This Tuesdays at 2 topic is presented as an interactive workshop in which students work together to gain an understanding of what cultural appropriation is and how it affects our communities. 

The differences between assimilation, appreciation, and appropriation will be explored, and the upcoming modern celebration of Halloween will serve as a poignant talking point. Students will receive a short, 2-question survey before October 8, to be completed before the presentation.  

 Presenter: 

Christy Walker (she, her, ella) is the Dean of Equity and Belonging at COCC. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Equity and Well-Being serves the College by: 

 

• Promoting the implementation of the College's Principles of Community 

• Providing Education opportunities for students and employees 

• Planning cultural events and activities 

• Developing strong recruitment and retention programs for students and employees that have been historically underrepresented 

• Advocating for student groups that have been underrepresented and under served 

• Providing advice and support to enhance student success 

• Connecting students to resources that assist them in meeting their educational goals 

• Leading the campus community in the achievement of the goals and outcomes of the Diversity Plan 

As the coordinator of sustainability endeavors and initiatives across all 4 of COCC’s campuses, Noelle Copley is a leader in local initiatives – and is an encyclopedia of tips and tricks of how to make sustainability an everyday practice instead of an effort.  

Presenter: 

Noelle Copley, COCC’s sustainability coordinator, manages sustainability efforts across the college’s four campuses. Among other initiatives, she has helped bring Bee Campus USA and Arbor Day Foundation Tree Campus designations to COCC; greatly expanded recycling programs; introduced a residence hall move-out donation program to reduce waste; created a staff sustainability training; and is overseeing a greenhouse gas inventory as part of COCC’s recently signed “carbon commitment,” a national climate pledge for higher education institutions. Copley was named a 2023 recipient of the Environmental Center’s Sustainability Award. 

It is likely that grey wolves eventually made their way across the Bering land bridge into North America upwards of 18,000 years ago. Known for their ability to disperse long distances from their birth sites, wolves are now back in Central Oregon. Aaron Bott, regional wolf biologist for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, will present the status of wolves in Central Oregon, his work with wolf populations in Oregon and the American West, and his decades of work with Canus lupus.

Presenter

Aaron Bott is the regional wolf biologist for Central Oregon, employed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Bott is a doctoral candidate at Utah State University, studying wolves across the American West - predicting spatial and behavioral patterns on an anthropocentric landscape to promote human-carnivore coexistence. Bott and his wife live in Prineville and have four children, a 4-year-old and 2-year-old triplets. He joked in an interview with the Nugget News that “having three, 2-year-olds is much scarier than wolves.”

Kim Curley, the Community Engagement Coordinator for Commute Options of Central Oregon, will present on the concept of mobility, connectivity, accessibility, and transportation equity in Central Oregon and beyond. Curley will cover the “why” and “how” of transportation and looks forward to opening up the discussion to all participants.

Presenter

As the Community Engagement Coordinator for Commute Options, Kim promotes choices other than driving alone in an 18-county area of rural Oregon. Kim started the Get There Rewards incentive program in 2003, helping businesses provide employees rewards for using Transportation Options. Kim serves as Board President for the Transportation Options Group of Oregon (TOGO) and is a board member of Oregon Transit Association (OTA).