The Echo

Former RCTC student releases debut album page 2

Rochester Community and Technical College

Volume 91 - Issue 6 - May 2021

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Grads welcome virtual ceremony

By Connor Vlasaty General Reporter As another school year comes to an end, this has been one of the more challenging years of school and possibly the most for many students.

Graduation is an exciting time for students to be proud of the achievements they have made in school.

Unfortunately, this year it has to be done virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

There are three separate commencement events on May 13. There is one at 5:30 p.m., one at 6:30 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m. All of these are File photo separated by majors.

Although RCTC graduates won't be throwing their caps into the air at an in-person ceremony this year, many students say they look forward to the virtual event.

RCTC student William Fulton is graduating this spring and looking forthe online one will be great so I tending the virtual ceremony. ceremony, and students can’t ward to what RCTC has planned don’t mind that!” said Fulton.

“I think it will be cool to see throw their caps in the air after for the graduates.

They are honoring each my name as a graduate in the the ceremony. But RCTC stu“I have already signed up student with a picture of ceremony. Even though gradudents feel the virtual ceremony for this year's virtual ceremony, themselves, a brief video and a ation is not in person this year, should be great. Congrats to and I heard it’s going to be a message of thanks or favorite I’m not really bummed about all 2021 RCTC graduates and very unique ceremony! I don’t memory at RCTC. it, and I’m glad RCTC is doing for all your accomplishments particularly wish there to be an Ilwad Salex is also graduatthis,” Salex said. so far! in-person ceremony because ing this spring and will be atThis year it has to be a virtual

RCTC students note eligibility for vaccine

By Connor Vlasaty General Reporter As of March 30, people ages 16 and older in the state of Minnesota are eligible to get one of the three Covid-19 shots.

Recently, the CDC and Federal Government paused the Johnson & Johnson (J & J) vaccine due to blood clots found in six women, one of whom died. Since then, it has been confirmed they had rare blood disorders, and J&J has been given the full go once again.

Moderna and Pfizer both require two shots, which are given 21 or 28 days apart, while J&J is one shot and done.

For RCTC student Ben Ellefson, he got the Moderna shots back in February of this year because he is a healthcare worker and was a part of the first group of people eligible.

“It was a no brainer to get it and get it over with. I got the Moderna shots, so I had two. And the second one hit me pretty hard, but I am happy to have had the opportunity to get them,” Ellefson.

RCTC student Ilwad Salex received her first shot on April 16.

“I have scheduled my second shot now as well in a couple weeks. I got it because I have a lot of people in my family who are immunocompromised, and getting this vaccine helps them as much as it will help me.”

Jackets go back-to-back in winning 2021 Non-Scholarship National Title Echo Staff Report The RCTC Yellowjackets had high hopes heading into the 2021 NJCAA Wrestling Championships, and they delivered by winning the Non-Scholarship National Title for the second year in a row. RCTC sent a full contingent of wrestlers (10) to the tournament, and 8 of the 10 won first round matches to get the Championships off to a great start.

RCTC got big matches in the opening round as DJ Saunders (141) won by Technical Fall 15-0. Brandon Kidd Jr. won 7-2 at 149, while Willie VonRuden won 6-0 at 157.

Seth Brossard got his championships off to a great start with a 2-0 win in the opening round at 165, while Wyatt Simon won by fall at 174. Gavin Christoffersen won 7-4 at 184, while Noah Broderson won his opening round match 4-0 at 285.

Parker Dobrocky received a bye in the

opening round, giving the Jackets eight wrestlers who advanced to round two. Cale Bartels who had an outstanding season for the Jackets at 125 and Tristen Wilson who was battling a significant ankle injury dropped their two matches at the tournament.

In round two, Parker Dobrocky earned a 10-3 win to advance to the quarterfinals, and Brossard won his match 2-0 to advance to the final eight. Christoffersen won by fall, VonRuden (4-3), and Broderson (fall) also advanced to the quarterfinals.

Wyatt Simon dropped his second round match but would battle all the way back to earn All-American status by finishing eighth at 174.

The final three wrestlers still rolling for the Jackets: Dobrocky, Brossard and Christoffersen all earned All-American status and had memorable runs.

Parker Dobrocky (133) won his quarter-

final match 14-7 to advance to the semifinals. The match featured Dobrocky (#2 seed) versus Jason Henschel of Pratt (#3 seed). Henschel came away with the 7-3 decision. Dobrocky then proceeded to down James Davis of Cloud by fall to advance to the third-place match where he dispatched Caleb Meekins of Indian Hills 5-3 to earn third place.

Seth Brossard (165) won his quarter-final match by fall to move into the final four.

There he took on Keaton Geerts of Iowa Central, and in a back-and-forth match, fell 10-8. Brossard then moved to the consolation semis where he downed Fabian Padilla of Iowa Western to move on to the third place match.

Once again, Brossard got involved in a back and forth match that ended in a 13-13 tie in regulation. Sudden victory was needed to determine the third-place finisher, and Brossard came out of the gates quickly in

the SV period to get a takedown and finish the national championships in third place.

The final wrestler on the mat for the Jackets was Gavin Christoffersen (184).

The #2 seed took on Steve Liebler of Niagara in the quarter-finals, advancing with a 9-4 decision.

In the semi-finals, it was the #6 seed Jaden Roberts of Rowan who went down to Christoffersen by fall. The win advanced Chistoffersen to the National Championship bout at 184 pounds versus the #5 seed Jacari Deal of Northwest Kansas Tech. In a hard-fought battle, Christffersen fell 7-4 and walked away as the NJCAA Runner-up.

The National title is the fourth since 2014 for the Jackets. They won the NonScholarship Championship in 2014, 2017, 2020 and now 2021. Head Coach Travis Rutt was named the NJCAA and NWCA Non-Scholarship Coach of the Year.

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Former RCTC student releases album

By Faith Boyum Managing Editor

May 2021 Volume 91, Issue 6 AH-402 507-438-6932 RCTCecho@gmail.com www.rctc.edu/echo Managing Editor Faith Boyum Editorial Assistant Tim Galvin

Reporters

Ilwad Salex Mark Fantonial Connor Vlasity

Graphic Artist Mark Fantonial Faculty Adviser Marissa Gentling We want to hear from our readers.

Send your comments, story ideas or upcoming events to: rctcecho@gmail.com

Former RCTC student Rebekah Novinger’s new album "14 Hours and 15 Minutes" started from personal experiences, including the title.

“Initially, I was just journaling, and then those journalings turned into notes, which turned into lyrics, which brought about this album,” Novinger said.

The title refers to 14 hours and 15 minutes she spent with someone who was meaningful to her and is also shown in the number of music tracks and the title of the last song, which is “Fifteen Minutes.”

The choice of music genres she chose also have meaning. Each song reflects a different part of her life story, and different styles of music worked better to “capture these memories and moments.”

As with any large project, Novinger had several other collaborators, including Rochester area musicians Eric Amundrud, Zachary Logdahl, Olivia O’Neil and Aidan Driscoll, who recorded instrumentation from guitar, drums, clarinet and saxophone.

In addition, her friend Logan Guo and brother Josiah Novinger assisted with the technical aspects of putting together the

album. Guo created the artwork for the cover, attended all the recording sessions and assisted Josiah Novinger in the studio. Josiah Novinger acted as the lead audio engineer to record, mix and master the whole album as well as playing some instruments for various tracks in the album.

“I could not have accomplished any of this without these people and the massive work, effort, talent and time they poured into the album,” Novinger said.

The album can be found on YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify or purchased on iTunes.

Novinger is also working on releasing the album on compact disc to be available this summer. You can also follow her Instagram, @ rebekahnovinger, or follow her on Facebook at Novii- Rebekah Novinger for the most current information.

Currently, Novinger is a student at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

While a student at RCTC in 2018, Novinger placed as first runner up in the Jack Stone Award for New Music, which is a national composition competition.

She is working on music commissions for concert and film. She knows her future involves music, although she has

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Novinger

not decided if that will include going to graduate school or moving to a different part of the country.

“I have truly appreciated everyone who has already listened to '14 Hours and 15 Minutes' and am very grateful to have the opportunity to share more of my story as an artist,” Novinger said.

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RCTC grad reflects on PSEO experience

By Faith Boyum Managing Editor

Former RCTC student Munira Alimire has learned much from her time at RCTC, her tenure as a current student of Stanford University and being a student during a pandemic.

Alimire started her college career as a Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) student at RCTC, which prepared her for when she transferred to a new school as a freshman.

For example, she said that she already had practice balancing work, life and the academic side of things, which made the change easier.

However, it was not originally in her plan to go to Stanford University.

“Honestly, I never seriously thought about Stanford as an option, but the people around me believed in me. And that’s why I went for it!” said Alimire.

During her time at Stanford University, she felt inspired by what she had learned from Sarah Brakebill-Hacke, former RCTC student president.

Alimire ran for student body president at Stanford, and during her term, she advocated for affordable college to help

low-income students at the school.

Though she decided to step down as student president in September 2020 for personal reasons, Alimire felt that she and the student government made progress in supporting lowincome students Submitted photo and supporting Munira Alimire, a former RCTC student, balances life after a term as a Stanford University student students with body president. mental health issues.

Alimire said do it all at once.

“COVID has affected my goals in a that the decision to step down as student really personal way - I think I’ve learnt Looking ahead, Alimire is considering president was the right thing to do. to appreciate what I have in this moment graduate school or working at a non“I realized that the last few years I’ve and take the time to smell the roses. I profit or media organization after she been running as fast as I can, and it’s far have the time to make art and spend time graduates from Stanford next year. more important to take a break every with my loved ones and honestly, just be However, her plan is not set in stone. once in a while and readjust to your alive and unmoored,” said Alimire.

In ways, the pandemic has also affected goals,” Alimire said.

She said that she still has plenty of time how she thinks about her goals and what to make a difference. She doesn’t have to she wants to accomplish.

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Appreciating efforts in research

By Breanna Shen Guest Writer Most of the time, Google can retrieve for us every fact we might need.

Despite its vast information troves, there was little that Google could tell us scientifically about SARS-CoV-2 in the early days of the pandemic. The research simply had not been conducted yet. For some, it seemed to be a shock that information, treatments and vaccines could not appear instantaneously without mobilizing large amounts of financial and human capital.

Until we are desperate for the product, whether it’s an effective drug for Grandpa’s Alzheimer’s disease or the cure for a COVID long-hauler friend, we often don’t think about the long-term basic science and clinical research that makes these products possible.

It’s not entirely our fault. Unfortunately, even when there is extensive research being done, communication about both the progress and setbacks in the scientific field are rarely featured in mainstream media. However, appreciating and learning Shen about the efforts in research as well as potentially experiencing some of the work firsthand, can be a valuable part of our educational journey.

Twenty-first-century life is fast paced; we get impatient at the slow elevator and the weeklong delay in getting our test grades back. When we step into the laboratory, the concept of time changes in a stark, yet welcome contrast. Despite cutting-edge technologies and increasingly computerized work, research is often incredibly time-consuming and slow work. Forget the dramatic lightbulb-over-the-head moment; research discoveries aren’t made with a snap of the fingers. Instead, they’re the unguaranteed reward of many unglamorous years of hard work and frustrating experiments.

We’re talking science, but it takes extensive reading of past literature and newly published studies as well as considerable writing to communicate findings and apply for 2/21/2021

grants. After spending two or three hundred hours on one project recently, I found myself only one fourth of the way done. By contrast, even a gnarly term paper could be written in 10 hours.

While the quantities of time and information can sound intimidating, research teaches an indispensable lesson on delayed gratification, discipline and perseverance. When the inevitable failed experiment comes along, researchers must practice resilience. Throughout the process, researchers learn transferable skills in data analysis, reading and writing.

The field of research is also wonderful for mentorship opportunities. Within a research team, members are often at different stages in their education and careers. The high schooler, the college undergraduate, the graduate student, the postdoc and finally the principal investigator often all work together and contribute to the project. Receiving guidance from a more senior member of the lab as well as passing on one’s own experience to a younger member, are all crucial for both professional and personal development.

Though white lab coats and cell cultures may initially come to mind, equally important research is conducted in almost every field, not just the sciences. Many professors head research studies in fields as diverse as archaeology, English literature, math and computer programming. In fact, some research projects are not based in any physical laboratory, but rather conducted solely online, such as computational projects involving computer programming.

Enriching our educational journey with knowledge about crucial research in different disciplines as well as awareness of the research mindset and environment, can broaden our perspectives and serve as a rewarding step for our personal and professional development.

Breanna Shen is a guest writer and former Arts and Entertainment editor for The Echo.

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Zoom offers flexibilty, challenges for learning

By Ilwad Salex General Reporter Zoom is a term many students of all ages have heard this past year. Meetings, classes and even weddings have been conducted through this platform.

RCTC is one of the many institutions around the world to incorporate this platform into their classrooms. The school has been offering classes in person, online or as combination of both.

This has made choosing classes more flexible for the students. However, with Zoom being a part of these partially online or fully online classes, there are questions that come with it.

Is the online portion of classes a blessing in disguise?

Many students have enjoyed being able to take quizzes at home or listening to lectures while on their beds.

However, this could also be argued as distractions. This also brings up the question, “How do the professors feel?”

Lindsey Sequeira, a chemistry professor RCTC, answered some questions revolving around this topic.

“I’ve had some luck with flipped classroom formats, in which students review slides, video lectures and the textbook prior to our lecture times. Then, in lecture we work problems together,”she said.

Sequeira has found that this format has allowed the class to focus on problem solving, which has been helpful for the math involved with the class.

The hybrid format of some online and some in-person instruction has its challenges, though.

“While the Hyflex format has been a great compromise during the pandemic, I’d like to return to face-to-face classes as soon as it is safe to do so," Sequeira said.

"Hyflex makes it difficult to do inclass demos and the hands-on, in-class activities that I like to do to break up lectures."

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5 movies to see over summer break “Nomadland” (2020)

“Bad Trip ” (2020)

About: This movie follows an older woman named Fern who along with others ends up losing almost everything during the Great Recession. She starts on a new journey where she meets others with similar yet different stories.

About: This movie follows two best friends as they drive to New York in a stolen car while being chased by the person they stole it from. While on this wild trip, the reactions seen in the film by the public surrounding the actors is 100% real, which is what makes this movie so unique.

Rating: 10/10 This is a really good movie, and the movie deserved its win in the Oscars. It’s the kind of movie that leaves you thinking, “wow,” and makes you start rethinking the meaning of life.

Rating: 10/10 This movie was fun, and you never knew what was going to happen next. The reactions from the innocent bystanders were very entertaining to watch as well!

I would definitely recommend this as a movie to watch with friends.

“Love, Simon” (2018) About: A young boy is falling in love with someone, but there’s one problem. He doesn’t know who they are, and he’s also getting blackmailed.

Rating: 10/10 I’m not going to lie. I heard bad things about this movie before watching it, but it’s so good.

This makes me wonder why there are any negative reviews at all. It’s a nice coming-ofage movie to watch with a good snack.

“Why Did You Kill Me?” (2021) About: This documentary tells the story of a young woman whose life was taken away in a tragic event. We watch as those close to her fight to get her justice.

Rating: 8/10 The story was definitely tragic and to see how social media was able to take part in solving this case was really interesting to watch as well. If you’re a true crime fan, I’d recommend this.

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“Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief ” (2010) About: A young boy named Percy discovers he’s not quite like everyone else. He’s a demigod, the son of Poseidon. After he joins Camp HalfBlood, he starts a mission to save the world.

Rating: 10/10 Yeah, the movie didn’t follow the book very well, but does it matter?

I was a Percy Jackson geek when I was younger, so I wanted to rewatch this movie to see if I would perceive it differently. Now that I’m older, I’m able to recognize things like the whole Percy Jackson’s stepfather situation and how gross he really was. Also, the Lotus Flower Casino scene is too iconic to not give this movie a 10/10.

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Opinion: Tips to close out the semester in a crazy world

By Tim Galvin General Reporter COVID, the pandemic that has swept the world, finally seems to be on the fall. Cases in the United States are down. Colleges are planning to reopen for fully in-person classes next fall, and people are getting vaccinated.

But for those who aren’t vaccinated or those who are immunocompromised, there is still a lot of fear and worry, and that can affect schoolwork.

So, as the semester draws to a close, keep these tips in mind to help you finish the semester strong.

1. When you’re spending hours in front of your screen doing homework, take a break, especially now that the weather’s nice once more. Go for a run, walk, spend some time outdoors reading a book or hang out with friends (just remember to keep social distancing). These little moments you take to destress can save you a lot more stress later on down the line.

2. According to the Harvard Health website, “Constant stress… can have real physical

effects on the body. It has been linked to a wide range of health issues, including mood, sleep, and appetite problems…”

They list five ways that you can destress, including staying positive, meditating and unplugging.

“Laughter has been found to lower levels of stress hormones, reduce inflammation in the arteries and increase 'good' HDL cholesterol,” the website says.

So have a laugh, even if it’s on your phone, watching clips of Jeff Dunham mocking the 2020 Presidential Debate or old Dave Chapelle skits.

3. Stay on top of your work. It’s super hard if being online isn’t your thing, but staying on top of your work lessens the stress of catching up on all of your work heading into the final week of the semester.

These three tips should hopefully help you as you finish up the last little bit of the semester.

Remember, keep strong, and if you ever are in need of someone to destress with, Yellowjackets look after their hive.

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