Autumn brings the heat
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• WASHBURN LAW Office of Admissions will host an online Diversity Chat Feb. 15 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Students interested in pursuing a degree in law are invited to participate. The Diversity Chat can be accessed from anywhere. The link to join the Chat will be available at http://www.washburnlaw.edu on the day of the Chat. • LUNCH AND LEARN TRiO meetings will be at 12:30 p.m. today in the library, then Wednesday from 11-noon and Thursday at 12:30 p.m.
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• FASFA ASSISTANCE will take place from 2 through 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13 in the SCCC/ATS library as part of the College Goal Sunday program, which helps ensure that students get the help they need when filling out papers for financial aid. College Goal Sunday is open to all college-bound students regardless of age. Four prospective students will also have an opportunity to win a $500 scholarship. For more information, contact Donna Fisher at 620-417-1111 or donna.fisher@sccc.edu.
• LA MEXICANA RADIO will set up their equipment in the technical school cafeteria from 11 a.m. through 1 p.m. on Feb. 14 and will have students from different programs on the air talking about their classes. They will also have their TDT trailer with the new banner out front. Food service will be cooking.
Presorted Standard US Postage PAID Liberal, KS Permit NO.114
Homecoming 2011
• VALENTINE’S BRUNCH will take place 11 a.m. through 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 at the Seward Community College/Area Technical School cafeteria. The event is open to the public and is $6 per person.
• STUDENT PHONATHON to raise money for scholarships will be April 5-7, 9-10. Students will be calling alumni, friends, family and members of the local community. Anyone wishing to make a pledge early should call the SCCC/ATS Foundation office at 417-1131 or go online , at alumni.sccc.edu/donations to pay by credit card.
A chain saw juggler performs for campus at 8 p.m. in the Showcase Theater. For photos, see the Homecoming Special Section this Friday.
s Crusader
News notes
2011
Mad Chad Taylor
ez
Year 42, No. 7
Information on the process towards citizenship with personal experiences is discussed. — Page 5
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Lady Saints point guard Autumn Miller talks about past experiences and future goals. — Page 6
February 8
Take a shot at the citizen’s game
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Homecoming nominees narrowed to 10 Reanna Tuml i nson Crusader staff The Seward County homecoming queen candidates fir 2011 are Janette Vargas, Brandi Colvin, Ashley Martinez, Marycarmen Perez and Jeanette Contreras. King candidates are Luis Pauyac, Saul Landeros, Victor Rodriguez, Omar Rios and Carlos Ruiz. The final round of voting will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 9-11 to noon in front of the
library. These final 10 candidates emerged from club nominations and a school-wide vote. The other nominees were Lizuly Monarrez, Dana Loewen, Ethan Adams, Deisi Barboza, Alfredo Anaya, Karem Gallo, Adrianna Vazquez, Ricky Rodriquez, Yahaida Zubia, Brandon Ridge, Blanca Richard, Fanny Benincasa, Rogelio Alvarez, Mario Armendariz, Kauna Goncalves, and Iago Goncalves. Homecoming week features events for SCCC/ATS students
from voting Feb. 9-11 to dancing on Feb. 12. A schedule of events follows. On Feb. 8, the Saints Bookstore will offer free donuts along with the weekly free coffee Tuesdays. Mad Chad Taylor will perform at 8 p.m. in the Showcase Theater. Feb. 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., SGA will sponsor the making of free funny T-shirts. Students will be able to have a picture taken and placed on a T-shirt. On Feb. 10, the first night of the intramural dodgeball tour-
nament will be at 7:30 p.m. in the gym. On Feb. 11, a Texas Hold’em Poker Night will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Union. Students wishing to participate need to sign up with Wade Lyon by Feb. 10. Approximately $1,000 worth of prizes will be awarded that night to the winners. On Feb. 12 the Saints Challenge/Old School Run will begin at 1:33 p.m. and 2:33 p.m. in between the Student Union and the Student Living Center.
Registration will begin at 1 p.m. in the Student Union. For more information, see Sports, page 7. Homecoming coronation of the king and queen will be announced before the Saints basketball game. The cheer squad and Saintsensation dance team will perform. A homecoming dance will follow the men’s game from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the Student Union. Glow-in-the-dark paint will be abundant at the dance. All homecoming events are free to SCCC/ATS students.
Brenneman fills vacancy left by Sharp resignation Dana Loewen Editor The Board of Trustees found a new member to replace Jo Ann Sharp, who resigned Nov. 1, 2010. The new member, Rick Brenneman, was sworn in Dec. 9, 2010. Brenneman has lived in Liberal for the past 11 years, where he has been the owner and director of Brenneman Funeral Home along with his wife, Melissa Brenneman. Rick Brenneman was born in Newton, and has also lived in Casper, Wyo. and Hutchinson before moving to
Liberal to buy the funeral home. Brenneman attended both Kansas City Community College and Central Kansas Vocational School to get his two-year degree. He feels this will help him with his position on the Board of Trustees, since he has experience in both a community college and technical school. Other connections with Seward County Community College/ Area Technical School are that he and his wife have been the host family for a basketball player in the past, and his wife is on the college’s Foundation Board.
Brenneman “I felt we had a strong connection, so I wanted to see how I could help or develop the
school,” Brenneman said. Brenneman believes SCCC/ ATS has a strong foundation. He has seen that the instructors and faculty have a priority of developing ways to help students in the best ways they can. He has also noticed that instructors at ATS have a great interest in the community and really want to help their students. “The students I’ve talked to have been very impressed with the instructors and have enjoyed the one-on-one attention,” Brenneman said. He’s also been impressed with the structure and administration
staff. “The trustees and Dr. (Duane) Dunn have done a lot of good work and made it easy for me to come on board,” Brenneman said. During his time as a trustee, Brenneman would like to see the college grow and to continue to develop and look at programs. He would also like to see the campus become a little more user-friendly and easier to navigate for both students and the public. The position Brenneman is filling will be up for election in April.
Williams’ retirement brings memories, hopes for future plans Al fredo Anaya Editor
Crusader file photo
Tommy Williams runs alongside Associate Dean of Administrative Services Dale Reed during the Pancake Day races in 2009 to raise money for scholarships.
After working at Seward for 32 years, Dean of Administrative Services Tom E. Williams will retire after this semester. “I’m like that pair of pajamas everyone has worn out but isn’t ready to be thrown away,” Williams said about his decision to retire even though he’s been working for the college for so long. Williams started working at Seward in the fall of 1979 as a full time faculty member. A position opened up in 1990 for a fiscal officer, which he worked as until 1995 when he took over the position of dean of administrative services. After working at Seward for 32 years, Williams has quite a few accomplishments he says he is proud to have been able to complete at Seward. Like in 1981, when the college was able to get its first microcomputers, and also when he was the Phi Theta Kappa sponsor and Seward had the national president of PTK for the chapter, and in 1995, the passage of the bond issue for campus expansion. “Probably a real broad thing I’m proud of is just the great people I’ve had the opportunity to work with over the years,” Williams said. According to Williams, all of the success the college has been able to achieve over the years is
also due to the contributions by the board of trustees. “This college has been blessed with the most stable board of trustees within the state of Kansas and even the nation,” Williams said. “We’ve always had a president who was pro-student and progressive.” Even though Williams has many accomplishments to be proud of, he decided it was time to for somebody else to come over and take over the position so he can enjoy time with family. “My mother died a year and a half ago, my step-father is 93 and he still has good health, and I want to spend more time with him,” Williams said. “It’s time for somebody else to come over here and take over the position.” Williams also looks forward to having time to spend on hobbies he loves and being able to have time for himself. “I hope to have time to complete more projects around the house. I’m an avid coin and stamp collector, and I want to work on that,” Williams said. “I want to become a kid again, get out all my trains sets and be able play with those.” The administrative peers Williams has worked with have also noted the success he has had in his position at Seward while still having a sense of humor and being approachable. “He is the best in his position of all the community colleges in Kansas. He is making sure we are
that pair of “ I’m likepajamas
everyone has worn out but isn’t ready to be thrown away.
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doing well in budgets, financing and that kind of stuff,” said Dean of Instruction Cynthia Rapp, who has worked with Williams for 17 years. “He’s a great guy to work with, he has a super sense of humor and we can talk about just anything, even if we don’t agree. He’s real open and willing to talk about things.” Rapp also joked about how Williams always enjoys playing practical jokes on her and giving her a hard time when her favorite team loses. “He loves to play practical tricks on me because I am a Jayhawks fan,” Rapp said. “He likes to play tricks on me when the Jayhawks lose a basketball game. He likes to rub it in.” Celeste Donovan, dean of student services, who has worked with Williams for four years, has also enjoyed his personality and working with him. “Tommy makes it a real joy to get up and come to work everyday,” Donovan said. One of the best memories Donovan recalls of Williams was
when he ran in the Pancake Day Race alongside Dale Reed in order to raise money for student scholarships. “A couple Williams years ago I talked him and Dale Reed into running in the Pancake Day Race and they dressed up as ladies, and they raised quite a lot of money for scholarships,” Donovan said. Through the years, Donovan said she has been able to become a close friend of Williams and thinks the college won’t be the same without him. “He’s just a really unique, genuine person. Because he’s been here so long it’s going to be hard to find someone to fill his shoes. He will truly be missed by our college community,” Donovan said. “And even though he won’t be working here he will always be a dear friend to me.” Even with his decision to retire Williams will continue to appreciate the people he’s had the chance to work with at Seward. “Even though I’ll be retired, I’ll be an avid supporter of SCCC,” Williams said. “As far as a place of employment, you won’t find a better place with as good of people as there is at Seward.”
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 NEWS All-Kansas Academic Team to be recognized
2 CRUSADER
Plane talk in the library
Darnell, Friesen chosen to represent Seward County Community College/ATS Contributed to Crusader Two students from Seward County Community College/Area Technical School join the 49 community college scholars being recognized for academic accomplishments this month. Kelsey Darnell, an accounting major from Liberal, and Gwen Friesen, a liberal arts major from Moscow, were selected for 2011 All-Kansas Academic Team and will be among those recognized at an award ceremony Feb. 18 in Topeka. Representing the 19 Kansas community colleges, the 2011 All-Kansas Academic Team members are sponsored by the international headquarters of Phi Theta Kappa international honor society, the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees and the Kansas Council of Community College Presidents and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. Each is also a nominee for the 2011 All-USA Academic Team, sponsored by USA Today, Phi Theta Kappa and the American Association of Community Colleges. Kelsey Darnell Darnell, who graduated form Liberal High school in 2009, was involved in Campus Mes-
Darnell
Friesen
sengers for Christ, Kappa Beta Delta and Phi Theta Kappa, where she served as president last fall. She transferred to Kansas State University this spring to major in accounting. Gwen Friesen Friesen grew up in Inman and moved with her family to Moscow in 1996. She graduated from American School – Correspondence, Lansing, Ill., in May 1997. She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and has had several pieces published in “Telolith,” the SCCC/ATS art and literary magazine. She has been a junior sewing leader for her church sewing group. This May she will graduate from SCCC/ATS with an associates degree with an emphasis in elementary education. She plans to stay in Kansas to finish her education. Phi Theta Kappa is the honor society for students attending
community and two-year colleges. The criteria used in making the choice on which students would represent colleges in the All-Kansas Academic Team included academic rigor, grade point average, involvement in campus and community activities, and demonstration of outstanding moral character. The Kansas program is an affiliate of the All-USA Academic Team program, and the Kansas students are nominees for the national honor. Each student will receive a proclamation issued by the governor of Kansas, an educational stipend, and an academic medallion. About 500 U.S. community college students will compete for places on the first, second and third national teams. First team members each receive $2,500 stipends, and will be featured in USA Today along with second and third team members. Team members are also presented with medallions Among Kansans selected for national honors since the annual recognition program began are Donna Shank, SCCC/ATS first team, 1995 and Brandon Sutton, SCCC/ATS second team, 1996.
Redd to see Oprah Show live in Chicago Hei dy Mol i na Crusader Staff Crusader photo/Alfredo Anaya
Katy Redd, behavioral science instructor, will be traveling to Chicago, Ill., to be a part of the audience of the Oprah Show Feb. 16. Redd had been trying to get tickets for the show for over a year. “Some people have been waiting for 15 years to get tickets,” Redd said. To get the tickets to the show Redd had a 24-hour window on
Historian Ann Birney portrays aviator Amelia Earhart, telling the audience about her plan to fly across the Pacific Ocean. Birney’s performance was Feb. 7 and is part of “Lunch in the Library” series.
How to report an on-campus crime: Crimes can be reported anonymously or confidentially Jan. 28 — A report of criminal damage online at http://www.sccc.edu/security_department/reportwas filed at the ATS cafeteria. Unknown per- crime/index.html. Important Emergency Numbers to son(s) used pool sticks to poke holes in the know: Liberal Police, ambulance, or fire — 9-911. Secuceiling tiles and light above the pool table. rity office, security escort — (620) 417-1181. Security cell phone — 629-0670. 24/7 contact number — 482-3756. No suspects. Damages estimated at $120.
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the Oprah website to click on the date she wanted to attend. “I would just click all of the dates that showed up,” Redd said. Previously, Redd had gotten tickets to see Oprah at Oprah's After-Oscar party at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Ca., Redd and a friend had arrived at the Kodak Theater early and it was already full. “We sat in the back and she was like a spot on the stage,” Redd said. “A lot of people got tickets to that so it wasn’t any-
thing special.” Oprah has been on the air for 25 years. This season is the last season of the show.
Kansas Associated Collegiate Press
The official student newspaper of Seward County Community College/Area Technical School is published bi-monthly by journalism students during the regular college year, except on school holidays and during examination periods. One copy of each issue is distributed free to each student, faculty and staff member, with subsequent copies available for purchase in the Crusader office at 50 cents each. Letters to the editor will be considered for publication if they are signed and the authenticity of the writer’s signature is verified. The staff reserves the right to edit for length. Opinions voiced in letters and editorials are not necessarily those of Seward County Community College/Area Technical School or the Crusader. Staff editorials are decided on and written by members of the editorial board: Alfredo Anaya, Dana Loewen, Octavio Rodriguez, and Deisi Barboza. Advertising is accepted. Rates are $4 per column inch or $4.80 pci for color ads. Insert rates are $50 per thousand. Classified ads are free to SCCC students, faculty and staff; classified rates for all others are $4 per ad, limit of 20 words. The Crusader staff reserves the right to refuse advertising.
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NEWS
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
CRUSADER 3
: s n e w O r n e o l s i e l v A a r T d l r Wo Instructor shares international experiences Conni e Whi tel ey Crusader staff
Courtesy photo/Alison Owens
Assistant volleyball coach and Spanish instructor Alison Owens poses at Yohualichan, Mexico. Owens has also traveled to Australia, Hawaii and Europe, but likes Mexico the most.
Owen’s bus was pulled over by gun-toting drug cartel members in Mexico in the summer of 2008. All the men in the bus were searched for drugs before continuing their trip. At right, Owens stands by a Scottish bagpiper at Edinburgh, Scotland. Courtesy photos/ Alison Owens
Spanish instructor and assistant volleyball coach Alison Owens traveled across Mexico and Europe while in college and went to Australia and Hawaii in high school. “I would say that my recommendation to all people is be willing to take a risk and step out their comfort zone and into someone else’s so that they can appreciate and understand others’ culture and way of life,” said Owens. Owens, who is originally from Hugoton, played volleyball for SCCC for two years before transfering in 2008 to the University of Kansas, where she studied Spanish. Owens said she decided to take advantage of the numerous study abroad programs the university offered. She studied abroad in Mexico in the summer of 2008 and in fall of 2008 in Spain. Both places offered courses she wanted to take, she said. She also taught in Mexico in the summer of 2010. “I applied for the trip to Mexico first, then I decided I might as well go to Spain while I am at it,” Owens said. “So I went to Mexico first in the summer of 2008. I stayed there for two months, and I absolutely loved it. I traveled all over Mexico. I was in Puebla, and I traveled all over place while I was there, mostly the south.” According to Owens, the experiences she had while traveling and living in those Spanish-speaking cultures made her a better Spanish teacher. “Being able to live in the culture that I studied sets me apart from a lot of students who studied Spanish,” Owens said. “Language is part of a culture and if you are not going to be enveloped in it, you really don’t learn the language. You may know grammar and how to read and write, but as far as feeling it and living it, you don’t do that until you are actually literally rolled up in a culture.” While studying abroad in Mexico for the summer of 2008, Owens said she had one of her scariest experiences. She, along with other students, mostly American, were taking a weekend trip on a commercial bus when it was pulled over by people dressed in full camouflage carrying guns. “They pulled our bus over, and I was just reading,” Owens said. “I didn’t realize we were pulled over for a specific reason. I thought were just stopped
at a stoplight or a toll booth. All of a sudden I look up and there is a man standing beside me, and he is a big man with a huge gun and in camo, and he is looking at me. I was so scared, but I didn’t want to show it, so as I was looking up at him I said, ‘Hi, What do I need to do?’ and he was like, ‘Just sit, the men need to get off.’” “They were searching all of the men and everything because apparently they were drug cartel people looking for a commercial bus that was supposed to be coming through with drugs, and they were going to be jumping the bus basically,” Owens said. “So it was really kind of freaky. You hear about all of that stuff but you don’t ever really go through.” However, the experience did not ruin Mexico for her, she said. “People are kind of shocked when I say my favorite place is Mexico,” she said. “Mostly because of the culture and the people. It is a very warm, loving culture. They’re just comforting people. They take you in like you are their family.” Her adventures continued in Spain that fall. “I traveled all over Europe while I was there,” she said. “I went to England, Ireland, Scotland, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, and Portugal and, of course, all over Spain. So I was mostly just traveling all over the place trying to do my homework for my class while I was on airplanes and buses, but it was a lot of fun.” One adventure is labeled as her craziest experience. The assistant volleyball coach said at one point she and a friend had taken a weekend trip to Scotland to visit another friend. With no direct flight from Scotland to Spain they had to patch together flights to get to Scotland. They managed to get there with a lot of country hopping, she said, but leaving Scotland was more difficult. The crazy experience started when taking the bus to the airport. They told the bus driver to drop them off at the airport but did not say which one, and he did not know. He dropped them off at an airport, and they had four hours until their flight, she said. They slept and woke up with an hour to spare, so they decided to check in early. However there was no line for their flight. Owens said it turned out they were in the local airport and needed to be in the international airport, which was
about an hour away away. Owens said in order to try and make their flight they took a cab that cost them 70 pounds, the equivalent of $140, instead of the 3 pound bus fare. It was important that they make it back because they were trying to get back for school on Monday, and it was Sunday. She said they reached the right airport only to find out that flight had been delayed until noon. Eventually they arrived in London, where they would get a flight to Portugal, which she said eased her stress because she knew how to get to Spain from there through the buses. However, they ended up sitting on the runway for an hour because someone did not turn in his or her ticket. She realized they were not going to make it to the bus in time. Owens said in the end, she managed to tell the attendant that she had overheard the people behind her but that they didn’t understand English, so the attendant needed to find someone to translate Portuguese for her. Owens ended up translating in Portuguese that someone didn’t turn in their ticket and couldn’t leave until they did. She said after she said that an old man in the back held up his ticket. However, she said, due to the delay, they had to spend the night in an airport in Portugal. The airport was new and all glass, and it was cold since it was November, Owens said. Finally she went to the restroom and found out that it was small and warm, so they slept there. They did not make it back for class and had to explain why they missed, she said. Owens has “a lot of fun and interesting stories” like that one but also has some tips to share with other wouldbe travelers. “The No. 1 safety tip I could give is learn the language,” Owens said. “The most important thing is to learn language and culture. You are walking into their home.” She said it is a must for travelers to learn how the host people do things. “They appreciate when you try. If not, they don’t want anything to do with you,” the Lady Saints assistant volleyball coach explained. Owens said she knows there will be more trips in her future. “Not planned, but there will be plenty,” she said. “I like to explore and meet new people.”
OPINION
4 CRUSADER
STUDENT LIFE —
eady ! r l a s s e my dr e v a h I
? e to go v a h I Do
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Waxing nostalgic sings of favorite childhood music Jose Rodriguez Crusader Staff
Students should take pride, get involved in homecoming events Homecoming, a tradition generally common in the American football world, also is a part of the basketball tradition here at Seward County Community College. Homecoming is taking place on Feb. 12 this year with many events like a Texas Hold’em Poker Night planned for students to become involved as part of the event. Liberal isn’t a town where much happens, and there aren’t many events for students to do. Many complain, yet still don’t take advantage of the events that are provided to them by the school and the community. Students may fear being considered “dorks” for becoming involved with school events such as homecoming, but they
Q: AdreAnne Nondorf “Yes, because I’m dancing on the dance team.”
should learn to look past that and get their friends involved as well so they don’t become ostracized and it becomes more fun for all of them. Having pride in your school isn’t something that many can say they do. However, Seward was ranked No. 33 in the colleges of the nation by “Washington Monthly” this year, and that’s something that all students who attend Seward should be proud of because it shows that the school we are attending is nationally recognized for the success it provides to its students. Besides, some of the money you’re already spending to attend the college, is being used to make these events happen. You
might as well get the most of your money’s worth as you can by taking advantage of any events or contests made available to you. The college spends a lot of time and money planning events for times like Welcome week and Homecoming week. There are social events such as the dance; chances for students to get free stuff, such as free fun Tshirts, or free donuts; entertainment brought in of performers who do shows across the country, like Mad Chad Taylor; and competitive events, like the poker night, dodgeball, or the run. Everyone should be able to find at least one event they would like to participate in. Instead of doing nothing with
your friends, convince them to go with you to an event. The more people that go, the more fun it will be. Students have the choice to complain about being bored because they have nothing to do other than the typical nights of bowling and going to the movies, or they can chose to do something about it and take part in the events the school choses to provide for them. So this week we encourage you to at least find one event you and your friends can all participate in and opt. for the sensible solution to your woes of boredom.
One of the traits that bothers me the most about myself is how nostalgic I am. Some days all I want to do is listen to music from my childhood and I’m not even embarrassed to admit I will occasionally listen to some old Disney music. Not the Miley Cyrus junk the Disney crowd of today is listening to, but the good stuff from the movies I grew up with. As I listened to “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas, I couldn’t help but think that the lyrics apply to our society so well. Well, not all the lyrics because I don’t have any heron or otter friends, and sadly I’ve never seen the wolf cry to the blue corn moon, or asked a grinning bobcat why he grinned. There is so much that we do not communicate to each other and to people of other cultures so we consider them “ignorant savages” and we don’t get to know the person. “You think the only people who are people, are the people who look and think like you.” I mean I don’t want to point any fingers (tea party) but seriously, who doesn’t the tea party hate? Well honestly, I think we gravitate towards people who are
TECHNOLOGY —
Tweeting brings satisfaction with up-to-date news service Deisi Barboza
Will you be participating in any homecoming activities? Why or why not?
Online Editor
Andrea Aranda
“Yes, because I have to.”
Luis Rios
Taylor Velasquez
“Yes, I’m going to “Yes. I will be watch Chad Taylor performing with the because it looks like it would be a funny show cheer squad because I am a new member of and I’m going to make the team and I hope the a funny tee shirt to Saints get a big “W”.” wear the poker tournament.”
STUDENT LIFE —
Racism definitely not a thing of the past Heidy Molina Crusader Staff
This past weekend I experienced something that I know will not be the last time, racism. I was even more shocked because it wasn’t out in the street or in some store. It was at church. You would think that church is the one place on this earth where you don’t have to think about what race you belong to or what color of skin you have. Well, at least I did.
Turns out I was wrong. I have never felt so insulted before. Then I realized that we as humans are racists against anything or anyone that we feel aren’t part of what we consider to be normal. We tend to believe that our view is better than that of our peers. I have seen on many occasions that we are even racist against our own race. How many times do you hear Caucasians call one another “white trash” or Hispanics call one another “beaner” or “wetback”. I know sometimes these people are just playing around with each other, but other times these names are meant or said in a hurtful way. Even if it doesn’t bother the person whom the comment was directed at, it just might bother the person sitting beside them. Seriously, we are supposed to be an advance species, yet I believe we are so ignorant in the understanding of the different races that make up the culture that we have today. America is the “melting pot” of the world, but yet sometimes it can also be like a strainer, making sure that every race knows exactly who they belong with or where they came from.
In our generation and those that follow us I’ve noticed that, although some are proud of the race they were born into, some tend to say “Oh, I’m not Mexican, my parents are, but I’m not. I’m American.” Is that really necessary? Or how about the Hispanic that can clearly speaks Spanish, but tells everyone they can’t. I’m not saying that every person denounces his or her race. There are some who are proud of the different races that make them up. Nobody is truly American because what does it mean to be American? Must you have a certain trait in order to be American? Every person that lives in the United States has family ancestors that came from a different country. We need to learn to get along with one another. Just because I’m Hispanic and you are white, asian, or black doesn’t mean we have to be racist towards one another. After all, we all come from different parts of the world that make us essential to the new culture that is being created. n Heidy Molina,who believes all races should learn to accept one another, can be reached at Molina@crusadernews.com.
more like us, but then when you start hating on others for things they cannot help it is not a good look. Also the message of environmentalism “the earth is just a dead thing you can claim.” I don’t really care for the Go Green movement, but some of the environmental disasters caused by people are horrible. I don’t know how many pictures I’ve seen of animals covered in black gold or polar bears trying to stay alive on a piece of ice that will not support them. “Will we ever know how high the sycamore can grow? If we cut it down then we will never know,” which is why everything is so expensive now. What is going to happen when we run out of oil? It isn’t a renewable resource, yet people use it up like you can just bury your dead cat in your back yard and oil will come in a year. Maybe if we all just ran around the forest (or semi-arid grassland), and took in all the riches all around us then we would appreciate the Earth and everything it has to offer us. I do refuse to taste the sun sweet berries of the Earth because they are probably organic and overpriced. I guess you really do learn a lot from Disney movies. Or maybe the message was always there but now that I’m older I understand it. I know I definitely understand all the subliminal messaging that is in the Disney movies. We all need to remember that whether we may be white or copper skinned, we are the world, the children, the future, and those who paint with all the colors of the wind. n Jose Rodriguez, who enjoys painting with the colors of the wind, can be reached at Rodriguez@crusadernews.com.
Last year, I would have said I wouldn’t ever use Twitter. Although I understood what it is, it’s like Facebook, but you can only update your status, but I didn’t see the point in me using it since it’s not popular in this area. This year, I am always tweeting, why? First of all it’s simple, there’s no annoying notifications about fish, farms and mafias, and most importantly the latest news right on my timeline. I decided in July that I should give it a try before writing it off as something really vain. I’m sure nobody cares what I had for lunch or that I’m on my way to the college. For that reason I don’t tweet about that. Twitter doesn’t have to be about what you do every single second. I see it more as service that keeps me up to date with the news that interest me the most. After creating an account one must decide whom to follow. Now I am a big soccer fan, so a majority of accounts that I follow are soccer related. I like that if I don’t have the time to watch a match I can always log into Twitter via my smart phone and follow the match live. Many teams have official twitter accounts were they live blog the matches. If a team doesn’t have an official account, don’t worry because there’s always some obsessive fan or journalist who will live blog the matches. A lot of times these are the accounts with the better insight. I think you can apply this to any sport. Another good thing about twitter is that you can browse though interest under the ‘Find People’ tab. Maybe sports aren’t your thing but there are accounts like
BreakingNews which supply story links to, oddly enough, breaking news stories. Also check out the lists BreakingNews has for more specific news on certain events such as the protest in Egypt. Twitter doesn’t have to be all about hard news either; it can be fun and amusing. OMGFacts and the other spinoffs since as OMGFactsCelebs and OMGFactsAnimals are great examples accounts with good information that doesn’t have to be as depressing as the news can be. Many celebrities are also part of the Twitterverse. Just make sure the verified check is by their name so you know it’s the real deal, or go to their official website and look for a link to Twitter. These are the users we really want to know where they had lunch, right? Well maybe not always, but you can always get a good laugh at what Kanye West is tweeting. It doesn’t hurt to tweet at a celebrity at least once because if you’re lucky they just might answer back. I’m sure it really wouldn’t make Rihanna’s day if you told her how much you love her music, but for a lesser known or indie artist it might. Trust me I’ve done it before. There are also pretty good applications for Twitter if you miss all the bells and whistles of Facebook. There’s no Farmville, which might be a good thing, but there’s TwitLonger, Tweet Cloud, and photo sharing sites like the classic TwitPic and the newer and growing in popularity YFrog. TwitLonger is great for those moments when what you want to say just doesn’t seem to fit 140 characters. Tweet Cloud will generate a cloud of your most used words on Twitter. The main moral in this column is don’t write off something as something that won’t benefit you before you actually try it; I used to think I didn’t need a Twitter since I already use Facebook, and hardly anyone uses Twitter in this area anyway. What I found out was Twitter for me isn’t to keep in contract with people, it’s to keep up with the latest information that matters the most to me. n Deisi Barboza can be followed on Twitter or she can also be reached at Barboza@crusadernews.com.
OPINION
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
CRUSADER 5
Citizen Game The United States of America has been known as the land of immigrants. How does an immigrant to the U.S. become a citizen? The first step to become a U.S. citizen is to meet the eligibility requirements. • Be 18 or older. • Be a permanent resident (green card holder) for at least five years. • Have lived within the state, or USCIS district with jurisdiction over the applicant’s place of residence, for at least three months prior to the date of filing the application. • Have continuous residence in the United States as a permanent resident for at least five years immediately preceding the date of the filing the application. • Be physically present in the United States for at least 30 months out of the five years immediately preceding
the date of filing the application. • Reside continuously within the United States from the date of application for naturalization up to the time of naturalization. • Be able to read, write and speak English and have knowledge and an understanding of U.S. history and government (civics). • Be a person of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States during all relevant periods under the law.
After meeting requirements, one can start the process to becoming a U.S. citizen • Submit your complete application - Obtain 2 approved passport-sized photos. - Collect all required supporting documents. - Mail your application package to the correct U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services along with an updated charge of $595.00 • Get Fingerprinted - You receive and acknowledgement letter from the USCIS that they received your application. - Go to the fingerprinting location specified in the letter from the USCIS on the scheduled date and time to get your fingerprints taken. - Send any additional documents to the USCIS that they may have requested in the letter.
- Go to the interview location specified in the letter from the USCIS on the scheduled date and time for the interview. - Answer interview questions about your application and background. - Take the English & Civics Test. - Await a decision from the USCIS. . • Take the Oath to Become a U.S. Citizen - Receive a ceremony date letter from the USCIS. - Check in at the ceremony location specified in the letter. - Return your Permanent Resident Card. - Answer questions about what you have done since your interview. - Take the Oath of Allegiance. - Receive your Certificate of Naturalization.
• Attend USCIS Interview & Take Tests - Receive an interview appointment letter from the USCIS.
Applicants are asked up to 10 of 100 questions regarding U.S. history and government during their interview. The applicant must answer six questions correctly to pass. Flash cards of these questions such as seen on this page are used for the quiz.
—Information from uscis.gov
$50 fee for materials to take classes at the Colvin Center
Colvin Center offers citizenship guidance Li zul y Monarez Crusader staff “Ya somos mas de aqui que de aya.” We are more from here (U.S.), than from over there (Mexico). These are words that I will never forget my parents repeatedly saying to everybody after they successfully received their citizenship, a saying they are more than proud of overstating. Out of 10 brothers and sisters in my dad’s family, six have become citizens. Out of four sisters and one brother in my mom’s family, all have fortunately become citizens. Simply said, obtaining citizenship sounds like passing your DMV test and proudly receiving the privilege to drive your dad’s worn out station wagon. It’s a lot easier said than done. It has taken all of them years of work, a lot of money, and plenty of patience. From gaining citizenship through marriage or, like my older sister, from my parents becoming citizens, it has all been a long process, and thankfully, all worth the hassle. There are certain requirements that have to be met before a resident can even be considered to become a citizen. Months, and even years of anticipation have played a role in each of my family members’ naturalization process and hoping and praying for the best have equally been contributed to each. Of course, the random “OK”, niece, quiz me,” or the phone call from work, “Has my citizenship appoint-
ment come in the mail yet?” questions were always expected from each, and I, willingly yet sometimes forcefully, helped them with whatever I was able to help with. Each of them can only explain the anticipation and anxiety of becoming naturalized and the concern they might not be accurately completing the process. The process is sometimes confusing, long and costs a lot of money. Depending on where and when the application is filed, the time frame between sending in the completed application and the interview to become a U.S. citizen can vary from five months to more than two years. Although there isn’t much to do to speed up the process between the application and interview, the Colvin Learning Adult Center located at 1801 N. Kansas Ave., offers citizenship preparation classes that will help individuals for the interview at the USCIS office. They offer help with U.S. history and government and the civic freedom as a citizen. There is a $50 fee for materials. All of my aunts and uncles have attended these classes at the Colvin Center and have been more than pleased with the help and motivation offered there. They have been truly encouraged not to give up, as each of them went through the process to obtain citizenship. After the long process with time so significant and the outcome so precious, it is no wonder my parents say, “Ya somos mas de aqui que de aya.”
Student recollects on family’s journey to US citizenship Dei si Barboza Online editor “Why does the flag have 13 stripes? Why does the flag have 50 stars?” These aren’t questions typical little girls ask their dads, but as my dad hoped to become a United States citizen, he would make me help him study for the Naturalization test. My dad did not complete the process, but he does intend to become a U.S. citizen after he turns 50. Applicants 50 or older who have been permanent residents of the United States for 20 or more years are able to take the test in their native language. I don’t blame or think badly of my dad for this. He has always worked long hours at National Beef and had three kids to raise. I appreciate him putting my siblings and me first. I’ve lived in the United States since I was 6 months old, yet it wasn’t until I was 16 that I could consider myself American. That’s when I renounced my Mexican citizenship and became a U.S. citizen. I will admit it was easy for me, but seeing my mom and my sister go through the process, I know it’s not as easy for everyone else as it was for me. My dad worked in a dairy farm in Louisiana where his employer at the time handed him a card about the Immigration Reform and Control Act or 1986, which he qualified for. Yet it wasn’t until 1990 that he became resident. When I was 6 months old, my mom, sister and I came to the U.S. to live with my dad. We settled in Liberal as my dad started working for National Beef. My own journey in becoming a citizen first started by becoming a permanent resident, I was 8 at the time and I don’t remember much. I do remember the drive to Kansas City, which when you’re 8, feels like forever. I recall sitting in an office with my family while a strange woman looked through various pictures of my family from my sister’s first communion and my birthday. I didn’t realize at the time she was going through the pictures as proof that we are a family. Almost a year and a half after that interview in 2000, my mom, sister, and I became U.S. residents. Fast forward to when I was 16. My mom was preparing to become a citizen. She took English classes for three months and studied for the Naturalization test for nearly six months. A month after submitting her application, she had an appointment in Wichita for her interview.
In her interview they greeted her, asked about the weather, and asked her 10 questions all in English. “They told me right away I passed,” my mom said. “I was very content and happy.” Another month later she went back to Wichita for the ceremony where she traded in her residency card for a certificate stating she was now a naturalized U.S. citizen. After one becomes a U.S. citizen he or she can file an application for children that are younger than 18 to become citizens as well. A week after her ceremony it was my turn; however my process would be a lot easier. I’d helped my mom with all the questions and the oath, so I was confident that I would have no problems passing. To my dismay, all that was required of me was to sign my name in several different documents and to recite the oath. I know I am extremely fortunate to have become a United States citizen so easily, yet I know how lengthy and complex the process is. My sister who was older than 18 at the time my mom became a citizen, became a citizen herself in 2009 while attending the University of New Orleans. She shared with me that it’s better to do this while one is in school. “The application goes by better if they see you are an active member of society and continuing your education,” she said. Since my sister is fluent in English and with U.S. history and government still in her mind from high school, she did not struggle with the interview. My family and I went to New Orleans for her ceremony. Since I didn’t get to go to my mom’s this was my first time witnessing it. “The ceremony was the best part, you met all sorts or people. We’re all different ages and races but in the end we were all the same because we all wanted to be American.” Each member of my family had a different way of becoming a U.S. citizen. My younger brother became a U.S. citizen by birth. My mom had to learn English and took the naturalization test. I became one though my mom. My sister decided it the best time for her to do it was while still in school. None of us would be here today living in the U.S. if my dad hadn’t gotten his residency though the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 granted amnesty to certain seasonal agricultural illegal immigrants and illegal immigrants who entered the United States before January 1, 1982 and had resided there continuously. It also made it illegal to knowingly hire or recruit unauthorized immigrants.
SPORTS
6 CRUSADER
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Autumn brings heat to season Al fredo Anaya Editor Autumn Miller has a bubbly personality and a contagious smile, which makes sense as the current Lady Saints point guard was a cheerleader through junior high. She’s dealt with athletic injuries and success, all while continuing to strive for improvement, and remaining humble. Miller, who is originally from Louisville, Ky., attended high school at Sacred Heart Academy where she was a McDonald’s All-American nominee for averaging 14 points, seven steals, seven assists and six rebounds per game as a junior in 2009. Miller also stated that one of her best memories of high school was winning the Louisville International Tournament, which is a basketball tournament of different teams from Kentucky. Although Miller dabbled in the cheerleading side of sports, she has been playing basketball since she was 4 years old, and a major contributor in Autumn’s move from cheering to shooting baskets was
Autumn Miller
her father, Nick Miller. “She cheered for Rajon Rondo, who is from Louisville and plays for the Boston Celtics, and that kind of led her into wanting to play Division I basketball and ultimately playing for the WNBA,� Nick Miller said. Autumn has always been close to her father and feels like he understands what she is going through now as he also played basketball for Frank Phillips in Borger, Texas. “I would say I look up to my dad,� Autumn said. “Just knowing he’s been through everything I’ve been through and he’s taught me to always follow my dreams.� Autumn was being recruited by Division I schools, but ended up at Seward after she tore her ACL her senior year of high school, and lost some scholarship offers due to the injury. “That experience made her more humble and, even though she didn’t play her senior year, she played 100 points away from 1,000 and was an All-American nominee,� her dad said. “I was proud of the way she bounced back from a torn ACL and she motivated other kids she knew who also had sports injuries.� Autumn was told that the best
choice she could make was to attend a junior college, and then she could be reconsidered for more Division I scholarships. However, she said she really enjoys the competition she’s been getting playing for the Lady Saints. “It has been a very competitive season here,� Autumn said. Autumn has proven to be an important part of the Lady Saints team as she has 61 assists, and has averaged seven points per game and continues to strive for improvement in both performance and leadership skills. “With our team, I’ve struggled with being a leader a little bit, but I want to get stronger and just continue getting better, � Autumn said. Autumns’s teammates have taken note of her caring personality and the way she’s willing to help. “She’s a sweetheart. She’s always taking care of us girls on the team, or always doing things for somebody,� Lady Saint forward Kelsey Willson said. Her teammates have also taken note of her improvement throughout this season. “In stressful situations she’s a lot better at directing the team as a point guard and understanding what
needs to be done in order to win,� Willson said. “Next year I see her being more confident in herself, and she will only get better.� Although Autumn has a laidback personality while off the court, she knows when she’s on the court, it’s all about staying focused in order to win. “When I’m off the court, I like to have fun and joke around, but when I’m on the court, it’s all laughs aside. You come ready to play,� Autumn said. “I’m also different because off the court, I’m kind of laid-back, but on the court I am intense and cheerful when my teammates make a play or something intense happens in the game. I get pumped.� As far as her goals after Seward, she would like to continue playing the game she loves, although she is not sure where she is attending yet. “I would love to go to a Division I school to play basketball. I want to continue majoring in finance, and someday I want to be a stockbroker,� the Lady Saints point guard said. “I would love to attend a school close to home but yet far enough away.�
Lady Saints pick up first road win Crusader staff The Lady Saints defeated Colby Monday night 72-57 to claim their first road win in conference play this season. Ashlynn Knoll led the way for the Lady Saints with a career high 27 points and 11 rebounds. Joining Knoll with an unconventional double-double at Colby was Hannah Rotolo with 11 points and 12 assists. The win puts the Lady Saints overall record at 16-9 and the Jayhawk West conference record at 6-5. On Wednesday, the Lady Saints continue Jayhawk West play on the road at Pratt. The tip-off is at 6 p.m. S eward v. Great Bend, 53-59 loss The Seward County Lady Saints met Barton County Community College in Great Bend Saturday, but couldn’t overcome the road blues that had plagued the team until their first road win Monday against Colby. Seward lost 53-59 to the Barton Cougars. In somewhat of a repeat from the Hutchinson loss on Wednesday, Seward led Barton nearly all of the first half and 12 minutes into the second half but turnovers let the lead slip away.
As the game came to a close, a couple of big shots late by the Cougars would prove the difference, according to sports information director Roy Allen. Barton came out on top to send the Lady Saints to .500 in conference action. Seward finished the game with 24 turnovers while shooting just 31 percent overall in the game. Hannah Rotolo was the only Lady Saint to reach double figures as she finished with 10 points in her return to Barton where she had played her freshman season. Hanna Bognar had a rocking nine blocks in the game for Seward to climb to No. 4 in the NJCAA rankings in that category. The 5-5 after this game put the Seward women fifth in the conference and a full two games out of reaching the coveted fourth spot needed to host a Region VI playoff game. The Lady Cougars’ win against Seward marked seven wins in their last eight games. S eward v. Hutchinson, 59-62 loss The Lady Saints met No. 14 Hutchinson Feb. 2, hoping to avenge an earlier loss to the Lady Blue Dragons. However, the Lady Saints gave up a 16-point lead in the second half and lost 59-62 with a 3-pointer that
could have tied the game in the air at the final buzzer. The Lady Saints went into the locker room at halftime leading 32-23. Early in the second half, Seward jumped ahead 40-24, and fans thought this one was in the win column. Turnovers and missed opportunities took their toll, however. With 21 total turnovers, many in the crucial final minutes, the Lady Saints left the door open for a Hutch victory. The Lady Saints shot 38 percent from the field. Lady Saints Hanna Bognar had six points, five blocks and pulled down five defensive rebounds, but she was in foul trouble early and only played 18 minutes total before fouling out in the final minute of the game. Ashlynn Knoll scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Lady Saints effort. Hutchinson’s Jackie Patterson, No. 42, piled on 24 points, including 15 points from the free throw line. Hutchinson made 23 of 34 free throws, while the Lady Saints hit 17 of 25 from the charity stripe. n Portions of story written by or information provided by college sports information director Roy Allen.
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SERVING THE SOUTHWEST SINCE 1941
Lady Saint Hanna Bognar goes for the basket against Hutchinson Feb.2. Bognar had five blocks and brought down five defensive rebounds, but foul trouble held her playing time to only 18 minutes before she fouled out in the last minute in the 59-62 loss.
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SPORTS
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
CRUSADER 7
Seward falls to Colby 63-70 Jose Vazquez Crusader staff
Old School Run part of homecoming events Feb. 12 Reanna Tuml i nson Crusader staff The Saints Challenge/ Old School Run, which will take place on the SCCC/ATS campus, is the fourth race of the Yellow Brick Road Runner Series. As one of the college activities recognizing the “Washington Monthly” selection of SCCC/ATS as the No. 33 community college in the nation, races will begin at 1:33 p.m. and 2:33 p.m. on Feb. 12. They will start in between the Student Living Center and the Student Union. Registration will be begin at 1 p.m. in the Student Union. The entry fee will be $20 for one race and $25 for both races. There will be a $5 discount for South West Fun Time Runners members and SCCC/ATS students and employees. There will be a 5K and a 1.5K race. The 5K race will begin between the Student Living Center and the Student Union. Runners will run to the Epworth Building and back. The 1.5K prediction run/walk race will begin in the same place but the route has not been decided yet. Medals will be given to the top five in the 1.5K prediction run/walk race. In the 5K race, medals will be given to the top man and woman for each age group. All participants will receive a T-shirt after completing the race. The swimming pool locker rooms and showers will be available until 3:30 p.m. Participants should bring their own towels. Dr. Duane Dunn, college president, plans to participate in the 1.5K prediction run/walk race. He is offering a challenge to anyone who wishes to participate to donate $10 to the SCCC/ATS Foundation and try to predict his finish time. The person closest to Dunn’s time will win a prize. For more information contact Emery Swagerty at emery.swagerty@sccc.edu or call him at 417-1162 or 6557063.
Saints start baseball season Saints baseball season starts this week, with games Thursday through Sunday. The Saints will take on Iowa Western Community College and Northeastern Junior College at Brent Gould Field. Next week, the Saints travel down south to play against the Odessa Community College, then meet New Mexico Junior College Feb. 19- 21. The Saints come back home to play against Colby Feb. 26 and 27 at Brent Gould Field.
Crusader photo/Alfredo Anaya
Jeremy Jones drives past a Hutchinson player at a home game Feb. 2 that saw the No. 16 Saints capture a win from the No. 8 Hutchinson Blue Dragons. The nationally ranked teams battled to a 86-76 finish at the Green House. Jones ended the night with 16 points and 7 assists.
33rd Day of Year event brings 1,150 to games
The Saints lost to Colby 6370 in a game many people thought might be a pushover. Seward perhaps took their opponent too lightly because Colby was last in the conferencewhile Seward was in first place. Colby is now 3 wins and 8 losses in the Jayhawk West, and Seward has 9 wins and 2 losses. Seward had a bad night of miscues and Colby took advantage. But Seward still holds on to the top rank in conference with a two game lead over Hutchinson and Cloud County. A decision is still out on Marky Nolen on whether or not he will be playing or be suspended for the next game. Nolen continued his doubledouble streak with a 15 points and 14 rebounds and pushed it up to 8 games straight. It was a poor shooting night for both teams. Seward just shot 38 percent from the field and 13 percent from deep. The bright spot in the game was the free throw line with 76 percent. Colby had 37 percent shooting and 32 percent from deep and from the free throw line 65 percent. The Saints are scheduled to play at Pratt this Wednesday. The No. 8 Hutchi ns on Blue Dragons and No. 16 Seward County Saints squared off Wednesday night in the Green House.
Hutch jumped to a one point halftime lead but it was Seward who took control in the final 20 minutes of the contest, using a 9-1 run in the middle of a 51 point half to come out with an 86-76 win in front of a home crowd. Early in the game, Phil Hawkins would slash to the lane and find Irvin Hollinger with a pass which resulted in a three point play to put the Saints up 74 but Hutch came with a 13-0 run to go up 17-7. The Saints broke the scoring drought with a layup from Daveon Boardingham. A long jumper from Jeremy Jones cut the Hutch lead to 6. The two offenses picked it up out of the timeout as Hutch’s Stuart Sullivan hit a trio of three-pointers sandwiched around Seward buckets from Nolen and Markee Mazyck to make it a 26-15 Hutchinson lead with eight minutes left in the half. The Saints made a first half run as Nolen hit a three pointer. Seward hit five free throws and got a finish inside from Boardingham to make it a 26-25 game in favor of Hutchinson with 4:19 remaining in the first half. The final four minutes of the period they went back and forth before the horn sounded. Hutch went to the locker rooms up 36-35. As the second half started, the Saints quickly took control as Boardingham hit a pair of free throws to give them a one point lead, and then Marquez Patterson
got a steal and a score to give them a three point lead. Hutchinson went on a quick 60 run to get a three point lead but Patterson hit a three to tie it up at 44 with 16:14 to go in the game. Seward outscored Hutch 8-3 in the next two minutes and would have their largest lead of the game at 52-47 with 14 minutes remaining. Boardingham dunked over Dylan Frantz and was fouled where he completed the three point play to put the home team up 64-55. Hutch was scoreless for nearly three minutes as Seward built their lead to 12 at the 7:26 mark. Rafriel Guthrie got a steal and threw a half court alley-oop to Jones who slammed it in. Seward would go on to take the game 86-76. Five Saints reached double figures in the win as Jones and Guthrie each had 16 points a piece. Jones added 7 assists and Guthrie grabbed 7 rebounds in the win. Boardingham scored 14 points and had 7 rebounds. Patterson finished with 11 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Nolen recorded hisa sixth straight game with a double-double that night. He had 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Saints outrebounded Hutchinson 40-38 and forced 21 Blue Dragon turnovers. Portions of this story was written by and some information provided by S CCC/ATS sports information director Roy Allen.
111 million viewers watch Super Sunday Joseph Hoffman Crusader staff
Ren Watt plays with an autographed Saints ball. — Crusader photo/ Raul Lemus
Raul Lemus Crusader staff In spite of freezing temperatures, the Saints crowd turnout for the home game on the 33rd day of the year was in the vicinity of 1,150, according to Roy Allen, college sports information specialist. Temperatures heated inside the Green House for the home games and a celebration for SCCC/ATS receiving the No. 33 spot in the “Washington Monthly” magazine list of the top community colleges in the nation. The purpose of this celebration was aimed at informing the community of the recognition. About 650 colleges were considered, in which the “Washington Monthly” stated that “sometimes community colleges are undermined” when in reality they are near the level of universities. “It has been put out there, but not enough,” Allen said, regarding the No. 33 ranking. At 33 minutes into each game, autographed balls by the Seward basketball teams were thrown to the crowd, the same at the 33rd point of each game. Also, tickets ending on the number 33 received free Tshirts. “Fans responded really well to the autographed basketballs,” Allen said. Adan Lomas, a senior at Ty-
rone High School and Seward County fan, said, “I really liked the balls that were thrown. Seward is a really cool college.” Seward County student Maegen Rider was already aware of the No. 33 ranking. “I personally did know about the award; however, I was not aware that we were celebrating being 33 in the nation at the home game,” she said. Increasing awareness was part of the aim of the event. “With the turnout of people we got at the game, we got the message out there. The outcome was really good; it went better than planned,” Allen, planner of the event, said. “That” Liberal Band performed throughout the game. During halftime, Dance Images dance teams perfomed. The Seward cheer teams and Saintsation dancers also added spirit to the night. “We are going to try keepng the message out there,” Allen said. This may please fans. “I hope they keep throwing prizes to the crowd in future games,” Lomas said. He had tried to catch an autographed ball for his little cousin. The Lady Saints lost 5962, while the men’s team ended the celebration with a 86-76 win over Hutchinson.
Each year a certain day comes around when citizens attend an event half-naked covered in body paint, and drink enough beer to shame even the barley fields themselves. Those that decide to stay home invite friends, relatives, and maybe even a stranger to partake in a night full of shouting, gluttony, and every so often a good joke. To many it is a religion, to others it is just a great day to watch some very athletic men pummel each other for 60 minutes to earn the nation’s respect and honor, and a shiny new Camaro. It is known as the Super Bowl, and Sunday night the mammoth of a game did not disappoint. Sunday night 111 million viewers saw the Green Bay Packers reign victorious over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, which was not just known for the action on the field, but also the surrounding events including a Bill O’Reilly interview with President Barack Obama, Christina Aguillera’s verse malfunction of the National Anthem, the half-time show’s audio malfunctions (or singing impairment), new and exciting movie trailers, and plenty of commercials which became the hot topic of Monday. Each Super Bowl is broadcast to millions of viewers, many of whom have no claim to a certain team, but choose one to cheer on
VW Passat little Darth Vader commercial was one of the anticipated Super Bowl ads. through the night. However, this year’s game included two of the most renowned teams in NFL history. The Pittsburgh Steelers hold the most Super Bowl titles of any team with six, and on the other side, the Green Bay Packers hold four Super Bowl titles themselves, and also have more NFL championships of any other team in the history of the NFL with 13. The Packers were the first team to win a Super Bowl in 1966 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Throughout the years, three Packers quarterbacks have led the team to a championship including Bart Starr, Brett Favre, and Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers claimed the title of MVP Sunday night, and is the fourth NFL quarterback in history to throw more than 300 yards, with three touchdowns, and no interceptions. “Everyone knew the Packers were going to take it home. I am
so stoked for the new ‘Transformers’ movie for sure,” SCCC/ATS Tadd Fulton said of the game and movie trailers. Although many were excited for the Packers win, some were just as disappointed in the Steelers performance. “The Steelers’ play was disappointing. To me it seemed like they thought they were playing in a pre-season game, definitely not the Super Bowl,” student Chelsea Droste said, also siding with the main complaint from SCCC students of Sunday Night’s showdown, which had nothing to do with the actual game on the field. It was about the technical problems of the half-time show performed by The Black Eyed Peas. “Although halftime was awesome visually, it sounded absolutely terrible,” Droste said. The Black Eyed Peas were surrounded by dancers who looked like they were transported from the latest “Tron” film as they glowed and flashed along with the beat of the Peas greatest hits compilation. Slash and Usher also made an appearance. Student Austin Parnell had a good night and enjoyed watching the Packers win. “I was going for Green Bay. They made me a little nervous at the end, but it ended up working out by winning.” This year’s Super Bowl was filled with emotion, but it ended up being a good night to watch football.
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Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Angel’s passion for acting grows despite trials Octavi o Rodri guez Entertainment Editor Angel Rodriguez is hard to miss. He has very defining features about him, but the most prominent is his long black hair, which also gives him an almost Native American look. He was, understandably, the mascot for the Liberal High School Redskins his senior year, an experience he described as “exhilirating.” This year, he has one of the leading roles in the musical “West Side Story.” He is the leader of the Puerto Rican gang the Sharks. Waiting to interview the local “West Side Story” actor was like waiting for a celebrity, with so many people and things to go through to finally get that interview. The events kept me waiting for five hours total. The interview was plagued by unfortunate events. On his way to the musical rehearsal, he fell off of his motorcycle because of a leak in his engine. Right before the rehearsal ended for good, he was involved in another accident in which he impaled his hand on a stage prop. He was rushed to the emergency room, where I lay in wait for him yet again. While waiting in the lobby, I was growing anxious. I was extremely eager to interview this intriguing individual. Rodriguez lived in El Paso until his parents decided to move to Liberal his senior year of high school. He moved back to El
Paso to live with family after his parents died in an unfortunate event, which made him open his eyes. “After I saw the passing of my parents, I saw it as a stop to the fighting between them. Although I lost everything I had, I tried to see it as though I had to live my life to the fullest because they hadn’t.” He eventually decided to return to Liberal. “Everyone here was so helpful when my parents passed. I fell in love with the place. I think it’s one of the reasons I returned to Liberal. It’s not just the people or the place, it’s everything.” He has wanted to pursue acting throughout his entire life, but in high school it seemed as though he had lost hope. That is, until he was accidentally enrolled into an advanced acting class. “I actually hated it with a passion, but I grew to love it. My very first show was the ‘Wizard of Oz,’ and I played one of the background characters. That’s when I decided ‘You know what? I can actually do this.’” He also played football in high school until he received an injury to his knee. Afterwards, he entered in a ballet class. “I learned to live with the knee injury. And throughout ballet I fell more in love with theatre and acting and I just became confident about following my dreams.” One of the most outstanding characteristics of Angel’s is how humourous he is. “What can I say? He’s Angel.
He and I are good friends and it’s great being his enemy in the musical. He’s just a fun guy to work with.” said Brian Francis, a good friend of Rodriguez. Rodriguez went on to tell about how his humorous side sometimes gets in the way with what he tries to accomplish. “Sometimes I’m a little too playful. Although I do believe it is essential to being great at what you do, it gets in the way of the person I’m truly trying to be.” Rodriguez says his life’s defining achievement so far was growing out his hair. “After freshman year, I decided to try finding out who I am. I decided to grow it out and it was one of the funnest things I have done.” “Angel is a hardworking student. His role is a great challenge and he leads in such a sudden way,” said Lauren Peck, one of the musical’s directors. Responsibilty seems to play a huge role in Rodriguez’s life. Many of his peers look up to him as though he were their older brother. “He’s most definitely like an older brother to me and he even treats me like I am his younger sister by giving me rides home from rehearsal. He is an extremely talented individual and I can always look to him for advice,” said Flor Parral, a Liberal High School student playing one of the lead roles, Maria, in the musical. Rodriguez believes that the only things he has to lose through achieving his dreams is definitely his family.
Performers Orlando Galvan and Angel Rodriguez waiting for their directions on the set of “West Side Story.” The musical is a combined effort in conjunction with SCCC/ATS’s drama department, Liberal High School, and the community of Liberal.
“Although I want to keep close to them, I know that one day we won’t be together at all, I want to cherish the moments I have with them, because I have learned that any moment could be the last.” Angel hopes to pursue acting in the future and maybe even delve into music. He can be seen performing in “West Side Story” at 7:30 p.m. on Feb 17, 18 and 19 in the James Maskus Auditorium at Liberal High School, with a matinee showing at 2 p.m. on Feb. 20. Tickets are now available in the college humanities office or by calling 620-417-1451. Tickets are $6 each in advance and will be $8 at the door. Liberal High School and SCCC/ATS students are admitted free with a valid student ID, but must have ticket upon arrival.
Crusader photo/ Octavio Rodriguez
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Film challenges faith and psyche Zach Carpenter Crusader Staff Anthony Hopkins, Collin O’ Donoghue, and Alice Braga star in the new supernatural thriller, “The Rite,” which is based on true events, and is directed by Mikael Håfström. After using the seminary to run away from his troubled past, Michael Kovak (Donoghue) is sent to Rome to study the ritual of exorcism under an unorthodox, but highly effective priest named Father Lucas Trevant, (Hopkins.) Michael, at every turn, is challenging the topic of demonic possession, thinking the answer to the victim’s problems lies in psychology. “It’s not the devil. She’s a very
sick girl. She doesn’t need a priest, she needs a shrink.” Michael says after witnessing a demon manifest in a 16-year-old girl. Through struggles with his own faith, and accompanied by a beautiful reporter named Angeline (Braga), young Michael is met with the reality that his scientific, realistic world view is always trying to thwart - that demons really do exist. The portayal of the demonically possessed in the film is truly chilling in the sense that it is subtle. The usual hollywood gimics like possessed people climbing on walls, eyes changing color, etc. are not in the movie. Neither do the possessed burn when they are touched by
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holy water or crucifixes and or rosaries. I would not exactly label this movie as another “horror” movie. The film has a few “grab-the-arm-of-your-chair,” moments, but it is not overdone. The film is very character based and emotionally driven. The emphasis of the film’s message is that the battle between good and evil does in fact rage on every day, and only a solid faith in God can truly overcome demonic forces. Hopkin’s character, Father Lucas says to Michael in the movie, “The interesting thing about skeptics...is that we are always looking for proof. The question is, what on earth would we do if we found it?” This movie is one worth seeing.
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