HutchCC women headed to Texas
Disney wishes granted
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Two HutchCC students next stop is Disney The student voice of Hutchinson Community College
77 March 13, 2020
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Vol. 61 Issue 17
‘Nightline’ co-host speaks at DLS
Photos by Kenneth Ryan/Collegian ABC co-host of ‘Nightline’ Byron Pitts spoke at the Dillon Lecture Series about overcoming a stutter at a young age and pushing forward in journalism. By Aaron Strain Web Master
An illiterate and stuttering child’s dream of becoming a “60 Minutes” correspondent would seem to be as unlikely as a small mustard seed growing into a tree. Byron Pitts achieved the ambition, and much more, in his 39 years in journalism. During the inaugural speech of the 2020
Dillon Lecture Series, Pitts discussed his upbringing as the son of a poor single mother, his career covering wars and natural disasters, and the people who helped him along the way. Pitts’ mother, Clarice, was a seamstress who never made more than $10,000 annually and was a strict Baptist. “My mother could quote scripture with any
Upcoming events March 15 — Messiah Chorale Concert @ Stringer Fine Arts 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. March 16-21 — 2020 NJCAA Tournament March 17 — Hutchinson women’s basketball vs. Tyler, Texas 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. March 19 — Baseball vs. Butler @ Hobart Detter Field 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. March 23-27 — Spring Break!
church elder. She could also curse like any sailor,” Pitts said. “I wasn’t raised in Baltimore – I was raised in my mama’s house.” Pitts said his mother and several strangers gave everything they had to ensure a better future for him. Academics were always a struggle for Pitt. While his siblings were doing well in grade
school, he was failing all his classes. Officials told his mom that, in their words, Byron was “mentally retarded and lacks the mental capacity to live a normal life.” They suggested “placing him in an institution because you lack the resources to support your son” or bring him back when he became 18. His mother, who had only a 10th grade education, told them that if she were to bring her son back at 18, he “would be dead or in prison.” Pitts said it is cheaper to send someone to college for four years than to incarcerate them for one, and how poor people often end up in the latter. He quoted Frederick Douglass to explain his mother’s belief in the transformative power of education: “it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken
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men.” Pitts also grew up with a stutter, which brought him “great pain and great shame” in his childhood. He said he now considers the stutter to be a blessing, because it taught him the value of silence, listening and empathy. Pitts said his illiteracy and stutter were inspirations to “bring voice to the voiceless,” helping to spark his appreciation for journalism. “(As journalists), our job is to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.” Through these challenges, his mother did not give up hope. She wore a mustard seed on her person, alluding to a parable in scripture about how faith the size of a mustard seed can move any mountain. To her, “there was nothing that hard work, prayer, and, if need be, profanity couldn’t over-
Blue Dragons weekend forecast
Friday — High: 46 Low: 39 Saturday — High: 47 Low: 36 Sunday — High: 50 Low: 43
come,” Pitts said. She was asked how a poor divorcee managed to send her three children to college, and she responded, “I told each child: you go to college or I will beat you to death.” However, college continued to be challenging for Pitts. “I failed every course. I got an F in Freshman English, (and) today I’m a professional journalist,” he said, “and we wonder what’s wrong with journalism today.” He was starting to fill out withdrawal papers as a freshman when a new English professor pulled him to the side. The professor was from Estonia, her family had fled violence in World War II, and she understood struggle. She offered Pitts unofficial tutoring, saving his academic career. See Pitts, Page 4
Inside Scoop
Opinion: Page 2 - Samarah Bailey discusses how tough being a student-athlete can be Campus: Page 4 - Graduation Fair coming up on March 18-19 Campus: Page 5 - Sophomore wins two indoor track national championships