The Spectator -- Issue 3

The

SPECTATOR Oct. 16, 2012

Volume 59, Issue 3

ENTERTAINMENT: Soul Calibur V welcomes fans back to the ‘Stage of History,’ pg. 4 SPORTS: Scottsbluff’s brother, sister having a ball on WNCC’s soccer teams, pg. 5 SPORTS: WNCC’s international athletes share a little about themselves, pg. 7

Making a lasting impact

Monumental Effort

Longtime math instructor Al Combs, who teaches algebra on WNCC’s Sidney campus, inspires students both in, out of the classroom

By JOHN BAHR Spectator Reporter

V

irgil “Al” Combs could have retired years ago. But then he would have been missing something that’s so important – and special – to him: his life as a

teacher.

Combs, who’s in his 13th year as an algebra instructor on WNCC’s Sidney campus, has been involved in teaching for about 50 years. And he says his passion to inspire students and to make sure they “get it” is just as strong now as it was years – and even decades – ago.

Combs really isn’t just an algebra teacher, either. He likes to think that he teaches skills and life lessons that his students can apply in other parts of their lives – not just in math. For example, it’s not uncommon for him to throw in lines such as “part of the process” and “getting you where you need to go.”

Spectator Photo

Patti Duncan of Parker, Colo., nears the 10-mile mark of the full Monument Marathon on Oct. 13.

Duncan is a Mitchell High School graduate and a former WNCC volleyball player.

Now is the time to consider getting a flu shot

By ALEXANDRIA MOREE Spectator Reporter The beginning of October marked open season for winter colds and, more importantly, the flu.

Nothing spreads around a school, office building, or a town, for that matter, faster than the winter flu bug.

Although preventative measures can be taken, such as washing hands, covering coughs, and taking vitamins, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended the seasonal influenza vaccine as the best way to protect oneself from contracting influenza.

Commonly known as the flu, influenza is a virus that in the majority of people acts as a severe cold. It often causes muscle aches, fever, and coughing.

Using over-the-counter drugs and taking a sick day are how the general public beats the flu. But while the flu is more of a nuisance than anything else to the average American, it can become a very serious respiratory infection that can result, in severe cases, in death.

People most at-risk to contracting the flu and facing potential dyer endings are children, adults over 65, and the immune compromised. Immune compromised people include chemotherapy patients, radiation patients, and anyone suffering from any other serious infection or illness.

See Flu, page 8 us on Facebook

Photo by John Bahr/ Spectator

See Al Combs, page 3

COVER STORY

Helping students blossom Jim Schmucker is in his first year as the interim Dean of Students at Western Nebraska Community College.

“What I love most about my job is that I get to work with students.

I have always liked working with students.

That’s why I became a teacher 36 years ago.”

Blood, sweat and tears go into Scottsbluff’s biggest haunted house

By JOHNNY “KRR’EJ” ESCAMILLA Spectator Staff Reporter Halloween is the most imaginative time of the year, and nothing really screams imagination like a haunted house.

If a director wants it to be something to die for, all the planning, creativity, and vision that have to go into it can be overwhelming, and few people in Scottsbluff know that better than Brian Lore.

But the magic this man has learned over the years has only come with experience behind the black-plastic Oz curtains.

See Haunted, page 3

Photo by Abner Pizano/ Spectator

Jim Schmucker enjoying his new duties as WNCC’s Dean of Students

By ABNER PIZANO Spectator Reporter

away from town. We had about 160 acres that we farmed, and [had] livestock as well.

Dr. Jim Schmucker is WNCC’s interim Dean of Students and CollegeNOW director. He enjoys listening to music, reading, and doing woodwork and home improvement projects. Originally from a little town called Brock, located in the southeast corner of Nebraska, Schmucker graduated from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln with a bachelor’s degree, and he graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney with a master’s degree. He then earned his doctoral degree from UNL. He worked in Wilber for five years as a music teacher, and he was in McCook for 6 years as a music teacher. He’s worked in Scottsbluff for 22 years – nine years as a music teacher and 13 years as an administrator. He said he loves his job duties at WNCC.

Q: What was your childhood like?

A: Well, I was a happy child living on a farm with the animals and working on a farm. I was involved in music lessons. I just enjoyed everything I was doing.

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: I grew up on a farm outside a little town called Brock, about three and half miles

WNCC Sidney campus algebra instructor Al Combs instructs his students during a recent class.

Learning a second language is an invaluable asset in today’s world

By ALEXANDRIA MOREE Commentary

Q: What is your first memory of being really excited?

A: I think it would have to be when I was about three years old, my grandfather was living with us at that time, and I remember being excited because he was cutting an apple open for me to eat.

Gustavo Seminario knows how significant learning another language can be.

“It is the most important thing,” he said.

Seminario, originally from Piura, Peru, is a mathematics professor at Western Nebraska Community College. He’s fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian. Along with Seminario, Olga Katkova, a chemistry professor, and Yelena Khanevskoya, an art/art history professor, have also had to become fluent in a foreign language.

Both originally from Russia, Katkova from Moscow and Khanevskoya from Kalinin, they are now fluent in both Russian and English. It is not surprising that someone living in the United States would speak English; however, what is unnervingly uncommon is an American learning a foreign

See Schmucker, page 2

See Language, page 2

Q: Is there any particular lesson that you learned while growing up?

A: I learned that there are lots of different types of people, and that you treat them all like you would like to be treated yourself. I learned from my parents that you are always nice to people.

News

Oct. 16, 2012 — Page 2

Top

Language

CAT

Students Joseph Rasnic Gering

Major: Agricultural science Honors/awards/ activities: Goal keeper for the WNCC soccer team, RA, Leadership conference, Sigma Alpha Pi, and student government Favorite band/singer: The Lumineers Favorite movie: “Billy Madison” Favorite class: Intro to sports psychology Favorite TV show: “Walking Dead” Hobbies: “I like hunting and fishing; just being active at anything sportswise.”

Your role model: “[Nebraska running back] Rex Burkhead because he is an amazing athlete, and right now he is working with young kids who have mental disabilities. He is really humble.”

The craziest or hardest thing you’ve ever done: “In high school I stopped more than 50 percent of the penalty kicks.”

If you had one thing to share with everyone, what would it be?: “Keep moving forward, and don’t go back to your past, but learn from it.”

— By Abner Pizano

Dani Vesper Scottsbluff Age: 19 Major: Human services Honors/awards/ activities: Phi Theta Kappa member; Math and Science Club vice president; Dean’s list; SI leader for biology

Favorite band/singer: Chris Brown and Norah Jones

Favorite TV show: “South Park” Favorite movie: “Scary Movie 4”

Your role model: “Hallie Feil and Guy Wylie because they are really passionate and successful people.”

If you had one thing to share with everyone, what would it be?: “Be nice to everyone because everyone has their own battles.”

If you could have three wishes granted, what would they be?: “World peace, money, and more wishes.”

— By Abner Pizano

Continued from page 1 language. Stacy Wilson, the foreign language professor at WNCC, was born and raised in Scottsbluff and is trilingual in French, Spanish, and English.

“There are thousands of different languages spoken all over the world. If we can challenge ourselves to learn at least one foreign language, think of how much closer we can become,” Katkova said.

While most high schools across the country offer at least one foreign language, very few students graduate with any kind of fluency in a foreign language. Although businesses operate on a global scale and many people often travel abroad, there is very little encouragement for American students to learn another language. Few high schools in the United States require students to take a second language, and although it is more encouraged in college, the few majors that do require a second language only require a semester or two. It is imperative that we as Americans begin to broaden our cultural scope, and not only embrace, but actively encourage the learning of at least one foreign language.

“Learning a foreign language gives you entry into another culture which, in turn, gives you an alternative perspective of life in general,” Wilson said.

As international as the business world has become, it is unsettling to learn that business majors are not required to learn, let alone take, a foreign language during their college career. While English is the most known language in the world, Spanish, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese are invaluable assets when delving into a career of commerce.

Similarly, nurses, who work with an incredibly diverse group of people and languages, are not required to take a foreign language as

WNCC instructors (from left) Stacy Wilson, Olga Katkova, Gustavo Seminario, and Yelena Khanevskaya display signs indicating the foreign languages that they’re fluent in. a prerequisite. While the nursing program is indeed one of the most difficult majors, it is also incredibly beneficial as a nurse to have multiple languages in one’s arsenal.

“One person can become three different people if they speak three different languages. Physically you are one, but mentally you are three. You connect with people on a different level if you speak their language,” Seminario said.

As disheartening as the idea of college graduates not taking or knowing a second language is, it is even more demoralizing to know that our primary schools do little in the way of promoting foreign language learning.

The best time for anyone to learn a second language is when one is learning his or her first language. Although this has been proven time and time again, our elementary school systems throughout the U.S. fail in delivering any kind of secondary language education to our youth.

Additionally, the individual initiative

taken by parents to include a foreign language in the upbringing of their children is unimpressive, to say the least. While, granted, it should be the responsibility of the school district to provide some opportunity for foreign language learning, it is ultimately the parents’ duty to insist upon the school systems offering a foreign language.

“For me, it is rewarding to be able to communicate with English speakers freely and to be able to express myself in a way that is understood and is appropriate from another culture’s standpoint,” Khanevskoya said.

If we are to continue to mature as a country, citizens need to take an active part in the shaping and prioritizing of not only our own personal futures, but of the future of generations to come. A second, third, or fourth language is an invaluable asset in today’s ever shrinking world, and instead of trying to play catch up with the rest of the world, we should be at the forefront of the language curve.

Q: What was it like working at the high school?

A: I liked working at the high school. Students, when they are in high school, are really starting to explore more of their adult side while still dealing with the teenage problems; they are starting to focus on maybe what their career is going to hold for them. I liked the teachers that I worked with. I liked the students. It was a fun opportunity. I felt like I could help the school system be better at preparing students to leave high school and take the next step.

in high school or college, and some of the issues are the same. They need to know that someone cares about them, that they have a contact in the school that will help them along. The difference here is that some of our students are even older than I am, so I have to learn to deal with students that have different types of issues, such as [maybe] they were successful at a job, but they have been laid off, and now they are coming back to school to get re-trained. I also have to learn that students who are a little bit older do have different type of issues because they are seeing the end of their teenage years and becoming adults much quicker than a high school student. So, there are some differences, but they are good differences, and I’m enjoying exploring those differences with students.

Schmucker Continued from page 1 Q: What was high school like for you as a child? What were your best and worst subjects?

A: I liked high school. I was in a lot of activities.

I wasn’t a really good athlete, but I did go out for sports. I was a good musician, so I was in band and choir. I did very well there. As far as classes, I did pretty well in all of my classes. Probably the least favorite were all the science classes. I enjoyed English and history classes.

Q: How would you describe your college experience?

A: Like a lot of college students who move away from home to go to college, I had to find my boundaries. The first year I probably spent too much time in wild life. After that, I learned that I finally had to study and go to my classes.

It was a good learning experience, like college always is. I was involved in a lot of musical activities. I was in the marching band, and I got to do a lot of traveling. I went to five big bowl games with the University of Nebraska football team, so it was a great time in my life. Also, I met my wife there. I have a lot of fun memories of college.

Q: Who’s been the most influential person in your life?

A: My parents were very influential in my early years. They set my foundation for my life, and later on I had some teachers in high school and college who were very influential toward my career.

Q: What’s the one piece of advice you would give to college students?

A: Actually, I would have two. One would be to keep your dreams and goals in front of you, and the second one would be don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Q: What was the best thing about working there?

A: I really enjoyed working with the teachers and the counselors. They had a busy and hard job, yet all of the people that I worked with love their jobs because they love working with students. So my favorite part was seeing how the teachers and the counselors cared about the students, and what they would do to help them. Some of them would go beyond the call of duty to help students.

Q: What was the transition like going from working at a high school to working at a college?

A: I think the major goals are the same of helping students grow. We want to teach them the content, knowledge and skills that they need to be successful later in life and also help them grow in social skills and time management skills. I think those types of goals are the same between high school and college. The other transitional thing that I had to learn was the governance. In high school or in middle school as a principal, I would have to work with the students and with the teachers. At college in my role now as Dean of Students, I have to remember that my role is to work with and for students, and that the Dean of Instruction works with the faculty. That takes some getting used to – that I don’t have the responsibility for everyone like I used to. I learned that my boundaries are important and that I have to follow them, so I won’t step on someone else’s toes.

Q: For those people who don’t know what the Dean of Students job is, how would you describe your duties?

A: Well, probably the one where I would intersect with students the most would be that I’m the judicial officer for the college, so if a student violates the code of conduct for the college, I would probably be talking to them and maybe issuing some sanctions. I also serve on a number of committees designed to help the college run better, and to do activities with students. I’m on the student services committee where we talk about our department and how we can better help students. I’m a co-sponsor of the student government. I help with some student organizations. Also, I supervise several people who work with students here in the cave, such as the transfer counselor, the director of residence life, and all of the people that work at the residence halls. I have a lot of people under me who do a lot of work with students, so I’m trying to learn their jobs and what their expectations are of me.

Q: Is it different dealing with high school students compared to college students?

A: There are some differences and similarities. The similarities are that students have issues that they have to deal with no matter if they are

Q: What do you love most about your job right now?

A: What I love most about my job is that I get to work with students. I have always liked working with students. That’s why I became a teacher 36 years ago. That’s the best part of my job – to be able to interact with students, say ‘Hi’ or “How are you doing?” and, hopefully, if they have problems, be able to help them.

theSpectator

2012-13 Staff Members

Letter to the Editor Policy

Western Nebraska Community College

Katie Peterson, Reporter Alexandria Moree, Reporter Abner P.izano, Reporter Heidi Hancock, Reporter Danielle Hearn, Reporter Johnny Escamilla, Reporter Joy Aniteye, Reporter John Bahr, Reporter Kayla Romey, Layout

Q: If you could write your own bill of rights, what would you include?

A: I actually like the original bill of rights.

They say it all, but I would include a stronger emphasis on the right to personal happiness as long as it does not interfere with someone else’s happiness, and to treat people better.

Contact the newspaper at: The Spectator WNCC 1601 E. 27th street Scottsbluff, Nebraska 69361 Phone: (308) 635-6058 Email: spectator@wncc.edu

Mark Rein, Production Jeff Fielder, Advisor

thespectator 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 libelous content. The letters must contain around 50 words and be typed. Letters can be sent or e-mailed to spectator@wncc.net.

The opinions in the thespectator spectator are those of the newspaper staff and do not reflect the opinion or scrutiny of WNCC, the administration, board of governors, staff or student government. Unsigned editorials reflect the opinions of the editorial board.

Signed columns reflect the opinion of the author.

News

Oct. 16, 2012 — Page 3

Your

Haunted Continued from page 1

Voice

One question, many answers!

Do you plan to vote in the 2012 Presidential Election?

Also, What is your opinion about the election this year?

“I’m actually not sure yet.

I would like to know what the candidates’ views are and what they have to “offer.” I have not watched any of the debates or been following the election closely.”

— Johathon Borges, Mitchell

“I don’t plan on voting, but I think we should keep Obama because when he went into office, it was already [a mess], so we should give him another chance” — Angel Council, Las Vegas, Nevada

“Yes, I will vote. It’s very important to the direction our country will go in the future” — Mary Davis, Torrington, Wyo. “If I get registered to vote, I will. If not, then no.

I think it is stupid. All it is are both candidates going at each other non stop, saying why they are better because the other person has done all of this stuff and that makes him bad for office. I do not enjoy politics.”

—Nicole Weiss, Ogden, Utah “Yes, my opinion on the election this year is the vote is going to be very close, and there are very many debatable issues that still need to be addressed.”

—Mathew Lee, Windsor, Colo.

“Yes, there is a clear choice on who the [President] should be, and I just hope it works out in his favor.”

— Mark Hubbard Franklin, Idaho “No, I don’t plan on voting this term.”

—Andy Padron, Miami, Fla.

— Compiled by Danielle Hearn

“I started by helping with the haunted house that the American Legion put on in Minatare for three years. Then I wanted to expand creatively—try more creatively ambitious things, so I put on my own haunted houses for three years in some abandoned house in Minatare.

I also helped with the one the high school in Minatare put on.”

But it is his son’s acquaintance with the director of The Underground Youth Center in Scottsbluff that led to his forming a new partnership that helped him get to where he is today.

“We started with 750 square feet on Broadway [at The Underground], and now we have 3,000 square feet at Fireworks Unlimited to work with. Our first year [at The Underground six years ago] we put 600 people through, and if our estimates are correct, we put through 2,063 people last year,” he said.

First known as “The Haunted House at The Underground,” it had quite a

reception from the community.

“It [was] so much fun hearing the community talk about it throughout the whole year afterward,” he said.

But for its third year, the production moved to a bigger location – the Fireworks Unlimited building in Scottsbluff.

After producing it with The Underground for five years, Lore and his creative team branched out and became its own thing: Sinister Illusions. This is its first year operating under that name.

Now, the haunted house on the corner of Beltline and Avenue I in Scottsbluff has become “something very unique to Scottsbluff,” as Lore pointed out.

“We never [however] keep any of the money we commit to charities. In the past we’ve raised money for S.O.S. (Street Outreach Services), CAPWN (Community Action Partnerships of Western Nebraska), and this year a portion of our profits are going toward the humane society.”

Based on the experiences of this writer, the tricks that Sinister Illusions plays and the punches it pulls are truly fantastic marvels. This year, returning from last year, there’s even a bridge surrounded by a gigantic, rotating cylindrical pipe with dizzying black-light lit patterns that make visitors feel like they’re turning upside-down.

It was here when unforgettable experiences with guests from past years were then shared and the hilarity ensued. Stories of “big talk” guys screaming as loud as the girls with them, long caterpillar formations of cheerleading and softball teams, people wetting themselves and vomiting, and large groups of girls so desperate to get away from scary crowd-stalkers that they hastily climb over rows of metal chairs resembling something from the sinking Titanic.

“Despite the rain or snow, it never seems to be enough to keep people from coming. We apparently are good enough to get people coming back,”

Lore said. “We’ve been especially appreciative of the company that I work at, Northwest Pipe. They’ve helped us a lot, mainly with storing all our props from each year’s haunted house, which grows every year.”

It is also worth noting that they now have enough props in storage to jam-pack the entire Cougar Den! As for the future, Lore said, “Our goal is to have our own building someday – create something more permanent. We’re currently looking at a place right now that’s twice the size of the place we’re at currently. It would make [us] very happy.”

Lore added that there’s a possibility of creating a network of haunted houses, with others operating at the same time as the one in Scottsbluff in communities such as Alliance, Sidney, Kimball.

The haunted house at the corner of Beltline and Avenue I is now in midproduction, with shows set for the last two Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in October as well as the Monday and Tuesday before Halloween.

Last year he said he contemplated retiring again, but some of his students asked him to get them through college algebra. Combs agreed, saying he would like to teach one more year.

Over the years, Combs’ contributions in the classroom have made a big impact with a number of students.

For instance, Mark Keller, a student on WNCC’s Sidney campus, said, “I think he is an outstanding teacher in all aspects.

He has a legitimate care and concern for all the students. He’ll actually stop and take time in class to make sure that you know it. If you fall behind, he will get you caught back up in the class or take time after class to make sure you understand it.”

Indeed, Combs never thought his job as a teacher ended when the lights in the classroom went off.

“I had one student that spent more time in jail than what he did in class,” Combs recalls. “The sheriff was a former student and said if he would’ve known, he would have had him do his homework in jail. This student came to me the Friday before the final and said, ‘I’m a little behind. Is there any way you can catch me up for the final?’ I replied, ‘Yeah, I could try to help you. Where you at?’ He then said, ‘I am having problems at the end of chapter one.’ I told him, ‘I’m having class until 11. I’ll help you at eight o’clock Monday morning.’ He replied, ‘I’m not much of a morning person,’ and he didn’t show up. Needless to say, he didn’t

do well on the test, either.”

Alan Smith, an intermediate algebra student on the Sidney campus, said he appreciates what Combs has already done for him.

“Al Combs is an outstanding teacher. I’ve been out of the school system for 20 years, and if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have had everything come back to me,” Smith said.

“He is patient with students, and he explains and teaches.”

Although Combs said he’ll miss teaching when he finally does retire for good, he has lots of other things to look forward in life. For example, he’s getting excited for his 50th wedding anniversary in a couple of years.

“She [Shirley] is the best thing that ever happened to me,” Combs said.

Combs Continued from page 1 Combs said his interest in math started when he was very little.

“As a kid growing up, I didn’t have television, but I had math.

I took my math problems and worked on them in school and then took them home and worked on them again,” he said. “The more I did it, the easier it became.”

After graduating from Thomas High School in Oklahoma, Combs got his bachelor’s degree from Southwestern State College in Oklahoma. He then earned his master’s degree at Chadron State College in 1966 and his superintendent studies degree at Laramie, Wyo. Combs said he wanted to go into education because it would allow him to coach. He grew up loving and playing sports, and he especially liked football, even though he went through his share of adversity in the sport. One setback came his junior year in high school football, when he suffered a broken neck. Fortunately, he recuperated from that injury and was able to play his senior year.

He was talented enough in football that he received a scholarship to play college football, but his doctor didn’t recommend it.

And since his scholarship was for tuition only, he decided that getting a job would be more beneficial to him than playing football.

Besides, not playing football allowed him more time to study – especially math.

One thing that inspired Combs to go to college – and graduate from college – was his aunt, who told him that he wouldn’t make it in college. Eventually, she would say, he would flunk out.

Combs, though, never listened to her, and he became the first one in his family to graduate from college.

After his college graduation in 1957, he started working at Potter High School. During his 43 years there, he held a number of positions, including the principal, math instructor, athletic director, and football coach. He coached football for 25 years.

His last day at the southern Panhandle school was June 30, 2000.

Combs said he has many fond memories from his days teaching and coaching in high school.

“One of the greatest compliments I had,” he said, “was last fall when a former student called me and said, ‘I’ve been thinking about this for years, and I was not going to let today pass without me talking to you. I just wanted to thank you for all the time you spent moving us around to different places [on the team] to make us better and to give us more playing time. More importantly – and everybody I talked to that played football for you feels this way – all the important things that you taught us had nothing to do with football.’”

Not surprisingly, Combs didn’t stay retired for long after he left the Potter school district. In fact, only six weeks after retiring, he started teaching math for WNCC.

Entertainment 1. On average, how long does it take for someone to fall asleep?

2. What is a city name that is located in every continent?

3. What never stops growing on a rodent?

4. Who invented the fortune cookie?

5. What is a group of rhinos called?

6. What is the fear of beards called?

7. LSD was legal in what state until 1967?

8. What primates, besides humans, can have blue eyes?

9. How much skin can a person shed, on average, in a lifetime?

10. In England, what animal must be provided with a toy?

— By Katie Peterson Source: http://www.triviachamp.com/Weird-TriviaFacts-IV.php

Oct. 16, 2012 — Page 4

Soul Calibur V welcomes you back to the ‘Stage of History’

Gamers bleed fighting games.

Indeed, a fighter burns in the soul of every gamer, and the reason why lies in a dirty little secret about games. Games are often relentlessly, mind-numbingly, ruthlessly hard.

Many games push you to your very limits, demanding every ounce of your wit, skill, reflexes, and ability to think on the fly. Some games can take months, even years, to master.

No exaggeration. Games train us and challenge us to soldier through the most frightening worlds and face up to the most menacing of foes, and we love that.

A gamer is a natural-born fighter, and fighting games capitalize on this theme more purely than other genres. It’s where that fire in us blazes most intensely—when fellow gamers become the challenge.

Soul Calibur has always been as dramatic as I when it comes to competition. “If life is a battle, then a duel is the epitome of one’s life,” the announcer would say before a duel. The world of these games tells an “untold” part of history that centers around a sword that’s seen so much slaughter throughout history that it comes alive, born from the bloodlust of mankind. Soul Edge.

But through a series of events, it is broken in two, purified and imbued with humankind’s self-righteous spirit, becoming Soul Edge’s polar opposite, Soul Calibur.

But the poetry of the series is in how these swords, which have the power to change the course of history, bring together the greatest warriors from civilizations all over the world: a ninjutsu practitioner from Japan wielding ninjato and mekki-maru, a French dualist with a rapier at his side, a staff-wielder from China during the Ming dynasty, a great-sword wielding knight from the Ottoman Empire,

Video Game Column

By Johnny “Krr’ej” Escamilla only to name a few.

But not only does Soul Calibur set itself in real historical eras, every character in the series has a back story that has grown with each installment over the last 16 years—all intertwining in very complex ways, setting up conflicts between them with ever-higher stakes each game.

As far as V goes, the fighting has never been better. Faster, flashier, much easier to execute awesome moves—this is Soul Calibur at its best, and like before, it’s all about seeing weapon masters from around the world fighting each other: bo staffs, lances, whips, axes, nunchucks, great swords, maces, etc.

Each character has between 50 and 100 combos to learn, and many of them are long strings of button presses and flicks of the stick—some 20 inputs long! You can land low, mid or high hits while your opponent has to anticipate whether to block an incoming low, mid or high hit. Kind of like “rock-paper-scissors.” But the more you block in any of those areas, the more your armor in that area is damaged.

Naturally, the more fancy the combo, the harder it is to time and juggle with the other 50-100 moves you have to keep in mind and the harder it is to anticipate if you’re the one blocking! But the more hits you land and receive, the more a certain meter is built. And the higher that meter is, the more unblockable power-attacks you can perform.

And the more hits you receive, the more likely that meter will start flashing that’ll allow you to perform a “critical edge”: a gorgeous cine-

matic super move that can turn the tables on your opponent. You can also do a quick sidestep to dodge a straight-on attack or perfectly time a guard bash with your opponent’s attack to counter them. It’s very hard to do.

The presentation has never been prettier, the menus have never been quicker, the online/ offline multiplayer is solid, and the score is as dramatic and stirring as ever. In addition, the visuals are polished, and the bloom-lighting effects make it shine like a new penny. There’s even a super hard mode that perfectly imitates the fighting styles of all the best players in the world. So what makes this installment one of the weakest in the series?

The story. Before, players could choose a character, learn their back story, and see how the whole story would change if that character won it all. It was the best part of all the games, and it was completely taken out in favor of a measly four-hour story about a brother who becomes the next wielder of Soul Calibur who’s put at odds with his long-lost sister who becomes the next puppet of Soul Edge. There isn’t even a

mode in the game where you can find out who any of the characters in the game are!

What’s worse, you only play three characters in the story, and none but the two are explored, and instead of being told the story by use of cinematics, the game uses ugly story board sketches to tell the story. It’s also worth noting that in V, set a whooping 17 years after IV, almost all the characters from the previous installments have been replaced with their descendents, and since the players never get to really know any of these new characters, they all come off as uninteresting.

In the end, it’s the fighting that will satisfy players and keep them playing. But it’s everything else that will make them feel gyped. Soul Calibur V is solid, but rather disappointing. This is a Soul Calibur that’s all calibur and no soul. But maybe the next installment in three or so years will learn from these mistakes and take into account a few wise words a player hears when he’s lost a round: “A true victor never gives up. Stand up and show your strength.”

Grade: B-

Answers: 1.7 minutes; 2.

Rome; 3. Teeth; 4. Charles Jung; 5. A crash; 6. Pogonophobia; 7. California; 8. Black Lemurs; 9. 40 pounds; 10. A pig

Sports INSIDE: Spotlight on international student-athletes at WNCC, page 7 Oct. 16, 2012

Being a soccer mom isn’t so bad after all As a kid, I remember making little jokes about the woman driving a minivan, shuffling her five kids from one place to another.

Many people call them “soccer moms.” I would never become one, I used to think. Well, that plan failed.

As it’s turned out, I am a soccer mom, and I’m proud of it.

No, I don’t have a minivan and probably never will, but I still spend my evenings shuffling my daughter from ballet, to soccer, and sometimes to volleyball. It’s a hectic schedule, and I have to move fast to keep Heidi up.

Hancock There are Commentary so many parents that gladly follow their kids from one sport to the next on a daily basis. It is a full-time job all in itself, but it’s one that most parents happily do. It can sure be a rat race some days, though, trying to figure out what to do about dinner and what time each child has to be where.

To be honest, having such a busy lifestyle cannot be accomplished without having a great deal of organization. The key component in this equation is dedication. I love to watch my daughter play, and there is no way that I would miss a single event, if I can help it.

I do play the soccer mom role in the most traditional sense, but I also have adapted in that I follow high school sports around the area.

I spend most of my nights following my sports reporter boyfriend from one game to the next. I have had to figure out how to balance all of the busy parts of my life with all the game schedules around the area. I am pretty sure that being a typical soccer mom would be easier, but then I would miss out on the joys and triumphs that all of the local athletes experience during each sports season.

Each sports season is different for me. Some are busier than others, and some are a whole lot more fun for me, but I am there for them all.

At any point, you could look in my trunk and see my “game ready” supplies. I carry around my blanket for the bleachers, bottles of water, extra sweatshirts, bug spray, sunscreen, and my handy sunflower seeds. I am always prepared.

I show up to a game just like any other soccer mom to cheer on the team. I may cheer more for one team than the other, but for the most part, I’m both sides’ biggest fan.

I think my favorite part about being the type of soccer mom that I am is the reception I get from each school. I cannot walk through a gym or a field without many parents and team members greeting me. It is an amazing feeling!

I honestly believe that this is one of the main reasons I have decided to go into athletic training. I know that my job is going to rock. You are always told to pick a profession that will make you happy, and I know without

See Heidi, page 6

Patricks giving Cougars big lift Brother, sister from Scottsbluff playing key roles on their respective WNCC soccer teams

By HEIDI HANCOCK Spectator Sports Reporter

W

hen Tyler and Megan Patrick were deciding where to go to college this year, they didn’t necessarily intend to go to the same school.

But for the brother and sister from Scottsbluff, attending WNCC has certainly worked out well for both of them. They’re not only enjoying the academic side of going to WNCC, but they’re also playing key roles as defenders on their respective Cougar soccer teams.

Megan, a 2012 Scottsbluff High School graduate, said she enjoys having her brother nearby.

“I like it. If I don’t have anything to do, I call him, and we do nothing together,” she joked.

Likewise, Tyler, a 2011 SHS graduate, said he, too, enjoys being close to his sister.

“It makes it a lot like it always has been because we have always lived together,” he said.

“I like it, though.”

Both Megan and Tyler came to WNCC after having standout athletic careers in high school. Tyler excelled for the Bearcat football and soccer teams and also for the WESTCO Zephyrs, a local senior American Legion baseball team. Megan, meanwhile, stood out in soccer in high school,

Photo by Heidi Hancock/Spectator

Tyler Patrick and his sister, Megan, are both playing soccer at Western Nebraska Community College. The Patricks are Scottsbluff High School graduates. and she also played a big role in the drama department there.

Although both enjoyed their high school careers, they seem to be having just as much fun these days at WNCC. They said attending WNCC isn’t a lot different than going to SHS.

“I like it. It’s kind of like high school because a lot of my classmates go here,” Megan said.

Megan, though, did say that playing college soccer is different than competing in high school soccer.

But that’s good because it’s more competitive, and it pushes me,” she said.

Tyler actually started his collegiate career at Hastings College, where he was part of the football team. However, he didn’t feel comfortable there.

He began tossing around the idea of transferring to WNCC after having a discussion with WNCC soccer coach Todd Rasnic.

“I saw coach (Todd) Rasnic when I went to watch the high school team play at a tournament, and he talked to me a little bit and asked if I was interested in playing here,” he said. “Two days later, I came to play at WNCC.” He hasn’t regretted his decision to come to WNCC. “It’s a lot better here,” he said. “It is so much more fun than the football program was at my last college, and soccer is my favorite sport to play.

I’m enjoying it.”

Going to school in his hometown, Tyler said, has its benefits.

“I like it because there are a lot of people that I know, and if I want to go watch the high school football team play on Friday, I just drive down the road and watch them play,” he said.

See Patricks, page 6

IN the HUDDLE: Cleber Alves de Almeida

By HEIDI HANCOCK Spectator Sports Reporter Cleber Alves de Almeida is in his first year as a student assistant volleyball coach at WNCC. Cleber came to WNCC from Brazil.

Cleber is a 2005 graduate of Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba in Piracicaba, Brazil.

Q: Why did you choose WNCC? CA: My friend Cesar (Benatti), an exassistant coach. He traveled from Brazil and told me that it was interesting and that I should come here.

Spectator photo

Q: What exactly do you do for the volleyball team?

CA: I am the student assistant coach and [help keep track of] statistics. I work with the liberos to teach them. I work with Tasha (Meyer), Alex (Rivera), and Kasey (Lafitaga).

Q: How long have you been working with the volleyball team?

CA: Just this semester, so far.

Q: Where are you originally from?

CA: San Paulo, Brazil Q: What is your major?

CA: Assistant coaching Q: Do you plan to attend another college after WNCC? CA: I want to finish here. Where (Coach

WNCC student assistant coach Cleber Alves de Almeida (center) stands with Giovana Melo (left) and Fatima Balza (right) before a game.

Giovana Melo) goes, I will follow.

Q: What is your favorite part about working with the volleyball team?

CA: I like the defense.

Q: What is your motivation or inspiration in life?

CA: First God, my family and the girls.

I love the tight community. I like representing this community and the Cougars. Only the Cougars – no other team but the Cougars.

Q: What is it like working with a national championship winning coach?

CA: Normally, volleyball is always the same. Here she changes things and analyzes

the other teams. She does not follow the normal way. Everybody does the normal way, but I am different. I like to think outside the box.

Q: What is your favorite part about the college experience?

CA: Learning a new language and making new friends. My favorite part here is the community and how they come together. It is perfect.

Q: What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

CA: Banana Q: What is your favorite movie?

CA: The “Gladiator”

Sports

Oct. 16, 2012 — Page 6

The life of a college athlete

Being a WNCC softball player is demanding, yet rewarding

Controlling the ball WNCC’s Harry Bueno controls the ball during a game against Northwest Wyoming on October 13 at the Landers Complex in Scottsbluff.

Heidi Continued from page 5 a doubt that I am in it for the long haul.

For me, being a soccer mom is no longer something to joke about; it is something I am very proud of. Not only do I have my daughter to tote around, but my boyfriend’s son as well. In addition, this year my boyfriend and I have also taken on a dorm student at WNCC. I have watched so many different games lately that I have been dreaming about sports. I can’t complain, though. Every day in my life is an adventure.

I never thought I would love being a soccer mom this much!

Heidi Hancock is a student at WNCC. She is a sports reporter for The Spectator.

Many people don’t know what it takes to be an athlete or what an athlete’s day really consist of. As a WNCC softball player, my daily schedule is different compared to many other students.

My teammates and I are mainly viewed as being just softball players, but actually, we are full-time students first.

Typically, I wake up at 5:30 a.m. and quickly get dressed to participate in softball workouts in the Cougar Palace gym. These morning workouts consist of two groups.

Group A includes all the pitchers and catchers, and Group B includes the position players. I am in Group B. Before the groups leave for the gym, they meet in the dorm lobby to make sure everyone is up.

Then we walk to the gymnasium together as a team.

During morning workouts, we do a variety of plyometrics: box jumps, ladders, jump ropes, sprints, hurdles, and other exercises that help improve explosion, quickness, leg strength, and endurance.

After were done doing plyometrics, we run sprints to improve our speed. We also do abs circuits, which strengthen our core. Once morning workouts are over, many athletes head to the training room to put ice on their injuries or on areas of the body that are sore.

For those who aren’t involved in softball, it might seem crazy to wake up so early to work out. However, I find it very rewarding. As athletes, we must stay in the best shape possible.

These workouts make us better athletes every day, and not just physically but mentally also.

When people think of sports, they often think about of the physical aspect of it. But being tough mentally is just as important as being strong physically. Running and pushing your body to a limit every day makes you mentally

stronger. When you’re tired, you know you can keep pushing and staying in control. That helps in games because when you’re involved in a pressure situation and you’re mentally strong, you are more confident in what you are doing. If one has confidence, he or she can do anything. Confidence is dangerous.

Right after morning workouts, I have class at 8 a.m. I usually grab food from the Cougar Den and then go straight to class. It’s during the day when I really feel like a student. I usually have class all day, and if I don’t have class, I have to complete lab hours. A lab hour is like a study hall our softball coach has scheduled for us during the day. If we have a math

By Danielle Hearn class, we have to go to the Commentary math lab, and if we have an English class, we have to go to the Writing Lab. Our coach has each player schedule a specific time that she has to be in the lab working on math or writing homework. I have three hours of math lab and three hours of writing lab each week. I have math labs on Tuesdays and Thursdays and writing labs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

When classes and labs are over, we have our afternoon practice. Practice starts at 2:30 p.m. and usually goes until 5:30. These practices take place at Volunteer Field. We do many different drills. We usually work on defense first and then finish with offense.

The afternoon practice is my favorite time of the day because I get to play softball with my teammates.

After practice, we go to the cafeteria. Since

Most Valuable Cougar

A big part of Tyler and Megan’s day, however, is spent with their respective soccer teams. But that’s OK, they said. They like competing, and they’ve enjoyed forming a close bond with their teammates.

“On the soccer team in high school you got to know your whole team, and they were your best friends, and it’s like that now,” Megan said.

Tyler added, “The soccer team has been my favorite part, having all those guys around. If you want to do something, you have those guys to hang out with, and everyone knows each other really well.”

Both Tyler and Megan said they give each other a lot of support in soccer. And for Megan, she even

Grade: Sophomore Major: Criminal Justice Sport: Soccer Position: Right fullback Hobbies/Interests: “Snowboarding, horses, being with my girlfriend” Favorite movie: “Hitch”

Comments: “I enjoy playing at WNCC and hope to move on to a four-year school next year and continue my career.”

— By Heidi Hancock

draws extra motivation from her brother.

“I tell myself that I want to be better than Tyler, so that makes me go,” she said, smiling.

While both Tyler and Megan are focused right now on helping their Cougar soccer teams improve, they have started to think about their future beyond WNCC. Tyler is unsure where he wants to go to school next, although he would like to keep competing in soccer.

“I am going to keep going with soccer and see if I can get a scholarship to move on somewhere,” he said.

As for Megan, she already knows where she wants to go after graduating from WNCC – the University of Wyoming.

Megan Patrick looks to take the ball downfield during a game against Northwest Wyoming on Oct. 13.

Scoreboard

Mark Hubbard Mark Hubbard is a captain for the WNCC men’s soccer team.

He hails from Franklin, Idaho.

Hubbard is a graduate of Preston High School.

Danielle Hearn is in her second year on the WNCC softball team. She is a reporter for The Spectator.

Patricks Continued from page 5

MVC

the majority of our teammates live on campus, we all eat in the dining hall. We usually sit together and eat as a team. After dinner, we go to study hall. This study hall is required by our coach. The entire team sits together in a classroom and works on homework. Our assistant coaches run the study hall, which runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

As you can see, we spend a lot of time studying. Academics are very important to our team. We are always students first, then athletes. We take pride in our studies.

I think study hall and lab hours are great, for they force me to concentrate on school, and I get as much help as I need. I am able to get all my homework done, and I often have extra time to get ahead in class. These study halls and lab hours make college less stressful because I always feel like I have plenty of time to get my homework done.

Having morning and afternoon softball workouts, going to study hall each day, and taking 18 hours of credits might seem like quite a load. But I enjoy it. It pushes me to be the best person I can be. Yes, it’s a demanding schedule, but it’s helping me learn how to juggle many tasks at the same time.

I’ve become more responsible, and I’ve also learned what it truly means to be dedicated to something.

I wouldn’t trade what I do every day for anything. Having a busy, demanding schedule forces me to grow up and learn how to take responsibility for everything I do both as a student and as an athlete. And I know I’ll have a brighter future because of it.

Volleyball Volleyball Schedule @ Iowa Western Tourney 8/24 Eastern Arizona Won — 25-20, 25-11, 25-21 8/24 Iowa Western C.C. Lost — 14-25, 11-25, 21-25 8/25 Iowa Lakes C.C. Won — 25-15, 25-15, 27-25 8/25 Jefferson College Won — 25-15, 25-10, 25-22 8/28 @ Casper College Won —25-16, 25-23, 23-25, 25-12 @ Salt Lake C.C. Tourney 8/31 Southern Idaho Won — 25-18, 25-21, 20-25, 25-22 8/31 Salt Lake Community College Won — 25-21, 20-25, 25-19, 18-25, 15-11 9/1 North Idaho College Lost — 25-19, 19-25, 20-25, 16-25 9/1 Snow College Won — 25-23, 25-17, 26-24 @ CSI Tournament 9/7 College of Central Florida Won — 25-23, 25-21, 25-21 9/7 Barton Community College

Won — 25-15, 25-17, 25-10 9/8 Laramie County C.C. Won — 25-19, 25-16, 25-15 9/8 Miami Dade College Won — 25-17, 21-25, 25-10, 25-25, 15-9 9/11 Eastern Wyoming College Won — 25-12, 25-10, 25-22 @ Pizza Hut Invite in Sterling 9/14 Hutchinson C.C. Won — 25-22, 25-15, 25-11 9/14 North Platte C.C. Won — 25-11, 25-23, 25-15 \9/15 Lamar Community College Won — 25-11, 25-17, 25-18 9/15 Salt Lake C.C. Won — 23-25, 29-27, 25-17, 25-12 9/20 Western Wyoming C.C. Won — 23-25, 25-14, 25-11, 25-18 9/21-22 Wyo-Braska Shootout 9/21 Sheridan College Won — 25-11, 25-16, 25-15 9/21 Laramie County Won — 25-11, 25-176, 25-9 9/22 Central Wyoming Won — 25-7, 25-19, 25-9 9/22 Northwest College Won — 25-17, 25-14, 25-20 9/25 McCook C.C. Won —25-9, 25-10, 25-9 9/27 Otero J.C. Won — 25-11, 25-13, 25-16 9/28 Lamar C.C. Won — 25-10, 25-18, 25-12 9/29 Trinidad State J.C. Won — 25-13, 25-19, 25-19 10/2 @ Eastern Wyoming Won — 25-6, 25-13, 25-14 10/8 @ Western Wyoming Won — 25-23, 25-15, 25-18 10/11 @ Otero J.C. Won — 25-21, 25-20, 25-6 10/12 @ Lamar C.C. Won — 25-11, 25-12, 25-15 10/13 @ Trinidad State Won — 26-24, 25-12, 25-20 10/16 @ McCook C.C., 7 p.m.

10/19 Northeastern J.C., 7 p.m.

10/20 Casper College. 7 p.m.

10/24 @ Northeastern J.C., 7 p.m.

11/1-3 @ Regionals in McCook

Men’s Soccer Men’s Soccer Schedule 9/1 @ Pratt C.C. Lost — 1-3 9/2 @ Barton Community College Lost — 0-6 9/8 Northwest Kansas Tech Won — 4-3 9/14 @ Northwest Wyoming Lost — 1-4 9/15 @ Western Wyoming Lost — 1-5 9/19 Laramie County CC Lost — 3-5 9/21 @ Northeastern Colorado Won —3-2 9/23 Lamar C.C. Won — 8-1 9/28 @ Otero J.C. Lost — 0-2 9/29 @ Trinidad State J.C. Lost — 1-3 10/3 @ Laramie County Lost -- 0-3 10/5 Northeastern Colorado Won —3-2 OT 10/12 Western Wyoming Lost — 2-3 2OT 10/13 Northwest Wyoming Lost — 2-3 10/19 Trinidad State, 3 p.m.

10/20 Otero J.C., Noon

Women’s Soccer Women’s Soccer Schedule 9/1 @ Pratt C.C. Won — 2-1 9/2 @ Barton Community College Lost — 0-4 9/8 Northwest Kansas Tech Won — 2-1 9/14 @ Northwest Wyoming Lost — 1-4 9/15 @ Western Wyoming Lost — 1-2, 2OT 9/19 Laramie County CC Lost 0-6 9/28 @ Otero J.C. Lost — 0-3 9/29 @ Trinidad State J.C. Lost — 0-6 10/3 @ Laramie County Lost — 0-5 10/12 Western Wyoming Tie — 0-0 10/13 Northwest Wyoming Lost — 0-3 10/19 Trinidad State, 1 p.m.

10/20 Otero J.C., 2 p.m.

Sports Luiza Martins  Sport: Volleyball  Country: Brazil (Rio de Janerio)  Class: Freshman  Interests: “Going out with my friends, and staying with my family.”  Nickname: Lou or Louie

Oct. 16, 2012 — Page 7

Spotlight on WNCC’s International Athletes Compiled by Heidi Hancock

Gatosh Dawtang  Sport: Basketball  Country: Sudan  Class: Freshman  Interests: “I like to study and try to get my classes together to get good grades.”  Nickname: Peter

Felix Ojeda Sanchez  Sport: Baseball  Country: Venezuela  Class: Freshman  Interests: Listens to music  Nickname: King Felix

Cedric Desmedt  Sport: Baseball  Country: Belgium  Class: Freshman  Interests: Hanging out with teammates and watching TV  Nickname: Waffles

Clara Heimlich  Sport: Soccer  Country: Germany  Class: Freshman  Interests: Going to the cinema, shopping, and being with friends  Nickname: Germany

Sabastian Suarez  Sport: Basketball  Country: Chile (Ancud)  Class: Sophomore  Interests: Listening to music, relaxing in the dorms, and hanging out with his girlfriend  Nickname: Chapa

Gritt Ryder  Sport: Basketball  Country: Denmark (Rungsted Kyst)  Class: Sophomore  Interests: “I spend a lot of time with my teammates doing team bonding. Watching TV and hanging out.”  Nickname: Gritt or Denmark

Grant Piccoli  Sport: Baseball  Country: Australia (Sydney)  Class: Freshman  Interests: Going to the beach, hanging out with friends, and going to other sporting events  Nickname: Australia or Oi

Chris Wescombe  Sport: Baseball  Country: Australia  Class: Freshman  Interests: Looking at the internet, listening to music, and playing Xbox  Nickname: None

Adhemar Lino  Sport: Soccer  Country: Bolivia (Santa Cruz)  Class: Sophomore  Interests: Hanging out with friends, watching movies, listening to music, Skyping with family  Nickname: Lina or Grandpa

Youssoupha Kane  Sport: Basketball  Country: Senegal (Dakar)  Class: Freshman  Interests: Studying  Nickname: None

Doudou Gueye  Sport: Basketball  Country: Senegal (Dakar)  Class: Freshman  Interests: Studying, listening to music, and watching movies.  Nickname: None

Francisco Rivas  Sport: Baseball  Country: Venezuela  Class: Freshman  Interests: Going to the swimming pool and listening to music.  Nickname: Frankie

Melanie Rowson  Sport: Softball  Country: Canada (Vancouver, British Columbia)  Class: Freshman  Interests: Snowboarding, wakeboarding, and running  Nickname: Mel

Daniel Agnew  Sport: Soccer  Country: Ireland (Ballymena)  Class: Freshman  Interests: Watching TV, hanging out with friends.  Nickname: Dan

Evgenia-Jess Samorodova  Sport: Basketball  Country: Russia  Class: Freshman  Interests: Sleeping, spending time with friends, and going to baseball and softball games  Nickname: Jess or Russia

Yoro Tovar  Sport: Volleyball  Country: Yacacuy (Veroes)  Class: Freshman  Interests: Sleeping, playing pool, and hanging out at the dorms  Nickname: Yoro

Nick Vanthillo  Sport: Baseball  Country: Belgium (Brasschaat)  Class: Sophomore  Interests: Golfing and hanging out with friends on the team  Nickname: Belgium

Thomas Wright  Sport: Soccer  Country: Ireland (Portlaoise)  Class: Freshman  Interests: “Hanging out with family and playing Gaelic football.”  Nickname: Tom

Jack Cutler  Sport: Soccer  Country: England (Filton)  Class: Freshman  Interests: “Watching TV and chilling with family and friends.”  Nickname: None

Idil Ozbayrak  Sport: Basketball  Country: Turkey (Ankara)  Class: Sophomore  Interests: Spending time with friends, talking, and watching movies  Nickname: Turkey

Priscila Mendes  Sport: Volleyball  Country: Brazil (Guiania)  Class: Freshman  Interests: “I like to listen to music, watch movies and sleep.”  Nickname: Pri

Upcoming Business & Community Education Classes Professional Development Bob Ross Painting Techniques Bob Ross believed that everyone who wanted to paint, could paint like a natural with the right tools and a little encouragement. Come and experience the joy and confidence of painting a beautiful landscape using the Ross wet on wet technique.

Date: Oct 20, Nov 17, OR Dec 15 Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Cost: $70 Intermediate Acoustic Guitar This course adds more accompaniment skills to your guitar playing. If you’ve completed beginning acoustic guitar, or if you know how to pluck and strum some chords on a guitar; we’ll add some chords and strums to your playing.

Date: Nov 7 – Dec 19 (Wednesdays) Time: 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Cost: $30

All of the classes listed in this ad are held at the John N. Harms Advanced Technology Center.

Personal Interest Your Online Presence Curb Appeal Tourism Partners... as you know a majority of travel plans today are made via the internet. Is your website yielding the results you want? This fun, interactive, and informative workshop will show you ways your online presence can capitalize on tourism and make the most of the internet. Learn how to take YOUR business to the next level.

Date: Oct 26 Time: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Cost: $15

Digital Camera II Further develop your skills in composing and taking photographs. You will use advanced composition and lighting to shoot photography with a digital camera. You will also use Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0 to do advanced image editing techniques to crop, manipulate, repair and retouch your photographs.

Date: Oct 24 – Nov 28 (Wednesdays) Time: 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Cost: $96.50

Excel II This course will focus on the use of spreadsheet software to understand the principles in using complex formulas and functions, creating macros, multi-level sorting, filtering data, chart enhancements, and retrieving data on the World Wide Web. Flash drive is required.

Date: Nov 7 & Nov 14 Time: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Cost: $96.50, plus book

Russian Language and Culture Come and join us for a laid back, fun class to learn some of the most popular words and sentences in the Russian language. This class also introduces Russian culture, food, family dynamics, traditions and holidays, and much more. Presented by WNCC faculty member and Russian native Olga Katkova.

Date: Oct 30, Nov 1, 6, 8, 13, 15 Time: 5:15 – 7:15 p.m.

Cost: $30

To register, call 308.635.6700. For all upcoming Business & Community Education classes and descriptions, visit wncc.edu.

Backpage

Oct. 16, 2012 — Page 8

What you didn’t know about Tajikistan “

People think that I should have narrow eyes because I’m Asian. Not all Asian people are Oriental,” recounts Rasim Ibrokhimou, a student at WNCC. Ibrokhimou calmly continues explaining that his native country of Tajikistan is situated in central Asia, with his hometown Dushanbe, the capitol, nestled at the western end of the country.

Bakhodur Marupov, also from Dushanbe, says that the biggest misconception he has heard about his country is that “people think it is the desert, it’s hot all the time, or that it is always cold like Russia. We have four seasons.

It’s very similar to here.”

Both Ibrokhimou and Marupov found their way to Scottsbluff for the purpose of studying at Western Nebraska Community College, leaving Dushanbe more than 14,000 miles away.

Dushanbe, the Persian word for “Monday,” was originally home to the Monday market sight; however; it quickly became a bustling metropolis. With a population of nearly 700,000, Dushanbe is the largest city of the 55-thousand-square-mile country. Located at the convergence of two rivers, Varzob and Kofarnihon, both Ibrokhimou and Marupov agree that the capitol is indeed the first place any tourist

International Country Spotlight: Tajikistan

By Alexandria Moree

need visit. For traveling purposes, Dushanbe is the most convenient city to fly in and out of thanks to the Dushanbe International Airport, which contracts with almost 20 airlines.

Located on the lower slopes of the Hissar Mountains above Kafirnigan Valley, Dushanbe is a bit off the beaten track as far as tourism goes. A short five kilometer trip outside of Dushanbe is the Nurek Dam in the Vaksh River, which is the tallest dam in the world.

Standing 300 meters tall, the dam provides the capitol city with the majority of its electricity as well as beautiful scenic views of the lush, green mountains surrounding it. The hiking, bik-

Flu

With the vast majority of Tajik people being of Islamic faith, alcohol is not a major part of their culture. However, Ibrokhimou explained that while people are Islamic there is a separation of religion and state, so people are allowed to drink.

“If you are going to drink, you go out with your friends. We don’t drink with our families,” Ibrokhimou said, adding that when they do drink, it is generally vodka.

A few hours north of Dushanbe is the second largest city of Tajikistan, Khujand. Sitting on the Syr Darya River, Khujand is the top grossing city in Tajikistan when it comes to tourism. The Khujand International Airport, contracting with over a dozen airlines, is also an option when flying into Tajikistan. Known for its scenic views and beautiful beachside resorts, Khujand is a vacation getaway to the residence of Tajikistan and its surrounding countries.

Bordered by Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, and Afghanistan, Tajikistan is one of the world’s youngest countries. Food carts, beach side resorts, and a shot of vodka may be just what you need in your next international excursion.

The CDC recently introduced its 2012-2013 influenza vaccine that will protect against three different strains of influenza: one influenza A (H3N2) virus, one influenza A (H1N1) virus, and one influenza B virus. While the H1N1 portion of the vaccine will fight the 2009 flu strain, the CDC believes that this is necessary due to the fact that this particular strain of influenza has continued to spread since 2009.

While the CDC claims that the flu shot has helped contain the spread of influenza, the statistics are against them.

The CDC itself estimates that from the 1976–77 influenza season to the 2006–07 season, influenza-related deaths ranged from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000.

A jump of 47,000 in 30 years is more than disheartening, especially since the scientific and medical communities have made some of their biggest advancements in that time.

Also unsettling when one considers whether to get the flu shot is the fact that it is a guess at which strain of the flu will be most prevalent this year. That means that while there are scientific studies and research that point to one particular strain being the most widespread, it is still only a guess on the part of the CDC. Nevertheless, the CDC remains adamant that the seasonal vaccine is the best way to protect oneself from the seasonal flu.

There are a few reasons, however, not to get the flu shot: people who are allergic to eggs, those who have had a bad reaction to a previous influenza vaccine, and those who have a history of GuillainBarré Syndrome (GBS).

Walgreens is now offering the influenza vaccination for $31.99.

Regional West Medical Center (RWMC) is offering drive-thru flu clinics for the general public.

For further information or questions about the influenza vaccine, call the Community Health Department at RWMC (308) 6301126 or your family doctor.

What do you think?

Favorite Drink

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor

Favorite Sport

Favorite Athlete

Kenia Olivas

Ice tea

Cheesecake

Basketball

Michael Jordan

America Parra

Dr. Pepper

Chocolate

Sand volleyball

Reggie Bush

Adriana Johnson

A Successful ‘Nickel and Dimed’

Blackberry ice tea

Cookie dough

Volleyball

Tim Tebow

Nathan Richard

Continued from page 1

ing, and sightseeing opportunities afforded to one traveling to Dushanbe are endless. Lake Sarez, located a short drive outside of Dushanbe, only adds to the plethora of activities awaiting the adventurist tourist.

Although Tajik is the official language of Tajikistan, Russian is an incredibly common second language. Not surprisingly, Tajikistan gained its independence from the Soviet Union a mere 22 years ago, after the disintegration of the power house of northern Asia.

“Independence day is really important to us,” says Ibrokhimou, when questioned about the most important holiday in Tajikistan.

Every Sept. 9, the streets of his

native city are filled with citizens cheering and military personnel parading down the street.

Transportation in Tajikistan, as is common throughout most of the world outside of the United States, has an excellent public transportation system. The most common form of transportation is the “micro-bus.”

“They are very cheap. You give the driver a quarter, and he’ll take you wherever you want to go,” says Marupov.

Along with a different transportation system, the restaurant system is a bit different than what we are used to.

“Restaurants are called tea houses,” Marupov explains, saying that these tea houses are what serve the local cuisine of Tajikistan. When pressed about the must try dish of the country, both Ibrokhimou and Marupov quickly answered, “Osh.” A traditional Tajik dish, Osh is comparable to a pilaf and is prepared with rice, meat, and various vegetables.

If Osh is the dish of choice, then tea is hands down the preferred drink, consumed with most meals, before bed, and at any other time during the day that a cup of tea strikes one’s fancy.

Dr. Pepper

Chocolate

Football

Tim Tebow

Spectator Photo

Michala Ormistron drives the car during a scene in the WNCC play ‘Nickel and Dimed’ while her housecleaning partners (from left) Tamara Schenewerk, Gissel Gonzalez and Lisa Betz ride alone to their next appointment. The play was presented Oct. 12-14.