Feb. 5, 2021 Hutchinson Collegian

The student voice of Hutchinson Community College

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February 5, 2021

pinion

Co-Sports Editor Adam Kolb looks back on what it was like to lose Kobe Bryant in 2020. Page 2

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www.hutchcollegian.com

ampus

Local restaurant The Traveling Bowl provides good food and a friendly atmosphere during hard times. Page 3

ampus

Many college students tend to change their majors throughout college.

Page 5

Let it snow

By Sam Bailey Editor In Chief

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Vol. 62 Issue 13

ports

New HutchCC volleyball coach Delice Downing scores her first win for the Blue Dragons. Page 6

When asked if he thought the stresses of COVID-19 affected people’s decision to go out in the snow, Hoff said, “Honestly yes, because with all of COVID-19 going on, it has stopped a lot of interaction, and has caused so many people to forget what the feeling is to be outside and enjoy yourself without any worries of spreading a disease.”

It can be easy to forget all these worries when snowballs are being thrown in every direction.

Whiteman’s favorite part of the night was “seeing someone get ganged up on and attacked by 10s of snowballs.”

“My favorite part was seeing some of the guys that never talk branch out and enjoy themselves with all of the interaction that was going on while we were playing in the snow,” Hoff said.

Socializing as a college student has looked extremely different this year, but snow was one way these students found to come together and enjoy themselves.

“Everyone really enjoyed themselves and I really hope we get snow again,” Hoff said.

For many kids in Kansas, January and February are months they look forward to in the hopes of landing a snow day and getting out of school.

Many students at Hutchinson Community College are no different. They find themselves looking out the windows in the hopes to see snow and be able to stay in bed for a few extra hours.

However, some students wish for snow for more reasons than to just get out of school. Many athletes at HutchCC didn’t grow up in Kansas and may not have ever seen snow.

On the night of Jan. 26, many HutchCC students in the dorms found themselves outside playing in the snow that had recently fallen.

“I think most people wanted to go out and enjoy themselves in the snow, because so many of us come from places where it rarely snows,” said North Carolina freshman Ronald Hoff.

In Kansas, it can be easy to take something so simple as some snow on the ground for granted.

“Growing up, we rarely saw snow,” Hoff said.

“I can count on my fingers how many times I can remember playing outside with my sibling in the snow. Seeing it brought me joy, just reminiscing on old times with my siblings.”

Local students also had fun in the snow, watching and playing with people who were not as familiar with it.

“It was hilarious to see guys from Florida constantly slipping in the snow,” said Trevor Whiteman, Udall freshman.

In the world of COVID-19, life can be stressful, Photo by Sophia Carter/Collegian Photo by Sam Bailey/Collegian especially for college students. Being able to go outside and relax can be just the escape many people Dorm students throw snowballs at each other as it Trevor Whiteman holds snowballs he made while stuneed. dents outside have snowball fights. snows at the dorms.

From ESPN to Hutchinson

By Laci Sutton Staff Writer

Hutchinson Community College has welcomed Alyssa Freeman as the new Blue Dragon Spirit Squad coach.

Freeman brings a great deal of experience to HutchCC, as both an athlete and a coach.

Freeman is originally from Midlothian, Texas. She came to Kansas to start her college career at Tabor College in Hillsboro, where she played basketball and cheered before transferring to Northwestern Oklahoma State University to cheer as well.

Freeman earned her bachelor’s degree in sports management from Cumberland University and a Master’s in Education with a focus on sports administration from East Central University.

In addition to her past as an athlete, she comes to HutchCC with four years worth of coaching experience.

She was an assistant intern

coach at Cumberland University, and a head cheer coach at Tulane University and Oklahoma Panhandle State University.

Before Freeman started her time at HutchCC, she began an internship at ESPN. Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, her internship was cut short.

In her brief time with ESPN, she was still able to make the most of the experience.

“Talking with the broadcaster, Gus Kattengell, I was able to understand how fast pace and on your feet you have to be talking about professional teams and collegiate teams whether it’s about football, basketball, or other sports on topic that day,” Freeman said. “Media is so important to take in and understand, so being introduced to the quick, fast pace sports broadcasting environment while also maintaining professionalism in interviewing is definitely something I cannot wait to achieve in the long run.”

As most coaches, Freeman has many goals for the team to work toward this year.

Some of these goals include overcoming adversity and challenges when fans are limited

Upcoming events Feb. 6 — Women’s and men’s basketball vs. Cloud County, 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 8 — Volleyball vs. Colby, 6 p.m.

Feb. 11 — Volleyball vs Dodge City, 6 p.m.

Feb. 13 — Softball vs. Hesston, 1 and 3 p.m.

Feb. 13 — HutchCC Theatre performs “The Pilot Episode” a free livestream event

at Blue Dragon games, recruiting a strong class for the 2021 season, building a spirit family so everyone can feel welcomed and feel home away from home, and winning a competition to keep the momentum going from last year’s team.

“I will be building myself daily as a person and coach to help achieve these goals.” Freeman said. “We will be working constantly on communication with other schools and student athletes to help recruit and embrace the change and adversity to help build the confidence in my team to overcome the challenges that covid has brought.”

Freeman’s favorite part of coaching is the recruiting process.

“I love networking and continuously building relationships with coaches and student-athletes.” Freeman said. “I am always looking for strong leaders who are willing to learn new things as well as share their talents in the cheer/dance sport.”

There will be one more tryout session in March for the 20212022 season.

Freeman is looking forward to a great season despite the setbacks from the pandemic.

The happenings around campus

College Student Weather Report Friday High: 54; Low 28 At least we aren’t in a snowstorm?

Saturday High: 47; Low 19 Under 20 degrees huh?

Sunday High: 44; Low 13 No question, it’s cold.

Weather source: The Weather Channel

Courtesy Photo

Visit and follow us on social media @hutchinsoncollegian @HCC_Collegian the_hutchinson_collegian hutch_collegian

Opinion

Page 2

Be your own valentine this year

His legacy lives on Jan. 26, 2020 was a dark day for NBA fans around the globe.

On that day, the world was shocked to hear the news of the helicopter crash that resulted in the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, as well as John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester and Ara Zobayan.

Despite this tragic news, games were still played on that day, even after talks of postponing games so players, coaches and fans could mourn the loss of an NBA icon.

I remember watching a couple of games that day, and seeing the body language of the players. It was obvious that they didn’t want to be there. There was a lack of energy and intensity in those games, and they seemed to just be going through the motions for 48 minutes. I had never seen anything like it, and it just shows how important Kobe Bryant was to everyone associated with the NBA. His death affected everyone in the league.

Kobe Bryant was a role model for so many current players in the NBA, and he even trained with many of them in the offseason. Bryant wasn’t just a mentor for basketball players, but for athletes of all sports. It’s impossible to name all of the athletes that he has inspired throughout the years.

However, it wasn’t just athletes that he inspired. His “Mamba Mentality” mantra relates to anyone for any situation, to not only find something that you’re passionate about but mastering it and never giving up on it. This mindset was so important to Bryant that he even wrote a book about it- “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play.”

Bryant was also a huge advocate for young girls playing sports, and was a supporter for women’s sports. He would often be seen at WNBA games

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, February 5, 2021

with Gianna, who had hopes of playing in the WNBA someday. What he did for women’s basketball was incredible.

He opened so many doors for so many, and inspired so many current and former WNBA players.

And if that wasn’t enough, Bryant won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2018 with “Dear Basketball”, which reflected the poem that Bryant wrote in 2015 about his retirement from the NBA and the game he loved.

Kobe Bryant was an icon to so many people around the world. Even if you weren’t a fan of basketball or sports in general, you knew about Kobe Bryant.

He was more than just a terrific athlete.

He was a great husband, a great father, and a great role model. He touched many lives for many different people, athletes and non-athletes alike. Even though Kobe Bryant has been gone for a year now, his legacy will live on forever.

Columnist

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

E. G. Weinhoffer/Cartoonist

Onward with cautious optimism Joe Biden pleaded for unity during his Jan. 20 Presidential Inauguration speech. How Biden defines unity remains to be seen, and how he moves toward it in the coming weeks will define his presidency.

Is unity bending over backwards to be seen as “bipartisan” and abandoning your principles in the process, or is it unifying the country around policies which they support for bettering society?

Based upon his current executive actions and press secretary’s language, it seems like the latter. So far, so good, but there’s still much to be done.

For one, cancelling all student debt is within his penstroke’s power.

Columnist

Aaron Strain Political maneuvering involves compromise, but, if you start from a compromised position before entering negotiations, you’ve already lost.

Biden, literally, does not have to work with the people who think his election was illegitimate.

Democrats yet again have control of the House, Senate and Presi-

dency. They should keep Republicans involved in policy discussions and coffee shop dates, and work with them where they agree. However, the minute some ghoul brings up the deficit during COVID relief discussions, politely tell them to leave and steamroll them in the Senate.

Joe can be a bold leader who takes us out of our economic recession, makes the lives of the average American materially better, and therein prevents the next Trump from taking power. Let’s hope, for the sake of all of us, he does so.

Aaron Strain is a Hutchinson student studying journalism.

They are the Collegian’s Opinion Page Editor.

Fully digital games should not be the new norm Video games have become a ubiquitous part of the student experience. In the wake of the stressful weekends and unqualified jobs that come along with being a newly-minted adult, it’s hard to blame someone for wanting to throw their obligations by the wayside in exchange for a few hours of high fantasy immersion.

With that said, under the new direction of consoles like the Xbox Series X, students should raise concern about that leisure being stripped.

As new generations emerge, we’ve slowly advanced toward a digital-only, fully online experience. The Series X is being released with its usual Blu-Ray drive, for $499; but, at the same time, Microsoft seems equally keen on experimenting with digital distribution.

The Xbox Series S makes for a tantalizing alternative.

Retailing at the reduced cost of $299, Microsoft has made a clear ultimatum on physical discs. The decision is left with

us, the consumers, to embrace digital distribution for them.

Make no mistake about it – this is Microsoft’s final step in creating a long-sought customer dependency. A console without physical media strips the user of legitimate ownership under the illusory guise of convenience. A library of games only existing in code on a centralized cloud server owned by Microsoft cannot, by any stretch of logic, be controlled by a customer.

While a physical disc is a material object for personal use that you have the right to do anything with, you will never be able to store, share, or sell the license to execute code anywhere apart from Bill Gates’ backyard empire. It is a worthless treaty with obviously one-sided benefits.

During the XBox 360’s formative years in the mid2000’s, games were not released alongside a compulsory digital download. Instead, digital downloads were relegated

The Hutchinson Collegian The student voice of Hutchinson Community College

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Columnist

Sam Couchman to smaller games that never exceeded 50 MB. DLC was a luxury, and patches/installs were a rarity.

Alas, three years into the system’s life, the 2008 economic crash strained the home console industry as technology’s evolution shifted towards the simpler, easier experiences of the iPhone. As soon as the public grew accustomed to downloading Angry Birds from the App Store, Microsoft adjusted the Xbox brand accordingly.

Ever since, physical media has slowly been strangled.

Within the past decade, several physical stores have gone extinct. An ever-increasing volume of games depends on online connectivity. When the Xbox One came to market in 2013, installations became a standard. Many mass-market games began receiving digital-only releases.

Microsoft also launched Xbox Game Pass in 2017 – a purely online subscription service often likened as “Netflix, but for video games.”

This disregards the fact that, while films can always be seen offline, video games need to be played. If a game is designed with online functionality baked into its core, that dependency will exist forever.

In an all-digital future, the first-sale doctrine does not exist. Expect server maintenance to completely disrupt your afternoon. When servers inevitably shut down, expect your expensive game collection to leave along with them. One can imagine that Microsoft

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

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

www.HutchCollegian.com

won’t shut down any servers with their unlimited money, but offering any further level of trust in this unflinching megacorporation rides a fine line of consumer Stockholm syndrome. Simply put, whether or not Microsoft will go to such lengths remains to be seen, but the fact of the matter is they can.

You, the consumer, do not own anything with digital distribution. While that wasn’t such a problem in the era of simple games on the App Store, the home console industry reaches gaming at its core. The greatest games of this generation deserve to be preserved.

If you value your video games, make sure that you can actually own them. Buy physically, and don’t give Microsoft the opportunity to strip that luxury away from you.

Sam Couchman is a Hutchinson Community College alumnus from Newton.

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)

Campus

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, February 5, 2021

Page 3

The Traveling Bowl offers tasty confections

By Sarah Newberry Staff Writer

If you are missing home-cooked food, The Traveling Bowl is the place to go for Hutchinson Community College students.

Started by entrepreneurs Gina Emel and her fiancé, Michael Cole, it is a place that offers homecooked-style food with fast, friendly service. It also has a homey atmosphere where you can’t seem to get at many other places else in town.

Emel graduated from the University of Kansas and worked at a distribution center for five years. She said she liked her job, but it wasn’t her passion. Her parents owned restaurants when she was growing up, and she decided to follow in their footsteps.

Emel’s intended customers are the working class or people at home. The intended goal was to help people with a short lunch hour to get them lunch in a few minutes. She said it doesn’t matter what your age is or who you are. Her main customers usually come from the office, banks, or clinics.

Her dream for this business initially started with truffles she started making back in high school fifteen years ago. They were very popular, everyone at school wanted them. Then it changed into the business it is now, selling and making good food.

The opportunity for them to grow came around when

the building they are now on at 2221 N. Lorraine St., opened up.

As far as expansion goes, Emel hopes to one day have a location across town. She said she misses her customers she had back at the train station. To reach a younger audience, Emel said she hopes to achieve that through social media. Facebook significantly has helped the business grow and reach more people during the pandemic.

“People seem to be on their phones a lot with Covid, and it has helped her business grow,” Emel said The pandemic has done wonders for the Traveling Bowl, unlike other small businesses that have been hit hard because of Covid. Emel had to shut down the food truck. She collected to-go pot pies orders during that time. Everyone seemed to want that, and she had 100 people placing orders. Finally, there was a cut-off point, because Emel could only do so much from her kitchen. It turned into the business she has now, popular and up to 100 customers a day.

This restaurant isn’t like any other cookie-cutter fast food place out there. Their employees are friendly and put genuine effort into service and their work. Excellent and understanding customers are also an essential part of that equation.

Transfer Fair

Photos by Sophia Carter/Staff Photographer

Photos by Emily Branson/Managing Editor The Traveling Bowl is a new local restaraunt serving homecooked-styled meals located at 2221 N. Lorraine St.

Esports Tryouts Photos by Emily Branson/Managing Editor

Robert Murigi glances over a Kansas State University brochure at the transfer fair on Wednesday in Parker Student Union.

Lane Pitts, Halstead, sopohmore, engages in a game called “Overwatch”.

Heath Hensley (left), Aiden McGillivray (middle), Skyler Breshears (left) discuss games during the HutchCC ESports tryouts on Wednesday at Parker Student Union.

Students visit the Wichita State booth at the annual Transfer Fair in the basement of Parker Student Union. The fair was smaller this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic but still welcomed many four-year colleges from Kansas.

Aiden McGillivray (left) and Lane Pitts discuss the game and tasks at hand during the HutchCC ESports tryouts.

Sports

Sports

• Continued from Page 6

The Blue Dragons had trouble shaking the Panthers, as they only led by eight at halftime and by seven with 3:41 in the game, but ended on a 10-4 run. HutchCC shot 44.1% overall, 3 of 16 from 3-point range and 28 of 37 from the free-throw line. Neosho County was good for 36.1% shooting, 14 of 41 from three and made 4 of 7 foul shots.

Fans to make return - Hutchinson Community College fans will be able to fill the stands once again, but there are restrictions to the long-awaited news.

The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference voted to let fans fill the seats again, but those seats can only be filled during league games. Only 25% of available seats can be taken, but the mandatory mask mandate will still be enforced.

Saturday will be the next opportunity for fans to watch the Blue Dragons, as the men and women’s basketball teams play host to Cloud County at the Sports Arena.

Baseball - The Blue Dragons dropped their first game of the season, as the Northern Oklahoma-Enid Jets scorched the four home runs in their 8-7 victory over HutchCC. Down by three runs twice in the game, the Blue Dragons rallied throughout the game and even snatched a 6-4 lead in the top of the seventh, but the Jets responded immediately with a two-run bottom of the seventh to even the game at 6-6. HutchCC would never see the lead again, as NOC-Enid took an 8-6 lead into the ninth and held on for an 8-7 win.

Austin Callahan and P.J. Loucks combined to go 5 for 9 with four RBIs and one walk for the Blue Dragons. The Blue Dragons outhit the Jets 12-10, but HutchCC couldn’t come up with big hits at the right time, as they stranded 14 runners on base.

Mahomes • Continued from Page 6

However, even though they do not root for the Chiefs, they both share an admiration for Mahomes.

On the other hand, Mahomes has never, and will never, win a game by himself.

“I think it is very important that you have other stars on the team who are good on and off the field. Teammates like (Kansas City tight end) Travis Kelce - who was nominated for the NFL Man of the Year award - I think he brings the team together, and when they know someone on their team is doing good it helps them to do good.

Those other players on the Chiefs are good too and help them to be where they are at now,” Ogbonna said.

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, February 5, 2021

Photos courtesy HutchCC Sports Information

Page 4

Hutchinson Blue Dragons men’s basketball players Majok Kuath (top right) and Matt Mayers (center right). Women’s basket-ball players Lojong Gore (bottom right) and Tor’e Alford (center left). Volleyball player Kersti Nelson (top left) aned Kristina Head (bottom left).

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, February 5, 2021

Campus

Students discuss Inauguration

New president leads to some optimism

By Samarah Bailey Editor in Chief

“I WON THE ELECTION!” - Former President Donald Trump.

On Jan. 20, former Vice President Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.

“I think it is good to see Trump leave office,” said Hutchinson Community College sophomore Jordan Galliher.

“The nation needs unity right now, especially after the capitol riot. We need strong leadership that listens to health officials to finally get a handle on the pandemic.”

Along with Biden, Kamala Harris was also sworn into office as Vice President.

This marks the first time a woman and woman of color has been elected as Vice President.

“I feel like we are one step closer to ending the stereotype that ‘a woman can’t do a man’s job,’” said sophomore Lalo

Sanchez.

Having a woman hold such a high office can be inspiring for young girls all over the nation.

“A female Vice President is so overdue in this country,” Galliher said. “It is so important for young girls to see a woman in such a powerful office. I am so excited to see the doors that this will open, and hopefully the U.S. will have a female president someday.”

The inauguration not only featured the swearing in of the new President and Vice President, but also hosted musical guests such as Lady Gaga, Garth Brooks and Katy Perry.

One person who was not present was Trump, who left Washington earlier that day. Even though Trump had already left, former Vice President Mike Pence was still present.

“I think it’s disappointing that Trump didn’t attend the inauguration, because America is a model for peaceful transitions of power. However, I am glad that the inauguration happened safely and there were no more

riots,” Galliher said.

While there were high emotions and high stakes involved in accepting a new president into office, many lighthearted memes were created from that day.

“I love the memes, especially the ones of Bernie Sanders,” Galliher said. “I think they’re great because they are making people laugh during a stressful time.”

Biden got right to work when he was elected, signing 17 executive orders the day he entered office.

“I am glad that Biden is taking fast action, because there are so many issues that have not had solutions in the past four years,” Galliher said. “I think the swift action is long overdue, and I’m glad that Biden seems to be following through with his promises.”

Jan. 20, 2021 was a historic day for the United States of America, and over the next four years, the country will get to watch as the 46th President and the first woman Vice President try to unite a torn nation.

Page 5

Puzzles

Jazz fest still a go Pandemic won’t stop the annual event at Stringer

By Kyran Crist Online Editor

Hutchinson Community College hosts the annual Bryce Luty Jazz festival, which consists of jazz artists and bands from all over and ages starting as early as middle school.

Last year, Marcus Lewis Big Band was set as the special guest and the only possible delay/ inconvenience in sight was the possibility of snow and ice.

Who knew a year ago now the delay and inconvenience would be a global pandemic?

As the 46th year approaches, coordina-

tors and artists alike are having to take a different and cautious approach to how the festival is to be handled.

Unlike years past, the festival will be held on virtual formatting instead of in person.

This also means they are foregoing hosting bands in person and instead, opening up a new system for performance submissions.

This year is also a competitive element to this year’s festival, winnings including plaques in recognition, cash prizes, and more.

Those who wish to enter a submission for an ensemble or solo performance can find the link for the form on the HutchCC Jazz Facebook page. Contestants can

also see registration fees and categories on the post as well. The deadline for submissions is March 22, and limitations are to students in Kansas. The hope is to be able to open submissions up to more in the future.

Something that remained the same though, giving a sense of normality to these ever-changing times, was the celebrity guest artist. HutchCC will host artist Victor Garcia, a trumpet phenomenon from Chicago.

Garcia played live and in person on Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. in Stringer Fine Arts Center, with the HutchCC Jazz lab and Concert Jazz Bands.

This concert will be streamed for all to see.

Switching majors Knowing what area of study to pursue not always easy

By Danielle Gadberry Staff Writer

Choosing a major to pursue for the rest of your life is one of the hardest decisions a college student can make.

This usually means that the student eventually changes it or wants to try something different.

According to Data Point, “Within 3 years of initial enrollment, about 30 percent of undergraduates in associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs who had declared a major had changed their major at least once. …

About one-third of stu-

dents enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs changed majors, compared with 28 percent of those enrolled in associate’s degree programs.”

These numbers aren’t high, in fact, 1 in 10 students have changed their majors more than once.

Brandy Cavazos, a Hutchinson Community College student from Lyons, chose her major after spending time shadowing in a hospital.

This was the determining factor for her choosing to become a respiratory therapist, which is her major.

Cavazos is one student who has never changed her major, thanks in part to the time she spent trying to figure out what she wanted to be. Once she graduates from HutchCC, she plans on going

to school to further her education and become a pulmonologist.

Emma Wright, a Little River freshman, is a business management and entrepreneurship major. Wright is one of those students that has changed her major.

She previously studied radiology, but said that she “wasn’t as interested in that as she thought she would be, and felt like business could help her better in life with more job availability.”

Wright switched her major this semester because she thought it would help her get a job in the future and help provide her with good life information.

Wright said that she does not plan on changing her major when she transfers.

Students still leery of social distance inside classrooms Some rooms feature tighter seating, others maintain distance

By Brooke Greene Staff Writer

The signs are seemingly on every door.

“This room has been adhered to to meet the social distancing requirements.”

Or, at least, that is what the sheet of paper says in all the classrooms on campus. Some students have complained or acknowledged the obvious lack of social distancing among some of the classrooms at Hutchinson Community College, more so downstairs in the Parker Student Union than any other building.

“I have noticed this in most of my classes. In several of my classes, people sit next to each other and move around the room often,” said Emma Wright, Little River. “It doesn’t concern me since there are no positive cases on campus. If they are wanting to be socially distanced, they need to apply it everywhere, not just where it’s easiest.”

Smaller rooms inevitably leave less space to place students, while the large ones offer an adequate amount of space to breathe comfortably. With this conflict, words of distaste, and insecurity in the minds of students’ as their safety fluctuates when they are forced to go from

large classrooms, such as the Justice Theater in Shears Technology Center or Waldo Auditorium in Lockman Hall, to the basement classrooms of the student union with too-close-forcomfort numbers of bodies in the room.

“There is some distance from side to side but not with the row in front or behind in the classes in the science hall,” said Jace Losew, Hutchinson sophomore. “The overall scare is definitely lower. I think that the entirety of dealing with the virus is not too bad.

At least people are informed on what to do, unlike last spring.”

Experience has been a saving grace this semester. Students seem more at ease now that they know what to expect and understand what they need to do if they get sick or encounter someone who has been sick or exposed. It has proven to be an unfortunate, but essential educational benefit to all of us.

“We are further apart than we would have been otherwise, and since we all wear our masks, I’m not too concerned about it,” said Hunter Spoon, Yates Center, who has recovered from COVID-19 himself.

While some students feel unsafe with the seating being insufficient in many of the classrooms, it does go to show that HutchCC has maintained a relatively safe start to the semester with no positive cases as of presstime. This means the students, faculty and staff are doing something right.

Sports

Page 6

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, February 5, 2021

Mahomes inspires HutchCC QBs

Athlete of the week

By Bailey Pennycuff Co-Sports Editor

At 5:30 p.m. Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will appear on almost every television in America.

The six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback from Tampa Bay, Tom Brady, will face the reigning champ from Kansas City, and the upcoming legend, quarterback, Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl 55.

Mahomes, who has been the Chiefs’ starter for three seasons, has already won a NFL MVP award, and was named MVP of last year’s Super Bowl.

What do the Hutchinson Community College quarterbacks think of Mahomes, arguably the NFL’s biggest star?

“Patrick Mahomes is going to be one of the greatest QBs to play the game and I think the Chiefs went in the right direction with picking him as their franchise QB,” Blue Dragons freshman quarterback CJ Ogbonna said.

Mahomes has a unique amount of talent, and he has used that talent to carry Kansas City on their road to the championship.

“I think Patrick Mahomes is so talented because he brings something different to the game. He is a special type of player who makes the game look fun to watch. He makes unbelievable passes that other QBs wouldn’t think about trying in a game, and he does it with ease,” Ogbonna said. “He has a certain swag that makes his team go hard, and I try and play with swag. I just like to bring something different to the table.”

Not only is Mahomes a savvy quarterback, but he is an outstanding model for people in general.

“Off the field, he’s a great guy. He gives back to his community, and also, I know this because him and my older blood brother share the same football agent,” Blue Dragons sophomore quarterback Manny Mukuamu said.

Neither Ogbonna nor Mukuamu are Chiefs fans.

See Mahomes, Page 4

(Jan. 24-30) Kayhla Adams, women’s basketball

Photo courtesy “File:Patrick Mahomes II.JPG” by Jeffrey Beall is licensed with CC BY 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

The week: Coming off the bench in two victories, Adams had a great week, especially in Adams Hutchinson’s thrilling 70-63 comeback win against Coffeyville.

In that game, Adams scored a team-best 16 points to go with three assists and two steals.

Three days later, Adams had 15 points, three assists and two steals against Neosho County.

The season: Adams, a freshman guard from Minneapolis, Minn., is averaging 13 points and 4 assists a game.

Roundup: Downing earns first team win

By Joel Muhs Staff Writer

Photo courtesy HutchCC Sports Information Hutchinson Community College head volleyball coach Delice Downing coaches her first Blue Dragon team against the Pratt Beavers.

Hutchinson Community College volleyball played their home opener on Jan. 28, and a couple of milestones were reached by the end of the night.

Delice Downing, first-year HutchCC volleyball coach, earned her first victory at the helm, as the Blue Dragons beat Pratt. Evening their record at 1-1 with that win, the Blue Dragons cruised to a sweep, 25-15, 25-16, and 25-20, over the Beavers, while extending their winning streak to 22 matches over Pratt.

The Blue Dragons hit .122, while holding the Beavers to .011 hitting for the match. Sophomore Jenna Thorne was the star for the Blue Dragons, as she led the team with nine kills and 12 digs, while also adding an ace. HutchCC also got strong contributions from the bench, as sophomores Myracle Lettries and Taegen Larsen came up with five kills apiece. The freshman also came up big with Kristina Head, Shadee Briggs and Shelby Murrell all producing three kills each.

Women’s basketball The saying “You can’t win a game at the start, but you can lose it” proved right again, as the Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team took off in the first 2 minutes and 18 seconds of its Saturday game against Neosho County.

HutchCC had Neosho County running rampant early on, as the Blue Dragons ran a variety of full-court presses that had the Panthers baffled.

The full-court press led to four Blue Dragon steals and six turnovers in the first 2:18. The Blue Dragons, ranked No. 12 nationally, grabbed a double-figure lead 1:36 into the game and continued to keep their foot on the gas pedal en route to a 100-58 victory.

The win improved the Blue Dragons to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the Jayhawk West. Neosho County falls to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the Jayhawk East.

A season-high five Blue Dragons reached double-figure scoring, including Nafatoumata Haidara and K.K. Adams, as both went for 15 points and shared the scoring crown. HutchCC shot 45.8% overall, 39% from 3-point territory and 15 of 22 from the charity stripe. Neosho County was held to 33.3% shooting, 27.6% from 3-point range and 10 of 18 from the foul line.

Men’s basketball The Blue Dragons recovered after their first loss of the season, with a 8370 victory over Neosho County.

The Blue Dragons improved to 2-1 on the season and 43-5 all-time against Neosho County, while the Panthers fell to 2-2. Playing its first game without injured star Josh Baker (ankle), the Blue Dragons passed the test as several players stepped up with big performances. This included season-highs in points from Chris Robinson (22 points), Majok Kuath (19 points) and Isaiah Bujdoso (11 points). Matt Mayers posted his second double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

See Sports, Page 4

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

Baseball (non conference)

Feb. 2, at Northern Oklahoma-Enid, L 8-7 Feb. 9, at Redlands, Oklahoma, 1 p.m.

Feb. 13, REDLANDS, Oklahoma, 1 p.m.

Feb. 18-20, at Central Oklahoma Classic March 4, at Coffeyville, 1 p.m.

March 6, COFFEYVILLE, 1 p.m.

March 9, at State Fair, Missouri, 2:30 p.m.

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

April 27, STATE FAIR, Missouri, 2:30 p.m.

Basketball

Jan. 22, BETHANY JV (women), W 92-34; SEMINOLE STATE (men), W 87-71 Jan. 27, COFFEYVILLE, women, W 92-34; men, L 88-68 Jan. 30, NEOSHO COUNTY, women, W 10058; men, W 83-70 Feb. 3, at Butler, women, L 56-50; men. L 66-65 Feb. 6, at CLOUD COUNTY, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 10, at Independence, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 13, ALLEN COUNTY, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 17, at Cowley, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 22, DODGE CITY, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 24, at Northwest Kansas Tech, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 27, at Seward County, 6 p.m.

March 3, PRATT, 6:30 p.m.

March 6, at Garden City, 2 p.m.

March 9, BARTON, 5:30 p.m.

March 13, at Colby, 2 p.m.

March 15, at Dodge City, 5:30 p.m.

March 17, NORTHWEST KANSAS TECH, 5:30 p.m.

March 20, SEWARD COUNTY, 5:30 p.m.

March 24, at Pratt, 5:30 p.m.

March 27, GARDEN CITY, 5:30 p.m.

March 29, at Barton, 5:30 p.m.

March 31, COLBY, 5:30 p.m.

Football

March 26, COFFEYVILLE, 7 p.m.

April 3, at Butler, 7 p.m.

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.

May 9, HIGHLAND, 1 p.m.

May 16, DODGE CITY, 1 p.m.

Golf

March 22-23, at Trophy Club, Texas March 29-30, at Jayhawk Conference Tournament, Manhattan April 12-13, at Jayhawk Conference Tournament, Crestview North, Wichita April 19-20, at Jayhawk Conference Tournament, Newton April 26-27, at Region 6/District 3 Championship May 10-13, at NJCAA Championships, Lubbock, Texas

Soccer

April 2, at Johnson County, 5 p.m.

April 5, at Barton, 2 p.m.

April 7, GARDEN CITY, 2 p.m.

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.

May 1, NEOSHO COUNTY, 2 p.m.

May 3, at Garden City, 6 p.m.

May 5, COWLEY, 6 p.m.

May 8, at Kansas City, 2 p.m.

May 12, at Dodge City, 1 p.m.

Softball (non conference)

Feb. 10, OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN JV, 2 p.m.

Feb. 13, HESSTON, 1 p.m.

Feb. 17, FRIENDS JV, 2 p.m.

Feb. 20, IOWA CENTRAL, 1 p.m.

Feb. 23, NORTHERN OKLAHOMA-ENID, 2 p.m.

Feb. 26, at North Central Texas, noon Feb. 27, at Murray State, Oklahoma, noon March 31, at Ottawa JV, 1 p.m.

Track and field (indoor)

Feb. 6, at Central Missouri Feb. 19-20, at Region 6 Championships, Pittsburg

Track and field (outdoor)

April 2-3, at Friends University, Wichita 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, Levelland, Texas

Volleyball

Jan, 25, at Garden City, L 25-14, 25-23, 21-25, 25-20 Jan. 28, PRATT, W 25-15, 25-16, 25-20 Jan. 30, at Laramie County, Wyoming; vs. Eastern Wyoming, L 22-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-17, W 17-15; vs. Trinidad State, W 3-0; vs. North Platte, Neb., W 25-20, 25-14, 25-16.

Feb. 1, BARTON, L 25-18, 25-15, 22-25, 29-27 Feb. 4, at Independence, 5 p.m.

Feb. 5-6, at West Plains, Missouri Feb. 8, COLBY, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 11, DODGE CITY, 6 p.m.

Feb. 15, at Seward County, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 18, BUTLER, TBA Feb. 19-20, BLUE DRAGON CLASSIC Feb. 25, GARDEN CITY, 6:30 p.m.

March 1, at Pratt, 6:30 p.m.

March 4, at Barton, 6:30 p.m.

March 8, INDEPENDENCE, 6 p.m.

March 11, at Colby, 6:30 p.m.

March 15, at Dodge City, 6:30 p.m.

March 18, at Seward County, 6:30 p.m.

March 22, at Butler, 6:30 p.m.