SPECTATOR
The
Western Nebraska Community College
Oct. 30, 2012
Volume 59, Issue 4
ENTERTAINMENT: Columnist raves about her grandma’s cookies, pg. 4 SPORTS: Cougar basketball teams to open season Nov. 2-3, pg. 5 BACKPAGE: Denver Art Museum’s latest exhibit is worth checking out, pg. 8
Student SPOTLIGHT: Patty Sylvester
Scarves: A staple of the winter wardrobe BY ALEXANDRA MOREE Spectator Reporter
Photo by Alexandria Moree/Spectator
Victoria Seibert, Sara Vogel, Brittney Mitchell, Simonne Spurgeon, and Jessica Schluter show the current fashion trend with scarfs that students are wearing these days.
With the first snowfall of the year already in the books, the fall/winter season is sure to be an incredibly chilly one again. Oversized sweaters, skinny jeans, and ankle boots adorn the pages of top fashion magazines, but the biggest asset in your closet this year will be your scarf collection. For the last five years, the scarf has become an invaluable asset to both the male and female wardrobes, and this year is no different. In fact, this year no outfit is complete without a scarf lazily wrapped around one’s neck. “The nice thing about a scarf,” said Jessica Schluter, a freshman at WNCC, “is that there are so many different styles. You can wear them with any outfit.”
COVER STORY
BY KATIE PETERSON Spectator Reporter
P
atty Sylvester, a freshman at Western Nebraska Community College, is studying pre-med and plans to continue her education to become a doctor. Katie: What city are you from? Patty: I am from Loveland, Colo., which is just south of Fort Collins and right next to the mountains. Katie: Very cool. What school did you go to in Loveland? Patty: I attended Thompson Valley High School. Katie: What are you studying at WNCC? Patty: I am studying pre-med because one day I hope to be a plastic surgeon that helps burn victims. Katie: Why did you pick WNCC? Patty: I picked Western Nebraska because of the soccer program and also because it is only a two-and-ahalf-hour drive away from home. Katie: What activities are you involved with at WNCC? Patty: I play soccer for Western Nebraska, and that’s pretty much everything I do here. Katie: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Patty: In 10 years I see myself graduating from med school and becoming a doctor. I also see myself still playing soccer and living life to the fullest. Katie: That’s awesome. Where do you want to study after WNCC? Patty: After WNCC, I’m not really sure where I want to study. It depends on what school decides to pick me up for my last two years, but I would like to play soccer and study somewhere abroad.
Driven to Succeed Dayle Wallien, the WNCC Foundation Executive Director, stands in front of a snowpacked mountain during one of her trips. Wallien, who enjoys the outdoors, recently helped organize the Monument Marathon, which had more than 400 runners registered.
See Scarves, page 3
Trying to beat the high cost of gas no easy task BY ALEXANDRIA MOREE Spectator Reporter
Courtesy Photo
Whether it’s brainstorming ideas to raise funds for WNCC, helping to organize a marathon, or climbing a tall mountain, WNCC Foundation Executive Director Dayle Wallien always gives it her best shot BY ABNER PIZANO Spectator Reporter
hospitality.” The marathon had 422 runners registered.
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Q: What impressed you the most about the race? A: The Foundation board and I were very impressed with the response that we received from the community to support us – not just Scottsbluff and Gering, but all over western Nebraska. Also, we were impressed with the support we received from the government entities such as the City of Gering, the City of Scottsbluff, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Scotts Bluff County, and the State of Nebraska. All this support really impressed me.
he WNCC Foundation enjoyed a big turnout for its first Platte Valley Companies Monument Marathon a couple weekends ago. Dayle Wallien, WNCC’s Foundation Executive Director who helped organize the marathon, said, “We were very happy how the race turned out. We think that it went extremely well. We had a fantastic volunteer corps who helped us with it, and we were so excited that it came out the way it did despite the weather. The participants said they really enjoyed the race. They thought the course was beautiful, and they loved the volunteer and community support. We had runners from 25 states. We had people who had never been to Nebraska before, so it was really nice to show them the Western Nebraska
Q: Was it different putting this race together than the Fall Frolic race?
See Dayle, page 2
From high medical expenses to increasing grocery prices, money – now more than ever – is at the forefront of the American public’s mind. Political tensions in this election season have only added to the ever growing stress that Americans are facing in today’s rocky economic times. While people all over the country are trying to find ways to
See Fuel, page 2
Spectator Photo
Sensational singing
WNCC’s David Weishaar sings with the group “Just Bluffin’” during the WNCC Vocal Showcase performance Oct. 19 at the Gering Civic Center.
See Patty, page 2
WNCC speech instructor enjoying a ‘rewarding career’ us on Facebook
Michael Peterson likes building his students’ confidence BY JOY ANITEYE Spectator Reporter Public speaking courses are required for many academic
programs at WNCC, and many students go into these courses with a tremendous amount of fear. That’s not a bad thing, though, said Michael Peterson, a speech instructor at WNCC. He wants his students to feel challenged. “People never get over anxiety; they just don’t. But they get through it,” Peterson said. He then added jokingly, “I always say I haven’t had any-
body die yet.” Peterson, who teaches human communications, public speaking, and history of film, said he was inspired to go into teaching after many years of being involved in theatre with young adults. In his classes at WNCC, Peterson establishes a safe environment for his students, and he emphasizes having respect for one another. He wants his students to walk away from his
classes feeling confident. “Especially in the speech classes – both public speaking and human communications. I want my students to gain confidence in front of the group, in communications, capabilities, and skills,” he said. Peterson was born and raised in Pine Bluffs, Wyo. At age 12, he and his family moved to Gering. After graduating
See Peterson, page 3