Oct. 14, 2022 Collegian

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‘Home is where I make it’

The inspiring story of student Felipe Oliveira Trautmann

By Ainsley Trunkhill Staff Writer

The saying goes: “When one door shuts, a window opens.”

Felipe Oliveira Trautmann, an international Hutchinson Community College student, watched the last bus to Hutchinson close its doors on him after a 5,000-mile flight, but he didn’t wait for a window to open — he forced one open himself.

Walking from the Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita to a nearby Walmart, Trautmann pur chased a bicycle. He began trekking through dirt roads and corn fields for 13 hours before arriving in Hutchin son. From a life of migration that began at age 6 to a visa program that seemed predestined for fail ure, Trautmann has been breaking through windows and breaking down barriers, inspiring countless people along his path.

Felipe Trautmann grew up in a small farm town, not unlike Hutchin son, in Parana, Brazil. He became an international traveler, however, much before the journey to Hutch CC, making “home” a subjective term.

“Home is where I make it,” Traut mann said. “I settle down and I just … live.”

At age 6, he moved to Madrid, at 15 to London, and at 17, back to Madrid.

In Madrid, he saw the emergence of a lasting home, as he enrolled in engineering school. With the Covid-19 pandemic, however, another door shut on Trautmann, on a major scale. Forced to realign his future, and influenced by seven surgeries performed on his father, Trautmann opened the window of surgical technology, a pathway that

would ultimately bring him to Hutchin son. “I’m not the most comfortable with blood, so (I thought) the medical field wasn’t for me,” Trautmann said. “But I told myself, ‘I’m going to put all that aside.’ I really wanted to pursue this.”

The path to studying surgical tech nology, however, presented yet another challenge. A waitlist for a visa inter view placed Trautmann below 250 oth er applicants trying to leave the coun try, a process that would take much too long for a student starting classes in just a few months.

“After looking into at least 200 different countries where I could do the interview, I found out about Moldova,” Trautmann said.

Different embassies present different requirements, so a risky trip across Europe couldn’t guarantee Trautmann a visa.

“I said ‘let’s pray, let’s believe’ … and I went to Moldova,” Trautmann said.

Although the trip resulted in suc cess, Trautmann still faced several hurdles. To get sponsored, he had to possess $13,000 in a bank account, as well as a certificate to prove this amount. The challenge, however, was that these certificates were required to be in English, a problem exacerbated by the fact that Madrid’s largest bank did not provide that service. Traut mann opened a window by producing a DIY-document, crafted by him and his father.

“We had to find stencils and go up to a bank manager, and make him write the stuff. We had to come up with the documentation ourselves,” Trautmann said.

In September 2021, Trautmann’s

plans came to fruition as he flew into the Wichita airport, ready for the fall semester at HutchCC. Limited by inter national-only cash in a U.S. cash-only bus system, however, Trautmann led a defiant Tour de Kansas across the plains to Hutchinson.

“(It) made me super mad, so I went to Walmart, and I bought a bicycle,” Trautmann said.

For two nights, he slept in a motel before finding a place to rent through a Facebook advertisement. Carrying out his own ideology about home, Traut mann immediately settled into a new life amidst a culture shock. He be came involved in the Hutch First Naz church and found a job at the Sports Arena as a janitor, all while participat ing in the rigorous surgical technology program.

“Upon meeting Felipe, it was kind of just fun from there,” Brandon Conrad, a youth pastor at the Hutch First Naz, said.

Conrad, like many others, described a contagious vitality that Trautmann possesses, which he uses to connect with others.

“There’s a level of energy he brings,” Conrad said. “He is very genuine.”

Stony Wilson, the Coordinator of Custodial Services at HutchCC, which oversees Trautmann’s work, echoed the same beliefs.

“Felipe is very personable, nice, (and) polite,” Wilson said. “I have nev er heard anybody complain that they had to work with Felipe.”

Wilson also experienced, on a personal level, the extent of Traut mann’s humanity. Wilson’s high school son, Jeremiah, has special needs and frequently accompanies his dad to the Sports Arena. “My son

can be a challenge, demanding of your time … Felipe has been more than gracious with him,” Wilson said, impressed by Trautmann’s level of understanding and maturity. The personal impacts that he makes, however, go above and beyond gen eral courtesies. “Even to the point that Jeremiah asked if we could take Felipe to watch a movie in the the ater one night, so we did that.”

Trautmann’s familiarity with moving

Photo by Josie Schrag/Collegian Felipe Oliveira Trautmann is a Hutchinson Community College student from Brazil. His journey from South America to central Kansas had many twists and turns.

A young Felipe Trautmann sits with his saxophone

Courtesy Photo/Collegian

Digesting ‘Dracula Daily’

Spoiler warning for events that take place in the book “Dracula”.

As Halloween ap proaches, iconic creatures such as Dracula and Fran kenstein start appearing everywhere from cereal boxes to costumes. And thanks to “Dracula Dai ly”, the iconic vampire can appear in your emails.

I’ve never felt this much tension reading a book before. The email sends out the entries that took place that day, so you get to read the story in real time. When there were no entries from Jonathan Harker, I could feel the tension and could understand the stress of the other characters. I became immersed in the story.

This alternative way of enjoying a classic has changed my perception of events. I can better understand a character’s reactions because I’m on the journey with them. It’s caused the moments of tension to feel more tense as I wait for the next email. Reading the log of the “Demeter” as it sailed with Dracula on it became far more tragic, with small entries every day talking about the disappearing crew until there is no one left.

Reading about Lucy slowly falling ill and seeing other characters trying to stop the inevita ble makes her death more painful. I have a better sense of how events con nect because I’m reading them in chronological or der, unlike when reading the book.

“Dracula Daily” has made reading a classic story about an iconic character more accessi ble. Being able to read the book in daily chunks has made it less daunting for me. Even though it’s not a long book, there’s a lot that happens, and events being out of order can get a little confusing.

I’m able to read “Drac ula” on my phone, which allows me to easily take it anywhere. This acces sibility can make it easier for people with busy lives to enjoy a classic story.

Columnist

‘Little Shop of Horrors’: a snapping classic

Columnist

Long ago, our ancestors had rational fears. Everyday they were faced with death. They feared things like lions, ven omous snakes, and leprosy.

the top-ness of it all.

When it comes to the characters they’re all great. They’re all well acted, and even though the protagonist, Seymour, is feeding people to a plant, you still feel sorry for him and want to see him make it through.

On the other hand, they do a good job of making you hate Dr. Scrivello, the dentist, and you want to see him get eaten.

legitimately suspenseful moments.

“Little Shop of Horrors” is a classic for a reason. It’s got great characters, great music, it’s funny, and it’s got great practical effects that still look amazing. They’re the type of effects that make you wonder how they did it.

So go watch it. I give it eight root canals out of 10.

Lynn Spahr

Lynn Spahr is a Hutchinson freshman in general studies.

Connor Keating

Nowadays, we don’t have to worry about those things as much. Instead we have irrational fears. People now are scared of things like confessing to that spe cial someone, the dentist, singing in front of people, and Bill Murray. What if I told you, there was a movie with all those things in it … and a giant killer plant … the plant also sings…

“Little Shop of Horrors” is a 1986 dark comedy musical, based on the musical play of the same name, which is based off a 1960 Roger Corman film of the same name.

The story follows Seymour, a loser who’s stuck working at a lifeless flower shop with his boss Mr. Mushnik and the love of his life Audrey, who’s in a rough relationship with a dentist. One day Seymour discovers a peculiar plant, which he names Audrey II, and suddenly everything starts to turn around, until the plant reveals that it can talk, and has a hankering for blood.

It’s a wacky premise and the film knows it. A lot of the humor stems from the over

One of the highlights though has to be Bill Murray who plays a one-off role as a man who enjoys going to the den tist. It’s the happiest I’ve ever seen that man.

The film is a musical, and while the songs may not be the sort of thing you listen to in the car, they work wonderfully in the film and allow for some funny moments.

Another thing that should be highlighted is the look of the film. The town where the film takes place looks so rough and run down. It sells the crappy part of the city vibe it’s going for, but at the same time it looks like a stage set, and I mean that in a good way, since it’s based off of a play.

But the crown jewel has to be Audrey II. It’s such a beautifully executed effect, its mouth even perfectly syncs up with the songs, and the voice acting for it, done by Levi Stubbs, is fantastic. It’s a vil lain that manages to be both funny and entertaining, but also very menacing. There are a number of

‘Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury’

Raving review of new anime series

Taking another week off of politics, I’m back to talking about the things I love. In this instance, the newly released “Mobile Suit Gundam” series - “Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury”.

For the uninitiated, “Mobile Suit Gundam” is a long running franchise of anime based around giant robots called Mobile Suits (and some called Gundams!)

With the first Mobile Suit Gundam series released in 1979 to middling appeal, it may be kind of shocking to hear that since then, it has garnered mass appeal for its intricate storytell ing and critics on the nature of war itself, and has released over 50 TV series and many other games, movies, and novels.

The most recent of those releases (And the primary subject of my current affec tions) is “Mobile Suit Gun dam: The Witch from Mercury (G-Witch)”.

And trust me when I tell you that despite only having two-ep isodes released, it is seriously one of the best series I’ve seen.

Taking place in an alternate universe to the original universe, G-Witch is allowed to take new steps in its world building and storytelling. It seems G-Witch es story may focus less on the horrors of war and more the inherent issues under capitalism (So far its main villain appears to be the president of a con glomerate of corporations full of nepotism and corruption). On top of that, G-Witch takes on a new setting, trading the fronts, both space-based and Earthbased, of war, for the dueling grounds of an academy based on

training pilots, mechanics, and other careers focused on the tit ular giant fighting robots. Of all the changes, the series’ change of character may be its “bold est” (Though if you ask me it’s taken far too long to get here), with G-Witch’s new setting and universe, we also see the first female main protagonist of the franchise, Suletta Mercury.

These changes have already been used to great effect, aiding in drawing in new audiences and grabbing the attention of older fans in one of the strongest first episodes to any series I’ve seen.

Opening with Suletta’s arrival at the Asticassia School of Technolo gy, G-Witch wastes no time getting straight into the action, with a life form detected floating adrift away from the station the school is builton.

Suletta jumps into action in her Gundam, Gundam Aerial (Which features a lovely blue white and yellow color scheme), and quickly saves the girl we soon learn is Miorine Rembran, the daughter of one of the most important men alive. After the two part ways, with Miorine scolding Suletta for interrupting her escape attempt, Suletta dis covers the main form of dispute management at this school. Mobile. Suit. Dueling. And she learns this in the most danger ous way possible.

Nearly being crushed by two massive dueling mechs in the midst of their battle. Emerging victorious from this duel is an other primary character (likely a major protagonist) Guel Jeturk,

a cocky jerk who also happens to be Miorine’s Fiance, a title earned through dueling, and entirely against Miorne’s will.

After being saved by Mio rine, later in the day Suletta seeks her out to apologize in the cutest, most awkward way possible, and finds the white haired student in a small private room where she appears to be gardening. Miorine offers the naive Suletta a tomato, just be fore Guel walks in talking a big game and being a huge pompous jerk, treating Miorine like some sort of trophy wife and ranting about how her only purpose is to get married, specifically to him.

Suletta, appalled by this rude behavior … spanks him? (Alter natively, she may just smack his butt) as a gut reaction. Guel, humili ated by this, challenges Suletta to a duel, and for the sake of brevity, after a bit of nonsense, Suletta and her Gundam Aerial tear Guel’s mobile suit to shreds under a hail of gorgeously animated beam fire, and as it turns out, winning this duel gives Suletta a few benefits. A cool new uniform for becoming the Holder/ Best duelist at the school, probably a new enemy in the form of an embarrassed Guel, oh, and of course, Mio rine’s hand in marriage.

Yup, the first episode ends in a fun little exchange about how Mercury (Suletta’s home planet) is a bit of a conservative/tradi tionalist planet, but “this type of thing” (See, Two girls getting married) is a totally normal thing in space.

Now, as with most small things, this riled up some folks. Homophobic Gundam fans took to social media in a tizzy over how Gundam was being “ruined

by the woke liberals” because two girls were engaged. Typ ically stupid justifications for obvious homophobia followed, but even more so it seems there was an outpouring of excitement of the idea that we could see the first canon gay relationship in Gundam, (which, if you ask me, is a pretty exciting prospect).

Now, about 800 words into this “review”, I’ll finally give you an actual review of the first episode.

A+, 5 stars, 10/10, 100%, gold star, absolutely gorgeous.

With fun and exciting writ ing set in a new universe and a whole new world to learn about, G-Witch certainly catches your interest, and it will absolutely hold that interest with abso lutely GORGEOUS animation. Even if you have absolutely no intention of watching the series, you should find a clip of the first episode’s duel and watch that because it is amazing, espe cially the ending shot, which is currently memorialized as my desktop wallpaper, where it will remain for the next long while.

G-Witch also serves as a great jumping-off point for people looking to get into the Gundam franchise and find its original universe a bit daunting to jump into, if you have any sort of interest in watching giant robots fighting each other with laser swords and laser guns and floating laser bits, check out the first episode (Or the absolutely lovely, if not traumatic, pro logue) and if you don’t have that sort of interest- Why did you just read over 1,000 words about it? Come on, value your time better.

Braedon Martin is a Hutchinson sophomore studying journalism. He is the Collegian’s Opinion Page Editor and Managing Editor for Design.

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basis

Connor Keating is a Halstead sophomore in general studies.

Columnist

Braedon Martin

State of the College

College president Carter File discusses the happenings at Hutchinson Community College

said.

By Laci Sutton Managing Editor-Content

Exciting things are in the works for Hutchinson Community College. From facility renovations to the addition of new programs, HutchCC president Dr. Carter File provides an update on the state of the college and upcoming projects to keep an eye out for.

Enrollment

HutchCC is halfway through another semester. Looking back on the last two years, things seem to finally be return ing to normal. COVID-19 brought on many unique challenges, and while everything is not completely back to where it was in 2019, HutchCC seems to be in a much better place now than in 2020 and 2021.

Throughout these challenges, Hutch CC president Carter File has kept the student’s and faculty’s safety at the forefront. Following nationwide trends, HutchCC enrollment is a little lower than what it’s been.

“We were down about 1.5%,” File said. “That’s kind of a national trend.

Enrollments are soft right now because from an employment perspective, the economy is in pretty good shape. There’s a lot of jobs, and when jobs are plentiful, our enrollment softens. When jobs are scarce, our enrollment tends to go up.”

The Kansas State Legislature continues to support higher education, and thanks to their funding and commitment, institutions like HutchCC are able to prevail through unforeseen circumstances like a global pandemic.

Tennis Courts

For the last several months, there have been many rumors circulating regarding the tennis courts on the HutchCC campus, located between Gowans Stadium and Shears Technology Center.

File has confirmed the plans for the upcoming improvements. The space will be transformed into a green space and plaza, including an outdoor amphitheater-style classroom.

“It will just be a nice place for students and faculty and staff to congregate and be able to go to relax,” File

Performing arts classes can use the space for performances, teachers can reserve the space to hold class outside, and student groups can utilize it as a meeting space. With winter approach ing the construction may be slow start ing, but File said he expects to get this project underway later this year.

Campus Improvements

Along with the tennis courts, there are a few other enhancements to be on the lookout for.

Around the same time or shortly after the outdoor classroom, HutchCC will also be working on the courtyard located between Parker Student Union and Lockman Hall.

“We’re going to take out that kiosk and put up some nice shade covers, so everybody should keep an eye out for that,” File said. There is a possi bility for improvements to be made to the second floor of the Peel Center located at 9th and Main street. Such renovations could expand the HutchCC nursing program. This project is not confirmed, but is in the beginning plan

Felipe

has allowed him to make friends, like Jeremiah, at each stop of life.

Adapting to a life of migration, he learned to welcome any scenario placed in front of him.

“You get comfortable with mov ing, even the way your friendships work,” Trautmann said.

For some, the dynamic of friend ships while moving could equate to a lack of meaningful relationships. Trautmann, however, leaves this window open as well.

“I consider all the friends I’ve gained throughout these years, in every country, good friends, even though we might not talk for

ning stages. The cosmetology building, located on East 3rd, will hopefully be seeing some expansions next fall, including the addition of a barbering program. “We do the cosmetology side, now we can do the barbering side.” Dr. File said. “It will give students another opportunity to participate in more teched.” This would be one of (if not the only) barber school offered at a public entity in Kansas.

Blue Dragon Athletics

HutchCC sports have been off to a great start in their seasons with six national rankings. Football and men’s golf hold the number one spots, wom en’s cross country ranked number two, women’s soccer at 15, men’s cross country at 17, and volleyball at 19. “It’s nice seeing the success of the pro grams,” File said. “I’m happy for them. Josh Gooch, the athletic director, does a great job and we are very proud of our Blue Dragon athletics. We’re thrilled with where we’re at.”

HutchCC athletes and students alike continue to exhibit true blue excel lence.

months,” Trautmann said.

Trautmann continues to devel op relationships and overcome barriers as he advances into some of the final stages of the surgical technology program at HutchCC with clinicals. Though he can fit his life into a backpack, he carries an optimistic and persevering attitude as he decides where his future lies. His habit of creating opportunities when doors shut on him can serve as an inspiration for those passive in their own lives.

“You’re allowed to do crazy stuff, maybe make some mistakes,” Trautmann said. “But you will never know if you don’t go.”

Hutchinson Community College President Carter File, addresses the state of the college and future plans. File is overseeing many improvements to the college.

Collegian File Photo

Felipe

Photo

Former HutchCC students note cuts at Emporia

By Carly Thompson Staff Writer

Emporia State University has made significant changes in its budget with the recent approval of the “Workforce Management Framework.”

This led to some long-time, tenured faculty being terminated, and an email announcement of academic programs that will be cut. The reason cited for the changes came from the lack of numbers in enrollment due to Covid-19.

The suspended program list continued to grow, while 33 faculty members had been eliminated from the next academ ic school year. They are able to finish this academic year.

“I completed a (Bachelor’s degree) in English and history as well as (a Masters degree) in English,” said Ryan Diehl, ESU alumnus, and HutchCC

English professor. “Those programs were listed in The Bulletin as being suspended. Plus, one of my all-time favorite professors, Dr. Mel Storm, who served as the first reader for both my undergraduate honors thesis and my master’s thesis, was one of the 33 faculty members who were dismissed. Some of my other favorite professors were among those 33 too.”

The faculty and program termina tions have caused major upset among students and faculty members. There are also several complaints concerning the lack of educational diversity that these cuts will cause. There have been protests around campus with concerned students.

Students and staff are permitted to finish the 2022-2023 school year but will have to begin making tough deci

sions come spring for the next academ ic year.

The university does plan to work with terminated employees to possibly get them jobs around the state.

Zariah Barahona, an English major at Emporia State and HutchCC alumna, plans to finish the year and graduate. However, she will not be recommend ing Emporia State to other students.

“It wasn’t very considerate emotion ally for staff and students,” Barahona said.

Sam Bailey, a communications major with a minor in journalism, said she believes that Emporia has some amaz ing professors and people around cam pus make it worth going. However, she recommends looking into the updated program list and professors before deciding if it is right for you.

“My journalism advisor is one of the people that was dismissed. So, he will be dismissed in May,” said Bailey, a HutchCC alumna and former Collegian Editor In Chief. “I am a senior, so my plans right now are to just continue through this year. I made sure to get my last journalism credits this semester because we had a feeling that something like this was going to happen.

“My plans will be to just ride out the storm and see where that takes us. I’m a little worried about what my degree will mean from a university that has cut so many programs, but I suppose I’ll just have to face that when it comes.”

Emporia State’s future remains as unknown as the future of current stu dents and dismissed staff.

Shakespearean tragedy hits the stage

Carolyn Thompson prepares for her role in “Macbeth.”

Damien Page was one of the actors in the theatre department’s rendention of “Macbeth” last week at Stringer Fine Arts Center.

The Hutchinson Community College Theatre Department put on its first performance of the academic year last week at Stringer Fine Arts Building. The theatre department did the Shakespeare play “Macbeth”. Photographer Nina Becaro attended a rehearsal.

Hutchinson Community College students (from left) Juliana Menestrina, Carolyn Thompson and Samantha Moore have discussion over a confection in a pot during a “Macbeth” rehearsal on Oct. 5 at Stringer Fine Arts Center.

Noah Buller (left) and Ryan Best prepare for the theatre department’s performance of “Macbeth” during a dress rehearsal last week.

Ping Pong Club numbers on the rise

By Colin Shields Online Editor

Ping Pong is taking Hutchinson Community College by storm. With 26 members participating in the last tournament, it is the largest club at HutchCC.

Andrew Prieb, a Manhattan soph omore and the vice president of the Ping Pong Club, joined in the 2021 fall semester and has seen the club more than double in size in that time.

“Our first tournament, we barely had 10 people join, now we’re to the point where we had to cut off registra tion at 26 just to ensure we could get all our games in to keep the tourna ment running smoothly,” Prieb said.

Tournaments have a loose sched ule, with matches taking place in the Parker Student Union basement and players being given a few days to complete their match.

“The bracket will be put out and players will be told when to have their games done by,” Prieb said. “The two players will get in touch to schedule a date and time that works best for them and they’ll get it in by the deadline before moving on to the next round of matches.”

Ping Pong Club, like the other clubs on campus, offers a chance to meet new students and make new friends.

“It’s special to me, it’s the fastest way I’ve been able to build friend ships at this school,” Prieb said. “You’re forced to get to know people, you get matched up with a random person and you have to reach out to them to set a time to play.” Prieb said. One of the top players on campus is one of the Blue Dragon foot

ball team’s own Trevor Whiteman. “Hutchinson Community College’s punter, Trevor Whiteman, won the last tournament where he defeated me in the finals,” Prieb said.

Whiteman, who has been a mem ber since last year, was introduced to the Ping Pong Club in the 2021 fall semester as well, and has played in every tournament since.

“I had some friends in the honors program who got me to join and it’s been a lot of fun,” Whiteman said. The club has also allowed for Whiteman to improve his game, leading him to find success and finish at the top of the bracket on regular occasions winning four tournaments in the last three semesters.

In addition to playing for fun, some rivalries can develop as well, Whiteman and Prieb have traded matches dating back to last year.

“I’ve beaten Andrew so many times, my favorite time would be defeating him in the finals to win a tournament,” Whiteman said. “It has kind of led to us having a mini rivalry over the last se mester or so.” Prieb however, has found some success recently, including a win over the former champion in the second round of their current tournament.

“He has definitely had the upper hand on me in the past,” Prieb said.

“I’m a new man this year though. I just defeated him today and there will be many more to come.”

You can find more information about the Ping Pong club by scanning the QR codes on flyers posted throughout the campus news boards. Additionally, you can contact Prieb on Instagram or Snapchat @ andrew.herschel.

Fall break debate

By Elizabeth Kipp Staff Writer

Almost everyone at Hutchinson Community College is glad to accept a day off, especially at this point in the semester.

The calm and organized hon eymoon stage of college has long passed, and students are slowly burn ing out. Homework is piling up, Red Bull is now a necessity, and waking up at 7 a.m. makes students die inside a little bit.

Luckily, fall break is a thing, so HutchCC students had a little time to themselves after making it through midterms. The thing is, fall break was only one day - Friday, Oct. 7. Is that enough time to recharge the batteries?

Noah Buller, a HutchCC freshman, holds a particularly strong opinion about fall break.

“I enjoy that our school is willing to allow us a singular day off, but such an insignificant change to the tedium isn’t bound to do a whole lot for the mental health and morale of students,” Buller said.

Buller said that fall break should be extended by at least a couple of days.

“Allowing even just another day of rest could do mountains for not only those who work, but also those who

are struggling with school in general,” he said. “It could elicit better sleeping and study habits for students.”

Jay Garcia, a sophomore, holds an opposing viewpoint.

“Fall break seems small because it’s just a day,” Garcia said. “But having that full weekend to yourself right after midterm grades have been posted is so relaxing. Having one day off is better than nothing, especially in college.”

Garcia said she thinks fall break shouldn’t be extended, but changed to a different day.

“I would change it to just Wednes day.” Garcia said. “That would give people time to ease out of the week and have a full weekend to them selves.”

Briana Payne, a HutchCC freshman, shares a similar opinion.

“I would make the fall break a long weekend and cancel Monday as well,” Payne said. “I feel like the extra day would make a big difference to people. This would give students with families farther away time to go visit them.”

There are many different views about the length of fall break. Even so, it’s safe to say that any kind of break is appreciated by everyone, especially college students.

Puzzles

Facts about Hispanic Heritage Month

By Mariah McGarraugh Staff Writer

Hispanic Heritage month starts on Sept. 15 and ends on Oct. 15. It’s a time to celebrate with music, food, and festivals to honor the contribution that Hispanics have made to the United States and to celebrate their culture and history.

National Hispanic Heritage Month was first proclaimed by President George H. W. Bush on Sept. 14, 1989. Sept. 15 holds significance considering it’s the independence day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras

and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates independence on Sept. 16, followed by Chile on Sept. 18 and fi nally Belize on Sept. 21.

Hispanic Heritage Month originally start ed as a week in 1968 by President Johnson. There were two attempts to make a month out of hispanic heritage instead of a week. In 1987, Es teban Torres, a Califor nia representative tried to expand the week of celebration to a month, which would allow more time to coordinate events and activities to celebrate the hispanic culture, but the bill didn’t pass.

Then senator Paul Simon of Illinois submit ted a similar bill, which was signed and passed by president Ronald Reagan on Aug. 17, 1988. Presi dent Bush then declared the 31-day period on Sept. 14, 1989.

In 2020 there were 62.1 million Hispanics in the U.S. making up 19% of the population. During Hispanic heritage, you can join the celebration by checking your local library and event centers for activities honoring and celebrating hispan ic heritage month with games, food, music, people and more.

This ranking comes after a massive win over a ranked Barton squad and a convincing win over Dodge City. They are led by sophomore forward Hadlie Lowe, who leads the team with 12 goals this season. Sophomore midfielder Julia Dias De Souza has also been a considerable player, leading the team with nine assists.

Men’s cross country

The 17th-ranked Blue Dragons finished 22nd out of 38 teams at the Chili Pepper Festival while also putting up good times. Freshman

Douwe Bentsink ran a career-best time that builds off his previous best by 18 seconds which was set in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the Greeno/ Dirksen Invitational two weeks before.

Men’s Golf

Delice Downing and the volleyball team are placed 19th in the most recent NJCAA rankings. They are 22-8 this season and 9-1 in Jayhawk Conference action. They also have many wins over top-ranked teams. They are led by a dynamic duo of freshman Taniya Golden and sophomore Baylee Miller. These two and the rest of the team hope to lead the Blue Dragon to a great rest of the season.

Courtesy photo

Hutchinson Community College Ping Pong Club members Trevor Whiteman (left) and Andrew Prieb show the result of a match that Prieb won.

Winning ways at HutchCC

Athlete of the week (Oct. 2-8)

Malik Benson, Football

The week: Benson had a big game in the Blue Drag ons’ 47-14 win at Dodge City. Ben son, an All American wide receiver who has committed to play next sea son at Alabama, equaled a sea son-high with seven catches for a season-high 136 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80yard grab. Both scores came in the first half, and he saw limited time in the sec ond half due to the large margin of victory.

Every Blue Dragon team currently ranks in the top 20

By Sam Ojeda Staff Writer

The Hutchinson Community College athletic teams have had a fiery fall, ranked nationally in multiple sports.

The Blue Dragons are No. 1 in the country for two sports - foot ball and men’s golf. Both sports have been dominant this season. Women’s cross country, wom en’s soccer, men’s cross country, and volleyball are ranked by the NJCAA.

HutchCC Athletic Director Josh Gooch said he was proud of the athletics at this school. The impact of the campus has been clear as well.

“The fall sports seasons have brought a great deal of pride to

the campus of Hutchinson Com munity College,” Gooch said.

Gooch said the staff surround ing these sports makes these sports what they are.

“We are fortunate to have a very supportive administration and board of trustees who un derstands the value of athletics,” Gooch said. “Coach (Justin) Riggs, (Delice) Downing, (Sam my) Lane, and (Drew) Dallas are all having great seasons and gearing up for Region 6 and postseason play.”

Football

The football team is hot and rolling. The Blue Dragons are 6-0 this season and do not seem to be stopping. They just

dominated Dodge City with a 47-14 win. They have beaten three nationally ranked-teams this season. The play of sopho more quarterback Dylan Laible and sophomore wide receiver Malik Benson, as well as others, has earned them the No. 1 spot nationally.

Men’s Golf

The back-to-back NJCAA na tional champions have stepped up the level of opponents this season. The Blue Dragon golf team has played well in multiple NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 tournaments. Sophomores Dominic Clemons and Blake Saffell have helped jump them to the top spot in the newest

NJCAA rankings.

Women’s Cross Country

The Blue Dragons are No. 2 in the latest NJCAA rankings. This ranking comes after a 27th-place finish at a predominately Divi sion 1 event. Freshman Serenity Larson shattered the school record by 29 seconds. They also posted some of the team’s best race times of the year.

Women’s Soccer

The Blue Dragons has sur prised many with their season.

With an 11-2 record and 8-2 in Jayhawk Conference play, the Blue Dragons sit at No. 15 in the newest NJCAA rankings.

The season: Benson, a Lan sing native, has 29 catches so far this season for 527 yards and four touchdowns.

He also has carried the ball twice for nine yards. In his ca reer, Benson has 72 receptions for 1,756 yards and 15 touchdowns.

He averages 24.4 yards per catch in his career, and he averages 103.3 receiving yards per game for the top-ranked Blue Dragons.

Jayhawks football no longer a national joke

Before the start of this year’s college football season, my hopes, along with many other Kansas Jayhawk fans, were for a measly three-win season.

Although seemingly a joke, these low expectations for KU’s beyond-subpar football program has been an accepted reality for fans, where the program racked up a record of 23 wins and 118 losses over the last 12 years. However, against all odds, we see the Jayhawks among the best in the Big 12 Confer ence in the middle of October with a solid 5-1 record with some impressive wins. Lance Leipold’s hiring before last season was an early rendition of this year’s success despite the 2-10 record.

As KU put together an impressive up set over Texas, overall competitiveness

Cross country Sept. 1, TERRY MASTERSON TWILIGHT, women second, men 10th Sept. 17, at Greeno/Dirksen Invitational, Lin coln, Neb. Sept. 30, at Chili Pepper Festival, Fayetteville, Ark. Oct. 14, at Ollie Isom Invitational, El Dorado Oct. 28, REGION 6, at Prairie Ridge Park Nov. 12, at NJCAA Championships, Tallahas see, Fla.

Football Aug. 27, NAVARRO, Texas, W 42-0 Sept. 3, at Ellsworth, Iowa, W 70-7 Sept. 10, IOWA CENTRAL, W 31-28, OT Sept. 24, at Coffeyville, W 14-9 Oct. 1, BUTLER, W 27-19 Oct. 8, at Dodge City, W 47-14 Oct. 22, at Garden City, 1 p.m. Oct. 29, HIGHLAND, 7 p.m. Nov. 5, INDEPENDENCE, 1 p.m.

increased and the Jayhawks began to see some of the pieces come together.

Though with great coaching, the star-studded talents across the roster are what have grabbed the national me dia’s atten tion. Quar terback Jalon Daniels has begun a Heisman level season in these first six games, becoming one

Nov. 12, at Iowa Western, 1 p.m.

Golf Sept. 19-20, at Walking Stick GC, Colorado Springs, Colo., second Sept. 27-28, at Sand Creek Station, Newton, second Oct. 3-4, at The Club at Indian Hills, Elkhorn, Neb. Oct. 10-11, at Cresview CC North, Wichita Soccer Aug. 26, vs. Western Nebraska at Sterling, Colo., W 3-2 Aug. 27 at Northeastern Colorado, W 4-3, OT Aug. 31, at Kansas City, W 3-1 Sept. 4, WESTERN WYOMING, W 1-0 Sept. 7, at Garden City, W 5-0 Sept. 10, NEOSHO COUNTY, W 2-0 Sept. 14, DODGE CITY, W 6-0 Sept. 17, at Johnson County, L 3-1 Sept. 21, at Cowley, W 2-1 Sept. 24, COFFEYVILLE, W 2-1, OT

of the best all around QB’s in the nation, leading the national QBR rating with 98 and also leading the Jayhawks in rush ing all at the same time.

The pieces around Jalon Daniels, who suffered a shoulder injury against Texas Christian, have not disappointed either. Players like wide receivers Luke Grimm, Lawrence Arnold and Quentin Skinner, and tight ends Jared Casey and Mason Fairchild have all made clutch plays that the Jayhawks have needed in all of these close games this season.

In fact besides the Tennessee Tech wub, the Jayhawks have only had two games where they have won by more that eight points, with one of those being a walkoff pick six by cornerback Jacobee Bryant against West Virginia in overtime.

Oct. 1, at Butler, L

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Volleyball

The Jayhawks defense has been the late game decider in a majority of their games where they find a way to get a timely stop in the fourth quarter.

In addition to that, the Jayhawks also found themselves down by 14 in half of their six games, a type of comeback playstyle rings similarly to Bill Self’s squad, as KU basketball set the NCAA record for largest deficit overcome in the championship game just this year.

This football season is just now getting to the halfway mark and Kansas still has plenty of ranked opponents left on their schedule and will have to still continue to earn this magical season that they have put out so far. With Lance Leipold’s excellent play calling and known success everywhere he goes, this doesn’t look like a fluke.

Sept.

City, 6 p.m. Oct. 26, BARTON, 6 p.m. Oct. 28, at Butler, 6 p.m.

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

Benson

Photo by Josie Schrag/Collegian

Hutchinson Community College's Nikko Taylor makes a tackle during an Oct. 1 game against Butler at Gowans Stadium. The Blue Dragons won 27-19 and are now ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA.