Before the spread of the COVID-19, most college students looked forward to walking the stage with their diploma in hand, but now that might not happen.
   Think about it, a person goes to grade school for about 13 years and college for about four, all to walk across a stage to accept a diploma. And now, due to the health and safety regulations the nation, as well as the world is under, that moment might not come for the Class of 2020. 
   As of now, students will not return to class for the remainder of the school year, meaning they might not see some of their classmates again.
   Rose State President Jeanie Webb sent a statement via email March 21. The statement read as follows.
   “Rose State College Commencement Ceremonies scheduled for May 8, 2020 are postponed and unfortunately may ultimately have to be cancelled. We are looking for appropriate ways we can honor our graduates by considering alternatives to our traditional spring graduation events.”
   This is unsettling news for students graduating this spring, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the safest way to ensure that the virus doesn’t spread. 
   According to Lance Newbold, vice president of student affairs, Rose State is not eliminating the possibilities of a graduation ceremony just yet.
   “We have not categorically ruled out anything yet,” he said. “We are working diligently to continue to provide instruction and student services during this challenging time and will look at all options in the coming weeks.”
   Although the possibility of having a graduation ceremony sounds wonderful, it is unlikely to happen at the moment. 
   School might be out for a bit, but the class of 2020 graduates can still hold a memorable graduation ceremony.
   So, here is a way to celebrate your achievements while under quarantine.  
   Get together family members already in your same household and stage a graduation. Set up chairs, a makeshift stage, put on a cap and gown, choose an announcer. And for those family members that are under quarantine in a separate household, FaceTime, Zoom and Google Hangouts is an option for them not to miss out on the special occasion.
   
   

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“Enough is enough:” Gov. Stitt bans state travel to California
   In January, Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an executive order to prohibit all state-funded “non-essential” travel to California. This decision was in response to California’s own ban on travel. California added Oklahoma to their travel ban in 2018 after it put in place a policy to grant private adoption agencies the right to deny placing children with certain families based on religious and moral grounds. The state of California sees this law as an anti-LGBTQ policy. California is taking their stance in support of “those that will be harmed by this prejudice policy”. In response, Stitt wants to emphasize the financial toll this policy will have on Oklahoma. “This is something
that they banned because of our values in Oklahoma,” Stitt said. “And so we’re proud of our pro-life stance, and I don’t want to spend state dollars back in California if that state is going to refuse to spend dollars in our state.”

The “Friends” reunion we have all been waiting for.
   HBO is set to launch their new streaming service (HBOMax) in May 2020, and what better way to draw attention to their upstart than promising a reunion to the TV juggernaut that is “Friends.” Just in time to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ‘90s sitcom, the original cast is coming back to provide HBO Max streamers an exclusive, unscripted special.
   After streaming exclusively on Netflix for the last four years, WarnerMedia reclaimed its streaming rights to “Friends” for a total of $425 million at the end of 2019. The special, as well as all 236 episodes, will be available upon the streaming service’s debut. According to Variety.com, the six stars will be paid “between $2.5 million and $3 million apiece for participating in the special.” This essentially triples the then-historic $1 million per episode the cast had originally agreed to for seasons 9 and 10 of the comedy.

   Rose State prides itself on celebrating the STEM majors a well as the Fine Arts majors and everyone in between and this value is represented in the newest addition to the school’s collection of student murals, Humanities, located in the upstairs, back hallway of the Humanities building. This mural is the second of two choices presented to RSC’s Humanities Building Mural Committee and will be one of the first few painted in a series of murals set to cover the hallways in student-led artwork.
   Initially, the mural class was created as a Special Topics in Art course that served to teach students about the ins and outs of getting a mural up on a wall, whilst re-imagining the familiar space students see daily. The project was intended to liven up the hallways and make the dull, quite upstairs back hallway a more inspiring and inviting place.
   Art Professor Suzanne Thomas shared her thoughts on the finished project.
   “This mural class was more about the process and procedures that an artist must go through before they create artwork, especially artwork that is meant to be viewed in public,” Thomas said. “I think a lot of art students have
public art, i.e. like murals, are about reflecting the values within the community at large. This class was different in that there was more research that had to be done, more collaboration among the students, and Humanities faculty. I am really proud of the mural and their work.”
   However, what was supposed to be a one-time project quickly evolved into a broader, longer-term vision since the Humanities Building Mural Committee agreed both murals represented the Humanities division.
    Thomas explained prior to the formal presentation that the committee would likely have a hard time deciding on just one mural concept. The committee chose Ashley Gilliland’s “No Limitations” mural idea and agreed the second mural could be done later.
   Dean of Humanities Toni Castillo said she loved both mural concepts and wondered why the class could not do both after all. After talking with Thomas and the students, it was settled that the second mural would be completed in the spring as an honors project.
   “The mural project is a perfect opportunity for the Humanities Division Art Program to showcase the exceptional talents of Rose State students,” Castillo said.
​   Castillo described her vision for the murals and how the art-work will impact upcoming RSC students.
   “I am particularly gratified that the project is completely student driven—their vision, their presentation, their implementation—so eventually that entire upstairs corridor of our building will be a legacy of their values left for all who come here,” she said. “Professor Suzanne Thomas, who has headed the project, has shown particularly strong leadership in the way she has structured the class and worked with dedicated Honors Program students to complete the project, as those students have in turn reached out to involve area high school students. The project in that corridor will be ongoing for several years until we finally have a true venue for experiential art here at Rose.”
   

    It is speculated that the U.S could have spent up to $7.5 billion in 2019. Once the ransom is paid, a passcode is sent to return stolen data.
   The threat of someone accessing data in order to hold it for ransom increases when you receive an email with either a URL link or an attachment. Once the URL or attachment is clicked on, it opens up the door for someone to come in and take over.
   The first line of defense is being cautious with emails.
   Make sure you know who the email is from before you open anything you are sent.
  This can be difficult especially at a place like Rose State College because so many people have access to college computers and devices. This increases the risk because more people are likely to click on something they should not.
  OKC Public Schools were held ransom on May 13, 2019, which forced them to shut down the network temporarily.
   The good news is that Rose State uses security software that helps stop any threats.
   Rose State has many different layers of protection on the human side and the software side.
   “Think of it like an onion,” said John Primo, Rose State vice president of information technology. “It takes a while to get to the center of an onion because of all the layers.”
   Rose State has the ability to warn its staff and students of possible threats that may occur throughout the semester (through email) and educate them on what to look for so they are not attacked.
   “One of the best defenses is education,” Primo said.
   Rose State makes sure to back up their system regularly. So if the school is hacked; they can plug the hole, delete
the encrypted data and upload what has been backed up.
   This is something experts recommend individuals do as well to make sure users never have to buy back their own
data.
   The key is education and caution. Do not be afraid to be skeptical.
   If you are unsure the email you received is from who it says it is from, then double check. Take control of your
security.

   A small craft beer business, Vanessa House Beer Company, is launching an event to support local black businesses in honor of Black History Month. 
​   The company specializes in the production and distribution of craft beer. The company, owned by Zach Smith, Evan Smith, Justin Wright and Nick White, has different flavors of beer that
include sour and stout just to name a couple.
    Justin Wright, one of the co-founders of the company who is a full-time employee, has helped promote local businesses around the community. 
   “Our goal is to promote local businesses and give people a chance to network,” Wright said. 
   The Vanessa House Beer Company partnered with non-profit businesses such as Cut it Forward, which helps foster kids of color, and Knotted Bow Ties, which creates local artistic bow ties.
   “It is our own way of giving and helping the community,” said Nick Wright.
   The company uses its marketing resources and establishment to help teach and promote local businesses wanting to grow bigger.
   In relation to Rose State College, the Professional Training Center is offering programs to help develop many businesses and business owners.
   They have three departments: Workforce Development, continuing education and the marketing department.
   Workforce Development offers training programs through their workforce team to help small business owners start up.
   Vice President of External Pratt oversees Workforce Development at Rose State and works together with the workforce team to help develop these programs.
   “The Small Business Development Center helps fund part of the programs and Rose State College funds the other half of the programs,” Pratt said.
   The Small Business Center provides consultants to help clients in any phase of their business.
   Professor Walter Miller, one of the business development consultants, sets appointments with clients to help them create business ideas, provide resources and market their products.
   “We are here to help create entrepreneurs at Rose State and Oklahoma County,” Miller said.
   The Small Business Development Center further provides different training programs such as drone training, cyber security, collaborative training and specialty training.
   “Our goal is to inform other students and people of the resources we have available to start up a business of any sort,” Miller said.
   The resources are free and open to any student of Rose State or any member of the community who needs a head start in starting up a business.
  Every month, the Small Business Development Center provides a tax workshop that helps in business plan development, loan packaging and other requirements to start up a business.
   “Every business idea deserves a business plan,” Miller said.
For more information about workforce development and the services offered, visit rose.edu.
For more information about Vanessa House Beer Company, visit vanessahousebeerco.com.

 As technology improves to make the world a more efficient place, Rose State takes advantage of the new opportunities. In February, Rose State implemented the option to retrieve official transcripts online.
There will no longer be the added hassle of visiting the Admissions Office to receive an official transcript. 
Staff at Rose State think this is a more efficient and cheaper way to get students their official transcripts. 
Students are excited at this new option for multiple reasons.
“I won’t have to drive all the way up to school to get my transcript. Since I live 30 minutes away, it would be helpful,” said Gabby Dunsworth, an Education major.
Other colleges and universities across the country are adding the option of official electronic transcripts. 
“I think it’s a more attractive option,” said Abby Petersen, a concurrent student at Rose State. “It’s easier and more efficient. It will be really helpful to me. Plus, it’ll help the environment.” 
The environmental benefits of having electronic transcripts are a leading factor in many colleges and universities making the switch. The financial benefits are great too. 
The cost of paper adds up. With not having to print every official transcript, Rose State will save money and help save some trees.
This is a small step toward a bigger ideal of being environmentally friendly. 
Rose State is using the transcript provider Parchment. There will be a base fee of $3.25 with an extra charge of 50 cents that will go to future electronic services. 
There will still be the option to pick up official transcripts with no charge from the Admissions and Records office.
This way of sending official transcripts to universities and employers will serve to ease some stress from Rose State students. 
“If a student was on a deadline, then it made things more difficult to complete their admission or apply for jobs or scholarships,” said Mechelle Aitson-Roessler, Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Registrar.  
By having an official transcript ready to be immediately sent, it avoids the problem of students having to wait for days or even weeks for their transcripts to arrive at their destinations. 
There will even be notifications sent to the student once the transcript arrives and is downloaded by the receiver. 
As both the college campus and the student population grow, Rose State is taking more and more steps to move forward with the success of the students in mind.
“It’s exciting to know that Rose is forward-thinking and helping us to streamline our college application process as we move from Rose to attend universities,” said Petersen. 
By allowing faster communication with outside universities and employers, Rose State is proving it is committed to helping students succeed, as it says in its slogan, “Going somewhere starts here.”

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   It is no secret college is more than just classrooms and textbooks. Rose State’s upcoming Student Union will be a place that will bring students together to connect, collaborate and learn.
   This summer, the Student Union will open its doors. It is expected to contribute to the campus’ success in many ways.
   The first floor of the facility will offer one-stop services like enrollment, bookstore, student engagement, advisement and food services.
   A ballroom and several conference rooms will be available for students and the general public to hold meetings or workshops on the second level. Having a Student Union will give students a better option for student services.
   When students have a place to hang out and study on campus, they will not have to seek other
alternatives. Rose State’s Student Union is set to positively impact student satisfaction and future
recruitment. The longer a student remains on campus, the greater their chance for academic growth and success.
   The Village Residence Coordinator Jenny Minfberg, said the Student Union will pair nicely with the The Village Clubhouse. She thinks this will give students a variety of places to study, socialize and eat.
   After all, the relationships a student creates while on campus will help form a professional network that can follow them beyond graduation. Numerous opportunities will be available to develop connections amongst peers, faculty and workforce leaders, with workshops and lectures being hosted in the facility.
   Student life is an important part of a university experience. This experience can be found in Rose State’s Student
Union, coming soon.
   Students are excited about having somewhere new to link up, and this will be the location where students go to see and be seen.

   College can be quite pricey. If students are not taking advantage of student discounts, now is the time to start. They are everywhere.
   Student discounts are available for individuals with a valid student ID. Some places will even offer the same discounts to faculty and staff.
“I should probably use them. I’m sure I would save a lot more money,” said Hayden Jennings, Rose State business major.
   Student discounts can be found anywhere. Start by looking online, calling local businesses or asking in stores.
   There are multiple food establishments that offer discounts or give free items to students around the metro. Places such as Qdoba, Zaxby’s and Freddy’s Frozen Custard offer discounts to students with a valid ID.
   Not only do local food establishments offer discounts but the Regal Warren Theatre in Midwest City also offers a discounted movie ticket.
   Paige Kolander an esthetician student at Central Oklahoma College, think movie theatres are pretty expensive. Since she attends them frequently, she always makes sure to have her student ID in hand.
   There is a lot more to student discounts than just saving on food or getting a discounted
movie ticket, although that is what most people think of. There are discounts for things such as car insurance, cell phone plans, school necessities and much more.
   Many car insurance companies offer student discounts. Geico offers up to $200 off for student
drivers between the ages of 16 to 25 who maintain a B average. State Farm offers a similar discount, with up to 25% off for students who keep good grades up until the age of 25.
   Popular cell phone companies such as AT&T, Sprint and Verizon offer discounts for students who sign up for a plan with a supported school email address.
   Students discounts are starting to go further than just showing student ID in stores.
   Having a student email address can come in handy when trying to save money. Monthly online subscriptions can cost a pretty penny when they are all added up. Luckily for students, they can sign up with a school email
and get a discounted price.
   Places such as Amazon, Spotify, Apple Music, The New York Times and a few other places offer discounted price for students. Amazon offers students six free months of Amazon Prime. After the free trial, they offer a discounted price of $6.49/monthly. 
   Spotify offers a three-month free trial then a discounted price of $4.99/monthly. This Spotify subscription also provides access to Hulu and Showtime.
   Rose State business major Elizabeth Thompson uses student discounts as much as she can. “Student discounts are important,” Thompson said. “College students usually don’t have a lot of money so they can be really
helpful.”
  Student discounts are evolving and keeping up with today’s technology. There are now verified applications that will unlock even more discounts.
   UNiDAYS is a mobile application for student discounts. Students must create an account with primary email and
student email to unlock multiple online discounts. This application offers students discounts on fashion, food, beauty, technology and a few other things as well.
   UNiDAYS is one of the more popular student discount applications but there are others such as Pocket Points, Student Beans and REMICS.
   Student discounts are often overlooked because students think that they are not that big of a discount, but multiple discounts used throughout time add up.
   It is never too late to start saving, start taking advantage of them now.