April 9, 2021 Hutchinson Collegian

The student voice of Hutchinson Community College

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April 9, 2021

pinion

Amtrak could be making a comeback, which is good according to Aaron Strain.

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www.hutchcollegian.com

ampus

Hutchinson Community College hosts Career Connections Job Fair and Computer Connections Fair. Page 3

ports

The Blue Dragons football team discuss being back on the field after long wait.

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Vol. 62 Issue 20

ampus

Adam Kolb gives a rundown of the NFL changing the schedule. Page 6

‘Dink’ in league of her own

Photos (left) by Dylan Shah, courtesy (middle), and (right) by Sam Bailey (Left) Hutchinson Community College freshman Madison Grimes strokes a hit during a game at Fun Valley this season. Grimes (middle) during her ‘Dink’ days. Grimes (right) comes from a baseball and softball family.

B o r n t in y , G r im e s n o w p la y s b ig

By Bailey Pennycuff Co-sports editor

Hutchinson Community College softball player Madison Grimes has had an astonishing season thus far for the Blue Dragons. The freshman infielder is leading the team in a whopping seven statistical categories.

Yes, seven. ● On base percentage: .606 ● Batting average: .578 ● Triples: 4 ● Runs batted in: 48 ● Slugging %: .922 ● Hits: 72 ● Strikeouts: 0 She is also tied for the most home runs with

sophomore Natalie Bevan with five each.

Ladies and gentlemen, that is all with 90 at-bats.

She has played 28 games and started them all.

Twelve of her starts were at third base, and the rest have been at shortstop. Her fielding percentage is .907.

You might think with all those gaudy offensive numbers that Grimes might have a nickname that implies strength or power.

However, Grimes is more known on campus, on the softball team, and by her family by her nickname “Dink,” which was given to her because of how small she was when she was born.

“I weighed two pounds

when I was born, and the name just really stuck.

I was born two months early,” Grimes said.

Grimes has always had a love for the game, and it started with her roots.

Her father, Darin Grimes, played baseball at Wichita State, then played professional baseball in the Kansas City Royals’ organization. Her brother, Tyler Grimes, played baseball at WSU as well, then after three years, went on to play professional baseball in the minor league for the Minnesota Twins.

Darin went to Wichita North from 1981-1984 and was an All-American. He played second

base and shortstop, and added third base to his resume in college and in the pros. Tyler on the other hand, mostly stuck to one position.

“I played shortstop my whole life. When I got to pro ball, they decided to switch me to catcher.

From there, I basically turned into a utility guy and played every position but pitcher,” Tyler said.

The family members clearly share a talent, and love for the game, but they have also been through some hardships together.

“Growing up, my dad worked two jobs, because he was a single dad,” Madison said. “My mom left our family on

my third birthday. My brother and sister (Maci James) basically helped raise me. Then when I was five, my dad met Mary, who is my mom now. Her daughter came to be my new sister. Not long after, they had my youngest sister, Hayden.”

The bond their family has is incredibly strong, and they rely on each other.

“My biggest motivators are my family. We all push one another in different ways. My dad and grandpa are two of the most important people for my success - if it was not for them, I wouldn’t have achieved a lot of things.

Not in only baseball, but life as well,” Tyler said.

“My dad is my everything. He set the tone for me. He molded me in ways no one will ever understand. I hope one day I can be the man he is.”

The Grimes family have been particularly talented at knowing their overall goals and expectations, whether it’s for themselves personally, or the whole team.

“The rest of this season is just about focusing on keeping it simple, taking care of my body and winning games. I will never be content. I am trying my best to help my coaches and teammates to reach our goal and that is to make it to Yuma, Arizona for Natty’s baby,” Madison said.

Honors students win conference awards

By Laci Sutton Staff writer

Hutchinson Community College honors students recently had the opportunity to participate in the Great Plains Honors Council Regional Conference.

The conference allows students from honors programs and colleges from Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas to present their research done throughout the year.

This year’s conference was hosted virtually by the Redwine Honors Program at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas and had more than 250 people in attendance.

Students can be nominated by their institution to compete for two awards - the Dennis Boe award and the Britt Poster

awards.

The Dennis Boe award is awarded for scholarly writing and the Britt Poster award is for academic posters.

Eight students receive the Britt Poster award. Four students must have completed a minimum of 60 credit hours, and four students must have completed less than 60 credit hours.

“Much work goes into these entries through the students’ effort to create a visual representation of their research that conveys their main ideas and findings,” said HutchCC Honors Student Council Advisor and Honors Program Coordinator Ryan Diehl. “HutchCC nominated Victoria Powell’s and Zachary Shanline’s academic posters to be considered for the Britt Poster Awards.

Upcoming events April 9 — Spring Forward Vocal Jazz Concert at B.J. Warner Recital Hall at 7 p.m.

April 10 — Soccer vs Butler at Salthawk Soccer Complex at 2 p.m.

April 11— Football vs Arkansas Baptist at Gowans Stadium at 1 p.m.

April 15 — Softball vs Seward (DH) at the Fun Valley Sports Complex at 3 p.m.

Both were based upon their honors projects they completed during the spring of 2020.”

Powell is a Montezuma sophomore.

Powell’s project was titled “The Utilization of Gender Theory and Semantics Within Advertising” and looked at the gender theories in advertisements from the 1950’s to present day.

“Overall, I ended up analyzing 11 specific advertisements in my paper, five of which were highlighted in my poster presentation for the Great Plains Honor Conference,” Powell said. “My main goal was to understand how the general view of gender roles within American society has shifted, changed, and transformed throughout decades by

HutchCC sophomores Tori Powell and Zach Shanline, nominees for Britt Poster Awards. how it is portrayed in popular advertisements.”

Shanline is a Pratt sophomore at HutchCC and also serves as student body president.

Shanline’s project is titled “Behind the Stripes” and discusses the shortage of sports officials due to the difficult

The happenings around campus

College Student Weather Report Friday High: 72; Low 40 If you don’t like wind, why do you live here?

Saturday High: 69; Low 41 Thought it was getting nice out? Nope.

Sunday High: 74; Low 43 Go to the park or something.

Learn something new for once.

Weather source: accuweather.com

scenarios many officials encounter.

“Abuse during games varies from level to level and can be directly associated with the fans’ knowledge/investment of the game,” Shanline said.

See Honors, Page 5

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Opinion

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Is being human illegal now?

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, April 9, 2021

The second-most wonderful time of year

Columnist

Zariah Best Let’s talk about racial injustice.

Let’s hold the same energy people used for Black Lives Matter as for other races. Or, was your support just for you to feel like a good person, and for you to show off to other people that you’re just so active for equality? Or maybe you just haven’t been an active reader in the social injustices that are currently happening? Well, unfortunately, a ton of people of color need your help.

Starting with the United States, the country I live in, Asian people have been receiving a ton of hate and racial prejudice, thanks in part to the Coronavirus. This racism was reinforced with former President Trump, and others, calling it the “China virus”. That is completely unfair, because there are strains of Covid-19 that originated in other parts of the world, and yet no one singles them out.

To help, you shouldn’t just do what little was done during the BLM movement, which was articles of information, fundraising, and peaceful marching, but hopefully, we as a community can help make a real difference and move for real change.

This is a movement, but please don’t use Asian Lives Matter. It’s disrespectful to both communities and it goes against the point of both movements, which is to make radical change in realising that there’s a fundamental problem that is affecting that community. Instead, use “Protect Asian Lives” or “Stop Asian Hate” to help promote this movement.

Moving on to a slightly scary topic, there are concentration camps. I would say that the United States’ and China’s are the most terrifying because they’re moved by unfair discriminations that should be protected as rights.

According to NoMoreCamps.org, a site tracking immigration facilities, the US has a ton that tend to pick up “migrants, immigrants, and/or refugees, many of whom are children.” What are we doing to those doing unpaid too low labor, imprisonment, etc?

China, on the other hand, is singling out Uighur Muslim population of the far-west region of Xinjiang.

Religious freedom is a right in the United States, and I feel that it should be a right everywhere because regardless of what you believe in, as long as it doesn’t harm others or yourself it shouldn’t be criminalized. Please, do your best to speak up on the behalf of those we can’t hear.

Lastly, according to France 24, France’s anti-Mulim laws are discimination that became popularized by individual threats. There’s two sorts of big recent hate moves, one of which is “a bill aimed at rooting out Islamist extremism that could trample on religious freedom and make all Muslims into potential suspects.” The other is “The French government’s ban on wearing garments seen as part of the Muslim hijab but the irony is the religious symbols ban does not include the banning of the wearing of Christian symbols, such as the crucifix.” This is an obvious move to criminalize their community.

Yes there have been attacks but just as in many other countries and their attacks, it’s not necessarily determined by race or religion but even if it was the number of people in each community who are innocent versus are a sort of “terrorist”. Is not even close enough to be a ratio that can even hint at connecting Muslim/islamic people to acts of terrorism.

Zariah Best is a freshman general studies major from Hutchinson.

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E. G. Weinhoffer/Cartoonist

Choo choo mothertruckers America’s train enthusiasts quietly celebrated as Amtrak released a map outlining plans for expanding the country’s woefully neglected passenger rail network. Amtrak, a quasi-public intercity rail corporation, suggested expansion as part of President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan.

If the bill passes through Congress, it could be the greatest federal investment in public transit since Amtrak’s founding, a crowning achievement of the Biden administration, a reduction of carbon emissions and be cool as heck.

By 2035, Amtrak wants to add some 30 new routes, improve existing ones, serve millions of new passengers from currently underserved cities, and create thousands of jobs in the process. Some of the new lines include connecting all of Texas’ major cities, crisscrossing the midwest, and stretching into the southeast. Also of note is a connection between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, which will definitely not become a party line.

Currently, the single Amtrak line in Kansas, the Southwest Chief, runs from Chicago to Los Angeles, through Topeka, Lawrence, Newton, Hutchinson, Garden City, and Dodge City. Texas’ proposed line would head north out of Fort Worth, through Oklahoma City and Wichita, and connect to the Southwest Chief at Newton.

Amtrak once ran through Wichita until Congressional budget cuts in 1979, and it should again.

Not only is it just a neat idea to take a train from Hutchinson to New Orleans, or Wichita to Chicago, it would also spur more tourism and economic growth across the country, if done correctly.

One of the major complaints Kansas travelers have with Amtrak is its delays, costs and late-night timetables. All of these issues can and should be solved through federal infrastructure investment.

Travelers may accept higher costs if Amtrak can provide a better service. One primary reason

Above: Amtrak’s map of proposed expansions. Black lines represent the existing network, gray lines are the proposed additions. In Kansas, a new line would connect Newton and Wichita to Oklahoma City, Okla.

why Amtrak has so many delays is that freight services, which are legally required to yield to passenger rail, simply ignore the law. If the law is enforced and services are expanded, rail travel can become a more expedited and logical alternative to gas-guzzling cars and planes.

Now is the best time to expand passenger rail because the political willpower and economic resources are here now. Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple and Governor Laura Kelly have expressed their support. The U.S. has billions of dollars lying around to expand the bloated military budget, so why not allocate some funds to making our lives less car-centric and helping the environment as a result.

Now, to address some concerns floating around Twitter.

No, passenger rail is not the product of a bygone era. It’s a standard way of life in most industrialized countries. We are behind China, Japan, England, Germany, and others that have functioning transits systems. It’s a crying shame that here, the country that proclaims itself as the greatest nation in the world, we don’t have the same.

Yes, Amtrak has not turned a profit for a long time. However, the company was about to last year before the pandemic hit. Additionally, infrastructure like rail, other forms of public transit, and the postal service should not be run

Collegian Staff Editor In Chief Sam Bailey Opinion page editor Aaron Strain Sports editors Adam Kolb, Bailey Pennycuff Online Edtior Kyran Crist

Editorial cartoonist E. G. Weinhoffer Staff members Danielle Gadberry, Brooke Greene, Leslie Grajeda, Joel Muhs, Sarah Newberry, Zariah Perilla-Best, Laci Sutton, Nick Williams Collegian Adviser Brad Hallier

www.HutchCollegian.com

for-profit. While they may not turn a profit, they allow other businesses and individuals who rely upon them to make a profit. They are public goods and should be funded as such.

Yes, we should have nationwide, high-speed, electrified rail.

In the meantime, we should make passenger services more accessible and affordable.

For as long as I can remember, visiting every contiguous state by train has been a dream of mine.

Because the only time Amtrak arrives in Hutch is at 1 a.m., I’ve traveled to a grand total of zero states by rail. I hope that number can increase at least a little bit soon. Signals appear to be pointing in the right direction.

Columnist

Aaron Strain Aaron Strain is Hutchinson student studying Journalism. They are the Collegian’s Opinion Page Editor Letters to the editor

The Hutchinson Collegian welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must include the author’s signature, address and phone number.

The Collegian reserves the right to edit letters for style, legality and length. Letters may not exceed 300 words.

Send letters to hallierb@hutchcc.edu.

Non-discrimination statement Hutchinson Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, military status, sexual orientation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law, or by college policy.

For inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies contact: Brett Bright, Coordinator of Equity & Compliance 1300 N. Plum Hutchinson, KS 67501 (620) 665-3500 equity@hutchcc.edu (www.hutchcc.edu/equity)

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, April 9, 2020

Campus

Computer Connections Fair

By Kyran Crist Online Editor

On March 30, Hutchinson Community College held the Computer Connections Fair at Stringer Fine Arts Center. This event was to take place earlier in March but was postponed due to bad weater conditions.

Bringing in local employers such as Ideatek, Bradburry Group, and

Heartland Credit Union, to speak on the responibilites their tech deparments handle, what they are looking for, and how they recruit.

Each group presented a slideshow in Stringer Fine Arts Center audotorium, and then held round tables where students were encoraged to come meet with employers and ask any questions that they might have.

HutchCC’s Glenn Acheson, Assistant Director of ITs-Systems, speaks at the Computer Connections Fair on March 30 at Stringer Fine Arts Center.

Job Fair attendees visit with prospective employers inside the Sports Arena.

Computer Connections attendees visit with prospective employers during a roundtable session.

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Career Connections Job Fair 2021

By Kyran Crist Online Editor

On April 1, Hutchinson Community College held the annual Career Connections job fair. This event took place in the sports areana, housing over 75 employers.

This event was open to students and the public, and offered a range of job oppurtunities for those seeking work.

Job seekers were given a map at the door and given instructions on wehre to find certain employers or fields of work.

Job Fair attendees visit with prospective employers inside the Sports Arena.

HutchCC employees (from left) Marcia Fletcher, Stony Wilson and Brooks Mantooth prepare to meet with job seekers.

The Job Fair was busy with potential job seekers throughout the day.

Photos by Kyran Crist/Online Editor

Sports

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The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, April 9, 2021

Blue Dragon football relishes return

By Joel Muhs Staff Writer

One year, three months, and 19 days. That is how long it had been since the Hutchinson Community College football team had last taken the field before its 33-10 victory over Coffeyville on Friday at Gowans Stadium.

Previous to Friday’s game against Coffeyville, HutchCC’s last game was had been a 45-23 victory over Monroe College in the Salt City Bowl to end the 2019 season, but little did anyone know of the looming COVID-19 pandemic that would halt the football program for a nearly two years.

“It feels great, you know. It’s been almost two years since we’ve played a football game, so it feels great,” sophomore wide receiver Cam Henderson said after being asked how it felt to be back playing football.

The Blue Dragons kicked off their season with a bang, as they took their game-opening drive for a touchdown, which ended with a 30-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback CJ Ogbonna, who was also excited to get back onto the field.

“It feels great, because the last time I played a game was in 2018 during my senior year (of high school),” Ogbonna said. “So it feels good just to be back out here playing with my team.”

Although the entire team went through the COVID pause, there was one person, in particular, that was itching to roam the sidelines, and that’s first-year coach Drew Dallas.

“That was fun. Playing football again was just a

Photo by Kyran Crist/Online Editor (From left) HutchCC football players CJ Ogbanna, Ivan Thomas and Corey McKnight celebrate after a touchdown against Coffyeville.

lot of fun,” Dallas said. “Our guys enjoyed it and the energy was great, especially at the beginning of the game.”

However, the sizzling start to the Blue Dragons’ season nearly came to a screeching halt during halftime, as an hour-long weather delay dampened a

19-3 Blue Dragon halftime lead and the moods of the 1,500 fans in attendance at Gowans.

“We dealt with the adversity at halftime with the rain delay, and they’ve been dealing with adversity for a long time, so that was par for the course,” Dallas said.

Aside from the unusually long layoff, there were two other milestones reached on Friday night. For the first time ever, HutchCC played its first regulation spring game, while entering the season as the No. 1 ranked team in the country, but Ogbonna and Henderson noted that the No. 1 ranking isn’t their focus.

“It’s a good feeling right now, but the main goal is to go 1-0 every week. It still feels crazy that we’re playing in the spring, because there’s another season coming in the fall,” Ogbonna said.

“It means a lot, but hey, we’re not going to let it go to our heads and we’re going to stay humble,” Henderson said.

It has been a long year and a half, but Friday night showed an abundance of hope through the dark curtain of COVID-19. There were fans in the stands and a HutchCC football game was played at Gowans, which signified the ultimate return of Blue Dragon football.

“We got the first one off the chest as a team, and I’m just excited for my players – they’re 1-0,” Dallas said. “They’ve put the work in. There was so much adversity getting to tonight and the things they’ve fought through and for them to go out and play football again and come out on top was exciting.”

Roundup: Volleyball season comes to an end

By Adam Kolb Co-Sports Editor

The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team saw its first season under coach Delice Downing come to an end on Friday in the Region 6 Tournament semifinals at Seward County’s Green House.

Like the two previous matches with the Barton Cougars, each of the previous 12 sets Hutchinson and Barton played were tightly contested, several of which were decided by two points.

The Cougars prevailed and eliminated the Blue Dragons 25-21, 27-25, 25-23.

Freshman Kristina Head led the Blue Dragons with 15 kills.

She had six kills in the second set and seven in the third. Sophomore Chloe Price finished with 37 assists with two kills, two total blocks and an ace. Freshman Shelby Reeder had a team-high 18 digs.

The Blue Dragons complete their season at 18-10 with a third-place finish in the Jayhawk West and an 11th-straight appearance in the regional semifinals.

Barton went on to defeat top-seeded Seward County in five sets to win their first Region 6 Championship since 2011.

Baseball - The Blue Dragons pitching staff hasn’t grabbed many headlines this season, but the Blue Dragons were impressive last Thursday on the mound to open a Jayhawk West series with the Pratt Beavers.

Zach Firmature threw a complete-game three hitter, then Sammy Sanchez, Josh Mitchell and Tyler Delong combined to scatter 10 hits as the Blue Dragons took the first two games of the series from Pratt at Stanion Field.

The Blue Dragons defeated Pratt 5-2 and 8-2 on Thursday to improve to 17-9 overall and 11-3 in the Jayhawk

West. Games 3 and 4 will be played at 1 and 3:30 on Saturday at Hobart-Detter Field. One win on Saturday secures a fourth-straight Jayhawk West victory.

Softball - Pitcher Jordan Galliher became just the second pitcher of the modern era to throw multiple no-hitters in a career as the second-year pitcher no-hit the Northwest Kansas Tech Mav-

ericks in the first game of a Jayhawk Conference doubleheader on Tuesday at Fun Valley.

Galliher helped the Blue Dragons snap a six-game KJCCC losing streak as Hutchinson won the opener 8-0 in five innings. The Blue Dragons defeated Northwest 11-6 in Game 2.

Galliher struck out a career-high 11 batters, striking out the side in

the fifth inning. She allowed only two walks, both coming after the fourth inning.

Galliher’s first career no-hitter came when she orchestrated a perfect game against the Allen Red Devils in her collegiate debut. She joins Holly Kelly as the only Blue Dragon pitchers in the modern era to have multiple career no-hitters.

Hutchinson has now improved to 16-12 overall and returned to the .500 mark in the Jayhawk West at 6-6.

Basketball - Both teams advanced to Friday’s Region 6 semifinals at Friends University in Wichita.

The men dispatched Independence 93-74 on Wednesday at the Sports Arena, and now will play Coffeyville in a 2 p.m.

semifinal.

Matt Mayers led the way with 26 points and eight rebounds.

The women, behind a school-record 18 made 3-pointers, rolled by Cowley 84-64 and will play Independence at noon.

Tor’e Alford led the way with 26 points on 9-12 shooting, while Kayhla Adams dished out 15 assists.

Campus Ellis helps provide comforts Puzzles of home for athletes

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, April 9, 2021

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Courtesy photo Academic advisor Erin Ellis (third from right) poses with her former students at “Think Pink” night during a women’s basketball in Feb. 2020.

By Sarah Newberry Staff Writer

Erin Ellis, also known as the mother of athletics, has much to say about what role women play in this world.

As an academic advisor for Hutchinson Community College student-athletes, she likes to provide comfort to those far away from home.

“A lot of students come from out of state, and are often looking for someone to look up to,” Ellis said.

Ellis said she enjoys being a role model to many students and also enjoys working with them as well. Many people might think it is hard to be in a position Ellis is in, but that is not entirely the case.

A lot of women who are high up often are discriminated against because of their gender. Also, they might not get paid as much as a man would in their position. Or it might be a lot harder to

get a job like that over a man who might be able to get it more accessible. With Ellis, however, that is not the case at all. Ellis said that she believes that for a woman in her position, it is not hard at all for her to do her job. Also, Ellis said she feels like she is treated fairly by men, as someone in the athletic field. “ I don’t feel discriminated against, and I feel like my coworkers treat me well. I feel like I am accepted.” Ellis said.

You could also say Ellis is treated like one of the guys. But, Ellis also said she believes that job offers should have something to base off on, like credentials, when choosing a candidate, whether it is a man or woman.

Sometimes, though, that is not the case. In that type of situation, Ellis does not believe that is fair. In her job, however, she feels like she got the position based on her credentials.

Instructors hang in there

By Brooke Greene Staff Writer

One of the most challenging and unusual academic years of all embraced us unexpectedly, without a warning, what we saw to be normal was flipped upside down.

This impacted daily lives drastically, but it also took a great toll on students, parents and instructors.

While the attention has mostly been wavering around students and their life changes, it seems not enough thought has gone to the college professors and teachers that have also had to adapt their teaching styles to suit this learning environment. Whether switched to hybrid, online, or adhered to face-to-face learning styles, our teachers have struggled immensely to hold some sense of normality together for their students.

Seeking differing points of views, Hutchinson Community College’s Christopher Lau, Coordinator of Advising, Career Development, and Counseling Services, and Mark Nolen, Biological Sciences Instructor, have offered up their feelings regarding instructor mental health on campus.

“I must remain optimistic, and help students see that this season in their lives is just that - a season. I’m hopeful that since I have a few more years of experience I can help them see that although some things may change permanently like will we shake hands

again? - we will get past this part of the pandemic,” Lau said.

The concept of ever being able to drop that imaginary six-foot pole between oneself and another may be up for debate in the years to come, people may be bumping elbows for the rest of their lives with the altercation that it is the new social standard for greeting another.

“I hope that my students are not missing out on some big part of the college experience by the restrictions of Covid-19,” Nolen said. “I respect them for coming to class and wearing masks and working hard in spite of the challenges. Honestly, I wonder if Covid-19 makes some of my students take their classes more seriously than they would otherwise. If you have to wear a mask and social-distance and you still are willing to come, college must be important to take seriously. I do wonder what sorts of personal challenges my students have had to deal with during this period, but I don’t usually get the chance to discuss that kind of thing. We sort of carry on, using the normalcy of the classwork and material to provide a path through the uncertainty.”

With a strong point, it is fair to assume that the solid responsibility of education has kept students and faculty alike going without heads held high and eyes set on the bright future to come.

With the lack of a spring break, instructors and students alike are feeling the pressure as the end of the school year nears.

“In fall 2020, we had more students needing to miss class because of quarantine and that required a lot more work than usual - making up labs and such,” Nolen said. “That’s why I recorded the labs when needed this semester and have people do the quizzes online if they have an excused absence. Spring of 2020 when we went online was extremely time-consuming as I had to put all of my lab and lecture material online (for general biology, biology 2, and radiation biology).

“Thinking back on that, this year fall 2020/ spring 2021 has been much more smooth sailing. In the beginning of fall 2020, I was very concerned about whether or not I would personally get sick with Covid-19.

I’m Type 1 diabetic, as is my girlfriend, and there is evidence that Type-1 diabetics are at higher risk of severe illness if they get sick. But, I was required to teach face-toface and I’m just lucky that I did not get sick.

Actually, I think that it’s because I wore a mask and was very careful about social distancing in all aspects of my life.

Most of my students have also been very good about wearing masks, but sometimes I have to remind a few people about why it’s important.”

Students exhausted as semester winds down

By Kyran Crist Online Editor

As the semester progresses to a close, with final exams and graduation rapidly approaching, and what would have been spring break passing students and faculty by, something that seemed a small price at the beginning of the semester is now starting to take effect and be missed.

How have students been doing with no real break? There was no school on Martin Luther King Day on Jan. 18, and there will be no classes next Friday.

Other than that? It’s been non-stop.

“Personally, I have been super burnt out because of the lack of break. I really struggle to go to class most days and have been exhausted 24/7,” said Riley Davis, HutchCC freshman “I’m burnt out. It would have been nice to have that break. It really helps to have that time to just collect yourself again and finish the semester strong.

Without it, it’s becoming hard to find the motivation to keep up,” said Jace

Honors

• Continued from Page 1

“Providing insight into the demands of officials can potentially minimize the amount of abuse from fans.”

HutchCC will co-host the 2022 conference,

Losew, HutchCC sophomore.

Spring break usually takes place about late March, leaving students and faculty members with time to take a breath and recharge. Students like Davis, who also work one or more jobs during the school year, sometimes rely on that week to clear their head and get back in order to tame whatever stray strands went haywire.

“For the month of March, I was working two jobs and doing what I could with school,” Davis said. “Even doing what I could, I still am falling behind because I am so mentally exhausted. With the stress of Covid I was really counting on a break to take a minute and mentally recharge. Sadly, I wasn’t able to do that.”

Without the time to recharge and refresh, students may be finding it harder to get through the last few weeks. But the end of the year is rapidly approaching, and graduation on its heels, whether that is a scary thought or relieving one, faculty and students are almost there.

alongside Wichita State University’s Honors College.

“Any interested students can contact me if they would like to help with conference planning and/or presenting at the conference,” Diehl said.

The HutchCC honors program has two upcoming

events. The group will be helping with the HutchCC Tree Campus USA Arbor Day Celebration on April 28, and honors students will also have the opportunity to present their work at this year’s virtual Honors Projects Presentations later this month, at a date to be determined.

Sports

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The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, April 9, 2021

Athlete of the week

(March 28-April 3) Tye Edwards, football

Photo by Dylan Shah/Collegian Hutchinson Community College running back Anwar Lewis looks to break free from the Coffeyville defense during the season-opening football game at Gowans Stadium.

Lewis makes good on prediction

By Joel Muhs Staff Writer

The top-ranked Hutchinson Community College football team is off to a strong start in its Spring campaign. Saturday’s 41-10 thumping of Butler added to the Blue Dragons’ impressive start, as they leaned on 385 yards of rushing to help down the Grizzlies.

Back-up running back Anwar Lewis accounted for 73 of those yards in an unusual way.

Lewis, a redshirt freshman from Pensacola, Florida, came into the Butler game with 45 rushing yards after averaging nine yards per carry against Coffeyville. That rushing total would soon swell, as Lewis ripped off a 73-yard touchdown on the last play of the first half, which gave the Blue Dragons a 28-3 lead heading into halftime.

“They called inside, so in order for me to score I was going to have to make a play,” Lewis said. “In my head, I didn’t really

know what was going. There was only nine seconds left and I was just trying to get a big run in,” Lewis said.

Sophomore quarterback CJ Ogbonna remembers the play well, especially since Lewis had told him he was going to take it to the house before the play was even called.

“The play before, he got the ball and got like 10 yards and he came back and was like ‘Please call an outside zone – I’m going to score this time’,” Ogbonna said. “When he said it, I was hoping he was for real, but I was thinking we’re just going to run the ball inside and take it into halftime. And then he got it and just started going.”

Not only did the run give the Blue Dragons a 25-point lead at halftime, but it also marked the first collegiate touchdown for Lewis, who noted the good feeling that came along with it, but also the drive for more.

“It feels good, for real. But I’m just really

hoping for more,” Lewis said It’s these types of plays that remind a team that it takes much more than starters to contribute and win football games, as Lewis is one of many back-ups that make up the HutchCC team.

“Everybody adds to our team because they all help through our preparation,” Ogbonna said. “Someone like (Lewis), he’s good, so when he gets in he’s going to want to show what he wants to do. He goes hard all the time and we have a lot of backup players that are really good.”

Lewis finished the game with 63 yards, which adds to a total of 108 yards on the season. A 73-yard touchdown may not happen every game, but rest assured, Lewis will be ready to go whenever his number is called upon.

“My coach always says, ‘Don’t count your reps to make your reps count’, so every time I get in I gotta make a play to show I’m here for a reason,” Lewis said.

The week: Edwards had a monster game in the top-ranked Blue Dragons’ 4110 win at Butler, the worst home loss for Butler since 1995. Edwards ran the ball 21 times for 132 yards, and scored three touchdowns. His first two touchdowns, measuring 7 and 6 yards, came in the first quarter and helped Hutch build a 14-0 lead. His 1-yard score in the third quarter answered a Butler touchdown and pushed the Blue Dragons’ lead to 35-10.

The season: Edwards, a sophomore from Palatka, Fla., has rushed for 214 yards and four touchdowns through two games for the Blue Dragons.

Edwards has also caught one pass for seven yards. In the season opener vs. Coffeyville, Edwards rushed for 82 yards and one touchdown, which measured six yards.

NFL adjusts season scheduling: Additional game

By Adam Kolb Co-Sports Editor

Last week, the NFL approved the expansion of the regular season from 16 games to 17. The preseason will now be reduced from four games to three, to stay within the Collective Bargaining Agreement guidelines, which limits the number of preseason and regular season games played to a total of 20.

Because of this extra game, the Super Bowl will be pushed back a week, from February 6 to February 13. While the owners have approved of all of these changes, certain players, such as New Orleans Saints and former Hutchinson Community College running back Alvin Kamara, and Green Bay Packers safety Adrian Amos, aren’t too fond of the idea of

playing an extra game.

I see both positive and negative aspects of this change.

On the one hand, this is great for the fans and the league. NFL fans will take all the football they can get and will love being able to watch their favorite teams play an extra game.

As for the league, they get more Adam Kolb money with this move and the players will as well.

Columnist

However, there are negative points to this change. The biggest one that comes to mind is player safety. One more regular-season game adds to the risk of potential injury. Teams were losing players to significant injuries last season when there were only 16 games. I can’t remember the last time there were so many injuries in just one season.

Next season, we may see players sit out a game or two to stay healthy.

In the NBA, fans absolutely hate it when star players sit out, or “load manage,” but in the NFL, where the game is much more violent, it may be necessary.

Teams will also have to adjust practices, and the offseason workouts, to keep the players safer.

Overall, there are both pros and

cons to this change. More money for the league and players, more games for fans to watch, and I’ve even heard rumors of making the extra regular-season game at a neutral site, such as in Canada, Mexico, and different countries in Europe.

That would definitely help grow the game to a global level.

However, I’m pretty concerned about the players in this situation. I’ve never played in the NFL, but I can imagine that you’re probably pretty beat up after a 16 game season. Even though one game doesn’t sound like a major change, it could make a huge difference.

Adam Kolb is a Nickerson sophomore studying journalism. He is the Collegian’s Co-Sports Editor

Blue Dragon sports schedules, results. All home games, events in caps.

Baseball

(All dates doubleheaders unless noted) March 4, at Coffeyville, W 12-3, W 10-8 March 6, COFFEYVILLE, L 10-8, L 22-7 March 9, at State Fair, Missouri, W 20-13 March 11, BARTON, L 10-4; W 6-5 March 14, at Barton, W 20-4; W 14-13 March 19, at Seward County, W 3-2; W 8-2 March 20, SEWARD COUNTY, L 11-7, W 7-6 March 23, at Redlands, Okla., W 24-6, L 15-10 March 25, BUTLER, W 6-5, W 11-6 March 27, at Butler, W 6-4, L 12-2 April 1, at Pratt, W 5-2, W 8-2 April 3, PRATT, W 16-111, W 14-7 April 8, GARDEN CITY, 1 p.m.

April 10, at Garden City, 1 p.m.

April 15, at Cloud County, 1 p.m.

April 17, CLOUD COUNTY, 1 p.m.

April 20, at Rose State, Okla., 2 p.m.

April 27, STATE FAIR, Mo., 2:30 p.m. (1 game) April 29, COLBY, 1 p.m.

Basketball

March 15, at Dodge City, women, W 82-50; men, W 100-89, OT

March 17, NORTHWEST KANSAS TECH, women, W 71-52; men, W 101-85 March 20, SEWARD COUNTY, women W 7876; men W 2-0 March 24, at Pratt, women W 78-56; men L 85-82 March 27, GARDEN CITY, women W 54-42; men W 86-64 March 29, at Barton, women L 77-58; men L 63-59 March 31, COLBY, women W 85-65; men W 78-64 April 7, Region 6 quarterfinals, COWLEY (women), W 84-64; INDEPENDENCE, (men) W 93-74 April 9, Region 6 semifinals at Friends University, Wichita, women vs. Independence, noon; men vs. Coffeyville, 2 p.m.

May 9, HIGHLAND, 1 p.m.

May 16, DODGE CITY, 1 p.m.

March 26, COFFEYVILLE, W 33-10 April 3, at Butler, W 41-10 April 11, ARKANSAS BAPTIST, 1 p.m.

April 18, at Fort Scott, 1 p.m.

April 25, GARDEN CITY, 1 p.m.

May 2, at Independence, 5 p.m.

March 2, FRIENDS JV, W 9-8, W 9-1 March 9, HESSTON, W 5-2; W 17-9 March 11, BARTON, W 5-4; W 5-0 March 13, NW KANSAS TECH, ppd March 16, at Cowley, L 12-4; L 10-2 March 18, at Independence, ppd.

March 20, at Garden City, L 16-3; L 24-23

Football

Golf

March 22-23, at Trophy Club, Texas, first March 29-30, at Jayhawk Conference Tournament, Manhattan, first April 12-13, at Jayhawk Conference Tournament, Crestview North, Wichita

Soccer

April 2, at Johnson County, L 3-2 April 5, at Barton, T 1-1 April 7, GARDEN CITY, W 4-0 April 10, BUTLER, 2 p.m.

April 14, at Cowley, 5 p.m.

April 17, COFFEYVILLE, 2 p.m.

April 19, DODGE CITY, 6 p.m.

April 28, BARTON, 6 p.m.

Softball

March 25, BUTLER, L 11-2; L 9-0 March 27, at Colby, L 7-1; L 16-7 March 31, at Ottawa JV, W 4-2; W 11-7 April 6, NORTHWEST KANSAS TECH, 3 p.m.

April 8, at Pratt, 2 p.m.

April 10, at Dodge City, 1 p.m.

April 15, SEWARD COUNTY, 3 p.m.

April 17, at Barton, 1 p.m.

April 22, INDEPENDENCE, 3 p.m.

April 24, at Butler, 2 p.m.

May 1, PRATT, 1 p.m.

Track and field

April 7-10, at K.T. Woodman Classic, Wichita State April 15-17, at Kansas Relays April 17, at Tabor College, Hillsboro April 24, at Southwestern College, Winfield April 29-30, May 1, at Region 6 Championships, Arkansas City May 11-13, at NJCAA Championships

Volleyball

March 30, GARDEN CITY ^ W 3-2 April 2, vs. Barton at Liberal ^, L 25-21, 27-25 25-23 ^ - Region 6 Tournament