The student voice of Hutchinson Community College
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April 23, 2021
pinion
Sarah Newberry talks about loving who you are and to be yourself. Page 2
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www.hutchcollegian.com
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Photos from Blue Dragon basketball at the NJCAA tournament, as well as from the Spring Fling Carnival.
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Bailey Nachtigal talks about being captain of the newly-introduced Esports team.
Vol. 62 Issue 21
ports
The men’s basketball season ends at the NJCAA Tournament. Page 6
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Th-th-that’s all folks! We did it File impressed with how students handled adversity. By Brooke Greene Staff Writer
The students of Hutchinson Community College will gather next Friday, on April 30, to celebrate graduation as they walk the stage at the Sports Arena. It has been a long and challenging experience for all of those associated with HutchCC, as the world has been fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, but as the days tick down, it is clear that the fight was worth it. While many are proud of the graduates, HutchCC President, Carter File, expressed his awe in the achievements and demonstrations of excellence that students have displayed these past two years. “There was no playbook for this,” File said. “What we did was operate on the best information we had and did what the experts said to do. I am not surprised that we are here, and I was certainly hopeful that we would get here. The students have to take some credit for this as well. They were very helpful and interested in getting us to this point.”
Collegian file photo Hutchinson Community College president Carter File, in this pre-pandemic photo, has led the college through the Covid-19 pandemic, including a full academic year of in-person classes.
This school year may have felt longer than others, as there was no spring break, in attempt to help limit the spread of the disease. While these efforts may have helped, students grew awfully tired and burnt out, and are now reaching for the finish line.
It was clear that removing the spring break would help increase our chances of graduating face to face, yet it took its toll on the students, instructors and staff. Faces on campus are long and exhausted, but excited for the sweet reward soon to come. “We decided not to have a
spring break this year in August or September, and at the time, cases were on the rise and everything was spiking. There was conventional wisdom that it was better to keep people together that were already together. So we decided to eliminate spring break and shorten the
semester. And while we didn’t have a spring break, we’re done in a week,” File said. The idea of what’s to come may make students, families, instructors and staff uneasy, and while it is hard to predict the future, some plans have been set for the school year of 2021-2022. This last year has been unlike anything ever seen before as everyone frantically tried to figure out the best solution for HutchCC. Soon, the mask mandate on campus could be lifted, as Hutchinson is and has been in the green zone for Coronavirus safety and cases. If this follows through the summer, and as more and more people get vaccinated, File said that next year will be “a very normal school year.” It might be crazy to hear that word again in a genuine sense - normal. “This is all based on what I know today, but the virus is starting to flatten out. Vaccinations are continuing to increase. Unless state-mandated vaccines and masks will not be made mandatory for students to acquire, I strongly encourage it, especially in the students in the dorms,” File said. See File, Page 5
Students air dirty laundry with facilities By Sam Bailey Collegian Editor
Laundry day isn’t normally a time people look forward to, but the simple, yet time-consuming, task of washing clothes can be made even more stressful when using public machines. Residence hall students at Hutchinson Community College have been using the dorm provided machines, supplied by Jetz out of Topeka, all year, and it has not always been smooth sailing. Sophomore Taylor Meyer says her experi-
ence with the machines has been “not very good at all.” “We are constantly having to remember which dryers will dry our clothes in order to spend the least and take the least amount of time,” Meyer said. “They are always breaking.” Meyer said there has even been multiple times she’s avoided using the machines in the dorms at all and went to a laundromat in town. “The laundromat is more expensive than here at the dorms, but the washers and dryers
Elland Hall’s laundry room is more modern than Kent Hall’s.
Upcoming events April 23 — Season Finale Concert, B.J. Warner Recital Hall, 7 p.m. April 25 — Football vs. Garden City at Gowans Stadium, 1 p.m. April 26-30 — Final exams April 30 — Graduation, at Sports Arena, 4 p.m. for AAS and certificates, 7 p.m. for AA, AGS and AS degrees.
at the laundromat get the job done the first time,” Meyer said. Sophomore Sadie Loney has run into similar issues in the past, resulting in her finding other places to do her laundry, where she trusts her clothes will get clean. “I would love to do my laundry here because it is way more convenient, but most of the time it’s a waste of money,” Loney said. “I pay usually twice as much to do my laundry here because of the amount of machines that don’t work.” Between the two dorms - Kent Hall and Elland Hall - there are 15 washers and 15 dryers. Kent Hall can hold 200 students while Elland Hall holds 250. This does not count any students living in Dragon’s Landing, the residence hall apartments. Students living in the apartments do not have access to machines by the apartments themselves and have to go to the dorms if they want to use the machines. For Dragon’s Landing
Photos by Sam Bailey/Collegian Editor Kent Hall’s laundry room, a far cry from Elland Hall’s.
resident Emmalyn Gaeddert, going to the dorms to do laundry is no small task. “Honestly, it’s a lot of running around,” Gaeddert said. “Trying to find an open washer and dryer can be difficult at times. I live in the apartments so I drive to Elland Hall to check if there’s an open washer, if not then I try all of Kent Hall’s laundry rooms. Sometimes the machines don’t even work, but take your money anyway. See Laundry, Page 5
The happenings around campus
Rust is seen on the pipes in the laundry room at Kent Hall.
College Student Weather Report Friday High: 58; Low 43 AC/DC is playin in the clouds. THUNDER! Saturday High: 67; Low 44 Cloudy with a chance of... clouds Sunday High: 78; Low 60 Some summer weather for you after all that snow Weather source: accuweather.com
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