Page 16 - Flathead Living // Winter 2015

48° North
IS THIS SEAT TAKEN?
GONE ARE THE DAYS OF WANDERING
around the White sh Mountain Resort Summit House, burrito and beer in hand, pointedly eying skiers who look the most thawed out. A massive renovation to Montana’s only mountaintop restaurant brings an entirely new mezzanine level with 135 new seats, enough for you
and your whole crew. A remodel to the building’s entrance, complete with bathrooms, means the days of pushing through congested crowds to get back
outside are also long gone. The reno- vation includes a complete facelift with new vistas to the northwest, where the White sh Range rises toward Canada. Also part of the summit overhaul is a new ski patrol building, which, at 800 square feet, is four times the size of the old and small (but iconic) patrol cabin. The major plus? More patrollers can hang here, ready for action, and with plumbing on site, they can now help patients right at the summit. Think faster treatment and
fewer bruised egos from rides in the sled down to the clinic at the base area. FL
A Conversation with Jane Karas
JANE KARAS IS APPROACHING HER 15TH
year as president of Flathead Valley Community College, which has blos- somed into one of the top two-year schools in the region and the largest
in Montana. Flathead Living magazine caught up with Karas as another school year progresses.
FLATHEAD LIVING: Flathead Valley Community College has a whole suite of programs and courses in a variety of subjects, including craft brewing, social media marketing and welding. Is there one speci c course or program
that interests you and makes you wish it were available when you were a student? JANE KARAS: This is a good question
since FVCC o ers many exciting, challenging and dynamic programs that would have prepared me to enter a good career or easily transfer to a four- year college or university to continue my baccalaureate studies. Some programs, like craft brewing, did not exist when I attended college because the industry at that time was very small. Today, with the nationwide explosion of the craft beer industry, career opportunities in the eld are abundant. Same with social media. When I attended college, no one carried cell phones, and social media was nonexistent.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs were available but not the opportunities
to engage in research as fresh- men or sophomores. The
opportunities provided by FVCC’s STEM programs prepare our students to be top candidates when they transfer to four-year institutions to continue their studies.
FLATHEAD LIVING: Over the next 10 years, what do you think will be the changes or growth that residents notice most about FVCC?
KARAS: Over the next 10 years, the people of Northwest Montana can expect to see growth and change at FVCC. As our region grows, FVCC will evolve to meet the needs of the com- munities we serve. Student housing is an area of potential growth for the college. The members of our college’s locally elected Board of Trustees are currently in discussion over the topic, which has generated much interest from our com- munity. In conjunction, a study is being conducted to determine how many beds are needed and which type of housing
is most suitable for our students, along with a cost-bene t analysis. Some FVCC students have expressed interest in having a tness center on campus. We will explore this along with the need to build a Student Center to serve as the hub for students to access services and engage in student activities. FL
14 FLATHEAD LIVING S WINTER 2015-16
GREG LINDSTROM