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Mike Smith
“The beautiful thing about being an artist is that there is no ceiling on what you do.”

Comedy headliner, James Johann, entertains the audience at the Granada Saturday night. James began stand up in KC at the age of 19. He has since appeared on shows such as Comedy Centrals Premium Blend and Blue Collar Comedy tour among others.
Jenny Pendarvis/The Bulletin

An estimated 250 people showed up for the stand-up comedy show featuring comedians James Johann and Dave Nickerson Saturday at the Granada Theatre, 807 Commercial St. Comedian Mike Smith made a return to the Granada to open the show.

“The comedians tonight were awesome,” said Samantha Behm, junior athletic training major. “The best thing about comedy shows here at the Granada is that they’re 18 and up shows.”

Johann, of Paola, has been featured on Comedy Central, CMT and The Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Dubbed “The Rural Genius,” Johann performs nationwide, but said he prefers doing comedy shows “close to home.”

“I’m a Midwest guy,” Johann said. “They get me.”

Johann said George Carlin, Richard Pryor and Robert Hawkins are his biggest comic influences. Nickerson, who hails from Kansas City, Mo., has been featured on HBO and the Howard Stern Show. Nickerson said Sam Kinison, Eddie Murphy, George Carlin and Bill Cosby are some of his biggest influences.

“Those four each have their strength that I’ve tried to hybrid – some family comedy and some edgier comedy,” Nickerson said. “Every creativity is some sort of hybrid.”

Smith said he has enjoyed comparisons to some of his influences, like Bill Maher and Dave Chappelle.

“After a show, one guy said that I was like the black Bill Maher,” Smith said. “I said, ‘Thank you, man.’”

Smith said Chappelle met him after another show to tell him he enjoyed his comedy.

“That really encouraged me,” Smith said. “It’s really a great feeling to get that level of praise in comedy, especially from Dave Chappelle.”

Smith said he usually does gigs “in the Midwest through the east coast,” and that he likes being on the road. He is also currently working on a play, called “The Father the Son and the Holy Truth,” and a rewrite of his book, “Quindaro,” named after the street grew up on in Kansas City, Kan. The book is “very real” and “really gritty,” Smith said.

“I’m trying to do everything,” Smith said. “The beautiful thing about being an artist is that there is no ceiling on what you do.”

Smith said he is “not religious at all,” and in his play, he is mainly aiming to point out “how today, people hurt each other for sake of their religion.”

“I’d like to bring my play to a campus,” Smith said. “It asks what Jesus would say about modern religion.”

The Granada will host a showing of “Casablanca” at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Feb. 14. Contact the Granada at 342-3342 for more information, including ticket prices.

ESU first stop for Teacher of the Year tour

Ken Weaver
“It’s a very rich time to be a teacher.”

Judy Domke, 2013 regional Kansas teacher of the year, speaks about her experience with their students in the Blue Valley School District. In the conference, eight teachers received rewards and participated in a Q & A session.
Yohan Kim/The Bulletin

On Monday, the Kansas Teacher of the Year (KTOY) team toured the Emporia School district, Emporia State and the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Visser Hall. The team was composed of eight members, including three ESU graduates, and one current Emporia area teacher. The 2013 KTOY award recipient is Dyane Smokorowski, an eighth grade language arts teacher at Andover Middle School.

“It’s a very rich time to be a teacher,” said Ken Weaver, dean of the Teachers College. “It’s a great opportunity to be creative, and it’s a wonderful time to have them here on campus.”

Weaver said Kansas is divided into four regions. Each region selects one elementary school teacher, and one secondary teacher to nominate for the KTOY award. Each candidate must then put together a portfolio, which is then scored by a panel.

Next, the teachers must submit videos of their teaching philosophy, as well as videos of themselves giving a mock high school graduation address, which they are also scored on.

Finally, teachers are filmed teaching in their own classrooms. One of the teachers is then selected as the KTOY, while the runners up comprise the team. The team then meets with state representatives and tours several Kansas universities, giving presentations on teaching. This year, ESU was the first stop.

“I’m really excited, since I graduated from Emporia State University, to have an opportunity to meet with people and talk with them,” said Colleen Mitchell, English language arts teacher at Walnut Elementary School, 801 Grove Ave.

Mitchell was one of the teachers nominated for the award, and she was also a recipient of the Kansas Master Teacher award for 2012. Mitchell said each teacher who was nominated has a different area of expertise they have brought to the team, but they all still have a common thread as teachers.

The goal of the KTOY team, Mitchell said, is to be spokespeople for education. They have to address topics such as how to keep people in the profession, how to attract new people to it, new classroom technologies and the common core standards. Mitchell said on Monday the team presented to around 185 students at ESU, mostly sophomores and freshmen, about topics in education.

“I was really engrossed in a conversation with (Christy) Schrock out in the parking lot, and just being able to meet someone like that, who is an expert in the field of common core…who greets you with open arms, and tells you how proud she is of you – I don’t think there’s many colleges where you would get that kind of experience,” said Scott Keltner, ESU alum and member of the team.

The team also hosted a press conference at the end of the day, answering questions on a variety of topics in education, such as the recent move to arm security guards in schools.

Mitchell spoke on the security measures in the Emporia school districts and said it is important for the community to be involved in security measures, but she did not believe that arming security guards was the proper approach to school safety.

Another panel member also spoke about the a meeting with the Topeka school district superintendent and their districts’ policy of arming security guards and noted that many school districts were choosing to go that route, but that she, personally, was against it.

Non-Trads Not Fad

Potter

When most people look at me, they don’t see a 27-year-old student who has already taught English in the Peace Corps because I do not fit their stereotype of a non-traditional student. I’m in the “in-between” ages – too old to be a frosh and too young to be lumped in with the other older students. But the pre-conceived notion of what it means to be “non-traditional” is where the main problem lies.

Many assume non-traditional students are far older than most and want nothing more than to complicate the classroom experience with excessive questions and tangential stories.

The reality is that many of us are not “old” compared to freshmen coming directly from high school, nor do we wantonly crave the attention of our professors. More importantly, we are a nationally-growing student population.

Many universities are beginning to understand the importance of non-trads occupying their classrooms, adding income to the university and experience to the classroom that even some professors may not be aware of.

Non-trads can help facilitate the growth ESU wants, which can bring about lower tuition rates for everyone. No one, however, wants to come to a school if they are seen as a waste of time whenever they raise a hand to ask a question.

Instead of openly dismissing us non-trads, it is time to actively speak to them and perhaps learn more about your future career than what a tedious textbook has to offer. A lot of non-traditional students have experience in the fields you want to pursue, and should thus be seen as a vital resource.

Class is a time for us to display our chops, to engage the subject and inform the class that the lecture is only a small part of your education. You may gain some wisdom about a topic not normally covered.

And by doing this, maybe you will learn something you never thought about in class, such as what soup dish goes well with tuica, how Nixon acted in person or a firsthand experience in combat.

Senior scores 1,000th point as ESU bucks Bronchos, 89-57

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This past Sunday was a historic day for Rachel Hanf, senior guard for the women’s basketball team and marketing major. She not only became the 26th Lady Hornet to score 1,000 points in her career, but she also had a career high 23 points in an 89-57 victory over the Bronchos of University Central Oklahoma at White Auditorium.

“It’s really special,” Hanf said. “There have been a lot of great players come through here, and to be in the same list as them is pretty neat.”

Before the game, Hanf was 15 points shy of the 1,000 point mark. Last night, she scored 25 points in a match against University of Nebraska at Kearney, breaking her career high yet again. The Hornets won, 88-53.

During Sunday’s match, Hanf scored four of the first six points for Emporia State. But five minutes in, the Bronchos controlled the scoreboard, 11-6.

Sarah Wood, junior forward, tied it up with a turnaround bank from inside the paint with 12 minutes to go in the half.

After seven minutes, neither team was able to pull away, until the Hornets began to catch fire from the deep. In the final five minutes of the half, ESU pulled away with three three-pointers from Hanf, including her 1,000 point mark.

Desiree Wylie, junior forward, added two of her own, including one at the buzzer, giving the Hornets a 49-29 lead at the half.

“Our game plan coming in was to…set up our offense,” said Laura Patrick, junior forward and accounting major. “In the early going, we struggled with that, but around the 10 minute mark, we did a lot better job.”

ESU kept their momentum in the second half and continued to shoot the ball from the deep. Rheanna Egli, junior guard, led the way in the second with 11 points, as the Lady Hornets went on to win their third straight game during their three-game home stretch.

“We didn’t have a good record, and we knew we needed to get these three,” said Jory Collins, head coach. “It’s not enough though. We are still behind, and we still have to climb.”

The Hornets take on Northwest Missouri State at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 2 in Maryville, Mo.

Emporians acknowledge Kansas Day at WAW house

Emporia area children help create quilting squares at the Kansas Day celebration Sunday at the William Allen White house. The historic house is available for tours upon request.
Jordan Storrer/The Bulletin

A handful of Emporia State students donated time and effort for a community event Jan. 27 celebrating Kansas Day at Red Rocks State Historic site, home of William Allen White at 927 Exchange St. William Allen White Community Partnership, Inc. planned the community event as a “thank you to the community for their support.”

While Kansas Day was actually this Tuesday, the event at the Red Rocks house was held Sunday to fit with the Sundays on the Porch format.

Scott Gdanski, secondary education major, volunteered for the Sunday afternoon event. Gdanski set up a Kansas trivia bingo game with candy prizes for kids who came with their parents.

“Kansas bingo quizzes kids on general Kansas trivia,” Gdanski said.

Darla Mallein, president of William Allen White Community Partnership Inc. and associate professor of social sciences, said the Red Rocks house will undergo a reopening in May.

“The Red Rocks house is closed for the winter for the most part, but we will be holding a few Sunday events in the house in February,” Mallein said.

Karen Manners Smith, professor of history, will discuss the history of the White family in the years leading up to World War II Feb. 10. Beverley Buller, William Allen White biographer and long-time librarian and educator, will talk about the adoption of William Lindsay White’s and Katherine White’s daughter Feb. 17. Roger Heineken, administrative officer for the Memorial Union, will tell the history of Emporia during the “William Allen White years” through photographs Feb. 24. All events will begin at 2 p.m.

“It’ll be a similar format to Sundays on the Porch, but they’ll be held inside the house,” said Jennifer Baldwin, site administrator for William Allen White Community Partnership Inc. and U.S. history graduate student at ESU.

Baldwin oversees and plans events and tours at Red Rocks.

“We are always looking for interns,” Baldwin said. “We encourage more ESU students to visit Red Rocks house.”

Brothers and Sisters in Arms

Cartoon by Ellen Weiss

They can vote, they can hold office, and the latest advancement in gender equality means they can kill for Uncle Sam. United States Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced last Thursday that women can now fight alongside men in combat positions. It is more than military readiness and posturing at stake, it is the weakening of the old guard that has for so long dominated our military. The Bulletin welcomes our lady warriors.

Of course there are major implications for the decision beyond civil-military relations. The prospect of across-the-gender-board selective service registration is now a debate likely to be had. There’s nothing new here, though. Proponents of lifting the ban on women in combat have known about this scenario for as long as they have been petitioning. Absent the improbable conflict with a saber-rattling North Korea, a draft is not likely as we reduce our forces in the Middle East.

This gesture by Panetta sets the stage for the advancement of women in the military through the ranks. It gives additional career options to women. So for the time being, allowing women to serve in frontline infantry positions clearly seems more like a professional boon than a war fighting tactic.

The fear that women cannot perform combat duties is outdated and based on unrealistic evaluations of a soldier in the 21st century. It comes as no surprise that women are already some of our best pilots, top tacticians, interpreters and analysts.

They come into the military seeking a personal change and to serve their country. We owe them every opportunity we can afford in that regard.

We are sure there are a decent number of women at Emporia State with a military service history. More than likely, the women who served did so in war time. Regardless of your political inklings, it was these women who volunteered to fight in one way or another. We thank them for their dedicated service.

To those considering service after your time in Emporia, good luck. Let’s hope a shared battlefield abroad will someday translate to parity at home.

Give me an X, Give me a Y

Zachary Nance
“I got made fun of a little bit, (but) I mean, I get to hang out with cheerleaders all the time.”

Zachary Nance, freshman psychology major uses a megaphone to cheer on the Lady Hornets Sunday at White Auditorium. There were a record number of yell leaders this year.
Yohan Kim/The Bulletin

Yell leaders back on cheer squad

Emporia State can finally boast once again of having, among the ranks of its cheerleaders, five male yell leaders. And they all say they are happy to devote their time to the leaps and pyramids which provide for athletes and students alike both support and spectacle.

“This is the first year we’ve had yell leaders in a while,” said Angela Blaufuss-Nunley, head coach and ESU alum.

But seeing the guys out on the court during one evening practice, it seems hard to imagine there was ever a time without them.

“My favorite thing is the camaraderie of the team,” said Mike Bess, sophomore psychology major.

Many of this year’s yell leaders were asked by friends or girls already on the squad to join the team. But one, Kevin Flanders, junior psychology major, found his way to the squad by means of fellow a yell leader on his rugby team.

“It was very different, seeing as I’ve played full-contact sports,” Flanders said. “It’s definitely a different environment.”

Yet cheerleading and yell leading are not so different from most other athletics, the guys said – the key lies in trust.

“You have to trust everybody,” said Jacob Lakey, freshman business major.

Trust is especially crucial in the role of a yell leader. One of their primary roles, according to Zachary Nance, freshman psychology and criminal justice major, is to make sure the cheerleaders don’t fall when they are stunting.

“I got made fun of a little bit,” Nance said. “(But) I mean, I get to hang out with cheerleaders all the time.”

Cheerleading and yell leading, however, are not officially recognized as sports by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Blaufuss-Nunley said she does not agree with this ruling.

“It’s difficult to require so much of them physically, professionally, and academically and not also being able to tell them they receive that recognition as an athlete,” Blaufuss-Nunley said.

But Nick Donovan, former yell leader and ESU alum, disagreed.

“It takes a lot of athleticism,” Donovan said, “but until you get into the actual competitive side of it, I don’t actually view it as a sport.”

The sentiment differed amongst the team, but Jacob Lee Baker, freshman business major, best put the argument to rest.

“ESU recognizes it as a sport,” he said, “so I don’t care.”

Blaufuss-Nunley said she loves to work with the team as a whole – guys and gals both – and that she’s very proud of the dynamic the group has.

“I don’t know what the squad would be like without them,” said Samantha Jacob, cheerleader and sophomore Spanish and nursing major.

Gawkers v. Stalkers

Weiss

An Emporia man was recently charged with stalking 21 women. While this may seem like a snicker-worthy thing for many people our age, the fact of the matter is that stalking is a very scary, often traumatic experience for the victim(s). What better time to have a discussion about this than January – National Stalking Awareness Month.

I think we’ve been trained to assume stalking is reserved for celebrities and the creepy people who idolize them. Stars who live in California and eccentrics that follow their every move may seem like distant problems, but stalking can happen anytime and anywhere.

We also tend to use the word “stalking” wantonly, especially when we call Facebook “Stalkerbook” and such. But jealously searching through others’ superficial information pages for hours is not criminal activity – it’s just pitiful.

And while some may argue that stalking does not lead to anyone being physically harmed, which is not always true, the criminal does steal something from the victim – their sense of security. Feeling safe is priceless, and to have it taken away for no good reason is entirely unfair.

It is also understandable why someone might not be sure if they are being stalked or not. After all, how are you supposed to recognize something if you’ve never experienced it before?

I would guess, however, that the feeling of having one’s privacy invaded is innate. It should be understood that we have a right to a certain amount of privacy from the government – and from each other. If or when we get that gut feeling, no one should feel shame in seeking help and standing up for themselves.

There is a definite lesson to learn here: be protective of your personal information. It is personal, after all.

For example, there are certain features on Facebook that are just plain unnecessary, like the “places” application. No one needs a record of where their “friends” are or have gone, unless they are specifically trying to find ways to feel left out.

In my unprofessional, but common-sense opinion, if we use preventative measures, stay educated and stand up for ourselves, we can work as a team to keep stalking from furthering itself as a problem in our community.

Police Reports

Jan. 23

Officers responded to a report of a white sedan driving through Union Square. Vehicle left the area prior to officer’s arrival.

Hannah Buenger reported a suspicious male outside of her apartment complex at 1107 Merchant St. Case was referred to Emporia Police Dept.

Jan. 24

Officers stopped OK 843APD in Sector 3. Verbal warning given for defective headlight.

Officers stopped KS 849BJP in 1100 Whittier. Verbal warning given for defective tail light.

Jan. 25

Tanner Orchard reported a suspicious smell on 5th floor of North Twin Towers. Officers were unable to determine the source of the odor.

Officer stopped KS 880DVL in Sector 3. Verbal warning given for a stop sign violation at 15th and Wooster Drive.

Officer stopped KS Veteran 68AXA at 1533 Merchant St. Verbal warning given for a stop sign violation at I-35 and Merchant Street.

Officers stopped KS WZO608 in 300 E 12th Ave. Verbal warning given for speeding in 100 E 12th Ave.

Officers assisted Emporia Police Dept. with crowd control at 707 Commercial St.

Officers stopped KS 497CRJ in 1000 Merchant St. Verbal warning given for crossing the center line in 1000 Merchant St.

Officers stopped KS 080DVL at 10 east 12th Ave. Verbal warning given for defective headlight.

Officer stopped KS 244EHV at 15th and Highland Street. Citation issued for careless driving in 200 E 15th Ave. Subject was taken into custody for DUI, MIC, and transported to Lyon Co. jail.

Jan. 26

Officer stopped CO 474XBL in 100 E 12th Ave. Verbal warning given for a one-way violation in same location.

Officer stopped KS 190FAE in Sector 7. Verbal warning given for defective headlights.

Officers stopped IA 278ZCP in 1100 Exchange St. Citation issued for speeding in same location.

Officers stopped SC GJK743 in Kellogg Circle. Verbal warning given for defective headlights.

Officer stopped KS XRT343 in 1500 Merchant St. Verbal warning given for defective headlights.

Officer contacted a subject trespassing at 1201 Triplett Dr. and ordered them to leave property.

Jan. 27

Officer stopped KS 360 DBF at 12th and Constitution Street. Verbal warning given for a defective headlight.

Officer stopped KS 091 DVL in 800 W 12th Ave. Verbal warning given for a defective headlight.

Josh Case reported a suspicious smell on 2nd floor Abigail Morse Hall. Officers were unable to determine the source of the odor.

Officers stopped a bicyclist in Lot 3. Verbal warning given for a one-way violation.

Power House Operator reported temperatures in Butcher Education Center Library and Rooms 112 and 113 are high. Sgt. Moore contacted Nane Weaver.

Officers checked all Blue Light Emergency telephones on campus.

Officer assisted Lyon Co. deputy with a car stop in 1700 Highland St.

Officer assisted Emporia Police Dept. with checking a vehicle at 11th and Neosho Street.

Officers stopped KS Veteran 13077 in 100 W 12th Ave. Verbal warning given for a defective headlight.

Jan. 28

*Reports not given to The Bulletin by press time on Wednesday.

Jan. 29

Parking Enforcement immobilized KS 446DVV in Sector 2.

Students volunteer as YouthFriends for kids

Heather Wagner, director of Youth Friends, and Brooklyn Owens, junior crime and delinquency studies major, discuss the Youth Friends program on campus. YouthFriends goal is to match every child with a mentor.
Lingzi Su/The Bulletin

When YouthFriends began as a small pilot program of six school districts 17 years ago, there were only 140 volunteers in Kansas involved. According to its official website, YouthFriends is now “a nationally recognized and rapidly growing school-based mentoring network involving more than 70 schools districts across the states of Missouri and Kansas.”

In Emporia, this program is being utilized in public schools from pre-school to high school. It is open to all the students, but they must be referred to the program. Students have one hour each week with their mentors on school grounds.

Heather Wagner, who started YouthFriends, brought it to Emporia seven years ago.

“The children (in this program) gain self-esteem, work better with the adults and they have more friendships with other classmates,” Wagner said. “It also helps with their attendance. They will have better grades.”

Most of the group’s volunteers come from the school district, but the second largest group is Emporia State students. Currently, there are about 50 ESU students volunteering in the program.

Brooklyn Owens, junior crime and delinquency studies major, has been involved in YouthFriends since she was in high school, and she has been working for the group for a year. She said that interacting with kids has been great. Owens’ main job is to match the students and mentors, and she makes matches according to the teachers’ comments on the student.

“It’s very interesting working with kids, especially the kids from different backgrounds,” said Brianna Buyers, senior sociology major and YouthFriends volunteer. “I wish I could find more mentors to help the children.”

Buyers said her hope is to eventually find a mentor for every child.

Volunteers can choose the age groups they have interests in, and they can share common interests with the students, or do things together.

“It is great for children to have a young adult role model to look up to,” said Marcy Shirk, teacher at Timmerman Elementary School. “The YouthFriends are very good with the kids, and the kids look forward the meeting with their YouthFriends each week. I have two kids in my class who have YouthFriends, and they both have benefited greatly. Their attitudes about school and life have changed for the better.”

For more information on becoming a YouthFriends mentor for the Emporia School District, contact Heather Wagner at 341-2392, or Amanda Rodriguez at 341-2396.

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