Barton Community College - Spoke Yearbook (Great Bend, KS)

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Athletes perform on local and national levels By Alex Shell Many Barton County Community College students represent the school by participating in athletic programs. Cross Country The cross country season was had mixed success. The Cougars ran well in the regular season but were struck by injuries near the end of the season. The men placed sixth at the regional meet with two men qualifying for nationals. Kenny Gaston, Chicago sophomore, and Gary Lyles, Junction City sophomore, traveled to Overland Park where Lyles placed 23rd and received All-American honors. The women placed second at the regional meet and came in 7th at the national competition. This was the fifth year the Cougar women have placed within the top ten teams at nationals. Karla Spexarth, Annadale sophomore, said, “We did the best we possibly could. Each meet was a step¬ ping stone and a learning tool to help us progress by improving our running and building our confidence.” “One thing that was hard for me was to maintain consistence. Now I realize what a big factor it plays in shaping an individual’s performance,” Lyles said.

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By Alex Shell According to the Register’s Office 70 students from other parts of the coun¬ try enrolled at Barton County Com¬ munity County in the fall. Students come from as far away as Alaska, Florida, and the Philippines. Chris Humphrey, Omaha, Neb. sophomore said,“I was very impressed when I first visited. I have grown to like it more and more.” Some of the out of state students are away from home for the First time. Students learn to adjust by making new friends and taking care of themselves. “The people here are really friendly and know how to have fun. I’ve been able to slide in and adjust very well from my transfer of schools,” Humphey said. Jeff Garcia, Manila, Philippines fresh¬ man, said, when he first came to BCCC he had trouble adjusting. He said he missed his family and friends and wan¬ ted to go back to his country. “I can‘t talk using my native languages,Tagolog and Chinese. I miss the food I used to eat in my country. But now I like it. I have adjusted to the new environment and school system.” Garcia came to Great Bend as an ex¬ change studnet. He said his father wan¬ ted him to come to BCCC before transferring to a large university. It takes Garcia at least 23 hours by plane to get home. He said the least ex¬ pensive rate he has found is $800, which is for Filipino citizens, flying Philippine Airlines. According to Garcia, his instructors try their best to see that students learn. The classes are not too big or too small.“I find it easy to talk to the in¬ structors when I have problems in my assignments,” he said. Doug VanderVeen, Kodiak, Ala. sophomore, said living at BCCC is a change from living in Alaska. He said Kodiak is the second largest island in the United states, so it is not as small a people may think. “I live on an island in the pacific where there are 40 miles of paved road and the rest of the roads are dirt. “Yes, it’s cold, but not as cold as most people think. Nobody lives in igloos where I’m from. There are a lot of peo¬ ple with Russian backgrounds.” Van¬ derVeen said. He said he came to BCCC to because of the baseball program. He said he knew BCCC had a great team, one he wanted to play for. “I’m happy to be here at Barton Coun¬ ty, and the baseball team is as good as I thought.” VanderVeen said it takes him 18 hours to get home. So he only goes home at Christmas. He spends his summers playing baseball in Alaska. His hobbies are fishing and hunting. “Alaska is a fun place to visit but a bad place to live,” he said. The adjustment to college life can be hard enough without being far away from home. Many out-of-state students do not go home often. Earning money for the trip can be hard to do. The time it takes to travel to and from home takes valuable time away from family and friends. If these students are athletes, they must schedule their trips during their off season. But still they come. Garcia said, “I’m glad I chose Barton County. It’s not easy finding a good school that offers both strong athletics as well as a solid academic background. I think BCCC is just the school for both. Corey Hannah, Rock Island, Ill., sophomore, Kenny Gaston, Chicago sophomore, and Tom Ross, Gorham freshman, work the boards at a dance in the Union. (Photo by Angela Ball) Chris Humphrey, Omaha, Neb., takes time between classes to catch up on outside reading. Kim Darrough, Johnson sophomore, Paula Betts Russell sophomore, and Jodi Cowan, Phoenix, Ariz., sophomore, stand in the lunch line with their identification cards. Every student hopes cafeteria food will taste as good as home cooking. 15

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X Women’s Basketball According to Head Coach Jerry McCarty, “The women had a satisfying season. After starting slowly the inten- sity of play increased and the women started to rely on their defense.” He said the object of the season was to get a play-off spot. McCarty said the team played the roughest team in the conference and X won. “Character began to overshadow ability. If we play with desire, we win.” The first place conference win en¬ abled them to participate in the national tournament in Mississippi. The team was eliminated in the first round of play. Benita Martin, Denver sophomore, led the team in scoring with a 16.3 average. She was selected as an Honor¬ able Mention All-American. Debbie Johnson, Lorraine freshman, led the team in rebounds, averaging 8 per game. Tracey Stowe, Topeka fresh¬ man, led in assists with 5.8 per game. Cheerleaderes, yell leaders, fans and athletes alike joined to burn the Hutchinson Blue Dragon at a pep rally. Crowds for the Cougars’ games against Hutchinson are always large and enthusiastic. Many times fans have been turned away at the doors because the gym was filled to capacity. 17