Featured #1
HCC athletes wreak havoc at Highland, qualify for nationals
By Kelsey Tarman. On Feb. 4, five more Blue Dragons qualified for indoor nationals, during the Highland Challenge at Highland Community College. Sophomore middle-distance runner Julio Martinez qualified for nationals in the 1,000 meters by running the seventh-best time in Hutchinson... [Read more...]
Featured #2
Hutch bowling alley to close, ending popular phys ed class
Story by Matt Blake. After 27 years of leadership, instructor Pat Becher will no longer teach the Beginning Bowling class after the conclusion of this semester. No, Becher isn’t retiring or giving up hope on his students. As a matter of fact, there will not be any bowling... [Read more...]
Featured #3
College responds to GSA complaints
Photo by Shirley Schrag. Story by Matt Blake — Vandals continue to harass the Gay Straight Alliance organization on campus. Charles Kerschen, the group’s faculty advisor, said GSA meeting posters are still being torn from campus bulletin boards. Charles Kerschen is the... [Read more...]
Featured #4
Lady Dragons outplay Butler Grizzlies
Story by Ilich Palacioz With great anticipation amid the rivalry between HCC Lady Dragons and the Butler Grizzles, the game finally had arrived. Photo by Shirley Schrag Freshman midfielder Nicole Cronin, Limerick, Ireland, savors the moments after the Lady Dragons defeated... [Read more...]
Featured #5
HCC magazine and newspaper win awards
Shirley Schrag / Collegian - KAKE-TV photojournalist Larry Hatteberg talks with students after his keynote address at the Kansas Associated Student Press conventions. Hatteberg told of his career, which included over a decade of tracking the elusive BTK killer. By Nicolas Wahl Student... [Read more...]
Featured #6
‘Food for Haiti’ receives help from HCC students
Shirley Schrag / Collegian - Honors students of Hutchinson Community College help mix and package Meal Packages for Haiti. Over 5,000 packages of nutritious food was prepared for shipment to Haiti during the Hutchinson event. By Shirley Schrag Working in shifts throughout... [Read more...]
News
Wednesdays OK to start classes?
By Kelsey Tarman
Hutchinson Community College is currently in the process of changing the first day of school after 2012 summer to Wednesday instead of Monday.
The new class calendar is already written out, and has been approved. First day of classes will be on Wednesday, Aug. 22. [Read more...]
Spring weather ripe for tornado season
By Joe Backhus
With spring break around the corner tornado season is just beginning. Tornadoes can occur anytime of the year under the right circumstances, but the months of March through May are particularly dangerous because of the natural weather that occurs this time of year.
Tornadoes can become a swirling cyclone of wind in a variety of different ways. Tornado genesis is the process by which a tornado forms. Typically in Kansas, supercell tornados form. [Read more...]
Mud, cowboys, cranky bulls mean cattle auction day
By Maria Betzold
Charlie Cummings, winner of the World Championship of Auctioneering, was on hand at the Central Livestock Sale Barn in South Hutchinson on Feb. 14 to conduct the cattle sale.
Charlie Cummings, world champion auctioneer, called for bids at the Central Livestock cattle auction in South Hutchinson on Feb. 14.
Cattle producers — ranging from huge ranch operators to Amish farmers who maintain small herds near Partridge and Yoder — crowded into the three, theater-style seating areas in the auction barn to see their cattle sell and to hear the champion auctioneer.
Cummings did not disappoint them.
With a musical, lyrical voice that smacked of country singer Alan Jackson, he called the bid in style, with a mixture of high-speed, vocal trills and consonants, with occasional numbers tucked in, like red roses in a fast-growing bouquet of sunflowers.
Every Tuesday morning in South Hutchinson, cowboys and farmers flock to the Central Livestock sale barn to buy and sell cattle and hay bales.
Beginning at 7:30 a.m., the sale barn accepts cattle for the auction. Workers unload the cattle and place them in corrals to wait until the 11 a.m. sale.
On Feb. 7, an HCC student, Braden Burdette, Cambridge, Kan., was herding a group of wet, muddy cows down a runway and into a pen. He was waving a four-foot, fiberglass stick with a hollow, plastic paddle on the end. [Read more...]
Drama prepares for 24-hour plays
By Eric Hostetler
The drama department is quickly preparing for the second annual show of the 24-hour plays. The event gathers actors, directors, writers, technicians and playwrights together for the stressful task of producing a complete theatrical event in a measly 24 hours.
In a scene from one of last year's 24-hour productions, a stuffed banana was used as a prop.
Everybody assembles the evening before the play to assign the actors to the six different playwrights. The writers will use those actors to begin creating their own plays, each approximately 10 minutes long.
Everyone except for the playwrights, who have the duty of concocting plays due by 6 a.m., leave for the night.
[Read more...]
Poster vandal: ‘I apologize’
By Matt Blake
A Hutchinson Community College student regrets tearing down a Gay Straight Alliance poster on campus.
“I apologize if I offended the group,” he said.
The student said he recently pulled down one of the group’s posters in the “heat of the moment” after the students around him were talking about the posters.
Gay Straight Alliance meeting posters have been torn down, periodically, from campus bulletin boards.
“However,” he said, “I did pin it back up to the wall where I found it, before I left for class.”
He doesn’t have a personal issue with homosexuals or the group, he explained, but he won’t be attending any of their meetings either.
“I have plenty of my own personal involvements that I plan to stick with, and I am not interested in what the group has to offer. Though,” he added, “I think it’s great the school offers it to students.” [Read more...]
Campus reacts to proposed Web laws
By Eric Hostetler
Millions of online users, designers, photographers, musicians, and businesses have banded together to rid themselves of the possible threat to their Internet security. This threat involved two proposed federal laws: The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA).
These proposals lost some support after a shutdown protest was staged on Jan. 18 by several Web giants, including Google, Wikipedia and Mozilla Firefox. However, a new proposal in the Senate has the ability to create the same threats that SOPA and PIPA did and much more. [Read more...]
Local writers celebrate life of Stafford, a master poet
By Tamira Borecky
Even 19 years after his death, William Stafford, a poet born and raised in Hutchinson, has remained a source of inspiration and influence. He has inspired many writers, readers, and critics.
Among those is one of Hutchinson Community College’s own poets, Bill Sheldon.
“There was a kind of facility with the language he possessed,” Sheldon said. [Read more...]
New ‘Duke’ dazzles Dragons fans
By Erin Stringer
The new-and-improved Duke the Dragon mascot came strutting onto Sam Butterfield court at the Jan. 21 HCC basketball games.
So far, there is not a negative comment to be heard about the friendly and inviting new dragon.
The money for the suit was raised by the Quarterback Club, which is headed by Rex Nelson. [Read more...]
Liquor store owners want to offer liquor, wine samples to customers
By Nic Wahl
Good news may be on the horizon for Kansas alcohol connoisseurs.
State legislators are strongly considering passing a bill that would make in-store alcohol sampling legal according to Kansas law.
“I think it would be great,” said Danielle Campa, 26, Newton.
“I’m really like wine and I like a lot of various beers. Having the opportunity to sample them before I make a decision would be really neat.” [Read more...]
Legislators meet public at Mennonite Manor forum
By Joe Backhus
On Jan. 21 at Mennonite Manor, a retirement home in South Hutchinson, the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce held the first of three legislative forums set for 2012.
These forums are an opportunity for the public to get a first-hand look at legislation that is currently being debated and discussed in the state. [Read more...]
Student KNEA fingerprints kids for safety
By Jamie Spoonemore
According to the National Child Identification Program website, over 800,000 children go missing every year and about 260,000 of them have been kidnapped.
In 2002, about 82 percent of kidnappings were done by an estranged parent or a family member. [Read more...]
Features
Artists discover river glass, produce mosaic
By Maria Betzold
Scott Brown, a fine arts instructor at HCC, and Michele Dawn George, his friend, spent most of their summer walking the sandbars of the Arkansas River looking for Native American flint tools and spear points.
Every day of Summer 2011, Scott and Michele walked the banks of the river.
With drought conditions during the summer, the water was at low level and not cutting any new channels, meaning it was hard to find any newly exposed flint artifacts in the sand. [Read more...]
Tornado shelters located in campus buildings
By Katelyn Wiens
Joe Backhus / Collegian - The west hallway in the Lockman Hall basement level has a steel-reinforced-concrete ceiling that would provide protection from massive tornado events. Students from Lockman, Shears Tech and Office Tech should go there during a tornado emergency.
With tornadoes ripping through the southeastern United States, Kansas may be the next target in nature’s path of destruction.
During storm season, shelters are of the upmost importance. Knowing where they are is equally valuable.
Brandon Leatherburn, Lyons, talked about that as he worked at a computer station in Rimmer Learning Center.
He said he didn’t really know the HCC campus very well and did not know where the shelters were.
At the Learning Center, Leatherburn said, “I would go to the bathroom in the basement,” if tornado sirens were sounding. The basement at Rimmer is also the shelter for the Science Hall.
Kathrine Cota, Nickerson, has several classes in Stringer Fine Arts. [Read more...]
Students enjoy horse class
By Stefanie Snell
Quietly, the horses wait while their riders prepare them for an afternoon of fun and excitement in horsemanship class.
Stef Snell / Collegian - Andrea Nisly, Hutchinson, prepares to cinch up the saddle before riding.
“I have ridden horses ever since I was a child and I like to share my passion with others,” said Karen Baehler, horsemanship and economics instructor at Hutchinson Community College.
Baehler grew up in a rodeo family. She was a high school rodeo champion and a Kansas State University rodeo queen.
Assistant instructor Jim Keever has worked with horses for more than 60 years and has been helping with the class for four years. “The trail ride with the advanced class next week is my favorite part,” Keever said. [Read more...]
Ghana artists coming to HCC campus for art program
By Ember Sipes
Summer plans can be boring, but for Teresa Preston, HCC fine arts instructor, summer plans could not be more exciting.
Beginning July 10, she will be hosting a week long workshop with Mary Carol Hopkins, anthropology professor of Northern Kentucky University, and her expert guests from Ghana, teaching Ashanti traditional artwork.
The workshop is for “anyone who touches the life of children, in other words, teaches to children,” Preston said. [Read more...]
Hamilton leaving HCC
By Kelsey Tarman
Hamilton
After 26 years of service to Hutchinson Community College, Janet Hamilton soon will become the program officer for the Hutchinson Community Foundation.
Her duties will include awarding grants to other organizations.
“I like to learn on the job and do look forward to working with Hutchinson area individuals and organizations from a perspective different than higher education,” Hamilton said.
Even though she is sad to leave many excellent co-workers and faculty, she is “glad to have new opportunities and challenges.”
“I’ve held four different jobs during my 26+ years at HCC and can’t believe I was hired when I didn’t have any education background,” Hamilton said. [Read more...]
‘Tornado vehicle’ draws crowds at Cosmosphere
By Kat Saunders
The truck looked almost like a giant armadillo with wheels as it sat in front of the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center on April 11 to promote a new IMAX movie, “Tornado Alley.”
Joe Backhus / Collegian The Dodge Ram 3500 turbo diesel "tornado car" standing eight feet tall was parked in front of the Cosmosphere and Space Center on April 11.
Curious people gathered around several hatches to take a peek inside.
Children excitedly jumped up trying to look in to get a better look.
Along with the Tornado Intercept Vehicle came its driver, Marcus Gutierrez and its navigator and meteorologist, Brandon Ivey.
A few lucky people won rides in the TIV in a contest the Cosmosphere was sponsoring. [Read more...]
Hazel: Innovation runs Siemens
By Ember Sipes
Joseph Griffin / Collegian - Kevin Hazel, of Siemens Wind Power, speaks at the Dillon Lecture Series on April 5 in the Stringer Fine Arts Center. Hazel described the fast-growing market for wind energy here in Kansas and all over the world.
As the last speaker in this semester’s Dillon Lecture Series, Kevin Hazel, vice president of supply chain management for the Americas Region of Siemens Wind Power, described the growing market of wind energy and its effect on Hutchinson, as well as the rest of the world.
Recently Siemens opened a nacelle manufacturing plant here in Hutchinson, providing about 200 jobs for locals.
A video by Siemens, narrated by Hazel, describes a nacelle and its functions as the mobile-home-sized unit that sits at the top of a wind turbine’s tower, housing the generator and the shaft connected to the blades.
It contains a bearing that supports the shaft, which rotates to the speed that the blades create. That goes into a gearbox, which speeds up that rotation, and, in turn, drives the generator. [Read more...]
Kansas National Education Association recognizes HCC student group’s work
By Kelsey Tarman
Several Hutchinson Community College students who intend to become teachers are part of an organization called Kansas National Education Association Student Program.
The weekend of March 25 was the student Representative Assembly in Manhattan, along with “Outreach to Teach,” an event for volunteer work by student KNEA members.
“During the weekend, the state officers are elected, policies are reviewed, awards are handed out, and students do an outreach project at a nearby school,” said speech instructor Rachel L. Santine, the KNEA sponsor for the group. [Read more...]
Campus vending machines fitted with card readers
By Ember Sipes
Ember Sipes / Collegian - Vending machines with new debit and credit card readers also have a $5 changer. They are located in the Science Hall, Lockman Hall and the dorms.
New vending options are popping up around campus. Some Pepsi vending machines now include a debit and credit card reader on the machine in order to purchase your soda.
Myth: The new card readers on Pepsi vending machines can read your student ID card and allow you to purchase a soda with money in your student account.
Jeanine Keevert, secretary to the dean of finances/operations said, “As far as I know, it’s a myth.” [Read more...]
Cast-iron-smelting event to get fired up at 6 p.m. on April 1
By Stefanie Snell
The general public is invited to attend an outdoor cast-iron-smelting event at 6 p.m. Friday, April 1, in the parking lot at the HCC metal and welding shop at the northeast corner of campus.
Toby Flores, art instructor from Fort Hays State University, will be kicking off the cast iron workshop, where students will be able to create “open cast” art works from glowing, molten cast iron.
Everyone is invited to come and watch the process in action. Participants have been given three different times to get their molds ready for the cast iron.
The molds are blocks of “green sand,” held together by resin, in which the participants carve impressions that are later filled with molten cast iron. [Read more...]
Mars rover at Cosmosphere
By Kat Saunders
Joe Backhus / Collegian - The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center recently acquired a model of the new "Curiosity" Mars rover that is scheduled to be landing on the red planet in August 2012.
A gleaming, full-sized model of the Mars rover “Curiosity” is parked under the legendary SR-71 Blackbird and greets patrons as they enter the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center.
The Mini-Cooper-sized Curiosity will be the first of its size to be launched to Mars. Anyone wanting to see the rover up close needs to come to see it during April.
“It’s only here until April 29,” said Meredith Miller, curator at the Cosmosphere. The rover was named by Kansas sixth-grader Cara Ma, from Lenexa, who won the rover-naming contest that was conducted by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasedena, Calif. [Read more...]
This year’s newest trend: boyfriend cardigans
By Katelyn Wiens
This spring, the fashion world welcomes several different styles for women.
A model wearing the hottest trend in 2011; a boyfriend cardigan with a white t-shirt and skinny jeans.
Spring of course brings bright bold colors and stripes, but this spring white is the biggest trend on the runway. It is a very elegant and modern look.
This spring is welcoming back the ‘70s, with bell-bottoms and clogs.
Clogs go great with skirts and are the perfect match for a pair of bell-bottoms.
These wide leg jeans are a refreshing look from the past three years of skinny jeans, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to throw out the skinny jeans quite yet. [Read more...]
KHCC waits for verdict on slashing of federal funds
By Kat Saunders
As congress decides whether to cut federal funding and grants to public broadcasting stations across the country, local public radio station 90.1 KHCC can only wait and hope for the best.
“There have not yet been budget cuts,” said KHCC general manager Ken Baker. “But it would affect KHCC. “
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting gives additional assistance to rural stations and KHCC qualifies for the assistance. [Read more...]
Sports
Lady Dragons keep streak alive with win over Beavers
By Kelsey Tarman
Maintaining their stellar season and hard-charging play, the Lady Dragons beat the Pratt Beavers, 74 to 45, on Jan. 25, at Pratt.
It was the latest attack they had made during this year’s rampage through the Kansas Jayhawk West.
On their home court, the Ladies have been terrifying to the opposition. [Read more...]
Blue Dragons get win after brutal dry spell
By Kelsey Tarman
The good news: The Blue Dragons won against the Pratt Beavers on Jan. 25.
On the other hand, the Dragons have 10 Jayhawk West games left; they are still in seventh place — and last place could be one game away
In a scene from one of last year’s 24-hour productions, a stuffed banana was used as a prop.
“We’ve been practicing hard all week, and it’s good to see that hard work paid off,” said Ryan Schultz, who scored a personal record of 19 points at Pratt. “We want to carry this momentum into practice and into the game with Cloud (County) on Saturday.”
Sports fans: Paterno unfairly terminated
By Ilich Palacios
From ESPN to CNN, journalists across the United States have had a field day following the Penn State scandal involving Jerry Sandusky and Joe Paterno.
Paterno, ex-head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, has endured plenty of criticism from people, as well as support from others. [Read more...]
Lady Dragons volleyball season ends in Newman
By Nick McCoy
Although producing an amazing turnaround this season to become title contenders, the Lady Dragons volleyball team’s season came to an end Nov. 6, as the Seward County Saints defeated them in five sets at Newman University, Wichita. [Read more...]
Lady Dragons fight hard, fall in O.T. at district meet
By Ilich Palacios
The Lady Dragons prepared for what was the most important game of the season up to that time.
In the district semi-finals game on Nov. 5, Hutch faced off against Laramie (Wyo.) Community College. [Read more...]
HCC routes Coffeyville, sets up Butler rematch
By Nic Wahl
The Hutchinson Community College football team let little of the drama that permeated last week’s game at Coffeyville make it’s way into its Nov. 6 Region VI semifinal against those same Red Ravens at Gowans Stadium. [Read more...]
HCC runs past Ravens in fourth quarter
By Nic Wahl
Short memories, second chances, some staunch defense and a balanced rushing attack enabled the Hutchinson Community College football team (7-2, 5-1) to turn a fourth quarter deficit into a 42-17 road win over Coffeyville (6-3, 4-2), at Veterans Memorial Stadium October 29.
Blue Dragons bag a Red Raven in first half action.
In a game that would determine home-field advantage for Sunday’s Nov. 6 Region VI semifinal game between these same two teams, it looked like HCC would be making a return trip to Coffeyville for a majority of the chilly October night.
Volleyball crushes opponents
By Nick McCoy
Bouncing back from a poor showing in the Caribbean Tan Classic, the Hutchinson Blue Dragon Volleyball team successfully defended their home court against Cloud County, sweeping three straight sets for the win on Oct. 5.
Photo by Shirley Schrag. Sophomore Cassie Wiley and freshman Emily Oberlin go up for a block against Cloud County in a match on Oct. 5.
Although the Cloud team held leads in each of the games, the Lady Dragons were continuously able to fight back and win with solid defense and offensive runs.
In the second set, the Dragons were trailing 17-12 before pulling out a 13-6 run. Then in the third, the Thunderbirds tied the match at 20-all but were outscored 5-1 as the Hutchinson women sealed the night.
The Hutchinson women continued their winning ways in Pratt on Oct. 10, sweeping to victory for the second week in a row.
Dragons play baseball — on the gridiron?
By Tyler Hall
The Blue Dragons baseball team currently sits at 32-21 overall and 19-13 in the conference and they are looking at a first round showdown against Coffeyville May 7, in Liberal.
Joseph Griffin / Collegian - Freshman, Brad Law is thrownout by a step after trying to bunt for a base hit.
In HCC’s last series against Cloud County the team swept the Thunderbirds and reached a few milestones along the way.
Sophomore Ryan Mayfield saw his 18 game hit-streak come to an end in the Cloud series making him second all-time behind HCC’s Trevor Adams (2008) for longest hit streak ever.
In the Dragon’s third game against Cloud, sophomore pitcher, Andrew Urban took the mound looking to dominate the T-Birds.
Urban threw a complete game, two-hit shutout and tied the all time HCC shut out record with three in a season, a feat that ex-teammate Shawn Lewick reached just one year ago. [Read more...]
Hutch CC golf team doesn’t bogey around at Alvamar, places 3rd overall
By Tyler Hall
HCC, despite shooting their worst round of the Region VI/ District III championship at Alvamar Golf Club, secured their fourth regional crown in the last five years.
Freshman Mike Muller was in a two-hole shootout that he won to win the Region VI individual championship.
He defeated Cole Murrin from Kansas City on the second hole of the playoff and beat Dodge City’s Alex Tiong on the first playoff hole.
He shot well enough to emerge from the day tied for third overall in District III play as well. [Read more...]
Homerun clinches first game, advance in Region VI
By Nicolas Wahl
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Angelica Nathan / Collegian - Kayla Allen, Wichita, swings and connects on a pitch from Brown Mackie pitcher, Jenny Garcia, who leads the nation in strikeouts. The Lady Dragon softball team is now 38-16 and heading into the second round Region VI match-up in Topeka on May 7.
That was the case for Brown Mackie pitcher and national strikeout leader Jenny Garcia April 30 as the Hutchinson Community College Lady Dragons softball team (38-16) beat her and the Lions (17-39) twice in the Saturday double-header.
The victories (3-1, 4-1) gave HCC the 3-game opening round Region VI series win, advancing the Dragons into the second round for the third time in as many years.
Garcia, who started both games for the Lions and went the distance in each, was strong.
She fanned 20 batters on the day and pitched a total of 12 innings, but was matched by Blue Dragon starters Lindsay Vitale and Elise Beguelin. [Read more...]
HCC baseball ready to make deep run in the postseason
By Tyler Hall
HCC bounced back from the sweep they suffered at the hands of Seward as they split their next conference series with a good 30-14 team from Colby on April 22 and 23rd.
Shirley Schrag / Collegian - Freshman Grant Dunnegan stretches to get the ball milliseconds before the Colby runner reaches first base.
Game one, however felt an awful lot like the series against Seward because the Dragons came out and got beat 15-0 in convincing fashion.
HCC came out with a grudge it seemed in the next game as they beat the Trojans 2-0 behind the arm of freshman Matt Meyer, who threw seven and a third with only five hits allowed. [Read more...]
Entertainment
By Joseph Griffin
It begins; the night is his span of the work shift. His work calls for quick thinking, rapid reflexes and critical decision-making. The night sky is littered with the glow of the city lights and the weather is calm.
His hands grip the wheel, wrapped in brown leather gloves, wrenching his fists around the controller of his life. He clocks in as he sets his watch, it’s now wrapped around the bar of his steering wheel; it counts down from five minutes.
This describes the opening scene in the movie, DRIVE, a throwback ode to the wonder years of great vintage films such as Bullitt, or Eastwood, De’ Niro films. [Read more...]
Randy Rogers Band a home run for country music
By Elizabeth Poovey
Randy Rogers Band
The majority of the music community is familiar with certain genres of music, such as pop, country, rap, hip-hop, and golden oldies.
Anymore though, these genres delve into sub-genres, or more alternative versions of their selves. As a country music lover, I tend to get tired of some of the newer material played on the radio, as it is more reflective of pop than of good old country music.
The red-dirt country music scene is changing the country music industry. The blend of traditional country music with southern rock creates the red-dirt, or Texas country sound that has become a country cult favorite. [Read more...]
Social media pushes student press to evolve
By Joseph Griffin
We all know that the world is constantly changing around us, including the collegiate press. Our technology is continuing to push the way things are done, in our work environment, to new levels.
We must accommodate ourselves to work with these changes the best we can. That’s why you are seeing a few new layouts in The Hutchinson Collegian these last few weeks of spring semester, including the front page.
Students are our focus. They are the majority of our readership. I’ve read our student ran collegian newspaper since my enrollment and have enjoyed the stories featured in its pages. It led me to joining the staff last fall. [Read more...]
‘Rio’ exciting, well worth the trip for a 3D experience
By Ember Sipes
Rio
The director, Carolos Saldanha, and the creators of the “Ice Age” trilogy have hatched a new star with the new animated comedy “Rio.”
Blu, a domesticated macaw from a small town in snowy Minnesota, finds himself the last male of his species and travels to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to meet the last female, Jewel, with his best friend and owner, Linda.
After arriving, Linda and Blu find themselves thrown for a loop when Rio tears them apart. What is even more unfortunate for Blu is that he cannot fly. [Read more...]
‘Sucker Punch,’ a confusing guy movie
By Katelyn Wiens
“Sucker Punch” is the ultimate guy movie. It has about everything a guy would want to see in a movie.
Sucker Punch
It has action, adventure, and hot girls with weapons, in revealing outfits.
The movie starts off when the main character Babydoll’s mother dies.
When her stepfather finds out that his late wife has left everything to her two daughters, he goes on a rampage with intentions of killing the two girls.
He attacks Babydoll, first locking her in her room, and goes after her sister.
Babydoll escapes through her window. [Read more...]
‘Black Swan’ brings you to the stage, with the dancers
By Joseph Griffin
The movie poster for "The Black Swan," starring Natalie Portman.
It’s a battle between good and evil down to the very end.
The Black Swan, released on March 29, stars Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers, a ballerina, whose dream is to star in a production on the stage, She gets her chance when Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) chooses her to play the Swan Queen, in a re-introduction of Swan Lake.
The path to have her own starring role wasn’t as splendid as she believed it would be. It included ousting Beth Macintyre (Winona Ryder), the previous star on the stage, from the starlight.
Innocence is all Nina has ever known, but things must change if she wishes to pull off such a daring role. She is warped into a roller coaster ride an emotionally and physically daunting task of becoming the sexual, illustrious Black Swan that Leroy wants her to be. [Read more...]
Christian rock band Skillet’s successful, newest album edgy, not all soft Gospel
By Kelsey Tarman
Skillet, a semi-hard rock Christian band, had success with its newest album “Awake,” which debuted at Number 2 on the Billboard 200, selling over 700,000 copies.
“We’re living in hard times right now between the news that seems to get crazier every day and all the uncertainly throughout society in general,” said John Cooper, the lead singer of the group.
“Sometimes it doesn’t seem like there’s hope, and sure you can choose to give up, but why not face it ‘Awake and Alive’? [Read more...]
‘Rango’ a movie for all the kids at heart
By Kat Saunders
Not all animated movies are geared towards children. And Rango is definitely one of those kinds of movies.
Rango
Sure, bring the kids, but expect this yarn to be quite entertaining for mom and dad, as well.
It is a ‘story about a chameleon with an identity crisis. And with Johnny Depp’s voice, it is brought to life.
We begin with a mariachi band of owl singing about Rango and his hero ways.
He’s a scrawny lizard when we see him at first dressed up in a Hawaiian shirt touting to a headless Barbie torso, a plastic tree and plastic fish.
He lives in a terrarium.
Rango is reminiscent of the old west stories and has a lot of adult humor in it.
I saw children there and I just didn’t really think it was appropriate for children.
The movie changes scene a lot that I guess is cool if you like something fast paced movies
But it’s definitely a movie worth watching if you like laughing, silly jokes, and a generally good story line.
And there’s a lot of action including some moles flying on bats.
Trying to save a dying town that is something we can all be aware of.
Rango is a hero that one can respect because he does what’s best for the town of Dirt. I give Rango an A- or a B+.
‘The Walking Dead’ an emotional and jaw-dropping experience
By Joseph Griffin
The Walking Dead is a zombie apocalyptic comic book series that started in 2003. Now it’s a TV show.
The Walking Dead
“The thing about smart mother fu—-s is that sometimes, they sound like crazy mother fu—-s to stupid mother fu—-s…,” said Robert Kirkman, the creator of ‘The Walking Dead.’
Recently it caught the attention of America, portraying itself as a gorgeous tribute to a modern envisioning of a George A. Romero film-turned-episodic-series on the AMC TV channel.
The series focuses on Rick Grimes, a family man with a wife and young son; he also is the sheriff of a small southern town. [Read more...]
‘Red Riding Hood’ a new spin to a classic
By Kelsey Tarman
Red Riding Hood
I’ve heard mixed opinions on this fairy tale brought to life — but I for one, loved it.
For one, there are hot guys, and sometimes that’s all you need.
It’s kind of, more or less, like Twilight: there are two guys going after one girl; the girl only liking one of the guys. [Read more...]
Underground dance craze portrays intimacy in music
By Joseph Griffin
It is music that can literally rip apart your mood and let it run free into your mind and only come back once the beat drops.
Electronica, dance, trance, and club music have done these things for almost 20 years. A new craze for the next generation of extravagant listeners is Dubstep.
With main origins dating back to the late 1990s, it’s a fairly new genre.
Described as tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals, Dubstep brings a whole entire new level to the term of electronic dance music.
The music continually plays with your mind, throwing it from side to side like a wave in a monstrous ocean storm, only letting up for a moment when “the drop” comes in to play. [Read more...]
Hendrix sound gritty, soulful, on new tracks
By Kat Sanders
I believe James Marshall Hendrix better known as ‘Jimi Hendrix’ is still alive. All around us he lives through his music and he even puts out posthumous albums 40 years after his death. The newest of these albums to grace his list of amazing music is ‘Valleys of Neptune.’ 
He’s almost caught up with Tupac with the amount of after death album releases.
Released in March 2010, it features stuff that has never been heard before. 12 unreleased songs including a Hendrix infused version of the Cream song ‘Sunshine of Your Love.’ It steers clear of old school favorites like ‘Purple Haze.’
I’ve never really been interested in albums that come out after an artist dies but for Hendrix, I’ll give it a listen. It was mixed by the CEO of the Hendrix estate his sister Janie Hendrix, and Eddie Kramer, his engineer.
My favorite song off the album is ‘Red House’ I love the gritty sound and pain that just comes from his soul. He’s always had the ability to tell a story with his guitar.
The other song that caught my attention was ‘Hear My Train a’ Comin.’ For an acoustic track it’s killer. I suggest if you are a Hendrix fan or just love good music you go to Hastings or iTunes and pick it up today. How often does something like this happen? [Read more...]
‘Roommate’ is a strange voyage
By Katelyn Wiens
The Roommate did not meet my exceptions of what I thought it could have been. The previews made it seem like it was going to be a psychological thriller — which made me think that I was going to be on the edge of my seat the whole time. But I wasn’t.
The film starts with Sara (Minka Kelly) going off to college when she gets to her room she notices that her roommate hasn’t arrived yet. Later she meets two girls: Tracy (Alyson Michalka) and Tracy’s roommate, who invite her to a frat party.
That is where they meet Stephen (Cam Geigandet) who soon becomes Sara’s romantic interest. When Sara returns to her room she meets her roommate Rebecca (Leighton Meester) for the first time.
She seems nice at first but she soon becomes more and more obsessed and slowly tries to become a replacement for Sara’s dead sister Emily — in the mean time attempting to kill off who ever gets in her way. Tracy tries to warn Sara about Rebecca, but Sara doesn’t believe her.
Rebecca then reveals her true nature when she attacks Tracy in the shower, ripping out her navel ring, telling her that she was a bad influence on Sara, and threatening to kill her if she tells anyone.
Totally scared, Tracy stays far away from Sara, especially when Rebecca is around. In the end this of course pushes Sara away — and Rebecca’s worst fear comes true. Sara tells her they are not friends anymore, and then things get really bad.
Sounds entertaining, right? Well it’s not.
It really didn’t keep my attention, and at the end I sat there wondering to myself, “Is it really over? Did I really just spend money to come see this, and make a bunch of my friends come see it with me?”
I would not recommend this movie; especially if you are going to pay $7 to go see it. If you do want to see this for yourself, I suggest that you wait until it comes out on DVD and Redbox it.
Bands rock, collect for food bank
By Jacob Ridley
Jacob Ridley / Collegian - Rob Martinez, of True Illusions, performs at McGraw's on Jan. 28, in an event that featured four local rock bands.
It’s Friday night. The work or school week is over. What to do tonight? Well, some people have discovered the local venues around town.
One venue that seems to be on a prominent rise is the local bands scene. For the people that miss out on the big mainstream concerts, they can go to the local establishments and get the experience of the music in a less crowded environment.
Places like McGraws and the R-Bar have more concert and band nights booked then in the past. [Read more...]
