October 2022 E-Newsletter

Western Partners with Southwest Wyoming Manufacturing Partnership to Offer the First MFG Day Event 

Western Wyoming Community College (Western) in collaboration with the Southwest Wyoming Manufacturing Partnership announces their first Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) event at Western.  The event will be held at Western’s Rock Springs Main Campus in the Atrium, from 10a.m. – 1p.m. This event is part of the workforce development initiative to raise awareness about careers in manufacturing and related fields.
As part of the event, attendees will have the opportunity to interact with a variety of manufacturers who are willing to showcase manufacturing’s diversity, its innovativeness and its range of careers such as, welding, operations, information technology (IT), industrial maintenance, instrumentation, engineering, cybersecurity, human resources, and research and design (R&D) to name a few. We want this event to introduce individuals, and the community, to the manufacturing industry and what education is involved in these career pathways.
The Manufacturing Institute’s flagship initiative, MFG Day, showcases the many and diverse modern manufacturing careers and addresses the skills gap, which may leave more than 4 million American jobs unfilled by 2030 due to outdated misconceptions surrounding the industry and the lack of highly skilled workers to fill those jobs.
MFG Day encourages companies and educational institutions around the nation to host events where students, parents, teachers, and community leaders can learn more about the exciting field of modern manufacturing. These events, which range from virtual—and safe in person—factory tours, to panels featuring the world’s leading CEOs, help the country’s next generation of workforce talent better understand the well-paying career opportunities modern manufacturing offers as well as what a modern manufacturing career looks like, including: 

• – The chance to work in a diverse range of companies manufacturing offers, from small, local businesses to global Fortune 500 companies, in exciting industries, from mining to pharmaceuticals;  
• – Earning $88,406 annually on average, including pay and benefits;  
• – Working in an industry that employs more than 12.13 million workers across the country;  
• – Hands-on experience with the most innovative technology, including 3D printing, drones and virtual reality; 
• – The opportunity to work on real, tangible products that improve people’s lives, from lifesaving medical equipment to food products; and 
• – Career growth that starts at entry level but allows for additional training and promotion opportunities.

Out Here on Our Own: An Oral History of an American Boomtown

Western Wyoming Community College (Western) will be hosting author, J.J. Anselmi, on Friday, October 14 at 7PM at our main campus in Rock Springs. Anselmi will be reading from his book, Out Here on Our Own: An Oral History of an American Boomtown. Photographer Jordan Utley, who took photographs for the book, will be accompanying Anselmi on his book tour and will share various images from the publication.
Anselmi grew up in Rock Springs, Wyoming. An author, his other works include Doomed to Fail: The Incredibly Loud History of Doom, Sludge, and Post-metal; and Heavy: A Memoir of Wyoming, BMX, Drugs, and Heavy Fucking Music. He also wrote the liner notes for the 2017 reissue of Sepultura’s classic thrash record, Chaos A.D.. Anselmi has been published in VICE, The New Republic, The A.V. Club, Revolver, and JSTOR Daily. Currently, Anselmi resides in California with his family and is an active musician.
Michael Patrick, author of The Good Hand: A Memoir of Work, Brotherhood, and Transformation in an American Boomtown described Anselmi’s work as, “J.J. Anselmi gives the microphone to the people most affected by the extraction of oil and coal: those who live and work in boomtowns. “Out Here on Our Own” shimmers with the poetry, wit, and grit of the plain spoken. Like Studs Terkel before him, Anselmi compels his interview subjects—in this case the residents of Rock Springs, Wyoming—to tell it to us straight.”
Out Here on Our Own tells the story of Rock Springs and its boom-bust cycles. Anselmi uses a variety of original interviews to tell the stories of racial violence, addiction, prostitution, and the per-capita suicide rate. All of this is done through the lens of resiliency within the community. Tracing the community’s history from the Chinese Massacre to the methamphetamine and opioid epidemics, Out Here on Our Own, looks at the struggle for Rock Springs to maintain its identity of rugged individualism.
Those in attendance can expect an in-depth exploration of Rock Springs and the people who lived here. The reading will additionally provide insight into creative nonfiction writing and the oral history form. Writings like Out Here on Our Own can be challenging in representing difficult historical topics, especially those that carry into modern day. Attendees can expect discussion regarding mental health, suicide, and the toll the boom-bust cycle has had on Rock Springs.
This event has been made possible by the Wesswick Foundation. For more information about the event contact Associate Librarian, Jonathan Harwood, at 307-382-1702, or by email at: [email protected] .  

Mustang Loop Ribbon-Cutting

Western Wyoming Community College (Western) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Mustang Loop trail system on Tuesday, September 20. The Mustang Loop is multi-use, and the main access is located off the west side parking lot at the College. 
The Mustang Loop would not have happened if it wasn’t for the inspiration, hard work, and dedication of Randy Dale. Shortly after moving to Rock Springs in 2019, Dale learned that there were no bike trails within Rock Springs proper. As Dale explained, “I’ve been mountain biking for 25…30 years, a long time. When we came to town it was like, are there any places to ride around here? Oh yeah, you have to go to Wilkins Peak. Wilkins Peak? …But that’s 15 miles from my house.” When Dale asked if there were any closer trails he was directed to a couple of ‘outlaw’ trails in the mountains. Dale rode those trails but explained, “...certain parts are really scary.”
But it takes a community to make a project come to life, and this trail system is just one example of how Sweetwater County community members unite. Dale met with Jason Medler, owner of The Bike and Trike, to discuss the idea of a trail system and together the two put together a presentation for Western’s Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees agreed to provide the land for the trail system and the Sweetwater Trails Alliance (SWTA) was created by Dale and Medler. In partnership with local businesses, organizations, and the state of Wyoming, SWTA worked throughout 2021 to layout and build the trail system.  
While designing the trail Dale and SWTA felt it important to make the initial trail Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) accessible for riders and ensuring all experience levels were put into the plan. This first, green coded trail is 42 inches wide throughout and designed for everyone’s recreational usage. In the Spring of 2022 four additional connector trails were added, two are coded blue and the other two are coded black. 
It was thanks to volunteers that the building of the trail system progressed quickly these past one and a half years. With countless man-hours and equipment, the trail system has come together. During the summer of 2021 Boy Scout Troop #4 finished the trail bridges and Sunroc donated 300 tons of road base to keep the trail available even during wet conditions. The all-season availability of the trail will be a benefit for Western students and the community. For a full list of donors visit westernwyoming.edu/mustangloop.  
Additionally, Western will be debuting three Trek fat tire bikes for students to check out from the Game Room for use on the trail system. “We’re so excited and appreciate these new resources that students can use all the time! Having this trail on campus, especially near housing, makes it super easy to take a break from studying and get outdoors,” states Alex Riley, student government president. 
The Mustang Loop trail system is multi-use and open to pets. To learn about trail etiquette, visit the International Mountain Bicycling Association’s page: https://www.imba.com/ride/ride-vibes.  

To learn more about the Mustang Loop trail system or the ribbon-cutting ceremony, visit: http://westernwyoming.edu/mustangloop. For general information about Western call 800-226-1181.