Monday, July 27, 2015

Introducing Technology Club!



Thank you to John Andrus, Technology Club leader and Res Life Faculty, for writing today's blog.

I hope everyone is having a great summer.  I can’t believe that the students will start coming back in less than two weeks from today!  WOW!  We finished up another awesome year here at Shepherds on June 13th, and the new school year starts August 10th.  We have witnessed a huge amount of growth in students this year, both in classes and in residential life.  But along with all that growth, we also love to have fun!

Clubs are a big part of campus life fun here at Shepherds.  In my time at Shepherds we have offered scrapbooking, guitar lessons, ukulele club, recycling club, and more.    Our biggest club has always been choir.  (As an aside, the Jensens have faithfully volunteered to lead the choir here at Shepherds College for many years.  However, this past school year was their last, and they were honored at graduation for their service.) 

Former Choir Directors, Sandy & Steve Jensen, with Angela Houk

For many years, we have investigated adding a technology major here at Shepherds, but so far, various things beyond our control have hampered that coming to fruition.  Currently, we are in a holding pattern with regards to adding curriculum due to our ongoing accreditation process.  Because of this hold, we are adding new ways to give the students who are tech savvy an outlet to explore their “inner-geek”, as I like to call it.

Some of us are just born "geeky."

The major way we helped our “Geeks” scratch that itch in the 2014-2015 school year was Tech Club.  Technology Club met once a week on Monday, right after school, and the guys who decided to join had no idea how far we would stretch them.

They look so trusting!

We started Tech Club in October of 2014, and the guys were excited.  The first thing we did was completely tear apart a computer and discuss each part and the function it serves within the computer system.  Once the guys thoroughly understood what each internal part of a computer did, we started shopping!  Using some tools on the internet, and a whiteboard covered in part numbers and prices, we determined how to build a computer from scratch, and, most important to Mr. Terrill, cheaper than what we were buying computers for wholesale.  That first computer ended up costing right at $300, shipped to our door in pieces.  Then, as a group, we put it together and fired it up.

Not too shabby!

Our computer is now the fastest computer in the computer lab, and everyone in tech club fights over who gets to use “Computer 13”.

After we finished our computer, we spent an entire club meeting discussing and debating what to do next.  After we ravaged yet another whiteboard with ideas, we decided that we wanted to build a website For Shepherds College students, By Shepherds College students.


From there, we split into teams.  Two people were on the design and layout of our new student newsletter (Coming Labor Day 2015!)  Two people were in charge of finding or taking photos of students, campus, and student life.  Two others were in charge of design and layout of the website, and one was in charge of editing.

Our site is very new, so be patient with us.  However, it’s a great source of pride for the seven individuals who created and maintained it.

As we enter a new school year, and a new group of students in Tech Club, we commit to bringing you an insider perspective of student life here at Shepherds, one that you won’t see anywhere else.

If you are a current or incoming student who wants to learn how to run the sound board at church, wants to build computers, take pictures, utilize your graphic design skills, or build a website,  Tech Club might be for you.  

We will see you in a couple of weeks.  

Happy Geeking!



Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.