Breakaway / Spring 2011

Garden City Community College’s Student Magazine

Spring 2011 | Vol. 20 | Issue 2

Disconnected

MASKING THE PAINThey laugh at your jokes. They go with you to a party,but something just seems off. Find out what might be lying beneath the surface.

2010 KACP ALL-KANSAS AWARD2008 KACP ALL-KANSAS AWARD2007 KACP ALL-KANSAS AWARD2006 CMA BEST OF COLLEGIATE DESIGN • 1ST PLACE TABLE

OF CONTENTS • 3RD PLACE

FEATURE SPREAD2006 KACP GOLD MEDALIST2005 KACP ALL-KANSAS AWARD2005 SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS • 2ND, REGION 7 MARK

OF EXCELLENCE

FUNDING FOR BREAKAWAY magazine comes from student fees. Content published in the magazine does not necessar-ily represent the views of the college or college personnel. The Breakaway magazine is a designated public forum. It is not to be construed as a promotional item published by college personnel. Student editors make all content decisions. Faculty adviser is Laura York Guy. Letters to the editor are welcome and may be sent to Breakaway magazine, 801 Campus Drive, Garden City, KS 67846 or via e-mail to [email protected]. Volume 20, Issue 2 of the Breakaway was produced by Garden City Community College’s Breakaway staff and printed by Jostens, Topeka, Kan. The press run was 1,500. The 32-page magazine was designed on Macintosh computers using Adobe Creative Suites 3.

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04� Student Life: Running against time With all the activities and responsibilities, col-

lege students don't have as much time as it seems. They're running against the clock to be in many places at the same time.

08� technoLogy: tMi Think before you post, your identity, life and future

could be at risk.

12�SpoRtS: Man -vs- world Through the love of the sport, he continues to push

through many struggles that life gives, and nothing will make him tap out.

29�RandoM gab: Intelligenceatyourfingertips College students rely on cell phones for everything.

So read this random gab before you send that break up text to your boyfriend/girlfriend.

26�expReSSionS: creative writing Creative writing is not just writing, but developing

your thoughts and feelings to an amazing poem or short story.

Garden City Community College's Student Magazine Spring 2011 | Vol. 20 | Issue 2

10�Whatthe... Ever had any weird texts? View random and

interesting texts your peers have to share.

16�COVERSTORY:Maskingthepain Mental disorders were once taboo. Now stu-

dents are revealing their behavioral and psy-chological problems to seek help.

22�Two-faced See the two sides of the coin. Discover your

peers' true identities through the various ac-tivities they are passionate about.

BREAKAWAY

Departments features

COVER STORY Socializing with friends is a normal part of college life. Finding a healthy balance between academics and fun can sometimes take its toll, leaving some students feeling disconnected. We explore how anxiety affects students as well as where they can go for help.

page 16

Hello hello… as the new editor-in-chief of the Breakaway, I’m proud to present to you our new spring is-sue. We are back, and this time we have five new staff members with lots of new and creative ideas. We decided to go with “Disconnected” as our theme, and by the time you get through the magazine, you will be informed about peers who are more than just college students. Also, you will learn about why you should not be giving out too much information on your social networks, and hopefully you have a new perspective of not sharing and updating every minute of your life to the whole world. Another

story of our issue focuses on how communication has dramatically changed over the generations with all the new technology, which has been declining our face-to-face conversations. The major topic of this issue focuses on mental illness-es that are undetected and avoided. You see students on campus every-day, but are they really what they appear to be? I really hope you en-joy the stories, photos and overall work that was put into this issue. After long hours of lab time, this is-sue was finally completed. The pro-cess will soon start all over again; so don’t forget to pick up our next issue in May!

Editor’s Letter

Cristy Figueroa

Earn $$$ while you learn.Staff scholarships available for editors, writers, designers and photographer. Contact Faculty Adviser Laura Guy at [email protected].

You think You have issues?

We have issues

Reporting Design Photography

CF&DS

Allyson Maturey � Creative director, I am a fresh-man and this is my first time being on the staff. I think both old and new staff have unique talents that will make this mag-azine issue POP!

Gabby Stout � I am a sopho-more. I help make the magazine less serious with my random words and ideas. Being a writer for the magazine is the best thing to happen to me. I love it so much! It is awesome.

Anahi Sosa � I am a sopho-more, this is my first time on the magazine, being the photo editor gives me the opportunity to extend my creativity and tal-ent as a photographer.

Jesus Lozoya � New semes-ter, new things to experiment and do. I’m now the GC3 opera-tion manager. As a mass commu-nications major this gives me a competitive edge to find a career in today’s American workforce.

Boomer Pauda � Business manager, I’m a freshman and pre-nursing student. I bring a little bit of everything to the Breakaway, from designing ads and page layouts to writing an article about Facebook.

Maribel Mendez � Writer and designer, this is my first time on the magazine but with my experience in newspaper, I hope to contribute many interesting stories.

Fernando Gomez � Writer, this is my first year on the Breakaway, and I’m hoping to add my own writing creativity to this issue.

Sarah Norris � This is my final semester at GCCC, as copy editor for the Breakaway, I’m in-volved in something that allows me to display my creativity and desire to succeed in a career of design and journalism.

Staff

Ronda McFadden, D.D.S1123 E. Kansas Plaza

Garden City, KS 67846(620)271-9200

Fax (620)271-9205

Taking new patients One-hour whitening Accept all insurance

Jo Kinzie, R.D.HKylee Mills, R.D.H

Hablamos Español

breakaway | spring 20114

Running AgAinst

timeThese students aren’t your stereotypical college students. They juggle so many things, they often meet themselves coming and going. Find out how they manage to juggle classes, work and family.

mariah Trujillo starts her home-work at midnight. Though do-ing homework so late seems

immature, she is not a procrastinator.“A typical day for me, if it is during the

week I wake up at 8 a.m., and start to go to class, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” Trujillo, Garden City, said. “I have everything planned out.”

She begins her day attending classes. In between classes, she works in the college admissions office. After classes she works as a waitress at Golden Corral. At 10:30 p.m., she goes to work for her mother’s cleaning business.

Before attending GCCC, Trujillo was home schooled. Now, as a sophomore in college, she is involved with Student Government Association (SGA), His-panic of America Leadership Organiza-tion (HALO), Student Support Services (SSS) and Phi Theta Kappa (PTK). She said SGA is the organization that takes most of her time.

“Being one that helped choose the next president is an experience that not many people have the chance to tell,” she said.

“HALO is the most involved club on campus,” Trujillo said. “We do service projects for the community.”

Her involvement in SSS is educational as well.

“We sometimes have lunch-learning sessions where we usually have a speaker talk to us about college experiences or scholarships and maybe Financial Aid,” Trujillo said.

Satisfied with everything she’s been able to do so far, Trujillo said she thinks she’s fairly accomplished.

“I think I have accomplished more than most people my age, having my diploma and stuff before I turn 18, and everything [else] that I have been able to do.”

As a PTK member, she has to maintain a minimum 3.5 grade point average.

Trujillo, as an active member of various

organizations, has learned many skills, such as public speaking, which has boost-ed her confidence.

“I feel a little more confident in my abili-ties and the things I do,” Trujillo said.

Two jobs, a full load of classes and time-consuming activities don’t discourage her.

“I turn it [adversities] around and instead of bringing me down I just use it to motivate and push me even more,” she said. “I just take every day at a time, just one step at a time. You never know what’s getting thrown at you, so you have to be prepared for whatever it is,” Trujillo said.

STORY BY JESUS LOZOYA & ANAHI SOSADESIGN BY JESUS LOZOYA


Student Life

photo illustration by Jesus lozoya

breakaway | spring 2011 5

Running AgAinst

time

Trujillo received her certification to be a nurse’s aid (CNA) when she turned 16.

“I’d planned to do nursing since I was 15 years old,” she said.

Although she has explored wild life conservation biology as a major, saying it is her true passion, she is still pursuing nursing.

“I know that in this economy how it is. I really need a job that can support me. I’m kind of my own,” Trujillo said. “I figured that if I work hard enough as a nurse, I could take maybe a month out of the sum-mer to go and volunteer my time to differ-ent conservation projects,” she said.

“[As a nurse] you have to be a leader because you have to know your staff and be on top of your game because in that area you never know what’s going to be thrown at you,” she said.

As someone who was sick during most of her high school years, which was a lead-ing reason for her to be home schooled, she was excited to attend college.

“I never thought that I would be able to go to college,” Trujillo said. “My family does not really believe its necessary to go to college. They were proud of me when I got my CNA, but they wanted me to stop there, but I wanted to so much more and

I knew I could do it. I knew I’d be good at it,” Trujillo said.

Concerned about expenses, she saw all the help that was available to her by being involved in organizations.

“I mean if I didn’t have school, what would I have?”

College takes student from ‘lost’ to ‘found’For Susan Harms, college has afforded

her an opportunity to turn over a new leaf.

With a fresh perspective, she is deter-mined to accomplish her dream of be-coming a respiratory therapist.


Student Life

after spending most of her high school years as a home schooled student, Mariah trujillo is making the most of being involved. in addition to taking a full load of classes, trujillo is active in four organizations and works two jobs.


“I want a career, I want to be a respira-tory therapist, I don’t want to be a CNA forever and I’m not getting any younger,” Harms said. “That’s my drive [to have two jobs and keep up with school].”

Checking blood sugar and pressure dur-ing a seven-to-seven shift is the way Harms begins each night. While working at the hospital, she is getting ahead in her career.

“I’ve learned a lot of things that I would learn in school, but there I can pick it up and do it as I go,” Harms said.

After two hours of sleep, Harms goes to her English class, which is at 8 a.m. Once English is over she heads to her college algebra class then to her second job at the Homestead Assisted Living retirement home.

Harms, 25, said she had a pretty intense childhood.

“My parents split up when I was 10. I remember that was really hard because growing up you think that your parents are going to be the parents that stay to-

gether forever. Yeah, that’s a lie,” she said. Following her parents divorce, Harms

said she started going down a dark path. She said she eventually turned to drugs and alcohol for comfort.

“I was addicted to drugs and alcohol, I went to rehab and I haven’t relapsed,” she said. “So the fact that I can do both of my jobs, school, be stressed out and not wanting to go home and get cracked out is really good for me.”

Harms said she has been sober for a year and four months.

The time she lost to her addiction has taught her to make the most of her time now.

“I made a lot of bad choices when I was younger. So if I could go back, I would definitely start sooner because you don’t realize how much you forget about school when you don’t go for a lot of years,” Harms said.

Harms said as an older student and one who hasn’t been in school for a

while, makes going back to start over challenging.

Harms said a John Wayne saying she once read serves as motivation to continue learning.

“‘Life’s hard. It’s even harder when you’re stupid.’ Yes, it is. He said that in the 1970s,” Harms said. “When I read that, it hit me. So get educated. That’s what I tell everybody.”

Harms works hard to be able to pay for college without taking on financial aid. “I don’t want to put myself in debt right away,” she said. “For now it is the money that is holding me back, a little bit.”

Harms said she wants her fellow students to learn from her experiences.

“Instead of talking about going to school, go to school. Just do it,” she said. “It sounds so cliché, but just do it because life is so hard as it is. Don’t make it any harder on yourself. Probably the ones par-tying right now, they’ll learn when they get older. Just go to school. Just do it.”

Student Life

after what she calls a rough childhood and teenage years, susan harms is determined to stay on the right track. her advice to other students is to not just talk about going to school, but to ‘Just do it.’

photo illustration by Jesus lozoya


Being a full-time student who is involved in various activities makes time fly by and college much more enjoyable for Daniel Gutierrez.

Gutierrez said he finds multitasking very fulfilling. As a business major, he is enrolled in 18 credit hours this semester. His course work includes microeconom-ics, salesmanship, e-commerce, and art appreciation.

Gutierrez said his passion for business makes college much more enjoyable.

“The only class that can be more of a problem is Art Appreciation, unfor-tunately art just does not come as easy for me as I wish it would,” he said. “Mi-crobiology can also get difficult since it requires much reading and memorizing.”

Despite a heavy academic load, Gutier-rez still participates in as many activities as possible and maintains a 3.5 GPA.

He serves as SGA vice president, is an active member of PTK and HALO.

As the SGA vice president he has many responsibilities, but that doesn’t worry him too much.

“I love that on SGA I actually have the opportunity to organize and be part of every school activity. It can some-times get hard for me. Since I am on the executive staff I have to work at least five hours a week,” Gutierrez said.

He said he thinks HALO is one of the strongest clubs at GCCC.

“They are always active and ready for any activity,” he said. “I also love the fact that there is a club where I can celebrate traditions from my native country.”

Being part of PTK, an academic honor society, makes him proud since not just anyone can be a member.

“I feel honored to be selected to be part of this club,” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez also works everyday after classes at his dad’s car dealership where he does office work and sells cars.

“Having my dad as a boss makes it a lot easier for me. He understands I can’t work as many hours that I wish that I could and gives me a comfortable schedule.”

After work he does his homework, which he always ends up doing very late at night, which gives him only a few hours to sleep.

Gutierrez says he does find juggling everything difficult at times, especially when he has a lot of homework and club activities going on at the same time.

“Time can always be an issue, but I always try to figure everything up and actually find the time to do everything on time,” Gutierrez said.

On the weekends, when he finally has time for himself, he likes to hang out with his friends, ride horses and also play different sports.

“College life can get tough at times, but is always worth it when you know you are doing what you like and trying to make the best out of it,” he said.

Student Life

Daniel Gutierrez juggles serving as the sGa vice president, taking 18 hours of classes, being involved in other clubs and working for his dad. Gutierrez said having so much going on is worth making the best out of it.

photo illustration by anahi sosa


TMI

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Communication

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IMFacebook Stalking

“I feel okay with my infor-mation on Facebook, for the most part,” Chris Ramsgard, freshman from Omaha, Neb., said questioning his privacy settings on Facebook.

Today, over sharing person-al information on Facebook seems to be typical. Most peo-ple don’t even think about the consequences of posting too much information.

Facebook users can eas-ily gather information about other people like phone num-bers, addresses, birthdays, and places of interest. Hav-ing too much information on Facebook could be a real danger to one’s personal well being. Other Facebook users can easily access the informa-tion and possibly use it against someone in some way.

When the word “Facebook stalker” comes to mind some think of a person watching your every post, status up-date, and searching through your page numerous times a day. Some people question the idea of Facebook stalking,

while others users constantly check out profiles.

“There’s no such thing as Facebook stalking,” Al-yssa Kerckhove, sophomore, Gustine, Calif, said. “I don’t believe in Facebook stalking because if it’s there it’s meant to be read, therefore it’s not Facebook stalking.”

Some may not believe “Facebook Stalker” is a true term, but it is something to think about when one is plac-ing information on a profile or on a status.

With 500 million active us-ers, does one really know who is looking at their profile? Do users really know everyone of their friends on Facebook?

“I have 1,275 friends. I al-most know all my friends, but I’m not sure who the hell some are,” Kerckhove said.

Adding people one does not know can be a big mis-take. The person one is add-ing or accepting as a friend can be someone who is trying to harm one or trying to steal ones identity. Over sharing

STORY AND DeSigN bY bOOmeR PAuDA

TECHNOLOGY

Who is looking at your Facebook and what are they seeking?


information can ultimately help Facebook users get all the information they need from another users page.

According to National Cyber Security Awareness (NCSA), one should limit the social network to “real” friends: people you know, trust, and want to keep up-to-date about certain activities.

All Facebook users should look and change their profile privacy settings to make sure they are safe from stalkers. Many people don’t even bother with their privacy settings and have their profiles open to the public.

“I don’t think I have any privacy set-tings, but I do have some people blocked,” Ashley Gibson, freshman, Taylorsville, Utah, said.

Changing the privacy settings on Face-book is simple. One just needs to take the time and click on the account tab in the right hand corner and select the privacy settings link. After you get to that link then one can change to the desired settings.

NCSA recommends that: “If a friend posts something about you that makes you uncomfortable or you think is inap-propriate, let them know. Likewise, stay open-minded if a friend approaches you because something you’ve posted makes him or her uncomfortable.”

Over sharing on a Facebook status or post can get someone in trouble and can

cause some friends to get worried about that person. Facebook users commonly post feelings, thoughts, quotes or even song lyrics as status updates. One thing all users should avoid is status updates that consist of actions, like whereabouts and inappropriate things.

If there were to be a post that states, “I’m leaving for the weekend and going on va-cation”, there is no harm in that post, but one should rethink this. This post is basi-cally telling the Facebook world that your dorm, apartment or house is open for bur-glary. This is a common mistake because most Facebook users post to brag.

“The weirdest thing that I have read on Facebook was a suicide letter from a friend. It was crazy I got so worried about this friend,” Kerckhove said. “In the end he was fine.”

Facebook users don’t hesitate about posting feelings or thoughts. When post-ing a thought or feeling one should think about what others think and what the out-come of the post could be.

“If you don’t want anyone to see it, then you shouldn’t put it on there,” Gibson said.

According to NCSA, 70 percent of job recruiters rejected candidates based on in-formation they found on social networks.

Photo sharing is something that should be done with caution as well. Simple pic-

tures of faces and friends posing are fine, but more mischievous pictures can really get one in trouble by the law, work place and even family. Sometimes photos on Facebook can show contents of alcohol, illegal drugs, and partying; these photos can lead to negative consequences.

What you post online stays online. Think twice before posting pictures you wouldn’t want your parents or future em-ployers to see, according to NCSA.

“You shouldn’t post anything like talk-ing crap on other people,” Kerckhove said. Facebook bashing is when one uses Face-book to bully or to state something about a person in an unpleasant way.

This is an issue that shouldn’t be taken lightly. If it is something you feel so strong about then it should be told to that per-son’s face. If there is conflict between the users, it should not be posted on a wall or status where all Facebook users to see.

Before posting anything on Facebook, just remember once posted on Facebook it will always be posted.

Chris Ramsgard, Omaha, Neb., said he typically spends two-three hours on Facebook.

Alyssa Kerckhove, Gustine, Calif., said she is constantly on Facebook and checks it during every break.

TECHNOLOGY


With texting comes mistakes. Here are some examples of some awkward or just plain silly texts we have gathered from students who have either given or received, and have caused confusion or laughs.

DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPH BYALLYSON MATUREY AND GABBY STOUT

”

When I was 16, my ex-girlfriend texted me telling me she was pregnant so I freaked out and we got back together. After two weeks of being back together, I found out she was lying and used it to get back with me. We broke up officially after that.

”

Sometimes I like to randomly send my friends the words ‘spider monkey’.

ProudSupporter

of the GCCC Broncbusters

f Find Us onfacebookHardrock Lanes

hardrocklanes.com

Hard Rock LanesFamily Entertainment Center1612 East Laurel275-4061

” ”

”

TJ SchultzWinnepeg, Canada

Jessie NobleGarden City


I’ve sent an awkward text before, I sent my friend ‘Happy Birthday’ then ‘Merry Christmas’ and she told me ‘it’s not Christmas or my birthday’ then I sent ‘well I already bought you presents for Easter.’

”

I texted someone telling them to use the name Chuck in the name song and they thought I had got my phone stolen.

My sister had a boyfriend named Mat and by accident she texted me ‘Hi baby I can’t wait to see you,’ thinking I was him. It was so awkward.

”

It’s not a text, but one time this random lady called me, insisting I was her son, yelling at me to come home. I kept telling her that I was at school and that I wasn’t who she thought but, she just kept saying ‘No, no you better get home now.’

There was this one time I sent ‘Poop’ to someone just to see their reaction.

”I got this random text from a girl that said ‘I’m on my period so, we can’t do anything tonight,’ I texted back asking who they were and she never replied back.

”

”

”

”

Marianne LawrenceDighton, Kan.

Leo VasquezFord, Kan.

Rezahn ClaytonGarden City

Mathew EllisUlysses, Kan.

Rodolfo SotoSatanta, Kan.

Nancy WrightHolcomb, Kan.

FEATURE”

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12

One’s appearance could be deceiving and not exactly what one might think, especially when it comes to a college student who is not only study-ing for his career, but is also changing his personal life after his college classes.

Lalo Saldaña, Garden City, is a sophomore who is involved in his cosmetology college studies, and also loves the sport of discipline, honor and respect known as mixed martial arts (MMA). When he was seven years old, his love for the sport began to flourish with the encouragement from his older brother, who loved to make Saldaña fight and wrestle with friends for fun. Saldaña was only a child at the time, as time passed he began to enjoy fighting and joined a local boxing club in Michigan. He later decided to join karate because he wanted to be able to use his legs.

“When I was small, I always want-ed more. I was not enjoying boxing that much because I was not able to kick my opponents, so I decided to join karate. When I was in karate, I wanted to wrestle and practice mixed martial arts because in MMA, I can do it all,” Saldaña said.

V

When he was a little kid, his older brother use to make him fight with friends just for the fun of it, then he became passionate about the sport.

Man

STORY BY CRISTY FIGUEROA &FERNANDO GOMEZPHOTOGRAPHS AND DESIGN BY CRISTY FIGUEROA

SPORTS


World SV

Saldaña was not able to join MMA in Michi-

gan because his family decided to move to Garden

City. When Saldaña moved, he was a young teenager who

had to begin a whole new life and make new friends. He started

attending high school as a freshman and also started making new friends, but that is

where all of his problems began. Saldaña started hanging around with the wrong people and was also

involved in bad activities.“I was always hanging out with my friends, we didn’t

really care about school so we would always ditch and I was even planning on dropping out,” Saldaña said. “We were always up to no good. I was a kid and I made a lot of stupid mistakes, and I didn’t think about the consequences until it was too late.”

One day, due to the engagement of bad activities, he was arrested and was sent to the juvenile detention center. His father was furious and didn’t know what else to do in order to get his son on the right path again.

“I became more interested in school and also was moti-vated into my future,” Saldaña said.

His father wanted to get him out of the streets and wanted his son to become a better person. Since Saldaña enjoyed fighting related sports as a child, one day, his father decided to sign him up in mixed martial arts classes. He began to attend the classes and enjoyed the practice of mixed martial arts. After a year of mixed martial arts, Saldaña’s dad began to notice the change in his son’s attitude.

“Once I moved here, I was not really interested in my

Man

SPORTS

future, I just wanted to do whatever I wanted, but I was only wasting my time,” Saldaña said.

In mixed martial arts Saldaña learned self-defense, discipline, pri-orities and responsibilities. He has been participating in mixed martial arts for over four years. Through the years Saldaña has achieved to gain one white belt, two yellow belts and is currently on his third-degree orange belt and has not lost a fight.

“What keeps me going in MMA is not only what I learn in the sport, but what I have learned about myself,” he said. “Fighters need to know their fighting tech-nique and types of submissions that can finish the other fighter. My favorite submission is the arm-bar because it can easily break an arm, so the other opponent has to give up and tap out.”


Pablo Rodriguez and Saldaña practice self-defense moves and train for the Fourth Annual Battle of the Dragons tournament in Garden City.

Saldaña begins to warm up and train with the rest of Martial’s Kenpo Karate Class on Friday to keep their discipline and stamina strong.

to see him walk with his diploma.“When I graduated high school,

it was the best feeling ever. Every-one was super happy because I was the first one to graduate out of my whole family,” Saldaña said. “I do not like to let people down, I always try to do my best, and so I decided to attend college.”

Saldaña is currently studying for cosmetology. He chose cosmetol-ogy as his career because he knows that a career like that is something he will be able use for the rest of his life.

“People are always in need of a good haircut or nice makeup, and that is why I’m going to be here,”

Currently, Saldaña is continuing the practice of MMA and also has been excelling in his education. His high school graduation date ar-rived and his family was very proud

Saldaña said. Not only is Saldaña interested in

MMA and cosmetology, he also loves to produce music. So far, he has made CD’s containing over 200

SPORTS


The students on Martial’s Kenpo Karate class gather to examine Lalo Saldaña practice a move on one of their fellow classmates.

Lalo entered as a boy and has now developed into a respectful and disciplined young man.”--Juan Martial, Kenpo Karate instructor“

original songs. Saldaña has also per-formed in many public places with other musicians.

“I love music because it relaxes me and I could express myself, but in MMA, I am able to let my emo-tions out and relieve my stress,” Saldaña said.

Saldaña wants to keep attending MMA to better himself not only as a competitor, but also as a person with the help of his instructor.

“I remember the day that Lalo’s father signed him up,” Juan Martial, instructor of Martial’s Kenpo Ka-rate, said. “Lalo entered as a boy and has now developed into a respectful and disciplined young man.”

Juan Martial has 30 years of ex-perience in Kenpo, which is a style of martial arts. Martial followed his father’s footsteps and is a fourth-degree black belt. Now he is owner and the instructor of Martial’s Kenpo Karate.

“All I want to see in my students, is for them to excel in and out of school because education comes before anything,” Martial said.

“This sport can help many peo-ple like it did for Lalo,” said Pablo Rodriguez, Garden City trainer in Martial’s Kenpo Karate. “Lalo struggled a lot, but he overcame his obstacles with the help of mixed martial arts. I was originally in MMA to lose weight but now I am on my second-degree black belt. Students who want to be involved can make it a career, lose weight, gain confidence, have discipline and be competitive.”

In college, Saldaña hopes to continue cosmetology and general studies. In his personal life, he will continue to stay out of trouble and will be making beats and lyrics for his music. In mixed martial arts, Saldaña hopes on gain-ing higher ranks and wants to be awarded with different colored belts.

“In the sport of MMA people better be ready to have electrifying kicks, a big imagination, and lots of energy,” Saldaña said. “And don’t forget to protect your chin.”

SPORTS

breakaway | fall 201011 b r e a k a w a y | S P r I N G 2 0 1 116

The face one wears doesn’t necessarily reflect what she feels inside. She may be masking her pain, anxiety or stress. Denying her feelings could lead to disturbing consequences...

Maskingthe pain...

STORY, DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARAH NORRISPHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANAHI SOSA

COVER STORY

breakaway | fall 2010 12

COVER STORY

breakaway | fall 201011

÷x

b r e a k a w a y | S P r I N G 2 0 1 118

A student at the Mas-sachusetts Institute of Technology set herself ablaze in her

dorm room and burned to her death in 2001. Another student jumps from her eighth floor dorm room at Syracuse University days after a university counselor sug-gested she be hospitalized for her mental instability. Jan. 8, 2011, Jar-ed Lee Loughner opened fire in a Casas Adobes, Ariz., Safeway park-ing lot killing six people and wound-ing 13 others. Tragic as these events were, what is just as unfortunate is the illness that may have triggered the violence.

In an article on college suicide statistics written by Jackie Burrell, she stated that people at greater risk of suicide are those with mental health conditions. Many students suffering with depression or some other form of a mental disorder never seek help.

College students often strug-gle with issues in their daily life from peer pressure to piles of homework and financial in-security. Depending on the severity of the problems and how the pressure is handled, it’s not un-common for a student to develop a mental disorder.

According to the American

College Health Association’s Na-tional College Health Assessment (ACHA), in the 2010 spring se-mester, 19 percent of college stu-dents reported being diagnosed or treated for a mental disorder of some type.

“I think [the figure] sounds real-istic to me,” Greg Thomas, psychol-ogy and sociology instructor, said. “I certainly don’t think it sounds too high. The percentage is at least that high. When you’re a college student you’re trying to figure out who you are and there are so many things pulling you in different directions and that can be a real challenge.”

Thomas, who has a Ph.D. from

Dr. Greg Thomas, psychology and sociol-ogy instructor, records

student grades at the end of each day.

According to Thomas, the stress of academic performance is one of

the factors that can trigger mental disor-

ders. Thomas, who has been working with

GCCC students since 1999, has a doctorate in counseling psychology.

COVER STORY


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the University of Oklahoma in clinical psychology has been working with GCCC students since 1999.

With the newfound freedoms of college, many students who are just out of high school experi-ment with drugs and alcohol. Ac-cording to ACHA 65 percent of college students reported using alcohol sometime within the last 30 days while 17 percent reported having used marijuana in the last month. Five percent of people re-lated alcohol use to affecting their academic performance.

If alcohol and drug use begins to interfere with daily activity, it can be considered a mental disorder.

One mental disorder is often accompanied by another, for ex-ample stress often causes anxiety. Specific aspects of college life can

affect the mental stability of stu-dents such as more stress to do well academically, new financial obligations and changes in social life according to National Insti-tute of Mental Health’s website.

Financial issues and workload are the top triggers for stress, which can lead to anxiety. Anxiety is the No. 1 factor affecting individual academic performance with 18 percent of students saying that it caused them to receive a lower score on an exam, major project or simply, in the class overall ac-cording to the ACHA report.

“Stress is there if you perceive it to be there and it’s not so much there if you don’t perceive it to be there,” Thomas said. “You can have an exam tomorrow and one student will be extremely stressed and another won’t be stressed de-

Erika Martinez, Garden City, works on an assignment for one of her class-es. Martinez, who is an elementary education major, will be among those teachers who are often the first to encounter mental disorders in children.

breakaway | fall 201011

b r e a k a w a y | S P r I N G 2 0 1 120

pending upon how much pressure they put on themselves to do well.”

Juggling work and school is com-mon for students in order to have ex-tra money which can induce stress.

“There are many stressors that a college student faces such as finan-cial obligations and that alone can drive someone to having a mental disorder, if the debt is unlivable for that individual,” Andrea Badger, Garden City, said.

Badger is a psychology major and, like many GCCC students, she is not a traditional student. After graduat-ing from Garden City High School in 2007, she worked full-time for two years before enrolling in college.

Jo Ann Garrier is a counselor at GCCC where she helps students with an array of issues from college planning to coping with the change from high school to college. One of her main challenges as a counselor is to show students that their educa-tion is just as important as their job.

Community college makes it easy for people to get an education while working, but it can also bring on stress to students if they take on a rigorous course schedule and do not manage their time.

In order to avoid the issues col-lege students may face, they need to take note of all the resources sur-rounding them.

“We help students a lot with time management and balance because if you can achieve those things, maybe you’ll avoid some of the stress and anxiety issues,” Garrier said.

Garrier said when students get to college, they face a lot of multi-

tasking and figuring out how to use their time.

“When you were in high school, you went from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.,” Garrier said. “So you were there and you were contained in that pe-riod of time. If you had homework, you had a study hall or a time when you did those things.”

A lot of students face an adjust-ment period dealing with their newfound freedom Garrier said.

“If they don’t use that time in be-tween classes, it’s easy to procrasti-nate and let things pile up,” she said.

Now more than ever, students are coming forward and seeking help for their mental wellness. In an article in Psychiatric News, Joan Arehart-Tre-ichel states that the rise in students reporting their mental health issues may be responsible for the statistical increase of mental disorders around the United States.

In the past, it may have seemed a bit taboo for someone to ask for

help and guidance while in college. “Looking at it from the great de-

pression until now, students have more mental health issues than they even did during the great depres-sion. Part of that’s modern society, part of it’s the admission too,” Gar-rier said. “I don’t believe at that time it would have been nearly as safe to tell people you had those issues or concerns so I think society is more accepting of mental health.”

What can college officials do in order to help those students facing mental health issues?

“Before I taught here I spent a year as a counselor and I don’t think enough students are taking advan-tage of the fact that they can get free counseling from the counselors on campus,” Thomas said.

Some of the most unlikely people are bringing to light the need for more mental health assistance in schools. A star NBA player is joining the fight to battle mental disorders

COVER STORY

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0.9%

10.4%

3.9%

1.4%1.0%

9.7%

3.7%

2.2% 2.0%

5.0%

1.0%0.3%

Percent of college students diagnosed or treated for these conditions in the last 12 months

Anorexia

OCD

Other S

leep

Diso

rder

Insomnia

Depressi

on

Bulimia

Bipolar Diso

rder

ADHD

Anxiety

Schizo

phrenia

Phobia

Panic Atta

cks

For more information visit www.acha-ncha.org


b r e a k a w a y | S P r I N G 2 0 1 1 21

during adolescence. Former Indiana Pacers forward, Ron Artest is cur-rently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is well known for entering the stands after a fan threw a drink at him when a brawl broke out during an Indian Pacers, Detroit Pistons game. Since then, Artest has become and advocate in support of govern-ment provided mental health care in public schools. It is clear progress is being made to help students suffer-ing with a mental disorder.

Now that more people are coming forward and seeking help with their mental issues, students should realize that they are not alone in their battle with psychological disorders. Coun-selors on campus are available and willing to help. Rather than ignore the problem, one should seek help and take action. If students continue coming forward with their mental issues, many tragedies and negative outcomes can be avoided.

Natalie Morales, freshman, browses the web in the library between classes. Morales, an art major, sees mental disorders as something that can be hidden but is noticeable if one take the time to look closely.

For more information visit youngadults.about.com

COVER STORY

Warning Signsof behavioral or mental disorder development

Academic problems• Depression• Mood swings• Withdrawal• Feelings of hopeless-• nessDisregard for • personal appearanceIncreased substance • abuseIncreased risk taking• Obsession with • deathTraumatic or • stressful life eventsA prior suicide • attemptA sense of isolation• Lack of support• Impulsivity• Poor coping skills• Access to a suicide • method

How to helpDevelop close personal relationships with friends and family. Practice healthy habits such as get-ting enough sleep and physical exercise. Seek out counseling and health care that is available to you.


FacedTwo

After overcoming an injury that sidelined him for the entire fall cross coun-try season , Leandro Santillan, Beunos Aires, Argentina, is training to run the 5000m for the Buster track team this spring.

Design By Jesus LozoyasToRy By aLLyson MaTuRey& Jesus Loyoya

22

Normally we think of ‘two-faced’ as being deceitful; however, for these three students this term depicts how they live — dedicating time to various responsibilities.

FEATURE

Last fall, Leandro Santillan arrived on campus ready to run cross country for the Busters. His jour-ney from his home in Martinez,

Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Garden City began after he read about how to earn a sports scholarship in the United States.

“I started reading it and I contacted the author of the book who is from Venezuela, but he is living here [in the United States],” Santillan said.

Santillan said the author helped him put together a resume with his best times and distributed it to different colleges.

“Then I got the e-mails from three dif-ferent colleges that were interested in me and they wanted me to visit their campus and to be running for them so that was it. I came to visit the colleges and I made my decision, ‘I came here’,” Santillan said.

Head coach Dan Delgado said he first learned about Santillan’s availability and interest after being contacted by the au-thor. When he met Santillan last year, he


Following basketball games, Santillan cleans the DPAC gymnasium. He often trains in the gym when it is too cold outdoors.

23

found him to be someone worth giving a shot at running in the US.

“As far as my first impression, [Santil-lan was] a kid that had all the character-istics that made me think ‘give the kid a chance,’” Delgado said.

With a shot at running and attending college in the U.S., Santillan moved to Garden City last summer. He is majoring in business here and plans to transfer to a university where he would like to study international management, taking advan-tage of his bilingual abilities.

“I like to work hard. Whenever I have a goal or a dream, I like to follow it and do almost whatever it takes to get to do it,” Santillan said.

Coming to the U.S. was a huge accom-plishment for Santillan.

“Because in my country is kind of dif-ficult to study and practice sport at the same time, so my idea was to come here because I knew about the programs,” San-tillan said. “Here you can study and prac-tice sports in the same place.”

And coming here for Santillan has only motivated him to work harder.

“I was like ‘Ok I made it,’ but now I want to get better.”

Before Santillan was able to compete as a Buster, he was sidelined by an injury. Af-ter just his second practice with the team, he hurt his leg and wasn’t able to run for two months.

Assistant coach Margo McNutt said she thought Santillan’s injury resulted from a combination of several things.

“I think the training that we do here at Garden City Community College is com-pletely foreign to what he was use to in his home country,” McNutt said. “You know in terms of the rain and the intensity. I don’t know what kind of training he did in the summer time, but I don’t think it was conducive to what we do in our program.

“We really put them through the ringer and see what they’re all about. They are

either going to sink or swim and I think it was a little bit of a shock to him when he first got here and combining the training with just being in a com-pletely new country and there’s so many factors that went in to it.”

Sidelined by his in-jury and unable to run, Santillan was ineligible for a sport scholarship. Instead, he took a part-time maintenance job at the college cleaning up after basketball games and practices. Although he’s had to deal with set backs, Santillan said he doesn’t have any regrets.

“Nah, I think that af-ter all this, this is what I was looking for,” Santil-lan said. “Maybe some things were not the way I thought, but if I had to make the choice again I would come here, I would choose this place.”

And that determination is what has helped Santillan join the Busters’ track team this spring.

“Leandro is definitely a fighter,” Delga-do said. “He is very determined. He had a rough fall semester and he didn’t get some of the things done that we needed him to get done in the fall. But in the spring he has come back and completely grasped the concept — work hard in practice. He is very determined to prove himself. He has done very, very well.”

Besides adapting to a U.S. work ethic, Santillan has also had to face a few other cultural adjustments.

“The first day that I got here, I had a meeting with the assistant coach and she

is a girl, so whenever we say ‘Hi’ in Argen-tina we kiss the girl on the cheek,” Santil-lan said. “When I greet her I say ‘Hi’ and kiss her, she turned red and I ask ‘What’s wrong?’ She was like, ‘You kissed me.’ Then I realized that you don’t do that here. We still laugh about that.”

While his college running career may not have started as he had planned, Santil-lan admits he has learned from the chal-lenges.

“It is not a matter of being a leader or follower,” Santillan said. “It is if you want to give everything you got. In the races, do I really want to give everything and be the champion on my team. And I like to follow those who know what they are do-ing. I like to know how they are doing and know how I can do it to make myself bet-ter. I feel like I’m doing things right.”


‘Pain is temporary. Proud is forever.’Once graduation was over, Issa Garcia,

Cimarron, Kan., had to choose between Dodge City Community College and Garden City Community College.

“I like Garden better,” she said. “My counselor recommended me. I love my job [admissions assistant]. I would not trade it.”

Everyday, it takes 40 minutes for Garcia to drive to Garden City.

“It takes almost two hours of my day,” Garcia said. “I have to fill up my tank ev-ery week, so about $45 a week [in gas]. One time I drove a diesel pickup and that was almost $200 in one week.”

Garcia’s day has to be planned ahead because she can’t just run back home.

“I wake up at 7 a.m.. I have class at 9 or 10 depending on what day it is. I go to class, to lunch and then more classes. I go to work and afterward I go to practice or weightlifting and then I go home. I study and do homework before I go to bed,” she said.

“I can stay with my friends if I need to or during the day if I get out of class early or if I wanted to nap, but it is not the same as going home.”

As a cheerleader and assistant in the ad-missions office, Garcia has learned about scheduling, organization and leadership.

“Since we don’t have a head cheerlead-er and everyone is on the same level,” she said. “Some have to pick up the slack.”

As an athlete, Garcia lives by a simple philosophy.

“‘Pain is temporary. Proud is forever.’ It’s like if you don’t go through all the pain; coming to school, studying and do-ing good in cheerleading, you aren’t going to get a lot of pride when you accomplish something,” she said.

Whenever people approach Garcia they think she is a cheerleader instead of the admission’s assistant.

She said she is asked often if she is a cheerleader. When she tells them she is, she said they often respond, with “‘I know, you can tell that.’ Everyone says that I’m really friendly.”

Life is more than just a gameSpending almost 12 hours a week

gaming and spending all of his other time on his major in Animal Science, Dylan Freeman, a 19 year old from Satanta, Kan., knows how to stay busy.

Freeman, who has been a part of Fu-ture Farmers of America (FFA) for seven years, has also been gaming since he got a Nintendo 64 when he was little.

Since getting involved with the GCCC Meats Team, Freeman has placed in two meat-judging competitions. He received 4th place at the National Western Stock show in Denver, Colo., and 7th place in the Southwestern Stock show in Ft. Worth, Texas.

“It has helped with my memoriza-tion and work ethic. Memorization is really what a lot of our contests are about and with a bad work ethic you might as well forget about being successful,” Freeman said.

During the men’s basketball half time, Issa Garcia of the Buster cheer-leading squad and the Buster Dance Clinic dances to the rhythm of ‘Han-nah Montana’.

Answering the phone is one of many responsibilities that Garcia does as an admission assistant. She also gives tours of the campus to newcomers.

breakaway | spring 2011breakaway | spring 2011 25

After a long day of classes, Freeman takes a break to play Halo. He has an X-box Live membership that allows him to play against friends online.

FEATURE

Freeman admits that working hard hasn’t been an easy thing to get used to.

“My biggest obstacle has been all the extra hard work I have had to put into CDE’s [Career Development Events], and I’m the kind of guy that usually just slips by in most things, but it doesn’t quite cut it for what I’m doing now,” Freeman said.

Having multiple responsibilities calls for some type of motivation.

“My philosophy is you can procrasti-nate your whole life, but as long as you get done what needs to be done, you’re going to be alright,” Freeman said.

Freeman said he enjoys being part of FFA and thinks that others should get in-volved with FFA programs.

“If you really don’t know what you’re going to do with your life, why not set yourself up with something that is fun, gets you involved and gives you great ca-reer opportunities, especially in South-west Kansas,” Freeman said. “Knowing that I can make a career out of FFA gives me the end of the day to just relax and play a game.”

As a member of the Meats team, Freeman, inspects the quality and trimness of pork meat. Freeman has placed at two different meat competitions since he has been at GCCC.

CAPS

Haikus of Experience by Dylan Carr

Music flies freelyFrom air, string, or beatings The hand makes music

Softly flows the grain Amber oceans cover the plain See barren beauty

When the sky is dark Creatures come out and aboutMischief there will be

Haikus by Sheltered Heart

RainWhen rain falls lightlyThe pain is not hard to bearYet bare it one must

EmotionA heart full of loveMakes a life worth living forMy heart is bursting

TakenMy being is takenIn the open hand waitingSparkling like a gem


Selected works submitted by students in the college’s Creative Writing course

CreativeWriting

A haiku is a form of poetry that consist of three lines. The first and last line have 5 syllables and the middle line has 7 syllables.

EXPRESSIONS

ILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN BY BOOMER PAUDA AND MARIBEL MENDEZ

CAPS

Things I’ve lost by Brittni Wilken

The things I’ve lost in the past couple years are enough to ruin some-one’s life forever. It may leave some lurking in the shadows to find a safe haven or leave some wondering how to piece a life back together like a puzzle with a missing piece. When I was a college freshman I lost a lot yet still managed to wake up day after day in search for some suc-cession in my life.

I lost my smile, a beacon lighting up a room. I lost my spunk, the spark in my life. My belief that everything is okay because everything is not okay. I lost my world in a matter of minutes.

My honor, my pride and my integrity all in the same day, gone. My belief that I am special, not lower than dirt. I lost my honor when the police asked me if I wanted to press charges. My pride stolen by an-other student, one I trusted and believed in. My integrity. My hard work building up my good name.

I lost my heart. The heart I was once willing to give others. My belief that the right guy would come along and take my heart, keeping me safe forever. My belief in loving crushed within a moment.

My belief that good things happen to good people, stolen by one man. Tarnished and ruined by one man. Shredded by the Kansas justice system. Taken away.

When the district attorney told me that they were dropping the charges, our stories were far too similar and they were afraid to prog-ress with fear that there would be no way that I could win.

To think I have too much trust in people is astounding. That someone would take the trust I had and take advantage of it. Making it hard for me to trust anyone ever again.

The things I have lost in the past years are too many to be named and restored. Yet, I deserve to find my life again. I will not stop un-til that which I’ve lost has carved me into a better person, sheltered behind a smile. Being sexually assaulted will always be with me. My freshman year of college will be the best and the worst year. I must try and move on. I will move on that is my goal from here on out.


EXPRESSIONS

breakaway | spring 201128 breakaway | spring 201128

Advice from My Mother by Natalie Morales

Be nice to people; treat others—the way you want to be treat-ed; yeah; yeah; yeah; Natalia listen to me! Remember always smile; smile with your mouth wide open, so as your cheeks beg you not to smile; however, don’t listen to your cheeks; smile like you don’t care; laugh so obnoxiously loud that people stare; you can cry like a burro if you need to, but never forget to smile at the end of the day; if you find yourself living in a shack, remember there’s someone livin’ in a cardboard box; if you are livin’ in a cardboard box; remember there’s someone livin’ on the street; if you are livin’ on the street; know there’s people not livin’ at all; Aye Ma; a cardboard box! I’m never gonna live in one of those. Aye mija don’t you get it? love God with all your heart; for He is love; be nice to people; eagerly hold the door open for the elderly, the weak, and even the healthy; even if you really don’t like someone, be nice to them; if someone doesn’t like you, show them that you are better; bake that stubborn person a cake if you need to; Why a cake? Sometimes people get caught up in their bitterness and need to be reminded that there is sweetness in this awful world; this doesn’t mean you have to trust everyone; In fact, trust no one; except those who have proved they love you; How do I know who loves me? Oh, you will know, trust me, you will know; don’t just let anyone into your mind—espe-cially men! guardía su corazón hija; never make yourself vul-nerable to anguish; if you are grieving turn to God, He solves all problems; if you need an embracing hug, think of me, I’ve loved you since you were the beginnings of something more—but remember! God has loved you longer.

by Charles Quinene

decemberi.the wind was likethe last argumentbetween tree and leaf.

ii.i find the fallenon dead-yellow grass.

iii.it was too goneto be written about.

it cut my lipa broken cupsits in the backof my cabinet.its edges are jaggedand it has no handle.i haven’t used itsince it fell.

it forgotwhat a hand felt likeand i forgotwhat real beauty was.

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EXPRESSIONS

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BREAKAWAY | SPRING 201128



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DID YOU GET MY TXT,FB MSG,TWITTER, E-MAIL?

YES, I JUST BLOGGEDABOUT IT.

BY THE WAY, YOURIPHONE 5 IS SOOO10 MINUTES AGO.CHECK MY IPHONE 6,IT HAS MORE APPS.

DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION BY JESUS LOZOYASTORY BY GABBY STOUT

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This is your brain.No, really. You have a brain. Where? No. Not in your index finger. Between your ears. What? No. You don’t need an app to find it. It’s there — I think. Do you?

Cell phones put the power of technol-ogy in the palm of our hands, making us smarter. We turn to our phones to pro-vide us with solutions.

Need a way to break up with a boy-friend (who is sitting right next to you), send him a text. Need to update your relationship status? Log onto Facebook. Need to find a new boyfriend? Log onto Facebook. Need to find directions to the movie theater for your first date? Google it. Need to get your history homework done before you stay out all night? Google it. Need to turn in your assign-ment because you can’t make it to class? Send it via email. Oh, and don’t forget to text your instructor that you’re “sick”.

How “dumb” would I be without my

cell phone? After all, it does everything for me. When I need to know the time, I use my cell phone (never mind the clock on the wall).

If I need to tell someone something, I send them a text even though they are sitting across the room. And God forbid I should lose my cell phone. I’d have NO idea of how to contact ANYONE. After all, who memorizes phone numbers?

What would Darwin have to say about the cell phone evolution? Here today. Up-dated tomorrow. Check back next week for more apps.

I read a book called “Cheater” and it re-ported that technology has helped cheat-ers become sneakier. Besides the obvious open access to Google, “passing notes” is

as easy as pressing “send”.We use technology to get ahead.

When we are hungry, we pull out our smart phones to find the nearest restau-rant because driving and looking around is so 2004.

Technology builds other technology for us to use. We use it and love it. We love it and need it. We need it and buy more .

Question is, are we getting smarter because of what we have at our finger-tips? And, if the intelligence is now at our fingertips, what has happened to IQ be-tween our ears?

Your smart phone may show you what is going on around the world; however, it can’t feel for you. It isn’t human. It isn’t a substitute for the look in someone’s eye or the smile on a friend’s face.

RANDOM GAB

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BREAKAWAY | SPRING 201128



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Garden City | 1810 E. Kansas Ave | 620.805.6990

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Breakaway / Spring 2011