Western Nebraska Community College
Ghostly Rash of
Encounters thefts hit
Hunting spectres WNCC
in the Panhandle campus
Brunz’s interest began
when, as a teen, he says he
and his gerbil were
haunted and tormented.
BY ANGELA SCANLAN
AND CRIME STOPPERS
[email protected]
BY TAYLER PUTTERGILL
[email protected]
Today, Dave Brunz heads the Platte River Paranormal Society.
He first became interested in paranormal activity when he was 16. At the time,
he said he was “pretty much tormented in
his room” because
some freaky stuff
was going on.
Something in that
room scared his
gerbil so badly that
his furry roommate
almost knocked its
cage off the table,
and this something,
whatever it was,
scared his teen-aged
self so badly that he slept with the light on.
When he stayed home alone he was kept
up and tormented. He finally got sick of this
entity, or entities, tormenting him, but decided he couldn’t beat it, so he would try to
figure this thing out. He read a lot of books
More
Halloween
Stories,
Photos
on
Pages 6, 7
Courtesy photo
Dave Brunz, who heads the Platte River
Paranormal Society, checks out a location
for ghosts in Scottsbluff recently. The paranormal has fascinated Brunz since he ws 16.
and anything he could get his hands on
Continued on Page 6
Oct. 31, 2009
Volume 57, No. 3
thespectator
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PAID
Scottsbluff, NE 69361-1899
Permit No. 141
Change Service Requested
Belting out a tune
photo by Laura Hagan/Spectator
WNCC’s Varsity Vocalise wowed the crowd at the Varsity Vocal Showcase Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23 and 24 at the Gering Civic Center. The WNCC instrumental groups will
present a Fall Ball on Nov. 21, also at the Civic Center.
Scotts Bluff County Crime Stoppers is
offering a cash reward for information regarding a number of thefts of video projectors at Western Nebraska Community College this year.
The college first reported the theft of
video projectors on May 19, 2009. A college
employee reported to police that nine Mitsubishi projectors – valued at $8,000 -- were
stolen in thefts that began in January. Three
projectors were found to be missing from a
pod of classrooms on May 19, prompting
the report to police.
“Initially, it was thought college staff
may be using the projectors, but they were
not signed out and were not returned to the
college’s library,” Scottsbluff Police Capt.
Kevin Spencer said.
On Sept. 24, WNCC staff reported
the theft of two more projectors valued at
$2,500. Police recovered shoe prints from
a desk in a college classroom where a projector was removed from a ceiling mount,
and video surveillance of a male leaving the
building has also been obtained.
On Oct. 1, the college reported a third
theft of video projectors, during which two
more were stolen. On Oct. 21, just before
midnight, a projector was stolen from a
classroom around the gym area, and another on Oct. 23. This brings the total count to
16.
The WNCC Code of Conduct, Section
A, “Offenses Against Property,” Clause 1 prohibits theft. It states that, if found guilty of
stealing, students may be subject to disciplinary action through the college, but it is not
clear at what level, most likely being decided
on a case-by-case basis. “WNCC’s primary
function is as an educational institution, not
as a disciplinary institution,” said Carla Stein,
Associate Dean of Student Services.
Two individuals have been charged in
connection with the theft of at least one
projector, which, police said, was recovered
in a Western Nebraska Community College
residence hall. College staff were alerted to
a student room by what they suspected to
be the odor of marijuana, Spencer said, and
found a projector hooked up to an xBox
360. The two students arrested were David
Castillo and Luis Anaya.
Police have not recovered any of the additional projectors, and believe that other
individuals may be involved or connected
to the thefts. They are puzzled as to the
motivation behind the thefts; no projectors
have been resold.
Spencer said he would like to remind all
students that any information is greatly appreciated.
Scotts Bluff County Crime Stoppers will
offer a reward of up to $1,000 for the arrest
and conviction of individuals connected
these crimes. Anyone with information on
the thefts can contact the Scotts Bluff County Crime Stoppers annonymously at (308)
632-STOP (7867) or the Scottsbluff Police
Department, (308) 632-6280.
Inside
Volleyball
Ghoulies
galore
Haunted houses and
ghost chasers?
It has to be
Halloween.
— See page 6-7
+
1A -- issue 3.indd 1
Volleyball team suffers loss, but will use
that loss as motivation as it prepares
for regionals.
— See page 12
‘Hair’-raising
musical fun
The Varsity Vocalise performance
takes audience back to the ‘60’s.
— See page more photos on Page 8
+
11/6/2009 9:47:11 AM
the
news
Oct. 31, 2009 — Page 2
Front entrance to get face lift
Driveway,
parking areas,
college front
entrance all
scheduled for
redesign..
After years of planning, the
Western Nebraska Community
College Board of Governors
Budget and Finance Committee
will be requesting bids this week
for a project that will include remodeling the front entrance of
the Scottsbluff main campus.
“The project was part of the
budget process this summer,”
commented William Knapper,
Dean of Administrative Services. “Dollars levied through
the capital project levy and the
American with Disabilities Act
levy will be used for this project.”
Broken into three phases, the
project will address issues with
water flow across the front of the
building, bring the entrance up
to ADA compliance, and create
a more pedestrian-friendly campus.
Phase one includes creating a plaza at the south entrance
(left) This plan illustrates the phases of the restructuring of the front
of the college, which includes a new
driveway, parking spaces, and a
plaza at the front of the building.
(above) This architect’s rendering
shows what the the entrance will
look like after remodeling. Construction on the first and second
phases should start next spring.
of the main building, moving
the driveway back from the entrance, and adding a parking lot
southeast of the entrance.
The plaza will eliminate the
water that currently drains in
front of the south doors and utilize existing trees given by past
graduation classes.
To be completed at the same
time, phase two will move the
current drive in front of Pioneer
Hall and align it with College
Boulevard that runs between
Aurora Loan Center and the
Harms Advanced Technology
Center. The drive in front of
Pioneer then will be turned into
parking for residents. Sidewalks
and raised sidewalks (which
will function, in effect, as speed
bumps) across the drives will be
added as part of both phases.
Estimated cost for the first
two phases of the project is approximately $745,000.
Even in potentially tough
budget times, Knapper said the
money budgeted in the capital
improvement fund for this project must be used for this purpose.
“Dollars levied through these
funds can’t be shifted to other
accounts,” said Knapper. “Even
if we are cutting in other areas
of the budget, these dollars have
been levied for the purpose of
capital improvement, and that’s
what they must be used for.”
Construction on the first
and second phase will start
next spring. Phase three, to be
completed at a later time, will
add another parking area to the
southwest of the entrance and
include more green space and
sidewalks.
New VP adjusting to community college
Holcomb
takes the helm
of student
services in Sept.
BY TAYLOR PUTTERGILL
[email protected]
The new Vice President of
Student Services comes to WNCC
from Iowa State University.
Todd Holcomb said he heard
good things about WNCC from a
friend.
He’s new to the community
college world. He has worked at
Texas Tech University, the University of Georgia, and Miami University in Oxford Ohio.
“I never really got to see how
policies were impacting students,”
Holcomb said of his time at Iowa
State Unviersity.
At WNCC, Holcomb oversees
Student Services, which includes
enrollment management, financial aid, the registrar, counseling,
student support services, judicial
affairs, and housing. He also oversees such auxiliary services as dining, the the book store, and athletics, as well as, the federally funded
TRIO programs Upward Bound,
Veterans Upward Bound, Y.E.S.
Student Support Services, Single
Parents and Displaced Homemaker Students, and Supplemental Instruction.
“All the services that students
would need to be successful on
campus report to me,” Holcomb
said.
Holcomb attended Truman
State University in Kirksville, Missouri, where he completed his
undergraduate work, majoring in
psychology with a minor is philosophy.
He attended Texas Tech University, earning his master’s degree, and completed his doctorate
at the University of Georgia.
Some of Holcomb’s hobbies
include working out, golfing,
hunting, and cycling. This past
year Holcomb was among the
8,000 cylists who took part in the
Registers Annual Great Bike Ride
across Iowa.
The ride itself is a little over
550 miles, and this is his second
year completing it. “I’m really
hoping to get some students interested,” he said.
In high school, he was captain of his football and wrestling
teams. He participated in debate
as well as theatre.
Holcomb planned on wrestling in college, but a knee injury
ended his athletic career. He opted
to become a resident’s assisant and
was active in intramural sports.
Although Holcomb is new to
the area, he said he is adjusting
well. “I find the day-to-day interaction with students very exciting,” he said. “The Valley has been
fantastic. The people have been really nice to me.”
Todd Holcomb
Snowstorm cancels classes,
aﬀects college activities
The snowstorm that pounded
the region caused cancellations for
classes at WNCC.
The Alliance Center closed
all Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the Sidney campus closed all
day Thursday and Friday, and the
Scottsbluff campus closed at noon
Thursday and all day Friday.
The storm dumped nearly
10-20 inches of snow on the
Panhandle.
Events at the college were also
affected. The performance of “A
Voice of Our Own” for Friday, Oct.
30 was cancelled. The Jacqueline
Schwab piano concert scheduled
for Thursday was pushed to Friday
and moved to the UNL Panhandle
Station’s auditorium.
The Cougar volleyball match
with McCook Community College
at McCook was scheduled to be
played Friday, but because of road
closures, the match will be made up
Sunday at 4 p.m. MST in McCook.
The Cougar athletic department’s
Reverse Raffle still went on Friday
night at the Elk’s Club.
During inclement weather,
check the WNCC website and listen to the media for closing and
postponements
photo by Laura Hagan/Spectator
Trickin’ my pumpkin...
The Y.E.S. TRIO program held its annual pumpkin decorating night
for families on Oct. 26. Several enjoyed the festivities and food.
2A -- issue 3.indd 1
10/30/2009 1:38:29 PM
the
news
Oct, 31, 2009 — Page 3
Students advised: don’t ignore ‘red flags’
photos by Laura Hagan/Spectator
Resident Life Coordinator Rebecca Thompson prepares to talk to passerbys at the Pit for Red Flag Week, a
week highlighting the issues of binge drinking, safer sex, depression, dating violence, and sexual assault.
Issues include
binge drinking,
safer sex, dating
violence, assault,
and depression.
By TAYLER PUTTERGILL
[email protected]
Campus Safety Week was Oct.
19-22, complete with a slate of activities.
Students, staff, and faculty
were treated to root beer floats at a
kick-off for the week; students also
had an opportunity to learn about
the week’s focus.
Around campus, posters addressed the five issues at the forefront of Campus Safety, or Red
Flag Week.: binge drinking, safer
sex, depression, dating violence,
and sexual assault.
The week was to encourage
people to speak up if they see one
of these “red flags” and not look
the other way.
On Oct. 21, a community resource fair was held in conjunction with Red Flag Week.
Local organizations shared
information relating to the week’s
issues of concern.
The festivities around the Oct.
22 volleyball game had a red flag
theme.
A community resource fair was held in the Pit in conjunction with Red
Flag Week. This display shows who is most likely to be at risk to get HIV
or AIDS.
Instrumental ensembles set Leever, Kandel new
to perform at Fall Ball
instructors at
Sidney campus
First annual
event slated for
Nov. 21 at Gering
Civic Center.
BY PATRICK COSSEL
[email protected]
By BRYANNA ENTERLINE
[email protected]
The First Annual Fall Ball is
fast approaching.
On Saturday, Nov. 21, the
WNCC Instrumental Music
Program’s numerous ensembles
-- including the West Nebraska
Winds, Fire in the Pan Swingers, and the Monumental Rock
Combo --will be showcased at
this performance next month at
the Gering Civic Center.
The Western Nebraska Winds
is a concert band, Fire in the Pan
Swingers is a jazz group, and the
Monumental Rock Combo plays
classic rock music.
All three groups will be performing pieces from the movie
Polar Express as well as music
from the Bernstein Stage Company, Jesus Christ Superstar, Return
of the Jedi and many others. All
pieces performed either will be
stage or screen music.
The show’s theme is “Lights,
Camera, Curtains.”
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for
social hour, while dinner and the
show will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets
are $25 for “friends,” while “angel” tickets are $50.
Since “angels” are donating
more to the instrumental program at WNCC, they will receive
preferred seating.
To get your tickets call (308)
A member of the West Nebrasska Winds rehearses Monday night in
preparation for the Nov. 21 Fall Ball at the Gering Civic Center. The fall
Ball will feature the Winds, Monument Rock Combo and the Fire in teh
Pan Swingers.
635-6080 or stop by the WNCC con spinach salad, parsley-butBusiness Office. Credit cards tered new potatoes, sourdough
are accepted. Sales started as of rolls, and pumpkin cheesecake.
Oct.21. Along with the show,
At the end of the spring semesattendees also will receive a ca- ter a similar event will take place
tered dinner.
at the Gering Civic Center. The
The menu will consist of jazz band will perform for a dance.
chicken cordon bleu, California There also will be a catered dinstir-fried vegetables, egg-and-ba- ner.
Start Prepping for Spring Classes
NOW!!!!!!
Spring Registration begins
Nov. 12
Schedules available online soon
3A -- issue 3.indd 1
A new school year brings new faces to the halls of WNCC. Students
work to get themselves in the college groove and so, too, do teachers.
This year WNCC has two new teachers at the Sidney campus, Sue Kandel and Pam Leever.
Sue Kandel
Having served as an adjunct teacher for more than 20 year, Sue Kandel was happy to apply for the full-time teaching position in the English
department.
“When the full-time position came up it seemed like a good fit,” said
Kandel from her office at the Sidney campus.
Kandel teaches English Composition I and II, Public Speaking, Human Communications, and some developmental classes. This is not her
first stint as a teacher.
“I taught for 33 years in public schools,” said Kandel. She has also
served 10 years as an administrator, six years as a principal and four
years as an assistant principal. All of her teaching has been done in Nebraska. Kandel received her bachelor’s in speech and theater from Colorado State University and her master’s in English education from Chadron State College. Her goal as a teacher at WNCC is to help students to
communicate effectively in the written word and in speech communication.
Pam Leever
In the cosmetology classroom, new teacher Pam Leever is guiding
students through the basics of cosmetology.
Leever is a licensed cosmetologist and received her associate’s degree
in cosmetology from WNCC.
Professionally ,she has student taught and worked as a substitute teacher. She has also owned and operated her own salon for more than 10 years.
Leever teaches the basics of cosmetology, coloring, perm waving, manicure and more. She also teaches the science side of the cosmetology
program.
“My goal is to give the best education I can,” said Leever, “I want to
educate students to the fullest.”
Invest Nebraska holding
competition in December
Invest Nebraska announced
recently that the 2009 East-2West: The Nebraska New Venture
Competition will take place on
Dec. 11 in Lincoln at the Del Ray
Ballroom in Lincoln’s Haymarket.
On Dec. 11, a judges’ panel
comprised of business and community leaders will identify the
most promising business plan for
the state of Nebraska. The winning entrepreneur or team will
receive a $50,000 equity investment from Invest Nebraska Corporation.
“We’ve had the pleasure of
witnessing Nebraska’s rich entrepreneurial spirit across the state
these past months during re-
gional competitions. Now we’re
inviting anyone from any region
to participate in this once-in-alifetime opportunity,” said Dan
Hoffman, executive director of
Invest Nebraska.
The East-2-West Competition
is open to anyone 18 or older who
is interested in operating a business in the state of Nebraska.
All entrepreneurs with a startup idea, as well as local business
owners looking to expand or improve their businesses, are welcome to submit their plans.
Information about the application process and details about
rules and guidelines can be found
on the website www.investnebraska.com.
10/30/2009 1:53:09 PM
the
news
Oct. 31, 2009 — Page 4
Gaalswyk believes in college’s mission
New VP of
Ed. Services
feels ‘truly
blessed’ to be
at WNCC.
BY TJ HARVEY
[email protected]
Terry Gaalswyk, the new Vice
President of Educational Services,
believes any job should be fun.
“Every day, I come to work
with a song in my head and try to
have a little spring in my step,” said
Gaalswyk. “Having fun is a true,
essential part of any workplace;
so we try to accomplish that goal
each day.
“You just never know how dif-
ferent each day can really be. Each
one presents its own challenges
and goals. You just have to hit the
ground running and really take off
with it.”
Gaalswyk began his tenure at
WNCC in July. He is very quick
to point out that he is definitely,
in his own words, “the new guy in
town.”
Gaalswyk supervises the academic programs for the institution, including distance learning
and assessment, as well as library
services.
Gaalswyk is working on his
doctorate from Iowa State University; he earned his M.Ed. and
M.S. degrees from South Dakota
State University and his B.A. from
Northwestern College.
Before working in community
colleges, Gaalswyk taught at vari-
ous educational institutions. He
has taught in high school, technical school, and got his feet wet at
the university level.
However, Gaalswyk is certain
the community colleges are more
his style.
“I believe that community colleges are really something that
defines what a community is all
about,” he said.
“The college is truly the community’s institution, and it should
be able to give back to that community in every way possible
“WNCC is committed to offering the best academic programs
and services possible, and we want
to make it fun for everyone.”
Gaalswyk is looking forward
to his time at WNCC.
“I feel truly blessed,” he said,
“to be working at such a great
Terry Gaalswyk
school.”
Gaalswyk and his wife live in
Scottsbluff and they will celebrate
20 years of marriage this coming
December. His office is located
in Educational Services, near the
south entrance in the Scottsbluff
main building.
S.O.S. helping those in need
Lawton works
with homeless
youth through
community action
program.
BY TJ HARVEY
[email protected]
When people spot a young
person walking around at odd
hours, some them might assume
the youth is up to no good.
They may think the teen is a
drug addict, drug dealer, a thief,
or a fugitive. But what they might
not think of right away is that the
teen could have nowhere else to
go.
Locally, for every homeless
adult, there are two homeless
children, and those numbers are
steadily increasing every day, according to WNCC student Matt
Lawton and the Street Outreach
Service (S.O.S.).
Lawton is currently involved
with S.O.S and has been since
March.
z S.O.S is a program meant to
reach out to runaway and homeless youth.
z The program assists runaways
through services such as housing, transportation, groceries, and
counseling.
z S.O.S teaches essential job skills
to teens and helps them buy appropriate clothes for job interviews.
z S.O.S is a part of Community
Action Partnership of Western
Nebraska Youth Services.
“We are part of something
built for a greater purpose overall
for those who need help,” Lawton
said. “Our division is currently one
of 97 other S.O.S divisions in the
nation, but we are one of the few
that covers such a large region as
the Panhandle of Nebraska and all
of the rural areas that come with
it.”
The current headquarters of
S.O.S is The Underground, located
on Broadway in downtown Scottsbluff. Lawton has been the owner
of The Underground for more
than five years.
“We are currently the drop-in
center for any runaway and homeless youth,” Lawton added. “We
offer food, hygiene products, and
anything else that can help accommodate someone until a better
situation arises.”
Lawton also mentioned that
S.O.S is not the main outreach
service to the homeless. “Our
program is really just a point of
referral, or basically a place where
kids can come and hang out until
we can transfer them to CAPWN
youth services.
“Networking is the key to
reaching out to runaway and
homeless kids and showing them
that someone cares.”
Lawton and his team currently
do street work on the weekends,
and it’s been very successful for
them over the years. The team
carries food and beverages with
them, so anyone who is hungry or
thirsty is able to receive immediate assistance. The S.O.S program
began in 2003 and has received
funding through grants.
Lawton moved to the Scottsbluff/Gering area when he was
seven-years-old. Lawton started
The Underground to give community youth a place safe to go and
have fun. Since its beginning, The
Underground has been an attraction for local musicians to hang
out.
“We are actually having our
annual Battle of the Bands coming
up very soon, and on Thanksgiving Day, we will be having a meal
for anyone who may not have a
place to go,” said Lawton.
Lawton will graduate in December with his associate of arts degree.
He will transfer to Chadron State,
where he will pursue his bachelor’s
in social work.
“S.O.S is a program with great
purpose, and we want to help anyone and everyone that we can,”
Lawton said. If you know of any
young man or woman who may be
having trouble and needs somewhere to go, call the S.O.S. hotline
at (308) 635-4967 or (308) 6415226.
Conference
draws police,
prosecutors
More than 40 people, including regional prosecutors and law
enforcement officials, gathered at
Chadron State College’s Student
Center on Tuesday to receive an
update on recent legislation and
cases in criminal law and procedures.
The conference was sponsored
by the Attorney General’s Office
and the Justice Studies Department at CSC.
Most of the information was
presented by two members of the
Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, John Freudenberg, chief of
the Criminal Bureau, and Corey
O’Brien, assistant attorney general
in the Drug and Violent Crime
Unit. Freudenberg is a 1992 CSC
graduate who earned a juris doctorate from the University of Nebraska.
Among the topics were recent
developments in consent searches
and search and seizure.
Dr. George Watson, CSC justice studies professor, said the conference was provided as a service
to officials in western Nebraska,
but also provided a learning opportunity for of the justice studies
program.
Conference attendees said the
conference provided a valuable
service to the region.
“It’s not always easy to keep
updated on all the laws and changes in legislation, so we take advantage of any opportunities such as
this,” said Henry Moreno, a Gering Police Department detective.
“It’s been a good, informative session.”
Fall Back
on Nov. 1
Daylight
Savings
Time
Officially
Begins
HATC
Upcoming Credit, Non-Credit Classes
Intermediate Excel 2003 (1 credit)
Dates: 11/04/09-11/18/09 Days W,M
Time: 1:00PM-4:00PM
Location: HATC B118
Cost: $81.00 plus book*
Intermediate Excel 2003 (1 credit)
Dates: 11/05/09-11/24/09 Days Th, T
Time: 5:30PM-8:30PM
Location: HATC B118
Cost: $81.00 plus book*
Quickbooks
Dates: 11/03/09-11/05/09 Days T,Th
Time: 6:00PM-9:00PM
Location: HATC B120
Cost: $15.00
Intro to the Internet (1 credit)
Dates: 12/02/09-12/16/09 Days W,M
Time: 9:00AM-12:00PM
Location: HATC B118
Cost: $81.00 plus book*
Intermediate Excel 2003 (1 credit)
Dates: 11/05/09-11/24/09 Days Th, T
Time: 5:30PM-8:30PM
Location: HATC B118
Cost: $81.00 plus book*
PowerPoint 1 version 2003 (1 credit)
Dates: 12/02/09-12/16/09 Days W,M
Time: 1:00PM-4:00PM
Location: HATC B118
Cost: $81.00 plus book*
Intro to the Internet (1 credit)
Dates: 12/02/09-12/16/09 Days W,M
Time: 9:00AM-12:00PM
Location: HATC B118
Cost: $81.00 plus book*
From Recipe to Reality
Date: 10/24/09 Day S
Time: 8:00AM-5:00PM
Location: HATC A113
Cost: $175 (NE Residents) or
$350 (out of state attendees)
Conversational Spanish (Rapid Spanish)
(1 credit)
Dates: 10/12/09 – 10/16/09 Days M, T,
W, Th, F
Time: 5:30PM-8:30PM
Location: HATC C139
Cost: $109.00
PowerPoint 1 version 2003 (1 credit)
Dates: 12/02/09-12/16/09 Days W,M
Time: 1:00PM-4:00PM
Location: HATC B118
Cost: $81.00 plus book*
Insurance Pre-Licensing Education
Dates: 9/29/09—10/01/09 Days T,W,Th
Time: 8:00AM-5:00PM
Location: HATC C139
Cost: $195.00
Intermediate Excel 2003 (1 credit)
Dates: 11/04/09-11/18/09 Days W,M
Time: 1:00PM-4:00PM
Location: HATC B118
Cost: $81.00 plus book*
Weatherization
9/22/09 OR 10/27/09 OR 11/24/09
Time: 6:00PM-9:00PM
Location: HATC F001/F002
Cost: $15.00
Bob Ross Painting Techniques
Dates: 9/12/09 OR 10/24/09 OR
11/14/09 OR 12/05/09
Time: 9:00AM-4:00PM
Location: TBA
Cost: $60.00
Understanding Cultural Values
& Diversities
Date: November 12, 2009
Session One
9:00AM-12:00PM
Session Two
1:00PM-4:00PM
Session Three
6:00PM-9:00PM
Microenterprise Tax Credit / Contractor Tax Seminar
Date: 10/20/09 Day T
Time: 1:00PM-4:30PM
Location: HATC B132
Cost: $10.00
Spanish for Healthcare Providers (1 credit)
Date: 10/06/09-11/24/09 Day T
Time: 6:00PM-8:00PM
Location: HATC A111
Cost: $81.00
Real Estate — Nebraska Agency (0366R)
Date: 10/29/09 Day Th
Time: 8:30AM-11:45AM
Location: HATC A108
Cost: $40.00
Real Estate — Rules & Regulations
Highlights (0305R)
Date: 10/30/09 Day F
Time: 8:30AM-11:45AM
Location: HATC A108
Cost: $40.00
A Fungus Among Us (0517R)
Date: 10/29/09 Day Th
Time: 1:00PM-4:15PM
Location: HATC A108
Cost: $40.00
AntiTrust: Caught on Camera (0568)
Date: 10/30/09 Day F
Time: 1:00PM-4:15PM
Location: HATC A108
Cost: $40.00
Energywise Incentive Program
Date: 10/15/09 Day Th
Time: 8:00AM-11:00AM
Location: HATC A108
Cost: $FREE
Drivers Education (Online Course)
Dates: 10/05/09-2/12/10
Cost: $184.00
Sales & Use Tax Seminar
Date: 10/20/09 Day T
Time: 8:30AM-12:00PM
Location: HATC B132
Cost: $10.00
TO REGISTER FOR ANY OF THESE CLASSES, CONTACT HATC AT (308) 635-6700, OR ONLINE AT WWW.WNCC.EDU/HATC
4A -- issue 3.indd 1
10/30/2009 2:01:17 PM
Western Nebraska Community College
theopinion
Oct. 31, 2009 — Page 5
thespectator
Western Nebraska
Community College
Contact the newspaper at:
The Spectator
WNCC
1601 E. 27th street
Scottsbluff, Nebraska 69361
Phone: (308) 635-6058
Email: [email protected]
2009-10 Staﬀ Members
Reporters:
T.J. Harvey
Wayne Konig
Eric Bravo
Tayler Puttergill
Jordan Schloepﬂin
Bryanna Enterline
Angela Scanlan
Patrick Cossell
Photographers:
Laura Hagen
Graphic Artist
Tiﬀany Schank
Technical/Production
Mark Rein
Journalism Advisor
Andy Newman
Letter to the Editor Policy
The spectator encourages reader input
about the articles it publishes. Any
reader may submit a letter to the editor. All letters to the editor submissions
must include the author’s name and
hometown. Phone numbers must also
be included for veriﬁcation purposes.
Letters and columns may be edited
for space limitations, style, grammar and libelious content. The letters
must contain around 50 words and be
typed. Letters can be sent or e-mailed
to [email protected].
The opionions in thespectator are
those of the newspaper staﬀ and do
not reﬂect the opionion or scrutiny
of WNCC, the administration, board
of governors, staﬀ or student government. Unsigned editorials reﬂect the
opionions of the editorial staﬀ. Signed
columns reﬂect the opinion of hte
author.
5A -- issue 3.indd 1
Minor in Possession law is
broken, doesn’t reﬂect reality
18-year-olds can
ﬁght and die for
your freedom, but
can’t enjoy a beer.
You go off to college for the first time
and you get to know some new people.
Next thing you know, you’re getting invited
to a party and you’re having a blast.
Yeah, so you’re drinking a little and the
next thing there’s a knock at the door. Who
is it? Pizza?
No, the cops coming to bust yet another
party in western Nebraska.
They come prepared, they come in
numbers, and if you’re not of age and been
tossing a few back, you’ll be getting a Minor
in Possession.
Welcome to Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
This is not the most exciting town. Let’s
be honest. When it comes to people ages 18
to 20, there’s nothing exciting to do.
So, it is understandable that most people of these ages are going to want to drink,
even though it’s not legal. The cops in this
town have been taking advantage of this
situation by busting every party within 30
minutes of Scottsbluff.
If a party is in the city limits, it makes
sense for it to get busted, if things get out of
hand. The neighbors have to deal with the
loud music and the people who go outside
to make noise.
If that becomes an issue, then, yes, by
all means that party should be busted -- for
noise, not booze. If a party is at a house
where the nearest neighbor is over a mile
away, how would this party disturb anyone?
Wayne’s World
by Wayne Konig
The thing that I do not understand is
why police are trying so hard to bust students. The party where I got busted, 26
M.I.P. were handed out.
Does this town have a big issue of underage drinkers going to the hospital because of alcohol poisoning?
I haven’t heard of a big problem. In fact,
I’ve never seen someone get taken to the
hospital because he or she had too much
alcohol and were in danger. One thing I’ve
noticed about every party I’ve ever been to
is this: for about every group of four people,
at least one of them is sober. Since most vehicles have four or five seats in them, everyone can get home safely.
Of the 26 M.I.P.s at the party, there were
at least six people who blew 0; thus, we had
designated drivers.
Even if there weren’t enough people
to give someone a ride, most people who
have a party will let someone too drunk to
drive stay until the next morning. So, even
though we are breaking the law by drinking
underage, we still are responsible enough to
not let other people get hurt.
Let us have some fun.
The M.I.P. law, frankly, is broken and
doesn’t reflect reality.
I know it’s been said before, but the
big question in America is this: why can
we serve in the Army at the age of 18, but
we can’t drink legally? If you’re grown
up enough to fight and possibly die in
war, you’re old enough to have a beer
legally.
Here are my thoughts about lowering
the drinking age. I don’t think it should go
as low as 16 as in some countries, because
that is when kids start driving here. Too
risky. Let’s try 18. They’ve been driving for
two years.
In most parts of the world, people can
start drinking at the age of 18 and do not
seem to have so many problems. Even lowering the drinking age to 19 would be all
right it in my book because most people are
out of high school by then
I asked Annie Meier, a young woman
from Germany, what she thought about the
drinking age in America.
“It doesn’t make sense to keep alcohol away from young people, if the rate of
Americans who illegally drink is that high,”
she told me. “If the drinking age would be
decreased to at least 18, I believe you are old
enough to take responsibility for yourself.
In Germany, for example, statistics prove
that even though the official drinking age
is at 16, there is less violence, crime, and
car accidents caused by alcohol. If people
wouldn’t make such a big deal about alcohol, they could realize that it’s all about selfcontrol.”
Sounds sensible to me.
--Wayne Konig is a staff reporter for The
Spectator.
YOUR POLITICAL OPNIONS COULD
BE PUBLISHED HERE!
Contact Andy Newman
[email protected]
‘I and Love and You’
Recently while traveling to Kansas, my
brother called me and told me that one of
my more favorite bands had just released
their newest album. I pride myself on keeping up with my favorite bands so this was
a big surprise for me. What was even more
of a surprise to me was that he found it at
Starbucks. This is typically not a band you
would find at a mainstream coffee house.
But on my return trip I made the stop at
Starbucks and purchased “I and Love and
You” by The Avett Brothers.
The band, The Avett Brothers, is made
up of two brothers, Scott and Seth Avett,
and bass player Bob Crawford. The album,
“I and Love and You,” is the band’s sixth full
album since they started recording in 2000.
Now you might be thinking that you’ve never heard of them. Not a big surprise. Until
recently the band was not signed to any major, or major indie, label. Instead, they have
put in their dues on the touring circuit, produced albums on limited funds, and played
to the fans that have come to love them.
In 2008 they signed to musical mastermind Rick Rubin’s (producer of such artist
as Johnny Cash, The Beastie Boyz and RUN
D.M.C. and listed among Time’s 100 most
influential people of 2007) record label
American Recordings.
Now with the release of their latest album, they have demonstrated not only their
continued lyrical mastery, but also their
growth and maturity. On the album’s title
track, Scott paints a scene of a traveler setting off for his destination; in this case it’s
Brooklyn, New York. As the song unfolds,
much like a story, the listener is drawn in
to see the depth of the sorrow and pleasure
of the traveler. The end of the song, “Three
words that I find hard to say, I and Love and
You,” sum up the voyage that the listener is
about to embark on by proceeding with this
album.
Those three words become the corner-
Cossell’s Corner
by Patrick Cossell
stone of what is this album. As The Avett
Brothers said, “The words ‘I’ and ‘love and
‘you’ are the watermark of humanity. Strewn
together, they convey our deepest sense of
humility, of power, of truth.”
“I and Love and You” was produced in
Malibu, Calif. The band opted not to go
with a first take freshness instead choosing
to record and rerecord until everything was
just right. The end result is different than
anything they have put out before. Instead
of the raw, stripped down version of songs,
listeners get a mastered version. Something
that was a little off-setting for me, at first.
But the more I listen to it, the more I
smile because the brothers shine through.
Buried beneath the spit and shine is the
dirty, North Carolina boys that have made
this band so wonderful. Although this album is a stark contrast to their others, it
would not fit in any other sequence than
right here. It marks a growth in, not only
their lives, but in their careers.
It is as if the album is saying, “Here we
are, and you are going to listen.” And listen
you should.
--Patrick Cossell is a staff reporter for The
Spectator.
10/30/2009 2:10:59 PM
Western Nebraska Community College
thelifestyle
Oct. 31, 2009 — Page 6
Top 10 Signs You Are Too
Old to Be Trick or Treating
10. You get winded from knocking
on the door.
9. You have to have another kid
chew the candy for you.
8. You ask for high fiber candy
only.
7. When someone drops a candy
bar in your bag, you lose your balance and fall over.
6. People say, “Great Keith Richards mask!” and you’re not wearing
a mask.
5. When the door opens you yell,
“Trick or...” and can’t remember the
rest.
4. By the end of the night, you have
a bag full of restraining orders.
3. You have to carefully choose a
costume that won’t dislodge your
hairpiece.
2. You’re the only Power Ranger in
the neighborhood with a walker.
1. You avoid going to houses where
your ex-wives live.
— from the website
www.butlerwebs.com
Ghostly
Encounters
Otherworldy hunting in Bluﬀs
Continued from Page 1
about paranormal activity. “I pretty much
learned how to deal with the ghosts,” Brunz
said, “and got to the point where I could
control this entity.”
The frequency of the otherworldy distrubances began to drop.
Still, he said, the whole matter was
strange. He’d lived there 10 years before the
spectre began to pester him.
“I would be sitting in the living room
downstairs and hear someone walking
across the floor, laughing, or breathing,”
Brunz said.
He could hear it, but his parents claimed
they couldn’t. Brunz said his parents speculated that he possessed an ability to hear
things inaudible to others.
“The entity was malicious,” Brunz said.
“It was intelligent and it got a joy out of
scaring the daylights out of me”
Brunz studied paranormal activity 20
years before he told anyone of his interest.
“I was scared people would laugh at me,”
he said.
He finally raised the subject 15 years ago
when he and his wife experienced something out of the ordinary in their home.
His wife Shannon knew Brunz was interested in the paranormal when he told her
about capturing electronic voice pehenomena, or EVPs, with his recorder.
He thanked the show Ghost Hunters for
helping him realize many people don’t think
believing in ghosts is crazy or bad.
“The biggest debate is whether there are
ghosts or not,” he said. “You either believe it
or you don’t.”
Some people seem to draw paranormal
activity to them and others do not. Dave
Brunz thinks he draws it.
In March, Brunz started the Platte River
Paranormal Society. ZeeZee Bradshaw, a
paranormal investigator from Torrington,
found Brunz and the group was born. Bradshaw then found Jenny Sotelo (investigator,
research, and interviewer), Jake Spahr (investigator), Iran Sotelo (tech manager), and
Ramon Sotelo (an investigator in training).
Brunz loves finding ghosts, and wants
to reassure people that, yes, their house is
haunted or, no, it’s not. Many people think
that you find ghosts in just old scary looking houses, but Brunz said you can also find
them in houses that are nicer looking and
newer.
Courtesty Photo
A member of the Platte River Paranormal Society checks out an instrument while investigating ghostly activity in a location on Broadway in Scottsbluff.
“When you’re in a house you get a
creepy feeling, or see a shadow, but most
the time you don’t know that anything was
even there until you go over the evidence,”
he said. “You will sit in a room bored out of
your mind talking to nothing in there, and
then when you go back through your digi
tal voice recorder, something will have been
having a conversation with you.”
Even when you have a video camera
running but don’t see anything, once you
go back through and plug in the footage
something may be there that you missed, or
didn’t capture, with your naked eye.
The group makes use of video recorders, digital voice recorders, electromagnetic
field detectors (emf detector), K-2 meters,
night vision goggles, and motion detectors.
Halloween is one of Brunz’s favorite
times to ghost hunt. Traditionally, he said,
the harvest moon is known to be when the
dead supposedly arise for a spell. This Halloween, be careful. You never know who
or what you’ll run into, and whatever it is,
Brunz and his gang of investigators might
be on its trail.
The Underground serves thrills and chills
BY TIFFANY SCHANK
[email protected]
Do you like frights, chills and thrills?
Well, frights, chills, and thrills were the
order of the day this Halloween at the
Fireworks Unlimited building in Scottsbluff.
The local youth center, The Underground, presented a haunted house that
could scare your socks off.
The hanted house ran from Oct. 28
to the 31 and featured a jail setting, with
murderers, dead wardens, and crazy scientists; it also featured walls that dropped
to show people behind them and a man
who reminded me of Hannibal Lecter.
This was the third annual haunted
house that the underground hosted and
some of the volunteers consist of Johnny
Escamillia, William Callen, Bradley Halligan, and Brock Schank.
“We pride ourselves in our haunted
house; last year(2008) we had to stop
8 times because it was so scary people
wanted out,” said Matt Lawton, the organizer of the haunted house and of The
Underground.
(far right) Brady Halligan shows his makeup for The Underground’s Haunted House.
(top left) Brock Schank reacts to a passerby
in the Haunted House.
(bottom left) Daniel Cortez puts make-up
on a participant in the Haunted House.
photos by Tiffany Schank/Spectator
+
6A -- issue 3.indd 1
+
11/6/2009 9:49:30 AM
Western Nebraska Community College
thelifestyle
Oct. 31, 2009 — Page 7
Ghostly
Encounters
photos by Angela Scanlan/Spectator
Jason Palomo and Roger Rojas check out their instruments while examining a room for ghosts. The two started the Western Nebraska
Paranormal Group. The group investigates old buildings and other locations people believe may be haunted. The two said that the group
does not ghost hunt. Instead, they investigate.
Local ghost-chasers believe
the truth is out there
Paranormal research
group looks for signs
from the beyond.
The Equipment
BY ANGELA SCANLAN
[email protected]
“If you can’t handle it, let someone
know,” Roger said to me in a low voice. “I
don’t want anyone running around screaming or anything.” I nodded, anticipating
the number of times I’d feel my heart creep
up into my throat that night. Final count?
Eleven.
Location: Undisclosed. Time: 9 p.m.
Mission: Paranormal Investigation.
I was in an old building with Western
Nebraska Paranormal Group, headed by
Roger Rojas and accompanied by Jason
Palomo, Racheal Wolf, and Mason Hoffman, the newest recruit.
According to the stories, the building
had been a mortuary at one point, as well
as a site for illegal gambling. Since then,
during its recent use, there have been reports of running shadows, the haunting
presence of a man tragically killed, voices, and the distinct sense of “I’m being
watched.”
Western Nebraska Paranormal Group
was here to scrutinize the myths and document the truths.
“Roger loves the gadgets,” Racheal explained as we surveyed all the equipment
WNPG had brought. “He always has something new.”
Gadgets there were: video cameras
with infrared attachments, audio recorders, disposable cameras, thermal sensors,
electromagnetic field (EMF) detectors, a
DVR setup with a monitor showing four
video feeds, and 4200 feet of AV wiring,
just to cover the basics.
Impressive, yes, but perhaps even more
impressive is the objective, professional
attitude WNPG members have regarding
their investigations. WNPG doesn’t “ghost
hunt”; they investigate. This requires more
scientific procedure and analysis than simple observation.
“I go into it looking for ways to logically explain what’s going on,” said Jason,
“not necessarily to ‘find’ anything.”
Now to investigate. I was given an
EMF detector to “sweep” the building with
Racheal and Mason. We were looking
for areas of high electromagnetic activity
— possible indicators of the paranormal,
yes, but also key in another way: a potential false positive.
According to Racheal, high EMF ac-
+
7A -- issue 3.indd 1
The group takes investigating seriously, as
witnessed by the electronic equipment the
members take to the scene of a location suspected of being haunted. (right) A meat slicer is illuminated with light during a recent
investigation.
(left) The WNPG group
uses, among other tools,
a DVR setup with a 4channel video feed. Hundreds of feet of wire allow the investigators to
record any movement.
tivity can cause nervousness and paranoia
in a person, contributing to that feeling of
“being watched.”
Live electrical outlets, poor wiring,
copper pipes, and a host of other things
can cause a “spike” on an EMF detector
that some would mistake as paranormal.
We passed a large meat slicer in an
old kitchen, and some wiring in the wall
caused the detector to beep rapidly.
I shivered, feeling very sympathetic to
the “EMF paranoia” concept. We moved
on, documenting our locations and findings during the sweep on an audio recorder. If any EMF spikes were not readily ex-
plainable, we took careful note.
Cameras were set up in important
rooms and down hallways “we weren’t going to miss a thing.“
Armed with flashlights and EMF detectors, we moved in groups through the
dark building, upstairs and down, stopping
in certain places to “call out” to any potential presence.
Racheal and I sat in an old dining room,
glowing orbs of dust floating past the camera light as it recorded everything in the
eerie silence. “Is anyone here?” Racheal
asked into the blackness. “We’re here to
speak to you.”
Perhaps we would capture some Electronic Voice Phenomena, or EVP, if an answer was given.
My entire body tensed up as I heard her
say, “If you wish to make yourself known,
move toward the device in Angela’s hand,
and it will detect you.”
It occurred to me that I had forgotten
to eat my Wheaties. We waited. Racheal
counted aloud to five. “We will be back,”
she said clearly into the silent room. “We
will not harm you.”
Racheal told me stories of other investigations as our team took its turn monitoring the video feed back at the main setup; some made my skin crawl. No wonder
she kept doing this. I felt my own curiosity
growing by the moment.
Now to debunk the “shadow myth.”
We found the location of the rumored
sightings, analyzed it for possible visual
explanations, and attempted to recreate
the happening.
“Look,” I pointed out. “Mirrors on that
wall. See how they reflect directly on the
other wall when I shine my flashlight this
way?”
We found that doors left open would
leave street lights, such as those from passing cars, to reflect into the room and off the
mirrors, creating some very odd shadows.
Strong evidence for a likely explanation,
we decided. “Good call,” said Racheal. I
felt like a detective.
After rejoining the boys downstairs,
we heard some of their stories: a couple
of things had fallen on Jason out of the
blue that night. An EMF spike was found
in the center of an old pool table. They
thought they’d seen some movements on
the video feed as well. We’d have to wait
until Roger could review all the footage
the next day before knowing for sure. He
showed us some fascinating photos from
previous investigations, and I ran around
taking some pictures of my own. The
building itself was eerie and remarkable,
paranormal aside.
Around midnight, Roger announced
that we’d probably gotten all we would
get that night. It was time to pack up, get
some sleep, and review footage and audio
recordings the next day.
Roger told me of multiple audio analysis programs he uses for investigation media, such as Cross Talk, and made sure I’d
let him know if anything unusual showed
up in the pictures I’d taken throughout the
night.
He had to say it twice. I’d heard a noise
and stood frozen. ‘ “Are you OK?’ asked
Mason. “You look like you’ve seen a
ghost.”
Maybe I did. I’ll never tell.
+
11/6/2009 9:50:20 AM
Western Nebraska Community College
thearts
Oct. 31, 2009 — Page 8
Top of the List
Top 10 DVD rentals
at Redbox kiosks (Oct. 12-18)
1. The Proposal (Disney)
2. Year One (Sony)
3. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (New Line)
4. Monsters vs. Aliens (DreamWorks)
5. Imagine That (Paramount)
6. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Fox)
7. Management (Image)
8. Observe and Report (Warner)
9. Land of the Lost (Universal)
10. 17 Again (Warner)
— from sacbee.com
‘A Voice
of My Own’
Jon-Lee Campbell performs a scene
from the fall play, “A Voice of My
Own,” which will hit the stage Saturday, Oct. 31, at 7:30 p.m. Next week,
the play will be performed Nov. 6-7
at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. Elinor Jones’s play, directed by WNCC
theater instructor Pat Ennis, focuses
upon the struggles of female writers
in a male-dominated literary world.
Grooving on power of Olé
BY TJ HARVEY
[email protected]
Concert Review
The WNCC Little Theatre was honored with the presence and performance
of Flamenco guitarist Ronald Radford on
Oct.18.
The performance took place on a chilly
Sunday evening. But the power of the music -- the power of Ole, as Radford called it
-- warmed the air.
Radford, who was brought here by
WNCC, was splendid with his demonstrations of how to play different chords and
genres on his acoustic guitar.
The atmosphere that Radford brought
to the audience was second-to-none.
Of course, many people wouldn’t think
of spending their Sunday night in a small
theatre with nothing but a guy on a stool
with a guitar for entertainment. But this
guy with a guitar was something else.
The style he played was Flamenco, a
Spanish-gypsy music. .
Radford could play very rapidly and
slowly and in a style he learned from playing along side gypsies in Spain. His narration alon and music painted the picture
of Spain and the struggles and joys of the
gypsy people.
Radford was even good-natured
enough to add a little humor to his stories,
which always keeps an audience involved.
Radford lived and traveled in Spain and
immersed himself in the art of Flamenco
music when he was a young man.
Many of his idols growing up were
master Flamenco guitarists such as Andres
Segovia and Jose Thomas.
He is currently the only individual to
be awarded a Fullbright Scholarship in Flamenco.
Radford has performed at such places such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, so his coming to a smaller
theatre like WNCC was a big surprise in
itself.
He has toured in over fifteen countries,
and even traveled as a United States music
ambassador for the U.S. Embassy.
Radford was born in California, but
grew up in Oklahoma. He now lives in
St. Louis, where he continues his career as
one of the most successful ambassadors of
Flamenco music in the world.
His performance at WNCC was one
not to be missed!
‘Hair’-raising
performance
Top 5 Best Sellers
by New York Times
Hardcover Fiction
1. The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown
2. Pursuit of Honor, by Vince Flynn
3. Nine Dragons, by Michael Connelly
4. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
5. The Last Song, by Nicholas Sparks
Hardcover Nonfiction
1. Have a Little Faith, by Mitch Albom
2. Arguing with Idiots, written and editied
by Glen Beck, Kevin Balfe and others.
3. Highest Duty, by Chelsey R. Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow
4, True Compass, by Edward M. Kennedy
5, Moonwalk by Michael Jackson
— from nytimes.com
Top 10 Best Selling Songs
from Itunes
1. Jump Then Fall, by Taylor Swift
2. Untouchable, by Taylor Swift
3. Bad Romance, by Lady GaGa
4. Fireflies, by Owl City
5. The Other Side of the Door, by Taylor
Swift
6. Party in the U.S.A., by Miley Cyrus
7. Tik Tok, by KeSha
8. SugarStar, by Taylor Swift
9. Whatcha Say, by Jason Derula
10. Come In With the Rain, by Taylor
Swift
— from apple.com
Top 10 Albums for Oct. 23
from USAToday
1. Crazy Love, by Michael Buble
2. The Twilight Saga: New Moon, a
Soundtrack
3. The Blueprint 3, by Jay-Z
4. Love Is the Answer, Barbra Striesand
5. The Time Of Our Lives (EP), by Miley
Cyrus
6. The E.N.D., by The Black Eyed Peas
7. Fearless, by Taylor Swift
8. Embryonic, by The Flaming Lips
9. D.N.A., by Mario
10. Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, by
Mariah Carey.
— from usatoday.com
8A -- issue 3.indd 1
(top) The Varsity Vocalise members show their enthusiastic
60’s mode after the show in a group photo in the hallways of
the Gering Civic Center. The group performed three sets of
songs, incluing a medley of songs from Hair.
(left Brian Lookinbill -- “Johnny Cash” -- performs during
the Varsity Showcase during Saturday’s performance of the
concert.
(above) JJ Longoria, WNCC alumni, performs a selection
wtih Matt Tuczon. Longoria and Tuszon performed their
own music.
Photos by Laura Hagan
and Mark Rein, College Relations
10/30/2009 4:19:31 PM
the
sports
Oct. 31, 2009 — Page 9
2009-10 Cougar Men’s and Women’s
Basketball Schedules
Tues., Nov. 3 ......... College of Eastern Utah (men) ......................... Cougar Palace ....... 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 7 ...............College of Eastern Utah (men) .......................................Price, Utah ..........7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 7 ................Colby Community College (women) ......................... Colby, Kan. ...........4 p.m.
Th-Sat, 12-14 ...........Air Force Prep Invite (men/women) .................. Colorado Springs ........... TBA
Th.-F., Nov. 19-20 ...Prep Tournament (men)....................................... Colorado Springs ........... TBA
Th.-Sat., N. 19-21 .....Prep Tournament (women) ................................. Colorado Springs ............ TBA
Fr.-Sa., Nov. 27-28 .. Thanksgiving Classic (men)................................ Cougar Palace ..... 4:30/7:30
Fr.-Sa., Nov. 27-28 ...Thanksgiving Tournament (women) ..................Garden City, Kan. ............ TBA
Tues., Dec. 1 .......... Lamar Community College (men) ..................... Cougar Palace ........ 7 p.m.
Fri.-Sat., Dec. 4-5 ....Sheridan Classic (men)............................................. Sheridan, Wyo. ...............
Th.-Sat., Dec.. 3-5 .. Colo./Nebraska Showdown (women) ................. Cougar Palace .......... TBA
Th.-Sa., Dec. 10-12... Lady Cougar Holiday Classic (women) .............. Cougar Palace .......... TBA
Tu.-Th., D. 29-31 .....New Years Invite (men) ............................................ Ottumwa, Iowa ...............
Fri., Jan. 15 ...............Lamar Community College (men/women) ...............Lamar, Colo. ........... TBA
Sat., Jan. 16 ..............Otero Junior College (men/women)........................ La Junta, Colo. ..........5 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 20 ............Casper College (men/women)..................................... Casper, Wyo. ....... 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 23 ..............Northeast (Neb.) Community College (m/w) ........... Norfolk, Neb. ......... 2 MST
Mon., Jan. 25 ......... Eastern Wyoming College (men) ....................... Cougar Palace ........ 7 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 27 ............Northeastern Junior College (men/women)............ Sterling, Colo. ....... 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 30 ........... Otero Junior College (men/women)................... Cougar Palace ......7:30 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 5 ................North Platte Community College (m/w) ...........North Platte, Neb. .......6:30 MST
Sat., Feb. 6 ................McCook Community College (m/w) .......................McCook, Neb. ......... 6 MST
Tues., Feb. 9 ........... Casper College (men/women) ............................ Cougar Palace ......7:30 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 11 ....... Eastern Wyoming College (women) ................... Cougar Palace ......... 7 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 13 ........... Northeast (Neb.) Community College (m/w) ............ Cougar Palace ........ 3 p.m.
Tues., Feb. 16 ......... McCook Community College (men/women)......... Cougar Palace ......7:30 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 24 ......... North Platte Community College (men)............ Cougar Palace ........ 7 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 28 .......... Northeastern Junior College (men/women).......... Cougar Palace ........ 4 p.m.
Mon., March 1 .........Eastern Wyoming College (men) .........................Torrington, Wyo. ........... TBA
Fr.-Tue., M 6-10 ......Region IX Tournament (men) .................................................... TBA ........... TBA
Sa.-Tues., M 5-9 .......Region IX Tournament (women) ............................................... TBA ............ TBA
Tues.-Sat., M 17-21 ...National Tournament (men)................................ Hutchinson, Kan. ........... TBA
9A -- issue 3.indd 1
10/30/2009 2:33:41 PM
the
sports
Oct. 31, 2009 — Page 10
Fair-weather, fence-rider fans need to shape up
Columnist a Big
Red fan through
thick and thin.
Others need to
quit complaining.
You want to know what really
grinds my gears? YOU!! No, not
really. It’s sports fans. And not just
any sports fans…..its fans that are
known to other fans as fans who
are sometimes questioned of their
fanhood. Confused?? I’m sure
you are. Allow me to elaborate.
In the sports world, winning
and losing exists quite widely for
all sports teams at every level.
This is common, as that is the how
the entire system works. (I know;
obvious, right?)
When a team is winning, you
don’t hear much complaining from
anybody, unless of course it is a
team that wins all the time, which
can get old for the opposing fans.
(Cases in point: the New England
Patriots, Florida Gators, North
Carolina Tar Heels, and Jeff Gordon.) Yes, I actually did mention
Sporty Ramblings
by TJ Harvey
Nascar in that last sentence…..?
Anyways, my point is that
winning is a glorious thing for
any team and their fans. It makes
them feel good about themselves
and the future yet to come.
However, as soon as the dreaded “L” word comes into the picture,
it is as if the entire fan base has
shut down. The team is treated
like a witch from the Salem witch
trials being burned at the stake for
its mistakes and indifferences.
Certain fans out there are
ready to give up at the slightest
sign of defeat. In the sports world,
we like to call this being a “fairweather fan.” This term also has a
double meaning, as in actually de-
fining a fan that only watches the
team when the weather is nice.
Another way to describe fans
of such nature would be “fenceriders,” which essentially means
fans that are only interested in
a team as long as they are winning.
As soon as that team loses, the
fans jump the bandwagon, or the
“fence” in this case. It is these types
of fans out there that make sports
unbearable to enjoy at times.
A good example of being “fairweather” or a “fence-rider” would
be Nebraska football. At the moment, the team is in a little bit of a
slump. Anybody who is alive and
living in the state should be aware
of this. (If you are not, shame on
you.)
The Huskers have dropped
back-to-back home games against
Texas Tech and, surprisingly, Iowa
State. They currently sit just above
a .500 record on the year, and are
actually posting a losing record in
conference play right now.
The Big Red will look to get
back into the rhythm of things this
weekend when they travel to Waco,
Texas, to play Baylor University in
another conference match-up.
Nebraska is again a favorite
to win this game, and as a true
fan myself, I fully agree with that
statement.
There were other Husker fans
that I know of who were just appalled by the performance in both
of the games, and immediately
began pointing out that the team
would lose the majority of the rest
of their games, and get rid of offensive coordinator Shawn Watson.
This was absolutely absurd,
and I couldn’t believe what I was
hearing at the time. It is true that
the performances of the team were
not great, but it should not have
been immediately said that they
would lose the rest of the season
or fire a coach. This type of negative talk isn’t needed.
If you’re fan of the team and
wish to support it, it is your duty as
a fan to stand up for the team and
have its back in times of need.
When your team loses, it isn’t
a good feeling, but throwing them
away like they’re nothing just
proves how non-loyal and disrespectful you are to that organization. Husker Nation, you disappoint me. It’s only two games, and
it is still just the middle part of the
season.
This proves my theory of the
“fair-weathers” and “fence-riders.”
Any person who just likes a team
when they are winning doesn’t deserve the title of “fan.” If you really
enjoy a team, you stick with them
through the good and bad times;
through thick and thin, as they
say.
Detroit Lions fans haven’t had
much to talk about in the past
year, but they still cheer for their
team every Sunday. The Chicago
Cubs haven’t been to a World Series in over 100 years, but do they
still have loyal fans each season?
Of course!
And in recent news, New Mexico University has been unable to
post one win this college football
season. And I am sure they still
are able to fill seats in their stadium.
They say if you’re a “true fan”
you will “bleed” your team’s colors. Not really, but you should
definitely come close, at least in
my book.
Stand up for your team, have
some pride; they say a little faith
always goes a long ways.
Working hard Soccer teams end seasons
for the love
of the game
Continued on page 10
Conditioning,
practices, and
homework all
part of softball.
Softball Coach Maria Winn
sure wasn’t kidding when she said
she would push you if you came to
play at WNCC. Being just a freshman and new to college and college
sports I knew it would be hard but
I’m not quite sure anything could
have prepared me for this.
I’m sure you’ve heard that the
softball team practices are hard
and this is no understatement,
but what I’m more astonished by
is not how hard she pushes us but
the dedication you must have to
play for her. Softball here is a 24/
7 deal.
Early mornings, afternoon
practices, 12 hours of study hall.
Every waking hour I am surrounded by these 20 other girls
and we are all fighting to survive a
life consumed by two things, softball and school.
This is my 11th year playing
softball, and I think I have probably
run more down on that basketball
court than I have in all those years.
My lungs are certainly not use
to it. On a good day you will find
me off in the corner gasping for air
as if I’m going to pass out, because
I have discovered I have a horrible
case of asthma.
Softball Diary
by Jordan Schoepflin
And on an even better day you
will find three or four of us waiting in line in the trainer’s room
because our hips are aching and
our shoulders are sore.
Our bodies are constantly getting pushed to new limits. Just
last week our weights routine got
changed because it was “too easy.”
So they got baseball assistant
coach Ryan Burgner to come in
and show us what the boys on the
baseball team do and now we do
their work out. I’m just hoping I
don’t get too ripped because no
one likes a manly girl.
What we are all hoping for is
that all this hard work pays off,
and when spring season arrives we
are able to out play, out run, and
outsmart our opponents.
We want to win Region and
bring home another win for
WNCC. That’s what were working
so hard for and although we may
be smothered by drama, running,
and practice, I guess it’s the price
you have to pay for the love of the
game.
LCCC finished the contest
with 10 shots on goal compared
to just four for the Cougars. The
Golden Eagles had seven corner
kicks to the Cougars three. Taylor
made 10 saves in net for WNCC,
while LCCC’s Emily Michna had
three saves.
WNCC’s Brooke Dudley said
they just came up on the short end
of the scoreboard.
“We played a really good game
today,” the sophomore mid-fielder
said. “It was a good last game to
have here. Losing in penalty kicks
[isn’t fun], but it happens. It just
wasn’t in our favor today. Overall,
we had a pretty good season. We
had a lot of developing to do and
it will give a good foundation for
next year’s season.”
The Cougar men just came up
short once again to the Golden
Eagles on the scoreboard. The
Cougars didn’t have that many
shots on goal, getting out shot 194, but they had some prime scoring opportunities.
The Cougars had four scoring
opportunities in the first half, including two off corner kicks. The
best chance came with 25 minutes
left as Casey Zigray just barely
missed a chance. Then, with eight
minutes left in the half, Tony Rocha had a wide-open attempt and
was tripped up as LCCC’s goal
keeper was coming out to defend.
In the second half, Zigray
came up big on two saves to keep
the score at 0-0. The first, with 21
minutes to play, gave LCCC an
wide-open shot at goal. But Zigray
WNCC’s Tony Rocha controls the ball in front of a Laramie County
Community College player during the Region IX championship match.
came sliding into the box to knock
the ball away. He later had another
key save with about 10 minutes to
play.
The Golden Eagles finally
broke the ice, scoring with 6:18
to play as Chris Kistenoglu took
a pass from Cory Tanner to put
LCCC up 1-0 and they held on for
the win.
WNCC was outshot 19-4 in
the contest and had just two corner
kicks to the Golden Eagles’ 11.
Rasnic said while he hates to
see the season end, he can focus
on rebuilding for next year.
“We have a lot of good stuff
to build on the women’s side,” he
said. “We have a lot of freshman
with some talent. We are just now
going to look for next year and try
to get stronger.
Happy Birthday
If you See
Tiffany
Schank
on Nov.
14,
wish her
a happy
21st
Birthday!!
10A -- issue 3.indd 1
10/30/2009 2:38:21 PM
the
sports
Oct. 31, 2009 — Page 11
Let the games begin
WNCC’s Francisco Cruz high-fives his teammates during the opening announcements of the Cougars’ public scrimmage after the volleyball game on Oct. 13. The
Cougars open the season Nov. 3 at home against the College of Eastern Utah at Cougar Palace. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.
Cougar men open season at
home on Nov. 3
BY JORDAN SCHOEPFLIN
[email protected]
photo by Laura Hagan/Spectator
WNCC’s Scott Bamforth gets ready to throw a dodge ball during practice. The team’s practices are energetic with team-building contests. The
Cougars open the season Nov. 3
The WNCC men’s basketball team has been
gearing up for the season with a number of scrimages.
They’ll make use of what they learned in
these outings when they open their season at the
Cougar Palace Nov. 3 whey they face College of
Eastern Utah.
The game begins at 7 p.m., and it will be Pack
the Palace Night so admission is $1.
Returning sophomors include Saul Torres, Scott Bamforth, Kwame Alexander, Jasen
Willians, Geddes Robinson, and Francisco
Cruz.
The team is an international affair, with players hailing from such countries as France, Belgium, Mexico, and Brazil.
The team is taking on five first-year college
players in O’Rion Hughes, Joe Stock, Mateus
Chaves, Dustin Murray, and Al-Akeem Watson.
Red-shirting a year ago for the Cougars were
Geoffrey Firmin and Ritchie Mundende. The
team also includes transfer freshman Brylle Kamen. Corey Whitehurst, Andre Marone, and
Marcello Crivellente are red-shirting
With such a mix of new freshmen, returning
sophomores, and transfers, first-year head coach,
Russ Beck’s only concern is the chemistry out on
the court.
“We have an older, more mature team which
means we should be able to shoot the ball better,”
Beck said. “We also have a lot of bigger boys that
want to go out and play hard.”
Stock, a freshman from Louisiana, felt the
same way.
“With the guys being older and more experienced, it should allow us to use ball control
and make smarter decisions that a younger team
might not make.,” he said.”
Last year the WNCC men’s basketball team
went 25-7 and the coaches and players expect
that kind of success. “Every time we go onto the
court we expect to win and we expect the effort
to win,” Beck said.
After the home opener on Nov. 3, the Cougars will be on the road until the Thanksgiving
Classic Nov. 27 and 28.
Women’s basketball team ranked 15th
in NJCAA pre-season poll
Cougar women
ready to tip oﬀ the season on the road
Nov. 7 against Colby
Community College
BY JORDAN SCHOEPFLIN
[email protected]
With a record of 24-8 last year, the
Cougars women have high expectations for the upcoming season.
The squad enters the season ranked
No. 15 in the NJCAA pre-season polls
that were released on Monday.
With only two returning sophomores, Amber Kistler of Bayard and
Stormye Everett of Aurora, Colo., out
of the 15 on the team, Coach Dave
Harnish said he can’t help but worry
about the lack of experience on the
court.
“It’s going to take more to develop
a tempo and rhythm within the team,”
said Harnish.
The freshmen include Shelby
Campbell of Hemingford; Yuki Morimoto of Tokyo, Japan; Ariane Brown
of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Tiffany
Moorer of Harbor City, Calif.; Tynetta
Turner of San Diego, Calif.; Carolina
Alves of Brazil; Soulijah Evans of San
Diego, Calif.; Madison Keller of Scottsbluff; Tayler Puttergill of Mullen; Michelle Glaze of Brighton, Colo.; Thais
Pinto of Brazil; Kelli Culver of Arvada,
Colo.; and Khayla Gladne of Los Angeles. Morimoto red-shirted last season.
Glaze
“We all really click on and off the
court,” one of the players, Michelle
Glaze, said. “We can read each other
really well while we’re playing, and as
long as we continue to mend the way
we do were going to be great.”
The Cougars bring a great deal of
height, with seven players six foot and
taller, and no one under 5-8. The tallest player is Pinto, who stands 6-7 and
hails from Brazil.
The season will begin on Nov. 7
against Colby Community College and
their first appearance in Cougar Palace
will be Dec. 3-5 at the Colorado/Nebraska Showcase.
“With the high expectations of
WNCC’s sports,” said Harnish, “the
team is of course looking to take region, but they’re going to have to take
one game at a time and get where they
need to be for region.”
Go Cougars!
11A -- issue 3.indd 1
photo by Laura Hagan/Spectator
WNCC Kelli Culver runs up the court during a drill as Khayla Gladney comes in to defend during
a recent practice.
10/30/2009 2:48:01 PM
Western Nebraska Community College
thesports
Oct. 31, 2009 — Page 12
Upcoming
Events
Sunday, Nov. 1
Volleyball, Away, at McCook Community College, 4 p.m. (MST).
Tuesday, Nov. 3
Men’s Basketball, Home, against
College of Eastern Utah, 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 5
Volleyball, Away at Region IX
Tournament in Sterling, Colo.
Saturday, Nov. 6
Volleyball, Away at Region IX
Tournament in Sterling, Colo.
Saturday, Nov. 7
Men’s Basketball, Away against
College of Eastern Utah.
--------------------Women’s Basketball, Away against
Colby Community College
--------------------Volleyball, Away at Region IX
Tournament in Sterling, Colo.
Thursday, Nov. 12
Men’s Basketball, Away at
Air Force Prep Tournament
--------------------Women’s Basketball, Away at
Air Force Prep Tournament
Friday, Nov. 13
Men’s Basketball, Away at
Air Force Prep Tournament
--------------------Women’s Basketball, Away at
Air Force Prep Tournament
Saturday, Nov. 14
Men’s Basketball, Away at
Air Force Prep Tournament
--------------------Women’s Basketball, Away at
Air Force Prep Tournament
Thursday, Nov. 19
Men’s Basketball, Away at
Air Force Prep Tournament
--------------------Women’s Basketball, Away at
Air Force Prep Tournament
Friday, Nov. 20
Men’s Basketball, Away at
Air Force Prep Tournament
--------------------Women’s Basketball, Away at
Air Force Prep Tournament
+
12A -- issue 3.indd 1
WNCC’s Kuulei Kabalis and Paulina Piegza go up for a block during the team’s last home match of the season
agaisnt Casper. WNCC won in five sets to finish the home portion of theis season undefeated.
Volleyball suﬀers rare loss, hopes
to rebound at Region IX tourney
BY TJ HARVEY
[email protected]
The third-ranked Western Nebraska
Community College volleyball team suffered a heartbreaking, five-set, upset loss
to the No. 20 Northeastern Junior College
Plainswomen on Wednesday night in Sterling, Colo.
The loss dropped the Lady Cougars to
34 wins and three losses on the season, 8-1
in Region IX play, and snapped a 26-game
win streak that started back in early September. The Region IX tournament begins
Nov. 5-7 in Sterilng, Colo., and the Cougars
will have either a No. 1 or No. 2 seed and a
first-round bye.
The Cougars fell in five-sets 25-20, 2516, 22-25, 16-25, 18-16 in a contest that the
Cougars dug deep to almost pull out the
win.
Still the Cougars remain firmly atop
the overall Region IX standings with a 35-3
mark. The only other teams in Region IX to
have more than 20 wins are Casper College,
Laramie County Community College, and
now NJC after their victory over the Cougars on Wednesday night. Other than that,
the Cougars still seem to be the dominant
powerhouse of the division that they have
been over the past few years.
In the thrilling five-set match at Ster-
ling, sophomore Kaleinani Kabalis paced
WNCC with a double-double with 19 kills
and 18 digs. She has been the leading player
throughout the season. Kathryn Stock finished with 14 kills and six digs, while Paulina Piegza had eight kllls and five digs.
Also for the Cougars, freshman Kuulei
Kabalis had 31 set assists and six digs; Gering High graduate Sierra Schmidt had 14
set assists, eight points and three aces; and
Tania Torres had three kills and five assisted blocks. Sophomores and other former
Gering High players Brooke Blomenkamp
and Whitney Roth had big games as well.
Blomenkamp with three kills, while Roth
had two kills, four blocks and three points;
Cami Weimer of Fort Morgan contributed
five points and 23 hard-earned digs; and
Emily Hoehn chipped in two points and five
digs.
Another big plus for the Cougars is not
losing on their home court all season, although the Casper College match back on
October 22 will definitely stick in the back
of every fan’s mind, as the Cougars held on
to take the match in five hard-earned sets
for their final home victory of the season.
WNCC prevailed 16-25, 25-14, 21-25, 2624, 15-9. In that match, Kaleinani Kabalis
recorded her 1,000 career kill to be only
the ninth in school history to get over the
1,000th kill mark.
WNCC’s Brook Blomenkamp hammers
home a kill during the Northeastern Junior
College match on Oct. 13. WNCC won that
match, but then fell to NJC on the road.
Soccer teams end seasons to LCCC
The Western Nebraska Community
College men’s and women’s soccer teams
bid for a regional championship came to an
end Saturday in the Region IX championship games to Laramie County Community
College.
The LCCC women, ranked No. 6 in the
nation, outscored the Cougar women 4-3 in
penalty kicks to earn the 1-0 win. The Cougar men never got to an overtime period,
falling to the Golden Eagles 1-0 on a last
minute goal.
WNCC coach Todd Rasnic said while
he hates to lose, you can’t fault the effort of
the teams on the field.
“I thought in the women’s game we obviously didn’t generate enough offense and
we have been struggling there this year,” he
said. “It was unfortunate to go into penalty
kicks and it could have gone any direction.
Unfortunately, it was ours that got saved.
When a goalkeeper makes a good save, it is
hard to come out on top.”
Rasnic said the men’s match was a case
where LCCC wore down the Cougar men in
the second half.
“Just being down numbers on the men’s
side, I think fatigue set in,” he said. “They
had a tough match yesterday and they had
to come out and play today at that high level. In the second half, we lost possession to
the other team and it ended up killing us in
the end.
“I hate losing. It is really hard losing
games and I think our guys put out the best
effort that they could. We just have to look
to next year and rebuild a little bit.”
The women’s match was a tight contest
throughout, including the sudden-death
penalty kicks. LCCC dominated the first
half with the help of a 30 mph wind coming from the north. Still, the Cougar defense
shut down the No. 6 Golden Eagles.
In the second half, WNCC had the wind
to its advantage and came close in connecting on goals. Jaime Gastelle missed on a shot
off a corner kick at the 32 minute mark. Six
minutes later, Ana Jacobo missed on a shot.
WNCC’s Lyanne Hernandez kicks the ball
as a Western Wyoming
Community
College defender approaches during the
women’s soccer match
in the first round of
the regional tournament. The Cougar
women defeated the
Mustangs 2-0 and
then fell to Laramie
County Community
College 1-0 after losing on penalty kicks
4-3.
— courtesty photo by
Marcel Sales
Gering’s Keah Brost, however, had the
best chance at goal as her cross shot hit the
inside of the goal post and rebounded back
into play with 17:43 left in regulation.
Laramie County had a couple of scoring
opportunities as well in the second half, but
Cougar goalkeeper Jessica Taylor turned
those threats away.
WNCC had two prime scoring opportunities in the first overtime, one at the
three minute mark and another off a corner
kick with a minute to play, but they couldn’t
connect. Neither team mounded any threat
in the second overtime forcing the championship to be decided by penalty kicks.
WNCC’s Jessica Arreguin and Jaime
Gastelle connected on the Cougars first
two kicks as did the Golden Eagles’ Kelly
Parkhurst and Cori Mizel. Brost and LCCC’s
Amanda Halter both missed on the team’s
third attempt. Brost’s shot, once again, hit
the top of the goal and bounced into the
field of play.
LCCC took a 3-2 lead after Ana Jacobo
missed high and then Julianna Natal scored.
Gering’s Taylor Johns tied the sudden death
period up at 3-3 as she scored. But, the
Golden Eagles’ Emi Yamamoto scored the
winning goal for the Golden Eagles.
Continued on page 10
+
11/6/2009 9:51:08 AM