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Friday, May 9, 2014 Volume XXVIII, No. 5 http://www.southeast.edu
The College Calendar Tuesday, May 13 Last day to drop classes for spring quarter Sunday, May 20 Friday, May 23 SCC golf at national tournament Monday, May 26 College closed, Memorial Day Tuesday, June 3 General registration for summer quarter Tuesday, June 10 Finals schedule begins, Beatrice campus Thursday, June 12 Spring quarter ends Friday, June 13 Three-week classes begin Graduation: 6:30 p.m., Milford 7 p.m., Beatrice 7 p.m., Lincoln Monday, July 14 Summer quarter begins
Inside Tips for taking online classes .................... page 2 Career advising services .................. page 3 SCC golf wins regional tournament ............ page 4 “Oliver!” at LCP ..... page 7
And more!
Ground broken for new career center LINCOLN - Although the earth has been moving for weeks on Southeast Community College’s Lincoln Campus in preparation for the new career center, a joint venture between the College and Lincoln Public Schools, the ceremonial ground was broken at the site Friday morning. Dr. Jack Huck, president of SCC; Dr. Steve Joel, superintendent of LPS; and Gov. Dave Heineman were among the dignitaries who helped kick off the $25 million project. The center is scheduled to open in August 2015. Mikayah Worthon, a senior at Lincoln Southeast High School and a student in the LPS Entrepreneurship Focus Program, spoke on behalf of students who will be utilizing the facility. The goal is for students to accumulate a year’s worth of college credit by the time they receive their high school diploma. Heineman spoke about the need for the facility and how it will strengthen the local and state economies. Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler thanked the citizens of Lincoln for approving the LPS bond issue, as well as citizens within SCC’s 15-county district who also are helping to fund the project. Nebraska Commissioner Continued on page 2
Construction under way at Education Square By Ruth Grady ESQ - If you recently had a class in Education Square, you might have heard the noise coming from the second floor. The construction noise reflects the remodeling designed to create new departments, headquarters and new classrooms for Southeast Community College. Some spaces will be used by SCC. “The other spaces are being remodeled and rented to a couple of partners of ours,” said SCC President Dr. Jack Huck. The west end of the second floor will house the American Job Center, and the east end will house the State Department of Labor. “We work together and
help people who are seeking employment get the education they need, and then those departments can find jobs for them,” Huck reported. Other spaces will be used by SCC. Headquarters for the Graphic Design Media Arts program, which has three sections of media art, will be one of the occupants. Other occupants include the Pharmacy Tech. program. “In Beatrice, we were losing students because we weren’t offering enough variety of clinical experience in pharmacies,” Huck reflected. “So we moved it to Lincoln and brought up the enrollment from 6 to 20.” The Criminal Justice Program will use rooms on the Continued on page 2
Small Business Administration awards three with ties to SCC LINCOLN - Representatives from the Nebraska district office of the U.S. Small Business Administration presented 2014 awards to three people affiliated with Southeast Community College’s Entrepreneurship Center during a brief ceremony Thursday at the Center. Argyle Octopus Press, a tenant in SCC’s Entrepreneurship Center business incubator, received the award for Congressional District I Small Business of the Year. Owner Jennifer Rosenblatt accepted the award. Brooke Robbins, assistant director of the Center, accepted the award for Women in Business Champion of the Year for the State of Nebraska. And Zack Zimmerman, associate director of the Nebraska Business Develop-
A Publication of Southeast Community College Home of the SCC Storm Athletic Teams
ment Center located in the Entrepreneurship Center, accepted the NBDC Excellence and Innovation Award for the State of Nebraska and for Region VII. Leon J. Milobar, district director, presented the awards. Barbara Foster, lead economic development specialist with the Nebraska District Office, also attended. “It’s very exciting for me to get out into all of Nebraska to present these awards,” Milobar said. “It’s rewarding to see all of the hard work that these small businesses do and to see that resources available to them continue to support start-ups across the state.” Steve Bors, director of the Center, said it was exciting to see Rosenblatt, Robbins and Zimmerman receive awards. Continued on page 5
Photo contributed
From left, Cathy Lang, Matt Blomstedt, Mikayah Worthon, Gov. Dave Heineman, Chris Beutler, Wendy Birdsall, Dr. Jack Huck, Don Mayhew, Dr. Steve Joel, and Kathy Boellstorff turn over ceremonial soil to commemorate the start of the SCC-LPS career center project.
Career center to serve area high school students By Ruth Grady
careers of their choice. Career pathways include health, LINCOLN - A new Career culinary, food processing, Center, under construction at bio-science technology, early the Lincoln Southeast Comchildhood education, welding, munity College campus, will construction trades, finance, serve junior and senior high teacher education and manuschool students. Approximate- facturing. ly 500 students per session Students served will be will attend. from Lincoln Public Schools. The Career Center is However, Vice President designed to give students acfor Instruction Dr. Dennis cess to different pathways to Headrick indicated, “We’re
also hoping to have some time slots [for] students from area schools, so [students] from Waverly, Norris and maybe as far as Beatrice or Seward” could attend as well. There will be morning, noon and, if there is enough interest, evening sessions. Students will receive dual credit for the courses they complete. Continued on page 2
April flowers
Photos by Rita Damiron
The SCC horticulture students held its annual flower sale on Monday, April 21, offering over 50 varieties of flowers. The sale, which was held south of Ford Hall, ordinarily runs a second day, but this year, all of the plants sold out in a single day. Some customers travelled more than fifty miles. The flowers are grown by students in the horticulture classes and the funds that are raised are reinvested in the program.
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U.S. Postage Paid Non-Profit Organization Permit No. 286 Beatrice, NE 68310
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Tips for the Web-based student Procrastination: the lurking danger By Autim Black
Online education has become more prevalent over the past ten years, and that can be attributed to many different factors. Flexible scheduling as well as learning at the students own pace allow distant learners to further their education while working to support themselves. According to Pew Research Internet Project, “39 percent of all adults who have taken a class online say the format’s educational value is equal to that of a course taken in a classroom.” Research also concludes that “50 percent [of instructors] predict that 10 years from now most of their students will take classes online.” The question then becomes, “How does one remain successful within this distant learning environment?” As a distant learner, here are five advice tips for the online learning individual. 5. Read the syllabus This tip can be beneficial for students in classroom settings as well, but for distant learning, it is imperative because reading the syllabus thoroughly will give students all the information they need as well as the instructor’s expects. Syllabi are usually available to print off, so print a tangible copy to save throughout your semester for reference of course due dates, contact information and course requirements to keep yourself on the same track as the instructor. 4. Keep a second log of course submission dates Know when your teacher usually wants assignments turned in. Most instructors
By Tyler Burg
are set on specific days of the week, so even if the student does not have his or her syllabus handy, he or she can refer to prior knowledge of “Hey, this instructor usually has discussions due Mondays at noon.” Placing this information in a phone calendar to alert every Monday or even writing it in your planner allows you a heads up that an assignment could possibly be due soon. 3. Mark major assignments early Online coursework usually has one or two large projects that the instructor expects the student to complete in their spare time throughout the semester along with the weekly assignments. Keeping note of these assignments will keep you from getting behind, as these larger assignments are usually a large part of the students grade. 2. Complete Assignments Early, if possible The online education environment is built for the
ESQ construction, continued continued from page 1 second floor. They will have a crime lab, forensic lab and classrooms. “We are even going to have a jail cell,” Huck added.
The north side construction on the second floor is complete. The south side construction will be complete in the fall.
The SCC Challenge
May 9, 2014 Volume XXVIII, No. 5
Published twice quarterly by journalism and photography students at Southeast Community College
www.sccchallenge.com
Staff writers/photographers — Autim Black, Tyler Burg, Chris Chebuhar, Mary Jo Gawrick, Tonia Girdner, Rugh Grady, Matt Gress, Sarah Griffith, Macaela Happel, Kelsey Helget, Debra Hoffman, Maureen Jackson, Maggie Killham, James Lionberger, Ruth Marino, Jackie Mudge, Julie Nguyen, Ashley Rinke, Kai Rodriguez, William Schlautman, Elisabeth Schreiner, Kassandra Sherbeck, Nate Shumate, and Robert Zimmerman. Beatrice Bureau Chief — Nicholas A. Howe Sports reporter — Matt Hagemeier Adviser — Joshua Whitney SCC Board of Governors: Chairperson: Kathy Boellstorff, Johnson; Vice Chairperson: Dale Kruse, Beatrice; Secretary: Nancy A. Seim, Lincoln; Treasurer: Helen E. Griffin, Lincoln; Robert J. Feit, Pickrell; Ed C. Heiden, Sterling; Ruth M. Johnson, Lincoln; Terrence L. Kubicek, Lincoln; Steven Ottmann, Dorchester; Edward C. Price, Lincoln; Lynn Schluckebier, Seward; Bill Beltz, Faculty Representative, Milford. (Jan. 23, 2014) Equal Opportunity/NonDiscrimination Policy - It is the policy of Southeast Community College to provide equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in all admission, attendance, and employment matters to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, or other factors prohibited by law or College policy. Inquiries concerning the application of Southeast Community College’s policies on equal opportunity and nondiscrimination should be directed to the Vice President for Access/Equity/Diversity, SCC Area Office, 301 S. 68th Street Place, Lincoln, NE 68510, 402-323-3412, FAX 402-323-3420, or jsoto@southeast.edu. Declaración de política sobre equidad/antidiscriminación - La política publica de Southeast Community College es de proveer equidad, y prohíbe discriminación, en todos asuntos referentes a la admisión, participación, y empleo contra toda persona por motivo de raza, color, religión, sexo, edad, estado civil, origen nacional, etnia, condición de veterano, orientación sexual, incapacidad, u otros factores prohibidos por ley o política del Colegio. Preguntas relacionadas a la política sobre equidad/antidiscriminación de Southeast Community College deben dirigirse a: Vice President for Access/Equity/Diversity, SCC Area Office, 301 S 68 Street Place, Lincoln, NE 68510, 402-323-3412, FAX 402-323-3420, o jsoto@southeast.edu.
traditional as well as the nontraditional student. Keeping this in mind, students will rely on computer as well as Internet access for all coursework. If possible, find time to start assignments early to avoid systems being down or other technical problems. Most instructors allow up to a weeks early submission. 1. Communicate with your instructor Communication is key for the online student. Regular correspondence with the instructor and even other peers within the online community allow the student to stay current with the needs of the class. Knowing the instructor’s best contact information helps you find a solution when a problem occurs.
According to an article in Psychology Today, 20 percent of people identify themselves as chronic procrastinators. Procrastination is simply “putting things off” or waiting until the last minute to work on something before it needs to be finished. Procrastination can severely hinder the academic performance of college students. Procrastinating is so easy and becomes a normal habit among students, who claim many reasons to procrastinate. Students may procrastinate because they become overwhelmed by their workload. Distractions are another culprit of blame many times, while in other cases, students might just be plain lazy. Whatever the reason may be, it is no secret that procrastination creates more stressful lives and lowers the quality of work. Procrastination is commonly caused when someone has something urgent to do like a paper to write or a test to study for. Students would rather do something like hang out with friends or watch TV, so the more important task is put off. Cyndy Swanson, a teacher at Colorado Springs Christian Schools, recommends several strategies to combat procrastination. “It helps to develop a list of daily tasks that you write down on a piece of paper and cross off after you finish each one,” Swanson recommends. “It’s also good to have a calendar and set your deadlines a week before they are due, that way you can trick yourself into getting things done ahead of time.” “It’s good to set small goals for yourself, oftentimes breaking what you need to do down into smaller parts can help you lose that feeling of being overwhelmed,” Swanson continues. “Take a 10 minute break when you’re done and do something you want to do, but be sure to set an alarm to get back to work!” “It might help to make plans with your friends the night before something is due that you know you will procrastinate,” Swanson explained. “This will force you to get it done ahead of time and also gives you something to look forward to.” “Procrastination is easy to fight when you set your mind to it,” she said. “You just have to figure out what will motivate you.”
Ground breaking, continued continued from page 1 of Education Matt Blomstedt spoke, as did Cathy Lang, commissioner of Labor and director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. Kathy Boellstorff of John-
son, chairperson of SCC’s Board of Governors, spoke on behalf of the BOG, while Don Mayhew, president of the LPS Board of Education, made remarks on behalf of his Board. Wendy Birdsall, president of the Lincoln Cham-
ber of Commerce, and Joel, wrapped up the speaker lineup. Joel said he looked forward to the continued partnership between LPS and SCC.
Career center, continued continued from page 1 It is unknown which juniors and seniors will get to attend the center. “They are going to have an application process to apply to be able to come to the center,” said SCC President Dr. Jack Huck. SCC will benefit from the center when, after students graduate from high school, they choose to attend SCC to finish their programs. The director of the Career Center will be a PK-12 certified school administrator.
The teaching staff could be current high school teachers, SCC teachers or new individuals who meet the teaching requirement. Faculty will be selected based on specializations that match the needs of the program. Transportation will be provided for students to take them to the center from their schools. “LPS will provide the buses,” said President Huck, “and I suspect there will be a few exceptions where some students will need to drive themselves.”
Currently parking at SCC is difficult, but that may soon change. “We will be adding a few hundred parking spaces to our current capacity,” said Huck. The cost of the new facility will be $25 million. “LPS and SCC are both putting 12 and a half million dollars into it,” reported Headrick. The new Career Center is scheduled to open in August of 2015.
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Career Advising Center is there to help By Tonia Girdner From the time most were little, one was always asked, so what do you want to be when you grow up? And one would always be quick to answer, I want to be a fireman, doctor, ballerina, princess, or even a mommy or daddy. Back then, you could be anything your imagination would allow; however, with graduation approaching, when asked that same question, it seems more daunting and difficult to figure out when you are not even sure who you are, what your likes dislikes are, and what your hobbies are verses what you could make a living at. So the next question for high-schoolers, friends and family becomes, so where are you going to college? High-schoolers, or anyone else thinking about going to college, have even more decisions to make, such as where to go to college, whether is college for them, how to afford college, whether they can get loans or grants and what career they can make a living at. The task can be overwhelming. Once a student decides to go back to college, most colleges have programs to help make these difficult decisions less difficult. At Southeast Community College, assistance is available at the Career Advisement Center and Job Placement Center within Career Services located at 8800 O Street in Lincoln. The Career Advisement Center works with individuals at any stage of the college experience by giving them the information and the tools they need to be successfully admitted to the programs at SCC. The advisers also discuss interests, goals, values, work environment, and things that one might not consider when looking into a career. The Career Advisement Center works with individuals with disabilities by providing personal accommodations and providing the needs necessary to make sure that every individual has equal access to education. When looking at a student, Kat Kreikemeier, M.S., says that “the goal of a Career Advisor is to capture your goal and meet their goals so the student can find personal fulfillment and reach their goals.” When it comes to advising students, the career advisor will look at the career you have chosen and give you an outlook of the job. When it comes to finding that dream
Photo by Tonia Girdner
Above is the Career Advising Center on the Lincoln campus. job, the Job Placement Center will come into play. The Job Placement Center has placement specialist that will help a student learn how to fill out applications, write resumes and cover letters, list references, utilize social networking, dress for success, participate in the interview process, write thank you letters and accept the offer. The job placement center works with employers and students to get in contact, first with the SCC employment website, but also through other websites, temporary agencies and career fairs. Lynn Willy, a placement specialist at SCC, advises that all students needing this service come in at least two terms prior to graduation. This allows the student time to prepare for the job search during his or her last term at SCC, which allows for better resumes and interview experiences for a higher outcome of employment. Jessica Reay, PHR, a human resource generalist, and Richard Snyder, the director of recruiting at Crete Carrier Corporation, also suggest that when a person comes in for an interview they need to dress professionally, be clean, leave all personal items in their car, avoid bringing a drink or chewing gum, have good posture, be comfortably engaged and interactive with the interviewer, ask questions, know the company they are interviewing at and the position being applied for, bring a copy of references and their resume, be prepared, be grateful for the interviewer’s time, and be on time. Snyder says that, “At Crete, we sell time. It is the demand of our customer, and that is one thing you would need to know when interviewing for this company, because time is precious.” Reay says, “Always remember that you are going into a professional place of
Nurses Week
business, and you need to dress and conduct yourself as such.” “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover; the enter workings of a company may be more than what your think,” said Snyder, who is a SCC 1977 alumni of Milford, with a technical degree in heating, air conditioning, ventilation, electrical, plumbing and major appliance repair. “A piece of your education will follow you where ever you go, so don’t think you can’t work at a company just because of your degree. There are more pieces to make it work then you would think. “No matter what you are going into school for or what you want to do maybe a whole lot different,” Snyder added, “but the education that you get there is always bits and pieces that you can take with you in ever position you will hold in your entire life and if you believe that, work hard, get good grades, good attendance and attitude, the moon is the limit.”
Geospatial Certificate coming to SCC for Fall Quarter By Tyler Burg For the first time in Southeast Community College history, a geographic information system (GIS) certificate program will be offered in the fall quarter. The college received a Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Career Training Grant of over $2.5 million to develop the new GIS program as well as a Precision Agriculture certificate. “The grant will increase the college’s capacity to provide current software and technology used in the increasingly complex, tech-rich agricultural and GIS-based workplaces,” Stu Osterthun explained. “An estimated 235 adults will be trained over the three-year grant cycle.” A GIS is a computer system used to analyze, manipulate and manage geographic data. GIS can enhance the user’s knowledge about important geographic features, which can lead to better, more informed decision making. The Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), a renowned GIS software development company, knows that GIS is a key emerging and evolving industry throughout the world. Every year, ESRI hosts a conference in San Diego to reveal new products and technologies, and attendance at this event has skyrocketed over the last few years, illustrating the booming industry. The career opportunities in the field of GIS are innumerable. The technology can be applied to nearly any field of study from environmental science to commercial businesses and many more. An ESRI representative describing the advantages of a career in GIS said, “This wide range of opportunities available lets you combine your passions or interests with GIS for a satisfying and successful career.” A GIS certificate prepares graduates for wide ranging career possibilities from entry-level technicians to data analysts and project managers in diverse fields of GIS application. Proposed courses for the 31.5 credit hour GIS technician certificate are Introduction to Geospatial Technology, Spatial Analysis and Modeling, Data Acquisition and Management, Cartographic Design and Visualization, Internship or Cooperative Experience, Thinking Mathematically and Introduction to Human Geography. “The Certificate will be delivered from the Milford campus,” Glen Pasho explained. “The classes will be delivered online; however, students will be required to attend all labs in person on the Milford campus.” Pasho, the dean of Construction/Electronics and Communications/Information technology anticipates the hiring of a new instructor for the fall quarter. Anyone interested in pursuing the GIS certificate is encouraged to contact Dr. Denise Schalke-Ideus, who is the interim project manager.
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Sports & Activities SCC golf team captures 10th consecutive Region IX team title BEATRICE - The Southeast Community College men’s golf team ran away with the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Region IX title Friday, capturing its 10th consecutive championship by 34 strokes. However, for the first time in 10 years SCC did not have the individual champion. That honor went to Justin Carlock of Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo., site of the two-day tournament. Carlock shot a final-round 66 to defeat SCC’s Liam Chambers by four strokes. SCC’s victory qualifies the Storm for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament May 20-23 at Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth, Ind. “It was windy and cold, but our guys battled back after shooting 310 on the first day,” SCC Coach Bill Campbell said. “We kind of settled down the second and third rounds. “It feels great to be going back to the national tourna-
ment. This team persevered all season. Now we have some work to do to get into the hunt in Indiana.” Chambers, a sophomore from Scotland, paced SCC with a three-round score of 222. Placing third was SCC’s Zach Taylor, a sophomore from Omaha Burke. He shot 226. Rounding out the scoring for the Storm was Austin Miller, a sophomore from Sidney, who finished fifth with a 234; Chad Manes, a freshman from Beatrice, who was eighth with a 236; and John Thomas, a sophomore from Millard North, who finished ninth with a 238. Chambers had the low round of the tournament for SCC, firing a one-under-par 71 on the Northeastern 18 golf course in Sterling. SCC went into the tournament coming off a third-place finish at the 20-team Wild West Invite in Gothenburg in which it shot 317 but placed just one player in the top 10 (Zach Taylor, Omaha Burke,
Photo contributed
Members of the SCC Storm golf team are, from left, Austin Miller, John Thomas, Chad Manes, Liam Chambers, Zach Taylor and Coach Bill Campbell. shot 75). In fact, the Storm won just two tournaments this spring, shooting 306 at the Northeast Spring Invitational in Norfolk to begin the season and a two-day total
592 at the NJC Spring Invitational in Sterling, Colo., site of the Region IX Tournament.
SCC individual scoring: Liam Chambers 77-74-71-222 Zach Taylor 81-73-72-226 Austin Miller 77-78-79-234 Chad Manes 78-79-79-236 John Thomas 78-75-85-238
Lady Storm softball season comes to a close By Matt Hagemeier BEATRICE - The Lady Storm’s softball season came to an end after being eliminated in the Region IX tournament held Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3. It was a long and difficult year for the team, which finished 3-37. However, the ladies did get a confidencebuilding win that could propel them into the offseason. SCC surprised North Platte in the opening game 8-7. The Storm struck first on a towering home run over the center field fence by sophomore
Kamie Fuller. Stephanie Stamp added a solo blast and soon Southeast was up 7-0. The Lady nights came roaring back thanks to numerous Lady Storm errors, to make it 7-6 in the top of the 7th inning. Tiffany Talkington relieved winning pitcher Nicole Zelinski, striking out the final batter and stranding two North Platte base runners to seal the win. Southeast lost game two in the winner’s bracket to Central Community College 8-0. Head Coach Bob Ginsburg
said his team “reverted” back to errors, poor at-bats and injuries. Southeast was eliminated on the final day after they dropped a 4-2 decision to Dawson Community College. Nicole Zelinski and Tiffany Talkington made the AllTournament team. Talkington also made the All-Region team along with Haley Carlsen. Central Community College finished as the Region IX champions, followed by Dawson and Southeast.
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On Friday, April 18, the Lady Storm played a double-header against Western Nebraska CC, but was shut out in both games, 13-0 and 10-0 respectively. Above, the ball comes in to first baseman Elizabeth Vogelsberg. At left, Cheyann Lovett slides into second base.
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Small Business Q&A By Zach Zimmerman
continued from page 1 “The awards are well deserved,” Bors said. “These three have worked extremely hard, and it’s nice to see that they are being recognized. I’m very proud of all three.” Rosenblatt and her business, Argyle Octopus Press, have been in the Entrepreneurship Center since Aug. 1, 2011. After three years of support services, including business coaching, many startups leave the Center to venture out on their own. “I started another business called MusicSpoke,” Rosenblatt said. “It’s a tech-focused company, so I’m going to need the same support I’ve received for Argyle Octopus Press for my new venture.” Rosenblatt praised SCC’s Entrepreneurship Center staff and the way the incubator is structured. “This is an amazing program,” she said. “At first I didn’t take advantage of all that it offered. It wasn’t until I had my first crisis, hiring my first employee, that I utilized all of the Center’s services.” Since her humble beginnings in a mini-van, Rosenblatt has hired two full-time employees for her business, which serves the growing multimedia needs of startups and small businesses. “I probably would not be in business today without the Entrepreneurship Center,” Rosenblatt said. “As a small business, you don’t have access to the level of expertise, the support system and the business coaching and mentoring.” Rosenblatt and her sisterin-law came up with the company name, Argyle Octopus.
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Suggestions for seeking help from friends and family
Photo contributed
Pictured are, from left, Barbara Foster, Zack Zimmerman, Brooke Robbins, Jennifer Rosenblatt, and Leon Milobar. “I’m from Florida and moved here eight years ago,” Rosenblatt said. “We would talk on the phone all the time. We used to always make fun of other multimedia company names, so we came up with an unusual one of our own, Argyle Octopus.” Argyle Octopus Press was selected based on a set of criteria that included staying power, growth in the number of employees, increase in sales and/or unit volume, current and past financial performance, innovativeness of product or service offered, response to adversity, and contributions to communityoriented projects. Robbins was shocked to learn she had won the Women in Business Champion of the Year award. “There are so many people in the state who are advocates for women business owners who deserve this award,” said Robbins, who joined the SCC Entrepreneurship Center in 2007. “There are many ladies
here today who I’ve had the opportunity to work with. It’s very fulfilling when you can say that I helped them come up with an idea.” “She works well with the Entrepreneurship Center staff and is doing some really good things,” Zimmerman said about Robbins. Zimmerman’s role is to provide free support to small business owners. “Small businesses and their service providers don’t get enough recognition for the work they do,” Zimmerman said. “I want to thank Southeast Community College, (president) Dr. (Jack) Huck and the Entrepreneurship Center staff for all of their support. We’re doing some great things, and it’s nice to receive some recognition for that work.” Robbins, who works closely with Zimmerman, said he “has breathed new life into the (Entrepreneurship) Center.”
I have been in business for four years and I am having trouble keeping up with demand for my product. I am working 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. seven days a week and struggling. Help! Lincoln, Neb. Yes, something needs to change in a hurry. I am assuming, when you started this business, this was not your vision. Working endless hours, constant working, always busy, no time for lunch, and then going to bed late, only to get up early to do it all over again. This is a common occurrence in the business ownership world and over the years some have worn it as a badge of honor. “I own a business and I work 17-hour days.” The problem with this scenario is that it is not sustainable. Every business owner has their own capacity when it comes to working in their business and I suspect you have hit your limit. The market is telling you that the demand for your product or service is higher than what one person can provide. The knee jerk reaction is to hire more staff to help with demand. More hands, means less work, right? Not necessarily. Before you can hire someone to help, you, as the business owner, have an obligation to view your business as a group of systems. These systems work together to deliver the product or service in way that you expect. Once you have identified each system, then you can identify the responsibilities of each system, set expectations, and determine the skills needed for a person to “work” your business system. You want to deliver the product that is consistent with your expectations. How do you identify these systems? You have been working them for the past four years, the trick is to isolate them and describe them to an employee. I have been thinking purchasing a business in retail. The seller wants certain amount, how do I know if it is a reasonable price? Papillion, Neb. Business valuation is an artful rather than a scientific practice. The most common business valuation method is an earnings approach. A buyer can review the tax returns of a business and locate its earnings. This is the total amount of money the business sold in a year minus all the expenses related to the business in the same year. If this number is positive, the most common multiple is 3-4 times the earnings of the business. For example, a business earned 100,000 dollars in the year continued on page 7
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Friday, May 9, 2014
Entertainment & News “Oliver!” now showing at Lincoln Community Playhouse By Tonia Girdner The beloved musical “Oliver!” is now showing at the Lincoln Community Playhouse. This is musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s classic rags-to-riches tale of a boy in search for a place in this world, for love and for the family he has never had. In Victorian England, Oliver Twist is an orphan boy who was sold to a local undertaker and his family. When Oliver runs away from the workhouse, he is taken in by a group of boys and a man named Fagin, who turns this rag-tag group of boys into a band of pickpockets. From this, Oliver befriends a woman by the name of Nancy, who tries to help Oliver escape. This is the biggest production this season, featuring both children and adults. This music will feature a live orchestra and include the songs “Food, Glorious Food,” “Consider Yourself” and “Where is Love?” This score was written by Lionel Bart, who was inspired to write this because one of his favorite pieces of candy as a child had a picture of Oliver Twist on it asking for more candy. Bart wrote the book, music and lyrics for the musical, which was his one and only big hit. At the LCP, one will often see new faces in the plays from various backgrounds, which make this experience unique. This season features the newest piece of equipment for the LCP, a unit set, which is a large one-piece scenery that moves about the stage to create the different places in which the characters live. Another new addition to the LCP is the fly system. This will allow LCP to pursue “Mary Poppins” for the next season. There many more things to come out of LCP for the “Flying High” season 69, such as “Arsenic and Old Lace,” “Second Samuel,” “Junie B. in Jingle Bells,” “Batman Smells,” “The Game’s Afoot,” “Next to Normal,” “Miss Nelson is Missing” and “Oklahoma!” Auditions are open to everyone, and Executive Director and Producer Morrie Enders suggests that an individual be prepared, look at the show, know a little about it and pick the song and clothing accordingly. One can find audition information on the website (http://www.lincolnplayhouse.com/), where a person can also sign up for the LCP newsletter. “Oliver!” is directed by Erik Gosnell, a graduate with a BFA in theater with directing emphasis from Wesleyan. The cast is John Greisen as Oliver Twist, Matthew A. Works as Mr. Bumble, Jane Schiermeyer as Widow Corney, Ben Kirchner as Noah Claypole, Dustin Hayes as Mr. Sowerberry, Irene Hill as Mrs. Sowerberry, Ashly Voelz as Charlotte, Ian Maltas as The Artful Dodger, Dustin Witte as Fagin, Megan Smith as Nancy, Laura Weis as Bet, Joel G. Kreifels as Bill Sykes and Nolan Schmit as Mr. Brownlow. “Oliver!” is running Monday, May 9, through Sunday, May 11, and Thursday, May 15, through Sunday, May 18, with tickets on sale now. Tickets can be ordered over the phone, online or in person. Tickets: $20 Adults & $10 Students Friday, May 9- 7:30 PM Saturday, May 10- 7:30 PM Sunday, May 11- 2:00 PM Thursday, May 15- 7:30 PM Friday, May 16- 7:30 PM Saturday, May 17- 7:30 PM Sunday, May 18- 2:00 PM Lincoln Community Playhouse 2500 S 56th St. Lincoln, NE 68506 Phone:(402) 489-7529 http://www.lincolnplayhouse.com/welcome.html
Cornerstone: A north country pilgrimage By Joshua Whitney Somewhere on the Mesabi Iron Range, there is one less dining option, which would be completely irrelevant if it weren’t for one thing: it’s a Bob Dylan-themed restaurant in Bob Dylan’s hometown. The name of the restaurant in Hibbing, Minn., Zimmy’s, is derived from the one that Dylan’s parents gave him, Robert Zimmerman, and the restaurant/bar had to close its doors in March, but the owners are exploring options for reopening them as soon as they can. Those in Duluth, Minn., like to say that Dylan claims Duluth for his hometown since he was indeed born there, but the fact is, he spent his formative years and grad-
uated high school in Hibbing, whether he likes it or not. And for the most part, he doesn’t. Dylan isn’t unlike a lot of other small-town Midwestern kids who leave home at the earliest opportunity. It just so happened that this particular kid went on to become the poet laureate of rock n’ roll. He was an outsider for a lot of reasons, not the least of which were that he was Jewish, relatively wealthy and eccentric. Had I been him, I would have made a B-line for other pastures, too. But as Dylan’s hometown, it certainly played a big role in shaping his worldview. So a few years ago, I took the family on a pilgrimage to Hibbing, which felt like a long continued on page 7
Review
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” comes highly recommended By Elisabeth Schreiner “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is a smart take on a famous comic book superhero. More intelligent than others in its genre (“Green Lantern,” “Ghost Rider” and “Daredevil” come to mind), the film finds Captain America, a.k.a. Steve Rodgers, where we left him at the end of “The Avengers.” He has begun to acclimate to this new world, even joining the secret intelligence agency SHIELD as a new agent, but things have changed since World War II in deeper ways than he at first imagines. He is bothered by the “Kill first. Ask questions later.” attitude of the government he once served. In the words of Samuel L. Jackson, who returns in this movie as Nick Fury: “Captain America’s still not real sure about how we run things or how the government intrudes into everyone’s lives and that people’s freedoms are being infringed upon.” Cap must face the question: “Is safety really worth sacrificing one’s freedom?” Amid his doubt, a new and more obvious enemy surfaces: the Winter Soldier. This script harkens back to the political thrillers of the 70’s, something that Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige suggested to the film’s two directors, Joe and Anthony Russo. He told Dave Trumbore of collider.com, “I’d pitched them our idea for Cap 2. And you’ve heard me describe it, which is a loose description, a broad description as a sort of 70’s political thriller. But that’s what I pitched to them.” The Russo brothers definitely ran with this idea, even casting Robert Redford, famous for his roles in such political thrillers as “Three Days of the Condor” and “All the President’s Men” in one of the important roles in the film. One may well wonder why the Russo brothers, best known for the TV show “Community” and the film “You, Me and Dupree,” were hired for such a big budget, Hollywood production. They managed, however, to not only do the characters and story justice, but also to outdo the first Cap film by leaps and bounds. Much of the film’s success can also be credited to Christopher Markus and Stephen
Photo retrieved from rottentomatoes.com
Above, Chris Evans, above stars as Captain America in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” McFeely, the screenwriters of this second installment. Though they also penned “Captain America: The First Avenger,” their skills are seen in better use the second time around. Unlike its predecessors in the Avengers franchise, “The Winter Soldier” is far darker not just in tone but in action. It literally pulls no punches, starting off almost right away with an intense action sequence aboard a ship and rarely pausing for breath along the ride to the epic fight at its conclusion. The fight scenes are grittier and more realistic than most superhero popcorn flicks, calling to mind Christopher Nolan’s impressive Dark Knight trilogy. All the amazing special effects and awesome fight scenes in the world, however, won’t save a film if it isn’t convincingly portrayed. Returning as the lead character, Chris Evans manages to bring a more commanding presence than in the first film. It’s impressive he stands out at all considering all the other key characters vying for the audience’s attention. Scarlett Johansson, reprising her role as the spy Black Widow, key among them. She serves as Steve’s main sidekick and confidant. Her performance is top notch, and her and Cap’s relationship is refreshing. Their banter, such as in the scene on the pirate ship near the beginning of the film, adds just the right touch of humor to an otherwise dark and serious film. Anthony Mackie was also enjoyable as the Falcon, another, though less prominent, sidekick to Cap. One of my biggest problems with the film was his underutilization. Samuel L. Jackson, as Nick Fury the director of SHIELD, also features. Up to this point, Fury has
been a mask of calm leadership. In this film, we actually get to see him show some emotions, including fear during a riveting car chase scene. Also of note is Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce. Redford ads a sort of credibility to this superhero film gone thriller, performing admirably. Finally, we come to arguably the most important character after Captain America, the Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan. He shares the film’s title, after all. For the few of you who haven’t seen the film and don’t know the story from the comics, I won’t include any spoilers. What I will say is that, after Loki, I found him to be the most compelling and interesting villain in the Avengers’ universe. He definitely poses the greatest threat we’ve seen so far, evidenced by the film’s high body count. True, many people surely died when Loki and his alien army attacked New York, but those were mostly off screen deaths that Loki didn’t perform personally. The Winter Soldier has no problem getting his hands dirty. The best part about the character, however, is the fact that he is more than just a two-dimensional caricature of evil. He has a tragic backstory and truly heart wrenching scenes. Stan’s true triumph was his ability to meld these two aspects of his character believably. Again, this was a character underutilized just a bit, though he still managed to make a lasting impression. Overall, I found “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” to be one of the greatest films in the Avengers’ franchise. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the continued on page 7
SCC Challenge
Friday, May 9, 2014
More Entertainment & News
Captain America, continued continued from page 6 Avengers’ films, though if you haven’t seen the other installments, you should at least watch the first “Captain America” to avoid being completely lost. Also, because this is a grittier film, parents should use
their discretion when deciding whether or not to bring their little ones. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” met and even exceeded my expectations in almost every way. This is definitely a film worth seeing in theaters, and I can’t wait for the next one!
Cornerstone, continued continued from page 6 ways away from Fairbury in large part because it was. As we got north of the twin cities, the farmland began to fade, leaving only rocks, grass and very tall trees. When we finally got to Hibbing, there weren’t any big signs advertising “The Home of Bob Dylan” as one would expect. As it turns out, Hibbing’s residents seem to be somewhat ambivalent about him. Given that he hasn’t had many nice things to say about them over the last fifty years, the feeling is understandable. But I still thought there would be some sort of museum or at least a place to buy cheap trinkets with his name on them. You know, something like a T-shirt that said, “I visited Bob Dylan’s hometown and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.” But if such a Bob Dylan tourist trap existed, I missed it. The first place we stopped, since it was just a little after noon, was the café on main street, Binster’s. Binster’s is a typical small town café where you’ll find a group of retirees or construction workers at an adjacent table and a menu that looks like it came from a truck stop. While we were sitting there, my three toddler children that I’d drug on this seven hundred-mile pilgrimage attracted the usual smiles, and before we knew it, the retired schoolteachers at the next table were asking us about where we were from and what brought us to Hibbing. In response, one of them said, “Well, you guys should have gone to Zimmy’s. It’s just another block down the street, and they’ve got all sorts of Bob Dylan stuff in there.” So after our meal, we took a walk and went in Zimmy’s to look around. It was a very clean, well-lit, mostly empty place with memorabilia and pictures on the wall, but none of the memorabilia really sticks out in my memory. It’s not as though they had handwritten lyrics or guitars that he had played hanging on the wall. And judging from the menu, the food was more gourmét. Many people online have raved about the place, but as a classless Midwesterner not that different than the people Dylan ran away from, Zimmy’s wasn’t my kind of joint. In the end, I was happy we’d eaten at Binster’s. Our next two stops were to drive by Bob Dylan’s house and visit the museum at the library. We finally found Bob Dylan’s home; it was the one with the cover of “Blood on the Tracks” painted on it, and I got a few pictures of it in the rain. And no, there was no historical marker or plaque. It’s just a house that’s not old enough to be really cool. I remember my daughter Sophia, who was then only four, asking, “Does Bob Dylan
live there?” I explained that he didn’t live there anymore, which of course prompted the “Where does he live now?” question. So I explained that I wasn’t sure where his house was, but that for the most part, he did a lot of travelling on a tour bus. Accordingly, all my kids now think Bob Dylan is some guy who lives on a bus. (They also think Elvis Presley is someone who sang “That’s Alright Mama” and died on a toilet, which they think is pretty funny.) So then we went to the museum at the library. When we got there, the sign pointed us to the basement and then to a closed door to a room we had turn on the light switch for. And what did we find there? Some books about Bob Dylan and a display of his albums. I could have stayed home and saw that. The noteworthy thing we did pick up was a bookmark that had Bob Dylan’s grandmother’s recipe for banana bread that I still have in one of the pockets of my leather jacket. (For those of you at home, just make banana bread and add a few chocolate chips.) The other real oddity in that room was a tile out of the bathroom from Bob Dylan’s house. Why was this here? So someone could point and say, “Bob Dylan peed here”? I believe there’s a metaphor in there somewhere, but I’ll leave that for you to unpack. We finished up our visit to Hibbing before moving on to a family reunion in the next town over (the supposed pretext for the pilgrimage) by visiting the open pit mine on the east side of town. It’s the largest open pit mine in the world, and it’s like a man-made Grand Canyon, only a lot creepier. At the rim of this canyon was a place that sold tourist trinkets and featured a walkway so that we could get close to one of the massive trucks that haul the ore out (They are twice as big as the biggest tractor you’ve ever seen.). When I saw this, a couple of things ran through my mind. The first was “What have we wrought?” I’m no tree hugger or big fan of the EPA, but this grand hole made a pretty grand impression. The other things I thought of were the comments that Dylan had made about how “the people up there” think this hole is beautiful, as though he simply couldn’t understand how people could feel that way, which speaks volumes about how he feels in relation to Hibbing’s natives. And so we got our trinkets at this hole-side tourist trap, loaded up the van and headed east of town to the reunion in Virginia. I’m certainly glad we went, and I’d encourage others to, too. What more excuse do you need for a drive than a giant hole in the ground and a bathroom floor tile a rock legend might have urinated on?
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Entertainment with Nic: 2014 Nebraska Renaissance Faire By Nicholas Howe
This past weekend, I attended the 2014 Nebraska Renaissance Faire in Papillion. The faire, which was on Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4, and opens again next weekend for Saturday, May 10, and Sunday, May 11, was held at the Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch.
Zimmerman, continued continued from page 5 2013, the common valuation is 300,000-400,000 dollars. This number is highly dependent on the other factors being added back in to the earnings and the management of the buyer. Let’s say in the same example, the current owner is paying himself a salary of 50,000 dollars a year, but when you plan on buying it you have decided not to take a salary. Therefore, the earnings of that business is really 150,000 dollars and the valuation is 3-4 times the 150,000, not 100,000. So the valuation is very dependent on your financial plan after the purchase. Like in most transactions, the true value is determined by the market, not the buyer or seller. If you have multiple buyers in this transaction, the price will be driven up and may go well pass 3-4 times the earnings. If you have a question for Zack about creating, growing, or establishing a small business email him at zzimmerman@southeast.edu Zack Zimmerman is the Associate Director of the Nebraska Business Development Center in Lincoln. NBDC is a state agency intended to help start, sustain, and grow small businesses in Nebraska.
There were many events to participate in and many shows to watch. I learned how to fence and got to throw knives. I purchased a new dagger, which is one of the things I enjoy in life. I also watched the acrobatics of Crazy Boy Coy, who swallowed and spat fire; the dancing of the Lotus Dancers; and the humorous improv of the group Evangard Improv. Along with the shows and performances, many people were dressed up for the event. I saw trolls, elves, mages, knights, pirates and many other amazingly-dressed characters. At one point, one of the members of Evangard Improv, who was dressed up as a fairy (faery/faerie/ or however it is spelled) pirate (FP),
came up to my sister and I and started telling jokes. One of them was: FP: “Why are pirates so bad at the alphabet?” Me: “Why? FP: “Because they always get stuck at sea.” Needless to say, I fell in love in this woman at this moment. After fencing, my sister told me that we needed to get some ‘brine,’ which is a large turkey leg. I also persuaded her to get some cherry mead, which is an alcoholic beverage, fermented, and made of water, honey, malt and yeast. She did not receive it well. Overall, my experience was great! I highly challenge anyone to go and not have fun this weekend.
If you love SCC, May 29 is your day to give LINCOLN - Alumni, friends, current and former employees, and students of Southeast Community College: May 29 is your day to give back to SCC. The Lincoln Community Foundation is holding its third annual “Give To Lincoln Day” on May 29. Richard Becker, executive director of SCC’s Educational Foundation, explained the process. “Every donation to SCC helps us even more because we also will receive a proportional share of the Lincoln Community Foundation’s $300,000 challenge match pool,” Becker said. Donors can access SCC’s page through Razoo on the “Give To Lincoln Day” website at http://bit.ly/1rAU8Iy. Online donations can actually be made any time between
May 1 and the end of the day May 29. Those online donations will count toward SCC’s total at the end of the day May 29. The other method of making a donation is in person. The Lincoln Community Foundation will receive cash and checks from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at its office at 215 Centennial Mall South, Suite 100. This is for walk-in donations only. Donations mailed to the Lincoln Community Foundation will not be counted as a Give To Lincoln Day donation. The check must be made out to the Lincoln Community Foundation, and the memo line on the check must list Southeast Community College. Razoo and the LCF will provide the donor with the necessary tax information.
8 Friday, May 9, 2014
SCC Challenge
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