Spring Break and Simple Pleasures

Travis Robinson did not go to Cancun for spring break. He did not go skiing down the slopes, gamble in Vegas or see the sites of the great American cities, either. In fact, Travis Robinson did not even venture outside of Kearney, NE during the break. Robinson spent his spring break working, watching a variety of his beloved movies and hanging out with a few friends who also opted not to stray from central Nebraska over spring break.

While this may not sound like an ideal or even satisfying way to spend one of the few precious free weeks college students are granted, Robinson found a way to make it fun, entertaining and maybe even a little perfect. While his friends were sunbathing or getting windblown in the windy city, Robinson was constantly alternating between spending time within the walls of his workplace, Wal Mart, viewing movies and taking in the great metropolis that is Kearney, NE. Despite this, Robinson did not mind being confined to mid-Nebraska. With a little resourceful thinking, he and his friends were able to entertain themselves in the practically abandoned college town. It also helped that not all Robinson's friends jumped ship. "I still had plenty of people to hang out with in Kearney and it was nice to have more time to relax and hang out", Robinson said.

Although he had additional free time during break, Robinson refrained from picking up extra shifts at his workplace. "I kept the same amount of hours as per usual. I didn't want to work any more than I had to, especially on break," Robinson said. With an abundance of extra time, Robinson was able to focus on one of his greatest passions: movies. Always the zealous movie buff, Robinson eagerly looks forward to opportunities to explore new movies and pass the time persuing and critiquing his favorite past time. Almost as if by an act of fate, a movie which Robinson had anxiously waited four years for came out the very day break began. The anticipation coupled with Robinson's intense love for horror flicks allowed for endless entertainment for Robinson. Other films, as well as Robinson's favorite TV show aided in Robinson's entertainment as well. "I ended up watching a lot of 'Scrubs'," Robinson said. The contrast associated with the combination between the horror films and comic episodes allowed for the perfect array of excitement and endless entertainment for Robinson over the break.

Though he kept himself entertained during break with a few friends and his films, Robinson, like many, felt the absence of the college students who chose to spend break in more exotic places. "Work was definitely slower," Robinson stated. With the majority of college students spending their break anywhere but Kearney, even the walls of Wal Mart felt slightly empty.

While Robinson may not have done anything that can be considered glamorous for his spring break, he did learn a valuable assest: how to stay entertained in mid-Nebraska without sacrificing a lot of money or relying on extraordinary outside contributing factors. Robinson proved that you do not need to travel, spend a lot of money or even make elaborate plans to have a great spring break. Sometimes, all it takes for a person to experience an amazing and ideal spring break is a little free time, some relaxation, a few good friends, something you are passionate about and the ability to enjoy the simple pleasures.

An ode to those of us stuck in Kearney, NE for Spring Break...

I realize this is a little late, but I wanted to give a shout out to those of us still in Kearney, NE while our friends are out sunbathing, sightseeing, drinking and doing anything but, well, being stuck in central Nebraska during the most exciting time for a college students.

So our friends abandoned us, and the world may see us as a little lame, but there are a few upsides to being stuck in K-town over break. I figured I'd post a few to make everyone (including myself) who was stuck in Kearney and/or abandoned by friends feel a little better about their spring break. They may be few, but here they are- the upsides of being in Kearney, NE over spring break:

1. Earn extra cash from working extra hours- hey, it's always nice to earn money rather than spend money, right?
2. Feeling like you have the town to yourself since all the college kids are gone
3. An entire new crowd- I met more people over spring break than I did all year- the town turns into a combination of the left-over college students and those who came home to Kearney for break.
4. St. Patrick's day in Kearney- sure wherever everyone else was may have been more glamourous, but don't underestimate how much fun we have during St. Patrick's in Kearney. It was wonderful- Kearney definitely has an Irish side!
5. More sleep- with no agenda, you can put in the extra ZZZ's. And more sleep is always a good thing.
6. Renewed appreciation for 'free time'. I had all the time in the world this week, I cleaned, cooked and even spent some time outdoors. Being so busy made me forget how much I love being able to watch an episode of the Office or sleep past noon.

Maybe it's not Cancun, but don't feel bad if you were rockin' in Kearney, NE during break. You were not alone, and hopefully, you were able to see the bright spots of this city as well.

Boys who break my heart....

First off, Happy NCAA Tournament time! Yes, this is so special that I have created a holiday for it. One of my best guy friends calls this "the most wonderful time of the year", and I tend to agree.

On a sadder note, a few teams have been disappointments. The first major disappointment came when Wake Forest, a number 4 seed, fell in the first round to Cleveland St, a mere number 13 seed. Though the ACC powerhouse has struggled this season, no one expected them to have the inability to conquer the less-than-impressive number 13 squad. Though I cautioned anyone away from picking this team to go futher than the sweet sixteen, I expected them to at very least squeeze past a terrible team which barely made the NCAA tournament. Thanks, Wake, for messing up my bracket, terrible representation of the best conference in the nation (this is disputable, the Big East is great too, I'm just partial to ACC) and an unending display of disappointing mediocracy.

Another major disappointment came when Boston College fell to Southern Cal. While USC is a perennial football powerhouse, they are at best average when it comes to college basketball. While they've struggled in the past two seasons, Boston College has been an impressive ACC factor in the past, and with their 7 seed over USC's 10 slot, it seemed the Eagles should have been able to upset the Trojans. No dice though, like Wake Forest, the ACC disappointed again, and my poor bracket took a major hit as I had this squad going to the elite 8. Chalk it up to another ACC heartbreak.

West Virginia- what the hell?! With a 6 seed over Dayton, this one seemed like a no-brainer. And with Kansas being such a young, inexperienced squad, it seemed possible that they could squeeze past the Jayhawks as well. Much to my disappointed suprise, the Mountaineers could not even top Dayton, a less-than-mediocre club. I hoped for much more from this Big East team, who experienced an impressive key win over Pittsburg during the Big East conference tournament. The mountaineers also instilled faith in me after knocking out Duke second round in the NCAA tournament last year. In this year's NCAA tournament, they could not win when it mattered though, and West Virginia disappointment fans without being able to play even a second game in the big dance.

So, if you are agonizing about your bracket, you're not alone. With the upsets and teams who failed to show up, even the best can have a few missed picks. I know my bracket is getting progressively worse. No heartbreak I've experienced ever compares to the heart ache the NCAA tournament causes. Thanks for the heartbreak, boys.

Stay Away from the SEC! (Tips on bracket picks)

So, it's that time of the year again: when even the most conservative people gamble, sane persons act a little crazy and grown men cry. That's right- the wave of march madness is sweeping the nation. As we get ready to fill out our brackets, consider your picks before forking over your hard-earned cash. Here are some of my sports analysis tips (Please don't fault me if you lose money over this advice):

1. Stay away from the SEC. This conference is incredibly weak. It is unlikely that many (or any) SEC teams will it past the first round.

2. Don't pick Clemson. The Tigers have struggled all the way, falling early in the ACC tournament. Though they won big against Duke (74-47), they haven't had a big win since and have suffered some bad losses.

3. Look out for "Powerhouse" teams. These teams may seem like easy picks, as they are perennial powerhouses, but teams such as Wake Forest, Gonzaga and Syracuse have struggled late-season. It would be best not to take these teams past the sweet sixteen.

4. Allow for the upsets. It may seem obvious to give the win to the higher seeded team, but you have to understand that certain teams will turn it on during the tournament and other teams will falter, meaning the better team will not always win. Though there is never a "safe" upset pick, some of my favorite upset picks include: Temple over Arizonia St, Arizona over Utah and Butler over LSU.

5. Don't underestimate Memphis. For those who followed this young team, they have turned it on these last couple years. With the momentum from both last season and this year's success, look for the #2 seed in the west bracket to make a serious run in the tournament. I took this time to the Elite 8 before predicting they will fall to powerhouse UCONN.

6. Expect UCONN to be out for revenge. Anyone who watched this squad fall from the #1 post twice to the same team (Pittsburg, who before had never beaten a #1 seed) or witnessed the conference loss UCONN suffered after an epic 6 overtime battle with Syracuse must understand: UCONN is talented, and they're pissed. UCONN has the forwards to get the job done and they'll be looking for a way to redeem themselves during the dance. Expect to see the team in the title match-up

*So have some fun, fill out some brackets and enjoy the delightful madness that is college basketball in March.

Shut up and Drive (Habits that annoy me)

Being stuck in an incredibly annoying array of Kearney rush-hour traffic got me to thinking: people who drive are idiots. Now, I'm not saying I'm not a bad driver- I make plenty of mistakes as well. However, this is not going to stop me from venting about all the bad driving habits others make that irk my while I'm on the road.



First off... always use your blinker! I know this is one of the first things you learned in driver's ed, and for God's sake it only takes the flick of a finger to enable your turn singal. Nothing makes more more angry than when I come to a complete stop at an uncontrolled intersection, attemtping to yield and the person stops, hesitates, and then turns in front of me. Now, they knew because they were turning that they did not have the right of way, but because they were too lazy to turn on thier signal I had to yield anyway. It takes up way too much time and can also be slightly dangerous. Equally annoying is when you have to slam on your breaks because the person in front of you suddenly turns with no warning (i.e. turn signal)



Also... do not slow down to 10 mph under the speed limit when you see a cop. This is quite possibly my biggest pet peeve. If the speed limit is 40 mph and you are driving 40 mph, then stay at that speed. The police officer will not pull you over if you are going at a consistent speed. In fact, you are only calling attention to yourself if you slam on the brakes in front of a cop when you're not even exceeding the speed limit. Plus, it forces everyone behind you to drive 10 mph under the speed limit, and that's just rude.



So... when you're on the road, please be considerate of others.

Forget the "Old Lady who lived in a shoe"... This is way cooler!

Every home is unique, but an eastern Missouri family has a home which is truly one-of-a-kind. The Sleeper family lives in a home which they bulit inside an old mining cave in 2004. The couple fell in love with the geography of the cave and determined a way in which to build their home inside it.

However, the Sleepers were forced to put their pride and joy for sale on ebay after having trouble coming up with a large payment which was coming up on the home.

Due to a 15-year loan with low interest made from a New Jersey-based business, the Sleepers will now be able to keep their home. They no longer have the home up for sale on ebay and are looking forward to being able to remain in their distinct household.

Curt and Deborah Sleeper built their cave home with assistance of friends. A gray timber frame exterior was constructed in the cave's opening, which measured at 37 feet. Thirty-seven sliding glass doors are used as windows in the three-story, three-bedroom home. These "windows" allow natural light to flow throughout the finished sections. Walls and ceilings are natural cave stones. The home does have amenities, however, such as a large soaking tub in one bathroom and a fully equipped kitchen.

The Sleepers feel grateful at the chance of keeping their home with affordable loan payments. Curt Sleeper is especially grateful for the support of those who had heard of their plight.
"I've got 8,000 e-mails in my inbox. Everyone wants to wish me luck, but also tell me their heartache," he said.
"It's certainly been almost life changing — except I'm keeping my cave, so not that life changing," he said. "I'd love to hear the end of the story read, 'and they lived happily ever after.'"

Local Editorial

No one likes tuition increases. Tuition increases put a strain on the economy and also deter students from attending universities where tuition is increasing. While many methods of maintaining tuition at the University of Nebraska at both Lincoln and Kearney have been proposed, a slightly more radical approach has been suggested: cutting faculty salaries. The issue is still under review according to the University of Nebraska President J.B. Milliken.

Cutting faculty salaries to maintain tuition rates is an example of a classic catch-22. One on hand, it is imperative to maintain tuition rates in order to keep up attendance rates at UNK. If tuition spikes at an increased rate, many will not be able to afford college at UNK, and thus the university will lose students and precious funds. However, cutting salaries for faculty members may make it difficult to attract high caliber faculty members. It seems that an unattractive decision must be made between losing numbers in the student body or losing the ability to attract high quality faculty members.

With such a conundrum, it seems the logical solution is to devise a sort of compromise. Though it may seem extreme to cut all faculty salaries, it may be an option to cut only salaries over a certain amount. For example, if only a portion of salaries were cut, it may be possible to maintain the college tuition rate without cutting salaries as a whole. In this situation, if only the salaries which compose the top third largest amounts were cut, the Universities could find a substantial amount added to their budget. This would solve the issue of avoiding tuition hikes while abstaining from cutting all faculty salaries. If only the top third were cut, the Universities would still have the ability to attract quality faculty, as starting rates would not make the category of the top third salaries, which were being affected by the cuts.

It may seem like a strange compromise, but cutting only a portion of salaries makes a certain sort of sense. With the economy in its current state, it is doubtful that existing faculty members will leave their secure jobs even in event of salary cuts. The Universities would also be able to attract new hires, as their salaries would not be affected. Though in most situations a compromise may not be an appropriate solution, this may be a situation in which a compromise is the best, and only, resolution.

Finally, some sportsmanship!

In today's sports world, it is extremely rare to see good sportsmanship, especially at the professional level. That's why it was such a suprising relief to watch the 2009 Dunk contest and witness the ultimate sportsmanship between two participants. It may be a little overdue, but I was highly impressed to see the commeradary and class that existed between dunk contest participants Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard. Last year, Dwight Howard won the contest, donning a Superman outfit.

In this year's contest, Howard allowed Robinson to play on the Superman theme, permitting him to dunk over him while wearing a green outfit symbolizing 'kryptonite'. The 5'9" Robinson was able to leap over the 6'11" defending champion to emerge victorious from the competition. Now, it may just be a dunk contest, but as a sporting event in which participates are in it to win it, seeing a competitor help another competitor is a refreshing shock.

This is impressive becuase not only did Howard allow Robinson to use him as a 'prop' for his dunk, but he also allowed him to play on Howard's Superman creation. In essence, he assisted Robinson in winning the contest and allowed this even at his own expense. Howard high-fived Robinson after he slammed down his dunk and smiled as Robinson did the "souldja boy" Superman dance. It's nice to finally see some good sportsmanship.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjDmyW4RJ64