Tuesday, November 11, 2014

MEET THE PARENTS

FALL PARENTS’ WEEKEND
By Cadet Ray Jin


  Wentworth Military Academy & College hosted the Fall Parents’ Weekend in October.  Parents were invited to meet with faculty and staff to discuss the progress of their cadet.  They were also invited to eat dinner in the dining hall.  Ameriserve had a delicious meal for them.
 On Friday night, parents had the option to ride a bus to the football game to a neighboring town to watch the Red Dragons take on the Santa Fe Chiefs.  It wasn’t a good outcome for the Dragons, but everyone had a good time cheering and the boys played hard.
 On Saturday, the soccer team took to the field against St. Charles Community College.  The Red Dragons lost 3-2 in a hard fought match.  The parents then took part in the much anticipated parent’s drill down, a competition to see how well the parents could perform drill and ceremony.  The Cadet/1SGTs took charge and drilled the parents until only one was left.  The winner was the parent of Cadet Brett Heckman.

Following the drill down, cadets could check out overnight with their parents and enjoy some time together.
Parents compete in the Parent's Drill Down

OCTOBER FUN DAY: SPOOKY GOOD FUN

Spooky Good Fun

By Cadets Rose Mendez and Taylor Jones

     The High School Cadets are doing a great job keeping their grades up in school. As a reward, they are given a day of fun each month. Captain Griffin and Captain Davis were in charge of October’s activity. It was exciting and nerve racking at the same time!  October is the month of Halloween and that’s what made this fun day even more fun. Each advisory group was in charge of dividing their members into three groups. There were three projects. Each advisory group had to have a decorated pumpkin, a scarecrow, and a decorated door, all done within three hours. The winners were judged on creativity, originality, effort, detail, and how spooky they were.

     First place on the pumpkin decoration was the advisory group of 
Cpt. Hensen and Cpt. Robbins. Cadet Philip Commins had the idea to build a Gourdzilla out of three pumpkins. The team used carrots as the “scales” down Gourdzilla’s back. With the help of his two team members, Guadalupe Mendez and Toby Zhong, they were able to finish earlier than expected. 

     Maj. Christian and Cpt. Meyer’s advisory won first place for both the door decoration and the scarecrow. Working on the scarecrow was the team of cadets Rose Mendez, Taylor Jones, and Yinchu Zhao. “We wanted to make a scarecrow that wouldn’t look like the others, made of hay, so we came up with the idea to build it out of sticks. It gave us great results.” said Rose Mendez. The team managed to finish right before time was up. “It was a lot of hard work.” commented Taylor Jones. Decorating the door was very stressful as well. Paper needed to be cut perfectly in order for the drawing to make sense. It was all about “The Shadow” and the shadow had to be cut out perfectly. Thankfully everything worked out and the team managed to wrap it up at the end.  The door decorators were Cadets Edward Jiao, Dane Li, and Kazi Maimuna.

Complete Results:
Decorated Door:
1st Place: The Shadow, by Maj. Christian and Cpt. Meyer’s advisory
2nd place: CTO, by Cpt. Hensen and Cpt. Robbin’s advisory’
3rd place: Madeline Wentworth, by Cpt. Davis and Cpt. Lang’s advisory

Pumpkins:
1st place: Gourdzilla, by Cpt. Hensen and Cpt. Robbin’s advisory
2nd place: Jason, by Cpt. McClafferty and Cpt. McLauren’s advisory
TIE:
3rd place: The Joker, by Cpt. Brock and Cpt. Griffin’s advisory
3rd place: Scapegourd, by Cpt. Blomquist and Cpt. Crutchfield’s advisory

Scarecrow:
1st place: Apoco-lipz, by Maj. Christian and Cpt. Meyer’s advisory
2nd place: Down to Earth, by Cpt. Davis and Cpt. Lang’s advisory
TIE :
3rd place: Nima Wang, by Cpt. Brock and Cpt. Griffin’s advisory.
3rd place: Cadet S Crow, by Cpt. Anderson and Maj. Fiora’s advisory


Congratulations to the Winners!


The Shadow
Acopo-lipz

The pumpkin creations on display.


Gourdzilla with co-creator Philip Commins.

Madeline Wentworth

UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENTS

Upcoming events:
By Ali Al-Yahya
NOVEMBER
- 17th, Start of International Week.
- 19th, Mexican Consulate and Chef.
- 22nd, Stand by room inspection.
- 23rd, Veterans Recognition Day.
- 26th, Thanksgiving break begins.
- 30th, Thanksgiving break ends.

DECEMBER
- 4th, Final exams begin.
- 5th, Festival of Lights Parade in downtown Lexington.
-12th Mid-Year Graduation.
-12th Christmas Break after Graduation Ceremony.

For more information and a full Wentworth calendar, please visit www.wma.edu/calendar.

WMA HOSTS LARGEST RAIDER CHALLENGE

WMA HOSTS LARGEST RAIDER CHALLENGE
By Cadet Ali Al-Yahya

   The Wentworth JROTC Department recently hosted the largest Raider Meet ever held on the Wentworth campus. The Wentworth Raider team placed 10th overall in the challenge, and improved in Army Physical Fitness Test and the Road march. Ten schools participated in the meet and there were 18 Raider teams, with 183 participants, 15 instructors, and approximately 50 visitors.  The meet started at 5:30 AM and lasted 11 hours, finishing up at 4:30 PM.

     The teams competed in 7 events.  The events included the Army Physical Fitness Test, 10 Kilometer Foot March, One Rope Bridge, Gauntlet (Obstacle Course), Cross Country Litter Carry (Obstacle Course), The Dirty Name (Strength Course), Equalizer (Zodiac Boat Carry).

    “The Raider Meet was a total success because of the assistance of professional ROTC cadets as graders, very cooperative High School JROTC cadets, National Maintenance, Ameriserve for meals, and the Athletic Department, who went out of their way to help out.” commented Major Ed Fiora, Senior Army Instructor, WMA.

     Waynesville High School finished 1st overall, with Leavenworth High School and Junction City High School in 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
JROTC Cadets from many schools in Missouri and Kansas compete in the Army Physical Fitness Test
Being able to move these huge tires is one component of the obstacle course.
               



Cadets squeeze under the ropes in the Gauntlet.

After you construct the one rope bridge, you are tested when you have to cross it!

  


 

AMANDA GOODMAN-PRUITT RETURNS TO WMA

    Amanda Goodman-Pruitt Returns to Wentworth


     There are many facets to the lead singer of Rugged Heart, but the name of her five-piece band pretty much sums her up.  Amanda Goodman-Pruitt, 31, has lived most of her life as a nomad, but now calls Emory home with her husband, Ken Pruitt, and three children, Kaylee, 6, Eugene, 9, and Taylor, 15.
Just three months following the death of her stepson, Wesley, 13, in March, the wife, mother and singer/songwriter is moving forward with her career and outlook on life.
“I know that my testimony will touch someone one day,” Goodman-Pruitt said. “I’ve been through so much, and it’s great not to sneak around to sing anymore.”
     Although she first took the stage dressed in a white fringe shirt, a blue jean skirt and bandana at the age of 4 in a Bossier City, Louisiana, bingo hall, her father was not a fan of her singing.  Her song of choice was “Have Mercy” by The Judds.  “My parents divorced when I was 5 years old, and I was never able to really be a child,” she said. “Especially since I lived with my dad and he worked 80 to 90 percent of the time.”  Now, the rising star tours with her Rugged Heart band and writes songs with country music legend Tony Stampley, of Nashville.  “I’ve been determined since the first day I began singing,” Goodman-Pruitt said. “My dad wasn’t supportive and wanted me to get a degree other than in music.”
     Goodman-Pruitt was born in Natchez, Mississippi, moved to Bossier City at 2 years old and was “shipped” by her father and stepmother to Wentworth Military Academy & College in Lexington, Missouri, at 17.  “It was a blessing in disguise to move there on my own,” Goodman-Pruitt said of military school. 
     Goodman-Pruitt graduated in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas A&M University-Commerce and a minor in theater arts.
“She had more discipline than most of the students in the journalism program,” Texas A&M Commerce journalism instructor Fred Stewart said. “Even back then, she was very excited about her music and had big dreams and high hopes for it.”
     Her music entwines blues, jazz and country, layered with raspy vocals.  Her next performance is scheduled July 19 in Sulphur Springs.  This past week, she played at the Texas Country Music Hall Fame in Carthage.  She’s also working on an album to be released January.  Her “frans” — her slang for “fans and friends” — can expect an album exploring her feelings about her son’s death.
    

     Amanda Goodman-Pruitt sang for many of the school events while she was a cadet at Wentworth.  She graduated from Wentworth Military Academy High School in 2001 and returned for her freshman year of college at Wentworth Junior College. 

     In October, Amanda returned to the Wentworth Campus in Lexington for a visit.  She was the guest of COL Michael Lierman, President and Superintendent of Wentworth Military Academy and College.  “It was great to see Amanda and have her and her husband back on campus.  I am so proud of her and her many accomplishments since she left Wentworth.  She has made us all proud!” stated COL Lierman.

UNDER THE BIG TOP

Under the Big Top
By Cadet Taylor Jones

     On Thursday, October 23, the Kelly Miller Circus came to Lexington, MO and Wentworth cadets were given the opportunity to go.  The circus had a large assortment of animals and performances for the crowd. They had a large tent, the Big Top, to hold all of the performances and for all of the visitors to sit in. There were bleachers all around the inside of the tent, so there was plenty of room for everyone.   If you decided to pay extra, you could sit in a special section right in front of the event area, where all of the action happened. 
     Outside of the Big Top, there were food stands where you could get corn dogs, funnel cakes, shelled peanuts, and many more circus types of food. There were areas where you could ride an elephant or a camel, which many people chose to do. There was also a bizarre stand where they carried birds with two heads, cockroaches as big as your hand, a mouse with two tails and three feet, and many more strange things.
     The circus began with six lions sitting on pedestals.  As the show went on, the lions performed tricks and were very obedient to their trainer. Another act featured acrobats who climbed on ropes and twisted on thin sheets of material. The performers were very flexible and had incredible upper body strength.  One woman was able to hang from the top of the tent, hanging and swinging by her teeth. Other performances included a man who juggled multiple things, a man who stacked chairs and balanced them all the way up to the ceiling, a funny clown, and a dog disguised as the smallest elephant in the world. Another big act was the amazing animals that they had.  Alpacas, llamas, camels, and elephants all performed for the audience and did different things to show how talented they were due to the hard work of the trainers. Each act had a person to help guide the animals and help them perform in an exciting ways. 
The last act was a man who could “breathe fire!” He poured lighter fluid into his mouth, lit it on fire and spit it out. His tricks with fire were exquisite. He juggled with fire and had ropes of fire. Many different things were on fire and he was spinning them in the air.

     The circus is an amazing experience and I encourage you to go.  They have marvelous acts and performances for people of all ages to enjoy!


PTK HAUNTS NEIGHBORING TOWN

PTK HAUNTS NEIGHBORING TOWN

The Tau Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa reached out and helped a neighboring community raise money for new playground equipment. On October 24th and 25th, Wentworth students dressed up in their Halloween best to help the Waverly Friends of the Park host their Annual Haunted Hayride.

“I was really proud of the year’s volunteers. They really put a lot of time and energy into this project”, stated CPT Becky Young-Mueller, PTK Advisor. “Everyone got into their role and all of the staff members from Waverly raved about the Wentworth students and want them to come back in the years to come.”
                                                               
Creepy cadet Jade Dale-Perry is among the
walking dead.
Wentworth College student Sam Angle
tears up the campgrounds.
Cadets Jade Dale-Perry, Hailey Long, Justin Aldred,
Mendrix Punzalan, and Paul Marquez add terror to the
haunted hayride.

WINTER SPORTS GEAR UP

Rifle Team
By Cadet Ray Jin

We have 15 people on the Rifle team this season. Everyone on the Rifle team has to pass the safety test about the safe practices. They must get 100 points on the test before they can practice.
After passing the test, we go to the shooting range to start rifle practice. We practice from 16:05 until 17:30 every Monday through Friday.
We practice using 10-meter air rifle range target holders with targets placed at the proper heights for firing from the prone100 point, kneeling100 point, and standing positions100 point). The Rifle team has three categories which include: marksman, sharpshooter, and expert.
     Marksman: shooting two positions, prone and standing. Total score of 110, two positions together.
     Sharpshooter: shooting two positions, prone and standing. The categories division requires a shooting score of 130.
      Expert: shooting all positions, prone, standing and kneeling. The categories division requires a shooting score of 230.
A range officer (Major Fiora) or instructor is in charge of firing on every range.
We use the Air Rifle D-887(Co2) for the JROTC air rifle practices. We have to follow the rules of safety every time we practice.  

There are 4 Rifle matches that we will compete in this season.

High School Basketball
By Cadets Rose Mendez and Taylor Jones

The high school basketball season has started for both boys and girls. They started their practices on Monday, November 3 in preparation for the winter season. The girls’ head coach is Coach Marjorie Griffin, and the assistant coach is Coach Mike McClafferty. They have been working hard to get the girls to work together as a team. A major goal for us is to learn to play “team” basketball. We have to learn basketball fundamentals, offense, and defense while we try to understand team concepts,” said Coach Griffin.  “It is much harder for WMA players than it is for the schools we compete against because players don’t know one another’s strengths and weaknesses. Some players have never even dribbled a basketball before the first day of practice.”  The girls have been doing lots of conditioning, and practicing really hard for their first game coming up in December. When asked about how successful she thought the team would be this season, Coach Griffin said, “Our overriding strength as a team is our determination and drive.  Nine girls are out for basketball -- all of whom give 100% each day during conditioning and practice. They encourage one another and push one another to be better today than they were yesterday. I’ll take that any day over winning games; our players are learning how to win at life!”

The boys have also started their practices. The coaches are Coach Pat Lang and Coach Tony Reed. “Always give your best, the team deserves it,” said Coach Lang. They have also been working on a lot of different drills to prepare themselves for their games coming up in a few weeks. They boys have been conditioning themselves to play better and improve themselves as a team. The practice season has started off well and the teams will keep working hard to improve as the season goes on.


Wentworth Junior College Basketball
By Cadet Guadalupe Mendez

JC Men’s Basketball

November 2nd was the first home game for the JC Men’s Basketball Team. The 135th Corps of Cadets attended the game to support the Red Dragons. During the first half of the game, the players hustled to the basket, stole the ball multiple times, and made some points. But it was not their best game.The score at half was 39-38 with Graceland in the lead. Coach Hughes talked about how his team did in the first half, "I was not happy about how we played in the first half.  We did not show offensive patience in the first half.  We were pretty much one and done.  And, we did not take care of the basketball, whether offensively or defensively.  We talked about taking care of the ball in the second half," stated Coach Tom Hughes. The second half of the game was totally different play. The guys took control of the ball. The Dragons took the lead and ended the game winning 87-71.  This is what Coach Hughes had to say about the second half, "We played much better in the second half.  We did a better job of taking care of the ball - we turned it over eight times in the second half to Graceland's fifteen.  We shot 50% from the field in the second half, and out-rebounded them 26-24.  We have to learn from what we did well in the second half of play.  I was disappointed in our first half, but pleased how we reacted after the break.  It was a good opening win for us."
The Dragons did an outstanding job overall. They worked really hard during practices and it paid off.


JC Women’s Basketball

Our new JC Women’s Basketball Coach is Coach Troy Katen.  Coach Katen comes to Wentworth with 18 years coaching at the collegiate level.  He is coaching a young team with 10 freshmen and only 3 sophomores, but he says their talent, size, and speed could cause problems for their opponents. “We are very young this year and have a good makeup of talent.  We have some size that can be a presence inside and will be very quick in the back court. We hope to set a good tone early on in the season and look to make a run in the region tournament.  A couple of our strengths that will help us are that we are very competitive and possess above average team quickness.  This will be crucial for the season as we are a defensive based team.  Our quickness and anticipation should allow us to cause a lot of problems for our opponents,” said Coach Katen.
“We will have a good mixture of sophomores and freshman on the floor this year. Shakorya Brower is a returning sophomore that averaged double figures for the team last season along with Alexis Wells that is a shooter that can play on the perimeter and inside.  Our third sophomore, Keamber Vaughn will be a utility player for us.  Vaughn has the ability to play the 1-4 positions for us and does a great job of communicating on the floor,” he said about his returning sophomores.
Coach Katen is impressed with his team so far. “Some of our top freshman this year will be point guard, Leaunna Hankins (Oklahoma City, OK), who has done an excellent job of stepping in and leading the team this fall.  She is very quick on both ends of the floor and does an unbelievable job of anticipating on the defensive end.  Forwards Olivia Ellis (Hardin, MO), Kristin Vantrump (Richmond, MO), and Maddison Endsley (Orrick, MO) will be looked upon to play a key role in the team’s success this season. All three of these ladies are very mobile and have a great touch around the rim. Their length gives us an opportunity to stretch the floor out on the defensive end and will allow us to have some size mismatches on the offensive end.  Freshman, Kerrigan Maddox (Richmond, MO) gives us great depth at the point guard position without any drop-off.  She has a very high basketball IQ and has the ability to play an off-guard as well.  The combination of Maddox and Hankins will provide us the ability to play two point guards a one time if needed which gives us the chance to push the ball up the floor from either side.  We are excited about getting the season started and moving the program forward this year,” stated Coach Katen.
The Red Dragons got their first win of the season, defeating Central Methodist JV 53-50.  Congratulations!   

Monday, November 10, 2014

COACH COMMINS WINS NATIONAL HONOR

Coach Commins named National Coach of the Year


Wentworth's Andreas Commins Named USCAA "National Coach of the Year"

Commins wins National honor in his first season at Wentworth Military College

The United States Collegiate Athletic Association has named Andreas (Andy) Commins as the 2014 USCAA "National Soccer Coach of the Year."  Commins was presented with his award during the USCAA "USCAA Soccer National Championship All-American Banquet."  The event was held last night at the Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, West Virginia.

Commins, a late summer hire, had little time to prepare for the season ahead, and almost no time to recruit players to the Red Dragons soccer program.  And, in spite of the late start, Commins was able to take a very diverse group of young men and develop them into a unified team.

"We wanted to build a program with a strong team culture which pursued excellence both on and off the field.  We worked to develop a Team Philosophy and Core Values, spending many hours in the classroom learning goal setting and leadership.  The players bought into those things and resulted in increased performance on the field, in the classroom, and within the Corp of Cadets," stated Coach Commins.

On the season, the Red Dragons were able to accomplish several firsts:
Best season record: 7-4-2
Most goals scored in a season: 64
Longest winning streak (3)
Longest unbeaten streak (5)

Notable wins:
7-1 Homecoming victory over Indian Hills Community College
2-1 Win over Kansas City Kansas Community College

Col. Michael Lierman, President of Wentworth Military Academy and College offered congratulations to Commins on the "National Coach of the Year" award.  Lierman said, "Coach Commins has added a tremendous amount of leadership and direction to our college soccer program.  He has not only brought his coaching skills to the field to help his players, but a tremendous amount of military structure and leadership.  His background brought both his soccer skills and his military experience and has helped his players find success both on the field and off.  We are very proud of Andy and this accomplishment, and look forward to the coming years as he continues to build a strong program. "

Athletic Director, Tom Hughes added, "Andy was a great hire for us. And, he proved that his leadership skills on the field of play and in the locker room were what we were looking for in a coach. Watching his team practice and play in games was a pleasure because they were so well coached. This is a tremendous honor for Andy, the Soccer program, and his players."

Commins is married (Tabitha) and has two children (Philip and Katie).  Philip is a high school senior at Wentworth.

The USCAA, based in Newport News, Virginia, is an organization of smaller two and four year college programs located throughout the United States.

For additional information please go to – www.theuscaa.com or www.wmadragons.com, or contact:

LTC Tom Hughes
Athletic Director
Wentworth Military Academy and College
Lexington, MO 64067

660-232-0692

FEATURED CADET: CADET/CAPTAIN JUSTIN HOUSE

Featured Cadet of the Month:  Cadet/Captain Justin House
By Cadet Ashley Hall
     
      Everybody knows being on Battalion Staff is difficult enough, let alone being a high school student on Battalion Staff.  “I think it’s pretty lonely and difficult because there aren’t many people I can talk to about official business. Looking back seeing myself from last year to where I am now, it’s hard to make the transition from follower to leader,” Justin House explains.
     Cadet House has different difficulties that he runs into on a daily basis, more than what a regular cadet in the Corps might run into. “One of the things that I find most difficult is public speaking. Being that the Battalion S1’s main job is to speak in front of the masses, I have to overcome this and take the situation how it is,” he says.
     Many cadets ask and apply for leadership positions. Few are recommended to take on the responsibilities of the position that they applied for. Not all cadets get the job they want. Some get the job that is right for them. “I originally wanted to be the Delta Company Commander, but my TAC Officer recommended me for the Battalion Adjutant position because of my command voice and lack of fear when it comes to public speaking,” House said. Cadet House seems quite elated with his position on Battalion staff.
     Most people with a leadership position have set goals for themselves and others. “The goals that I have set for myself are to hold my position for the entire year, try to make changes to Corps of Cadets, so that they might have more opportunities, and also to uphold the standards that Wentworth has put forth,” he explained.
     Everybody with a leadership role started out small, some smaller than others. “My first leadership position was assistant squad leader for Second Platoon 4th Squad,” he humorously replied. Having a leadership role could most likely help you later in life for future careers. “I believe that by being the Battalion Adjutant it will help me with public speaking and just speaking in general. I believe this because it takes a lot of effort to make sure that a clear concise message gets to the Corps of Cadets,” he said.
     Cadet Captain House’s concluding statement was, “If I had to give advice for somebody that wanted to take on the position of Battalion S1, it would be stay loose, don’t take anything personal, and just have fun with it.”

     In conclusion, being both in high school and on Battalion Staff has many difficulties. You have to start small and build up for something bigger, so that when you get to the top, you can keep setting bigger and better goals for yourself.

ENGLISH CLASSES PUT FALLEN LEAVES TO GOOD USE

Happy Fall Ya’ll!

Students in Captain Marjorie Griffin’s English classes have focused this week on writing vignettes. The first known use of vignette was in 1611 -- a short writing on a vine leaf. Vignette can mean a variety of things: a decorative photo or display, an inscription or engraving, a short sketch, or a description.  The controlling element of all vignettes is that they must create an atmosphere or mood and evoke sensory reaction.
Students have truly excelled in this assignment. They gathered leaves from the colorful array on campus, researched vignettes, and wrote vignettes of their own. I wish you could read them! They are emotional, thought-provoking, and beautifully written.

The bulletin board in room 205 has never looked better than it looks with the color, texture, and heartfelt writings displayed on vignettes.