March 25, 2022 Hutchinson Collegian

The student voice of Hutchinson Community College

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March 25, 2022

pinion

Laci Sutton discusses transgender sports debate and the idea of having their own leagues. Page 2

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ampus

Braedon Martin introduces Dragon LAN, a fun outing for video game lovers.

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ampus

Aubreigh Heck goes over the end of the season for the men’s basketball team at last week’s tournaments.

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Vol. 63 Issue 17

ports

Colin Shields gives a preview for spring football.

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A glimpse of Ukrainian crisis at HutchCC

By Mason Poepperling Staff Writer

We live in unprecedented times. It’s a cliche but it’s true.

Every year, it seems like a new global event occurs in what seems like the universe trying its hardest to make this year just a bit more dire than the last.

This year’s global event has come in the form of a massive invasion of the Eastern European country Ukraine being carried out by Russia, Ukraine’s neighboring country to the east. While this isn’t the first time Ukraine has had an invasion attempt acted upon by Russia, an invasion of this magnitude has affected not just those in Ukraine, but those with strong connections to the country, including Mira Clobes, Professional Proctor and Administrative Assistant at Hutchinson Community College, who is from Ukraine.

“Witnessing the crisis in Ukraine has been heartbreaking for me. I have no words to express how much it hurts to see all the war crimes Russia is committing against Ukrainian nation,” Clobes said. “This is not the first time in history Russia has been aggressive towards Ukraine, but it’s shocking that this is happening in today’s age. With its people united more than ever, I’m sure Ukraine will recover from this.

I just hope the world doesn’t forgive Russia for this … I know Ukraine never will.”

Witnessing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted many responses around the world, with support for Photo by Danae Moser/Collegian Ukraine in its fight against invaders spreading like wildfire.

Mira Clobes, a Professional Proctor and Administrative Assistant at Hutchinson Community College and Ukraine native, poses for a photo..

“Most of the reactions and thoughts I have heard and seen are heartwarming,” Cloves said. “I am very thankful that the world came together to help Ukraine during this crisis. Seeing all the different countries help Ukraine in so many ways gives Ukraine and its citizens strength to keep fighting for their freedom and the future of Ukraine.”

Of course, for every positive response to the Ukrainian crisis, there is one that comes from a place of misinformation when it comes to Ukraine and Russia’s past. Clobes said she believes that this is an important time for anyone uninformed about the tumultuous relationship between Ukraine and Russia to research the topic.

“Once you get yourself informed about the history of Ukraine, it becomes very clear why this is happening right now, and why Ukrainian people are desperately fighting for their freedom and independence from Russia,” Clobes said. “The time period that is particularly striking, and one that all Ukrainians look back to, is the time from 1932 to 1933 called Holodomor.

It was a man-made famine that killed millions of Ukrainians while Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union. There are many more examples of repressions that occurred while Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union, and it’s not surprising that Ukrainians will fight until they can’t to not let history repeat itself.”

In the end, much like past global events, it’s important to make sure any information people consume on the Ukrainian crisis is coming from a trustworthy See Ukraine, Page 5

The Gestation Journal: The unspoken truths of motherhood

By Brooke Greene Editor in Chief

Forty-nine hours, seven pounds and one ounce, 18 and 3/4 inches long At 12:19 p.m. on Feb. 14 of 2022, my daughter entered this world. Yes, you read that right, we labored for 49 hours because apparently, Sawyer wanted to be born on Valentine’s Day. However, I suppose she is the best Valentine I could have ever asked for.

As a first-time mother, I was terrified and ecstatic to go into labor. I selected the Yoder Birthing Center to deliver my baby at, and could not have been more content with my decision to labor completely naturally.

This means no epidural, no pain killers, absolutely no medicine. We were in the comfort of a beautiful birthing suite, with a jacuzzi jet tub, amazing nurses and midwives, and my mother and two younger sisters there to support me through the task at hand.

I thought I was ready,

but no amount of encouragement prepared me for how excruciating childbirth was going to be.

This resulted in significant birth trauma, which is something I have discovered is not nearly talked about enough.

Birth trauma does not mean mothers regret their birthing experience, it merely means that the mother’s experience was genuinely traumatic, resulting in physical and/ or psychological distress. In my experience, I went into early labor at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 12 after self-inducing (with physician approval) with castor oil the night before. I was told to take a dose of the oil with warm juice, and a scoop of peanut butter afterward.

This was easily the most disgusting thing I have ever consumed and I still cringe after thinking about that night.

The castor oil is meant to, well, make the mother crap. A lot. It is the ultimate colon detox, however, and being on

Upcoming events March 29— Computer Connections from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Stringer Fine Arts Building Recital Hall March 29— Kansas Teacher of the Year from noon-1 p.m. at Stringer Fine Arts Building Recital Hall April 1— DragonLAN event at Justice Theater from 3-9 p.m.

April 7— Career Fair from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Sports Arena

the toilet encourages the uterus to start contracting, This is the same reason people say to eat spicy foods to kickstart labor. It’s not because the fetus won’t like the spice, but rather, it’s because spicy foods often give people diarrhea. So, once the castor oil was in effect, my appointment was set for 9:30 a.m. to have a foley balloon inserted in to help make my cervix dilate. This step, however, did not work for me, so I went home to labor after having a membrane sweep.

My mother and I returned the next morning at 11 a.m., after a restless night of contractions, only to find that I was barely two centimeters dilated. This was super discouraging for me, as I had already been contracting for 12 hours, so again, I went home.

After 12 more hours, I caved and called my mom and said we needed to go back. My

(Left) Brooke and Sawyer pose with birth certificate a couple hours after delivery.

Sawyer smiles and poses for her onemonth photoshoot (bottom).

Photo by Brooke Greene/Collegian

See Journal, Page 5

The happenings around campus

College Student Weather Report Friday High: 60; Low 34 Ready for some sunny and 75 Saturday High: 59; Low 37 Is it winter or spring? We don’t know.

Sunday High: 64; Low 40 Finally some consistency!

Weather source: accuweather.com

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

Opinion

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Big laughs in this little 1980s movie

Well thanks to Bid… I mean “Russia” ... gas prices have gone up and there seems to be no sign of that stopping.

Now, if you want to go to the movie theater, you’ve got to pay not only for the overpriced movie ticket, overpriced popcorn, overpriced candy, and overpriced drink, but also the overpriced gas.

And on your part-time fast-food job salary? But I mean, what were you going to watch in the theater’s anyways? The 734th “Batman” movie or Disney’s ripoff of “Kanegon’s Cocoon”?

Luckily, there are these terrible things called streaming services that occasionally have good movies like today’s film, “Big Trouble In Little China”, my 18th favorite film of all time.

“Big Trouble In Little China” is a 1986 action adventure film directed by John Carpenter, who is the guy who made every 80s movie that people love, but only after the 80s.

The plot follows a trucker named Jack Burton, played

by Kurt Russell, as he and his buddy Wang Chi go to pick up Wang’s girlfriend from the airport when suddenly she’s kidnapped by a group of thugs.

In the ensuing chase, Jack is led deep into China town where he accidentally ends up in a supernatural war with an immortal being named Lo Pan, who plans on marrying Wang’s fiance, and the girl that Jack likes while he’s at it. So it’s up to Jack Burton and whoever else is willing to help, to save the day.

This is far from the weirdest movie I’ve ever seen, but I’ve seen a lot of weird movies so for the average person this is probably a pretty weird movie.

This is not a movie to be taken seriously, and that’s pretty evident with the protagonist who’s this big all American guy who has no clue what’s going on, constantly trying to be cool and failing, and the whole time he really just wants his truck back because Lo Pan took it after he left it parked in the street.

Columnist

Connor Keating So while the “protagonist” really isn’t kicking that much butt, everyone else around him is, so there are a lot of seriously good fight scenes in this.

I also like that as the film goes on it gets crazier and crazier. I really want to give examples of some of the wacky stuff that happens but I think that would ruin it.

The film hits all the right notes. The characters are funny and a blast to watch, there’s a lot of good humor and most of it is visual stuff. This is not a film to watch with your phone

out.

Pretty decent effects, some of the effects can seem a little cheesy or dated, but I think they work for the film. John Carpenter does a lot of the music for his movies. This one is no different and it’s pretty good.

It’s just an all around great film that more people need to watch.

The best way I can describe it is that it’s like a mix of a Kevin Connor/Doug McClure adventure film and “Who Killed Captain Alex”, and I know probably no one reading this knows what either of those mean but trust me, and watch those as well.

That’s why I give “Big Trouble In Little China” nine guns with their safety still on out of 10, and the Official Stamp Of KINO! If you want to check this movie out it’s available on Amazon Prime - oh wait, now you have to rent it - well, so much for saving money or whatever.

Connor Keating is Halstead freshman in general studies.

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, March 25, 2022

Our View

Undrafted for the war in Urkraine When the news of Russia invading Ukraine broke, people across the world were shocked. Immediately, people in the United States started to overreact, and worried the draft would be reinstated. For those who aren’t familiar with the draft, the draft works by drawing from a pool of men who have registered with selective service.

The draft hasn’t been used by the U.S. Government since 1970, and will not likely be used ever again.

The idea of being forced to serve in the military is scary for a lot of U.S. citizens, and some people panic anytime there’s any type of global conflict that the U.S. could possibly become involved in.

In order for the draft to occur, there has to be an emergency so large that there aren’t enough people willingly in the military already. Then, Congress has to authorize the standing president (currently Joe Biden) to start gathering people for armed services.

According to americaspromise.org, the U.S. has over 1.4 million active military members, and over eight-hundred thousand in the reserves. If needed, the country has around 2.2 million soldiers ready.

It would be a while before the military would need more soldiers to boost their troops.

It is unlikely the draft will ever be implemented again. If you are feeling anxious about it, try to remember that many things need to be done before it can even be thought about as an option.

-For the Collegian editorial board.

Let’s give them a league of their own I want to start this by saying I am an ally of the LGBTQ community and am in no way putting its members down.

There has been a lot of buzz in the news lately about transgender athletes.

Specifically All American swimmer Lia Thomas.

Thomas excelled on the men’s swim team at the University of Pennsylvania, but she still didn’t feel right. She was in a constant battle with herself. It was a war between her physical appearance and her true self.

In the summer of 2018, she realized what this internal war was about and in 2019 she began hormone replacement therapy.

She came out to her coaches who fully supported her move to the women’s team.

I think it’s wonderful that she was able to continue her swim career in a way that represented who she truly is.

I can imagine this is an area that many transgender athletes have struggled

with before, so it’s great to know that Thomas was not held back from competing based on her gender identity.

However, I don’t think this was fair to the other competitors. Males (on average) have a greater muscle mass, higher cardiac capacity, higher bone density, and higher tendon strength than females.

In terms of physical abilities, men are genetically developed to perform better.

Athletes born as females are having opportunities ripped away from them simply because their competitors have genetic advantages. It’s not fair.

Females can work their hardest, but when it comes down to it we just can’t compete physically. It sucks, but it’s the scientific truth.

There are separate leagues for men and women for a reason. In fact, many

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men’s leagues have adjusted their sports to accommodate the differences.

The NCAA lengthened the distance of the three-point line for males by one foot in 2007. In men’s volleyball, the net is just over two inches higher than the women’s.

Simply, males should not be competing in female sports leagues.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that Thomas should have remained in the men’s league or quit swimming. My suggestion goes for all sports leagues.

In order to maintain an equal playing field, I suggest a league be created exclusively for transgender athletes. This will allow all athletes equal opportunity as they pursue their athletic endeavors.

They should not be forced to compete in a league where they do not feel

Collegian Staff Social Media Coordinator Editor In Chief Brooke Greene Jayshaun Jones Editorial cartoonist Opinion Page Editor E. G. Weinhoffer Laci Sutton Staff members Sports Editors Colton Fast, Leslie Grajeda, Connor Aubreigh Heck, Cole Deutschendorf Keating, Braedon Martin, Danae Moser, Audio Editor Mason Poepperling, Colin Shields, Zariah Perilla-Best Shelby Spreier, Brendan Ulmer, Maegan Online Editor Vincent, Lee Wellman Ben Short Collegian Adviser Brad Hallier

www.HutchCollegian.com

they belong, but they also should not be allowed to compete in a league that places themselves or their competitors at an unfair advantage.

Again, I am not in any way trying to make transgender individuals feel unwelcome or excluded.

I am fully supportive of them, but sports are much more fun when played on an equal playing field.

Columnist

Laci Sutton

Laci Sutton is a Nickerson senior studying nursing. She is 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: Christopher Lau, 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, March 25, 2022

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Come if you can to DragonLAN

By Braedon Martin Staff Writer

In the time before online gaming became the norm, multiplayer gaming was mostly done through LAN parties.

LAN, standing for Local Area Network, is a service where multiple PCs, or gaming stations, are connected through one internet connection, and LAN parties were events were held for friends and family to hang out, eat some junk food, and just have a good time.

Originally founded in the mid 2000s, Hutchinson Community College’s DragonLAN is the continuation,

now successor, to those LAN parties, aiming to recreate that feeling of community that comes from hanging out with a bunch of people to eat snacks, drink soda, and play some good old-fashioned video games.

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, membership in the club fell, but with Jesse Newberry as the advisor, and Aidan McGillivray as president, the club is seeking to rekindle the community for gaming on campus.

“Sometimes students want to compete in tournaments, and sometimes students don’t want to compete at all, they just hang out,” Newberry

said. “A lot of people assume it’s very competitive, but it’s not really.

It’s all about hanging out, having fun, maybe having some kind of competition but having lots of laughs throughout it.”

Likewise, McGillivray said, “It’s usually a pretty chill atmosphere.”

Staff meetings for DragonLAN are simple, with the admin team sharing all the duties.

“I organize stuff like what games to play, who brings what consoles, and the competitions we have at each event,” McGillivray said.

Technology is ever evolving, and that can af-

fect everything, down to the level at which things are run for the events.

“It’s definitely evolved,” Newberry said.” We used to have servers set up and computers everywhere, and now people bring their laptops and connect to wifi. Everyone uses Steam now, so we don’t really need servers anymore. It used to be, everybody would show up, everybody would play the exact same game. But not everybody has the same games now, there’s so many more games to choose from it’s hard to get everyone on the same game.

Sometimes people don’t wanna leave their

rooms, we don’t need to anymore, we can get on PlayStation Network or Xbox Live. It’s becoming a little harder to get students to come together.”

The atmosphere at DragonLAN is different from the competitive nature of the college’s Esports team.

“A lot of the games we play are more social, party style games, and the atmosphere we offer is different from online gaming, in my opinion.”

McGillivray said.

The strongest draw DragonLAN has, amidst the rise of online gaming and the difficulties of social distancing in a pandemic, is its commu-

nity. Newberry saidhe hopes to give students a place to hang out outside of class and play games together. A place to “Be geeky together, to show off their computer or brag about their stats on Xbox Live.”

“The big thing has been getting it up and running as great as it was before COVID. Since COVID hit it’s been a lot harder to get people out,” Newberry said.

The next DragonLAN event is on April 1, and runs from 3 p.m.-9 p.m. at Shears Technology Building’s Justice Theater. Entry is free for members, $5 for non-members, and $7 for optional pizza.

Gowans lands a major score

By Aubreigh Heck Co-Sports Editor

Hutchinson Community College football fans have more than a new season to look forward to, as Gowans Stadium is now home to a brandnew scoreboard.

The new scoreboard, which will now be on the south end, measures 40 feet by 24 feet, according to HutchCC athletic director Josh Gooch.

“The previous scoreboard was 12 feet tall, and 32 feet wide. The video replay board on the top was 12 feet tall by 20 feet wide,” Gooch said. “The new one has 197 more square feet of board.”

The new scoreboard will display the score on the bottom of the board, have advertisers on the

sides and have video replay in the middle. The new board will also be all LED, compared to the last scoreboard that only had the LED on the top video replay board.

“The entire thing can be video,” Gooch said.

Also being added is a trestle on top of the board, which will illuminate to say, “Gowans Stadium.”

“The trestle isn’t up yet. All you can see right now is the two main poles sticking out from the top. It will be illuminated, and 3-feet tall. It should be done by April 1,” Gooch said.

To get a good idea of just how large the new scoreboard is, Gooch brought up the scoreboards currently in the Hutchinson Sports

Arena.

“Those scoreboards (in the arena) are nine feet by 16 feet. Four of those boards in the arena could fit on the new one in Gowans,” Gooch said.

The plan for a new scoreboard started in 2018. Even though most of the scoreboard had its funding already from sponsorships, the college decided to delay building it due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Most of the sponsorships were done,” Gooch said. “Because we couldn’t have fans inside the stadium after COVID hit, I didn’t think it would be fair to bill the sponsors for the board.

They weren’t going to get what they paid for.

All of it sold off of advertisements.”

The cost of this new board came to a total of around $5000,000, as the audio system in Gowans was updated as well.

“It was exciting to finally see ground breaking on the scoreboard,” Gooch said. “Anytime you see construction progress on a college campus, it’s a sign of growth, and a sign of commitment to improvements.”

The new board will carry loads of benefits, whether it be for the athletes on the field or the fans in the stands.

“I think in the recruiting process the board is an aesthetic improvement,” Gooch said.

Blue Dragon football coach Drew Dallas agrees.

“The board shows our technological ad-

A debate springs up

By Brendan Ulmer Staff Writer

Spring has sprung, and how do Hutchinson Community College students feel about it?

Well the consensus isn’t quite in yet.

On one hand, there are the people who were hoping to cling on to the winter months just a little bit longer.

“No, I did not miss spring,” said Abilene sophomore Aaron Geissinger. “I prefer the winter, because it’s cold. I like the cold.”

While this is what many may consider an airtight argument, others begged to differ.

“How do I feel about the spring?” asked Maize freshman Lynauz Cox. “Good, because it’s closer to summer.

I’m not a big fan of the cold.”

The discourse around this topic is packed to the gills with well reasoned, measured but conflicting arguments.

To muddy the waters even further, a thought out, practical centrist argument entered the mix.

“I’m ready for warmer weather and excited for the changes coming up, but at the same time I’m very anxious about the changes coming up” said Hutchinson sophomore Jacelyn Salmans. “Spring means the semester is ending, which means I need to figure out my next moves for school, apartments, graduation, finals, etc. So thinking ahead to the next season of both weather and life is scary but promising.”

We may never

Photo by Lee Wellman/Collegian Top Photo: Natalie Schweizer, Cooper Koestel, and Tucker Robson share a conversation on the sidewalk by the pond Right Photo: Sloane Hayden and Terrente Hinton split a walk and a smile on their way through campus

have an answer as to if spring spring-

ing up is an option we’d spring for.

vancements to players that think about coming here,” Dallas said.

Fan experience can also be important for the players, as they can give a team momentum they might need. This board could help with that.

“I believe this new scoreboard can be used as a tool. It helps fan experience,” Dallas said.

“When fans are having a good time, they have fun and get loud, and that helps our team.”

Gooch has high expectations of the board also being used outside of football.

“I would like to have the student body do a movie night this spring,” Gooch said. “Students can bring bagged chairs and lounge chairs and watch a movie on the

field. Like a drive-in theater but without the cars. I know the Cosmosphere is another entity that rents a big screen for some summertime events, that could be a nice place for them to showcase their movies.”

While everyone is eager to see this new board in action, Gooch has one thing he has high hopes for.

“What I’m excited most for is for our student body to use it,” Gooch said. “To have Dana Hinshaw (director of student affairs) and those who put on those types of activities use the board for student life.”

The new scoreboard will be put to action as the Blue Dragons gear up for a new season of spring football.

Sports

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The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, March 25, 2022

HutchCC men’s basketball team ends clean-slate season

By Aubreigh Heck Staff Writer

The Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team was a clean slate for coach Tommy DeSalme. There were no returning players or coaches from the previous season.

DeSalme took this fresh group, and made the NJCAA Division 1 National Tournament.

The No. 12-seeded Blue Dragons avoided the upset and defeated No. 21 Connors State in overtime in the first round. HutchCC then followed it up with a second-round 85-62 loss to No. 5 Chipola on

Wednesday in the second round at the Sports Arena.

“We have a tough group,” sophomore guard Angelo Stuart said. “It was echoed in the locker room. We won a lot of games this season because of our tough group.

I’m really proud of our guys despite the loss.”

Stuart finished fourth in the NJCAA for points scored, averaging 21.5 pointer-per-game.

Jacquez Yow was one among four transfers from Cowley College, where DeSalme had been the head coach the previous season.

“I had a couple schools who were interested

looking at me, but I trusted Coach DeSalme more,” Yow said. “He’s probably one of my favorite coaches of all time. I trusted him, made the move to Hutch and haven’t looked back since. I’m glad I did it, it’s been a great turnout.”

Although not a Cowley transfer, Stuart agreed with Yow. “(DeSalme) taught me to be tough,” Stuart said.

“There’s time where I doubt myself, since I stepped foot at Hutch, he’s never doubted me. He forces me to be aggressive and believe in myself. I’m forever grateful to Coach De-

Salme and the rest of the staff here.”

Despite the loss to Chipola, the Blue Dragons held their collective heads up.

“I’m proud of the team, coach and everyone around Hutch,” sophomore Nate Goodlow said.

DeSalme echoed those comments.

“Overall, we really overachieved this year in a lot of ways,” DeSalme said. “As a coach, that’s what you want. Whatever your talent level is, you want your team to overachieve. If they’re very talented you want them to take that next step and play really hard. You want to out jump your

skis if you can.”

The Blue Dragons started their season 13-0, and were ranked No. 5 in the nation at one point.

They finished second in the Jayhawk Conference and the Region 6 Tournament. They earned an atlarge bid to the NJCAA Tournament. Their final record on the season was 26-9.

“What an incredible atmosphere,” DeSalme said. “The Blue Dragons’ fans were out in full support, that’s what makes it really special. That’s why it’s the best job in juco.”

The tournament is played at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. While the Blue Dragons are techni-

cally on a neutral court, they are able to gather a large crowd to cheer them on.

“Hutch is a high-level place,” DeSalme said.

“The fans are high-level, they’re knowledgeable and they talk to you, they really care. The administration cares, the athletic department cares, it’s setup like the best program in the country. You know that as a coach, that’s what you want. Not every place is like that, I’ve been all over and here is just something really special. I can’t wait for the next go-around, we know what we need and what we need to do. This is just the start.”

Highs and lows of March, in photos Photos by Shelby Spreier and Danae Moser/Collegian

The Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team celebrates their Region 6 championship win in Salina. The Blue Dragons went 1-1 at the NJCAA Division 1 Championships in Lubbock, Texas.

Left: Mya Williams, Kaylin Ervin (3), Tor’e Alford and Kali Howard (12) celebrate their win in the Region 6 championship game March 5 in Salina.

Right: Hutchinson Community College’s Kobe Campbell goes in for a layup during the Blue Dragons’ first-round NJCAA Division 1 Championships game against Connors State on March 14 at the Sports Arena. The Blue Dragons won 101-98 in overtime.

Below: Nate Goodlow wipes his face with a towel during a second-round game March 16 at the Sports Arena. The Blue Dragons lost the game to Chipola 82-65, ending their first season under coach Tommy DeSalme.

Campus

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, March 25, 2022

All good things come to an end Blue Dragon women’s basketball team reach nationals after taking Region 6 championship

By Cole Deutschendorf Co-Sports Editor

They say only three things are guaranteed in life - death, taxes, and the Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team having a successful season under coach John Ontjes.

Excluding the 201415 season, in which the team was forced to forfeit their regular-season wins, the Blue Dragons Ontjes are a combined 398-52.

Not too shabby.

This season, HutchCC finished at 19-5 in the Jayhawk Conference and 29-6 overall, as the Blue Dragons tied with Independence for first in the conference.

Most notably, the Blue Dragons avenged each of their conference losses at one point or another throughout the season. After losing to Barton, Coffeyville, and Independence at early points in the season, they would go on to pummel all three teams later, winning those three games by a combined 81 points.

Their other two conference losses came against Seward County in the regular season, but the Blue Dragons beat them when it mattered the most,

Ukraine

• Continued from Page 1

source. Minimizing the spread of misinformation on the Ukrainian crisis is one of the best ways for the world to be properly informed on the situation as it develops.

“I would recommend they get themselves informed as best as they can using trustworthy news sources before discussing this topic, Cloves said.

Journal • Continued from Page 1

contractions were frequent and long, so we packed up again and left. I was in a lot of pain - labor is called labor for a reason -, and I remember bawling during my cervical exam, hoping and praying that I was getting close to the end.

When my midwife told me I was now at five centimeters, I remember exclaiming “Thank f—ing God!”, and they admitted me to my birthing suite.

Now the real work began. My contractions became so intense I couldn’t walk, talk, or focus on anything. I tried a birthing ball, a birthing peanut, the tub, squats, walking (as much as I could), and a variety of positions on the bed to try and progress even more. The water was nice at first but eventually got cold to a point where I could not warm back up because my body was so focused on the pain, and the peanut put me in a spread-out position and gave me a contraction so hard I screamed, kicked the darn thing away from me, and started to throw up. After this, I felt hopeless, I felt like my baby would never come.

I continued with my labor until 11:59 a.m. on Feb. 14, when I stood up from a squat and finally felt that “gotta poop” feeling.

This means it’s time to push.

I had my mom by my side, my nurses guiding me through it, and my sisters staying out of

Page 5

Puzzles

dispatching them by eight points in the Region 6 semifinals.

HutchCC had surreptitiously given themselves a shot at a favorable seeding in the NJCAA Division 1 Championships, but instead received the 19 seed.

They won their first round match over Casper, Wyoming, but lost to Georgia Highlands, the eventual tournament runner-up, in the second round.

But still, a 29-win season that ended up in a share of the regular season conference championship and a regional tournament championship is nothing short of another amazing season for the women’s team.

Not to mention, the future for the Blue Dragons is bright, as they will return seven freshmen from this year’s team.

The talented freshman group was highlighted by Mya Williams, who had the most points scored in Blue Dragon history by a freshman, and the second most points overall.

Third year sophomore Tor’e Alford wrapped up a great career with a 22-point game against Georgia Highland. Alford finished fifth in 3-pointers made in a career (161) and third in assists (321) in the History of the Blue Dragons.

The team had several impressive statistics as a whole as well, scoring the third most points (2,558), third most 3-pointers (276), and the second most made free throws (579) in HutchCC history.

“Because this situation is very complicated, and political in nature, I would recommend thinking critically about everything you see and hear. If (someone) is discussing the crisis in Ukraine with the person that lives, lived, or has connections in Ukraine, I would recommend bearing in mind that this situation is probably very difficult, and traumatizing for them. Don’t assume that you know how they feel, and be ready that the person will have a strong opinion on this topic.”

the way but watching and supporting me. I was too exhausted and focused to even think twice about my mom leaving my side and trading with my sister, she started to have a panic attack after watching me be in pain for so long. After pushing for 20 minutes, my face went ghost white, my eyes rolled back, my head fell, and my baby was finally born. My mom thought I was going to pass out, but once that baby was placed on my stomach, I snapped back into it and was immediately relieved and in awe of what I had worked so hard for.

Due to such strenuous labor, my uterus had gotten inflamed, which caused an incredible amount of bleeding after my delivery. They quickly gave me a shot of Pitocin to stop the bleeding and began massaging my uterus to prevent hemorrhaging.

At this point I had forgotten about the pain I had just experienced. I forgot about my pleas and screams for it to be over, I forgot about my desire to be taken to the hospital just in hopes they would just cut her out of me. She was there, at last, and my heart was full.

We went home six hours postpartum to rest and recover and get to know my darling daughter. The pain, however, did not stop. I experienced more intense contractions, which is normal, as the uterus shrinks down to its normal size, as well as after birth “shakes”. These were some of the worst things for me, it made me super cold, exhausted,

Photo by Brooke Greene/Collegian Sawyer, daughter of Editor in Chief Brooke Greene, takes a snooze after a hard day.

and I felt the pains of my labor all over again. I had nightmares about it, and this is when I realized that I was suffering from birth trauma. Flashes of the labor rushed through my head at random times and fear consumed my body. It is still hard for me to revisit and my daughter is over a month old now.

Childbirth, especially all-natural childbirth, is no joke. I entered my childbirth with different fears from the new concept of being a single mother, which was hard on me mentally. The father of my child backed out of our engagement and fatherhood when I was about three months pregnant.

Thankfully, I have a village, and they are wonderful at supporting

me through this journey. I implore any mother, no matter what background she comes from, to make a support system one of her biggest priorities during pregnancy, as this is not something any mother should go through alone.

You will feel fear, excitement, joy, pain, hopelessness, fatigue, and an overwhelming amount of love for your baby, and having those you love around you, is the best tool you can bring into your labor.

I do not know what I would have done without my mother and sisters catching me when I collapsed, holding my hands when it hurt, getting me anything I might need, and most importantly, reminding me that I could do it. Birth trauma is hard, but the

bundle of joy you get out of the process is so worth it. It can be remedied and assisted with therapy, taking a little time to yourself after having your baby, remaining social, getting as much rest as you can, and of course, allowing your village to be your village.

It is crucial not to let your birth trauma fester into postpartum depression. To combat this, you can practice self-care and spend quality bonding time with your newborn. It is OK to give yourself some time alone. If you feel you cannot connect or bond with your baby, or feel continued hopelessness, seek medical attention immediately to get you and your baby on track to that amazing connection.

My daughter is now going on a month-and-a-half old, and she is the light of my life. Sawyer has huge blue eyes and a smile that makes everyone else smile. Boy, they do grow up fast, so to all new moms, take advantage of the time you have with them while they are little because it flies right by.

I return to work this week, which I am looking forward to but I am also dreading being away from my baby. This is one of the hardest parts of being a new mom, but life goes on and the best part of our day becomes going home to our little ones. Speaking of which, she is waking up now and is probably ready for a bottle.

I wish the best of luck to all expectant and new moms reading this as you are about to start one of the most cherishable chapters of your life.

Sports

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, March 25, 2022

Page 6

They’ve got rhythm

Athlete of the week (March 13-19) Riley Wertz, Softball

The week: Wertz was a busy person during three Blue Dragon doubleheaders last Wertz week.

Wertz was 5 for 18 with six RBIs at the plate, and pitching, she threw in five games. She allowed two unearned runs on seven hits in 13 innings, earning Photo Courtesy of HutchCC Sports Information two wins.

Ben McLaughlin, a freshman from Golden, Colorado, secures a base hit during a Hutchinson Community College baseball game last seaThe season. son: Wertz, a “I think walk-up songs just help me get into my little bit of my character and freshman from best state of mind for the at bat, and get me in the personality,” Covey said.

Wichita, is 5-0 mentality to do damage at the plate,” said Charlie Typically, when a player pitching with a Mosser, a freshman utility player from Lincoln, Neb. picks a walk-up song at the 0.79 ERA. In 20 Mosser has “Gimme That” by Chris Brown as his start of the season, they try games hitting, walk-up song. to stick with it. she is batting “I picked that song because it’s upbeat, which “I wouldn’t change my .279 with three makes me feel excited when I get on the field. I feel walk-up song if I had the home runs, 13 like it’s very catchy,” Mosser said. choice,” said Braedyn

By Aubreigh Heck RBIs while scorSome players take a while to decide what the right Sommer, a sophomore Co-Sports Editor ing 11 runs. song to serenade them onto the field is. Others make infielder from Stillwater,

HutchCC baseball players discuss their walk-up song choice

A sport as old as the patent on the telephone itself, baseball charms many around the world with its long-standing traditions. Whether it be the seventh-inning stretch, hot dogs and peanuts at every game or rally caps, baseball has many aspects of its game that revolve around so much more than the play on the field.

However, there is one tradition for players that started back in 1970: walk-up songs.

Walk-up songs are meant to help get batters and pitchers ready to play, and the Hutchinson Community College baseball players have their favorites.

the decision on a whim.

Zane Covey, a pitcher from Golden, Colo., didn’t take too long to decide what to walk out to the mound to.

“It was a very spontaneous decision,” Covey said.

“I always thought ‘Free Smoke’ by Drake would be a good walk-up song, but I never thought I threw hard enough to use it. It came on in my car a few days before I had to make my song decision, and I stuck with it.”

While walk-up songs are traditionally used to amp players up, they can do more than help a batter or pitcher get into the right state of mind.

“The song also gives me an opportunity to show a

Okla., who decided on “Me Against the World”

by Tupac as his walk-up song.

“I chose it because I felt the meaning in the song title. I also genuinely like the song,” Sommer said.

For a full list of the Blue Dragons’ baseball team’s walk-up songs, go to www.hutchcollegian.com to find links for playlists of them on both Spotify and Apple Music. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3cCidyQOnZxRyyGrWnzwgI?si=07ed6d96f0dd4b6a https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/hutch-walk-upsongs/pl.u-BNA66JRI1VgVD2d

Spring football: unfamiliar territory?

By Colin Shields Staff Writer

For the first time in three seasons, the Hutchinson Community College football team took the field for a regular spring practice.

After missing out on the opportunity to practice in the spring of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and playing the 2020-2021 season in the spring as an extension of the pandemic, Blue Dragons coach Drew Dallas is excit-

ed for the opportunity to improve on last years 9-2 season that resulted in a Jayhawk Conference title, Salt City Bowl win, and top-three finish in the final NJCAA rankings.

“This is our first spring ball in the spring,” Dallas said. “Two years ago in the fall of 2020 ,we were able to have a spring ball calendar in the fall, and that was kind of introducing our scheme and the things we can do. And that’s really our focus is to reintroduce our scheme to returners and teach it to our new guys.”

The spring schedule will also give the Blue Dragons an opportunity to establish an identity on both offense and defense after losing 15 starters from last year’s team.

“Really, we’re trying to find an identity at what we’re good at and clean up some of those things we know we need to be good at,” Dallas said. “We’re going to try some things out that we haven’t done, put some wrinkles in that we haven’t had in the past that we haven’t had time to get to in a fall season.

“I think the biggest advantage of actually having a spring ball now for us is this will be the first time as a staff we can go through and make corrections from what we saw on the field in the fall.”

The Blue Dragons will hold a total of 19 practices from Thursday to April 27, with hopes of capping off the spring season with an intersquad scrimmage that will be available for the public to attend under the lights on April 28 at Gowans Stadium.

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

Baseball

All dates doubleheaders unless noted Feb. 10. at Southeast Nebraska, L 9-3, W 2-1 Feb. 15, at Northern Oklahoma-Enid, W 6-4 Feb. 18, at Rose State, Okla., L 7-2 Feb. 19, at Rose State, Okla., W 17-0; W 14-2 Feb. 27, at McLennan, Texas,L 8-0; L 5-2 Feb. 28 at McLennan, Texas, L 9-7 March 3, COFFEYVILLE, L 7-3, L 16-1 March 4, at Coffeyville, W 9-6, W 9-4 March 9, at Butler, L 6-5, L 8-6 March 13, at Butler, L 7-6, L 16-6.

March 15, STATE FAIR, 2 p.m. L 13-12 March 18, at Garden City, W 4-3, W 9-7 March 19, GARDEN CITY, L 14-13, W 5-4 March 22, at Cowley, 2 p.m. (one game) March 31, SEWARD COUNTY, 1 p.m.

April 2, at Seward County, 1 p.m.

April 7, at Barton, 1 p.m.

April 9, BARTON, 1 p.m.

April 12, COWLEY, 2 p.m. (one game) April 14, CLOUD COUNTY, 1 p.m.

April 16, at Cloud County, 1 p.m.

April 19, at Northern Oklahoma-Enid, 2 p.m. (one game) April 21, at Colby, 1 p.m.

April 23, COLBY, 1 p.m.

April 26, at Seminole St., Okla., 11:30 a.m. (one game) April 28, PRATT, 1 p.m.

April 30, at Pratt, 1 p.m.

May 5, at Dodge City, 1 p.m.

May 7, DODGE CITY, 1 p.m.

Basketball, men’s

Nov. 3, FORT SCOTT, W 122-95 Nov. 5, ODESSA, Texas, W 92-90 Nov. 6, NORTHERN OKLAHOMA-TONKAWA, W 97-88 Nov. 10, at Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa, 10096 Nov. 12, vs.McCook, Neb., W 88-61

Nov. 13, vs. Clarendon, Texas W 97-95 Nov. 17, at Independence, W 96-91 Nov. 20, at Cloud County, W 86-81 Nov. 23, PRATT, W 106-99 Nov. 27, at Barton, W 101-75 Dec. 1, COWLEY, W 76-75 Dec. 4, BUTLER, W 104-95 Dec. 8, at Coffeyville, W 81-74 Dec. 11, DODGE CITY, L 102-96 Dec. 13, at Colby, W 83-79 Jan. 5, NORTHWEST KANSAS TECH, W 9677 Jan. 8, at Seward County, W 81-66 Jan. 15, GARDEN CITY, L 132-127 Jan. 17, INDEPENDENCE, W 118-103 Jan. 19, CLOUD COUNTY, L 87-82 Jan. 26, BARTON, W 95-89 Jan. 29, at Cowley, L 83-80 Feb. 2, at Butler, ppd.

Feb. 5, COFFEYVILLE, L 86-71 Feb. 9, at Dodge City, L 100-96 Feb. 12, COLBY, W 104-99, OT Feb. 14, at Northwest Kansas Tech, W 92-89 Feb. 16, SEWARD COUNTY, W 73-59 Feb. 17, at Butler, W 75-66 Feb. 21, at Pratt, L 112-100 Feb. 23, at Garden City, 7:30 p.m.

March 1, PRATT*, W 110-82 March 4, vs. Butler at Salina*, W 92-85 March 5, vs. Dodge City at Salina, L 98-96, OT March 14, vs. Connors State^, W 101-98, OT March 16, vs. Chipola^, L 85-62 * - Region 6 Tournament ^ - NJCAA Tournament, at Sports Arena

Nov. 17, at Independence, L 85-69 Nov. 20, at Cloud County, W 89-74 Nov. 23, PRATT, W 64-57 Nov. 27, at Barton, L 58-54 Dec. 1, COWLEY, W 63-53 Dec. 4, BUTLER, W 68-50 Dec. 8, at Coffeyville, L 64-63, OT Dec. 11, DODGE CITY, W 78-45 Dec. 13, at Colby, W 66-50 Jan. 5, NORTHWEST KANSAS TECH, W 7442 Jan. 8, at Seward County, L 70-54 Jan. 15, GARDEN CITY, W 60-48 Jan. 17, INDEPENDENCE, W 80-49 Jan. 19, CLOUD COUNTY, W 79-59 Jan. 22, at Pratt, W 83-56 Jan. 26, BARTON, W 73-47 Jan. 29, at Cowley, W 84-74 Feb. 2, at Butler, ppd.

Feb. 5, COFFEYVILLE, W 84-60 Feb. 9, at Dodge City, W 76, 73 Feb. 12, COLBY, W 86-75 Feb. 14, at Northwest Kansas Tech, W 87-68 Feb. 16, SEWARD COUNTY, L 66-61 Feb. 17, at Butler, W 65-58 Feb. 23, at Garden City, W 55-51 March 1, DODGE CITY*, W 72-52 March 4, vs. Seward County at Salina*, W 9284 March 5, vs. Barton at Salina*, W 82-66 March 17, vs. Casper^, W 73-70 March 18, vs. Georgia Highlands^, L 79-69 * - Region 6 Tournament ^ - NJCAA Tournament, at Lubbock, Texas

Nov. 2, BETHANY JV, W 95-24 Nov. 5, MINERAL AREA, Mo., W 75-66 Nov. 6, NE OKLAHOMA A&M, W 66-51 Nov. 9, WASHBURN JV, W 73-56 Nov. 12, vs. Labette at Great Bend, W 58-55 Nov. 13, vs. Howard, Texas at Great Bend, W 67-43

March 7-8, at Oklahoma City, third March 15-16 at Midland, Texas March 28, at Jayhawk Conference 1, at Manhattan April 11-12, at Jayhawk Conference 2, at Wichita April 18-19, at Jayhawk Conference Champion-

Basketball, women’s

Golf

ship, Newton April 25-26, at Region 6/District 3, Hastings, Neb. May 10-13, at NJCAA Championship, Odessa, Texas

Softball

All dates doubleheaders Jan. 29, OTTAWA JV, W 10-0; W 14-4 Feb. 8, INDEPENDENCE, W 9-2, W 8-7 Feb. 11, vs.Northern Oklahoma-Enid, L 7-1; vs.

Gray County, Texas, L 11-3 Feb. 19, at Murray St., Okla., W 4-2; L 5-4 Feb. 20, at North Central Texas, W 6-5; W 14-1 Feb. 25, CLOUD COUNTY, ccd.

March 1, FRIENDS JV, W 5-3, W 15-1 March 2, COLBY, W 4-2, W 15-1 March 5, at Butler, W 6-5, L 8-0 March 13, at Dodge City, W 10-9, W 10-7 March 16, NW KANSAS TECH, W 10-0, W 10-0 March 19, at Garden City, W 6-1, W 6-4 March 21, at Barton, ppd.

March 23, SEWARD COUNTY, 2 p.m.

March 26, PRATT, 1 p.m.

April 2, at Colby, 2 p.m..

April 6, BUTLER, 3 p.m.

April 9, at Barton, 1 p.m.

April 13, DODGE CITY, 2 p.m.

April 20, at NW Kansas Tech, 2 p.m.

April 27, at Seward County, 2 p.m.

April 30, at Pratt, 1 p.m.

Track and field

April 1-2, at Friends University, Wichita April 7-9, at KT Woodman Classic, Wichita April 15, at Bethel Invitational, North Newton April 23, at Tabor Invitational, Hillsboro April 29, at Butler May 5-7, at Region 6, Garden City May 19-21, at NJCAA Championship, Gowans Stadium