Spectator issue 1, March 8, 2014

The

SPECTATOR Western Nebraska Community College

March 8, 2014

Volume 61, Issue 1

ENTERTAINMENT: ‘The Hobbit’ is an exciting journey, pg. 4 SPORTS: Women’s basketball team wins regional title, pg. 5 BACKPAGE: Photos from a ‘Gala Evening,’ pg. 8

Student SPOTLIGHT: Toria McGowan

Driven to Succeed Kathy Ault stays focused, works hard to achieve success in both her professional, personal life

BY BARBARA WOODWARD Spectator Reporter

Toria McGowan is a sophomore at WNCC. McGowan, a Banner County High School graduate, is pursuing a degree in web and graphic design.

After she graduates from WNCC, she plans to attend Trinity College in Ireland.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: I like to play games on the computer and learn more about the computer.

Q: What do you like about WNCC? A: I like that I can get the help that I need, plus going to the games.

Q: Most addicting game you’ve ever played?

A: Tom Clancy’s games.

Q: Who is a historical person that you admire and why?

A: Abraham Lincoln because he was president of the U.S. and did a great job.

Q: Favorite class you have taken and why?

A: Flash Administration because you can create movies and games with it.

Q: Funniest moment at WNCC? A: When my friends and I get together and start saying random things.

Q: Favorite book you have read and why?

A: “The Magic Tree House” because there are two kids that go into this tree house that is magical and it takes them on adventures.

Q: What is your favorite sport?

A: Soccer because it is a sport that I can play.

— Photo by Aaron Henry

WNCC human resources assistant Kathy Ault juggles her job and studies as she pursues her bachelor’s degree.

A proactive Reading to youngsters approach to helping students excel in school

BY AARON HENRY Spectator Reporter

A high school graduate walks into a college classroom for the first time. The first day ends, and the student goes home to do a lot of homework and reading.

This situation can be overwhelming to some students, perhaps even sending some of them on a downward spiral to failing grades, excessive anxiety, or even depression.

Luckily for these students at WNCC, the Proactive Advising Program seeks to identify problems before they become a problem.

The program is run by four WNCC employees: Amy Wisniewski, Robin Hayhurst, Susan Dickinson, and Molly Bonuchi.

They recognized that some of their students were struggling, so they took the initiative to develop a program to help these students.

See PROACTIVE, Page 8

— Courtesy Photo

WNCC softball player Courtney Cloud reads to Lincoln Elementary pre-schooler Autumn Hernandez during Dr. Seuss Read Across America Day March 3.

One-on-One with Roger Hovey

Making WNCC run effectively Registrar helps make sure WNCC students stay on track for graduation

Q: One person you wish you could talk to?

A: The main singer of U2 “Bono” because I would tell him how great his music is.

BY LENZIE COLE Spectator Reporter

Roger Hovery serves as WNCC’s registrar and has been at the college for many years. Hovey’s main job at the college is taking care of the students’ records, which also includes making sure all the international students have the proper paperwork.

Q: What super power would you like to have?

A: The super power I would want would be able to fly because I can get to places faster.

Q: Last movie you have watched and what you thought about that movie?

A: “RV,” I think it’s a movie that can be watched more than once and it will make you laugh every time.

Q: What would you name a planet and why?

A: “Escape, ” but it would be a secret planet that people could escape to.

— Photo by Lenzie Cole

—By Lenzie Cole, Spectator Reporter

Kathy Ault, who graduated from WNCC in December, is not your typical community college student. In fact, she’s not your “typical” anything.

Ault is a 50-year-old mother of three who has taken as many as three classes a semester for several years while working full-time to achieve her life-long dream. She is also the full-time Assistant to the Vice President of Human Resources for the college.

Ault said that while community college students don’t have to graduate to transfer all their credits to a four-year college or university, “Our college works very hard at getting ‘completers’ [college students who graduate from their two-year pro-

grams], and my goal was to be that completer.”

Like many WNCC graduates, Ault is already working on her bachelor’s degree. This semester she started online classes at Bellevue University, which is new on the WNCC campus, to get her four-year degree in Business Administration with a Human Resources emphasis.

While marrying and having children right out of high school and being a stay-at-home mom impeded her love of education and her goal of earning a college degree for a while, they did not seem to impede her professional progress.

One of the things that makes Ault “atypical,” not to mention a very special person, is that throughout her life See AULT, Page 8

WNCC registrar Roger Hovey is the man behind helping students stay on track for graduation.

Q: What do you do here at WNCC? RH: I am the registrar, which means I’m charge of all student records and making sure credits are accurate with students who transfer credits in from different colleges. We also have students who are transferring out; we tell them how they can do that. So I have to evaluate all the transcripts that come in and make sure all the credits that they have taken elsewhere are similar to our credits. The credits from classes that WNCC does not have can be transferred in an elective class credit; if a class is similar they

can see if it will count for that credit.

I also have to make sure the students have enough credits to graduate and meet all of the requirements. Getting students ready to graduate is a part of my job. I also keep track of adds and drops. There are all kinds of stuff that come up that might need exceptions made for. I’m in charge of international students as far as making sure they stay legal, so I have to issue the i20 document if they want to come here. Once they get their documents and meet the requirements then I send the document to them and they can take that document to the embassy and get their student visa. (He makes sure that the international students follow the guidelines that they need to follow.) Then there is all of the data consideration: data request, reports, all kinds of reports. Mary is officially the intuition research person, but we work together a lot on the data need See HOVEY, Page 3

News

TOP CAT Students

Male Top Cat Chris Brening Scottsbluff Major: General studies

Honors/ Awards/ AcƟviƟes: College intern for Mitchell Berean Church Favorite Movie: “Count of Monte Cristo” Favorite Class: Choir because I can sing.

Hardest Class: College Algebra Best moment: I get to bap ze some of my friends.

Where would you travel and why: Israel because of Jesus’ influence.

What music do you like to listen to: Everything, depending on my mood.

If you could have anything for free what would it be: My salva on; it’s already free.

March 8, 2014 Page 2

Called to Teach Tucker enjoys teaching math and seeing the lightbulb coming on in students

BY LENZIE COLE Spectator Reporter

Knowing what you want to do is easy, finding your calling can be a lot harder.

For Kay Tucker, her calling is teaching.

Teaching what, you might ask? Well, her calling is to teach math. She did not know that at the time until she became an engineer for three years. After that she realized that she loved teaching and that was her calling.

She taught at a lot of different colleges.

Some of them were in Texas, Arizona, and Michigan. When asked why she came to WNCC she had this to say, “I thought it was a great job and I liked the people I would be working for. It’s a nice little community.” This is her first year teaching at WNCC. She has always wanted to teach and when she was in school she loved it. At the beginning of her teaching career she was a coach and to do that she needed to be a full time teacher. Gradually, she became just a full time teacher because she loves to teach.

She loves to teach because she loves seeing the light bulb come on when students understand what is being taught. When it comes to math, some students don’t like it.

So when a student has that “aha” moment, that is the part of learning that she loves the most. She also like the moments when students come up and say that they found math useful for another class or in some

— Photo by Lenzie Cole

Kay Tucker inspects her online classes to see if her students have completed all of their assignments and makes sure all the “Helps” are on. way in their lives. them. For Tucker it is when she was teachShe loves math because it’s black and ing a high school class. They were not the white; it’s not suggestive. Tucker said, “I best students; sometimes when they came don’t like controversies; I don’t like arguing back from class, some of them would not be with students about grades or anything.” there. She did not like that class she had to Tucker’s math classes are on the com- teach but after a while something changed. puter; the homework, test, and quizzes are When they saw her at the mall they would all online. She does this because she loves yell across the mall at her, even simply to say to teach but this way the computer does the hello. grading.

During pep rallies they would want Also on the computer, the students have her to come and sit with them. No one else help aids while they are doing their home- would and they were her kids, so she would work. So if they need help, but they can’t go up and sit with them. get in to see the teacher, they can figure out Her husband thought it was funny bewhat they are doing wrong with the help of cause when she went up there they would the aids. say “get out of the way, get out of the way Everyone has a story that sticks with Mrs. T is coming through.”

If you could be an animal, what would it be: Lion Who is your role model: Jesus Why Jesus: He lived a perfect life. A life of righteousness in the eyes of God, one that we are called to do.

Female Top Cat Sarah Peterson Scottsbluff Major: Engineering

Committee raises awareness for heart disease

Honors/ Awards/ AcƟviƟes: Math Award Favorite Movie: “October Sky”

BY AARON HENRY Spectator Reporter

Favorite class: Calculus because it feels natural.

Hardest class: Physics with Calculus Best Moment: First me I realized that being an engineer wasn’t a crazy dream but instead a possibility.

Where would you travel and why?: Portugal so I can go see the inverted tower.

What music do you like to listen to?: Country If you could have anything for free what would it be: Helicopter If you could be an animal what would it be: Horse Who is your role model: My mom and Albert Einstein Why Albert Einstein: He was incredibly smart yet always encouraged others to try, to dream big and to let their imagina on take them beyond their wildest dreams.

Copy by Lenzie Cole

— Spectator Staff Photos

Blood Drive Above: Regional West nurse Deb Trapp prepares to take blood from WNCC student Adena Hagen during the blood drive on Feb. 26. The blood drive produced 38 pints of blood for the local blood bank.

Left: WNCC president Todd Holcomb relaxes while he gets blood drawn from his arm during the blood drive.

(Below) WNCC student Jordan Neuwirth seems to be in good spirits as he prepares himself from being stuck with a needle by Regional West nurse Alicia Hale during the blood drive on Feb. 26.

The heart is one of the most, if not the most, precious organs in the human body.

To stress to people the importance of taking good care of one’s heart, February has become known as Heart Awareness Month.

Even locally, people have been encouraged to pay more attention to their heart.

For example, on Feb. 7, WNCC students were encouraged to wear red as a way to raise awareness for the risk of heart disease in women.

“The American Heart Association designated one day a year for women’s heart disease,” WNCC Health Committee member Kathy Ault said. “Heart disease is the number one killer in women.”

During the month, posters were displayed throughout the campus, and some computer monitors displayed the message: Wear red on the seventh.

“It’s to bring awareness,” Ault said. “It’s like for bullying, you wear purple, and as a wellness committee, we feel that it is our job to bring awareness.”

She added, “We handed things out to employees and tried to put it everywhere.”

How can one learn more about heart disease? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has listed some facts about heart disease on its website at www.cdc.gov.

For instance, heart disease is the leading cause of death among both men and women.

“About 600,000 people die of heart disease every year. That is about one in four deaths,” the CDC’s page says.

One way to prevent, or perhaps lesson the damage, of heart disease is to know the warning signs of heart disease. These include experiencing chest pain; upper body pain in the arms, back, neck, jaw, or upper stomach; shortness of breath; nausea; lightheadedness; and cold sweats.

News

March 8, 2014 Page 3

Your Voice One question, many answers

With the recent purchase of the local mall, what stores would you like to see move into the empty spaces?

I would have to say that I want a Gamestop or a Burger King in the mall.

— Isaiah Gonzales

We could use a Foot Locker. I think it would get a lot of business.

Other sports ou its here don’t offer a lot.

— Nick Brady

I would say probably a Buffalo Exchange.

— Liz Scribner

There’s a hat store called Lidz that would be good in there.

— Adam Harris

I would like to see a J.C. Penney’s in there again.

— Jessi Sams

It would be nice to have an Olive Garden.

— Dave Nash

Considering what they have now, I would like to see a hobby shop of some sort for kids.

I think it’d be interes ng for them.

Kids are just in there now and walk around.

With different things like that then they could have stuff to do. There are also certain clubs that deal with that sort of thing.

There are like model train sets like I used to see during my me in the railroad. I personally love to build models and I think that kids need to get away from electronics. I always told my boys (I have five kids) that they need to learn how to fix things.

They always figured they would get jobs that they could just pay for things when they got broken, to have them fixed. I’m a trick of all trades really and I’ve done it all.

— Paul Hernandez Interviews conducted by Aaron Henry

— Photos by Lenzie Cole

This view of the library shows the spaciousness of the book and stud ying tables. The library also has DVDs for checkout.

What you should know about the library

BY LENZIE COLE Spectator Reporter

Get your student ID card; this card is what you need if you are going to check out something from the library.

A year and a half ago the library brought over Academic Testing and Tutoring, many people remember the half wall they had in the library for that.

Now they have full walls but they are glass so the people who are in charge are able to keep an eye on the people in there while answering phones.

If you think you are going to need help with a class you can see if they have a tutor for that subject. If they do have a tutor then go ahead and start getting help now. It’s better if you start now so you know the person when you need help with the harder stuff.

Do not put it off; if you do it could hurt you in the end.

The remodel for the testing and tutoring section is not the only thing that is different in the library.

When you are ready to check out or if you have a question for the people by the check-out desk you will see that it is different from what it was.

The new checkout desk is smaller and slimmer so it’s a lot more inviting in some ways and you can also see that there is a person there when you need to check out.

They have many different services that they offer at the library. They have books that you can check out; they also have DVDs that you can check out for a week.

They have many different types of DVDs. They also have Kindle and Nooks that can be checked out for two weeks.

If your math class requires a graphing calculator you can check out a graphing calculator from the library for the semester on a first come, first serve basis. If a student needs a projector for a club, all you need to do is have your sponsor get in contact with the library.

They also have a small graphic novel collection that they have just started. They also have audio books, so if you do not want to read you can listen instead.

The Library is sporting a new desk and a newly constructed sealed off area for tutoring and testing.

They also take suggestions for books.

You can email them, text, or even go to their web site and give them your suggestion to consider.

If you are looking for a book and the library does not have it and none of the other libraries do either, the WNCC library has a interlibrary loan. They will go across the nation to see if a library would be willing to lend the book to them. You can have it for about a month. So if you need a book for a class, plan ahead.

“We just got a charging station in here; it charges up to 95 percent of all devices,” said Merrillene Wood, a librarian here at WNCC. “It’s by the front desk and it’s free to use if you need it.”

They have laptops that are checked out for students for two hours. If no one is waiting for one, they can be rechecked out; they are not for take-home use.

If you need to print something off and you don’t have money in your account you will have to go to the business center and put money on your account. This is the only place you can put money on your account or you can use Paypal.

Ehelp center: this where you go to get help with accessing the WNCC portal, the student email, or the black

What’s available at the Library Kindles and Nooks two-weeks checkouts DVDs 1 week checkout Laptops 2 hour check out only for in library use Charging station for devices Free Free tutoring Sign up board. These three things are what the ehelp center is there for.

If you need to use the eBooks but you are not going to be on campus you can go talk to them, text, or email them.

They will need your student ID number so they can make sure that you are a current student. When that is done they will give you the username and password to use the website for eBooks.

HOVEY: The one that makes sure students are on track for graduation, enrolled properly Continued from Page 1 of the college. I also do reports that are needed. There are also committees that I serve on.

Q: How long have you worked here?

RH: For 24 years now; from 1990 to 2000 I was the director of remission. From 2000 to now I have been the registrar.

Q: What brought you to WNCC? RH: The job opportunity; I was at Western Wyoming Community College. I was there for 9 years; worked with admission there. Well it’s more of a combination of promoting the college and then intuitional research. It is a little bit of what I’m doing now but not quite the same; that particular job was phased out, so I was out of a job for a little while until I got this job.

Q: So what made you come into

the registrar field?

A: I have a master in business but I didn’t end up in the business world, I ended up in education. Not by design, I guess, just kind of happened. It looked interesting so I gave it a try.

Q: You like a challenge in your job?

A: Yes, there are all kinds of challenges to meet the needs.

It’s more than an 8 to 9 job, you have extra hours to put in.

Q: What do you like about your job?

A: It’s a variety; I get to work with people and data, like looking at trends and information to see how we can improve; it’s not all one thing. Once a month I go to Sidney and Alliance to visit with students. If they have appointments to talk about questions about their degrees; students are supposed to see me

before graduation to make sure they have everything in place.

In fact we usually send out a letter when they have 30 credits, inviting them to come in and review everything.

Q: What challenges do you find in this job that you have to work at?

A: Just keeping up with everything; I’m always behind. It seems like I’m always behind.

I try to keep after it. I went to a conference in Albuquerque.

It was about student advising, and how we could improve in that area. The biggest challenge is keeping up with everything, because there’s always more requests for information that you might not have anticipated. You have to put in to meet deadlines.

Q: Does this job make you keep up with the current technology?

A: Data Tell was the name of the system, the student informa-

tion system; they merged with a bigger company so they have a different name for it now but we just call it Data Tell. It keeps track of everything from student information to employee information. They make changes there so we have to keep up with current updates.

Q: Do you like the people you work with?

A: Oh yes, we get along.

Q: Are you guys like one big family?

A: Kind of, yes, not that we always agree on everything. They are fun to be around; we are not a huge institution. We only have 2,000 to 2,500 students fulltime, part-time, so we’re not a giant staff, so we know each other. It works out well.

Spectator Classifieds The City of Scottsbluff will begin taking applications beginning March 21st for all seasonal positions including Lifeguards, Recreation Aides, Laborers, Ball field Maintenance, and Cemetery Maintenance. Applications will be available at City Hall. Call 632-0059 to inquire about Lifeguard/Recreation Aide positions, and 632-0058 to inquire about Laborer and Maintenance positions. ________________ If you have a classified announcement, please email it to spectator@wncc.net and it will be run here for free.

Entertainment What did I do?

Have you ever felt like someone you just met or someone you have known for just a really short time (like a boss or a teacher) – or perhaps even someone you’ve known for a really long time – really dislikes you? And for the life of you, you don’t get it!

Or just the opposite.

Have you ever just met someone or have known someone for a really short time – or even a really long time – and Barbara they seem Woodward to just adore you? And for Columnist the life of you, you just don’t get it!

Or finally, have you ever walked into a classroom or started a new job and immediately had your own negative (or positive) reaction to someone – for what seemed like absolutely no apparent reason at all?

Of course you have. We all have.

You’ve undoubtedly heard that you have just a few seconds to make a good first impression. And if you’ve unwittingly made a bad first impression, it takes a very long time to change that first impression – to a good one.

The same goes for the opposite.

What you may not have ever heard about is the very common and all too prevalent “Halo Effect.”

It’s sometimes also referred to as the “Halo and Horns Effect.”

In academic terms, the Halo Effect “is a cognitive bias in which one’s judgments of a person can be influenced by one’s overall impression of him or her.” Translation: if we like someone, they can do very little wrong. And if we dislike someone, they can do exactly the same things but everything they do is wrong!

The Halo/Horns Effect can be found everywhere where people are interacting. Let’s take this to the classroom and place of work.

Let me give you an example from a manager’s point of view.

One employee is constantly getting in the middle of your assignments, allegedly “to help out,” and causes problems for you. When you go to the boss, she supports the co-worker, saying she is “just trying to be helpful.” You now know it’s fruitless to try to get the person to stay out of your work. You’re fighting against a “Halo Effect.”

Also, think of an example of a teacher’s and students’ bias in a classroom situation. Every time this certain student raises his hand to talk, everyone around him groans because “everything” he says just seems so off-point or ridiculous.

People actually won’t even listen to what he has to say. Yet, when another student says essentially the same thing, that student is given respect.

Unfortunately, apparently a lot of it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with anything someone did. It is based on our unconscious reactions to a person’s looks or mannerisms.

Good grief. As if we don’t have enough pressure in our lives. Of course, as is common in all research, there is research that says it’s all bunk.

But if this concept rings true for you, we apparently attribute people’s friendliness, sense of humor, level of intelligence, hyperactivity, general level of happiness, trustworthiness, competence, sexual promiscuity, and a whole host of other attributes to their physical appearance and the way they move and comport themselves.

So, the next time you wonder why someone consistently acts so favorably toward you, or so nasty, ask yourself if he or she has created a Halo or Horns Effect for you before you take it personally.

And more importantly, when you are judging everything one individual does harshly, or lovingly, ask yourself if you are being fair. Check yourself to see if you are attributing more kind things to one person than the other because of how you have labeled them in your mind, and possibly try to reevaluate the behaviors more objectively.

March 8, 2014 Page 4

‘Lightning Returns’ is an exciting adventure With the release of “Final Fantasy: Lightning Returns,” also known as “Final Fantasy 13-3,” Square Enix makes another direct sequel to “Final Fantasy 13.” This is quite rare in the Final Fantasy games as they typically take place in the same universe but are centuries apart.

This direct sequel is the completion of the 13 storyline and is quite different from its direct prequels.

The main character is Lightning Farron, who was one of the six main characters in the first game and is a major side character in the second.

Lightning herself has undergone some changes through the games. In the first one, she was a normal human who lived in the floating world of Cocoon but was cursed by a god-like being known as a fal-Cie. After this, she was made into a l’Cie, along with Snow Villiers, who is Lightning’s sister’s fiance, Sazh Katzroy, and Hope Esthiem.

Through the course of the first game, this group is joined by Vanille and Fang, who are inhabitants of the world below Cocoon, known as Pulse. The fal-Cie that cursed Lightning, Snow, Sazh and Hope, also cursed Fang and Vanille.

As l-Cie, the group is given something known as a Focus, which is a task that the fal-Cie wants them to undertake. The group is not given the entire story of how to do their Focus, but they are faced with the threat of being turned into monsters, known as Cieth, if they do not undertake their challenge or try to change their fate.

They embark on this quest against fate and come out on top. Then something happens.

Lightning mysteriously disappears and ends up as the pawn of one of the divine figures in the story, Etro. She serves as Etro’s only knight and is charged with protecting the ethereal realm of Valhalla, which opens up the second game.

Valhalla falls under attack by a man

Gaming Review

By Aaron Henry who draws on a form of power known as Chaos, whose name is Caius Ballad. Caius messed up the timeline and threatens to kill the goddess Etro and unleash this Chaos that she has been holding back from the world.

Caius’ motives for doing this are so a young girl, Yeul, who can see the future but is cursed with death and being reborn, can live a normal life.

In this game, Serah Farron, Lightning’s sister, is the main character as she tries to fix the timeline that Caius messed up and ultimately tries to reach Lightning in Valhalla.

She is joined by someone from the future, Noel, who is a man from a future who has lost most of his human life.

At the end of the game Caius gets Serah to kill Etro, and Chaos spills into the world.

Serah also dies from killing Etro.

Filled with grief, Lightning goes into a self-imposed sleep, or better known as crystal stasis.

In “Final Fantasy: Lightning Returns,” Lightning awakens from her slumber as the servant of a new deity, known as Bhunivelze in a world that has been affected by the Chaos. She is also the main character that the player controls.

Hope is also present as Lightning’s guide, but he does not fight alongside her.

The world and the people in it have not aged for 500 years. The world is about to end in 13 days, and Lightning is given the task of going into the world in order to save as many people as possible.

To that end, the game has a time system involved. Each real time minute corresponds to an hour in game, and every second is a minute.

The player starts with six days until the

end of the world and must gain more time by saving people.

Ultimately, through doing story objectives and side quests, the player can gain 13 days. Some quests are available only on certain days or at certain times, so time is of the essence.

Many characters from the previous two games are brought back, but they are filled with trouble. For instance, Snow is troubled from the loss of Serah and has had to live with that for 500 years.

The gameplay is one notable change from the previous two games. It is faster paced, more player controlled, and fully customizable.

In the previous two games, combat was almost turn based, characters took on different roles depending on what the player set them to do, and only the main character was fully controllable.

In “Lightning Returns,” Lightning’s moves can be set to different buttons, with each press corresponding to the move being performed; Lightning can also be moved around the battlefield.

The game is also completely open world with four new locations to explore. Yusnaan and Luxerion are the two major cities, while there are also a desert area and a wild plains area.

All of these areas have characters from previous games in them and all have to be visited during the course of the game in order to complete the story.

Every person that Lightning saves is guaranteed a spot in the new world that is being created.

Yet, again, Lightning finds herself in a race against fate and against time itself.

I would highly recommend joining her in this race.

Aaron Henry is a entertainment writer for The Spectator.

‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ An unexpected journey that’s a treat for all readers With “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” being a box office smash, even going so far as to become the fourth best grossing film of all time, I felt it was a good time to review the book. I recently read the book, from which the film was adapted from.

Personally, I loved watching the movie. It was a great movie, and in the end, it was not too far from what Tolkien originally wrote.

There are some glaring differences, though, between the two.

Basically, “The Hobbit,” as written by Tolkien, seems to be a book made mostly for people who love sword fights and adventures. However, the book also holds quite a bit of wit.

The characters have a nice development under Tolkien’s hand.

Bilbo Baggins, who is the hobbit that the title references, goes from a shy resident of The Shire to a leader of a company.

Book Review

By Aaron Henry Gandalf, who is an orchestrator of quests and an accomplished wizard in the tale, takes more of a backseat during this tale as he has his own quest to undertake.

Of course, there are also the 13 dwarves, including Thorin Oakenshield, each with character traits and personalities that are too numerous to list in one article. Suffice it to say that they play a big part in the book.

The plot starts out with Gandalf and Bilbo having a conversation about a quest.

As the book unfolds, so do the steps on this quest.

The objective of this quest is to reclaim the lost gold of the dwarves. That will be done by traveling across the land of Middle Earth and eventually reaching Erebor, the kingdom that Thorin would have inherited if his people hadn’t been ousted from the mountain and forced to flee from the dragon Smaug. Smaug took over their kingdom, gold and homeland.

The book is centered on the dwarves reclaiming all of that from Smaug. They do so much more than just fighting.

Sure, there is fighting, but there are also some riddles, some mysteries to figure out, and some witty banter, all of which lead to a nice setup for “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.” It’s all included in about 300 pages.

Personally, I feel like it’s a book that anyone could enjoy. It’s also a quick read, and it’s easily one of my favorite books.

What Do You Think?

Gage Cunningham

Whitney Parker

Amy Weber

Michelle Kersey

Favorite Season?

Spring

Summer

Summer

Summer

What state would you like to live in?

Oregon

Oregon

Nebraska

California

Favorite Book?

War and Peace

Hunger Games

None

Lock and Key

Least Favorite Food?

Cauliflower

Seafood

Fish

Chinese Food

by Lenzie Cole

Contact the newspaper at:

theSpectator the Spectator Western Nebraska Community College

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

2014 Staff Members Lenzie Cole, Reporter Aaron Henry, Reporter John Tmmins, Reporter Barbara Woodward, Reporter Mark Rein, Production Jeff Fielder, Adviser

Letter to the Editor Policy The Spectator accepts letters to the editor as well as story ideas. If you have a story idea, sent a note to spectator@wncc.edu.

Letters are limited to 500 words and must have a contact listed, along with phone and email.

Sports MVC

Most Valuable Cougars

March 8, 2014 Page 5

REGION IX CHAMPIONS

Male

Gabriel DeLa Rosa

Gabriel DeLa Rosa came to WNCC to play baseball from Miami, Fla. Dela Rosa is a first baseman and a pitcher. He is in his second year with the Cougars.  Hobbies and Interests: Spending time with my family, practicing the word of God on a daily basis, and working hard to get drafted (by MLB)  Favorite Movie: “Fast 5”  Nickname: “Sticky,” because back in high school, I liked to stick to my own beliefs and be open-minded at the same time.  Favorite sports moment: Winning all district honors and my high ere were two outs in the last inning, and I was at the plate, and I ended up bringing in the winning run.

Female Lile Havili

Lile Havili came to WNCC to play basketball from Salt Lake City, Utah. Havili is a starter on the women’s team and is averaging 10 points and six rebounds a game. Hobbies and Interests?

Singing and Dancing  What do you like best about WNCC?: The amazing students I’ve come to meet.  What is the best way to pass time on road trips?: Team bonding or sleeping  What community service projects have you participated in?: No events here yet, but I did help with food drives in Utah.  What has been the most exciting moment in your season so far?: Bus rides after a good win on the road.  What is the best way to relax after a game?: Shower, eat, sleep.  What do you do to prepare for a game?: Take a nap, and eat and listen to music.

— Copy by John Timmins

— Courtesy Photo

The WNCC women’s basketball team shows off their hardware after winning the Region IX Tournament on March 5. WNCC earned a 69-67 win over Western Wyoming Community College in the final.

The Cougars are now off to the national tournament, which begins March 17 in Salina, Kan.

Cougar women capture regional championship, lift record to 30-4 SPECTATOR STAFF REPORT

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. — Back-toBack Region IX champions.

That’s what the Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team accomplished after it recorded a 69-67 win over Western Wyoming Community College Wednesday night in the regional final at Rock Springs, Wyo. This is the Cougars’ 11th regional title.

It was also the Cougars’ 13th straight win and pushed the Cougars to 30-4 on the season. More importantly, it sends WNCC to the national tournament March 17-22 in Salina, Kan. “It feels really great to have the title of Region IX champs for the second year in a row,” sophomore Ashley Stevens of Bridgeport said. “We really wanted to have a repeat and that is exactly what we did. We knew we had to play our hardest because Western Wyoming is a really good team. They had a lot of sophomores on their team that knew how to handle pressure and they gave us a run at the end of the game.”

The Cougars earned their second straight title with four wins at the regional tournament. They opened tournament play against Gillette and rolled to a 78-50 win.

The Cougars followed that with an 8365 win over Northwest Wyoming and then took out Highway 26 rival Eastern Wyoming College in the semifinals 82-66.

WNCC Women’s Basketball Regional Championship History 11 regional titles 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2014 This will be the Cougars’ second straight national tournament appearance.

The pairings will be released around March 12. Last year, the Cougars fell to ASA College in the first round at nationals.

This year is a different story as the Cougars seem to be peaking. In all four regional tournament games, WNCC started strong while building big leads.

In the final against Western Wyoming, WNCC trailed just once in the contest and had as much as a 19-point lead in the second half before Western Wyoming mounted a comeback. The Cougars, however, hit some clutch free throws and stopped a last second shot for the win.

Stevens said the Cougars kept fighting even though Western Wyoming was trying to make a comeback.

— Sports Information

WNCC freshman Abi Lujan goes up for two points against Otero earlier this season at Cougar Palace.

“It was very important that we started off the second half so well,” she said. “If we wouldn’t have, we probably wouldn’t have pulled it out at the end. Give them credit, though, they were shooting the three ball well [at the end].”

WNCC dominated the first half. After both squads were tied at 5-5, WNCC went on a scoring tear behind a 3-pointer by Abi See CHAMPS, Page 2

Melo headed to Division I CS-Bakersfield SPECTATOR STAFF REPORT

After six years guiding the Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team, head coach Giovana Melo is headed to the Division I level. She was recently hired to be the California State-Bakersfield’s Director of Volleyball.

Melo’s duties with the Roadrunner program include being the head volleyball coach in the fall and overseeing the sand volleyball program operations in the spring season.

Melo is excited for the challenge.

“It is definitely a great step for me,” Melo said. “I am looking forward to taking that step in my career. Of course I am upset to leave this team and this program, but I am ready to make that step forward.”

Melo has been successful as a head coach in six years for the Cougars, as her teams went to the final four five of the six years she was coach, including winning a national championship in 2010. Melo has a career coaching record of 262-20.

Melo knows a little bit about the program at Bakersfield since three former players — Fernanda Goncalves, Deborah Araujo, and Danika Youngblood — were part of the program. Youngblood will be a senior, while the other two were seniors this past fall.

“That is the biggest reason I went there

WNCC is sorry to see Melo go, but wishes her the best.

“Giovana took our program to a new level, and we have been grateful for her leadership, passion for the sport, and dedication to our students,” Holcomb said. “Coach G cultivated a legacy of winning, which our school and surrounding communities can be proud.”

— Sports Information

WNCC volleyball coach Giovana Melo watches her team warm up at the national tournament in November. Melo is leaving to be the head coach at Cal State-Bakersfield. because I know where the program is at because I was watching them [former Cougar players] the whole time they we re playing,” Melo said. “I was able to learn a little about the history and the talent. It was a good fit for me.”

WNCC president Todd Holcomb said

Melo said she carries plenty of memories with her during her two years of playing at WNCC and six years of coaching.

“I have a lot of memories here,” she said. “It was not easy telling the girls and it won’t be easy leaving this place because it has been by home since I came from Brazil.

It will always be my home.”

Melo said she hopes that the WNCC freshmen come back because they have the talent to win a national title next year. Plus, she will be there to watch them and recruit them.

“I really hope they decide to stay for one more year and work hard to get to the national tournament,” she said. “I told the girls I want to come back and watch them win a national title next year. I want to come and recruit them. I want them to do well.

We worked really hard this spring and they have a big chance to do well.”

Melo will be formally introduced on Monday at Cal State-Bakersfield.

Sports After the heat of battle, rivals show sportsmanship The excitement and anticipation for the WNCC men’s basketball game against Eastern Wyoming College was steadily building.

When that game day finally arrived, the contest was all that was on the minds of the Cougar faithful who John planned Timmins to head to Columnist Torrington, Wyo., later that night to be part of the event.

The air seemed to hold a prediction that this journey would be one to remember. As the night progressed, the Cougar student section began to realize that they were paying witness to what was perhaps one of the most exciting basketball games in recent memory.

In the gym, the student sections for each school were located directly across from each another, making for an unrivaled involvement by both fan bases in the heckling of referees, teasing of players, and occasionally, the direct jeering of the opposing fan base.

Eventually, portions of each student section lost interest in the game entirely and became more focused on landing witty jabs on the egos of the opposing student section.

Every lead change resulted in loudly-voiced comical remarks, waving of arms, and stomping of feet. As the game drew nearer to its end, the chants and cheers became more personal and provoking toward the Eastern Wyoming student section, which was watching their team slowly lose ground.

When the Cougar men finally sealed the victory, the hooting and hollering reached its climax. The Cougar student section poured on the exuberant cheers as the Eastern Wyoming student section looked around the gym dejectedly.

As fans filed out of the gym, some people probably anticipated that there would be an eruption between the two sections, which only minutes earlier had been going at each other like angry dogs.

But to the surprise of many onlookers, the two fan bases met with calm heads. Rather than insults or punches being thrown, there was an exchange of “good game guys” or “nice cheers” accompanied by handshakes and high fives.

As people walked to the parking lot, there seemed to be a universal realization: the ability of both student sections to leave their differences in the bleachers when they left the gym was impressive.

The truth is, that night was one to remember not only for the excitement of the game but also for the demonstration of sportsmanship these rival college students displayed.

March 8, 2014 Page 6

Strong team bond helps Cougar players achieve success on, off the court

BY JOHN TIMMINS Spectator Sports Reporter

The WNCC men’s basketball team is made up of players that come from many different backgrounds.

Take Joel Einfeldt, from Cedar City, Utah, for example. He brings to the team his experience of going on a mission trip to Japan before coming to WNCC. This experience has helped him find the best in people, including members on his own team.

“As a missionary in Japan, I felt blessed to be able to see the value in all people,” he said. “As a team, you need to acknowledge that each member of the team has something valuable to offer. I learned that you should never treat someone like an object for your own benefit. People are people, and

they have feelings and experiences we can all learn from.”

This open and accepting attitude is displayed not only

by Einfeldt but also by many other players on the team.

“Some young John guys on our team Einfeldt have so much experience with basketball that I’ve been grateful to be able to learn from [them],” Einfledt said.

The ability to learn as a group and show support to one another, he said, carries over to the players’ schoolwork and even their personal lives.

“Off the court, we leave all of that

Intramural Basketball Fun

— Sports Information

3-on-3 intramural basketball has been hot and heavy the last few weeks. (far left) Joe Moran dribbles against the defense of Fatima Balza. (above) Jessica Aratani brings the ball out during a tournament game. (left) Julian Garcia dribbles to the basket during a tournament game.

WNCC men end season at regionals SPECTATOR STAFF REPORT

After running by Miles Community College on Sunday 87-57 in the first round of the Region IX Tournament in Sterling, Colo., the Cougars couldn’t hold a halftime lead in falling to No. 6 Northeastern Junior College in the quarterfinals on Monday.

WNCC led 32-29 at intermission, but let NJC go on a 19-0 run and scored just 20 second-half points in falling to the Plainsmen 81-52. WNCC ends their season at 1814, while NJC advances to the semifinals to face Sheridan College.

The quarterfinal loss was unfortunate as WNCC played well in the first half with Joel Einfeldt hitting a 3-pointer with three seconds left to give the Cougars a 32-29 halftime lead.

The big difference in the game was 3-point shooting because in the first half, WNCC was 5 of 14 from behind the arc, while the Plainsmen were 0 of 11. The second half was a different story as NJC lit up from long range, burying 8 of 10.

NJC couldn’t miss, either, scoring the first 19 points of the half to take a 48-32 lead. WNCC didn’t score its first points until 11:54 to play as Diante Mitchell hit two

free throws. WNCC’s first field goal didn’t come until the 9:42 minute mark.

Monday’s game was totally opposite from Sunday’s win when Crosbie scored 25 points in the win over Miles Community College. In fact, WNCC’s effort on Sunday was the fewest number of points allowed in the first round. Now, NJC holds that mark after holding the Cougars to just 52 points.

Against Miles, the Cougars’ offense was lightning hot, netting 45 percent of their shots. The Cougars also connected on 7 of 16 3-pointers. What also helped the Cougars Sunday night was rebounding as they out-rebounded the Pioneers 55-34, led by Kane’s 15 boards.

Crosbie led all scorers with 25 points, including five 3-pointers. WNCC also received 14 points from Brandon Morley, 12 points from Preston Christensen, and 11 points from Derrick Bowers.

Miles had just two players in double figures. Tyree King and Quinn Smith each had 10 points.

WNCC loses three sophomores off of this year’s team in Kane, DouDou Gueye, and Einfeldt. The Cougars return plenty of firepower with several players who started throughout the season.

Hitting League is a success There’s a lot to like about this year’s WNCC baseball team, and one reason is the connection the team has with the local community.

Besides regularly volunteering for various community service events throughout the Scottsbluff area, the team also sponsored a “Hitting League” at the Field of Dreams complex.

It’s easy to observe the sheer amount of fun that these kids have while also learning skills that will help them to excel as they progress through their baseball careers. The college players have to be creative and exciting while running drill stations in order to keep the short attention span of the younger players focused on the drills and not on the jokes that are being passed by whisper in the huddle.

Once the younger players completed their drill stations, they moved on to their favorite part of the Hitting League, the famed “Hitting Game.”

Indeed, this Cougar-sponsored event is one that has forged a unique bond with the local community and is perhaps one of the reasons behind the program’s success not only on the field but also in the process of building mature and respectable young men.

[competitiveness] and we’re a family,” Einfeldt said. “Like a functional family should do, as a team, we eat together every day. We discuss things with each other on all levels, and we look out for one another. In games, that makes us successful because we get excited for each other’s success.”

The trust and sense of family that this team shares can be an example, Einfeldt believes, for those who are struggling to find success in any aspect of their life.

“If you’re sincere in your dealings with other people and see them as what they really are –human beings – you gain their trust,” he said. “As a student athlete, trust is a valuable thing when it comes to teachers, fellow students, members of the community, coaches, and teammates. You need to be trusted.”

Softball team with honorary assistant coach

— Courtesy Photo

The WNCC softball team pose for a team photo before heading out to their games with Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo., on March 5 with honorary assistant coach Jack Massey (center). The team recorded two shutouts over the Plainswomen, winning 9-0 and 17-0 to run their record to 13-7 on the season. WNCC will have home games on March 9-10 before going on a Spring Break trip to Texas. The Cougars’ next home game will then be March 26 when they host Williston State College.

CHAMPS: Cougar women win back-to-back titles Continued from Page 5 Lujan and later a 3-pointer by Angela VIgil to put WNCC up 19-11. WNCC pushed its lead to 15 points, 29-24, on four free throws

by Laurin Rivera and led 40-27 at halftime.

WNCC exploded out of the gate in the second half behind eight points from Stevens to take a 51-32 lead. Western Wyoming came back, hitting four straight 3-pointers and sliced the lead to two points, 68-67, with 37 seconds to play. Lile Havili then hit one of two free throws and then WNCC put on a big defensive effort to not force a good shot attempt to get the win.

Stevens said they clamped down on the defense in the lst 13 seconds.

“To talk about the defense at the end, Abi was guarding the girl with the ball and she kind of lost control of it,” Stevens said.

“Then we had good pressure and made them make bad passes. By that time they got a really bad shot off and the buzzer went off.”

The win was even more exciting tor the team because they had to battle the sixth man, a loud student section.

“The fans were ridiculous,” she said.

“They were super loud. It was so loud that we couldn’t hear each other.”

WNCC shot 44 percent from the game, 47 percent in the first half. What kept the Mustangs in the game was free throw shooting. In the first half, WNCC was just 2 of 2, while Western Wyoming was 12 of 13. For the game, the Mustangs were 19 of 23 compared to 11 of 18 for WNCC. WNCC also out-rebounded the Mustangs 40-34 and held a 24-11 halftime rebounding advantage. Abi Lujan led on the boards with seven followed by Stevens with six.

The Cougars put three players in double figures. Stevens led the way with 16 points, followed by Rivera with 12, and Vigil with 11.

Stevens said the entire team played well in all four games of the tournament.

“We played pretty well all four games,” she said. “We had a goal set and we worked hard to achieve that goal. As for the balanced scoring, it is always nice to know we have a whole team who can score. We have some key bench players that come in and contribute points along with the starters.”

WNCC had three players make the all-tournament team in Stevens, Havili, and Shalisa Moffit. Stevens and Havili were also named to the South all-region team.

online.nebraska.edu/bachelor More than 20 online bachelor degree completion programs, including: • Business • Computer Science • Criminal Justice • Education • General Studies • Social Sciences • And more

KEARNEY|LINCOLN|OMAHA|MEDICAL CENTER

Backpage

March 8, 2014 Page 8

Hernandez eager to make a difference in students’ lives WNCC student working on earning an elementary education degree

BY AARON HENRY Spectator Reporter

Many college students could probably say that they’ve been influenced at some point by one or more of their teachers.

Vincente Hernandez is one of those

college students, and because of it, he wants to be a teacher who has a positive influence on students’ lives. Specifically, Hernandez, a WNCC student who is pursuing a degree in elementary education, wants to help make a difference between a kid having a good foundation and a poor one.

His reason for doing so is simple.

“I’ve had some bad teachers in my lifetime,” he said. “They ended up standing out more than the good ones for me.”

Hernandez is originally from Lamar, Colo., He moved to the Scottsbluff/Gering area in 1994 with his mother.

“We used to come here every summer to work the beet fields,” he said. “My mom just kind of decided that she liked

it here, and we fought her tooth and nail over it.”

Hernandez is attending school for the first time since 1999.

“I’m still trying to get adjusted to college,” he said. “So far, the only hard part for me is getting the grades required.”

Hernandez is enrolled in four classes: Math, English Comp I, Wellness, and Introduction to Professional Education.

“The last one is the one I really need,” he said.

Hernandez has a couple traits that’s helped him adjust to college life – and will no doubt be beneficial to him as he works with students later on in his life.

“I get along with others really well,” he

said. “I’m also really motivated.”

Hernandez spends a lot of time with his family. He has a five-month-old baby and two girls, ages 6 and 8.

“I try to spend more time outside when it’s not cold,” Hernandez said. “I hang out with my girlfriend and do the family thing.

I spend a lot of time with them. I also used to play PlayStation, but now I don’t really anymore.”

Hernandez, of course, has other interests, too.

“I watch a lot of football during the football season,” he said.

Right now, though, Hernandez’s main goal is to get an elementary education degree.

PROACTIVE: Approach to help students succeed Continued from Page 1 “Proactive advising is us trying to work with students,” English instructor Amy Wisniewski said. “We are trying to help them learn how to be successful.”

They saw students struggling, not necessarily with classwork, but with what they refer to as soft skills, such as self responsibility, self motivation, self management, interdependence, self awareness, life-long learning, emotional intelligence, and belief in oneself. This is all stated on a piece of paper that an advisor gives students at the first meeting.

“This started because we felt strong-

ly about giving students these life skills,” Wisniewski said. “The lack of life skills is where we saw the failings with some of our students.”

The program isn’t about tutoring. Rather, it’s for students who want to try to make better choices with their academic careers.

“I think that our hallway of teachers here recognized that a lot of students have trouble making better choices,” English instructor Robin Hayhurst said. “We thought about what we could do as instructors to help, and we found that a lot of students didn’t necessarily have trouble with academic concerns.”

For each of the teachers involved, the program keeps them fairly busy. They each help about 10 to 15 students a semester.

“The first eight weeks keeps me especially busy, and it tapers off at the second half of the semester,” Wisniewski said. “I like it because I get to know my students better, and that makes it easier for me to try to help them.”

Hayhurst said, “It could take anywhere from five to fifteen hours a week. This semester is a bit heavier. [But] I like the one on one and the connections that are made.

You never know the kind of success that will be had.”

The instructors like the results that they’ve seen.

“I believe as teachers that we plant a lot of seeds, and we don’t see all of them,” Hayhurst said. “If they realize that they have more power over their circumstances, that is awesome. But sometimes I will get some long-term people who will come back to see me.”

She added, “I would recommend it to anybody who feels like they could be making better choices, or anybody who is struggling and can’t figure out why. It’s a way for them to figure out what could be holding them back.”

AULT: Staying focused and working hard for success Continued from Page 1 people in management positions who have met her have recognized her potential and have given her opportunities to show what she could do – with or without a college degree.

“I grew up in the small town of Kimball [population of nearly 2,000], and people kept calling me and asking me to come to work for them,” she said, laughing.

Ault laughs easily and often, and says that people frequently make fun of the sound of her quirky laugh. Others, by the way, find it absolutely charming.

Early on, Ault got a job as a secretary at Kimball Junior High. She said she loved that job and remained in that position for four years until a new, large energy com-

pany out of Denver came to town to build a hazardous waste incinerator, a company that later became known as Clean Harbors.

Needing health insurance for her family, Ault said she applied to work there and was immediately hired as the secretary for the construction division. When construction was finished and the company opened, she was made the Training Coordinator for all the complex federal OSHA, EPA, and DOT regulations, among other things, something she said she found highly interesting and challenging. And she achieved this without a college degree.

A few years later, saying she wanted to work for a company where she would have a better opportunity to advance, Ault went to work for Regional West Hospital in Scottsbluff as a Human Resources Assistant, com-

muting for more than two years from Kimball before moving her family to town.

And what an opportunity she found at Regional West. She was sent to many annual national professional human resources conferences, and it was following one of these that she decided to study for the esteemed Professional Human Resources certificate.

“It was like going to ‘Boot Camp,’” she said.

After a week of eight-hour days studying all the federal, state, and local laws that impact companies via their human resources departments, she passed the test. – again, without a college degree.

“And I will never let it lapse because I never want to have to take that test again,” she said, laughing.

After working at the hospital in human

A Gala Evening

The WNCC vocal music department presented “A Gala Evening” in February with a number of musical acts. Here is a sampling of the entertainment the students put on.

—Spectator photos

resources for more than a dozen years, Ault joined WNCC’s Human Resources Department in 2010, a department which serves over 250 full-time faculty and full-time and part-time professional, administrative, and support employees at the college.

“I particularly love the helping aspect of working for the community college,” Ault said. “And working with so many other people who love it as I do.”

Married to Tim for the last 15 years, their love of helping people, education, and WNCC, in particular, runs in Kathy’s family. Tim referees college games, their daughter Brooke has a cosmetology diploma from here; their daughter Amanda is currently in the Early Childhood Development program here; and their son Craig is in the military and is studying HR.