The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, December 1, 2017
Campus
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Alumnus of HutchCC now in House of Representatives By Amanda Carney Online Editor It all started in early June when Patsy Terrell died. Kansas District 102 in the House of Representatives no longer had a representative. Jason Probst then stepped up and took on a whole new role. Probst became the new representative of the Kansas District 102 in the House of Representatives in June. Probst had a lot to learn before the legislative session began. A Reno County native, Probst attended Nickerson High School and later attended Hutchinson Community College. “HCC provided me with a better education than any other school I have attended,” Probst said. “I had professors who believed in me, invested time and energy in me and made me feel like I had something valuable to contribute to the world,” At age 19 he was expecting his first kid, a daughter, Erica. He later had a son, Mitchell, who is a current HutchCC student. Probst knows all about hard work and providing for a
family. Probst was long-time journalist and opinion writer at The Hutchinson News before becoming a politician. Amanda Carney: How do you get more you people interested in voting, especially in non-presidential elections? Jason Probst: This has been a difficult challenge. Voters seem to get excited about presidential campaigns, when in truth those local elections - city council, school board, state representatives - have a much more direct affect on voters’ lives. My approach is to help people understand how important these elections are to them, and how much more weight their vote carries in local elections. There have been elections here in Hutchinson that have been decided by fewer than a dozen votes. AC: What can improve the relationship between politicians and the media? JP: I think there needs to be some effort on both ends to make the relationship less adversarial. The relationship between the media and politicians is like any relationship - it needs
to be fair and mutually respectful, and it requires nurturing from both sides. In this position, I will make mistakes. I am certain I’ll do something, or support something, unpopular. I’d hope that’s not the only time I hear from the media, because I feel like I’m doing a lot of positive work as well - much of which will likely go unreported. On the other side of things, politicians need to fairly recognize that journalists have a duty to keep the public informed, and that they’re simply doing their job, which is also very important to a free society. AC: How important is it to fund public education? JP: It’s vitally important to fund education. If we don’t properly educate and invest in the next generation of producers, business owners, leaders, caregivers and workers, we are asking for trouble in the future. We need to have honest, and difficult, conversations about what that education looks like going forward and how to balance those costs with all the other demands on taxpayers, but there should never be any question that education is
Entertainment Pulse
What Jack Greenwood says you should binge watch over break
Winter break is upon us which means some students will have the opportunity to binge or stream new television shows. Within recent years, Hulu, Netflix and Amazon have all invested more into original content, with much praise for some of the shows. However, with so much original streaming content out there, it can be hard to decide what shows to invest your time into. Here are my top five choices for binging over break.
5. “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
One of Netflix’s first attempts at original content is still going strong after five seasons. This show has gifted us with a diverse range of characters with standout performances from Uzo Aduba, Taylor Schilling, Kate Mulgrew, Laura Prepon and Laverne Cox. The show has also succeeded in humanizing prisoners and has reignited the conversation about social reform within the United States prison system. “Orange” is full of laughs, but can also turn around and make you cry. Five seasons, but worth every minute.
4. “Black Mirror” (Netflix)
Netflix picked up the rights to this British horror-science fiction series after two seasons. However, all three seasons (with a fourth dropping sometime in 2018) are full of enough thrills and twists to entertain any audience. None of the episodes relate to each other (that we know of), and yet we can’t get enough. “Black Mirror” succeeds in delivering a dark side to advancing technologies all while making sure we never see the end coming. The show has also been able to enlist ‘A’ listers like Bryce Dallas Howard and Jon Hamm. If you’re a suspense or sci-fi fan, this show is for you.
3. “Jessica Jones” (Netflix)
Out of all the Marvel television series, “Jessica Jones” is by far the best. The show is done in a detective, crime solver format instead of the traditional action packed sequences we are used to seeing from Marvel. Star Krysten Ritter shines in the title role as the anti hero Jones, and David Tennant makes a delightful mind-controlling villain. The show also introduced us to another hero, Luke Cage, who later got a series of his own. The show also doesn’t shy away from discussing more dark and serious topics, while still keeping an audience on the edge of their seats.
2. “13 Reasons Why” (Netflix)
Despite its controversy, I still believe this show is one of the most important of our generation. The show follows a student, Clay Jensen, as he receives 13 tapes from classmate Hannah Baker, who recently committed suicide. The show shines a light on rape, victim shaming, sexual assault, bullying, drug and alcohol addiction, and teen suicide. The show also demonstrates how one action or one word can affect someone deeply. Driven by Emmy-worthy performances from Katherine Langford and Kate Walsh, this show will make you feel something.
1. “Future Man” (Hulu)
From the movie creators of “This is the End” and “Sausage Party”, Hulu’s newest series is a home run with laughs and sci-fi action. The show follows a lonely janitor, Josh Futterman, who completes an impossible video game, only to realize that the video game is actually a simulation from the future to find someone to prevent a futuristic war. He is visited by two of the games characters as they begin to train him to fight a war he is in no way prepared for. Josh Hutcherson stars in the lead role and is one of the greatest things about this show.
an investment in the sort of future we hope to see - and we’ll most likely get what we pay for. AC: What challenges do you you face being a rookie politician? JP: There is a steep learning curve, that reaches into a variety of areas. I’ve had to consume a great deal of information from a number of people who have expertise in different professions. I’ve had to learn how to manage a very intense schedule - one that includes attending
public events, reaching out to constituents, meeting with people who work in state government, and other community leaders who can talk to me about what’s going on in our community. Also, since being a legislator is considered a part time gig, and the pay matches, I’ve had to put a lot of effort into finding various contract jobs to provide some income to pay my bills. But I never expected it would be easy, particularly if it’s to be done the way I think it ought to be done. AC: What shaped your political views? JP: My life. I grew up relatively poor. Neither of my parents graduated high school, so the idea of going to college was a foreign idea in our household. By 19, I was about to be a father. I worked in a restaurant and made very little money. I didn’t have health insurance. I worked like crazy to make enough money for my young
family, and we often didn’t have enough. I worked jobs I didn’t like. I sometimes worked two jobs I didn’t like. In those early days, we relied on public assistance to get by, to provide food and health care for my child. But over time, things got better. I attended college in the evenings, and worked my way into a better career. Over the years, I feel I’ve more than repaid the help I received early on and that early investment in my family likely changed the course of my life, and the lives of my children in a positive way. All of those experiences shaped the way I see the world. I know firsthand how difficult it can be to keep your head above water, and I know how hopeless it can feel when year after year all you’re doing is working to survive. I’d like to help people have better opportunities to thrive, and create ways for more people to find more wealth. This, I think, is what creates a more robust economy in which we all can participate and prosper.
Spreading kindness around campus By Emma Cox Campus Editor
The simplest things in life can make someone’s horrible day into an amazing day. There has been a ‘Kindness Card’ making its way around the Hutchinson Community College campus, lifting students and faculty spirits. Sophomore Alicia Snyder came across this card in Stringer Fine Arts Center
on a seating bench. “I had saw the card and wondered who had left something behind, or whose it was, so I looked at it and I saw it said ‘To whoever picks this up’ so I took it,’” Snyder said. “It made my day so much, and not only that, but it made me want to do something like it as well.” The contents of the card are not to be revealed unless you find the card yourself, but Snyder loves
Courtesy Photo/Collegian
the idea of it. “The idea of kindness is something I try to stick to,” Snyder said. “If you do something nice it makes others want to do something nice as well. Just like the pay it forward movement.” It’s not hard to be a kind person and make someone’s day. Simply giving someone a compliment like, ‘You look nice today.’ or even holding the door open for someone, can put a smile on their face. “Kindness is something everyone should practice. Kindness is infectious and we should spread it.” Snyder said. Whenever you get the chance, spread your kindness in any way possible to make someone’s and possibly your own.
HutchCC theater students headed to Iowa By Jack Greenwood Staff Writer
Winter break is coming up, which means most students will use that time to detox from the stresses of the semester and spend time with family. However, a handful of students from Hutchinson Community College’s theatre department will be finding scripts, rehearsing scenes, preparing portfolios and presentations and perfecting performance pieces. In January, four students will be competing for the prestigious Irene Ryan Scholarship at the region give American College Theatre Festival. The festival is an opportunity for theatre majors to be submerged in their craft and work on improving through workshops and competitions. To compete for the scholarship, the productions that HutchCC put on had to be entered and judged. A judge would then choose two of the actors to compete, whom he felt exceeded performance quality. For their performances in the September’s “Gruesome Playground Injuries,” students Jack Greenwood, Valley Center, and Gabby Hernandez, Hutchinson, will compete. They are joined by nominees from the November production of “The Importance of Be-
ing Earnest” Jocelyn Reed, Hutchinson, and Isaac Glover, Hutchinson. In addition to acting, students also can also explore stage makeup, costumes, playwriting, directing, stage managing, set design, dance, lighting and sound design. Greenwood will be competing in the acting competition but has also written a 10-minute play that has been submitted for consideration for scholarship, and will possibly receive a staged concert reading. Reed will be competing in acting and stage managing. “It’s an honor to be representing a college that really values the success of its students and understands the importance of live theatre,” Reed said. “Theatre can expose people to different walks of life and social issues. It teaches us how to be empathetic to the plights of those different from us.” Each acting nominee will take a partner to act with them in the competition. Partners include Dylan Kramer, McPherson, who will be Greenwood’s partner, Hannah Gomez, Hutchinson, who will be Glover’s partner, Lauren Couchman, Newton, who will be Reed’s partner and Alex Acosta, Hutchinson, who will be Hernandez’s partner.
“It’s an exciting to have this opportunity, I’m thankful,” Acosta said. “I’m excited to get to do the workshops and to make connections,” Couchman said. “I’m also really excited to compete with Jocelyn in the Irene Ryan competition, it will be interesting to see how far we get.” The festival also an opportunity to make professional and school connections. HutchCC students fall into region five, which consists of Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. Most four-year colleges will be represented at the festival and have recruitment opportunities for students. The festival also attracts theatre professionals from across the country, including Broadway. This year, famed playwright Neil Labute will be a part of the festival. Some schools also enter their shows to be transferred to festival and will be performed again in Des Moines. “Last year, the festival gave me the opportunity to bond with the people who are now my best friends, so I’m excited to see how the new students enjoy it,” Hernandez said. “It also helped me realize that I want to be involved in theatre for the rest of my life.”