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Daisy McCoy Studies Mayan Number System
 Daisy McCoy in Tik’al in front of the Temple of Ah Cacao in the Peten
Jungle of Guatemala earlier this year. Tik’al was the site of a
population center starting in the 4th century B.C.
Faculty sabbaticals take many shapes, even at a small school like Lyndon State College. Sometimes faculty use the time to design new programs, others write books or visit colleague’s programs in other states or countries. For mathematics professor Daisy McCoy, however, it meant traveling to Guatemala, a country with which she was already familiar, to study the language, calendar, culture, and, in particular, a Mayan mathematics and number system that had been thought extinct.
“My sabbatical year was very successful,” she says from her office in the Vail Academic Center. “The resurgence in Mayan pride in their culture and heritage led to many connections with people who could help me in my research.” But even after five months, McCoy felt like she was just beginning to make the connections she needs.
It was not until her last month in Guatemala that she reconnected with the man she met on a previous visit, Juan Patal, who started her quest for knowledge of the Mayan arithmetic system. At that time, Patal worked at the language school she attended. This time, she finally made the connection through friends, and Patal made the trip to San Marcos to speak with her again.
“We talked all day about what he remembered from his grandparents and the connection between the spiritual world and the scientific world and the Mayan calendar,” she recalls. “Because of the spiritual connection, an idea completely foreign to our way of thinking in relation to numbers, I was confused. I was told many times that I could not understand the numbers until I understand cosmology.”
The calendar, for instance, is not just a chart of the passing of time, but a guide to living, since Mayan numbers (dates) are imbued with a spiritual component. The different approach and complexity of the system are now part of McCoy’s abstract algebra and math history classes.
One interesting application of the base-20 Mayan system is still used in weaving. Although the weavers are largely unaware of their reliance on the system, it is the way they learned, and they carry it on to this day. McCoy said she followed this tradition and “asked weavers wherever I could for the rest of my trip about the numbers hidden in their weaving, and the same patterns recurred, even if the visual patterns were very different.”
McCoy made a presentation on her experience in the indigenous communities Oct. 20, and will speak on the Mayan number system Wed., Nov. 12, at 4 p.m. in the Bole Community Room. For more information, call 626-6260.
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In the Samuel Read Hall Library
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~ Our Evening Skies ~
In the November display, the library will offer books and other resources on the mystery and beauty of the night sky. From mythology to the latest science there is much to learn about the celestial objects above us.
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LSC Alumna Michelle Gagne Selected for $25,000 Milken Award
 Michelle Gagne (second from right) reacts to the surprise presentation of the 2008 Milkin Award.
(reprinted from the Auburn School District web page)
A Sherwood Heights elementary school classroom teacher in her eighth year of teaching was surprised at a surprise all-school assembly Tuesday morning with the presentation of a prestigious national teaching award and a check for $25,000. Maine Department of Education Commissioner Susan A. Gendron presented the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award to Michelle Gagne in front of colleagues at the Sherwood Heights School and her first and second grade students, along with all the students at the school.
The Milken Educator Awards, conceived by Milken Family Foundation Chairman and Co-Founder Lowell Milken to attract, retain and motivate outstanding talent to the teaching profession, have grown to become the nation's largest teacher recognition program. Including this year's selections, since 1987 over $60 million has been awarded to over 2,300 educators. New recipients will join the Milken Educator Network, a group of distinguished educators, whose expertise serves as a valuable resource to fellow educators, legislators, school boards and others shaping the future of education.
Gendron said the prestigious award is a way of recognizing classroom teachers, whose work often goes unnoticed but is always appreciated.
"Mrs. Gagne is known to her fellow teachers for her creativity and for her ability to solve any problem put in front of her," Gendron said. "She is an excellent role model for the students at Sherwood Heights School, and she has 'pizzazz'."
Gagne has designed two programs from scratch to encourage positive classroom attitudes and to reinforce learning. With "Belief Building Vocabulary," she encourages students to use words like "confidence," "self-control" and "expectations." This not only provides a framework for their behavior from the beginning of the school year but also for the quality of their work for the entire school year. She established "Yearlong Curriculum Routines" by designing developmentally appropriate routines that all students can master and repeat. The consistency acts as a safety net for struggling students while allowing more capable students to advance at their own pace.
Gagne is currently involved in district level curriculum committees for math, science and social studies. She serves as a mentor teacher for students in the many different phases of the University of Southern Maine's Collaborative Learning and School Success Program offered at Lewiston Auburn College. She has been recognized by the Auburn School Department's System Drop out Prevention Committee. She was nominated for the Disney Hands teacher recognition program in 2003, and Mrs. Gagne was one of the state finalists for 2009 Maine Teacher of the Year.
Gagne received her BA in English from Lyndon State College in Lyndonville, Vermont, in 1988, and her K-8 teaching certification from the University of Southern Maine in 2001.
Gendron also read from a letter sent by Gov. John Baldacci, who was unable to participate in the event. He wrote: "On behalf of the people of Maine, congratulations to you for displaying the kind of imagination and leadership that gives children a sense of excitement, a thirst for knowledge and a real chance for success."
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Instructor Chuck Kezar, who has studied alternative sources of energy for a number of years, presented a poster session at the annual meeting of the Geothermal Resources Council in Reno, Nevada, October 4 to 7.
The poster session addressed the potential of tapping directly into volcanic magma to gain ten times the steam power over a shallow geothermal well and to also produce hydrogen as a by-product. The quantity of direct hydrogen production from this new method is very large, meaning 35,000,000,000 cubic feet from one cubic kilometer of magma. In the American west, there are many places where this can be accomplished at 5 to 8 kilometers in depth, not a drilling difficulty. However, the engineering has never been done. The National Renewable Engineering Laboratory showed considerable interest, as they had never heard of the technology prior to the meeting.
President Carol A. Moore was a guest faculty member at the HERS (Higher Education Resource Services) Bryn Mawr Summer Institute in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, June 30. She taught a section on strategic planning along with Tullisse A. Murdock, Ph.D., chancellor of Antioch University, and Lucille H. Sansing, Ph.D., president of Argosy University/San Francisco Bay Area Campus. HERS offers intensive residential professional development experiences for women in mid- and senior-level positions in higher education administration.
Professor Philip Parisi presented two papers at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland, during the week of July 28 at the 33rd International Conference for Improving University Teaching. This year’s theme was “Transforming Higher Education Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century.” Professor Parisi’s papers dealt with student-controlled learning and self/collaborative student assessment.
Dean of Academic and Student Affairs Donna Dalton attended the summer meeting of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Boston on Creating the Learning-Centered Institution. She, along with Glenn Gabbard and John Saltmarsh from the New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE), presented a session on Leading Institutional Change for Increasing Retention and Success of Underserved Students.
Professor John DeLeo attended the Vermont Center for Geographic Information board of directors meeting September 23 in Waterbury and the Northeast Arc Users Group conference September 24 in Hyannis, Massachusetts.
Professor Bruce Berryman attended two meetings October 13 to 17 in Boulder, Colorado: The National Center for Atmospheric Research meeting and the heads and chairs meeting of the American Meteorological Society.
Professor Cathy DeLeo gave a presentation October 1 at the Governor's Conference on Recreation in Fairlee.
Professor Rachel Siegel attended the October 12 to 14 meeting of the CFA Institute Council of Examiners in Dallas, Texas.
Professor Ben Luce attended the seventh Annual Renewable Energy Vermont Conference and Tradeshow in Burlington October 15.
Professor Andrea Luna attended the Colloquium at Capella University in Landsdowne, Virginia, to consult on a literature review curriculum October 14 to 16.
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Student Awards
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Rising Students Honored Jillian Dupuis of Lancaster, N.H., was one of a number of students who received scholarships and awards at the Rising Students ceremony at Lyndon State Thurs., Oct. 23. Above, Dupuis accepts her certificate from Education Professor Tim Sturm. She received the Helen R. Guild award for exhibiting outstanding academic promise as an undergraduate elementary education major. In all, over 80 Rising Student awards were made.
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Elysia Gingue Presents Research at National Conference
Elyssia Gingue with her poster presentation at the National Association of Biology Teachers' Memphis meeting.
LSC senior Elysia Gingue of St. Johnsbury presented research she performed with her Wildlife Biology class last year at the 70th annual meeting of the National Association of Biology Teachers. The meeting was held in Memphis October 15 to 18, and LSC Biology professor Alan Giese also attended.
Gingue’s poster presentation detailed the class’s study of salamanders in a specific area of woods at the NorthWoods Stewardship Center in E. Charleston. Prof. Giese says that the opportunity at NorthWoods, which continues, is an important one because, for undergraduates especially, serious research is difficult within the time constraints of the academic semester. Students appreciate the chance to carry out such research, as well.
The study documented the effects on red-backed and dusky salamanders of weather, prey and growth trends. Since red-backed salamanders are lungless and breathe through their skin, they are excellent predictors of changes in the environment caused by deforestation and other forest management practices.
As a result of her presentation, Gingue received three job offers: a teaching job in Minnesota, one for research and another from a community college. She will graduate next May with a degree in Natural Science, Secondary Education.
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LSC Northeast Kingdom Initiative AmeriCorps Kicks Off 15th Service Year
140 Volunteers Make Blankets
 Ian Brown of Milford, Conn., a NEKI AmeriCorps member, works on a fleece blanket at the service project kick-off event in Montpelier Oct. 14.
Ian Brown (above) of Milford, Conn., helps prepare one of the new blankets made from 10 rolls fleece (with a $4,000 value) donated by Polartec, Inc., of Lawrence, Mass. Brown was one of 10 Lyndon State College Northeast Kingdom Initiative (NEKI) AmeriCorps members who attended the 2008 kick-off event and statewide service project in Montpelier October 14 with NEKI Director Anne Brown. NEKI is the oldest AmeriCorps site in the State of Vermont and one of the oldest in the nation.
Gov. Jim Douglas met with the group of about 140 AmeriCorps and Vista volunteers on the 14th and administered the AmeriCorps oath before the blanket project got underway. More than 50 double-layer, full-bed size blankets were finished that day, and all were donated to support organizations around the state -- homeless shelters, adult day care facilities, housing groups and the like.
Christle Mayhew of N. Troy (above) is in her second year with NEKI and volunteers her time and talents at the Rand Memorial Library in N. Troy. She leads children’s story hour, teen book discussions, summer reading programs, special events and food drives. She also takes groups outside on bug hunts, bird watches and for snow shoeing. She develops children’s interest in reading by expanding on books with related craft and art projects. NEKI’s focus is on literacy, out-of-school and after school programming and positive youth development.
In addition to the Rand, other NEKI partners include the Cobleigh Public Library, where a NEKI volunteer works on the bookmobile, the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, the UVM Extension Service, Northwoods Stewardship Center, Siskin Ecological Adventures, Kingdom Trails, Kingdom Corps, Coutts-Moriarty Camp, Vermont Farm to School in Newport and the Fairbanks Museum.
AmeriCorps was founded in 1993 when President Bill Clinton signed the National and Community Service Trust Act. Since that time, AmeriCorps has been sponsoring volunteers to work with service organizations. Volunteers work for free or a small stipend and are rewarded with $4,725 to pay for college tuition if they complete their term of service. There are 75,000 AmeriCorps positions offered each year.
For more information, contact NEKI Director Anne Brown at 626-6357.
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Halloween at LSC
Ghouls and goblins roamed the halls freely Friday, Oct. 31, doing their best to blur the line between reality and Halloween horror and making off with candy while terrified office-workers cowered behind their computers. The annual office decorating contest added to the atmosphere, with Student Services and the Office of Institutional Advancement ended up sharing first place.
Click here for a pictorial overview of the day.
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Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Recognizes LSC
Fitness instruction with Corner Medical patients, personal training advice for Lyndon State College faculty and staff and an annual fitness competition helped win a third Worksite Wellness Award from the Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports for the Lyndon State College Exercise Science and Intramurals Departments. LSC was recognized for campuswide initiatives that provide undergraduate Exercise Science majors with opportunities to serve as health and fitness promoters, providers and managers. Faculty, staff and students also participate in health screenings and fitness activities with weekly self-reporting, and guest speakers appear on campus to educate and motivate.
For the past two years, Lyndon Exercise Science students have offered free fitness counseling and guidance to patients at Corner Medical, helping them find ways to deal with weight and strength training. Employees at the college can sign up for free personal trainers for guidance in the college’s fitness center, and they are also invited to participate in an annual campuswide competition where individuals work in teams to collect points for the amount of time they exercise each week. Winners earn bragging rights for a year.
Lyndon competed in the 501 to 999 employee category of the Council’s competition, which included other winners Goodrich Corporation, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, National Life and Northwestern Medical Center.
LSC’s Exercise Science Department offers concentrations in six defined areas plus a self-designed program. Those offered are pre-professional allied health, strength and conditioning, health and fitness, sports management and two which lead into advanced study: physical therapy and athletic training.
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by SID Bill Johnson
Men’s Soccer
 Devin Bugbee goes for goal.
The
Lyndon State men’s soccer team completed its first season in
NCAA play with an overall record of 9-7 and a mark of 3-4 in the North
Atlantic Conference. For their efforts, the Hornets were awarded the
No. 3 seed in the NAC Championship Tournament and hosted arch-rival
Johnson State in the quarterfinal round On Tuesday, Oct. 28.
LSC
jumped out to a 1-0 lead at halftime on a goal by Emmett Richmond and
extended its advantage to 2-0 on a tally by Darren Roberge at 18:35 of
the second half. Johnson managed to cut the deficit to a single goal
late in the game, but the Hornet defense, anchored by senior goalkeeper
Jeff Giroux, held the Badgers off long enough to record the victory and
advance to the conference semifinals where they met top-seeded
Husson on Saturday, Nov. 1 in Bangor, Maine, for a disappointing loss.
Roberge continues
to lead the team in scoring with 13 goals and two assists for a total
of 28 points while senior midfielders Kyle Hessler (2 goals, five
assists, nine points) Chris Cowan (four goals, eight points) are second
and third, respectively. For his efforts, Roberge has named NAC Player
of the Week three times this season (Sept. 14, 21 & Oct. 12).
Giroux
has been steady all season, amassing a record of 7-6 to go along with a
goals-against-average of 1.39, a saves percentage of .798 and two
shutouts.
Women’s Soccer
 Naomi White (4, behind green jersey), Shauna Buck (15) and Kathy Kline (to Naomi's left) go after the ball with their teammates.
The women’s soccer team’s season came to a tragic end
on Wednesday, Oct. 29, with a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss to the
University of Maine Farmington. Despite being outshot 36-3 in the
contest, the Lady Hornets, on two goals by senior striker Kelly Warren,
held a one-goal advantage with less than five minutes left to play. In
the final seconds of the game, Farmington poured on the pressure and
managed to net the game-tying goal with one second remaining in
regulation time. Less than four minutes into sudden-death overtime, the
Lady Beavers tallied the game-winning goal, thus ending LSC’s inaugural
season in the NAC.
The Lady Hornets ended an injury-plagued 2008 campaign with a respectable overall mark of 7-9-1 and a NAC record of 2-4-1.
Warren
led the team in scoring with seven goals and four assists for a total
of 18 points. Junior midfielder Kathy Kline was second on the scoring
list, with five goals and three assists for 13 points, and sophomore
back Tracy Zisselsberger had three goals and three assists for nine
points.
Sophomore goalie Natalia Shams had a solid first season
in the Lyndon State net, collecting six wins, a GAA of 2.80, a saves
percentage of .706 and five shutouts.
Volleyball
Women’s volleyball ended its 2008 season on Saturday,
Oct. 25 with a 3-0 loss to the University of Maine at Farmington. For
the season the Lady Hornets were 7-17 overall and 0-6 in the NAC.
Junior
Michelle Petty topped the team in kills with 82 and freshman Kayla
Brobst had 79. Junior Morgan Reilly collected a team-high 152 assists
to go along with 44 aces, and sophomore Ally Ciaramitaro amassed 229
digs. Brobst also led the team in aces (63) and blocks (20), and
garnered NAC Rookie of the Week honors for the first time in her LSC
career on Sept. 18.
Cross Country
 Wildens Fils leads out of the woods.
The men’s and women’s cross-country teams have been
improving steadily over the course of the 2008 season and are now
focusing their efforts on winning the conference title at the NAC
Championship Meet.
Senior Lyndsay Calkins has collected five
top-10 finishes this season, including a winning time of 20:46 at the
Southern Vermont Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 29. Freshman Allynne
O’Hearn has come into her own as the Lady Hornets’ No. 2 runner,
collecting three top-25 finishes this season, including a fifth-place
result (23:55) at the SVC Invitational.
In the men’s program,
freshman harrier Craig Johnson has earned four top-25 finishes in 2008,
including a fourth-place finish (27:58.5) at the University of
Vermont/St. Michael’s college Tri-Meet on Friday, Oct. 17. Fellow frosh
Wilden Fils and junior Jeremiah Powell have placed in the top-25 three
times this year and newcomers Michael Farmer and Sean Fitzgerald have
made significant contributions to the Hornets’ success throughout the
season.
The LSC cross-country team was also honored by the NAC
several times this season, as Calkins won the Female Runner of the Week
award and O’Hearn earned Female Rookie of the Week honors on Sept. 28,
Oct. 5 and Oct. 26.
For the men, Johnson was named Male Runner of
the Week once (Oct. 26) and Rookie of the Week twice (Sept. 28 &
Oct. 5). Fils rounded out the list of award winners by earning the
Rookie of the Week award on Oct. 26.
The Lyndon men took the NAC cross-country title, their first year in the conference, and the women took third. Lyndsay Calkins, a star during her entire career at LSC, was named Runner of the Year and took first place in conference competition with a course record of 18:52, 1:20 in front of the second place finisher. CONGRATULATIONS!
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Women’s Tennis
 Ashley Dewhurst knocks it back.
Despite
a shortage of players and a rocky start to the 2008 season, the women’s tennis team won two of its final three matches to
end the season with a record of 2-6.
Junior Ashley Dewhurst led
the squad with a 7-3 record in singles play, and teammate Sue Promphong
had a respectable mark of 5-4. Sophomore Jenn Falsetti was tops in
doubles, winning five of her eight matches.
Dewhurst was named
the NAC Player of the Week on Sunday, Oct. 12. She recorded wins in No.
3 singles (6-2, 6-3) and No. 2 doubles (8-4 with teammate Jill Newell)
as Lyndon State defeated the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts 5-4
for its first victory of the 2008 season on Saturday, Oct. 11. On
Tuesday, Oct. 7, she earned the lone LSC win on the day in No. 3
singles with a 7-5, 6-4 triumph over Plymouth State's Nikki Kolb.
Promphong
was named the NAC Player of the Week for her performances the week of
Oct. 13-19. She earned two of Lyndon State's four victories (both in
singles) at the Vermont State College Tournament, held at Castleton
State College, and recorded one singles win and another in doubles,
with partner Jenn Falsetti, as LSC defeated arch-rival Johnson State
5-4 on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
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