Dragon's Tale - Spring 2010 Issue

School Name: Hutchinson Community College

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Dragon’s Tale Issue 1

Front Cover

Campus Beverages Students quench their thirst

ChicagoTheatre takes center stage

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COLOR Page No.Job No.: 22919

School Name: Hutchinson Comm. COllege

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The Dragon Tale published two times a year by the Magazine class of Hutchinson Community College, 1300 North Plum, Hutchinson, KS 67501. When compiled, the two issues serve as an overview of the activities and the people of HCC during the school year.

dragon’s tale staffCharlie allison, andrew Carpenter, Joseph griffin, rosalie Prieb, ember sipes,

Chandra spillman, Charitey stuart, terrasel Yoder, Chealsea Weaver, rachel Willbanksadviser: amber Brawner

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DRAGON’S TALE TABLE OF CONTENTS

2 Scholarships 4 Art Coalition 6 Beverages 8 Transportation 10 Tournament History 12 Student Bands 16 Theatre 18 Homecoming 20 Pet Peeves 22 Teacher Feature 24 Odd Jobs 26 Third Thursday 30 Cell Phones 32 International Learning34 Sports

CONTENTSSpring 2010 Volume 20: Issue 2

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SCHOLARSHIPS DRAGON’S TALE

> Lynn Anderson, chemis-

try instructor, works with students Trenton Stringer, Hutchinson, and Mayra Lopez, Hutchinson.Photo by Janae DeWeese

Several financial opportunities await ambitious students. These fortunes can be grasped by cur-rent and future students.

“The key to any of the scholar-ships is the scholarship applica-tion,” Cindy Keast, executive director of the Endownment Association, said.

The scholarship application is simple and requires very little time. One of the various scholar-ships offered is the ambassador scholarship.

“This scholarship has been fairly important because it gave me a way to not pay for school these last two years and save up for when I transfer next fall to K-State,” Alyssa Partridge, Hutchinson, said. “I like work-ing as an ambassador because it has given me a chance to meet new people and give back to the school, and help other students who are thinking about choos-ing HCC.”

During the 2009-10 academic school year, 1,114 students were awarded scholarships. The total amount of awards given this year was $1,982,991. Due to college policy, an individual student can receive up to $3,720 per year from HCC.

“Our freshman students who we are electing or considering back their sophomore year must

reapply,” Keast said.Students that choose to take

advantage of the scholarship application may have not only one, but two years of scholarship aid. Amber Cottrell, Nickerson, is the recipient of the Presidential Leadership and Dragon Doll scholarships.

“The scholarship is very important for funding my educa-tion because I know that when a person receives a scholarship, it means they have worked very, very hard to get it and it’s like they are being rewarded for their hard work their first twelve years of schooling,” Cottrell said.

Several scholarships are offered, such as presidential, presidential leadership, admis-sion, activity, ambassador, art, band, athletic, and departmen-tal.

“Every year the priority dead-line is February 15th,” Keast said. “Our scholarships are limited and there are so many deserving students that the endowment and our scholar-ship committee try their very best to help as many students as we can.”

Filling out the application could be the first step toward a lighter burden during college.

“We read all the personal statements that students submit,

sch larships

Jasmine Parson, Hutchin-son, meets her scholar-ship donor. Students were introduced to their donors at the Presiden-tial/Presidential Leader-ship donor and scholar reception. Photo by Janae DeWeese

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OpportunityAwaits Students

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DRAGON’S TALE SCHOLARSHIPS

story by Chandra Spillmansch larships

and if we are giving advice, it is to tell students that the personal statement is the one way they can differentiate themselves from all the other applicants,” Randy Myers, dean of student services, said.

Scholarships are extremely important to many students.

“It’s a big deal, without it I honestly wouldn’t be here,” Marshal McCall, Smith Center, said.

Students pay close atten-tion during events on leadership day. Schol-arship students helped organize the activities. Photo by Janae DeWeese

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< Working as an ambas-sador, Alyssa Partridge, Hutchinson, takes pro-spective students on a campus tour. Partridge has been an ambassador for two years.

Photo by Chandra Spillman

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ART COALITION DRAGON’S TALE

C o a l i t i o n

Although Art Club may seem like a new group at HCC it is not. In the past few years its par-ticipation was dwindling to an all-time low, but with the recent popularity of students, staff, and community members, the group this year is thriving.

This October, after sitting dor-mant for the last year and a half, a group of students got together and revived the club.

“It has always been there, but it’s a student run group, and if I have students that just aren’t interested in doing anything with it then it just doesn’t do much,” Scott Brown, sponsor and fine arts instructor, said. “Then all of a sudden there’s a group of kids that got wind of it and kind of thought it would be a cool thing to check out. Next thing you know, we are raising money left and right and we’ve got a calendar with activities on it that kind of came out of nowhere.”

There were numerous activi-ties put on the calendar this semester. Kyle Robinson, art

club president, helps organize the trips and spread the word about upcoming events.

“This semester the club had a lot of trips planned, which, if you are a paying member of the club, you get to attend these trips free of charge,” Robinson said. “The trips are to different museums and points of interest in the art community. These are special opportunities that allow one to expand their breadth of art culture.

The club has been on several trips including a road trip to Lucas, to view the Folk Art museum, Eric Abraham’s Flying Pig Studio, the Deeble House, and the Garden of Eden.

The club has also taken trips to Ulrich Museum in Wichita to attend lectures from artists such as Kerry James Marshall and even spent a day at the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City.

Along with trips, students have put together some fundraisers such as print fairs to raise money for the club.

photos & story by Chealsea WeaverStudents resurrect art club.

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DRAGON’S TALE ART COALITION

C o a l i t i o n

“This semester several students designed the t-shirts and printed them at Allen-Lee Printing in Wichita,” Robinson said.

Not only did they sell t-shirts, but the group also painted and fired mugs to sell at their fund-raisers.

“Art Club is a group of HCC students, faculty, and art aficio-nados. We try to raise interest in the arts within the community, as well as just have fun,” Nathan Towle, Hutchinson, said.

One of the goals of the club is to expose people within the com-munity who may not have an

opportunity to experience art. Brown hopes to have students

working on getting their art into retirement communities and assisted living facilities this summer.

With the amount of popular-ity among students this year the club hopes to grow even more next year.

“Being able to hang out and get to know people who are interested in art, as well as learn-ing about art around the area are benefits of being in art club to me,” Jami Gisick, Hutchinson, said.

< Crawfish scraps lay col-lected in a plate after art club students finish eating them. Brown hosted a crawfish boil at his home and used the scraps in his garden.

Brown and Libby Doxon, Hutchinson, discuss the plans for the Lucas road trip at the club meeting. Students went to Lucas to visit several museums.

Art club students glaze and fire mugs to sell at the print fair. Mugs were five dollars each and the money went to the art club account.

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PAGE TOPIC DRAGON’S TALE

Lynda Legg, Hesston, holds a Red Bull can. She has been trying out different energy drinks and has found that she likes Red Bull because it doesn’t make her jittery.

With seven different pop machines around campus you would think that campus thirst would be solved. This is not the case for Coca Cola lovers. Because HCC only carries Pepsi products, it leaves Coke fans and others unsatisfied.

A Dr. Pepper fiend , Jonathan Schmucker, Hutchinson, solves this dilemma by bringing his own stock from home.

“I drink about eight cans a day,” Schmucker said.

Lynda Legg, Hesston, prefers Coke products because they taste better.

Legg hasn’t noticed the lack of Coke products on campus because she has been experi-menting with energy drinks.

“I don’t really feel the effects that much. I tried my 2nd one today and its supposed to make

you feel more alert,” Legg said. “It didn’t make me feel jittery, but I was expecting more of an effect. Red Bull is all I’ve tried.”

The pop selection on campus isn’t everyone’s concern. “I think there is a good selection, but sometimes the machines don’t work. I also think they’re expensive,” Eric Grochowsky, Newton, said.

There are also carbonated beverages that aren’t pop.

“I don’t drink pop, but I drink carbonated water. I think it’s too expensive, that’s why I don’t buy here. For a dollar more you could buy a 12-pack at Walmart,” Scott Brown, art instructor, said.

There are many alterna-tives to the carbonated bever-ages available in the vending

machines on campus.“I drink a lot of tea,” said

Brown, “and I used to be a Kool-aid freak when I was a kid.”

Tea is a popular choice that is also a healthier choice.

“I sometimes drink hot tea because it’s enjoyable and good for you,” Legg said.

Speaking of what’s good for you, most students on campus are lacking in their water intake.

“I drink about a bottle of water a day. I try to remember to drink more but I never do,” Legg said.

Grochowsky may drink a glass a day while Brown only drinks about 24 ounces.

“I do drink a half gallon of grapefruit juice though,” Brown said.

Another healthy alternative to pop is milk.

“I buy one percent for drink-ing because it’s lower in fat and I use skim milk on my cereal,” Legg said.

In some cases milk may not be a healthier alternative.

“Since I discovered dairy milk with the heavy cream I can’t drink Dillon’s milk any-more,” Brown said.

Some students don’t even drink milk.

“I don’t drink milk because I’m a Vegan. I can’t eat ani-mals or their biproducts, so I drink water and juice,” Hailey Ummel, Harper, said.

Besides pop in the vending machines there are also choices of water, cranberry juice and tea, depending on which build-ing you are in.

photos & story by Rachel Willbanks

Quenchesy o u r Thirst?

What

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DRAGON’S TALE BEVERAGES

Lynda Legg, Hesston, holds a Red Bull can. She has been trying out different energy drinks and has found that she likes Red Bull because it doesn’t make her jittery.

< Holding a bottle of water is Hailey Ummel, Harper. Ummel only drinks water and juice because she is Vegan.

E r i c G ro c h ow s k y, Newton, holds a Moun-tain Dew can. Gro -chowsky prefers Pepsi products to Coca Cola products.

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Holding a can of Dr. Pepper is Jonathan Schmucker, Hutchinson. Schmucker only drinks Dr. Pepper from a can and drinks about eight of them a day.

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< Scott Brown, Hutchinson, holds a coffee mug. Brown tends to drink a lot of Starbucks coffee or a lot of grapefruit juice.

QuenchesThirst?

What

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TRANSPORTATION DRAGON’S TALE

Jairus Miller, Hutchinson, demonstrates how to ride a Ripstik near Rimmer Learning Center. Miller rode five miles from his home to the Venue.

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> Sam Agoitia, Wichita, tests out his newest board at the skate park located in Carey Park. Agoitia started riding when he was in the fifth grade.

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DRAGON’S TALE TRANSPORTATION

Students Use Unique Forms of TransportationWhile most local residents

wait at stubborn red lights, several HCC students take to the streets with their alternative ways of getting around.

Cutting down on expenses is a driving force behind these students’ choice of transit. Jairus Miller, Newton, spent $400 on his bike alone. Sam Agoitia, Wichita, estimated that the costs of a customized skateboard can run around $300. These figures may seem a bit high, but they are much less than the price of a car. Also, none of these students have to pay for gas, car payments, or car insurance.

In addition, the simple mechan-ics of their vehicles allows for simple, inexpensive home repairs and maintenance.

“It’s pretty cheap once you’ve

wise cross paths. For instance, every summer Hutchinson hosts a celebration of the town, which includes unicycle hockey matches. The matches allow local unicyclists like Towle to get acquainted and have a good time.

These social dynamics can help some people come out of their shells, as Towle said,

“When I ride my unicycle, I don’t have to be an introvert.”

As with anything else, there are also disadvantages to using alternative transportation. Hutchinson has few areas des-ignated for bikes, skateboards, and the like. Many of the town’s sidewalks also need repair or replacement and many intersec-tions lack sloped entrances to sidewalks, leaving even large bike tires bouncing off the side of the curb.

These conditions encourage riding in the streets, which can hold up traffic and raises safety concerns for pedestrians. Expo-sure to the elements and seasons can also affect safety conditions as well as when and how often students use these alternative transportations. Trips made by alternative transit also take longer said Chris Reece, an avid walker from Maple Grove, Minn. This is especially true when familar routes have to be

made that initial investment,” Nathan Towle, Hutchinson, said.

Towle estimates spending only $150 in expenses, including the unicycle itself, over five years.

Health benefits also result from using alternative transportation. Exercise was one of the most popular advantages among students.

“I’m in better shape than I would be if I drove everywhere,” Jairus Miller, Newton, said.

Improved coordination, bal-ance, and posture were also mentioned. Skateboarding, biking, walking, and the like can also serve as social activities. Both Miller and Agoitia said their friends got them interested in learning to ride Ripstiks and skateboards, respectively, and encouraged them to pursue it. In return, these students not only learn these new skills from their friends, but they also have something to teach others.

Events can bring people together with similar interests and skills who may not other-

replaced in order to avoid heavy traffic and busy intersections, such as 11th street and Ken Kennedy Freeway intersection near Walmart.

Because of reduced visibility at night, it’s unwise to ride or walk after dark. Therefore, alternative transits can require more plan-ning than driving by car.

Despite the frustrations, all the students interviewed said they would recommend their forms of transportation to others.

“It’s like shopping for a vehicle,” Miller said.

Paying extra for quality can avoid unnecessary repair expenses and researching tech-niques can make learning to ride much easier. Skateboarding could be a good fit for people who have a high pain tolerance, good balance, and like hard work Agoiti said.

Agoitia reccomends build-ing your own boards to ensure a good fit and smoother ride. Customizing could be an option for others.

Learning a new skill or com-mitting to use less fuel by using alternative transportation may seem daunting.

“It’s not something people should be intimidated by. They just need to try,” Towle said

< Nathan Towle, Hutchin-son, shows his skills in a local parking lot. Towle participated in the annual Hutchfest unicycle hockey matches every summer.

photos & story by Terrasel Yoder

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NJCAA TOURNAMENT DRAGON’S TALE

Down ten points with less than five minutes to go, Howard Col-lege for a second night in a row overcame a deficit to push the 2010 championship game into overtime. Howard went on to win their first national championship that night.

This is just one example of the excitement that overcomes fans at the National Junior College Athletic Association Tourna-ment.

Hutchinson has hosted the tournament since 1949. Memo-rial Hall held the tournament from 1949 to 1951, and the Hutchinson Sports Arena has hosted it since then.

The tournament has always depended on help from the American Legion, which fur-nishes 150 volunteers as well as HCC employees and students for odd jobs during tournament time.

Students do anything from video taping games, taking pic-tures of the action, running stats to the media room, to helping with janitorial work.

“I got in free to the tournament and got to watch all the games,” Andy Ludlum, Rozel, said.

Ludlum ran stats from the scorer’s table to the media room and to the interview room.

“I would do it all over again, it’s easy and other students should too. The tournament games were all really good this year, so it was a good payoff,” Ludlum said.

Ryan Chambers, Pretty Prai-rie, who started as a stat runner, is in his tenth year now volunteer-ing for the tournament.

“My grandparents used to do the stats for the tournament for years, so I wanted to follow in their footsteps,” Chambers said.

This is an opportunity Cham-bers recommends to all athletic fans.

“I enjoy sports, and love being at the tournament so it’s exciting for me to be able to watch the games while I work,” Chambers said.

A graduate this spring, Cham-bers plans to keep his streak going next year.

“I’ll be back next year,” Cham-bers said. “I’ll be at K-State and I believe that their spring break falls at the same time as the tournament, so I plan to come back and help again.”

Points scored in one game, by Doug Pendygraft, Lind-sey Wilson (1960)

NJCAA Tournament coaching victories by

Gene Bess, Three Rivers.

Points scored in one tour-nament (6 games) by Gene Bogash, Wilmington, NC (1963)

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DRAGON’S TALE NJCAA TOURNAMENT

Howard College recieves the trophy for the 2010 NJCAA championship.Howard defeated Three Rivers 85-80 in over-time.Photo by Charles Allison

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< A North Platte player dunks during the NJCAA Tournament. North Platte missed out on the top eight positions.

Photo by Andrew Carpenter

story by Charlie Allison

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STUDENT BANDS DRAGON’S TALE

Brown and Brillhart, both from Hutchinson, practice onstage at Hutchinson Memorial Hall. Their band Slowly Running Backwards opened for Jupiter One, a band from NYC.

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TUNING IN

> Extra equipment fills the bands personal sound room. The band used a studio to record their latest tracks.

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DRAGON’S TALE STUDENT BANDS

Music can be an escape for many people. It could relate to you in many ways. The strum of a guitar could change your mood for the better; a single beat of the drums could make you remember things you’ve once forgotten.

Brett Brillhart, Hutchinson, lives and plays by these thoughts. He plays the electric guitar for Slowly Running Backwards, an Instrumental Post-Rock band. Another member of the band is Tom Brown, Hutchinson, HCC graduate.

Being a full-time student and in a band might seem like hard work. Brillhart doesn’t think so even though he spends the major-ity of his time between work and school. The band usually practices twice a week.

“Three to eight hours tops” Brown said. “It just depends, I mean there’s some weeks where we will practice, but only work on new stuff, or a new song.”

When asked how their band came together, both seemed to have a pretty good idea of how it all happened.

“A delay pedal,” Brillhart said. “I played acoustic stuff, and we tried to work together on that. It just didn’t work out”

Making the transition to a different style of music was relatively quick and painless for the band.

“I gave Brett the electric a couple times, and got a delay pedal, then our music shifted to the way it is today.” Brown said.

Having the band wasn’t some-thing that just came to mind.

“Yeah, we were friends and we hung out, but never were we saying, hey, let’s be in a band! Let’s be in a band!” Brown said.

Mainly they were just looking for some kind of distraction for the time being.

Their history goes pretty far

back, riding bikes, playing vid-eogames, and tossing the frisbee when they were in their early teens. Nowadays it’s a bit more serious for the both of them.

Being a college graduate now gives Brown some perks.

“I’m just working full time. I’d love to make a living off playing music, that’s a dream job. But for me, I just got married, [and] bought a house.” Brown said.

Brillhart, who is a computer support major, hopes to have a bright future ahead of him.

“I plan on using my certifica-tions I’ve earned at HCC to help me find a good job,” Brillhart said.

With the future in front of them and the past behind them, they won’t forget how they all got started.

“I convinced my dad to buy my first drum set at 5 years old,” Brown said. “ If you watch old home videos and you’d see me with a pair of headphones on dancing.”

Brillhart has a shorter story than Brown’s, only going back a few years.

TUNING IN on Student Bandsphotos & story by Joseph Griffin

< Brown uses an Orange County Custom Drum & Percussion Kit.




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STUDENT BANDS DRAGON’S TALE

“I started playing when I was like 18, I think. I got my first guitar for Christmas. I basically taught myself how to play it.” Brillhart said.

They just had a few more things to check off their list, inspiration was one of them.

“Life, sound, vision, love, music.” Brown said.

They use everyday occur-rences for ideas.

“I’ve been told [by listeners] that it feels like I’m watching a movie. Or [they say] I feel like I’m in a movie.” Brown said. “The music seems to like, just have a cinematic feel, it’s pictoral.”

The band has been classified as Indie Instrumental rock, or Instrumental post rock. With this particular style to their music, writing lyrics isn’t a major con-cern for the band.

“Lyrics are overrated,” Brill-hart said.

It seems their major focus is on the music, not the lyrics. As Brown agreed they don’t try to make a song like anyone else’s.

Getting a name out there in the music world isn’t a big con-

cern for them, currently they only rely on word of mouth and social networking for their promotions.

“Myspace is our promoter, Facebook is our promoter,” Brown said. “Jennifer Randall is very supportive, she started up Third Thursday, and we’re fortunate enough to get to play there quite a bit.”

When thinking of fans, they tend to set their sights a little farther down the barrel. Plans for the future are based around the band along with their private lives.

“[We’re] Almost done record-ing our first album, I mean, we’re going to release that.” Brown said. “We’re definitely going to send it out to some labels.”

“We definitely don’t see any signs of the band slowing. We have 4 to 5 songs written for the second album, and we’re not even done with the first,” Brown said.

Finding a crowd to play for hasn’t been hard for the band, shows have fallen into place on multiple occasions, most recently at Hutchinson Memorial Hall. They opened for Jupiter One, a traveling band from New York City.

Fans have swooned for their music the moment they’ve heard the first strum of Brillhart’s guitar and the titillating beats of Brown’s drums.

“I mean, whatever comes our way, we’re open for it, and hope-fully good things keep coming our way, and we’re able to con-tinue playing music.” Brown said. “Definitely yeah, I’d love to see where it takes us, We just want to keep doing it.”

Tom Brown and Brett Brillhart, Hutchinson, set up the stage for a performance at the Yoga loft.

Brown tunes into the sound of music while performing at the Yoga Loft. The band plays Third Thursdays regularly.

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DRAGON’S TALE STUDENT BANDS

What you’re listening to...

< Brillhart keeps focus on his notes during practice. Brillhart & Brown meet up weekly for jam sessions.

Brown beats away on his drums. Brown will usually practice 3-6 hours a week.

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Lynsey Becher, Hutchin-son, performs the “Cell Block Tango.” Becher played a lead role, Velma Kelly, in the Chicago production.

photos & story by Ember Sipes

The cast of Chicago per-forming the energetic song, “We Both Reached For the Gun.” This song declared innocence for the main character.

<

Veronika Nelson, Hutchin-son, and Michael Bugner, Nickerson, perform “Funny Honey.” Nelson and Bugner are the second act in the show.

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Center Stage Shows Spotlight a Variety of Talent

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DRAGON’S TALE THEATRE

As the lights dim and the cur-tain rises, the anticipation comes from the spring theatre students ready to take center stage and the audience grows quiet.

Lynsey Becher, Hutchinson, took the Theatre Performance class to participate in the spring shows.

“I really love improv because people just think you get up there and do whatever, but there’s a lot of technique involved and it’s actually incredibly difficult and I really like the challenge of not knowing what’s going to happen,” Becher said.

Just like any show, rehearsal is the key to success. Rehears-ing for improvisation may seem unnecessary, but it can make or break the show.

“We play the games that we’re going to play in the show and we just have different sug-gestions and we work on things like building characters, build-ing relationships between each other and working on building scenes,” Becher said. “Just kind of play and have fun and see what works and what doesn’t work so that when you’re in performance you know from what you’ve played with.”

The production cast reaps the

rewards on performance nights, after all the work they put into the show.

“The audience just loves the randomness of it,” Michael Bugner, Nickerson, said.

However, not everyone can be pleased no matter how hard the students work.

Becher said, “We had one rough night where a couple people got up and walked away which’s pretty hard as a performer to know that people are walking out of your show, but I think that’s just the chal-lenge and the audience usually is so responsive and fun. Even if they’ve never been to an improv show before they get really into it and so it’s fun to hear their reac-tions and know that it’s because of you.”

Chicago’s cast is primarily made up of students who multi task throughout the perfor-mance. Bugner played the role of Billy Flynn, the lawyer, and also has the role of a background dancer and singer.

“I like that all he cares about is getting paid and getting pub-licity, but he has this big act. Everyone thinks he’s a good guy, but he’s not,” Bugner said. “There’s a few big characters,

but the majority of the cast are playing a lot of different roles and are background dancers and singers.”

Another member of the cast, Levine Duncan, Wichita, plays the role of Joon, who is inno-cent like her cellmates in the musical.

“The squish girl from ‘Cell Block Tango’ I love her,” Duncan said.

Each member of the cast works not only on the performance but the production of the show as well.

“Lynsey is the costume man-ager and I work with her on, like, sewing up costumes and making pretty much everything that we’ve done and there’s people over props. There are stage man-

agers and people who work with lights,” said Duncan.

The singers and dancers are a huge part of the show but so is the music itself. The music is not prerecorded, it is all part of the live performance and you can even see the pit up on the stage. The pit is also made up of sev-eral student musicians with the exception of the second trumpet, who is a local retired doctor.

Miles Batchelor, Hutchinson, played first trumpet in the pit.

“I’ve never actually played in a musical before. I thought it would be something new and it’s interesting. It’s a lot of fun,” Batchelor said.

Bugner, Nickerson, ser-enades, Sydney John-son, Hutchinson, with a song. Bugner’s character quickly moved on to his other ladies in waiting.

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< The Loose Change per-formers react to their director, Charlene Wid-ener. Their hard work on the show began with the fall semester.

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HOMECOMING DRAGON’S TALE

Just fuhgeddaboudit! This is the common phrase

from the 2010 Spring Homecom-ing. The theme of the homecom-ing was Bada Bing Bada Boom based off the mafia.

Homecoming requires plan-ning and participation from the student body to be a success. Those in attendance enjoyed numerous activities, including a dance and a basketball game.

The responsibility falls on the Campus Activities Board (CAB) to make sure events are planned and nomination sheets were sent out for homecoming candidates.

“We choose candidates from the student organizations that are recognized by the school. Any

student organization can have a homecoming king and queen candidate,” Dana Hinshaw, residence life and student act director, said.

“Campus Activities Board spends at least one to two sessions thinking of ideas for the theme and the different events that are held during homecoming week,” Hinshaw, said. Approximately ten CAB students brainstorm to come up with the theme. The mafia theme deemed popular because of all the coverage in the media.

Scholarship students aren’t allowed to go dancing at local clubs so they incorporated a dance into the homecoming.

“I think the Guidos and Guidettes dance was a good idea since the show Jersey Shore on MTV was really popular with most students,” Audrey Bradley, Cheney, said.

Students also had a chance to join in a few different activities. Activities on campus included creating wax hands, playing the floating craps game, an assem-bly, and a basketball game.

There were a couple of the activities that were canceled on account of the faculty meetings. CAB created mafia-themed t-shirts to hand out during the week’s events. CAB created the t-shirts to encourage students to attend the events.

“The wax hands was a big hit with the students because they were able to keep the hands the made,” Hinshaw, said.

Students look forward to the basketball game because they get to sit down and watch. The basketball game was the clos-ing event for the week with the announcement of the homecom-ing king and queen.

The homecoming king and queen were Sean Banks, Russell, and Audrey Bradley, Cheney. They were the candidate couple from the Student Government Association.

“It was a great feeling to know that people think something of me,” Bradley, said.

photos & story by Charitey Stuart

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DRAGON’S TALE HOMECOMING

< Students dance at the Guido and Guidette Dance during homecom-ing week. The dance was held at the Kansas Cosmosphere.

< Darrell Adams, part-time residence life supervisor, pulls the dice back to hand them to a student. He was in charge of the floating craps game.

Sean Banks, Russell, and Audrey Bradley, Cheney, pose for pictures after being crowned king and queen. They were a part of student government.

Steven Kappenman, lead residence hall supervisor, and Diana Ohl, residence life secretary, wait to pass out mafia-themed t-shirts to the students. They did that to encour-age students to attend the dance.

<

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PET PEEVES DRAGON’S TALE

Glaring into the camera is Dustin Morgan, Fayette-ville, Ark. “Liars and stuck up peaple,” Morgan said, are what gets under his skin.

<

4top

petpeeve

5

s

MOSTannoying

Negative People

Talking with a friend at a movie, chewing your meal lazily, and driving at your leisure are things that many students do everyday. These students may not realize that what is their routine is another student’s pet peeve.

During a survey of 122 stu-dents, five pet peeves kept reoccuring. Thirteen percent of students said that negative people are their number one pet peeve while 15% said bad hygiene is a major turn off.

“My biggest pet peeve is when people don’t wash their hands,” Der Lee, Hutchinson, said. Lee works at Jillians where chefs and servers are working with food, so it is important for them to wash their hands.

Ethan Dowell, Dighton, said, “Bad drivers really grind my gears.” Reckless driving is

another habit that peeves 21% of students.

“Slow drivers are the worst, especially when you’re in a hurry,” Cody McReynolds, Buhler, said.

A pet peeve that annoys 24% of students is people who chew excessively with their mouths open.

“Gum smacking is terrible,” Megan Phipps, Hutchinson, said.

The number one thing that bothers 27% of students is movie rudeness. Movie rude-ness constists of people who are constantly talking or on their phones in movie theaters.

Cellphone usage during movies at the Hutchinson theater has gone down because of the strict “no cellphone” policy put in action.

There are pet peeves that didn’t quite make the top five but came close.

“People who throw trash on the floor and repeat things over and over again really bother me,” Jonathan Schmucker, Hutchin-son, said. Passing gas in public is another thing that peeves many including Kyle Robinson, Hutchinson.

Many students do things that

irritate or offend others without intentionally doing so.

“I think I’m too honest and too blunt sometimes,” Lee said.

Students may peeve others at home rather than at school.

“I leave my socks around the house and my mom gets mad,” Robinson said.

Student’s also cope with irrita-tion differently.

“I don’t say anything, but I make a mental note,” Robinson said.

Being aware of your habits and other’s may help lower your irritation.

1

photos & story by Rachel Willbanks

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DRAGON’S TALE PET PEEVES

Megan Phipps, Hutchin-son, hushes two other people talking during a video. People who rudely talk during movies is what gets Phipps riled up.

<Distractedly driving down the road, Jennifer Hutfles, Colby, illustrates her pet peeve. Hutfles can’t stand slow, distracted drivers.

<

Loudly smacking her gum, Elise Beguelin, Hutchinson,walks down the Science hall. People who chew loudly with their mouths open are what gets Beguelin aggi-tated.

<

Der Lee, Hutchinson, washes her hands dili-gently because she believes in good hygiene. Lee’s biggest pet peeve is when people don’t wash their hands.

4

3

25 Personal

Hygiene

Reckless Drivers

Gum orFoodSmackers

Movie Rudeness1

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Teacher FeaTure DRAGON’S TALE

< With his bucket in hand, Graber walks to his night psychology class. Graber has taught this night class for several years.

What’s in your

bucket? Notorious for carrying his

white bucket from class to class, Ken Graber, social science instructor, uses the contents of this bucket to represent all things in life.

“I tried to find a way to explain what all goes on in the life of a person,” Graber said.

The makeup of each person’s bucket is different, and it is what makes each person unique. For Graber, teaching can also be a learning experience.

“I do tons of research and try to make a concept as simple as I can,” Graber said.

Walking away from class with more knowledge than you walked in with is key in acquiring the optimal learning experience.

“I feel like I have learned quite a bit,” Eli Reed, Buhler, said. “Usually in this class it sticks in my head and I’m capable of remembering things pretty easily.”

In the eyes of students, word

of mouth goes a long way in choosing a teacher.

“I would recommend his class to others; he is a great teacher and the way he teaches just makes you want to go to class,” Josh Tofalla, Hutchinson, said.

In over 35 years of teaching, Graber has missed less than ten days of school. How does such a busy man pull that one off ? Even with six human relations classes, one night psychology class, and one online class, teaching does not consume all of his time.

Graber spends much of his free time breeding and breaking horses and devotes a significant amount of time to his grand-children.

He has also been the starter of the women’s National Associa-tion of Intercollegiate Athletics track races for the past twenty-nine years. Graber will end his tradition on an even number and start the races for the last time and thirtieth year in a row. This year, races will be held at Indiana Wesleyan University in Indiana.

Coaching is what first lured him into teaching. He has been a coach for football, basketball, and track. In his first year of coaching at West Moreland High School he guided his boys basketball team to the state tournament. photos & story by chandra Spillman

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DRAGON’S TALE Teacher FeaTure

< Autographed Tony Stew-art race car gloves hold a spot in Graber’s home office. Graber received the gloves in appreciation for his contribution to the womens NAIA races.

< Graber sits back and lis-tens to student opinions in his human relations class. Students voiced their personal preferences on human qualities.

Graber loves coaching and the competition of athletics.

Graber said, “I’m not an agenda kind of guy, and most organizations have some kind of agenda.”

He is, however, a part of the American Quarter Horse asso-ciation.

So what is it about Graber’s classes that make them so dif-ferent?

“It’s not the typical class-room setting, I like it,” Jessica DeGarmo, Hutchinson, said.

Isaiah Reece, Haven, would recommend Graber’s class to others.

“He has lots of hilarious say-ings, plus he is knowledgeable on the material,” Reece said.

As a 1965 college graduate with a bachelor and master degree in health physical educa-tion and recreation, and a degree in psychology, it could be said that he is knowledgeable.

“My best advice to students is that they be themselves and not be afraid to take risks,” Graber said.

Throughout his teaching career, Graber has enjoyed seeing what students have to bring to the table.

“There are no two students alike,” Graber said.

P 3-2w17.0x20.0

Standing in front of the class, Andrew Black, Norton, presents his response to Graber’s assignment. Students wrote a list of characteris-tics they wanted to see in their significant others.

<

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ODD JOBS DRAGON’S TALE

There are many normal jobs college students apply for, such as a babysitter, waitress, or cashier. However, some stu-dents have come across more interesting ways to earn their dough.

Many people are scram-bling around April 15th, the national tax deadline. Brian Yocam, Arlington, could have been found behind the piles of paperwork on his desk, filing tax returns.

After three years of working for the tax firm, Yocam said he has a much better understanding of the tax system and exemptions and is able to file his own tax returns confidently and for free. When he’s not at H&R Block, one may find him at his campus job.

Yocam is also holds a paid internship position in Lockman Hall’s IT office where he serves at the help desk taking phone calls and assists students and faculty in troubleshooting computer problems.

While he enjoys his job at H&R Block, Yocam’s intern-ship fits better with his future career plans. All of Yocam’s instructors, as well as his advisor, helped him decide to turn his natural knack for computers into a Computer Support degree with a focus on Networking.

Raised on his family’s farm in Durham, John Hein has dreamed of having his own ranch someday. When Hein’s agri-

culture instructor, Steve Sears, offered him the job of helping with the horsemanship class last fall Hein gladly accepted.

“I told him I had no experi-ence [working with horses], and he told me I’d just have to learn quickly,” Hein said, recalling part of his conversation with Sears about the job.

Hein helps load and haul the horses from the south campus to the fairgrounds, where the class is held. Hein also assists the instructor, as well as care for the horses.

Horse lover, Lakin Wilson, Haven, is enrolled in the Horse-manship class that Hein helps with. Wilson is currently

employed as a cashier at Hobby Lobby, and is considering getting another job over the summer to keep her afloat as she tries to establish herself as a local horse-riding instructor. Wilson said she would prefer to give on-on-one lessons and would give lessons to anyone interested in learning the basics of barrel racing.

“If I knew I could make it, that’s right where I’d be, right in the middle of the horse industry,” Wilson said.

Student tutor, Andrew Nor-bert, McPherson, could use his job experience in his future career. Currently, Norbert is a nuclear engineering major. and-

Odd JObs

Offbeat Jobs Help Students Earn Their Keep

> Brian Yocam, Arlington, logs on at Lockman Hall’s IT office. Yocam’s advi-sor, Jillene Cunningham, suggested the IT intern position to him.

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DRAGON’S TALE ODD JOBS

works as a math tutor in Rimmer. Norbert said he would consider becoming a professor after his first career in the engineering field.

Joe Lusk, a bicycle enthusiast from Springfield, Mo., started putting his bike maintenance skills to work as a freelance bike mechanic. Before moving to Hutchinson, Lusk rode pedi cabs for a company in Springfield.

Lusk aspires to open his own bike shop where he would con-tinue his bike maintenance work and would sell mostly bikes for the average person who just wants to get from place to place, rather than focusing on specialty bikes.

Odd JObs

Sitting in the grass outside her home, Lakin Wilson, Haven, talks about her her horse, Wrangler. Wilson was a student in the Horsemanship class.

<

< Bike mechanic, Joe Lusk, Springfield, Mo., dis-plays some of his tools outside Lockmanhall. Lusk also worked for a pedi cab company.

Offbeat Jobs Help Students Earn Their Keep photos & story by Terrasel Yoder

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THIRD THURSDAY DRAGON’S TALE

Ashley Cruz, McPherson, enjoys her dinner at Brooks on Main St. Cruz went to the event with a friend to see the sites. Photo by Charlie Allison

With school letting out and summer filling the air, the ques-tion on everyone’s mind is, what to do?

The answer is as simple as taking a stroll through downtown Hutchinson on the third Thurs-day of every month. A variety of events from Celtic bands to punk bands, art to yoga studios, and coffee shops to restaurants lets downtown serve up an evening everyone can enjoy.

Downtown comes alive with the sound of music and the smells of downtown restaurants as people crowd the sidewalks from five to nine in the evening. Children express their imagina-tion by creating sidewalk chalk masterpieces while young adults support their favorite local bands.

Adults storm through the gal-leries admiring local artists and breeze through their favorite restaurants and businesses. The monthly event is called Third Thursday.

“We’re lucky that a group of folks did that. It’s, indeed, a good example of what a small group of people committed to a project can do,” Roy Swanson, fine arts instructor, said.

Beginning in 2008, Third Thursday burst onto the scene to revive downtown which had not seen much activity in previous years. Local business owners began this by keeping their businesses open later and attracting new crowds by letting local artists and musicians fill

story by Charlie Allison and Ember Sipes

Local Downtown Event BecomesNew Student Activity

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DRAGON’S TALE THIRD THURSDAY

sidewalk space. Since then the event has

expanded and incorporated more and more businesses downtown and has even brought a closed business back to life. It also inspires people to show off their creativity and allows them to promote and sell to potential buyers.

“I make my own hemp jew-elry so I might be setting up a booth,” Arielle Christiansen, Hutchinson, said.

Many first-timers are very impressed with all the different and exciting aspects of Third Thursday.

“This is the first time I’ve been to Third Thursday, but I’d come back, it’s amazing! Art and food

are two of the best things ever,” Erica Gaither, Inman, said.

The many different varieties of food, music, and art also bring the mixture of cultures to downtown.

“I liked how all the cultures were coming together and how every corner had different styles of music,” Tim Edmond, Cincin-nati, Ohio, said.

People are the biggest part of Third Thursday, without them it wouldn’t exist. With the tem-perature outside rising so will the number of people at the event.

“I like the way the town comes together and unites,” Ashley Cruz, McPherson, said. “I wish McPherson would do something like this.”

Erica Gaither, Inman, and Jolie Koehn, Inman, talk with two gentlemen from a local church. Gaither and Koehn politely accepted their brochures.

Photo by Ember Sipes

<

< Collin Shores, Haven, talking with friends in downtown. Shores par-ticipated in the event with a group of Honors Program students.


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THIRD THURSDAY DRAGON’S TALE

Tim Edmond, Cincinnati, Ohio, stops to take a picture with a musician outside Brooks On Main St. Musicians were set up everywhere in the downtown area.Photo by Charlie Allison

<

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DRAGON’S TALE THIRD THURSDAY

< Potent ial customers admire local art outside Gallery 7. Random art booths and stands were found all through down-town Hutchinson.Photo by Charlie Allison

< Erica Gaither, Inman, purchases a book from Ten Thousand Villages. The store sold products from other countries at fair trade prices.Photo by Ember Sipes

“The Taste-It event has been great! There are a lot of restau-rants that I didn’t ever know were down here,” Collin Shores, Haven said. “It’s definitely a great way to find out if the restaurants are good without having to commit to buying a full meal.”

The event happens every other month, which started in Febru-ary. The lanyards, which are sold at fifteen dollars, were sold out in a matter of days and people packed into the downtown busi-nesses for the trials of the down-town food establishments.

“I would come back and do it again, and I would go back to

these restaurants for a full meal now that I’ve had a little taste of it,” Shores said.

The Taste-It event featured twelve downtown restaurants, and many different styles of food. Bringing people downtown to try the food and experience the restaurants was the intention behind the Taste-It event.

Third Thursday has done a great job of breathing new life into Hutchinson’s downtown area businesses and restaurants. In hopes of attracting new cus-tomers the Taste-It event has tingled everyone’s taste buds and satisfied appetites until next time.

Masses of people crowded Main Street of downtown Hutchinson for the second Taste-It Downtown event.

Lanyards are purchased, which allows one to travel from restaurant to restaurant and enjoys a portion of what is usu-ally the restaurant’s signature dish or appetizer.

< Food sample from Allie’s Deli and Coffee Shoppe. Allie’s Deli was one of the twelve stops during the Taste-It Downtown Event.


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CELL PHONES DRAGON’S TALE

A cell phone is something that almost every student has and something instructors have to deal with.

“The use of cell phones in the classroom is left to the instruc-tor,” Dr. Sue Darby, dean of instruction, said.

Brian Bird, physics instructor, doesn’t allow cell phones during exams.

“Anyone caught using a cell phone during an exam will receive a zero on that exam, no questions asked,” Bird said. “Other than that I don’t really have a policy. I can’t think of a single time anyone ever talked on a phone during class.”

Some instructors are pretty relaxed about cell phone use, where others are more hands on. Some instructors will take a cell phone from a student if it goes off in class.

“Basically the first day of class I tell the students that if one goes off or I see one during class I confiscate it for as ever long as I feel is necessary,” Bill Disberger, agriculture instructor and live-stock judging coach, said.

Disberger also has a policy for his livestock judging team when they are at a competition. He used to not allow cell phones on road trips at all. Now the phones are to be out of sight the whole time other than at times he des-ignates as appropriate.

Other instructors treat students how they will be treated in the ‘real’ world.

“I talk to the students about the ‘real world.’ Once they have a job, their boss is not going to allow them to text and talk on the phone while at work,” Kim Johnson, transfer business instructor, said. “So I try to get them to treat the classroom like the workplace.”

Business instructor, Kathy Decker requires students who answer their cell phones during class to leave for the remainder of the class, because she doesn’t want distractions.

“My classroom policy is to turn your phone off when you come in or at least set it to vibrate,”

Decker said, “During class if you know that you are going to be receiving an emergency call sit by the door. If the call comes in, step out into the hallway and leave for the day, the same goes for texting”

There are some instructors who don’t mind if students have to step out into the hall to take a call, and are understanding of it because they themselves have to on occasion do the same thing.

Teresa Preston, fine arts instructor, said. “They [phones] are to be put on vibrate and if there is an emergency the stu-dent is to leave the classroom and answer the phone. I have to have my cell phone with me at all times because I am the first

What is cell phone etiquette to you?“I have friends who really

annoy me because we’ll be somewhere and they will answer their phone and talk really loud over everyone else. Or we will be around little kids and someone will be talking on the phone and curse. Or when they are texting back and forth and they have their ringtone really loud.”

Chelsea Enfield, Haven

“I think cell phones should be on silent almost all the time, unless you’re at home. Don’t text, answer your phone, or any-thing other than being with your family at dinner. I don’t think you should have it with you at work either. You can have it at work if it’s in a secure place on silent, and you can’t hear it vibrating. That and keeping your phone ringer turned down in general. It drives me crazy when people have really loud cell phones that just ring and ring.”

Mckenzie Altvater, Kennesaw, GA

“Not using your cell phone during class or church, making sure your ringer is off. Or if you are in a meeting make sure you silence it, and vibrate is not necessarily good enough because sometimes you can hear cell phones vibrate and that’s not good.”

Joseph Kuepfer, Hutchinson

“When you are on the phone you should use good manners, and be polite, anywhere. There are places to use the phone, like usually I wouldn’t be talking on the phone in the library. When you are having a conversation in real life it is rude to stop to answer your cell phone unless it’s real important, and then you would say ‘hey I need to take this call’ and take the call quickly, also don’t talk loud when other conversations are going on around you.”

Jordan Robson, Sterling

Phones in the classroom

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DRAGON’S TALE CELL PHONES

photos & story by Chealsea Weaver

person on the help line infor-mation at the hospital for two different people.”

It doesn’t matter what or why the preference of the instructor. It really just comes down to the choice of the student.

“This is college, not grade school and I treat all my students as adults. Everyone is free to use whatever learning strategy they think is most appropriate for them. If they think that sitting in the back and texting each other is the best strategy for learning the material, I’m okay with that as long as they don’t disturb anyone else,” Bird said.

Jordan Robson, Sterling, takes a phone call in the library. Robson said that usually he would not have answered it, but he knew it would be short.

<

< Chelsea Enfield, Haven, takes time to respond to a text during graphic design. The class has an easy-going environment for students to work freely.

8%

23%

54%

91%

76%

45%

1% 1% 1%

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INTERNATIONAL LEARNING DRAGON’S TALE

person and I have more confi-dence. I’ve never lived on my own,” Corely said. “I’ve always lived with my parents, so being 20,000 miles away, my inde-pendence has definitely helped me grow.”

Even though living away from home has its advantages for growth, sometimes there are things that students miss.

“We’re close to each other, we hug and kiss a lot. We show more affection [than the people in the US].” Carolina Logato, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, said. “The biggest difference is the people. [In Brazil] if you can’t find a solution, there’s always someone to be with you even if there’s no solution.”

Even though relationships between people in the US might be different than those that international students experience at home, they can form bonds here as well. Anzarova was an exchange student last year at McPherson High School and because of relationships created she choose to come back to Kansas for college.

“I decided it would be a good place to start. It’s close to McPherson so I can still go and visit my host family and friends,” Anzarova said.

When most college students pack their bags and head off to school, you may think of them going to a different city or state, but normally you wouldn’t think of them going to a different country.

HCC has 11 international students on campus, most have traveled across an ocean to get here.

The main difference in coming here for school was “the culture, the language and the school system. We go to school [in Mary, Turkmenistan] for 10 years, six days a week, we all wear uniforms, and we can’t pick our own classes,” Nora Anzarova, Mary, Turkmenistan, said.

When going to a different country there is always a culture shock. The international students have all had their share of shock-ing moments.

“Going to Yoder and seeing the Amish driving around on horse and buggy. I’ve never seen anything like that before. It’s unheard of in England,” Finola Corley, Telford, England, said.

Not only do students experi-ence and learn about a different culture but they also learn more about themselves as individu-als.

“I feel like I have grown as a

int rnational

EL ARNINGstory by Rosalie Prieb

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DRAGON’S TALE INTERNATIONAL LEARNING

< For Nguyen Manh Vu, Vietnam, seeing snow for the first time was a abso-lute miracle. Friends asked him to mail some home.

Photo courtesy of Nguyen Manh Vu

zero

eleven+six - tenthree - fiveone - two

AsiaSouth AmericaAustraliaNorth AmericaEurope

Number of countries HCC students have visited outside of the USA.

International students participate in many continents.

Poll Questions6%

25%

13%

6%

50%

2%

67%

2%

8%

21%

Playing soccer in the USA takes dedication and training. For Finola Corley, Telford, England, that was the best part.

Photo by Andrew Carpenter

<

< On a trip to New Orleans with the forensics team, Nora Anzarova, Turkmeni-stan, held an alligator for the first time.

Photo courtesy ofNora Anzarova

Having a passion to play volleyball was a major reason for Caro-lina Logato, Brazil, to come to the USA.

Photo by AndrewCarpenter

<

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SPORTS DRAGON’S TALE

HCC has had some outstand-ing baseball players.

But two brothers have been making a name for themselves.

Noah went to HCC and moved on to Wichita State University and then to Minor League Baseball. Mace is having a great sophomore season with the Blue Dragons.

The Krol family proves to be one of the biggest baseball families in the Nickerson area. The oldest son played at Barton County Community college while Noah and Mace have both made a name for themselves in HCC Baseball. Their father is also the head coach at Nickerson High School.

Keeping it in the FamilyBrothers deemedsuccessful players

photos & story by Andrew Carpenter

Mace has a batting average of .339 with 37 hit (9 doubles, 2 triples) and has 6 home runs as of April 16

Noah’s sophomore year he had a .339 batting average. He also had 14 doubles, 5 triples, and 12 home runs. Noah also batted in 52 runs. He was also a pitcher; his record was 4-2 with a 4.31 earn-run-average with 25 strike-outs and went a total of 39 and 2/3 innings.

Noah was on the Region VI Championship team; they went to Grand Junction, Colo.

Krol has had a great season. As of three fourths of the season he hasn’t decided where he wants to move on to.

Krol sits under a ball in foul territory to make the third out of the inning against Seward County. He has a batting avg. of .339, with 37 hits and 6 home runs.

<

Krol receives the ball to make the put out at 3rd base against Seminole State on April 1, 2010. Hutch split with Seminole 8-5 and 5-3.

<

Krol drives the ball for a base hit against Seward County on April 11, 2010. Hutch split with Seward 8-7, 11-9, 8-1, and 9-7.

<

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DRAGON’S TALE SPORTS

Wearing the Target

Tanno Breaks record for Lady Dragons Softball

It has become tradition, since 2005, for the HCC baseball team to get hit by a pitch. Now the Lady Dragon softball team has picked up that same tradition.

Not many people can wear a pitch without grimac-ing and wincing in pain. Jamie Tanno, Smithville, Mo., can take a pitch without flinching.

“I dare the pitcher to throw it inside, she has to paint the inside corner because I’m right on the line,” Tanno said. “So if she miss the inside corner, she hits me and it’s on her because I get an extra base and we have a chance to score.”

Tanno leads the Lady Dragons with 29 hit-by-pitches as of April 16. The old record was set just one year earlier by career HBP record-holder Dusty Smith, who was plunked with 25 pitches in 2009. Smith’s career HBP mark is 48.

“She crowds the plate so much that it is probably inevitable that she get hit,” Jaime Rose, head softball coach, said. “There are times, yes I would rather see her swing the bat than get hit by a pitch.”

Not only does Tanno lead the team and even the Jayhawk Conference in hit-by-pitches, she leads all of college softball regardless of level or affiliation in the category that HCC has made its own badge of honor.

“I got in the habit of just stand-ing there,” Tanno said. “They will throw me a change-up and

bounce in the ground and I will just sit there and watch it and it will hit my foot. I will just toss my bat and run to first and the other coach to complain; I still get first base.”

In addition to getting hit regularly, Tanno is the Lady Dragons’ most consistent hitter. Her batting average is .459 as of April 16. She also leads the team in hits and home runs. Tanno has 50 hits and 5 home runs.

“She’s basically hitting .460; she’s extremely smart, she can go with the pitch,” Rose said. “I wouldn’t classify her as a power hitter, she looking more for singles, doubles, drive in RBIs.”

Tanno’s sister, Jenn, is also an HCC record holder. She played for Rose in 2007 and 2008 and is the program’s career home run leader with 19.

Tanno is only 19 away from Smith’s record as of April 16. At the pace she wears pitches, Tanno will shatter the career record early in her sophomore season.


Tanno drives the ball down the third baseline against Johnson County on April 8, 2010. Her batting avg. is .459 with 5 homeruns.

<

> Tanno look at the ball after it hits her in the front leg against Friends University JV on April 2, 2010. She leads the team with 29 HBP this season as of April 16.

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Kear returns to pole vaulting

Po le Vau l te r ’s MIRACLE COMEBACKNearly two years ago, a

bizarre accident almost ended this pole vaulter’s career and much more.

Almost everyone on campus has heard of the story of Chase Kear, Colwich. His accident occurred in October of 2008. Nearly dead at the scene, Kear has made a miraculous recovery from his injuries. Now people are starting to hear of his comeback to the sport that almost cost him his life.

He was practicing like he did every day. He went up for his jump with a pole he used all the time. On this particular attempt, the pole flexed too much and put him in the air higher than normal. He missed the safety pit and fell backwards off the pit onto the concrete and hit his head.

“I thought when he was laying there on the field that he was going to die right there,”Pat Becher, head track and field coach, said.

Kear was airlifted to Via Christi Regional Medical Center in Wichita. The doctors told his family that they had to remove part of his skull to relieve the pressure from his swelling brain. The prognosis for Kear

was bleak. A few days after the surgery,

Kear was in a coma. Less than two weeks after surgery he came out of his coma and in less than two months he went home to Colwich.

When the 2010 track and field season started, Kear was lifting weights and running. He was also helping coach the Blue Dragon pole vaulters.

Chase knew he wanted one more chance at it.

“I had it planned the whole time,” Kear said. “I am pretty well known in the vaulting com-munity anymore, I have a lot of places I could vault if I wanted to, and so I could have vaulted no matter what and my parents know that and I think that’s kind of why they supported me more.”

On April 4, 2010, at the Hutch Night Relays, Kear made his comeback to pole vaulting. The east stands of Gowans Stadium were filled with friends and family.

“I wanted to vault at Hutch Relays,” Kear said. “I wanted everybody to come, the whole family to come.”

Everyone that was around the vaulting area was clapping for

him on his first attempt. He made his approach and cleared his first height. Kear got up and cheered with a big smile on his face, the clapping didn’t stop.

Before his attempt at 10 feet, 6 inches, the public address announcer told his story to the fans attending the relays.

“On 10-6, I went all the way to the third jump; I wasn’t quite there yet, a little pumped and I thought, what if I miss this,” Kear said. “Then they came over the loud speakers and announced that I was attempting 10-6. All eyes are on me, I’ve got to do it.”

“That got the blood pumping and sure enough there I go,” Kear said

He made it all the way to 10 feet 6 inches and he just missed 11 feet.

“Words can’t described it,” Kear said. “It was great, I wasn’t going for a win or a loss I was just jumping.”

> Kear goes up in the stands after he competed to hug his mom at the Hutch Night Relays on April 3, 2010.

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Po le Vau l te r ’s MIRACLE COMEBACK

< Kear celebrates after he made his first height at the Hutch Night Relays. He came back from an accident two years ago.

< Kear clears 10 feet 6 inches at the Hutch Night Relays. Kear had only week of practice before the relays.

< Kear makes his approach on his second height at the Hutch Night Relays. Kear cleared 10 feet and then cleared 10 feet 6 inches.

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A New Commander-in-ChiefEck starts his Blue Dragon Career photos & story by Andrew Carpenter

When looking for a coach for the junior college level, what do you look for?

You look to see if that coach has a good record on the floor and a solid record off the court; with both qualities, you see if they can recruit.

The Blue Dragon found a coach that knows success, has

an unbelievable record coaching national champions and defi-nitely knows how to recruit.

“Coach Stange called me about the Hutch job and offered to me and I’m basically from Hutchinson, I grew up in Haven, but spent most of my time in Hutchinson,” Steve Eck, head coach, said. “So it was a change

to come back home and take one of the top dogs in the country.”

Eck was formally introduced last March as the Blue Dragons’ 14th coach in team history. Before Hutchinson, Eck coached at Cowley College for two sea-sons where he led the Tigers to a pair of Region VI championship games.

Eck’s overall record is 687 wins and 91 losses in 30 years of coaching. He is 349-57 in 13 years at the junior college level. His coaching resume consists of Butler County from 1996-1999, Redlands Community College from 2001-2007, Cowley Col-lege from 2007-2009, and now adds Hutchinson Community College.

Before reaching the junior col-lege level, Eck had 10 years of great success at Wichita South High School where he won six Class 6A state championships. After leaving WSHS, he moved on to Butler County Community College. He went 80-22 in three seasons with the Grizzlies and took them to the Region VI championship game twice.

Eck’s 1997 team had three first-team All-Americans and was ranked No. 1 in the nation for eight weeks.

He was an assistant coach for one season at Missouri-Kansas City and then at Newman Uni-versity before returning to the junior college ranks as head

coach of Redlands Community College in El Reno, Okla.

Redlands won an NJCAA Division II national champi-onship in his first season with Redlands going 23-9. The next season, Redlands moved to the Division I level and went to the NJCAA Tournament champion-ship game.

At Cowley, Eck’s teams set a school record for wins in a season (31) and highest winning percentage (.911). The 2008-09 team finished with a ranking of No. 17 in the nation with a record of 29-5.

After his first season with HCC, Eck’s Blue Dragons fin-ished with a 27-6 record, going 12-4 in the Jayhawk West. The Blue Dragons advanced to the Region VI semifinals for the first time since 2004.

“First of all we have to bring in good character players, you do that so you have a better chance of achieving your goals,” Eck said. “Obviously win league and win the Region VI tourna-ment and then you can get to the national tournament and win that thing.”

After having a full year to recruit, expectations for Eck and the Blue Dragons will increase for 2010-11.

“Basic thing you want to take with you is the repoire and the relationship you have with your former players,” Eck said. “The memory of the players you coached.”

Eck gives instruction after a time out during a conference game Eck ended the season with a 27-6 record.

< Eck talks to the team before the Pratt game on Feb. 24, 2010. HCC defeated Pratt 85-63.

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Middleton travels across land and sea to play golf

If you’re a golfer, you can play the game anywhere in the world. All-American Dale Middleton, Coventry, England has proven that point.

“In England the weather is not as good as it is here, the spring isn’t the greatest here but it’s a lot cooler there and a lot more rainy there,” Chris Young, head coach, said. “In Kansas are far as the United States and England go there is a difference, but are far as Kansas, but there is a lot of wind in Kansas to.”

Middleton didn’t have trouble picking up the difference here in the United States. In his fresh-man year he was named a Second Team All-American.

Middleton has picked up where he left off from his fresh-man season. He has placed first in three meets and second in one. At the National Preview on October 12 and 13, 2009, Middleton tied for 23 out of 89 players.

“I just want to play golf in a different country,” Middleton said.

In spring tournaments Middle-


Middleton tees off on the 4th tee-box at the Hesston Golf course on April 12. Hutch took first at the tournamnet.

<ton place 45th in the first and tied for 8th in the second, and 83rd in the Wichita State Tournament.

In the spring, Middleton was hit with a death in the family.

“He went back to England for the family. He had to go back to England right after our first tournament,” Young said “so he’s got a got a lot of things on his mind, I have total confidence that he will get his swing back to where he wants it here pretty quick.”

He did just that at the Hesston tournament. In his first round he shoot a 73 and 71 in the second with a total of 144.

The team placed first in the tournment. Middleton wasn’t the only one that shot a total of 144. Sam Schulte, Hutchinson; Cody Price, Cedar Park, Texas; Graid Howell, Wichita; and Ben Lowman, Manhattan, shot a 146 to bring the team total to 574. No other school shot that low.

“I guess it’s a really good experience for me coming over here, I have enjoyed it, Middle-ton said.

Middleton came from Coventry, England to play golf at HCC. He was an All-American his fresh-man year at HCC.

< Middleton lines up his shot on the 4th hole at Hesston golf course on April 12,2009. He had placed 1st in four tour-naments in the 2009-10 season as of April 19.

A Different Style of P ay

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The Lady Dragons basketball team had an outstanding 2009-10 season, but at the end of each game the stats are tallied and two members of the team stood out, and their numbers proved that fact.

The duo broke records and helped the Lady Dragons win a Region VI Championship and earn a trip to the National Tournament 2009 season.

Heather Robben, Wichita, and Ariella McGhee, Lawton, Okla., were both outstanding in their two years at HCC.

“They had good sophomore seasons,” John Ontjes, head coach, said. ”I was happy with how they competed and their leadership.”

Robben became the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,072


Robben and McGhee re-write women’s basketball record book

points and McGhee became the all-time leading rebounder with 630.

“I just play,“ Robben said. “I don’t play to break records or anything. It’s exciting when I do because I’ve never done anything like that before.”

The 2010 HCC women’s basketball sophomore class is the winningest class in program history. Robben, McGhee and the other sophomores totaled 60 wins; 31 wins came in their fresh-man season and 29 wins in their sophomore. The class included Sasha King, Norman, Okla.; Naudia Campbell, Toronto, Ontario; Hanna Punch, Fort Worth, Texas; and Brittney Chamberlin, Andover.

Robben became the program’s first two-time NJCAA All-Amer-

ican. She was an NJCAA honor-able mention All-American as a freshman and backed that up with a third-team All-America honor this season.

Robben earned first-team All-Jayhawk Conference and All-Region VI honors for the second-straight season. She ended her career with her name on scoring, scoring average, total field goal, 3-points goal, 3-point percentage, total free throw, free-throw percentage, blocked shots and steals. She also owns the career free-throw percentage record at 85.3 percent.

McGhee put her name on scoring, total field goals, field-goal percentage, rebounds and rebound average career charts. She finished the 09-10 season with 334 points, 236 rebounds, 28 block shots and 65 steals. She also owns the single-season and freshman rebounding records (375) and owns the single-game record (20).

The Lady Dragons finished the season off with a 29-4 recorded. The season came to an end with a 54-49 loss against Labette in the semifinals of Region VI in Wichita.

“I felt like we could have went farther,” McGhee said, “We just fell short in one game, we can’t lower our shoulders down for that, we did try hard we put a good effort in it.”

Both Robben and McGhee are not sure where they are going from here but they both know that they still want to play basketball.

“Heather was our all-time leading scorer and Ariella was our all-time leading rebounder, so those kids will always be remembered,” Ontjes said.

RECORDS WERE MADE TO BE

Robben, Wichita, shoots a three pointer against Garden City on Feb. 6, 2010. Robben was 80/184 on three point attempts for the season.

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RECORDS WERE MADE TO BE

< McGhee, Lawton, Okla., goes up for a rebound against Carl Alber State on November 27, 2009. She had a total of 255 rebounds in the 2009-10 season.

< Britney Nuzum, El Reno, Okla., drives around an Independence defender during the quarterfinals of the Region VI Quarter-finals on March 5, 2010. Hutch defeted Indy 66-54 to move on.

Robben and McGhee showed a great deal of success this season. Robben is moving on to Wichita State and McGhee is still unde-cided.

<

BROKEN

THE 09-10 SEASON WRAP-UPOverall Record - 29-4 / Conference 14-2

The Lady Dragons made it all the way to the semifi-nals of the Region VI Tournament. They lost to Labette 54-49.

- Heather Robben lead the team in points (529) and free throw percentage (83.2%) - Sasha King lead the team in Assits with 125 - Naudia Campbell had 240 points, 222 rebounds, 42 assists - Britney Nuzem had 260 points, 80 rebounds, 44 assists

“ You have to have talented kids to win basketball games and overcoures,” John Ontjes Head Coach said, “I think all our

kids are talented and it makes my job a lot easier.”

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Documents

Dragon's Tale - Spring 2010 Issue