDcourseworkinTurkishpoliticsthere.WhileatBilkent,hetaughtAmericango-vernmentandpolitics,sohe’sreturningthissummertorenewrelationshipswithsomeofthebestpoliticalmindsinallofTurkeyto

prepareforthedevelopmentofthecoursethathewillteachinWyoming. Moreandmorecollegesanduniversi-tiesinAmericaare“internationalizing”theircurriculumtoeducatestudentstofunctionasglobalcitizens.ThurmanobtainedaU.S.DepartmentofEducationgrantthroughaUniversityofWyomingprogramtoconducttheadditionalresearchandwilldevelopthecoursesothatitcanbeusedatCWCandatUW. “Thegovernmentistryingtohelpfundeffortstofillthegaptobetterinformpeopleaboutlesserknownplaces,”Thurmansaid. AformerlinguistintheU.S.Army,Thurmanhadbeenlivingabroadforanum-berofyears,includingtimeinGermanyandtheCrimeanRepublicofUkraine.Largelybychance,heendedupinTurkeyandcontinuedhisgraduatestudiesinTurkicpeopleandlanguage. HisreturntoTurkeythissummerhasadifferentfocus.He’llrenewacquaintances,somewhoarethetopteachersofTurkishpo-litics,diplomatsandgovernmentemployeesandmembersoftheTurkishForeignMinistry.

CWC instructor shares international experiences

CWC Political Science Professor Jim Thur-man spent four years at a university in Turkey. He is pictured at the Ancient Stairs at Hattusas.

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“Thebestpeoplearerightthereinthecapi-talofTurkey,”hesaid. LifeinTurkeyisn’tradicallydifferentthanlivingintheU.S.,butthehistoryofthecountryislongandverysignificant. SlightlylargerthanTexas,TurkeyissimultaneouslypartoftheMiddleEast,theCaucasus,theMediterranean,CentralAsiaandEurope,hesaid,explainingthecountryisina“toughneighborhood”asitissur-roundedbyIraq,Iran,Syria,RussiaandArmenia.“SincethedaysoftheOttomanConquest,Turkeyhasbeenalternatelyfeared,despised,andlovedbyitsneighbors,andbytheWest,”Thurmansaid. ThemodernTurkishRepublic,whichemergedfromtheruinsoftheOttomanEm-pire,ispursuingpeacefulpoliciesinaregionthathasmanyconflicts.Thecountryissur-roundedbytraditionalenemies.Atonetimeoranother,Turkeyhasfoughtwithmostofitsneighbors.Recently,TurkeyhaddisputeswithBulgaria.RelationswithGreece,RussiaandArmeniaarestable,butallarehistoricalenemies.“Theneighborsgetincreasinglyworse,”hesaidofIran,IraqandSyria.“It’s

hardtoimaginemoredifficultneighbors.” Turkey’sgeographymakesita“naturalconduit”betweentheMiddleEastandEasternEurope,hesaid,makingitachallengingplacetostudy“becauseitdoesn’tfitintojustoneregionalcategory.” Turkeyborderseightcountries,anditsnorthwesternregion,Thrace,isconsideredbygeographersaspartofEuropeduetocertaincultural,politicalandhistoricalcharacteris-tics.IstanbulistheonlycityintheworldthatliesinbothAsiaandEurope.BecauseofitsgeographicalpositionbetweenEuropeandAsiaandthreeseas,Turkeyhasbeenathistoricalcrossroads;thehomelandofandbattlegroundbetweenseveralgreatciviliza-tions,andacenterofcommerce. Turkey’sconflictwithneighbors,itspre-dominatelyMuslimpopulation,anditsgeo-graphyhavealsohampereditsentranceinto

theEuropeanUnion,Thurmanexplained. Turkey,aNATOally,refusedtocooperateintheU.S.-ledinvasionofIraqwhichshoc-kedmanyinthiscountry,includingsomeatthehighestlevelsofgovernment. “Infact,Turkey’srefusalisjustoneexampleofalonghistoryofmisunders-tandingsbetweenTurkeyandtheWesternworld,”saidThurman,whowillfocusonTurkey’srelationshipwiththeWestwhendevelopinghiscourse. BeforetheTurkscametoAsiaMinor,theregion’shistorydatedback10,000years.OneoftheoldestcitiesintheworldwasfoundinTurkey,datingbackto7500B.C.“HalfofalltheactionthattakesplaceintheBibleisinTurkey,”hesaid. ThefirstexposuretheWesthadwiththeTurkswaswhentheyexpandedoutofCentral

CWC instructor shares international experiences

Turkey is indeed the “bridge” between the East and the West, and has troublesome neighbors.

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PANCAKES PANCAKES PANCAKES

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TheFremontCountyVoitures40et8arecreatingascholarshipendowmentforCentralWyomingCollegenursingstudentsthatwillbearoundlongaftertheveteransaredoneflippingpancakes. The22membersoftheorganizationhavedepletedtheirbankaccounttoestablishthe

fundwhichwillprovidescholarshipstonursingstudentsatCWCnowandwayintothefuture.Theveteransarelookingforotherdonorsinterestedinnursestraining

andeducationtoaddtothepermanentendowment. Foralmosttwodecades,themenoftheFortyandEighthavebeenraisingfundsforthenursingscholarshipsbyholdingannualpancakebreakfastsinLanderandRiverton. TheEndowmentChallengeMatch,afundcreatedbytheWyoming

Legislaturetodoubledonationstocommunitycolleges

forpermanentendowments,stirredinterestintheveteransasmembershipintheorganizationisdwindling.

TheForty

andEightwasformedin1920byAmericanLegionnairesasanhonorsocietyandfromitsearliestdaysithasbeencommittedtocharitableaims,especiallynursingeducation,saidGeorgeBurns,whoisthedirectorofthelocalchapter’snursestrainingprogram.“Theyrecognizedourshortageofnursesbackinthe‘30s,”Burnsrecalls. The40et8’stitlesandsymbolsreflectFirstWorldWarorigins.AmericanservicemeninFranceweretransportedtothebattlefrontinsideVoitures,boxcarshalfthesizeofAmericanboxcarsbuiltfornarrowgaugerailroadsinEurope.EachFrenchboxcarwasstenciledwitha“40/8,”denotingitscapacitytoholdeither40menoreighthorses. NowcomposedofmostlyofveteransofWorldWarII,theKoreanWar,Vietnam,andDesertStormconflicts,membershipinthe40et8hassteadilydeclined.Infact,FremontCountyhastheonlywholechapterinthestate,saidDennisClark,aVietnamveteranandtheclub’s“chefdegare,”orpresident. Andeventhelocalgroup’snumbersarediminishingwithsomemenmovingawaytobeclosertofamily.LongtimememberBobSiewertrecentlydied. Theideaofcreatinga“perpetual”endowmentappealedtothe40et8becausetheyunderstandthe

Pancakes – fuel for nursing scholarships

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scholarshipwilloutliveallofthem.“Wewantedthistogoonindefinitelynomatterwhereweare,”saidClark,whonotedtheendowmentwasunanimouslyapprovedbythemembership.“Thematchingfundsarewhatsoldittous.” Whiletheproceedsfromthepancakebreakfastshavebeenthemainsourceofscholarshipfunds,thebigendowmentcheckpresentedrecentlytotheCWCFoundationcamefromadonation20yearsagotomemorializememberHubCramerofLander.That$3,000,whichwasraisedbymemorialsandanauctionofHub’suniformsandsouvenircollection,wasputintoacertificateofdeposit,whichoverthetwodecadeshasdoubled. Thoughthefundhasbeenestablished,don’texpecttheVoiturestostopsellingpancakes.“Aslongaswehavepeoplewhowillflippancakes,theywillcontinue,”saidBurnsoftheannualeventsheldinOctoberandNovemberinRivertonandLander.“We’regettingsogoodatbegging.” TheVoiturescreditcountygrocerystoresandotherbusinessesforgenerouslysupplyingtheorganizationsothatpancakebreakfastticketsalesaremostlyallprofit. BurnssaidmemberBillAinslie,whoisnowlivinginOsage,Wyo.,wouldwalkupanddownFederalBoulevarddragginghisoxygen

tankalongpre-sellingtickets.“Peoplewouldseehimcomingandtheywouldstartwritingacheck,”Clarksaid.“Withoutthesupportofthecommunity,wewouldn’tbeabletodohalfofwhatwehave.” Asaresultoftheiraggressivefundraising,theorganizationisnowabletoawardfourscholarshipsannually. Themembersbecomeveryattachedtotheirscholarshiprecipients.Attheendoftheacademicyear,theorganizationtakesthemtodinnerandthenightoftheannualNurses’PinningCeremony,themembershaveaninformalceremonytoawardthemwithaspecialdiamondnursingpinandagift. TheveteransareoftenpubliclyrecognizedattheNurses’PinningCeremony,whichisscheduledthisyearforMay11at

7p.m.intheRobertA.PeckArtsCenterTheatre. Theyremembereachrecipient,includingtheirfirst,LloydCarter,aNativeAmericanstudentwhograduatedin1991.TherecipientsalsoremembertheVoituresandtheireffortsofmaintaininganadequatecoreoflocalnurses.Forexample,PennyMann-Wood,whograduatedin1996,makesadditionaldonationswhensheattendstheannualbreakfastinLander. Withcontinuedfundraising,membersoftheFortyetEighthopetheirendowmentreachesaminimumof$20,000beforetheconclusionoftheEndowmentChallengeMatch,thoughtheyarehopefulothersinthecommunityhavesimilarsentimentabout

La Societe Des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux is a French title meaning “The Society of the 40 Men and 8 Horses”. The phrase is derived from the rail cars used during WWI to transport troops to the Western Front in France. Each car was supposed to have capacity of 40 men or eight horses.

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BacterialivinginthethermalfeaturesofYellowstoneNationalParkhasbeenthefoundationofimpressivedevelopments

inmedicineandbiotechnology,promptingaCentralWyomingCollegeresearchprojectthissummertostudytheorganismsthatthriveinthehotspringsatThermopolis. PhysicalScienceProfessorSukiSmaglikandstudentSageMcCannwillcollectwatersamplestoanalyzechemistryandmicrobesamplestobegincategorizingthermophiles,theslimymattergrowinginthehotspringsinThermopolis.Enzymesfromthesetinymicrobeswhichareabletoliveinthehot

researchersfromaroundtheworld,accordingtoBrock,and“virtuallyeveryweekoftheyearsomeresearcherisexploringYellow-stone’shiddenresources.Itiscertainthattherearethousandsofnewbacteriawaitingtobediscovered.” “Ithasrevolutionizedcrimescenein-vestigations,”saidSmaglik,whonotedinthe1980sabiochemistdevelopedapowerfulmethodofcopyingDNAthatrequireden-zymesthatcouldwithstandrepeatedcyclesofheatlikethebacteriagrowinginthehotwatersofYellowstone.

springshaveproventobeofgreatuseinthebiotechnologyindustry,especiallyinrelationtoDNAsequencing.Theuniqueenzymesofthesebacteriaarefindingwideindustrialandmedicaluse,andhavebecomethebasisofamultimilliondollarindustry. AccordingtoThomasD.Brockinabook-letpublishedbytheYellowstoneAssociationforNaturalScience,HistoryandEducation,Inc.,thenation’sfirstnationalparkmayhavea“$1billionpotentialforthebiotechnologyindustry.” ThehyperthermophilicbacteriaofYellow-stonehotspringsareattractingbiotechnology

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Auniversitypatentedthatmicrobedis-coveredinYellowstone,andtoday,parkof-ficialsarereluctanttogivecollegessamplingpermit. “Wedon’tknowenoughabouttheglobaldiversityandotherpossibleuses,”Smagliksaidofhercontinuingresearchofthermo-philes.“It’sacuttingedgething.” AUniversityofMontanabiologyprofes-soragrees.“Whatisparticularlyexcitingaboutyourproposalisthatitrepresentsan

opportunitytocomparetherichdatabaseofinformationonmicrobialcommunitystructurefromextensivelystudiedYellowstonespringswiththediversityofgeographicallycloseyetunderstudiedcommunitiesatThermopolis,”saidProfessorScottMiller,whooftencon-ductsresearchinYellowstone. ForMcCann,he’sexcitedtoapplywhathe’slearningintheclassroomtoanoutdoorlaboratory.“Itwillgivemearealsenseofwhatascientistdoesdaytoday,”hesaid.“I’mreallylookingforwardtothis.” AsMcCann’sprofessor,shewantsCWCstudentstohaveresearchexperienceslikethisoneasundergraduatestudents.ShehasalsosubmittedagrantproposalforstudentRobertHowellstoconductgeologyresearchnearTableMountainintheSinksCanyon. WithgrantresourcesfromIDeANetworksforBiomedicalResearchExcellence(INBRE)andtheNationalScienceFoundation(NSF),SmaglikandMcCannwillbegincollectingandpreservingsamplessotheycanbeanalyzedbyaDNAsequencinglabinCasper,alsosup-portedbyINBRE. Simplyput,theresearchofthesemi-crobesrelatestolifeonearth.“Eachofthesemicrobesexhibitsdifferentchemicalcharac-teristicsandchemicalgasesthathavetodo

withtheevolutionoftheearth’searlyatmo-sphere,”shesaid. Thereisverylittlefossilevidenceoflifeofanykindofthefirstfourbillionyearsonearth,Smagliksaid.Bycharacterizinghotspringsandmicrobesinthesethermalfea-turesaroundtheworld,scientistswillbeabletolearnmoreabouttheevolutionoflifeasitisconnectedtoclimatechange,forexample. Theseorganismsgrow,andactuallyflour-ishintheseveryharshenvironments,chal-lengingsomebasicideasofwhatisrequiredforlife. Ageochemist,SmagliktookadvantageofaNSF-sponsoredprofessionaldevelopmentopportunityforcollegeprofessorslastsum-merheldinYellowstone. SmaglikenrolledintheYellowstonepro-gramtolearnmorebiologyandtoenhanceacoursesheteacheseachfallthattakesplaceonafieldtriptoYellowstoneandwantedtolearnmoreabouttheamazinglyversatilemi-crobesthatarefoundinsuchprofusionthere. WhilethegeothermalfeaturesinTher-mopolisaresimilartothoseinYellowstone,Smaglikrecognizestheyareonly“distantlyrelated.”Todate,she’syettofindanymajorresearchthathasbeenconductedinthestatepark,whichclaimstohavethelargestmineralhotspring,TheBigHornSpring,intheworld. ProfessorMillersaidtheCWCproject“promisesfreshinsightsintothecontribu-tionsofrulesandchancetotheassemblyofhotspringscommunities.”

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CWC science student Sage McCann is anxious to apply what he’s learning in the classroom to an outdoor labora-tory.

Interestedinscience?CentralWyomingCollegehasreviseditsprogramsandtheintentofthedegreestobetterfittheinterestsofstudents. Inyearspast,CWClumpedtogetherphysicalscienceswithmathandbiologicalsciencesandrangemanagement.Thatdidn’tmakesensetoProfessorSukiSmaglik,whoteacheschemistryandgeology,becausethefacultyandcoursestofitthosedegreeshavechanged. Now,studentscanmajorinbiologi-calsciences,physicalscience,math-ematics,andearthandenvironmentalscience,orfollowapre-engineeringorpre-healthprofessionalcurriculum.TheprogramsallowstudentstofocusonaspecificareaandgarnerabroadexposuretotopicsintheareaandthentransfertheAssociateofSciencede-greetoauniversityforworktowardarelatedbachelor’sdegree. “Wedidn’tchangeoraddanycourses,”Smagliksaid.“Wejustre-ar-rangedthedegreestomakethemmoreflexibleforthestudent.Nowthede-greesmakemoresense.” ThecollegedevelopedtheEarth

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Science programs more student friendlyandEnvironmentalSciencesdegreetoprovideabroadfoundationofearthsciencewhileallowingstudentstoconcentrateonspecificaspectsofenvironmentalsciencesuchaschemical,biologicalorgeo-logical. CWCalreadyhasprogramsinEnvironmentalScienceandLeader-

shipandOutdoorEducationandLead-ership.BothareprovidedthroughapartnershipwiththeNationalOutdoorLeadershipSchoolandcombinethewildernessexperiencecoursesofferedthroughNOLSworldwidewitharigoroussciencecurriculumofferedthroughCWC.ThenewEarthandEnvironmentalSciencedegreeatCWCallowsstudentstoconcentrateonaspecificaspectofenvironmentalsciencesuchaschemicalorbiological.ThedegreesofferedwithNOLShavesparkedgreatinterestfromstudentsnationwide.Smagliksaidshereceivesaboutsevento10callsperweek.ShebelieveswiththechangesmadeinthesciencecurriculumatCWC,studentswillfindCWCmoreattractiveasatransferinstitution.“Morestudentsarecomingherefromout-of-statewithoutamajorrecruit-menteffort,”shesaid.“ThesestudentsbroadenthediversityoftheCWCstudentpopulation.”

Hiking in the Wind River Range with Nylon Peak in the background. Photo by Deborah Sussex, NOLS

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forsupportofthecollege’s“WalkWithUs”campaign.Fordonationsassmallas$50,namesofdonorsorgroupsofdonorscanbeimprintedinabraidedpathwaythatwillbeconstructedbetweenthecampus’RobertA.PeckArtsCentersouthtowherethecollegeproposestobuildtheIntertribalCenter. ItisPresidentMcFarland’shopethatCWCwillbreakgroundonthe11,500squarefootfacilityduringthecollege’s40thAnniversarycelebrationthisfall. “ThechildrenoftheWindRiverReserva-tiondeserveallthesupportandvisionthatisavailable,”saidHirschfield,whodevelopedanappreciationfornativeartandculturegrowingupinOklahoma.“Indianculturehasmeantagreatdealtome.” ThecouplebecameassociatedwiththeWindRiverReservationinWyomingseveralyearsago,developingarelationshipwithIvanPosey,nowthechairoftheEasternSho-shoneTribalBusinessCouncilandamemberoftheCWCFoundation. BeforetheHirschfieldswouldcommittotheproject,thecouplewantedassurancesthecollegehadtotalsupportoftheWindRiverReservation.“Thekeycomponenttouswasthatbothtribesgivetheirblessingtotheproject,”Bertesaid. TheconceptualdesignofthecenterisbyArapahoarchitectDennisSunRhodes.

LeavealegacyatCentral Wyoming College

bypurchasingaplaceonthe

TheCentralWyomingCollegeFoundationhopesyou’llpreserveyourmemoriesandleaveyourmarkbypurchasingaplaceonthePetroglyphPathway.Thepathwayisdesignedwithabraidsymbolizinginterculturalunityandisstampedwithlocalpetroglyphs. ThepathwillbepouredbetweentheproposedIntertribalEducationandCommunityCenter(relatedstoryonpage1)andtheRobertA.PeckArtsCenter.Yourdonationstothepathway,whichwillbematchedbyanotherdonor’spledge,willbeusedforthecenter’soperations/programmingendowmentinyournameortowardconstructionoftheIntertribalCenter–whateveryouchoose.

$100

$500

$50

$1000

Your Name

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Half a million closer

If you have questions, call 307.855.2035 or 1.800.735.8418, ext. 2035

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WhatstartedoutforBethGrayasthe“longestdayofgolf”endedupasatruetestofthestrengthofhumanspirit. Beth’shusband,Alan,aprofessorofagronomyanddirectorofaUniversityofWy-omingresearchfacilitynearPowell,receivedseverebraininjurieslastJulyfollowingamishapinthefield. Beth,aCentralWyomingCollegeprofes-sorofbusiness,hasbeenbyhissidesincetheordealunfolded.Itisaninspirationalstoryofhope. OnJuly27,2005,Beth,anavidgolfer,receivedacalldetailingAlan’sinjurywhileshewasonthe8thholeatRivertonCountryClub.Ironically,Bethwasplayingwhatthegolfcoursesetsasideasthe“longestdayofgolf”becauseofthickerrough,difficultpinplacementsonthegreensandlonger-than-usualfairways. Ittrulybecameherlongestday. AlanwasworkingwithgraduatestudentsatUW’sResearchandExtensionCenternearPowell.Theflailharvesterhewasusingtochopalfalfaatatestplotranoverametalstakeholdingupaflag.Themachinecheweditupandshota3-inchpieceofrustywirethroughhisnoseandintohisbrain.HewasimmediatelytransportedtoSt.Vincent’s

HospitalinBillings,Mont.Itwasserious.Thewiredamagedthefrontallobeofhisbrain. Inthemeantime,Bethfranticallymadethefive-hourdrivenorth.Whenshearrived,

thedoctorsaskedifAlanhadalivingwillandwonderedifhewasanorgandonor.TheytoldBethherhusbandofalmostaquartercenturywasbraindead. Butthenextmorning,thedoctorsbeganscratchingtheirheads.Alanmiraculouslywokeup.Whilehewasn’tmakingmuchsense,Alanwasconscious.Hisbrainwasnotdead. Buthistroublesweren’tover.Hehadweeks,whichturnedintomonths,ofalongrowtohoe. Duringhisseven-weekstayattheBill-ingsmedicalfacility,Alansufferedfrommassivebloodclotsinhislegsandoneinhisarm,hehadallergicreactionstoantibiotics,apulmonaryembolism,apseudoaneurysmandtwicehebecamehydrocephalicanddoc-torshadtodrainspinalfluidfromhisbrain. “EverytimeIturnedaroundsomethingbadwashappening,”BethrecalledofthosesevenweeksinBillings. Alanwasn’tgivinghertoomanysignsofaspeedyrecoveryeither.Shevividlyrecallstheday,however,whenAlanwasfinallyabletolifthislegoneinchoffthemattress.“Iwasconcernedhe’dneverbeabletowalk,”Bethremembered.“Youjustdon’tknow.”

Three-inch wire tests human strength

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Alan Gray, with wife Beth, proudly displays the plaque recently presented to him by the Fremont County Alfalfa Growers.

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Finally,thedoctorsinBillingsinstalledaninternaldraininAlan’sheadsothathecouldbeflowntoDenvertobegintreatmentatCraigRehabilitationHospital.ButassoonashearrivedinColorado,Bethrealizedherhusbandwasnotimproving.Histemperaturewaselevatedandhe“reallywasn’tdoingverywell.” Alanhaddevelopedamassiveinfec-tionandtheendofhisdrainwaspluggedsoagainhebecamehydrocephalic. Backtotheoperatingroom–thistimeatSwedishHospitalinDenver.Theyremovedtheinternalshuntthatcausedtheinfec-tionandthen,forathirdtime,installedanexternaldrain.Afterhisinfectioncleared,doctorsreplacedtheinternaldrain.“Itwaslikehavinganicepickjammedthroughhisbrainonfourdifferentoccasions,”Bethsaiddescribingtheprocedures. Aftertwoweeks,hereturnedtotherehabilitationcenterandBethbelievedherhusbandcouldfinallybegintomakesomeprogress. Bythistime,thefallsemesterwasalreadyunderwayatCWC.Beth,perenniallyelectedbystudentsastheirfavorite,hadtotakealeaveofabsence.Althoughshewasreallysadaboutmissingschool,Bethwasn’tgoingtoleaveAlan’sbedside. TheautumninDenverturnedintowin-

ter,andfinallyAlanwasreleasedfromCraigattheendoftheyear. “Iwasgettingsoprotectiveofhimitwasawful,”sherecalled,emphasizinghergratefulnessfortheoutpouringofloveandsupportshereceivedfromthestaffatCWC,friendsandfamily.“HowdoIeverrepaypeo-plefortheirkindness?Everybodyhasbeensosupportive–fromJoAnne(CWCPresidentMcFarland)downtomystudents.” Thisspring,Bethreturnedtotheclass-roomthoughherhoursatthecollegearekeptataminimumbecauseAlanstillrequiresagreatdealofcare. Atfirstglance,Alanlooksthesamethoughhe’slostsomeweight.Hislong-termmemoryisintactthoughhisshort-termmem-oryisstillanissue.Hedoesn’tremembertheaccident.Hedoesn’trememberhishospital-ization.Sometimes,hedoesn’trememberifhehadbreakfast.Multi-taskingand“execu-tivefunctioning”arestillissuesforhim. “He’simproving,”Bethsaid,notreallyknowinghowmuchprogresshe’llmake.

“I’mnotsurewhatthefuturewillhold,”shesaid.“But,he’salive.” Alanisanxioustogetbacktowork,butstillrequiresdailyphysical,occupationalandspeechtherapy.Recently,FremontCountyAlfalfaGrowerspresentedAlanwithaspecialserviceawardandAlanisveryproudtoshowitoff. Despitethedehumanizingtypesoftreat-mentlongtermhospitalpatientsareforcedtoendure,Bethsaidherhusbandhas“beensuchaclassactthroughthiswholething.”

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The Discovery Health Channel sent a produc-tion crew to Wyoming to do a story on Alan’s medical miracle. They filmed Alan at the Powell Research Center and will re-enact the accident for a show that will be aired in June or July. Photo by Justin Lessman/The Powell Tri-bune

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nursingstudentsandthecontinuedshortageofnursesintheU.S. IndividualsandbusinessesinterestedinhelpingtheVoitureendowmentgrowmaycontacttheCWCFoundation,wherethedonationsbecometaxdeductible.Foundationstaffmaybereachedat855-2254or1-800-735-8418,ext.2254.

In1949,Francesent49ofthoseboxcarstotheUnitedStates(oneforeachstatetheninexistenceandoneforWashingtonDCandHawaiitoshare)ladenwithvarioustreasures,asagiftfortheliberationofFrance.ThistrainwascalledtheMerciTrain,andwassentinresponsetotrainsfull(over700boxcars)ofsuppliesknownastheAmericanFriendshipTrainsentbytheAmericanpeopletoFrancein1947.Wyoming’sboxcarisatCheyenne’sAmericanLegionHall.

Nationally,2,131nursingstudentshavereceivedmorethan$1.1millioninscholarshipsthispastyearfromtheForty&Eightorganizations.Intotal,theorganizationhasgrantedinexcessof$20millionandgraduatedover23,000RegisteredNursessincetheinceptionofthisprogram.AtCWC,18nursingstudentswith40et8scholarshipshavegraduated(numberdoesnotincludethe2006class).LloydCarter 1991LindaPlush 1993HollyLong 1993JamieGilbert 1995PennyMann 1996ChristineRushingMaryMiller 1997AmberMiller(Ketcher)1998ConnieDuty 1999SuzanneNelson 2000JenniferFergesonLoraKoenig 2001NanBellJudieBrister 2002EarlMaxsonBralliLynch 2004RoseMaksinCarolMcLeran 2005

40 et 8 have history of scholarships

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Cheryl L. Koski, (top right) the executive director of the Wyo-ming State Board of Nursing, visits with CWC nursing profes-sor Kathy Wells (left) and CWC Director of Nursing Janet Harp. Harp was recently appointed by Gov. Dave Freudenthal to the State Board of Nursing. Above, Koski visits with CWC nursing program graduates about the licensing exam they will take this summer to become official Registered Nurses.

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Asiaand“terrorized”medievalEurope.“TheTurkswereconsideredweirdandferociouspeople,”Thurmansaid,notingtheTurkswerefirstcalled“Tatar,”awordsimilarinLatintothewordforhell. FromtheruinsoftheOttomanEmpire,theTurkishRepublicwasbornin1923,hesaid,explainingMustafaKemalPasha,amilitarycommander,eventuallybecametherepublic’sfirstpresident.HewasgrantedthenamedAtatürk,whichmeans“fatheroftheTurks.” “Hewantedtoreformthecountryineve-ryway,”ThurmansaidofAtatürk’seffortsto“dragTurkeyintothe20thCentury.”Heusedawesternmodelandbeganchangingthingsthatwerea“symbolofbeingbackwards,”in-cludingthetraditionalredfez.ThurmanalsosaidAtatürkthoughttheIslamicclergywasslowingthecountrydown. Inrecenttimes,Iran,IraqandSyriahavehadaninterestinkeepingTurkeydestabi-lized,andhaveplayedonTurkey’sconcernsaboutthepossibilityofanindependentKur-distanarisingfromageographicregionwhichispartofallfourcountries. Turkey’sreluctancetojoinintheIraqiwarisrelatedtosuchconcerns,andalsooutoffearthe“U.S.wouldleavethemtodealwithanangryIraq,”Thurmanexplai-ned.“WhatTurkswerereallyconcernedwith

mostofallwasthepotentialretaliationofitsneighbors,”hesaid.TheTurkishpositiononIraqisfurthercomplicatedbythefactthatthe“muchcoveted”areasofMosulandIrbilare“veryclosetotheTurkishborder.” ThurmanmayincorporateastudyabroadcomponentintohiscourseonTurkey,ausefuloptiontobolsteranycourseininternationalstudies.WhilestudentsseemtobeinterestedinTurkey,he’snotsureiftheinterestwilltranslatetoadesiretotravelthere.TurkeyhasbeenaverypopulardestinationforEuro-peansbecauseithassimilarAegeanresortsataboutone-quarterthepriceofaGreekvacation,thoughtourismhasbeenstronglyimpactedbyfearsabouttravelintheMiddleEast.

Life in Turkey isn’t radically different than liv-

ing in the U.S., but the history of the country

that is said to be the “bridge between East

and West” is long and very significant. At left

is a fruit and nut market in the capitol city of

Ankara. Above is Safran Bolu Street. The Safran

Bolu Mosque is in the distance. Photos courtesy of Jim Thurman

Turkey

401966-2006

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