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 13^th, and the new school year starts August 10^th.  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.

ShepherdsEagles.com was born.

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.

Looking Forward to Monday

Thank you to Micah Thomas Muma, a first-year student, for writing today's blog.

Growing up with a family big on computers and a father who sold software for computers for a very long time, I’d say I fell in love with technology early in life. All the technology in the world is amazing, and a computer is one of my favorites.

Mr. Andrus teaches computer class on Monday.  Most people would be down on a Monday because it’s just the end of the weekend and they’re tired, but when I know it’s Monday and Mr. Andrus is teaching us, I’m ready for Monday. 

Right now, we are learning how to make a computer piece by piece. It’s not that bad at all, but we all have a little trouble. We have to make a PowerPoint of the computers we want, and then we have to email our parents and try to explain why that computer is great. I’m thinking if I told my parents why it was a great computer, they’d say “What’s wrong with your computer?” 

Well, at the moment, nothing’s wrong with my computer and hopefully never will be wrong again. All that I’m saying is, out of all the projects we are doing and have done, all the projects are great and fun, but at the same time, Mr. Andrus is training us to be professionals in the near future of our lives. 

I didn’t know some things, such as PowerPoints and how computers work, quite as well as I do now. And the short cuts to a computer… can you believe you have short cuts for a computer?  Well, I’m happy to say to all who might be scared to take that test - it’s not that hard, and you will learn quickly. 

The other huge part of Computer Skills is typing without looking down at your keyboard. It took me some time, and it did for some of my friends here at Shepherds College as well. But then you practice, and you type so many words in your computer, and you look at yourself and ask, “How did I just do that?!”

 

I’ll tell you how! 

“With great practice makes perfection!”

 

I wouldn’t say perfection always comes right away, but I’d say it’s better than not trying at all. 

 
Thanks, Mr. Andrus, for teaching us here at Shepherds College. I sincerely appreciate every Monday. 

Mr. John Andrus

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