The Lantern newspaper 

Butler CC is shining a spotlight on student creativity with the latest edition of The Quill, the college’s annual literary and arts feature. Packed with original poems, short stories and stunning visual art, The Quill offers a powerful platform for student expression, which publishes the best creative works from Butler students, faculty, staff and alumni. This includes short fiction and non-fiction prose, poetry and scripts. They have year-round submissions and publish one issue in the spring of every year.

Equality El Dorado is an inclusive community for LGBTQIA+ people in the El Dorado area. Their mission is to create a space where people can connect, share and thrive.  

Since the 2024-2025 school year at Butler is coming to an end, this will be my final issue of The Lantern, although I will continue working for the newspaper this summer. These past two years have been filled with many laughs, funny stories and hard work. This year as the editor-in-chief has been one to remember. I have learned so much about Butler CC and the people around me. I was able to learn and grow in this role and the hard work was worth it and paid off.  

As Butler CC students prepare for finals, some have plans for graduation. This means they transfer to a four-year university next, stay another year or even decide they are done. Whatever it is, students have some time to figure it out. Students begin to pick up their cap and gowns and prepare for graduation. Graduation ceremony will take place on Friday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at the B.G. Products Veterans Stadium. 

Tamara Daniel has been selected to become Butler's next president. She will officially be in office on Monday, June 23. Dr. Daniel comes to Butler with more than 25 years of leadership experience in the community college sector where, as a champion of student success, workforce development and institutional innovation, she has continuously pushed for improvement.

Lindsey Carter Fields, a professor of biology, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Carter was on Flight 5342, which departed from the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport to Washington D.C. The Liberal, Kansas, native left many memories for friends, family and the Butler community, leaving a legacy. 

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, the Board of Trustees (BOT) will vote on three options regarding livestreaming their monthly meetings: continue to livestream, record and post the video to Youtube or provide minutes instead. This discussion came as a result and decision by the Kansas Associate of Community Colleges (KACC). According to January’s board materials, “Executive Director Heather Morgan has noted concerns that livestream/recorded meeting easily capture inaccurate information discussed or presented, personal viewpoints and discussion that involve intra-Board, college conflicts among other issues that could create future problems and liability issues for colleges.” 

On Tuesday, Jan. 28, Butler Community College President Jackie Vietti informed the campus via email about President Donald Trump's executive order. This order allows the enforcement of immigration laws that may potentially affect students, institutions, colleges, hospitals, churches, staff, families and more including Butler CC. If U.S. Immigration and  Customs Enforcement (ICE) has an order of detention, it may be legally executed based on the college’s legal counsel. Individuals can be taken into custody. Therefore, students are encouraged to contact Campus Security at 316-321-7675 if they observe any unusual activity. Butler CC is responsible for ensuring the students' safety and protecting their private information. 

As college students near the end of their time at Butler CC, many are transferring to other colleges. Time really does fly. It is a time to solidify the path and explore many opportunities. 

As the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, people around the world welcome 2025 with cheers and changes. Many still have their own New Year’s resolutions to write and reflect on in the next new coming year. The New Year really does feel like a fresh start. The calendar flips over. We brush off the burdens of the past. And in this moment of conception, in some countries, we set intentions for the future instead of resolutions. We try to imagine what we want our lives to look like in the coming year.