Northeastern Junior College News Releases

Two NJC baseball players named to top of the nation this week

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:42:00 -0600

OC Sports NJCAA Baseball Players of the Week

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Nick Miller (Northeastern JC, Colo.), Derek Neeper (Northeastern JC, Colo.), Greg Carroll (Westchester CC, N.Y.), Matt Faia (Northern Essex CC, Mass.) and Matt Engler (Onondaga CC, N.Y.) have been named NJCAA Baseball Players of the Week for games April 30 – May 6.

Northeastern swept Division I honors with Miller earning Player of the Week and Neeper claiming Pitcher of the Week. The Division II Pitcher of the Week was Carroll. Faia was named Division III Player of the Week, while Engler took Pitcher of the Week for the division.

DIVISION I PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Nick Miller; Northeastern Junior College, Colo.
First Base; Loveland, Colo.; Mountain View High School
Miller claimed Division I Player of the Week honors after hitting for the cycle in the Plainsmen’s 8-3 win over Trinidad State JC (Colo.) last week. The sophomore went 5-for-5 in the victory with two hits, a double, a triple and a home run. Miller batted in two runs, scored three of his own and stole a base in the effort. Northeastern and Miller have advanced to the championship series of the Region 9 tournament and will take on No. 12 Lamar CC (Colo.) this weekend in a three-game series.

DIVISION I PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Derek Neeper; Northeastern Junior College, Colo.
Right-Handed Pitcher; Loveland, Colo.; Mountain View High School
Facing Trinidad State JC (Colo.) in their first game of the Region 9 tournament, the Plainsmen turned to Neeper for the crucial win. The sophomore hurler delivered with seven solid innings in an 8-3 victory. Neeper struck out eight batters, giving up two runs on seven hits. Northeastern and Neeper will face-off against No. 12 Lamar CC (Colo.) this weekend in the Region 9 championship series.

To view the full article, please visit: http://www.njcaa.org/newsArticle.cfm?articleId=17164

Merino player signing with NJC

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:25:00 -0600

Carle Walser of Merino signs with NJC

We are excited to have Carle Walser from Merino as part of our incoming class for 2012-13. Every year we target three or four players from the Northeast Colorado area. In the JUCO ranks they will play against players from all parts of the United States and many foreign countries. Our local players have been a big part of our success because of their work ethic and good coaching. She was a key player in the Rams success during her career. Merino has been one of the top teams in the state and we look for her to make an impact for the Plainswomen next year. She was a multiple All Conference player and was a CCGS All State performer while at Merino. She was also a member of the volleyball and track teams for the Rams. Carle will major in elementary education.

NJC home to all around rodeo champions

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:58:00 -0600

Top to bottom: Amy Tierney, Hayden Segelke, Kelby Bond, and Shay Carroll.

Bringing home the hardware!

NJC home to region’s men’s and women’s All Around Rodeo Champions

By Barbara Baker

After ten rodeos and more than 30 days on the road covering the pavement in three states, the Northeastern Junior College Rodeo Team has concluded the most successful regular season in team history. Northeastern is proud to announce that it is now home to both the men’s all-around champion and the women’s all-around champions in the Central Rocky Mountain Region, which includes colleges in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. NJC will have three individuals competing in five events at the College National Finals in Casper, Wyoming, June 10th-16th. The last rodeo of the spring circuit for the Central Rocky Mountain Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) was held in Laramie, Wyoming. The NJC team members brought home four saddles and a whole lot of championship hardware in the way of beautiful buckles. In addition, team member, Amy Tierney, a sophomore from Oral, South Dakota was elected to be the new Regional Student Director for the Central Rocky Mountain Region. This is a two-year position.

“It is an honor when our kids are identified as leaders by their fellow competitors,” notes NJC Head Rodeo Coach Brian Cullen. According to Cullen, NJC was the only school in Colorado to qualify individuals for the college finals.

This spring season, NJC captured three regional rodeo team championships. The men’s team finished sixth in the region and the women’s team came in fourth for team standings. However, individual accolades have to go to

Shay Carroll of La Junta, Colorado, an NJC sophomore studying business, who was, for the second year in a row, named the Central Rocky Mountain Region’s Men’s All-around Champion. Hayden Segelke, a well-known competitor from Morgan County (Snyder), captured the Women’s All-around Champion title for the region and was also named the Rookie of the Year. Her horse, HPQ Smokin’ Rascal was also chosen the Horse of the Year for the Region. Segelke, a freshman from a very prominent rodeo family in northeastern Colorado, was considered one of the most sought after high school recruits last year. She chose Northeastern, primarily to be close to home. Kelby Bond of Pueblo County showed a very solid performance this year, capturing third place in the region in steer wrestling.

“It was a grueling season,” said Coach Cullen. “When I visit with coaches from other schools, I am so thankful for the culture at NJC and the encouragement and support that our programs receive for all levels.” Faculty and staff at Northeastern understand the significance of having strong rodeo competitors. The students, who ride for the black and gold, proudly wearing NJC vests as they compete, are great ambassadors for the college when they are away from campus.

Shay Carroll has been an exceptional competitor in the arena and in the classroom. He was also named one of two top Northeastern Junior College Business Students of the Year. Amy Tierney was also recognized as a top business student this year.

State study shows Northeastern contributes 107 million to the local community

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:32:00 -0600

DENVER – Today, Dr. Nancy McCallin, president of the Colorado Community College System released a study detailing the economic impact the Colorado Community College System’s 13 colleges have on their local communities and on the state as a whole.

This study documents the vital role community colleges play in the economic future of Colorado and in the lives of the 162,000 students they enroll. Highlights of the study found that the state-wide, total economic impact of the 13 colleges in the Colorado Community College System is $3.01 billion annually. This number represents the higher earnings that students earn, as a result of the education they receive from a community college and the increased output of businesses because of the highly trained workforce from the Colorado Community College System. In addition, for every $1 students invest in their education within the Colorado Community College System, on average, they see an increase of $3.10 in their working careers. On an annual basis, after adjusting for inflation, students receive an 11% rate of return on the money they invested in their community college education. State and local governments will see, on average in today’s dollars, a rate of return of 5.9%, as a result of their investment in the 13 colleges in the Colorado Community College System.

“The results of this study clearly demonstrate the value of community colleges to the students, the taxpayers, and businesses in Colorado. As our students earn their higher education, they become more employable, they are paid better, and can then afford to invest in the kinds of products and services to improve their lives,” said McCallin. “Additionally, businesses benefit by having higher skilled employees, thus enabling them to grow, hire more employees, and strengthen the economy.

“We are pleased that the results of the study show that community colleges are a wise investment of taxpayer and student money because the return is substantial,” she added. “There is the added benefit of community colleges offering educational opportunities for individuals who otherwise might not have them because of our affordability, accessibility, and flexibility.”

At Northeastern Junior College, the total economic impact was $107.691million. For students, for every $1 they invest, on average, they see an increase of $3.70 in their working careers. On an annual basis, after adjusting for inflation, students receive a rate of return of 13.3% on the money they invested in their community college education. State and local governments see, on average in today’s dollars, a rate of return of 6.9%.

“Even though I am relatively new to Colorado, it has been very obvious to me that Northeastern Junior College has an important and significant economic presence in this part of the state” said Jay Lee, President of Northeastern Junior College. He began his tenure as president of the state’s largest residential two year college this past March. “The results of this study confirms the college’s role in being an economic engine in northeastern Colorado. It’s a responsibility that those of us who work for NJC do not take lightly. What we do and how successful we are impacts this whole corner of the state and we will strive to maintain this level of success for the region

The study was done by Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. (EMSI). EMSI is a professional service firm that provides economic consulting to colleges. Since 2000, EMSI has produced over 1,100 economic impact studies for many of the community colleges in the U.S.

The Colorado Community College System comprises the state's largest system of higher education, serving more than 162,000 students annually. CCCS oversees career and academic programs in the 13 state community colleges and career and technical programs in more than 160 school districts and six other post-secondary institutions. The colleges in the Colorado Community College System are Arapahoe Community College, Colorado Northwestern Community College, Community College of Aurora, Community College of Denver, Front Range Community College, Lamar Community College, Morgan Community College, Northeastern Junior College, Otero Junior College, Pikes Peak Community College, Pueblo Community College, Red Rocks Community College, and Trinidad State Junior College.

Lieutenant Governor to visit Sterling May 16

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:31:00 -0600

Holding community conversation on education

On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 16th, Colorado Lt. Governor Joseph Garcia and some of his staffers will be in Sterling to host a community conversation on how K-12 and Higher Education are working together. This free event, open to the public, will be held in Room 230 of Hays Student Center on the campus of Northeastern Junior College from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Garcia will be posing specific questions to those in attendance regarding what kind of success has happened in this area in building programs and support between K-12 and Higher Education. He will be asking for information about some of the specific struggles facing K-12 and Higher Education in northeastern Colorado and asking how the various levels of education work together to meet the needs of Spanish-speaking families. According to the agenda provided, Garcia wants to know specifically, what are the three biggest challenges to improving transitions for students between K-12 and Higher Education in this area of the state? When it comes to remediation challenges and issues, what models are working well for NJC and students? What more can K-12 schools and the Department of Higher Education to do address these issues together? Garcia also wants to know how K-12 and Higher Education out here in this part of Colorado work to improve professional development and support for teaching professionals.

Garcia will provide information to those who gather at this meeting on the challenges and issues facing the P20 Education Pipeline in Colorado. P-20 is short for an integrated education system that extends from pre-school through higher education. He plans to communicate about the role of the Department of Higher Education in Colorado and discuss education efforts at the state level regarding early literacy, Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids (CAP4K), educator effectiveness and TBD Colorado--TBD Colorado is a nonpartisan, collaborative effort designed to create informed and constructive conversations among Coloradans about some of the biggest issues facing the state. TBD stands for To Be Determined.

Last but not least, Garcia and his staff will provide an overview of legislation on HB12-1238-The Colorado Early Literacy Act; HB 12-1155-Improvement in College Completion; SB12-045-Higher Education Associate Degree Transfer Students; and SB 12-164-Operations of Private Post-Secondary Colleges.

NJC Signs Two from Doherty High School

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:00:00 -0600

NJC signs two Doherty High School(Colorado Springs) standouts. The Plainswomen inked guard Jordan Bishop and forward Vanessa Villagrana from one of the top teams in 5A. Bishop and Villagrana were key players in Doherty’s state tournament run that ended in a loss to 5A State Champion Legacy HS on a last shot in the state Elite 8 matchup. Doherty ended the season with an outstanding 23-4 record. Also signing with the Plainswomen is guard Elika Posey from Fountain-Fort Carson High School in the Colorado Springs area. Elika will add speed and scoring (13 pt/g) from her guard position at NJC.

These recruits will compliment returners Ngone Ndiaye, Ashley Kennedy, Karala Orona, and Selbe Lo for the Plainswomen next year. More signing will be posted in the future.

The Sonnenberg Agency Supports Hope Scholarship through Club 1941

Tue, 08 May 2012 08:45:00 -0600

Tim and Sam Sonnenberg.

By Susie Schaefer

Sterling, CO – The Sonnenberg Agency LLC has joined the Northeastern Junior College Foundation’s Hope Scholarship benefit, Club 1941, at the Black and Gold level ($2500). They purchased the year 1983 to commemorate the founding of their business by Maynard Sonnenberg. The Agency is now owned and managed by Maynard’s sons, Tim Sonnenberg and Sam Sonnenberg. The brothers are fourth generation farmers and ranchers in the Sterling area who grew up in rural northeastern Colorado with a background in agriculture.

The business was originally started by Maynard when farming and ranching underwent changes in the early 1980’s. At that time, Maynard had considered going into real estate, but opted to go into crop insurance based on the advice of his cousin Richard. As a new business owner, Maynard was good with numbers, and his sons are most proud of the way that he started the business from “scratch” and built the business to what it is today. Sam and Tim agreed that Maynard had the ambition and drive to “start over” in his 50’s and that he was truly an example of fortitude and determination.

While Tim worked alongside his father, Sam came into the business later. Both are grateful that Maynard shared the business opportunity with his sons. Sam and Tim add that they will “never forget that our clients came to the Agency and helped our family by giving us a chance to compete.” Two clients have told the brothers that the only reason they brought their business to the Sonnenberg Agency when it first opened was that they felt sorry for Maynard. However, they went on to say that if it hadn’t been for the crop insurance they purchased through the Agency, they would have lost everything and would not be in business today.

The Sonnenberg Agency has grown and evolved over the years, first offering crop insurance packages for crops then adding property and casualty insurance in 1998. The Agency acquired a smaller agency in the last few years and now sells insurance plans in four states and more than 25 counties. This expansion is managed with only five employees – one of them being Sam’s eldest son Jared.

When asked how Northeastern Junior College fits into the picture, it is very clear. Sam and his wife Julie are both NJC graduates, as well as two of their three children, Jared in 2003 and Noelle in 2007. Sam has served on the NJC Advisory Council and is a former Young Farmers member and Julie has served on the NJC Alumni Board for two terms, on the Foundation Board of Trustees, and on the NJC Foundation Hope Gala Committee for several years.

Tim and his wife Tammy are also NJC graduates. Their son, AJ, attended NJC for one year before transferring to Colorado State University and daughter, Amy, took advantage of NJC’s post-secondary option, taking business classes at NJC while still in high school. She is currently enrolled in Culinary College in Boulder and will graduate from both NJC and Culinary College in May of this year. She plans to continue her education at CSU. Tim noted, “Whether they stay here and go to NJC, or leave and come back, this is a great community.”

The Sonnenberg Agency supports NJC because it allows students to work locally while attending classes, as did Sam and Tim. They had “great teachers” and NJC was “affordable”, even allowing students to earn paid housing by working as Residence Hall Advisors. The brothers also spoke of bonds formed with other students while living in the dorms – bonds that still exist today.

Tim and Sam believe that NJC plays a major economic role in northeast Colorado by offering classes and programs that support local business. They also recognize the value of the Hope Scholarship. Some of their children were beneficiaries of the Hope and they work to actively support the scholarship program, the college and the community in return.

The Sonnenberg Agency supports numerous programs for youth in the northeast Colorado community – athletic programs and the Logan County Fair & Rodeo, area high schools, Lions Club, Relay for Life, CSU Alumni, NJC Alumni, and the NJC Foundation Board of Trustees. They are very involved in Economic Development, Urban Renewal, and both Sonnenberg families are active in the First Christian Church.

The Sonnenberg Agency is a living example of a mid-life business venture that formed the foundation for prosperity and success within a community for generations to come. For the Sonnenbergs, business is about family. Sam said it best, “Life is good.”

For more information on Club 1941 and the HOPE Scholarship program, please contact NJC Foundation Executive Director Cindy Johnson at 970.521.6603.

NJC Athletes Honored

Tue, 08 May 2012 08:44:00 -0600

By: Trevor Varley - Sports Information Director

The 2nd Annual NJC Athletics Banquet was held Tuesday April 24, 2012 in the Bank of Colorado Event Center. Athletes from volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s soccer, golf, softball and baseball were all recognized at the event. Current sophomore student/athletes were all honored by their individual coaches as they prepare to leave NJC at the end of the school year. This year’s banquet saw the addition of two prestigious athletic awards. These awards will be given annually in honor of Darold Propp, a mainstay at almost every NJC sports contest and Jake Clifton, an incoming freshman baseball player. Both Darold and Jake lost their lives earlier this past year.

Former NJC Head Men’s Basketball Coach and Athletic Director Lowell Roumph was the keynote speaker. Roumph served the NJC athletic department for 34 years, from 1968 until his retirement in 2002. During those years, Roumph served as an assistant from 1968-1981 before taking over as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach from 1981-2002. During his tenure, Roumph’s teams won a remarkable 720 games. Coach Roumph spoke of his time at NJC and the things he looked for as a coach and mentor. Roumph said, “When I was recruiting athletes, I focused more on their attitude and work ethic, opposed to looking at just ability”. Roumph also touched on the relationships he has built throughout his time at NJC.

The 2012 recipient of the Darold Propp Memorial Student- Athlete Award was NJC Women’s Basketball sophomore Hannah Pollart. NJC Athletic Director Marci Henry and Propp’s brother Larry presented Pollart with the award. The first time award was established to honor the student-athlete that most exemplifies the love of the game and honors NJC Athletics through positive attitude, work ethic and leadership. Propp, who passed away this past December, was an avid supporter of NJC Athletics. He could be found at nearly every home sporting event and was always willing to carry on a conversation pertaining to current and former NJC sports teams.

The Jake Clifton Memorial Scholarship was awarded to freshman left handed pitcher Ryan Reno. On hand to help Head Coach Bryan Shepherd give out the award were Jake’s father Vance, mother Karen and sister Sammi. Clifton, who was set to attend NJC on a baseball scholarship, was tragically lost in a swimming accident two weeks before he was to move to Sterling. The award is presented to a returning sophomore baseball player who exemplifies hard work, character and toughness on and off the field.

Shepherd keynotes NJC business awards event

Tue, 08 May 2012 08:42:00 -0600

Neala Shepherd, a marketing executive at Cabela’s was the keynote speaker for the NJC Business Awards Night. The college is wrapping up the school year with various award programs. (Courtesy Photo)

By Barbara Baker

Encouraging her audience to learn to work hard to be good at business, Neala Shepherd, a senior marketing executive at Cabela’s in Sidney reminded the Northeastern Junior College business students she was speaking to that “C is average and in the work world, average won’t get you promoted and it certainly won’t get you a bonus.” Shepherd was the keynote speaker at the college’s Business Awards Night held Monday evening on campus.

As a key marketing executive for the world’s foremost outfitter, with headquarters located 35 miles north of here, Shepherd shared her career story with the students.

“I always enjoy talking to students, to mentor those going into business,” Shepherd told the crowd of over 100 students. “You are a generation of leaders moving into a new territory,” she said, “a territory based on a global economy, driven by e-commerce and technology that is constantly changing.”

“Fourteen years ago I was just like you. I was caught up in college life and I wasn’t really thinking about what I was going to be doing for a career,” Shepherd told the students. “I was getting a degree in marketing and I knew I wanted to work in some area of marketing, but I didn’t really know what that was going to be.” She went on to tell about interviewing for and then being hired to work as a media assistant for a major ad agency in Oklahoma City.

Then “life happened”, she said. She married husband Bryan, who is the head men’s baseball coach at NJC. “We decided that we really wanted to decide what ‘success’ looked like to us. He wanted to be a head coach at a university that he felt good about. I wanted to be able to pursue a career in marketing.” Her folks live in Oklahoma and his parents live in South Dakota, so Sterling was an excellent fit geographically and was offering them what they were looking for, especially once Neala found employment at Cabela’s.

“It is a multi-billion dollar corporation that is now 50 years old,” Shepherd said, indicating that as the owner of the company often reminds the employees, ‘we sell fun and when we’re not selling fun, we won’t be in business anymore.’

Top business students for the 2011-2012 year at NJC were (l to r): Shay Carroll of La Junta and Jaiden Potter of Haxtun. (Courtesy Photo)

“I’m so fortunate to work for a company that has a ‘cult-like’ following,” Shepherd mused, then clarified by saying that part of her job is to go around the world helping open new Cabela’s stores. “I was in Seattle recently and we had more than 5,000 people at the grand opening,” which she said is very typical of the kind of draw the stores get everywhere when they open. A recent store opening in Canada drew the same number of new customers.

Shepherd went on to remind the students that among the things they will need to be successful in business will be some business savvy. “Fortunately for you, this can be learned,” she said. The keynote speaker gave several tips to the students. “Be passionate about what you do. Love what you do. Be good at what you do,” she said. “Prepare yourself. A college education is just the first piece. You will have to be a life-long learner as you’ll have to have a good understanding of e-commerce, technology, finance, social issues, politics, and so many other things. Remember that knowledge is power.” She reminded the students that the world really owes them nothing and what they get will depend entirely upon what they are willing to work for and earn. She talked about situations where someone believes a promotion is in order for reasons other than hard work. “I would be horrified to think I had been promoted for any reason other than hard work and doing an exceptional job,” she said.

In closing, Shepherd left the students with perhaps the most valuable business tip when she told them that they need to be extremely careful about what they already have or will ever post online. She explained to the group that when Cabela’s is hiring, they select the top candidates on paper and then go to the Internet and search the social media sites to see what, if anything, they can find about the applicant. She indicated that there have been numerous times when even though someone might have been a top candidate to begin, what was discovered about them in e-land resulted in them not being considered further for employment. She told the students that someone in a human resources office can typically find out a whole lot about an applicant—good or bad-- in just a few minutes online.

During the awards ceremony, about 25 students were recognized for their various achievements. Top business students for the year were announced and included Shay Carroll of LaJunta and Jaiden Potter of Haxtun. The two sophomore were both named Rising Stars for the business department last year as freshmen and certainly met the department’s expectation that they would achieve great things their second year.

NJC auto students test at the top of the state

Tue, 08 May 2012 08:41:00 -0600

Will Richendifer (right), a senior at Sterling High School, took first place and Collin Brungardt (left), also a senior at Sterling, took second place.

This year, 198 of the best and brightest 11th or 12th grade auto technology students from high schools all over Colorado took the state qualifying exam, seeking the honor of being one of the ten, two-person teams to qualify to compete in the Colorado Skills USA Ford Motor Company’s AAA contest. Only twenty students in each state earn the right to compete in this contest. It was two students in Northeastern Junior College’s secondary automotive technology program who had the very top scores on the exam and are now preparing for the Colorado competition.

Will Richendifer (right), a senior at Sterling High School, took first place and Collin Brungardt (left), also a senior at Sterling, took second place. Both students will now participate in the hands-on team competition in Denver on May 11 and 12th.

In this "hands-on" competition, new Ford Motor Company vehicles will be uniformly "bugged" so that each team has identical malfunctions to diagnose and repair. The competition requires proper diagnosis and repairs to be made with the highest quality workmanship in the lowest total time. The winning two-person team from each state and their instructor are provided expense-paid trips (paid by Ford & AAA) to the national finals in June 2012 in addition to thousands of dollars in tools and in scholarship offers.

Richard Moon is the instructor and program coordinator for the secondary automotive program at NJC. The secondary program allows high school students from this area to spend a certain number of hours per week in a career technical training program, in this case, automotive technology, at the college’s facility on north campus. The program is a collaboration of the area high schools, NJC and BOCES. (Courtesy Photo)

International student night at Northeastern

Tue, 08 May 2012 08:40:00 -0600

Carolina Berger (second from left) and Mayara Prestes (third from left) of Brazil attempt to teach other NJC students how to do the samba during the international student panel at NJC last week. (Courtesy Photo)

By Barbara Baker

If you live in Brazil or Australia, you probably wouldn’t be caught dead in a restaurant wearing bulky sweat pants, or even tight spandex exercise attire for that matter. It is totally inappropriate clothing in which to be seen in public. This was just one of many observations made by some the international students who have been studying on the campus of Northeastern Junior College. A international student panel discussion was held last week and female students from Ethiopia, Brazil, South Africa and Australia spoke about their home cultures before a room of about 60 other students.

The students did show and tell and spoke about a number of characteristics of their homelands, everything from the staple foods and common languages used by the natives, to the education systems. As the Brazilians attempted to teach the African how to samba, the audience was, to say the least, a bit amused.

While some of the students still struggled a bit with their English--some of them very nervous to speak before a crowd-- they did their best to give their U.S. friends and peers a snapshot of what they might see or do if they were to visit their countries.

“Aboriginals do not live in huts,” pointed out Ashley North, a sophomore from Australia who came to NJC to play basketball. “You see them in movies and on television and you think they all live out in tribes. Most of them live in houses and have electricity like the rest of us.” She indicated that her best friend at home is an Aboriginal.

North lives on the northeast coast of the country in a community of about 160,000, very close to the Great Barrier Reef. “We do not get winter. There is no snow where I live. It snows in the south part of the country, but not where I live,” she explained.

The students from Ethiopia, all nursing students at NJC, spoke about their country and played a Simpson’s clip for the audience. The characters were darker skinned and much of the dialogue in their version included various jargon popular to their culture. They showed some of the woven items that are hand-made in their country.

Nygone Ndiaye of Senegal, South Africa, who also lived in Japan for a short time during her high school years, told the group that in her country, they use their hands to eat so that was one of several major adjustments for her when she arrived in Sterling. “Lots of people think I live in a place where animals are running wild all over,” she explained, continuing, “the first time I saw an animal it was in a zoo! Yes, there are areas of Africa where there are many animals running around, but there are places such as where I live that there are no animals except pets like you have here.”

“Wearing sweats is really frowned upon,” noted Carolina Berger, a sophomore volleyball player from Brazil. Ndiaye and North both chimed in agreeing, saying it was perhaps one of the most difficult things for them to get used to here in the U.S. “My teammates would tell me that we were going out to eat and I would dress up and then they would show up in their sloppy sweats. “We would never ever wear sweats out like that at home. We dress up to go out.”

Another challenge for the Brazilians was the casual way in which their U.S. peers use the words, ‘I love you.”

“In our country, we don’t say I love you unless we really, really mean it. It is reserved for parents and siblings and maybe a boyfriend,” Berger explained, adding, “it is used far too casually here. When my teammates would say things like, “okay, bye, see you, I love you, I would always think in my mind, ‘no, you don’t love me!’, but I have learned that this is just part of your culture.”

Most of the students made mention that they were of legal drinking age in their homelands at age 18 and living here and constantly being told what they can and cannot do has been interesting. All said, however, how grateful they have been for the experience.

“Every day I am here is a dream come true for me,” said volleyball player Gabriela Jandotte of Brazil. “My dream was to come to American and I am here!”

Granted, many of the international students who come to NJC make their way here for sports, they do add a significant flare to campus, enhancing the lives of the American students that they befriend. Most of these students have come from countries where school uniforms are the norm and there are no high school or college sports teams, but club teams instead that are operated outside of education.

Lots of foods and beverages were mentioned during their presentations. Ferjoada, Caipirinha, fresh cocoa, good coffee, peanut butter sauce, pito beer, jollof, lamb and curry were popular items they miss and look forward to consuming again when they get back home.

“I was so surprised that you have Mexican restaurants here,” laughed North. “In my country, you would never see a Mexican restaurant!”

Megan Russell, a Sterling resident, who traveled to Ghana recently, also shared some of her photos and thoughts about her trip to that area of the world with the group.

The college holds an international student panel every year. The event closed with each student saying “hello, goodbye, thank you and I love you” in her foreign language.

NJC Baseball Update

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:15:00 -0600

By Ken McDowell - Sports Editor

LA JUNTA - A weekend split with the Otero Junior College Rattlers locked in a second place finish in the Empire Conference for the Northeastern Junior College (NJC) Plainsmen baseball team.

The four pack opened Saturday in La Junta with the Plainsmen taking the first game by a 3-1 score behind another outstanding performance by NJC sophomore Derek Neeper.

The right pitched his seventh complete game of the season while improving to 11-2, allowing just one run and striking out five. His 11 wins breaks a school record for most victories in a season. He also has 90 strikeouts, which leads the conference and is second in the nation.

The NJC offense provided just enough pop as the Plainsmen handed Otero sophomore Dylan James his first loss of the season. James entered the game with an 8-0 mark.

NJC Coach Bryan Shepherd had high praise for another outstanding performance by Neeper.

"Every time Derek takes the mound he pitches his heart out," he said. "He was right at 100 pitches again and threw another complete game.

"We also beat a good pitcher in Dylan James, who was 8-0 going into the game and is one of the best pitchers in the conference. We got to him and they made a few mistakes and we were able to get the win."

In the second game on Saturday the Plainsmen let a 3-1 lead slip away and ended up losing by a 4-3 score in 12 innings. NJC left the go-ahead runs on base in the eighth, 10th and 12th innings before Otero won the game in the bottom of the 12th on a walk-off double.

Freshman lefty Ryan Reno started the game and pitched well, but three errors helped the Rattlers knot the score before taking the win in 12th inning.

"Ryan threw the ball well and was doing a great job," Shepherd observed. "But he made a mistake on a pick-off attempt which led to a run and we mis-judged a couple of fly balls in the outfield that allowed Otero to tie the game and beat us in 12 innings."

On Sunday sophomore Nick Miller of the Plainsmen took the mound and threw six innings, leading NJC to a 3-1 victory. Miller improved to 6-2 with the win while allowing just one run.

Miller has 78 strikeouts and is second on the team behind Neeper.

"Nick pitched well and was our designated hitter and also had a couple of hits," Shepherd reported. "Tyler Sieg came in the seventh and gave up a run, but battled hard to get the save after walking a couple of guys."

In the final game of the series on Sunday NJC led 1-0 early on an RBI single by Miller, but ended up falling by a 5-1 score. The score was tied 1-1 until Otero scored two runs in the fourth inning and added three more in the sixth to put the game away.

Freshman lefty Brennan Henry started the game and was tagged with the tough luck loss.

"We jumped out early and did well, but then shut it down offensively for some reason," Shepherd said. "Otero was able to get a couple off of us in the fourth and then put the game away with three more in the sixth inning."

NJC and Otero finish the regular season series even at 3-3. Otero is the only team in the Empire Conference the Plainsmen do not have a winning record against.

"Otero has a great team, but they have been just a little bit inconsistent this year," Shepherd said. "It's been back and fourth between us, but I told our guys the biggest thing about last weekend is that we didn't play our best.

"We didn't swing the bats well and this is the first weekend all season that we didn't play that well. But we still had a chance to win four games, but you have to give them credit because they have some good pitchers."

On Wednesday (April 18) NJC played a single nine inning conference game at Western Nebraska Community College and ran away with a 14-5 victory.

Freshman Mitch Bouchard pitched six strong innings to pick up the win for NJC.

"Mitch pitched well and we really swung the bats well in that game," Shepherd said. "We had nine runs on seven hits in the first inning. If we would have hit at all like that against Otero we would have been in good shape."

NJC stands at 37-16 overall and 21-7 in the conference, and just a couple of weeks ago was ranked 21st in the nation. Lamar Community College clinched the Empire Conference title with a 15-6 win Tuesday at Trinidad State, and is 24-5 in the league and 42-10 overall. NJC still has two more regular season games with a twin-bill Sunday at Trinidad State College.

Lamar still has one game left with Trinidad.

The top four teams in the Empire Conference, Lamar, NJC, Otero and Trinidad, advance to the Region IX Tournament May 4-6. While Lamar will host Trinidad State, the Plainsmen will entertain Otero in the opening round, beginning Fri., May 4 at 1 p.m. in a best two-out-of-three series.

On Sat., May 5 both teams will play an if-needed double-header, starting at 12 p.m. All Region IX Tournament games will be nine inning affairs.

The top two teams will meet at the highest seed the weekend of May 11-12 to decide the Region IX Tournament champions in a best two-out-of-three series.

"We have second place wrapped up and Otero is pretty safe in third place, so it looks like we will play Otero in the first round," Shepherd said. "It really doesn't matter where we play because we have played well on the road this year.

"We went into Lamar a few weeks ago and won three games, so we will just go after Otero and try to get Lamar or Trinidad and try to get the championship."

Northeastern conducts emergency drill

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:27:00 -0600

Northeastern Junior College engaged in a practice security drill on campus on Wednesday, April 25th at 11 a.m. This was a simulated incident requiring the campus to lock-down and shelter in place. Students, faculty and staff, under the direction of the college’s Incident Command Team, underwent this practice exercise campus-wide. The drill included the main campus as well as the facilities on the north campus and at the Logan County Fairgrounds.

The college holds a number of practice drills each year. Officers from the Sterling Police Department, who were aware of the drill, were on site to observe the campus in action and to provide feedback regarding what was done well and what needs to be re-evaluated for future incidents.

Utilizing a practice scenario involving a threat in a neighborhood directly adjacent to campus, the drill began at 11 a.m. and continued for 52 minutes. This was purposely planned as this time frame covered a portion of the lunch hour and allowed the personnel who operate the cafeteria to practice the lock-down procedure during a high-traffic period in this large facility on campus.

According to Northeastern Junior College President Jay Lee, lead member of the incident team, “It is important for our personnel and students to occasionally complete a life-like drill such as the one we had today. He added, “Unfortunately, we live in a time when we have to be prepared for any number of threats or emergencies on campus. These drills provide an opportunity for us to engage our campus in a practice situation and then be able to evaluate our performance afterwards. We typically find ways to further perfect our emergency response system each time we conduct a drill.”

See live theatre at NJC

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:12:00 -0600

The Northeastern Junior College theatre program will present a showcase of scenes and improvisation this weekend at Corsberg Theatre. These live performances entitled, “From Classics to Classmates” is sure to provide some good entertainment to the audience.

“From Classics to Classmates” takes place Thursday through Saturday nights, April 19-21st, curtains opening at 7 p.m. nightly in the theatre located in E. S. French Hall. The production is done entirely with student talent, everything from the actors to the directors, and the stage management to scenic design. Theatre program director Aaron Crutchfield has offered his leadership to the group.

The first half of the show will consist of feature scenes selected form both contemporary and classical time periods. The variety of scenes has allowed many of the students interested in acting to showcase their skills with scripted theatre. Classics to be represented include Away by Michael Gow; Lend Me A Tenor by Ken Ludwig, Emerald City by David Williamson, Clear House by Sara Ruhl, Tartuffe by Moliere and In a Pig’s Valise by Eric Overmeyer. This portion of the show will also include an original work written by Mark Phillips of Haxtun entitled “Fake House Plants.”

The second half of the show will feature the college’s own improv comedy theatre troupe. This group, known as “Remarkable Results”, has been active on campus for three years now and always features some wonderful antics and comedy in its performances.

Cost of this live theatre is $5 for the general public. NJC students attend free with their current student I.D.

NJC Spring Star Party

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:11:00 -0600

The Math, Science and Outdoor Club at Northeastern Junior College will hold its Spring Star Party at Chimney View Campground at the North Sterling Reservoir/State Park this Saturday April 21st in the evening, weather permitting.

The group will gather at the campground about 8 p.m. for a night of star gazing with telescopes big enough to really see deep into the night sky. While this event is free of charge, there is a "per car" entrance fee into the park of $6. Students and area families are encouraged to carpool with friends and share this cost.

The NJC Star Party is held twice a year, in the fall and in the spring. These parties are open to the public and are a great event for families with children to participate in. Some star gazers actually go out and camp for the night at these events.

The Star Party is always held weather permitting. If you see heavy overcast, or a chance of inclement weather going into the evening on Saturday, the event will most likely be postponed.

Dellenbach Inks Letter of Intent to Play at NJC

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:52:00 -0600

Sterling, CO - Northeastern Junior College Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Eddie Trenkle is pleased to announce the signing of 6’6 wing Joe Dellenbach, from Valley High School in Gilcrest, CO. Dellenbach had a tremendous year leading the Valley Vikings to a third place finish in Class 3A and a 24-3 record. He led Valley in scoring, averaging 18 points per game, while averaging six rebounds and three blocks a game.

“Joe is a winner,” explains Coach Eddie Trenkle. “Joe exemplifies the term ‘Student-Athlete’. His successes in the classroom and on the field of competition at Valley High School are remarkable. Joe has lettered in basketball four years and has won 82 games, as well as lettering in baseball and football.”

Dellenbach was selected to multiple 3A All-State Teams and has also been selected to participate in the Colorado All State Games in Alamosa, Colorado later this summer. “Joe’s athletic ability, skill level and drive to win will pay off with immediate dividends,” says Trenkle. “We have high expectations for Joe to be a leader on the court as well as off the court for our team. His tenacity and determination will make him a fan favorite right away!”

Plainsmen Baseball Surpasses 30 Wins

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:39:00 -0600

By Ken McDowell - Sports Editor

For the first time since 2009, the Northeastern Junior College (NJC) baseball team has surpassed 30 wins in a season.

That was accomplished Friday and Saturday at Plainsmen Park when NJC swept a four game set from the Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) Cougars in Empire Conference games.

In the opener on Friday NJC took a 5-0 victory and came back to win Game 2 by a 4-1 score. The games were higher scoring on Saturday with a gusty wind blowing out, but NJC got the job done sweeping that twin-bill by scores of 16-9 and 6-4.

The Plainsmen improve to 31-13 overall and 15-4 in the Empire Conference, in first place a game ahead of Lamar Community College.

"Winning 30 games in a season is a good benchmark, and that's the average number of wins we've had since I've been here," said NJC Coach Bryan Shepherd. "To be able to win 30 games is something special, but now we have our eyes on 40 wins with several games left. So we will see what happens from there."

The Plainsmen won their fourth straight Empire Conference four-pack with the sweep over WNCC in the final regular season home games Friday and Saturday. In the opener Friday sophomore righty Derek Neeper was once again outstanding by pitching the complete game shutout in the 5-0 victory.

He gave up only four hits while striking out four, improving to 9-2 on the season. On offense the Plainsmen plated three runs in the third inning and two more in the fourth.

NJC collected nine hits as sophomore James Robinson was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored and sophomore Nick Miller matched that by also going 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.

Sophomore Scott Hoyt was 2-for-3 with a double; freshman Jordan Procyshen was 1-for-3 with a run scored as was freshman David Head and sophomore Ben Netzel scored a run.

In the second game freshmen lefty Ryan Reno turned in another outstanding performance on the mound by pitching a complete game to improve to 6-2 in the 4-1 victory.

Reno took a shutout into the sixth inning before giving up his only run. He allowed six hits and fanned three. The run he allowed was just the first earned run in three games.

NJC scored two runs in the first and plated their other two in the fourth.

Sophomore leadoff hitter Josh Montano set the table by going 2-for-3 with a triple; Miller was 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored; Head and sophomore Dakota Holcomb each had a hit and a run scored; Hoyt and freshman Taylor Vincent were both 1-for-3 and Procyshen scored a run.

In the first game Saturday NJC fell behind 2-0 in the first inning, but came back to plate six runs in the bottom of the frame and six more in the second and went on to take the 15-9 victory.

The Plainsmen smacked the ball to the tune of 15 hits in the contest, led by Hoyt who was 4-for-4 with a home run and a pair of doubles. Procyshen was 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored; Holcomb was 2-for-3 with two runs scored; Montano was 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored; Miller was also 2-for-5 with a double and three runs scored; Head was 1-for-3 with a double and two runs scored; freshman Danny Westerburg was 1-for-3 and Netzel was 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Freshman southpaw Brennan Henry started the game and was relieved by freshman Mitch Bouchard, who picked up the win. Sophomore Jimi King and freshman Tyler Sieg closed out the game.

Miller took the mound in the final game to try to clinch the sweep, and he did just that by pitching the Plainsmen to the 6-4 win. He went 6-2/3 innings and allowed three runs on four hits with 10 strikeouts and one walk, moving his record to 5-2.

Sieg worked the final 1/3 inning to close out the win. After falling behind 2-0, NJC scored three runs in the third and added three more in the fourth to tally its six runs.

Miller was also solid at the plate by going 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored; Montano was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored; Hoyt was 1-for-3 with a home run; Vincent was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored; Netzel was 1-for-2 and Head was 1-for-3.

The sweep keeps NJC on top of the Empire Conference as the Plainsmen head into McCook, Neb. Community College Saturday and Sunday for a four game set. NJC hosted McCook Wednesday (April 4) and dropped the single nine inning conference game, 5-4.

NJC trailed 3-0 early and 5-1 later in the contest before falling short.

Holcomb was 3-for-4 at the plate, Hoyt was 2-for-4, Procyshen was 1-for-3, Netzel was 1-for-4 with a homer in the ninth and freshman Tory Hargash was 1-for-4.

Freshman Caleb Carlson started the game and was tagged with the loss.

But it didn't take long for the Plainsmen to get right back to their winning ways with the sweep over WNCC to maintain the top spot in the conference.

"To be able to sweep a team in a four game set at this level is one of the most difficult things to do," Shepherd said. "I'm really proud of our guys the way they have played by sweeping Western Nebraska, winning three at Lamar the weekend before last and earlier sweeping Trinidad State.

"We are 11-1 in our last three four game sets, and that's nice going into the stretch. We also got good starting pitching again. Our pitching staff has been stable all year and they threw strikes. Any time those four starters are on the mound we have a chance to win."

Even in the high scoring games, Shepherd was pleased with how his team came through.

"It says a lot about the character about our team when we fell behind a couple of times and came back," he said. "We had to keep our offense going through the series and our guys did a good job."

Shepherd pointed out that there is still a long ways to go to wrap up the Empire Conference title with 11 league games remaining. After playing at McCook in four games Friday and Saturday, the Plainsmen will take a break from Empire Conference action Tuesday with a pair of games at Colby, Kan., Community College.

On Wednesday (April 18) it's back to Empire Conference action as the Plainsmen will play a single game at Western Nebraska. On April 21-22 NJC will play a pair of double-headers at Otero Junior College and will wrap up the regular season with a make-up twin bill April 29 at Trinidad State College.

"We still have a long ways to go," Shepherd stressed. "Nothing is for sure. We are still in the driver's seat, but we just have to take care of business the rest of the way."

Basketball camp dates

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:37:00 -0600

NJC Men’s Basketball 2012 Summer Basketball Camps

June 8, 2012 – NJC Team Festival I - $150 per Team/4 Game Guarantee

June 9, 2012 – NJC Team Festival II - $150 per Team/4 Game Guarantee

June 11-14, 2011
Pre K – 3rd Grade Individual Camp 9:00 – 11:30 AM
4th – 8th Grade Individual Camp 1:00-3:30 PM
$40 Per Camper
T-Shirt & Basketball Included
Pre Register & Walk Ups welcomed

June 15, 2011 – NJC Team Festival III - $150 per Team/4 Game Guarantee

June 16, 2011 – NJC Team Festival IV - $150 per Team/4 Game Guarantee

For more information about these camps contact Steve Soza at 970.521.6769 or steve.soza@njc.edu

Plainsmen pitching dominates so far

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:13:00 -0600

By Ken McDowell - Sports Editor

The bullpen of the Northeastern Junior College (NJC) Plainsmen can almost apply for unemployment due to the lack of work its seen this year.

That's because the starting pitching of the Plainsmen has been, for the most part, dominating. That held true last weekend as the Plainsmen traveled to Lamar Community College and won 3-out-of-4 Empire Conference games to improve to 27-12 overall and 11-3 in the league.

NJC holds a game-and-a-half lead over Lamar in first place in the conference.

The domination of the starting pitching began Saturday in the opening game of the series as NJC took a 7-1 victory, riding on the arm of sophomore righty Derek Neeper, who improved to 8-2 on the season.

Neeper pitched all seven innings and allowed just one run on a solo homer in the second inning. He gave up six hits while striking out 10 and walking none.

At the dish NJC tallied two runs in the second inning, three in the fourth and two more in the seventh, which was more than enough for Neeper.

Sophomore lead-off hitter Josh Montano set the table by going 3-for-4 with a double; sophomore Dakota Holcomb was 2-for-2 with a home run, a double and three runs scored; sophomore Scott Hoyt was 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored; freshman David Head was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored; freshman Jordan Procyshen was 1-for-2 and sophomore Nick Miller was 1-for-4.

In the second game Saturday it was freshman lefty Ryan Reno's turn to take the hill for the Plainsmen, and he responded by pitching NJC to a 10-0 victory in five innings.

Reno (5-2) set down the Lamar side in order through the first four innings before allowing his only two hits in the fifth. He finished with five strikeouts in his two-hit shutout.
NJC plated two runs in the first, three in the second, one in the third, three in the fourth and one in the fifth.

Procyshen was 3-for-3 with two home runs and two runs scored; Holcomb was 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored; Montano was 2-for-3 with two runs scored; sophomore Ben Netzel was 1-for-3 with a home run and a run scored; Head was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored and freshman Tory Hargash was 1-for-3 with a run scored.

NJC suffered its only loss of the series in the opening game on Sunday, 4-1, snapping an eight-game winning streak. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning when Lamar reached freshman southpaw Brennan Henry for four runs.

Henry (3-2) started the game strong by fanning the first eight Lamar hitters he faced and finished with 12 strikeouts while allowing just five hits.

After Lamar scored its four runs in the sixth NJC scored its only tally in the top of the seventh in a rally that fell short.

Montano was 2-for-3, Procyshen was 1-for-3 with a double and Miller was 1-for-2 with a run scored.

The Plainsmen put that loss behind them real quick by winning the series finale by an 8-1 score. Miller improved to 4-2 on the season to pick up the win. He worked all seven frames and allowed a first inning run on a double and a single, but settled in the rest of the way by fanning 12 batters.

NJC scored a run in the third, five in the fourth and one each in the fifth and sixth innings to tally its eight runs.

Netzel was 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and a run scored; Head was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored; Holcomb was 1-for-4 with a home run and a run scored; freshman Taylor Vincent was 1-for-3 with a run scored; Miller was 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored and Hoyt was 1-for-4 with a run scored.

In the four games NJC belted eight home runs and pounding out 33 hits while winning a four-game series at Lamar for possibly the first time in the history of the program.

It is also possibly the first time ever that a Plainsmen baseball team has turned in four complete games at Lamar, with Coach Bryan Shepherd never having to call on his bullpen.

"Our bullpen was pretty poor this week," he joked. "I can't say enough about our starting pitching. They have been spectacular all year.

"In the four games at Lamar they struck out 40-plus guys, and anytime you can do that against a team like Lamar, it says a lot about our guys. They went right after the Lamar hitters, and we couldn't have asked from any more from those guys."

Even in the only game NJC lost, Shepherd was impressed with the performance of Henry.

"Brennan gave us a chance to win and offensively we couldn't get anything going for him," he observed. "I think if we could have pushed a couple of runs home early it would have been a different game.

"But Lamar got to him in the sixth inning and we made a mistake and couldn't overcome it. But we couldn't have played any better in the other three games."

Shepherd added that winning three games in Lamar was huge. Lamar entered the weekend ranked 15th in the nation and falls to 27-9 overall and 10-5 in the conference.

"I don't think we've ever won a series there," he said. "We have split a series there, but to go down there and win three was huge. We are in first place, but we still have several big games left that we have to focus on."

NJC hosts McCook, Neb., Community College today (Wednesday) at 2 p.m. in an Empire Conference nine inning game. Freshman righty Caleb Carlson will make the start for the Plainsmen.

In an nine-inning game on March 7 at NJC, the Plainsmen held on for a 6-5 victory over McCook.

On Saturday and Sunday NJC will host Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) in a pair of conference twin-bills, with action starting at 1 p.m. both days.

On Wednesday (March 28) NJC played at WNCC in Scottsbluff in a single nine-inning game and pulled out a 10-9 win. NJC led 7-2 early in the contest before WNCC rallied to take a 9-8 edge in the bottom of the eighth.

But in the top of the ninth freshman Danny Westerburg delivered a two-out, two-run homer to give NJC a 10-9 lead. Neeper worked the bottom of the ninth to pick up the win.

"We certainly don't want to overlook McCook because they are scrappy," Shepherd warned. "We have to play hard every game and every game counts the rest of the way. We are in the driver's seat but we still have take care of business because we have some tough games ahead."

The rotation in the weekend series against WNCC is set with Neeper throwing the first game on Saturday and Reno the second. Henry will take the hill in the opener Sunday with Miller working the finale.

WNCC is 11-23 overall and 6-8 in the conference, sitting in fourth place.

NJC ranch horse team doing well in 2012

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:19:00 -0600

Local ‘showdown’ to be held on May 4-5

Members of the NJC Versatility Ranch Horse Team at NJC include: (front row left to right) Kalli Blough, Fleming; Maegan Kelly, Denver; Sarah Stoudt, Ault; Kayli Money, Castle Rock; Kassie Norton, Del Norte; Selena Giers, Parker.(Back row left to right) Jacob Weingardt, Denver; Michelle Klein, Pueblo; Alyssa Goldstein, Highlands Ranch; Hannah Pace, Norwood; Katie White, Conifer; Jenna Cobb, Frisco; and Meghan Flavin, Conifer. (Courtesy Photo)

By Barbara Baker

The Versatility Ranch Horse Team at Northeastern Junior College is having a good season in 2012. Two weeks ago, they were named the reserve champion team at the American Stock Horse Association’s Region 5 Championships held at the Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The NJC Team had two individual champions in the three divisions of competition.

Sophomore Katie White of Conifer, CO was champion of the Limited Non-Pro Division and sophomore Selena Giers or Parker, CO was champion of the Non-Pro division. Both young ladies brought home very nice belt buckles.

Collegiate age students from all over the country compete, by region in these versatility ranch horse competitions which are conducted by the American Stock Horse Association and various affiliates. The American Stock Horse Association (ASHA) was chartered as a non-profit organization in 2008. The Association is dedicated to enhancing the pleasure of owning and riding horses through creating better horses and horsemen. The mission of the Association is simple: help people ride a better horse. Since its inception, Versatility Ranch Horse Teams have popped up at colleges all over the nation, with students hauling and competing with other collegiate age riders.

According to the ASHA’s website, the original organizers saw problems developing in the horse industry that, in their opinion, were not good for the industry. These founders viewed the trend of emphasizing specialized horses was replacing the versatility of the horses in the past. Rider skills were also becoming specialized, relating only to a single discipline or event. There was not a link between a truly well-trained horse and the versatile horse that could perform many tasks. These organizers also recognized a need for affordable education for the many horsemen who wanted to learn to ride better horses, but their situation or location prevented them the opportunity. The idea of having a clinic preceding every competition has proven its success. It meets the need for providing affordable, standardized western stock horse riding and training clinics that are fun and challenging. Having a competition the following day helps riders evaluate their progress.

ASHA is new as a national organization; but its programs including philosophy, educational methods, and competitions have been well tested in Texas before offering the program nationwide. The philosophy of how to measure the worth of a good stock or ranch horse and how to teach the skills is so sound and well-accepted that national demand has led to the formation of ASHA. This type of non-traditional horse competition activity has experienced unparalleled growth in the past few years.

The ASHA format is designed to be positive and straight forward – always encouraging growth and improvement. A close examination of how the ASHA classes are conducted and evaluated will reveal a real effort to keep a horse as natural as possible while still training him to be correct and precise. The stock horse pleasure class as designed and run by ASHA is completely unique. This may be the most important class offered because a good stock horse must be functional and a pleasure to ride. Probably the most important job a stock horse has to perform is to be a means of transportation to get from one task to another. The cow horse class is pointed and judged in a more realistic manner than many of the other cow horse classes offered. The option of either roping or circling is unique and very necessary. Everyone loves a good roping horse, but everyone can’t rope. Having the option of either roping or circling allows the good roping horse to be showcased, but also allows the non-roper a chance to own a good cow horse. Being able to control a cow without roping is a science as old as roping itself. The reining class is separate from the cow horse class. This is by design and is important because some good ranch horses will work a cow very well, but are not good at all of the specific maneuvers required in a reining horse. By the same token some good reining horses may not work a cow very well. A horse’s past experience and training may allow them to compete well in one class while learning to also do the other class well. The trail class attempts to measure the ability of a horse to handle different stock farm or ranch chores. ASHA obstacles are common sense, everyday encounters and the class is held on natural terrain where possible.

ASHA competitions, with standardized judging and scoring, serve as a medium to measure progress and provide an incentive for further improvement. Riders compare specific maneuver scores from one competition to the next as they strive for improvement. Exhibitors feel as if they are competing against themselves from one evaluation to the next. Participants tend to encourage each other and celebrate their victories. With this program, both rider and horses eventually become very versatile.

The scoring system is a positive one rather than a negative one which leads to many disqualifications. In some years, there have been less than 10 horses disqualified in all of the classes – this is by design. This organization believes that a horse should be given credit for what they accomplish rather than disqualified with no score.

ASHA is firmly committed to a positive scoring system and the four classes of stock horse pleasure, reining, trail and working cow horse.

The NJC Team now gears up for the national competition which will be held in Amarillo, TX on April 13 and 14th. The students will also host the second annual NJC Showdown versatility ranch horse competition here in Sterling at the Logan County Fairgrounds on May 5th and 6th. NJC’s director of equine management and a very accomplished horse trainer, Cole Briggs, will give a workshop preceding this competition on how to do body control, circles and transitions with your horse. Cost of this clinic will be $50 at the event. It is open to the public.

NJC student group to host Spring Fun Fair

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:26:00 -0600

Fun games on campus for community, children to enjoy this Thursday

A Giant Twister game, similar to this one, is among the attractions that will be on campus this Thursday afternoon. The Spring Fun Fair is open to the community. Area children and their parents are invited to enjoy the games from 4:30 to 6: 30 p.m. High school, college and adult age participants can enjoy the games between 6:30 and 8:30 pm. The event is hosted by the NJC Student Ambassadors. (Courtesy Photo)

If you’ve never had the pleasure of riding a Bungee Bull, or you’ve always wondered what it would be like to stretch out and play on a Giant Twister game, then you won’t want to miss this Thursday’s Spring Fun Fair on the campus of Northeastern Junior College.

The Northeastern Junior College Student Ambassadors are hosting a special family and campus event this Thursday afternoon, April 5th. They have contracted with a company to bring in Giant Jenga, Giant Monster Trikes, Bungee Bull Riding, and Giant Twister to be set up in the Bank of Colorado Event Center auxiliary gym for everyone’s playing enjoyment. In addition, some dance contests will be held, utilizing Xbox games. Some limited refreshments will be available at the event.

On Thursday, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., all area families are invited to come to the gym and have some fun with their children. Parents and children can try their hand at playing Giant Jenga or Giant Twister and riding the monster trikes and the bungee bull. It will be the most excitement to hit Sterling since the Logan County Fair’s carnival rides left town.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m., the small children will be cleared out and games will be available only for high school age students and older for two hours. The event will shut down at 8:30 p.m.

According to Stephanie Weatherill, club sponsor for the NJC Student Ambassadors, the group wanted to do something that would bring the college and the community together at the beginning of the spring season. In past years the college has held Multi-Cultural Carnivals in the spring that were popular events, drawing in a good number of local families. The Ambassadors are asking for a small admission price from the public to help offset the cost of renting the various giant games and bringing them to town as an entertainment venue. The group hopes to make a few extra dollars as well, allowing the event to also serve as a fundraiser.

The cost to attend the Spring Fun Fair is $4 per family or $2 per person, payable at the door. NJC students will attend the event free. This event is supported in part by the Associated Student Government on campus, using student fees to cover some of the cost.

Anyone needing more information may call Weatherill at 521-6752.

NJC Rodeo Teams taking the region by storm

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:26:00 -0600

Top: Four of the six member of the NJC Men’s Rodeo Team, who won the Gillette, WY rodeo, are shown here: (left to right) Chism Docheff, Longmont, CO; Caleb Weddle, Milaca, MN; Ben McAdow, Conifer, CO; and Shay Carroll, LaJunta, CO. (Courtesy Photo)
Bottom: The NJC Women’s Rodeo Team, which is doing really well this year include: ( left to right) Amy Tierney Oral, SD; Jessie Miller, Woodland Park, CO ; Brook Barker, Ault, CO; and Hayden Segelke Snyder, CO. (Courtesy Photo)

When the Northeastern Junior College Rodeo Team heads to the next spring college rodeo, it will be with a little more hardware on board. Northeastern’s men’s team was crowned champions of the Gillette College Rodeo the weekend of March 17-18. The NJC women’s team shined bright in the fall when it came out the high point team at both the Chadron and Lamar rodeos. And, according to NJC Rodeo Coach Brian Cullen, “It was overdue for the men’s team to win a championship.”

And win it they did, with all six men on the team at Gillette returning to the short round, three of them in multiple events.

Anchoring the effort was Shay Carroll, a business major from La Junta, CO. Mr. Carroll won three buckles in Gillette; team roping, calf roping, and all-around cowboy. However, those points were not enough to win the championship. Caleb Weddle, an engineering major from Milucui, MN, followed that up with a third place in the steer wrestling. Kelby Bond, an ag major from Avondale, CO, finished right behind his team mate in the steer wrestling with a fourth place finish in conjunction with a top ten in the team roping. Completing the effort was Chisum Dochef, an animal science major from Longmont, CO; Ben McAdow, an ag business major from Conifer, CO; and Tylor Bond an engineering major from Avondale, CO..

On the women’s side of things, Hayden Segelke, of Snyder, CO, turned in a dominating performance in the barrel racing. Ms. Segelke teamed up with her super horse, Rascal, to win the barrel race by almost a full second on two runs. “This is unheard of in the barrel racing,” notes Cullen. “This is Hayden’s third rodeo win of the year and she leads the barrel racing by 300 points.

“It was good to kick off the spring season on the right note, we got after in the off season and have been working hard,” states Cullen, “This is a tough region and it is an honor to win the first rodeo of the spring.” This moves our teams and a number of individuals into strong positions to go to the national college finals. The team will be on the road in the coming weeks to Ft. Collins; Torrington, WY; Casper, WY; and Laramie, WY.

Northeastern Junior College has a number of students hauling and competing in the collegiate circuit. Each college, however, must identify a specific group of students who are competing for team points by which the collegiate standings, by region, are calculated.

30 NJC HOSA students rated top 10

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:45:00 -0600

LOVELAND (March 10, 2012) – Over 350 secondary and post-secondary students interested in health care careers attended the HOSA State Leadership Conference from March 8-10, 2012 at the Embassy Suites Loveland Hotel and Conference Center. Students attended general sessions, educational symposiums and competed in over 40 different competitive events.

NJC HOSA had 36 members attending the State Leadership Conference. Thirty students were rated in the top 10 in their competitive events and many students placed in more than one event. HOSA now has both a secondary level of competition for those students still in high school, and a post-secondary level for students who are enrolled in college and competing at this higher level.

NJC HOSA members attending the recent Colorado State leadership Conference were: (back row left to right): Megan Zimmerman, Tiffany Fitzjohn, Bree Ann Smith, Shania Hill, Dylan Artzer, Brooke Appelhans, Jaiden Jole, Ivan Estupinan, Kai Fuller; Tayson Hidalgo, Emily Brower, Keegan Fuller and Justine Thiessen. (Middle row left to right): Kendall Meier, Shannon Stewart, Kara Williams, Brooke Goekley, Leianna Miller, Kelsey Hummel, Sianna Gomez, Danielle Schroeder, Keha Karg, Hannan Schoeyer and Bianca DeMaria. (Front row left to right): Ana Avita, Desiree Sharples, Kayla Sherman, Kyleigh Holloway, Katie Buchleiter, Ashley Reeves and Amanda Sandoval. The group captured more than its share of Top 10 awards. (Courtesy Photo)

Those from the NJC HOSA program receiving awards are as follows:
Health Science Events (Knowledge Tests):
Medical Terminology-Kelsey Hummel-1st place (Post Secondary);
Nutrition-Emily Brower-2nd place (Post Secondary);
Dental Spelling-Brooke Appelhans-2nd place (Secondary);
Dental Terminology-Justine Thiessen-1st place (Secondary);
Growth and Development-Neha Karg-3rd place (Secondary);
Patho-physiology-Kayla Sherman-1st place (Secondary);
Danielle Schroeder-2nd place (Secondary).
Emergency Preparedness Events:
CPR/First Aid team-Dylan Brisby/Keegan Fuller-2nd place (Secondary); Health Profession (Skill) Events: Physical Therapy-Tayson Hidalgo-3rd place (Secondary);
Nurse Assisting-Kyleigh Holloway-2nd place (Secondary);
Nurse Assisting-Emily Brower-1st place; (Post Secondary);
Veterinary Assisting-Hannah Schreyer-1st place (Secondary);
Leadership Events: Extemporaneous Health Poster-Katie Buchleiter-3rd place (Secondary);
Extemporaneous Writing-Kayla Sherman-3rd place (Secondary);
Medical Photography-Danielle Schroeder-1st place (Secondary).
Teamwork Events:
Creative Problem Solving-Dylan Brisby/Tayson Hidalgo/Neha Karg/Justine Thiessen-2nd place (Secondary);
HOSA Bowl-Dylan Artzer/Keegan Fuller/Kyleigh Holloway/Kayla Sherman-1st place (Secondary).
Career Health Display: Ashley Reeves/Megan Zimmerman-2nd place (Secondary).
Career Health Display: Emily Brower/Kelsey Hummel-1st place (Post Secondary).
Recognition Events:
Brooke Gockley was recognized in the Outstanding HOSA Chapter Event (Scrapbook). Sianna Gomez was recognized in the Newsletter Event.
Tiffany Fitzjohn was recognized in the HOSA Week Event.
Kayla Sherman and Kyleigh Holloway were the recipients of the Colorado HOSA Scholarships.
Kayla Sherman, Amanda Sandoval, Amanda Rogers and Emily Brower were recipients of the Pace Setter Award which is given to students who are exemplary HOSA members. Sianna Gomez was selected in the top five for her Trading Pin Design.

Amanda Rogers was elected to the Colorado State Officer Team as Vice President of membership. Accompanying the students were Joleen Rinaldo-Med Prep Instructor/HOSA Advisor and chaperones Nicole Pollart and Patti Sutter.

“These students are truly the face of future health care professionals. They competed in activities that showcased not only their health care knowledge, but their leadership skills,” said Jen Staley, Colorado HOSA State Advisor. “Congratulations to the students and their teachers for their hard work and preparation.”

HOSA is a national, student-led organization whose mission is to promote career opportunities in health care for students in secondary and postsecondary institutions. HOSA is the pipeline for future health care professionals and members are proudly working toward alleviating the health care workforce shortage. There are over 150,000 active members in over 4,000 chapters in 48 states, including Puerto Rico.

For more information on Colorado HOSA, visit www.hosa.cccs.edu.

Plainsman Baseball Gunning for Top Spot

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:36:00 -0600

By Ken McDowell - Sports Editor

A weekend sweep over the Trinidad State College Trojans put the Northeastern Junior College (NJC) Plainsmen baseball team in a great position to take over the top spot in the Empire Conference this week.

The huge four-game series against Trinidad started Saturday at Plainsmen Park with NJC taking the first game 19-5 after scoring 10 runs in the first inning with the help of 8 Trinidad walks. The second game was much different as NJC posted a 1-0 victory.

On Sunday NJC took the first game 6-3 and won the series finale by a 6-1 score, improving to 23-11 overall and 7-2 in the Empire Conference.

NJC is one-half a game behind the Lamar Community College Runnin' Lopes, who are 8-2 in the conference. NJC will play a four-game series this weekend in Lamar. Trinidad falls to 14-15 overall and 0-7 in the conference after being swept by the Plainsmen.

In the opening game of the series on Saturday, NJC took full advantage of the free passes they were issued in the first inning to plate 10 runs. NJC batted around again in the second inning and Trinidad was never able to catch up the rest of the way as the Plainsmen notched the 19-5 win in five innings.

Sophomore righty Derek Neeper, the ace of the NJC staff, improved his record to 6-2 by pitching all five innings and allowing 7 hits while striking out 11.

Sophomore Scott Hoyt had a big game at the dish by going 3-for-4 with 2 RBI's and 2 runs scored. Freshman Danny Westerburg was 3-for-3 with 3 runs scored and an RBI, freshman Jordan Procyshen was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI's and 2 runs scored and sophomore Josh Montano was 1-for-2 with a home run, 3 RBI's and 3 runs scored.

In the second game Saturday NJC rode on the arm of starting pitcher Ryan Reno in the 1-0 victory. Reno ran his record to 4-2 on the season by pitching all 7 innings and allowing no runs on 5 hits with 9 strikeouts.

NJC scored the only run of the game in the third inning when Montano led off with a single and later scored on an RBI double by sophomore Nick Miller.

Montano was 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored, freshman Taylor Vincent was also 2-for-3, Miller had the big RBI double and Procyshen had a single.

NJC's work was only half done as they set out Sunday to complete the sweep, and the Plainsmen did just that. In the 6-3 victory in the opener, freshman southpaw Brennan Henry picked up the win to improve to 3-1 on the season.

He pitched five innings and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits with 4 strikeouts. Sophomore lefty Jimi King worked the final two frames to pick up the save and allowed just one hit with 2 strikeouts.

Nearly every Plainsman batter had a hit as Procyshen was 2-for-3 with an RBI, sophomore James Robinson was 1-for-3 with 2 RBI's, Montano, sophomore Dakota Holcomb and freshman David Head were all 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI each, Miller had a single and Robinson scored a run.

Miller took the hill for the Plainsmen in the final game of the series and pitched a complete game in the 6-1 victory and allowed just one run (unearned) on just 5 hits with 10 strikeouts. Miller improves to 3-2 on the season.

Offensively, Head was 1-for-2 with 2 RBI's, Westerburg was 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI, Montano was 1-for-3 with an RBI, Holcomb was 1-for-3 with a run scored and even though Miller was 0-for-2, he still drove in a run and scored 2 runs.

"This was huge sweeping Trinidad," noted NJC Coach Bryan Shepherd. "This sets up the big showdown this weekend at Lamar against the two top teams in the league. That's the way it should be at this time of the seaosn, the top teams going at it."

NJC hosted Lamar March 4 and split the Empire Conference double-header, coming from behind to win the first game 15-10 and dropping the nightcap 3-2. The Runnin' Lopes are 25-6 overall and the defending Empire Conference and Region IX Tournament champs are ranked 16th in the nation.

But before the Plainsmen head into Lamar this weekend, they have to get by a good Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) Cougars team today (Wednesday) in Scottsbluff, Neb. WNCC is 6-3 in the conference, just a game behind NJC in the standings. Overall WNCC is 11-17.

This will be the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

"This is also a big game because we need to win and not go into Lamar any further behind," Shepherd pointed out. "We played Western Nebraska in the Fall and they are a scrapy team and they play hard. So this is a big game for us."

Sophomore southpaw Pat Honahan (3-3) takes the mound for the Plainsmen against WNCC. In the weekend series against Lamar the Plainsmen will once again throw Neeper in game one and Reno in game two on Saturday. The first game begins at 1 p.m.

On Sunday Henry will start the first game, which begins at 1 p.m. and Miller will take the ball in the finale.

Shepherd pointed out that he is very impressed with his starting pitching as the Plainsmen have at least five quality starters.

"Our starting pitching has been very good this year," Shepherd observed. "They have been so good that our bullpen guys are getting bored because the starters are hogging all of the innings.

"But you can also blame that on our offense because we have been scoring a lot of runs and we are able to keep our starters out there longer."

As a team NJC is hitting at a .316 clip this season and has out-scored its opponents 215-115. The Plainsmen are putting up impressive individual numbers as Vicent is hitting .490, Westerburg .423, Miller .438 and Hoyt at .349.

Miller leads the team in RBI's with 28, Hoyt 24, Head 19, Montano 16, sophomore Ben Netzel 15, Procyshen and Holcomb 14 each and freshman Tory Hargash 10.

Hoyt and Netzel each have four home runs, Miller and Procyshen two each and Montano and Robinson one apiece. Procyshen leads in doubles with 10 and Miller has three triples. Miller has scored 29 runs, Montano 26, Hoyt 24 and Procyshen 23.

Miller has 39 total hits, Hoyt 38, Montano 32, Procyshen 30 and Head and Holcomb 26 each.

As a team NJC has struck out only 162 times and has drawn 141 walks.

On the mound NJC has an impressive team ERA of 3.36. Miler's ERA of 1.88 is the lowest among the starters.

Neeper leads the staff in strikeouts with 58, Miller is right there with 55, Reno 33, Henry 28 and Honahan 23. Freshman Tyler Sieg leads the team in saves with three.

The pitching staff has a total of 256 strikeouts and has issued only 91 walks.

NJC Heritage Center open house this Saturday

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:54:00 -0600

The doors to the NJC Alumni Heritage Center will be open wide for all to see the many new additions to the college’s historical collection, now on display at the Hays Student Center on the second floor. A reception will be held this Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. (Courtesy Photo)

The Northeastern Junior College Alumni Association will hold a special reception and open house to showcase the progress made at the Alumni Heritage Center now located in Hays Student Center. This event is open to the public and free to attend. It will be held Saturday, March 31 from 1 to 4 p.m. Officially opened in 2006, this is one of the first organized viewing opportunities to be offered to the general public since then.

A number of new items have been added to the Alumni Heritage Center since it was opened. The large room in the upper level of the student center has been converted into an artistic showcase of memorabilia and historical recollections. Recently added is a picture display of retired faculty members and administrators and past Board of Trustees and Advisory Council members—including all of these individuals to serve since the college was started in 1941.

Preserving the history of NJC has been a labor of love. In 1995 a committee was formed of college alumni called Frontier 2000. This group was given the task of assembling a reunion of as many graduates as possible from the years 1941-1950. There were 24 alumni and three teachers at this reunion. This group was invited to lead the NJC graduates into the arena during the 2000 commencement ceremony. In addition, this group donated monies to pay for a beautiful Alumni Bell Tower which was erected on campus and dedicated in January 2000. The Frontier 2000 Committee continued to meet and from this group came the idea to establish an Alumni Heritage Center on campus— a place that would preserve and showcase the history of the college.

Since 2000 some members of this group have rallied to locate various historical items and documentation which has been placed in the center. The NJC Alumni Heritage Center continues to evolve and includes additional historical items and information on a regular basis. The college’s original telephone switchboard and photos of some of the earliest student groups are now on display.

Among those who have given of their time and resources to make this historical center possible are: Peter Youngers, Jack Annan, Thelma Davis, Jim Hoffman, Esta Fetzer, Walt McKinstry, Jr., Hollis Jackson, Ken Guenzi, Francis “Rock” Roche, Ed Breidenbach, Ellis and Glenis Schmidt, Elda Lousberg, and Al Renzelman. Jim O’Toole, Ruth Browner and Neal Gregory also were very committed member of the NJC Alumni Heritage Center Committee prior to their passing.

Sobott named auto tech student of the month

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:53:00 -0600

Theo Sobott, of Sterling, and a freshman in the Automotive Technology program at Northeastern Junior College, has been selected the NAPA Student of the Month for February 2012. Each month a student in one of the automotive or diesel technology programs at the college is chosen for this award. The recipient is selected by the faculty in the department based on their academic performance and the activity and attitude they exhibit the weekly lab work component of the training.

Sobott, the son of Barb Sobott, has always had an interest in cars, but never really had any hands-on work opportunities until he started the college program. He has an interest in muscle cars and is especially intrigued by the electronic and audio aspects of the automotive industry.

Sobott plans to complete his training at NJC and to open his own shop eventually. He likes rebuilding engines and says that learning the machining that goes along with this has been especially fascinating. NJC is one of only a few automotive technology programs that still offers the machining training as part of the curriculum.

For winning the award, Sobott received an engraved plaque and a gift certificate from NAPA Auto and Truck Parts in Sterling who has sponsored this award program for nearly two decades. (Courtesy Photo)

Plainswomen fall to Rattlers

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:23:00 -0600

NJC loses grip on halftime lead, falls 67-61

By Jonathan Seib Journal-Advocate sports reporter

CASPER, Wyo. --It was so close that they could taste it. The Northeastern Junior College Plainswomen looked like they might have the inside edge and be able to walk away with the Region IX title and a shot at Nationals. The Otero Junior College Rattlers had other ideas and rallied back late in the game to win by six and head to Nationals. NJC lost 67-61.

The Plainswomen held a six-point lead at the half thanks to some high-percentage shooting in the first half and an edge on rebounds. The Plainswomen were up 35-29.

But a lid came over the basket for the Plainswomen in the second half, especially on three-point tries. Not so for the Rattlers, who shot 43-percent from beyond the arc and started hitting a flurry of shots in the back half of the second. Aubry Boehme worked the inside for the Rattlers, scoring, 17 to lead her team while Fernanda Mansilla lit things up from outside as she scored 15.

Hannah Pollart did what she could to keep the Plainswomen alive. She pulled down 12 of the Plainswomen's 38 rebounds, helping her team out-rebound the Rattlers by 12, and she scored 16 points. Ngone Ndiaye would also score 11 for the Plainswomen.

Late in the contest the game was still in reach, but the Plainswomen had to foul to stall the clock. While the Rattler would not shoot well from the line, they did just enough to keep themselves paced ahead of the Plainswomen.

Region 9 Tournament Championships

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:21:00 -0600

By Jonathan Seib Journal-Advocate sports reporter

CASPER, Wyo. -- The Northeastern Junior College Plainswomen are just one game away from not only winning the Region IX crown, but heading to Nationals. The Plainswomen defeated the host team, the Casper College T-Birds, 72-58 last night to advance to the finals.

They play the Otero Junior College Rattlers at 4 p.m. today.

Adaugo Osuala led the team with 20 points and had nine rebounds in the win yesterday. Hannah Pollart made a big difference as well with 14 rebounds and 11 points to help her team out. Brooke Bakers also scored double figures with 15 points.

It was the first half where the Plainswomen really took over. The team scored 42 points in the opening half and held the T-Birds to just 20. Then it was a downhill battle through the second half.

Bailey Holland was the only player from Casper to get going, scoring 26 of the 58 points for Casper. No other T-Bird made it to double figures.

Win over Western Wyoming

The Plainswomen defeated Western Wyoming in the quarterfinals in an 82-53 victory.

NJC was led by Alicia Nichols, who had 15 points and 11 rebounds. But she was not the only one to secure a double-double as Pollart did it with 13 rebounds and 11 points. Ashley North and Osuala both broke into double digits with 13 each.

Western shot only 25 percent from the field while NJC went for 45 percent of their shots.

The Plainswomen were up by 10 at the half but really turned things on in the final quarter, outscoring their opponent 46-27 to get the big win.

Win over Northwest

The Plainswomen started the Region IX tourney on Friday with a win over the Northwest College Trappers.

NJC had five players score in double figures in the opening round. Osuala led the team with 16 points but Nichols put up some impressive figures as well with 11 points and 16 rebounds in the contest.

Brooke Baker, 14; Ngone Ndiaye, 14; and North, 11, rounded out the double-digit scorers. North also had seven rebounds and a team-leading four assists in the win.

The Plainswomen have their work cut out for them in the championship game. The team has played Otero twice this season, splitting the contest. NJC won a tight 59-55 contest at home in late January but lost 84-71 to Otero at the end of February in the Rattlers' home gym.

NJC Auto Show queen is a Jersey girl

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:49:00 -0600

Roxie Lara of Burlington, NJ is the 2012 NJC Auto Show queen. She invites everyone out to see the beautiful cars this weekend, including this 1939 beauty owned by Larry Hilty of Sterling. (Courtesy Photo)

This Northeastern Junior College Auto Techs Club’s annual car show happens March 24th and 25th. And, as is the usual tradition, an auto show queen has been named. This year’s title holder is a Jersey girl, hailing from Burlington, NJ. Rachel “Roxie” Lara has never been a queen before. This makes her especially excited for the weekend to arrive.

“I love cars!” she exclaimed when asked what she knows about them. “When I was younger, I worked on cars with my dad all of the time,” she says. “I don’t know all that much about them, but I love them. I attended the NJC show last year and I have been to the New York City car show and I hope to go to the Denver car show this spring.”

Lara has an interesting calling in life. She is here at Northeastern Junior College studying equine science. She hopes to one day be a professional stunt rider and be able to work in the movies. She originally came to Colorado and enrolled at Colorado State University in its equine science program. She met friends in Fort Collins who were planning to enroll at Northeastern and they convinced her that it would be a good move for her to do the same. “I decided to come to NJC and take the same classes here that I was taking at CSU my first two years and save some money,” Lara explains, “I’m graduating in May and I will go back to CSU next fall to finish my bachelor’s degree.”

So what would Lara’s dream car be? “I’d love to have a ’69 Camaro, all black with a manual transmission,” she describes in clear detail, “or, I’d take an old Dodge Challenger that is deep hot rod purple.” She ooed and awed over the 1939 Chevy that Larry Hilty brought to campus for her to pose with for her official queen picture. Hilty’s car, which is as bright as they come in a color called “PPG Fast Red” is one of many that will be on display at the show. Hilty, who owns Sterling Grocery Mart, is a member of the Flatlanders’ Car Club. A number of those club members always support the NJC show by bringing cars to the contest. This club also provides some scholarships for NJC automotive students.

The NJC Auto Show runs Saturday and Sunday, March 24 and 25 out at the college’s north campus located on Pioneer Road. It is an indoor show. It will run 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $2 for those over age 12, 12 and under attend for $1.00. There will be concessions on hand at the event. Like other NJC shows, this year’s show will also feature a model car competition. Visitors to the show are asked to vote for their favorite cars, life-size and model, for the awards ceremony which will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The queen will be at the show to hand out the trophies.

The NJC Diesel Power Club will also hold a toy show on Saturday only in the adjacent building to the auto show. There is a minimal admission fee to this show as well. Toy dealers and collectors will be on hand to sell, buy and trade toys and other novelties.

Long honored by colleagues with 2012 staff award

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:15:00 -0600

By Barbara Baker

He may not be a Long Tall Texan, but he’ll dress up like one if you ask him to. Fact of the matter is, he’s not anything close to a Texan. He’s a Nebraskan. One thing is for certain, Andy Long is a fresh breath of air. He has added tremendous value to the student recruitment effort at Northeastern Junior College since his arrival on campus in 2008. For his huge enthusiasm, tireless devotion to getting the work done and his all-around comical presence, Long has been named the 2012 Professional and Technical Employee of the Year at NJC.

As the Dean of Enrollment Management in the Student Services Department at the college, Long has a huge responsibility. It’s his job to run the efforts to fill the seats and the beds on campus. If that isn’t enough, it’s also under his umbrella to make sure student records are done right and financial aid awards are calculated and awarded on time. Luckily for him, he has a wonderful management style and he’s surrounded himself with really good team players. As a result, the college has experienced double digit full-time student enrollment growth every year since he arrived. He’s had such a positive presence on campus that he received not just one, but six nominations for the 2012 award. His colleagues love him. The students are both amused and amazed by him. Others from throughout the community enjoy spending time talking to him, or reading his weekly column on money management. He’s been a teacher, a coach, a recruiter, a keynote speaker, a fortune teller and on at least two occasions, he has been John Travolta.

From his very first appearance as the emcee at the college’s bi-annual in-service staff training, Long’s been asked back to run the show. He comes in character, dressed for the occasion and usually has some top-notch technology as part of his gig, be it a dance game, or a Family Feud game or Jeopardy contest of some sort for his colleagues to participate in.

The son of a third generation funeral director in little Grant, Nebraska, it might have made sense for him to follow in the family tradition. He did not. “Some people think it is strange that I grew up in a funeral home, but to me it was my grandparents’ home and then my home,” he recalls. “My dad is a third generation funeral director, but my parents were really supportive of me going into education. I don't know if it affected my career decisions, but definitely affected who I am.” Being the optimist that he is, he seizes a chance to promote the family business. “ I believe my parents run one of the best funeral homes in the country and it isn't because my dad is the best embalmer or they have the latest technology, it is because they take care of people and the community. When you have my dad do a funeral for your family, you get a counselor, minister, speaker, and friend to take care of you and your family in what is usually a difficult time. I learned early on how it is important to take care of other people and to try to be a strong asset to the community where you live.” That’s what Long has become. A strong asset, not only to NJC, but for Sterling and northeastern Colorado. He also learned how to find the silver lining in every cloud.

Long is partially a product of the University of Nebraska where he received a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education. Right out of college, he was a high school social studies teacher and basketball coach for six years in Big Springs and Cozad, Neb. His enthusiasm for life has a tendency to turn everything he touches into gold.
“In Cozad, I coached the girls’ team and we had the most wins out of any girls basketball team in the history of the program. I was also awarded the Golden Apple and Outstanding Educator Award while teaching in Cozad.”

He left Cozad and went to work for the Gallup Poll in Lincoln, Neb. “I trained all of the survey interviewers who call you up and ask who you are going to vote for president. That role gave me a lot of knowledge about the importance of using data to drive decisions and trying to find each individual's strengths to help the team succeed.”
Long, who says he is still a proud Cornhusker, has completed graduate work in school counseling, curriculum and instruction, organizational development, and family financial planning.

Long has a personal work philosophy that is led by the promise to leave places better than he finds them. “I really like to look at an organization or a team and see find areas that can be improved upon by the group and then play to the strengths of the group,” he notes, “NJC is important to Sterling and northeastern Colorado and it is an honor to be a small part of that. I really enjoy getting to know and teach students and staff on campus outside of the classroom. I get a thrill out of learning new things and then finding a creative way to pass that information to someone else. It has been great to see how one person on this campus, no matter what position it is, can change the lives for students and the entire region.”

Long attributes the recent growth at NJC to a number of things. “In the fall of 2007 we had around 800 full time students at NJC. This last fall we had around 1,150 full time students. We have seen tremendous growth,” he said. “Most two year schools have grown during this time, but this last fall only two Colorado two year schools saw growth with NJC being one of them. I have a great recruitment team that is one of the hardest working teams on a campus full of hard workers. One of the keys was to put our emphasis on outcomes and then let each recruiter find his or her own way to reach our goals. I'm probably the worst recruiter on the team, but by empowering and keeping the team organized it gives everyone else a chance to do what they do best.”

His co-workers on campus have certainly responded well to his approach. He had ten nominations for the 2012 award. Colleagues gave him glowing remarks. “He takes a genuine interest in the concerns, interests and goals of Hays Student Center,” one wrote. “He brings a great amount of energy and enthusiasm to NJC. He is always energetic and vibrant in everything he does,” another wrote. “He is great at expressing appreciation for his team members. His sense of humor makes student services a fun place to serve students,” a third nominator wrote. The accolades continued with such comments as “He makes NJC a better place by participating in activities like Karaoke and encouraging team members to laugh at themselves while he laughs at himself, making a positive work environment. A great listener, leader, executer, encourager, planner, and doer, I am proud to be associated with Andy Long!”

Yes, from leading Karaoke and dancing disco to, public speaking, teaching and writing, Long has it all and he’s willing to share his talents.

“I have always enjoyed being in front of a group and to perform. I think one of my first performances was as a freshman in high school and a couple of buddies and I dressed up as the Supremes for the school lip sync,” Long says, laughing at himself. “It is great to do something out of the ordinary once in a while to keep things interesting and people feeling good about where they work.”

Long and his wife, Kerri, a native of Julesburg, have two children, a four year old daughter Quincy and a seven month old son Brooks. He loves spending time with his family and when he has any spare time, he reads nonfiction and writes. He’s active in the community doing volunteer work in the Lion's Club, the Chamber of Commerce Board, and Christ United Methodist Church.

Skeels selected Classified Employee of the Year

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:45:00 -0600

By Barbara Baker

What you learn as a youngster can make a huge difference in what kind of a professional you become later. Such is the story for Geneva Skeels, the custodial supervisor at Northeastern Junior College. For her tremendous work ethic, attention to detail and team spirit, she has been selected the 2012 Classified Employee of the Year at the college. Because the recipient of this award is selected by her fellow classified employees, that makes this award extra special.

Skeels has been at Northeastern Junior College since September of 1997. She was originally hired to be a temporary custodian for Herbie Hall—a building on campus frequented by equine and agriculture students on campus who, unintentionally track lots of manure into the “house”. That didn’t bother this housekeeper. She handled it like a pro. When her supervisor realized what a great job she did in that building, they hired her full-time and assigned her to the larger Poole Residence Hall, a position she held for one year. Mind you, it is not an easy task to clean up after hundreds of teenage residents sharing common space.

In 1998 when the Bank of Colorado Event Center was being finished, Skeels asked if she could be considered as the custodian for that building. “I love sports and I love being out in the public and working to make things nice for the public,” Skeels notes, which made her the perfect match for that new building. From 1998 to November of 2009, Skeels kept all areas of that building meticulous. Today, she helps the current, albeit smaller custodial staff in the athletic facility continue to keep that level of service going. This building has really become NJC’s public face in a lot of ways as more than a hundred thousand spectators, athletes and students travel through the building in a year’s time, many of them out-of-town visitors including prospective students and parents.

As state budget cuts became more severe, the physical plant at the college had to make some staff reductions as it , like all areas of campus, was asked to find ways to do more with less. It was decided at that time to promote Skeels to a custodial supervisor position and have her oversee the coordination of a smaller, but more cohesive and efficient custodial staff equipped to take care of the campus as a whole. Today, Skeels supervises a staff of eight.

“I’ve tried really hard to create a fair “team atmosphere” here at NJC,” Skeels says. She practices the age old philosophy that she wouldn’t ask others to do something she hasn’t or isn’t willing to do herself. Part of her goal is to instill a sense of responsibility and pride among the staff she works with. All employees at NJC are often reminded that every single one of them is part of the recruitment and retention team when it comes to keeping student enrollment strong. “We play a critical role in helping attract students and others to this campus. Knowing this, I work right alongside my staff to stay on top of the workload,” Skeels says, emitting a real sense of pride. By keeping the buildings nice and the facilities clean, her staff provides a major service to the students and employees at NJC.

Knowing how to keep things nice and how to clean didn’t happen by accident. The daughter of very strict parents, Skeels remembering being part of the housekeeping team at home from a very early age. “We all had our jobs, things we had to do on a regular basis,” she remembers. “I’m not sure why, but my job was to clean the bathroom and if I didn’t do it just right, I was made to do it over again. I learned how to clean and how to do it right the first time,” she laughs.

Before coming to NJC, Geneva worked for many years at the beef packing plant. She also worked for United Parcel Service helping keep their local facility clean. At one time, she worked in Dorothy Schmidt’s ceramic shop that was located on Beattie Street.

It was during the time that she was working at the packing plant that she met her husband Rick. “We were both working the picket line,” she says, smiling. Back at that time, employees were asking for better working conditions. She had a friend who had a friend who knew Rick and they all worked there and one evening they all ended up going to dinner. In the days to come, she and Rick would often be on the line at the same time where they did a lot of walking and talking. This 1977 friendship merged into a romance that continues to this day.

Skeels says she loves the working conditions at NJC, despite cut backs in staff and budget . “I love the public and I like the work I do and the people I work with,” she said. “That makes for a pretty good way to spend your days.”

Skeels was in Denver this week attending a special luncheon where she, along with other honored classified staff from community colleges all over Colorado were recognized by the Colorado Community College System. She and Rick, who also works at the college as a grounds keeper, are kept busy at home with a delightful teenage daughter named Celeste.

Serenading for Spring Break

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:21:00 -0700

Spring Break for Northeastern Junior College students is March 12-16th and on Friday, many were already leaving campus. One small group set-up outside the cafeteria on the lawn in the nice sunshine during lunchtime and proceeded to serenade passersby. They had a guitar case open on the sidewalk and joked that they were collecting gas money in order to be able to travel home. So far they had only collected a quarter, a set of car keys and a sheet of paper. Some of them said they didn’t have far to go to get home. The one from the group who had to travel the furthest will make his way home to Pueblo. Students and faculty should have an exceptionally nice Spring Break as great weather is predicted state-wide and beyond. The men’s basketball team will be competing in the Region IX Tournament at Scottsbluff this weekend and the women will travel to Casper to try and earn a regional championship there. While no classes will run on campus next week, there will be administrative staff still at work as the student center, administrative building and event center will all have open hours even though the others are taking a week long break. (Courtesy Photo)

Plainsmen hot heading to Arizona

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 09:46:00 -0700

by Jonathan Hodgson

The NJC Plainsmen baseball team is entering their spring break road trip on a high, as winners of 10 of their last 13 games, including a 3-2 record in conference play.

The Plainsmen wrapped up an 8-3 home stand on Thursday with commanding 14-1 and 12-2 victories over Williston State. The home stand kicked off on February 25-26 with NJC taking 3 of 4 against Miles City CC, then splitting doubleheaders with Otero JC and Lamar CC on opening weekend of Conference IX play at Plainsmen Park.

The NJC bats have been hot of late, scoring over 8 runs per game over their last 13 games, and have scored 10 or more runs five times over that span. Stats before the Williston State games have Nick Miller (Soph./ Loveland, CO) and Scott Hoyt (Soph./ Longmont, CO) leading the offensive charge.

Miller is hitting .448 with 2 homeruns and 20 RBI in 18 games, to go along with an impressive .554 on-base percentage. He leads the team in average, RBI, and OBP. Hoyt is right there with him, hitting .354 with a team-leading 4 homeruns and 16 RBI, which is second to Miller.

Plainsmen catcher Jordan Procyshen (Fresh./ Okotoks, AB) is starting to find his stride, now hitting .350 with 2 homeruns and 6 doubles in 18 games.

The NJC pitching staff has been equally as impressive, giving the bats a chance to do their work. Nick Miller is proving he can do it on both sides of the ball, posting a 2.24 ERA in 25 innings over 4 starts, surrendering just 23 hits and 4 walks, while recording 30 strikeouts. Derek Neeper (Soph./ Loveland, CO) has been tremendous, working to a 3.38 ERA and a 3-2 record in 5 starts. In 29 innings, Neeper has allowed 34 hits and just 6 walks while recording a team-high 36 strikeouts.

Ryan Reno (Fresh./ Denver, CO) has been every bit as impressive in the rotation, with a 3-1 record and 1.59 ERA, while recording 17 strikeouts in 22 innings.

The bullpen is closing down games effectively, as 4 Plainsmen relievers have appeared in at least 3 games while maintaining an ERA under 3.00.

Riding the momentum of their recent home stand, the Plainsmen visit Trinidad State on Sunday before heading to Tucson, Arizona to participate in the Jack Howell Classic. NJC will play 10 games in 5 days in Arizona, 8 games as part of the Jack Howell Classic, before returning home to host Trinidad State on March 24-25.

NJC Plainsmen baseball looks to be in full stride. All the best to the team in Arizona, and we’ll see you back at Plainsmen Park after spring break!

NJC inducts 67 students into PTK

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:31:00 -0700

Sixty seven students were installed into Northeastern Junior College’s Phi Theta Kappa, Zeta Theta Chapter, Phi Theta Kappa at the end of February. (Courtesy Photo)

Northeastern Junior College’s Phi Theta Kappa, Zeta Theta Chapter, held its 2011-2012 induction ceremony on Sunday, February 26th during a dinner event that brought students and their parents together with NJC faculty and staff. Sixty seven new students were inducted into the PTK Chapter, an international honor society for two-year colleges. They join 37 other members on campus, making a total of 104 PTK members at NJC. This year’s new inductees come from various locations across Colorado.

The guest speaker for the dinner was Interim NJC President Scott Stump. Stump gave an interesting and amusing talk to the students encouraging them to harness their energy and let it take them somewhere. He asked the students to seek opportunities rather than wait for opportunities to come and find them. He gave the example of kinetic energy versus potential energy and used balloons to make his point, releasing one untied balloon go—showing how it set sail. The other balloon, which had been tied, was held up and then popped with a sharp object. Stump also provided musical entertainment for the crowd, when he closed out his time in front of the group singing the Beatles song, “Blackbird,” accompanied by his son, Ross, on the guitar.

Overseeing the induction ceremony was Martha Nash of Sterling, PTK Vice President, assisted by Secretary/Treasurer Jennifer Cashion of Longmont and PTK Campus Activities Board Representative Brooke Zuege of Wray. PTK President Vann Malinowski of Arlington, West Virginia was unable to be at the event.

One by one the inductees came to the front of the room, signed the pledge book, lit their candle and proceeded to join other students as they lined up clear across the student center ballroom. It was an impressive site to see for those in attendance. Simultaneously they accepted the verbal challenge for the officers to uphold the high standards set for PTK members.

Overseeing the 2012 PTK induction ceremonies were (left to right): Brenda Rhodes and Deb Walker, sponsors of the organization on campus, and officers Jennifer Cashion, Brooke Zuege, and Martha Nash. The number of PTK students on campus currently numbers 104 including freshmen and sophomores.

NJC faculty were also recognized at the event. Each PTK inductee had the opportunity to nominate a faculty or staff member who has contributed to their academic success. The faculty members recognized this year included: Pam Berns (liberal arts); Mike Brownell (agriculture); Cole Briggs, (equine); Maret Felzien (reading specialist), Jeri Garrett (math), Connie Henderson (science), Justina McCracken (science), Shelby Nichols (chemistry), Larry Pollart (agriculture), Diane Reuszer (liberal arts), Jim Stewart (criminal justice), Kevin Stump (math), Scott Thompson (liberal arts), Deb Walker (business) and Tami Patten (computer technology).

Receiving special recognition were students Victoria Vorwold of Sterling and Janna Smith of Haxtun who were selected by NJC to be on the Colorado All Academic-Team for the Colorado Community College System. They reach received a $500 Presidential Campus Scholarship and will be recognized during a state-wide lunch in Denver later this month.

Students are automatically nominated to be in Phi Theta Kappa by completing 12 credit hours and maintaining at least a 3.5 grade point average. Two of the major advantages of membership are the eligibility for scholarships to four-year colleges and job placements. At graduation, these second-year students will have the honor of wearing a monogrammed golden stole and their diploma will have a gold seal.

Brenda Rhodes and Deb Walker, both business professors, are advisors for the Zeta Theta chapter.

The 2012 PTK Inductees included: Aeron Acott, Cortez; Brooke Baker, Ault; Emily Brower, Sterling; Ashley Browne, Sterling; Sandra Capraro, Snyder; Caleb Carlson, Loveland; McKenzi Carlson, Sterling; Roy Ceci, Centennial; Rebecca Chadwick, Sterling; Cassandra Champman, Ft. Morgan; Anna Cheramy, Sterling; Kayla Claymon, Greeley; Beth Cooper, Siebert; Julia Cucarola, Sterling; Aster Degu, Greeley; Brittany Durbin, Holyoke; Adrianne Eager, Gunnison; Elizabeth Ertle, Sterling; Jana Evens, Sterling; Jared Farnik, New Raymer; Connie Ferguson, Holyoke; Majorie Fullen, Sterling; Coley Grindle, Sterling; Kaylee Groshans, Holyoke; Lucy Guereca, Sterling; Charles Guernsey, Sterling; Lyle Hanson, Sterling; McKayla Herman, Thornton; Julie Hernandez, Iliff; Rebekah Herron, Anton; Kelsey Hummel, Sterling; Jeffrey Huss, Iliff; Corey Jimerson, Sterling; Callie Johnson, Sterling; Silvia Kalb, Sterling; Madison Kiel, Sterling; Sherilyn Knight, Holyoke; Pamela Krehbiel, Sterling; Kara Lanckriet, Julesburg; Raquel Lara, Woodland Park; Tiffany Maelzer, Amherst; Erick Martinez, Arvada; Jennifer Martinez, Aurora; Samantha Martinez, Yuma; Jena Monheiser, Crook; Chandler Morrison, Johnstown; Ashley Mount-Williams, Lakewood; Courtney Negley, Sterling; Alicia Nichols, Brush; Nate Noe, La Junta; Claudia Ochoa, Sterling; Hannah Pollart, Holly; Jessica Quint, Akron; Jace Rhodes, Sterling; Brittany Riter, Brush; Janna Smith, Holyoke; Kathryn Snowberger, Castle Rock; Leah Tapia, Brush; Amanda Unrein, Sterling; Andrea Vallejos, Sterling; Felicia Valles, Sterling; Jenna Vandenbark, Fleming; Victoria Vorwald, Sterling; Toni White, Cortez; Jenna Wilson, Castle Rock; Morgan Woodruff, Berthoud; Jessica Wright, Lakewood.

Jack's Bean Company eagerly joins NJC's Club 1941

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 12:25:00 -0700

Steve and Cherrie Brown of Jack’s Bean Company are proud supporters of the Hope for Northeastern Colorado Scholarship program. They purchased the year 2002 in honor of the year they and partners purchased the Holyoke company from Con Agra. (Courtesy Photo)

By Susie Schaefer

Holyoke, CO – This year marks the 10th Anniversary for Jack’s Bean Company with their current ownership, but there’s more to the operation than just a decade of being “full of beans.” Back in 1932, Jack’s Bean Company was first started in Fort Morgan. Since that time, it has been through several owners, seen numerous modifications, been rearranged and relocated. And, it has reached huge markets in this country and beyond. In fact, the “Red Beans & Rice” on the menu at the popular Popeye’s Chicken restaurants in this nation features beans supplied by Jack’s Bean Company right here in northeastern Colorado.

Jack’s Bean Company was one of the very first businesses to step up and choose to purchase a year in support of Northeastern Junior College Foundation’s fundraiser, Club 1941. They picked the year 2002 because that’s when Jack’s Bean Company was purchased from Con Agra.

When asked why they support NJC, Chief Operating Officer and Partner Steve Brown replied, “We are lucky to have a junior college in close proximity to where we live and do business. We recognize the value of having this.” He and wife, Cherrie, have been supporters of the HOPE Scholarship and a corporate sponsor for the NJC Gala. He knows that students from Holyoke and Phillips County are among the many students in this area being helped by the HOPE Scholarship. Steve went on to explain that NJC offers, “A good value; a good stepping stone for making the break to the big city”, and expressed that he felt it was important for the community to, “preserve it (NJC) and make it available for future generations.” Steve said that he feels that the educational opportunity at NJC is undervalued for all that if offers locally. “NJC gives students a great education at a great value.”

Browns’ know something about value. They’ve spent the last ten years perfecting the idea of adding undeniable value to Jack’s Bean Company. The operation’s name has a story of its own and its history is vibrant and strong. It was named after the beloved fairytale “Jack and the Beanstalk”. The original location of Jack’s Bean Company was at 100 Main Street in Fort Morgan. This site had a bean elevator, but doubled as a pet and feed store.

Over the years, this successful company has had various owners. In 1974 the Klein family from Stockton, California, bought Jack’s Bean Company from Damon McMann. It was the Kleins who moved the company from Fort Morgan to the current location in Holyoke in the mid-1980s. In the fall of 1992, the Klein family sold the business to Con Agra, who then merged several locations. Jack’s Bean Company was again sold in 2002 and purchased from Con Agra by a group of owners. It is now managed by Brown, who is part of this group. This May marks the 10th Anniversary for the company’s current ownership and the 80th Anniversary since the company’s inception.

Employees at Jack’s Bean Company are involved in all facets of the business. Here Steve Brown (right) takes time to show some of the employees at Jack’s Bean Company the weight of some individual bean seeds. (Courtesy Photo)

Steve has been with Jack’s Bean Company since 1974 when the Klein family owned the business, and he has held several positions with the company over the years. The company has facilities in Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Arizona and Colorado. The Holyoke facility covers approximately twenty-five acres and includes three processing plants and multiple unloading facilities.

So one might ask, what exactly does Jack’s Bean Company produce? Well, they produce a variety of beans for human consumption, meaning that the beans that are grown and processed by Jack’s Bean Company are sold to companies for canning or dried goods. Jack’s Bean Company’s annual bean selection depends on the season, market demand and agronomic advantages. The most common crops produced are light red kidney beans, pinto beans and yellow popcorn, which all come from irrigated fields. Interestingly enough, popcorn requires the same processing and storage as beans, and many of the same customers who buy beans also purchase popcorn. New for this year are yellow peas, which is a dryland crop. Each of the crops are planted and harvested at a specific time of year and have a different gestation period or cycle of growth.

Back in the 1970’s and 1980’s, when the Klein family owned Jack’s Bean Company, the company experienced tremendous growth and it became the biggest exporter from the United States to Mexico. Much of this growth was due to the growing agriculture business in the U.S. brought forth by irrigational development. This has meant that the areas where Jack’s is established have become major production locations for dry beans. In addition to shipping many beans south, Jack’s is also one of the top three exporters of popcorn to Mexico City.

Jack’s Bean Company has become a local leader in international commerce. And, it is interesting that they are still one of the few companies to produce a product that is used for direct consumption by humans. Most crops are harvested and then sent to be processed into other foods or animal feed, but Jack’s Bean Company produces only beans and popcorn—both used for human consumption in their natural state. The company is proud to offer a product that is wholesome and healthy. Beans have fabulous nutrition value and they are very good for the environment, according to the Browns.

No one can ever say that Jack’s don’t know beans. Each type of bean has a strong ethnic background and heritage. Kidney beans are used in Carribbean cooking, pinto beans are primarily for Mexican cuisine, and other beans are used by various cultures. The United States is one of the only countries that uses all types of beans for many different types of cuisines--a virtual “melting pot” of beans.

The Browns are extremely dedicated to Jack’s Bean Company and to their community. They belong to Zion Lutheran Church and met while both were serving on the Holyoke City Council. They married thirteen years ago and blended their families along with their lives. They still believe in the basics; God, family, and work. Cherrie is the Director of the Melissa Memorial Hospital Foundation and on the Board of Directors for the Community Resource Center. Steve belongs to a number of professional organizations. He has held officer positions on the Colorado Dry Bean Administrative Committee and the U.S. Dry Bean Council, which deals with international market issues via a $1.3 million budget. Steve also belongs to the U.S. Pea & Lentil Council, the Rocky Mountain Bean Dealer’s Association and the U.S. Popcorn Institute.

Steve also understands community, for example, during Hurricane Katrina, when a customer’s business was in danger of being shut down, Jack’s Bean Company stepped in and produced artwork and emergency packaging for them to keep them afloat (literally) and to help out a good customer.

Jack’s Bean Company, for doing all that it does for others, is indeed a wonderful corporate citizen here in this corner of Colorado, and a great example of just why it’s okay to be “full of beans”.
For more information on Club 1941 and the HOPE Scholarship program, please contact NJC Foundation Executive Director Cindy Johnson, (970) 521-6603.

Important Changes to Summer Financial Aid

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:05:00 -0700

Summer Financial Aid has changed for 2012. This year, there will not be Year-Round Pell awarded, so Pell eligible students that were enrolled fulltime fall semester and fulltime spring semester will have used their maximum Pell Award. These students will only be eligible for Student Loans (if they have not met their maximum annual loan limit). When enrolling for summer classes, please check with the financial aid office for any summer financial aid eligibility. Contact the Financial Aid office with questions at 970.521.6800.

Diata and Paunovic Win Big At LSC Awards Banquet

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:50:00 -0700

Cameron University and former Northeastern Junior College Standout

Allen, Texas (Feb. 28, 2012) — Sabelle Diata, Milton Garner and Julie Paunovic won big Tuesday night at the Lone Star Conference’s annual Awards Banquet, as each picked up an individual award as well as All-Conference honors.

Senegal-native Diata left the most decorated after picking up Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and 1st Team All-Conference. The senior is coming off a dominant season in which she is averaging 14.3 points per game and 9.7 rebounds. She is top 20 in the nation in double doubles with 11. This season, Diata broke Cameron’s single season block record with 135, while tying the single game mark with 6 blocks in one game. Last season Diata was named 1st team all-conference as well as the Lone Star Conference Newcomer of the year.

Garner was named Player of the Year on the Men’s side, while also picking up 1st Team All-Conference. The Kansas City-native led the LSC in scoring with a 19.7 average, he also leads the conference in 3-pointers made, averaging 2.5 per game. This season, Garner joined CU’s 1,000-point club, and can crack the school’s top 10 in the play-offs. The senior is leading the Aggies in almost every offensive category.

Paunovic transferred to Cameron from Rutgers University and in doing so was made a huge impact. Tonight, her effort was rewarded with Newcomer of the Year and Honorable Mention All-Conference. The Australia-native is averaging 13.7 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. She is top 10 in the Lone Star Conference in scoring, rebounding, 3 point percentage; 3 point field goals made, and blocked shots. Paunovic was one of three players awarded Newcomer of the Year, sharing the award with, Tarleton’s Peyton Adamson and WT’s Devin Griffin

The awards were announced Tuesday night at a pre-championship banquet in Allen, Texas, where the LSC Basketball Championship tournament is set to begin on Wednesday. Quarterfinal games will be played all day Thursday, with semifinal games slated for Saturday afternoon and the championship game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

2012 LSC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS

FIRST TEAM

Player Team Pos. Year Hometown
Sabelle Diata Cameron C Sr. Dakar, Senegal
Shelby Adamson Tarleton State G Sr. Rockwall, Texas
Savannah Carver Midwestern State G Sr. Amarillo, Texas
Mackenzie Lankford Abilene Christian G So. Weatherford, Texas
Jessica Hanna Texas Woman's F Sr. China Spring, Texas
Kenisha Harris West Texas A&M F So. Brock, Texas

SECOND TEAM

Player Team Pos. Year Hometown
Peyton Adamson Tarleton State G So. Rockwall, Texas
Paige Weishuhn Angelo State F Sr. Wall, Texas
Kiara Wright Tarleton State C So. Pittsburg, Texas
Precious Herrin Eastern New Mexico C Sr. Shreveport, La.
Katy Cooke Incarnate Word G Jr. Marble Falls, Texas

HONORABLE MENTION

Player Team Pos. Year Hometown
Julie Paunovic Cameron F Sr. Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Ifunanya Mora Incarnate Word F So. Grand Prairie, Texas
Ashley Leven West Texas A&M C Sr. Amarillo, Texas
Devin Griffin West Texas A&M F So. Lubbock, Texas
Britney Nuzum Texas Woman's G Jr. El Reno, Okla.
Joni Unruh West Texas A&M G Sr. Amarillo, Texas
Cierra Thompson Midwestern State F Sr. Llano, Texas
Kirsti Degelia Midwestern State G So. Krum, Texas

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Player of the Year: Sabelle Diata, Cameron
Defensive Player of the Year: Sabelle Diata, Cameron
Freshmen of the Year: Haylee Oliver, Angelo State and Dianna Jones, Midwestern State
Newcomers of the Year: Julie Paunovic, Cameron, Peyton Adamson, Tarleton State and Devin Griffin, West Texas A&M
Coach of the Year: Noel Johnson, Midwestern State

Pena-McCleave wins impressive state award

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:34:00 -0700

Emma Pena-McCleave, an admissions counselor at Northeastern Junior College was recently awarded the prestigious Cynthia E. Gayles Award for Outstanding Service in the Field of College Admissions for 2011. This award is presented each year by the Colorado Council on High School and College Relations at its annual conference in Denver.

The Cynthia Gayles Award is given for outstanding service in the field of college admissions. The recipient must have demonstrated 1) community service in helping students with the admissions and financial aid processes and/or promoting access to higher education at Colorado colleges, or 2) an outstanding commitment through active service, leadership, and/or involvement in organizations which promote higher education.

Recipients receive a $1000 stipend for professional development opportunities or community service endeavors, and their name on a plaque, which will be displayed in the admissions office at the University of Colorado Denver or in the admissions conference room named in Cynthia’s honor at the University of Colorado Boulder. Cynthia was a highly respected admissions advocate and worked tirelessly to recruit students, especially those of color, to Colorado colleges and universities.

Emma has been an admissions counselor at Northeastern Junior College and has built a very strong program focused on creating a college going culture for Latino students in the northeastern part of the state. This organization, the Latino Education Achievement Recruitment Network (LEARN), has continued to grow every year. Emma was able to build a strong community advisory council and started having monthly meetings at the high school and middle school. Every year more students attend these lunch meetings and the activities have increased.

What started out as lunch meetings quickly grew to cultural trips to Denver’s Cinco de Mayo celebration, the annual La Raza conference in Denver, and other trips to locations throughout the state that many students would not have the opportunity to do on their own. Emma also created an on-campus summer workshop for students going into their freshman year. At this workshop, students get the opportunity to stay overnight in the residence halls and hear from a wide variety of speakers that include high school and college students, to help these students start high school with the aim on attending college. As students finish high school and attend college, many of them stay connected to the program by joining the advisory council to help current high school and middle school students keep on the path to going to college. Students who started in LEARN are now to the point where they are graduating from NJC and other institutions throughout the state. I believe many of these students may not have even considered for college or graduated without the assistance of Emma. For these students, Emma is a counselor, mentor, advisor, teacher, and friend. Emma has been able to do all this, while still having a full load of other responsibilities at Northeastern Junior College.

Emma now works for NJC from her home location in Greeley, CO. She works on the Front Range, coordinating metro recruiting efforts with Terry Ruch, NJC’s Denver area admissions rep. She is often on campus with student groups. She has become a leading player in Colorado when it comes to successfully reaching out to, and helping, Latino students desiring to pursue a college education.

NJC auto and diesel programs both ASE certified

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:03:00 -0700

Stamp of approval comes from respected national organization

Layton Peterman, head of the automotive technology program at NJC (center, holding plaque) is flanked by some members of the college’s automotive program advisory committee who helped oversee the ASE accreditation process including, (l to r) Wally Beardsley from RE1 Valley School district, Tim Richie from NAPA Auto and Truck Parts, Peterman, Arlin Dressel of ALD Automotive (Yuma) and Mike Schadegg of Wolf Auto. (Courtesy Photo)

In 1967 when the automotive technology program was started at Northeastern Junior College in the old Jamison Hall building located on Second Street, it was enough for a student to have a love of cars, a passion for engines and the ability to turn a wrench. Most automotive repair involved taking things out and putting things back in. Times have certainly changed. Today’s automotive and diesel technicians have to be computer savvy, be good at math and know electronics pretty well plus understand aerodynamics and they have to know how to turn a wrench, but with far greater precision. For NJC, staying up on automotive technology has been one of the great challenges of the program and also one of the biggest demands of the industry.

Being recognized by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is a huge stamp of approval on any automotive training program. Northeastern recently received designation on not one, but two of its automotive programs. The automotive technology program was renewed for ASE certification and the diesel program received this recognition for the first time this year.

The purpose of the accreditation process for automotive technician training program is to improve the quality of training offered at secondary and post-secondary, public and proprietary schools.

To get this accreditation, both of the college’s programs were closely evaluated by NATEF in all areas from its facilities to the number of instructional hours. NJC clearly demonstrated that it has skilled instructors and the latest tools and equipment to engage and teach students well in these areas.

Harv Rober who directs the diesel technology training at NJC (center, holding plaque) has worked with the automotive program advisory committee in recent months to do the necessary work to get this program accredited for the first time by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation, which is a big deal for diesel training programs. Pictured here with Rober is some of the advisory committee members including (l to r) Wally Beardsley from RE1 Valley School district, Tim Richie from NAPA Auto and Truck Parts, Rober, Arlin Dressel of ALD Automotive (Yuma) and Mike Schadegg of Wolf Auto. (Courtesy Photo)

“We are proud of this coveted recognition and our ability to produce competent technicians and employable students so desperately needed by the automotive industry,” says Stanton Gartin, Vice President of Academics at the college.

The motor vehicle repair industry has taken on a new sophistication. It requires advanced technical training and computer literacy and expects the top training programs across the nation to train technicians that have thorough knowledge of automotive systems and components, good computer skills, excellent communication skills, above average mechanical aptitude, good reasoning ability; ability to read and follow instructions; and manual dexterity

NATEF examines the structure and resources of training programs and evaluates them against nationally accepted standards of quality. The evaluation process ensures that accredited training programs meet or exceed industry-recognized, uniform standards of excellence.

Accreditation of an automotive training program brings with it program credibility, prestige, recognition, and overall program improvement. The accreditation process benefits everyone: schools, students, future employers, and the automotive service industry.

To achieve this accreditation and associated certification, the NJC program had to undergo a program self-evaluation followed by a NATEF review of these self-evaluation materials. This was followed with an onsite evaluation where several key individuals recognized by NATEF did a visit to the NJC site. When industry requirements are met, the program being evaluation will become accredited for a period of five years.

Playing a huge role in the ASE Accreditation for NJC was the automotive program advisory committee at NJC. Program advisory committees are organized to provide advice and assistance to the teachers and administrators of specific programs. These advisory committees assist with ongoing curriculum development and program evaluation.

Serving on the automotive advisory program committee at NJC is Wally Beardsley representing Re-! Valley School District, Tim Richie, NAPA Auto and Truck Parts, Arlin Dressel of ALD Automotive (Yuma, CO) Mike Schadegg of Wolf Auto, Rob Ahlbrandt of MHC Kenworth (Greeley, CO) Cherie Brungardt of NJC, Cindy Carey of NJC, Mike Fracchinello of Korf (Yuma, CO) Mike Gillespie of Charlie’s Diesel Service, Diana Haas of RE-1 Valley School District, Jeff Osuch of Erlich Toyota East (Fort Morgan, CO) and Eric Weber of Korf Continental. These advisory committee members should be especially proud of helping guide the NJC programs to this ASE credentialing.

NE Regional Science Fair at NJC

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:00:00 -0700

Public invited to come and view projects during afternoon

A high school competitor in last year’s Northeast Colorado Regional Science Fair explains her experiment to two college level science majors at Northeastern Junior College. The college-age students help judge the contest each year. (Courtesy Photo)

With all of the educational changes that have been implemented in the last two decades in education – two methods that have stood the test of time are clear then and even now. Learning does increase when students work hard and learning does increase when students are taught by great teachers. Understanding the importance of these concepts is the drive for the three directors of the Northeast Colorado Regional Science Fair.

The 57th Annual Northeastern Colorado Regional Science Fair will be held on Thursday, March 1 at the Northeastern Junior College Hays Student Center. Approximately 70 students will be presenting their research findings to judges. The public is invited to see the students’ work from 3:30 till 4:30 p.m. on this date. Also open to the public, the Awards Ceremony will be held at the Dorothy Corsberg Theater at 5:00 p.m. This year’s fair features two prior competitors who are now back, serving as directors of the event.

Director Andrew Fritzler of Merino was involved in research in his junior and senior years of high school--now seven years ago. Director Raylene Larson of Fleming, a current student at Northeastern Junior College, was involved in her high school research program three years ago. Penny Propst, even though retired from education after 35 years, still volunteers her time as a regional fair director. The northeast fair has stood the test of time as it approaches an important milestone - six decades of science learning through research.

The Northeast Colorado Regional is open to students in grades sixth through eighth, Junior Division; and ninth through twelfth, Senior Division. Schools participating in past fairs and again returning this year will be: Fleming High School, Buchanan Middle School (Wray), Wray High School, Yuma Middle School, Merino Junior High School, Merino High School and Liberty Middle School. New to the regional fair this year will be Sterling High School under the guidance of Carlye Armstrong.

Not only do students benefit academically from a program such as this, but there are numerous monetary benefits. Numerous scholarships, cash awards, travel funds, and teacher grants will be awarded through the gifts provided by the Frank and Gloria Walsh Science Foundation and other numerous sponsors. Scholarships awarded this year will total $30,000.

Through the Frank and Gloria Walsh Science Foundation, schools in the Sterling and outlying areas have been given the opportunity to apply for grants to assist in funding student research. Now in its seventh year, a teacher grant entitled, Investing in Science Research for the Classroom has made great changes in the classrooms for area teachers. Educators may apply to receive generous awards to help with research in the classroom. Through the Walsh grant, many teachers promoting student research in their middle or high school have advanced their science research programs. These instructors have improved the quality of their data collections as they use their monetary awards to increase computer technology, update equipment, purchase supplies, and pay for student travel expenses to use university technology. Educators from schools participating in past fairs as well as any wishing to sponsor student research have each been awarded up to $5,000 per year if their proposal is approved. The Frank and Gloria Walsh Science Teacher Grants are renewable each year.

Students explain their projects with poster board presentations. Twenty students will be invited to attend the Colorado State Science and Engineering Fair in Fort Collins on April 5-7. The top senior high project will be invited to attend the prestigious International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania May 13 - 18. Each student finalist attending this fair is given a travel stipend of $1500 by the Walsh Science Foundation.

The projects are categorized in each division according to the following areas: botany, chemistry, earth and space sciences, engineering, environmental, medicine and health, behavioral sciences, mathematics and computer sciences, microbiology, physics, and zoology.

Prior to judging, the Regional Safety Review Committee will examine the exhibits to make sure the projects follow the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) guidelines.

About 40 judges will score the projects from 8:30 a.m. till 3:30 pm. In addition to the numerous scholarships, many special awards from the Armed Services and 15 special interest groups will be given, plus the overall grand awards.

The Northeast Colorado Regional Fair would not be possible without the continued support of its sponsors. Sponsors of this event include: Northeastern Junior College; Frank and Gloria Walsh Science Foundation; Intel Foundation, Bank of Colorado; Chaney-Reager Funeral Home; Mark McDonald Physical Therapy Center; Sterling Eye Center, L.L.P./William Buchanan, M.D. and John Eliff, M.D.; Wright and Williamson; Dean and Vay Lousberg; Tennant Funeral Home and Crematory; Reck Agri Services, Inc.; William and Sandra Condon Family Foundation; Schmale Realty; Fetzer and Company; James Leh; Johnson Chiropractic; Wells Fargo Bank; Sterling Health Foods; Jim and Nancy McNay; Sterling Federal Credit Union; Pro Sports, Sterling Ethanol, and Premier Farm Credit.

For more information, please contact the Regional Fair Director, Penny Propst, 522-2295.

Healing Tree secures resources for addictions treatment

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:49:00 -0700

Standing in front of the new Chevrolet express van that was recently awarded to Kit Carson County by the Healing Tree are ( from left to right): Scott Thompson, professor of psychology at NJC who is the Healing Tree education representative; Tom Ridnour, a Kit Carson County Sheriff, presenting the key to the van to David Foy (Otis) Chairman of the Board of Healing Tree, Clark Bernhardt, Healing Tree Sedgwick County representative; Shane Laverenz, Kit Carson County Deputy Sheriff, and Doug Copely, Healing Tree law enforcement/judicial representative. (Courtesy Photo)

Healing Tree Addiction Treatment Solutions, Inc., a private not for profit organization serving the population of the 13th Judicial District, has been busy securing resources for the treatment of those suffering from drug and alcohol addictions and the area service providers who help these addicts. Healing Tree acquired a Health Resources and Services Administration grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to purchase equipment to assist service providers in the treatment of drug and alcohol addictions. The latest acquisition is a Chevrolet Express van equipped to transport patients suffering from addictions or mental health issues to their necessary level treatment. The van was much needed in Kit Carson County as it can be many miles between the county and the nearest services. The van was awarded to the Kit Carson County Sheriff’s office and accepted by Kit Carson County Sheriff Tom Ridnour in an award ceremony held in Sterling on Feb. 15th.

Healing Tree has also secured an educational kiosk for the District Attorney 13th Judicial District office. Many meth testers were also purchased and donated to many county law enforcement agencies and hospitals throughour northeast Colorado. Soon the Healing Tree hopes to help offset the costs of replacing outdated intoxilizers in the northeastern Colorado counties.

Healing Tree remains committed to achieiving its eventual goal of securing funds to provide the region with an in-patient treatment and detox facility as currently none exist in the 13th judicial district counites. Transportation costs to other regions where facilities do exist is expensive and seperating patients from their homes in order to receive treatment makes treatment hard on patients and their familites.

Cooper wins heart award at NJC

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:39:00 -0700

Celebrating Andi Whitlock’s memory was one of many items accomplished at the 2012 Hoops Homecoming at NJC on Feb. 18 when the “Andi Whitlock Heart Award” was presented to Beth Cooper. Pictured left to right during the presentation is NJC Women’s Basketball Coach Darrel Parker, Beth Cooper, Amber Whitlock, Sandy Younglund and Seth Whitlock. (Courtesy Photo)

There were a number of awards presented at the 18th Annual Hoops Homecoming at Northeastern Junior College held on February 18th. One of the awards presented following the women’s game was the annual Andi Whitlock Heart Award.

This award, voted on by the coaches and the players, is given to one or more Plainswomen basketball players each year who her teammates and coaches believe defines ‘heart.’ This year’s award went to a five foot seven sophomore guard named Beth Cooper. Cooper came to NJC from High Plains High School in Seibert, CO. “Beth is a true team player that comes to practice and games with a focus,” said Coach Darrel Parker as he made the announcement. “She is outstanding in the classroom and great on the court. She is always willing to do what you ask and always puts the team first.”

This award honors the memory of a young woman named Andi Whitlock of New Raymer, who played at NJC from 2001-2003. Andi was part of a team that won the Region IX title and made a trip to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s national Division I tournament. Tragically, Andi’s life was cut short when she died from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident in 2004. She was working as an emergency medical technician in Logan County at the time she died.

Following her death, a fellow student, John Wilson of Fort Collins, who played baseball here during those same years took it upon himself to initiate the establishment of the award in her name. He purchased the beautiful wood plaque you see on the wall at the Bank of Colorado Event Center. It bears the name of each year’s one or more winners since 2004, engraved on a gold plate. Since the award began, 16 players’ names have been placed on the plaque.

Also, following Andi’s death, a wonderful group of cattlemen, called Feeders and Friends, honored her memory by raising over $30,000 dollars in scholarships during its annual ranch rodeo fundraiser held in New Raymer. The money was given to the NJC Foundation to be used for scholarships for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) each year in Andi’s name. The annual award and the scholarships keep Andi’s memory very vivid and alive on campus. Members of Andi’s family were present at the game to help present the award including her twin sister Amber, her brother Seth and her mother, Sandy Younglund.

Smiths win coveted Roumph Award

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:37:00 -0700

Head coaches at NJC gathered at center court to help Lowell Roumph honor Jim and Vickie Smith with the latest Spirit and Sportsmanship Award. Pictured left to right are: Eddie Trenkle (head coach for men’s basketball), Darrel Parker, (head coach for women’s basketball), Vickie and Jim Smith, Lowell Roumph and Marci Henry (NJC athletic director). Courtesy Photo

Jim and Vickie Smith were all smiles when they were called to mid-court during the 18th Annual Hoops Homecoming festivities at Northeastern Junior College on February 18th. They were being recognized as the recipients of this year’s coveted Lowell Roumph Spirit-Sportsmanship Award.

The award, established and funded by the Bank of Colorado Event Center, is presented each year in honor of Roumph, who coached men’s basketball at Northeastern Junior College from 1968-2002, and is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame. Each year, Roumph meticulously chooses one or more recipients who he feels most highly exemplify and honor the college’s athletic programs through actions, words, presence and pride.

Jim and Vickie spend a lot of time at NJC during athletic events, often sitting in the same place in the gym or on the bleachers at the baseball field, usually surrounded by family members and friends who just like to be close enough to soak up the positive vibes they emit when they are in a competitive setting. The couple has been a wonderful supporter of NJC athletics over the years. Vickie has often donated her photography expertise in taking professional quality action photos during games and the couple has donated some wonderful photography related auction items over the years to various athletic fundraisers, not to mention making purchases of other items. They have been part of the Plainsman Athletic Group for a number of years now and are some of the first “go-to” people when NJC athletics need help rallying a group around a cause.

The Smiths’ names will appear on the plaque that hangs in the lobby of the Bank of Colorado Event Center bearing Roumph’s photo and a description of the award.

Posies for Patients

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:35:00 -0700

NJC students donate roses to hospital

Despite a sellout crowd at the Plainsman Grill on Valentine’s night, the restaurant had a number of long-stem roses left over, which the NJC student servers decided should go to the patients at Sterling Regional MedCenter. They were delivered to the hospital to be handed out by NJC nursing students doing clinical rotations and other nursing personnel on duty. Pictured here during the delivery are (left to right) Jen Burmester, front of house manager at the Plainsman Grill, servers Desiree Dugan (Brush) holding her son Ayden Cordova and Shannon Thaxton (Thorton) and nursing students Anne Harnish (Sterling), Shelby Harris (Eads), Charlene Carrera (Brush), Mickaela McCreery (Fleming) and Chelsea Clouse (Sterling). (Courtesy Photo)

NJC Collegiate Farm Bureau to hold spaghetti dinner and raffle fundraiser

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:33:00 -0700

Mike Brownell, (back row left) sponsor of Collegiate Farm Bureau joins with some of his students to help promote a spaghetti dinner during a Campus Activities Board meeting held on campus last week. Pictured with Brownell are (left to right) Susan Hutton of Castle Rock, CO, Josh Deines of Montrose, CO and Stephen Geu of Peetz, CO. The students will be serving up all-you-care-to-eat spaghetti in the ballroom on Friday night as a fundraiser. (Courtesy Photo)

The Collegiate Farm Bureau Chapter at Northeastern Junior College will hold a spaghetti dinner and raffle fundraiser this Friday night at 6 p.m. The all-you-care-to-eat dinner will be held in the ballroom on the second floor of Hays Student Center. Students from the chapter will be preparing and serving the meal. Serving begins at 6 p.m. and will continue until the food it gone.

In addition to the spaghetti dinner, the students will also be selling chances at a raffle to be held that evening. The items up for grabs will be two large baskets filled with a variety of items and gift certificates. This includes one basket considered a “work” basket and another created just to be “fun”. Among the merchants that have donated to these gift baskets are MV Equipment, NAPA Auto and Truck Parts, Mr. D’s Ace Hardware, Fox Five Theatre and Bummers.

The cost for tickets to the spaghetti dinner are $12 for adults which includes five raffle chances, $8 for students ages 5 to 12 and free for children under age 5. Please plan to pay with cash or check as the chapter is not set up to take debit or credit cards at the event. Other raffle chances will be available to purchase at the event.

There will also be some booths set up around the ballroom providing information on what the Collegiate Farm Bureau students are doing at NJC.

NJC Nursing Students Hosting Bonfils Blood Drive

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:22:00 -0700

NJC Bonfils Blood Drive

Hosted by NJC LPN/LPN to ADN Nursing Students
Wednesday, February 29th, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
ESF 219

Contact Miyuki Davison at 970-521-6701 or stop by PW 214 to schedule your appointment. Walk-ins welcome as space permits but appointments are strongly encouraged.

Monheiser and Anderson named Star Performers

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:26:00 -0700

Andi Monheiser (left) and Angie Anderson (right) were recently named the Star Performers in the student services division at Northeastern Junior College. The two are part of a much larger team of employees who work day in and day out to take care of student needs on campus. (Courtesy Photo)

Each year the student services division at Northeastern Junior College selects one or more star performers from its staff to recognize for exceptional service. The most recent recipients and the latest “stars” in Hays Student Center are Andi Monheiser and Angie Anderson. Monheiser is the assistant director of financial aid and Anderson is the director of records and admissions processes.

Both of these individuals work in key areas when it comes to providing student services. They put a very personal and friendly face on the daunting side of higher education—the confusion that often surrounds figuring out degree requirements , and paying the bill.

Anderson, who has been at NJC for eight years, is responsible for opening and closing the registration terms, oversees processes applications for graduation, and certifies graduates as well as oversees certification of eligibility for all athletic teams. She coordinate academic registration and payment verification processes as well as oversees all record changes for every student on campus. When a student needs to withdraw, to change his or her major or to verify if they are indeed on track to graduate, they often end up in the Records Office at Anderson’s desk. She deals with them on a very personal basis. “I love to help students process the final steps here at NJC,” says Anderson. “ They apply for graduation, meet the requirements, and I enjoy sending out their final transcripts and diplomas,” which she says means they’ve had success and NJC has also had success.

Monheiser came to NJC as a student the fall of 2001, attending here one year then transferring to the University of Colorado at Boulder where she received a bachelor’s degree in accounting. She returned to campus in 2008 as an employee. In her position in the financial aid office, she processes Free Applications for Federal Student Aid; certifies the Veteran’s Administration enrollment on campus, manages the work study program and handles all of the institutional and athletic scholarships. She has endless hours of interaction with students and parents and often this is happening at a time when families have a great deal of anxiety about how they are going to pay all the expenses of college. Monheiser says this is one of the most rewarding aspects of her job, to be able to help ease some of the fears and uncertainty when she is able to help families understand how the financial process works.

Anderson and Monheiser were honored during a luncheon held in the student center. Dean of Enrollment Services Andy Long, who oversees financial aid and records, commended each employee for work well done, giving specifics of how they often go above and beyond the call of duty in order to provide the best service possible to NJC students.

NJC Auto Show set for March 24 and 25

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:00:00 -0700

Students accepting entries now

In 2011, the Club’s Choice Award went to a 1961 Ford Thunderbird entered by Hank Binder of Golden, CO (Courtesy Photo)

The Northeastern Junior College Auto Techs Club is working diligently to get everything in place for its 2012 Auto Show set for the weekend of March 24-25th. The Club is currently accepting entries for the show in all categories including life-size and model cars.

Hot rods, new cars, vintage specialties, street rods, special function vehicles of all ages and makes are eligible for the show. Entries received prior to March 9 only pay $20 per entry fee and those entered after this date will pay $25.00. The show will be set up the afternoon and evening of March 23rd and early morning of March 24th. Contestants are vying for show trophies, special awards and bragging rights. Complete show rules and entry forms are available on NJC’s website at the following address: www.njc.edu/autoshow

As usual, a model car show and competition will also be held. The students would love to see more entries in this area. Classes for participation are age 6-12, ages 12-16 and ages 17 and up. Awards are given for the first and second place entry in each class. A Best Display and People’s Choice are also awarded to the model car participants. No metal or preassembled cars will be judged. There is no entry fee for the model car show.

The Diesel Power Club will hold its annual Toy Show in conjunction it the auto show on Saturday, March 24th from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The students are looking for exhibitors for the toy show now and want vendors to preregister before March 20th. To find out more about the toy show specifically, call (970) 521-6739. If you collect and trade toys or if you are a retail vendor, this is a great place to showcase your inventory.

All questions pertaining to entry qualifications specifically for the auto show or the model car show should contact Layton Peterman at (970) 521-6794.

NJC hosts jackpot rodeo this weekend

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:55:00 -0700

The Northeastern Junior College Rodeo Team is hosting its annual Jackpot Rodeo this Saturday, February 25th at the Logan County Fairgrounds. This is a Wyoming Rodeo Association co-sanctioned rodeo. The action begins at 9 a.m. and the public is invited to come and watch the competition. Area cowboys and cowgirls are encouraged to participate in the day as the arena athletes begin preparing for spring rodeos.

Events to be held include barrel racing, calf roping, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, goat tying, and team roping. Entry fees vary from $45 to $100 per run or team and contestants may enter events throughout the day.

The schedule is as follows: 9 a.m. Exhibition Barrels; 10 a.m. Open 4-H Barrel Race; 11 a.m. Open Calf Roping (high school students or over age 50 get 1.2 second off per calf); 12 noon Open Breakaway (women of all ages, men over age 50, boys 13 and under may enter this event); 1 p.m. Open Steer Wrestling (high school students or over age 40 get ½ second off per steer); 2 p.m., Open Goat Tying; 3 p.m. Open Team Roping ($50 per man (enter 4 times) and 3 p.m.. High School/Over 60 Team Roping (one member of team must be in high school or over age 60. Contestants may enter any event multiple times on different horses. There will be a one-third stock charge.

Times noted here are the earliest time that the event is predicted to start. To assure getting entered, contestants want to be on the grounds prior to this posted time to get entries in ahead of the start of the event. The events will be held in the heated indoor arena so if families are looking for a way to spent a few hours out of the house, stop at the fairgrounds and watch some of the rodeo action.

In the event of inclement weather or bad roads, call before you haul to confirm event is still occurring. Call Brian Cullen at 970-554-1444 or Taya McAdow at 720-839-5085

NJC Baseball Home Opener Preview

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:03:00 -0700

After a string of road games to open the season, the NJC Plainsmen baseball team is preparing for its 2012 Home Opener scheduled for this Saturday, February 25th.

The Plainsmen will kick off the home portion of their schedule by taking on Miles City Community College in a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday. Both days will be doubleheaders beginning at 12:00 pm.

NJC carries a 5-6 record into this weekend’s action, and are on the rise after a pair of convincing wins last time out in Kansas, against Garden City CC.

The Plainsmen started the season with five games in three days in Las Vegas at the beginning of February. They would finish the trip with a 3-2 record, including hard fought wins against The College of Southern Idaho, Southern Nevada, and Eastern Utah. They would then battle #14 Seward County CC in a pair of close games on February 14th, ultimately falling just short by scores of 5-2 and 4-2.

This past weekend saw the team head to Garden City CC for a 4-game series, which was ultimately split two games apiece. Left-hander Ryan Reno (Fresh./ Denver, CO) was the tough-luck loser in the first game of the series, throwing a complete game, 6 innings, in a 1-0 loss. Reno was tremendous, allowing just a run on 3 hits and a walk, striking out 5. The fortunes of the Plainsmen however, appeared to begin turning after a 3-1 loss in the back half of the Saturday.

Head Coach Bryan Shepherd inserted Danny Westerberg (Fresh./ Parker, CO) into the lineup for the third game of the series, and he appeared to be just the spark that the struggling offense needed.

Westerberg went 4 for 4 with an RBI, 2 runs scored, and 2 stolen bases in his collegiate debut, as the Plainsmen offense compiled 8 runs on 14 hits for the 8-4 win. But Westerberg and the Plainsmen weren’t done there. NJC would take the final game of the series with an emphatic 14-4 win. Westerberg was 2 for 3 with an RBI, and drew a walk. For the day, NJC scored 22 runs on 28 hits, while Westerberg was an impressive 6 for 7 with 2 RBI, a run, and 2 stolen bases. Eight Plainsmen had multiple hits on the day.

Some of the impressive performances turned in by Plainsmen early in the season include:

Nick Miller (Soph./ Loveland, CO) has started the season hot offensively, leading Plainsmen regulars in all major offensive categories. Through 11 games he is hitting .432 with a homerun, 10 RBI’s, and 8 runs scored. Miller has been just as dominant on the pitchers mound as he has a 1-0 record and a 1.62 ERA in 13 innings pitched, while striking out 16 batters, walking just 3.

Scott Hoyt (Soph./ Longmont, CO) places second on the team with his .350 batting average and 6 RBI’s in 11 games.

Ryan Reno has pitched very well in 2 starts, working to a 3.18 ERA in 11 innings, with a win and a complete game. He has allowed just 10 hits and 2 walks while striking out 9.

Derek Neeper (Soph./ Loveland, CO) has 2 wins in his 3 starts, working to a 3.89 ERA. In 18 innings, he has walked just 4 while recording an impressive 24 strikeouts.

In the bullpen, Tyler Sieg (Fresh./ Eaton, CO) has recorded 2 saves while pitching scoreless baseball.

The Plainsmen look to be rounding into form just in time for their home schedule to begin, so make sure to get out to the NJC’s Plainsmen Park this weekend to catch some Plainsmen baseball!

Opening Weekend Schedule:

Saturday, February 25th vs. Miles City CC- 12 PM (DH)
Sunday, February 26th vs. Miles City CC- 12 PM (DH)