Students help Iditarod racers get going

Nine students and three faculty members of Chadron State College served as volunteers for the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska in early March.

While there, the group learned how to handle a team of sled dogs and were given the opportunity to show their skills. Prior to the official start of the race, the students and faculty members joined other trained volunteers in helping harness some of the 96 teams and guiding the animals and sleds about a quarter mile to the official starting line.

Dr. Chuck Butterfield, one of the three faculty members who accompanied the students, said the group worked with a wide variety of sled dog teams, from those that were well funded by sponsors to those just in it for the love of the sport.

He said the dogs are too distracted by all the commotion around the event’s start to listen to commands, so keeping them controlled can be a challenge.

“You’ve gotta make all these corners and keep the teams from getting tangled,” Butterfield said. “And those dogs just want to run. That’s what they’re trained to do. You learn that you are probably going to fall down, and when you do fall down, you roll out of the way so that you don’t trip everybody behind you or get ran over by the sled.”

In addition to Butterfield, the students were led by Dr. Charles Snare, dean of arts and sciences, and Dr. Luke Perry, assistant professor of social sciences. Snare’s wife, Karen, enrolled for the trip as a student. Other students who participated in the trip were Jennifer Cleveland, Gering; James Girard, Alliance; Austin Horn, Sidney; Brooke Stewart, Waterbury; Sarlyn Morse, Imperial; Dan Vest, Pleasanton; Shane Max, Gothenburg and Jacob Frost, Overton.

While there, the group met people who have built a name for themselves in sled dog racing circles. They had photographs taken with perennial Iditarod contenders Lance Mackey and Jeff King. Mackey finished first in this year’s race and King was runner-up. They also met Gary Paulsen, the author of many best-selling wilderness books.

The group also encountered Chadron State alumni on the trip. Judi (Wernsman) Roach, a Sidney fourth-grade teacher and 2002 graduate of CSC, was there as a participant of Target’s Iditarod Teacher on the Trail program. They also had dinner with Sara Beth (Ramsey) Lyon, a 2005 graduate who is an elementary teacher in Chugiak, Alaska. Butterfield said other alumni living in Alaska corresponded by e-mail upon hearing that the group was coming to their state.

CSC’s contingent was the only college or university group that assisted at the start of the race, and was recognized by the Iditarod officials for their help.

“The thank you e-mail that got sent out to all the handlers specifically mentioned Chadron State College,” he said.

While the sled dog race may have been the highlight of the trip, the group visited a number of other educational events and sites related to the history and culture of the “The Last Frontier.”

They toured the WWII port of Whittier, the Alaskan Native Heritage Center and the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center. They learned from a number of Alaskan officials, including a college history professor, a soils expert and rangeland expert. They also got up close with moose at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks experimental farm and toured a farm that raises musk ox.

Butterfield said the students on the trip learned of possible internship opportunities in addition to having a great experience.