Bethel coaching behind the scenes

A look behind the scenes into coaching JOHN HANSBERRY Staff Writer

Being a coach is a tough job, whether you’re a coach at the youth level, college level or professional level.

Coaches have a great deal put on them. They work long hours and have to deal with college athletes almost all day long.

They do the behind-the-scenes work that goes into the game, not just coach the game itself.

Men’s basketball coach Jayson Artaz said, “The stress and pressures that comes with this job can be tough, but working with other coaches that I feel like I can talk about the issues we are having as coaches or a team has been very helpful. Their advice helps to give me different things to think about.” Coaching can be very stressful. There are a great number of duties coaches have to fulfill and there are things that are outside of their control. Being a coach is not a job for those who can’t handle that stress.

Men’s soccer coach James Cottage said, “Coaching isn’t always easy but it’s the best job in the world in my opinion. Stress comes and goes but I’m extremely grateful for the job I have and the people within my program and the athletic department. Gratitude deletes stress.”

Coaches need to prepare. They prepare on and off the field with their athletes, taking hours out of their day to ensure excellence in their programs, without cutting corners. Coaches shape the culture of the team.

Cheer head coach Joseph Gogus had this to say about preparation, “I try to push selfsufficiency on and off the mat. I attempt to make my program model what life is like after college with the ability to make mistakes and have grace and buy into something bigger than one’s self to achieve success.”

Coaches dedicate themselves to a degree that many don’t understand. There are many hours dedicated to game preparation.

When time is spent, there is always a tradeoff. Time spent working means less time for family and friends.

“This to me is the most difficult thing I have come across. I work anywhere from 10-15 hours a day depending on the practice schedule and travel for games. I am away from home more often than I would like, but I try and get my kids to practice at times to help and spend time with them. This job is filled with more travel and time away from home than I think most people realize,” Artaz said.

This means coaches dedicate time, effort and energy for not only their players, but for the culture at Bethel. They are not strictly in the business of winning games, but more in the business of creating better young men and women.

Bethel tennis concludes fall season

DANEN KISTNER Staff Writer

Both the Bethel College Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams are finishing up their fall seasons respectively.

The teams went to compete in three tournaments this fall: TigerJinx Invitational in Winfield/Ark City, the 2019 KCAC Individual Championships in Winfield and the ITA Regional Championships, also in Winfield.

Both teams also traveled to Doane University in Nebraska and over to Baker University in Baldwin City. The Bethel College Threshers also played against NCAA Division II, Fort Hays State University at Bethel’s Ward Tennis Center.

The Threshers had some good, individual outings this fall as Jordan Singh, a junior from Newton, for the men’s team, finished in third place at the fifth singles slot for the KCAC Individual Championships. All while Jennifer Harrison, senior from Fort Scott, finished in the top eight out of 32 at the ITA Regional Championships on the women’s side.

Former Head Coach Matthew Barlow, mentioned both Erica Ebenkamp, senior from Conway Springs, and Singh.

“Erica Ebenkamp stood out going 2-0 in dual matches this fall at [the third] singles [slot]. Jordan Singh also went 2-0 during dual matches at [the fourth] singles [slot],” said Barlow.

With both of his teams playing well individually this fall, Barlow is hoping they can continue to build, heading into the spring season.

“I think that [our players] can take their effort and intensity learned in the fall, forward into the spring. We have been focusing on energy during practice and we look to continue to build on that during the winter and into the spring season,” Barlow said.

The Threshers will open up their spring seasons on February 10th, competing in a scrimmage against Seward County Community College in Liberal.

“Another focus has been consistency on the court and high percentage decision-making. Once those attributes become habits for the players, we will be tough to beat,” said Barlow.

They will start the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) play on March 18, in Wichita against Friends University. Their first home KCAC match will be played on March 26, against Southwestern College.

Students are encouraged to come out and support their Thresher Tennis teams this upcoming spring season, as they are looking to make a big impact in the KCAC this year.

SPORTS 9 AVERY HAWKINS Staff Writer the Sideline

CHANTZ SCURRY FOOTBALL Where did your passion for footaball come from? “It started when I was little watching footvall and it just grew within me from there until now.”

How does it feel to be nominated as KCAC offensive player of the week? “It always feels good to be recognized but I couldn’t have gotten to where I am without my family, friends, coaches, and teammates.”

How long have you been playing football? “I started playing when I was in fourth grade and I’ve been playing ever since.”

JADIN KALTENBACH Opinion Editor

Todd Phillips’ 2019 rendition of “Joker” is a complex film that fuels conversation for predominant issues that we as a society face today. Phillips uses comic book iconography to depict realities of mental illness, while also touching subjects such as America’s prison systems, minimal funding for mental illness treatment, addiction, socioeconomics, classicism and violence.

The Joker, who has also been dubbed the Clown Prince of Crime, is a character that has always been unstable. There has never been a question of the instability of his mindset, but there has rarely been any explanation in film. Since the rivalry’s debut in the 1940 comic, Joker has always been Batman’s arch nemesis, and, since almost everyone will root for the hero over the villain, it has always been easy and “right” to hate the Joker and everything he stands for. However, this film doesn’t assume the Joker is bad. If anything it forces you to look at him as the protagonist; some would even go so far as to call him the “good guy.”

The film opens up and we are introduced to Arthur Fleck, a clown for hire that works in a very broken Gotham City that is run by the rich and shows negligence to the poor and misfortunate. Fleck falls into the latter of the two categories, being mentally ill, financially unstable and outcasted. He yearns to be a comedian, but his mental illnesses, paired with his pseudobulbar affect (PBA), uncontrollable laughter at things or situations that are not funny, destroys his chances of pursuing his dream.

In Phillips’ rendition of the film, we learn Joker underwent severe childhood trauma. His first admittance into Arkham Asylum, which is filled with not only those who are mentally insane, but also those who have committed all sorts of horrendous crimes and the homeless, (sound familiar?!) was not due to any violence against others. He was also seeing a social worker and taking medication before all funding was cut for both (too real for you?).

The only reason he even had a gun was because one of his coworkers gave it to him as a way to protect himself before Fleck was fired. Prior to that, Fleck had never been outwardly violent towards anyone. According to this storyline, the first violent act he committed was a result of him getting beaten by three young, drunk Wayne Enterprise men on the subway because he started laughing uncontrollably (PBA) at their inappropriate advances at a young woman.

Because classicism and socioeconomic status are driving points in this film, it is clear from the beginning it is the rich against the poor. After these murders, which one could argue were in self defense, Arthur Fleck died and the Joker was born. He began to live as he was “intended to” and in the eyes of a fallen Gotham City, the Clown Prince was (almost) a hero. For most of Gotham, there is no remorse or sorrow for the death of the three men, if anything, it sparks a rebellion.

“Joker” explores many societal issues America is facing on a day to day basis. Phillips’ intention was to force viewers to acknowledge what is happening in the world around them, whether they are directly affected or not. Whether you leave the theaters angry because the portrayal of the Joker’s character inspires sympathy or in despair because of the striking resemblance to the world we live in, you’ll leave the theater in a different state than you arrived: Aware.

Jessie Thomas is a sophomore from Halstead. Her aspiring major is English Education. She has a passion for art, with a love of digital media, and “Inktober” trends. This comic, featuring a student named Amos, was inspired by the upcoming spooky season and local wildlife that can be found on campus. If you would like to contribute a piece of artwork to a future issue of the Collegian, email us at collegian@bethelks.edu!

Bethel Pep Band members wait for instruction between plays. Photo courtesy of Kayla Newman

NOAH LARSON Staff Writer

As of four years ago, Bethel College did not have a pep band. This all changed when the current Athletic Band Director, Brad Shores, was hired at Bethel. He formed a pep band on campus that many students now participate in. Most high schools and a number of colleges and universities often have a pep band. From place to place, they can range in size and instruments invloved depending on student interests.

“That’s a band that plays at the football games and at the basketball games. We’re an athletic support band. Some people are under scholarship, some people are volunteers,” said Shores.

The particular scholarship that goes into being in pep band is a sort of hybrid of two scholarships. It is a music scholarship that is not connected to the other music ones.

“When I first got here four years ago, I was working for Athletics, so it was an athletic scholarship. At that time, you could have more than one athletic scholarship. You can’t do that anymore,” said Shores.

Pep Band was referred to in the same manner as a registered sport.

“You could have a tennis scholarship and a cross country scholarship. You could have a soccer scholarship and a pep band scholarship,” said Shores.

The Pep Band plays at many different ball games on campus, so people can see them at one event if they didn’t see them at another. They will be playing at the football game on November 9th, which is the last game of this season. After that, they will begin playing at home basketball games.

Shores is not new when it comes to teaching band, whether it be pep band, steel drums or something else. It has been a large part of his life for many years.

Kayla Newman, a sophomore from Sedgwick, is one of those students.

“I was ‘voluntold’ to do it by Brad Shores. I knew him through band before coming to Bethel, so it was kind of just implied that I’d be in the band,” said Newman.

One thing Shores gets a lot of is diversity of talents. Every year he has new students, many who have played before and others who have never picked up an instrument. Having diversity in the band is good. Some will have a harder time learning and can get that help from Shores or from more experienced students. Anything can happen when a new academic year starts and Shores wants to start up his Pep Band again.

“In general, I have been doing it since I learned how to play an instrument. I was the middle schooler in the high school Pep Band. I thought it was so cool that two of my favorite things (music and sports) were in the same place at the same time,” said Newman.

Numbers have not affected the performance of the Pep Band, and Shores is determined to continue the tradition he began. “It’s been fascinating to see who shows up from year to year. We take anybody. My first year, we had five because they hadn’t had a Pep Band before,” said Shores.

Spooky season activities to do before October ends

MADI HARKINS Entertainment Editor

Halloween is right around the corner and there are still so many different activities to do before October ends! Some may be tired of doing the same thing every year, so here are a few ideas for activities and attractions not too far away. Walter’s Pumpkin Patch is always a good option, with their 30 Acre Pick Your Own Pumpkin Patch, there’s plenty to choose from. Walter’s also includes a corn maze and games and always has new attractions each year. They also serve a variety of delicious country style food such as grilled corn, hamburgers, hotdogs and pumpkin chili. Walter’s Pumpkin Patch is a great place to spend the whole afternoon and is located in Burns, about 40 minutes away. They are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sunday they are open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Field of Screams is Kansas’ premier haunted attraction, so for those who are wanting to go out later and get scared, this is the place you are looking for. Located in Maize, about 35 minutes away, tickets cost $20 which allows you to walk through the Field of Screams and Clown Town area. Both of these will walk you through a series of planned scares with great costumes and effects. Field of Screams also includes two escape shacks called “Jeb’s Shack” and “The Seance Room.” These mini escape rooms cost extra and have a limit of 15 minutes. However, for the main event there is typically a long line, but concessions and pizza are available for purchase. Field of Screams is open from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and is open from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Sundays. Be sure to prepare for mud and cold weather though because most of this attraction is outdoors. Kansas Zombie Hunters is a zombie paintball shooting activity only about 15 minutes away in Newton. Daytime and nighttime shooting options are both available and there are a few exciting, new activities! Ticket prices vary depending upon if you go in a large group or not and which setting and how many rounds you choose. Weapons and transport are provided for you to save the world from a zombie apocalypse! Zombie hunts are from 7 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and 6:30 p.m. to midnight on Saturdays and end November 3.

Theorosa’s Bridge in Valley Center is a daring option for those who are wanting to visit a real haunted site. Theorosa’s Bridge is about 20 minutes away and has several urban legends about the haunting of the bridge. One of them is that Theorosa was a young woman who had an illegitimate baby whom she decides to

drown in Jester Creek to hide her shame. Later on she eventually drowns herself too because of the guilt. This supposedly happened in the late 19th century, and nowadays, people who have been to the bridge claim to have seen mysterious balls of light and a woman’s apparition along with the sounds of a baby’s cry and mournful voices. They also claim to feel random cold breezes and say not to stop in your car on the bridge or the whole vehicle will begin to shake sometimes leaving the windows with smeared handprints. It is also said that if you tell Theorosa you either have or are her baby, three times, her ghost will push you into the creek. Still not exciting enough? Maybe try bringing a ouija board along to summon her and see if anything happens.

There are many other pumpkin patches, corn mazes, haunted houses and so on, but hopefully these gave you some ideas. Maybe handing out candy or going to the Bethel Halloween dance is enough excitement for you, but it is always good to try something new. Who knows, one of these places could become a new tradition for you and your friends or family! Theorosa’s Bridge covered in graffiti just over Jester Creek. Photo by Madi Harkins

Bethel College students celebrate annual Fall Fest

Fall Fest, the annual autumn celebration held on Bethel’s campus, encourages student involvement. Photos by Lindsey Pfannenstiel

(Above Left) Emma Beachy, sophomore from Kalona, Iowa and Angus Siemens, senior from Newton, performing with the Jazz I Ensemble. (Above Middle) Carine Claassen, senior from Whitewater, and Albert Bratthammar, junior from Gothenburg, Sweden, walk around Fall Fest with their drinks from Mojo’s Coffee Bar. (Above Right) Anna Wiens, senior from North Newton, and Beth Balzer, sophomore from Inman, watch over the FemCore booth. (Below Left) Caleb Gaede, senior from Klamath Falls, Ore., Kendrick Weaver, senior from Hesston, and Adam Kroeker, junior from Augusta, take interest in one of the many booths. (Below Right) Bethany Regehr, first-year from Whitewater, and Dominic Adkisson, first-year from Williams, Ind., eagerly wait in line for their food.