RCTC Echo, September 2014

1. Rochester Community & Technical College Volume 83 - Issue 1 - SEPTEMBER 2014
Got issues? President wants to know
By Grace Boyum
Staff writer
grace.boyum4051@mb.rctc.edu
Michael Wenzel, the newly elected Student Senate
president, has big plans for Student Life.
The Student Senate helps run Student Life
activities and services and represents students to
RCTC’s administration and faculty. Wenzel listed
a few goals for this school year, among them
organizing the annual blood drive for the Mayo
Clinic, expanding services such as car-starting
for students whose cars break down in the frigid
Minnesotan winter and promoting voting.
Wenzel expressed particular interest in
encouraging students to vote as it’s one of the ways
students can protect their interests. “Probably it’s the
most important thing a student can do,” Wenzel said.
Being active in government and community is
certainly something in which Wenzel and the Student
Senate lead by example. The RCTC Student Senate
is part of the Minnesota State College Student
Association and sends representatives to Washington,
D.C., to talk to Minnesota legislators.
In addition to looking out for students’ interests on
the national level, Wenzel is also looking forward to
working with the college faculty, especially RCTC’s
new president, Leslie McClellon.
Student Life will be offering access to a variety
of events including tickets to games, musicals and
concerts and the opportunity to join different clubs.
A calendar of these events can be found on the
RCTC website at www.rctc.edu/events/displaycal.
cfm.
The Student Senate meets every other Tuesday at 2
p.m. in CF 202. The meetings are open to the public.
If a student is interested in becoming involved in
the Student Senate, they can join a club and perhaps
become one of the club representatives.
Above all, Wenzel encourages students to come
to the Student Senate with ideas for change and
improvement.
“We can only tackle the issues we know about,”
Wenzel pointed out.
.
Echo photos by Emmy Miller
RCTC students Grant Reimer, Zach McKenzie, Kohl Hanson and
Ellie Lucas douse faculty member Dwight Boyum while Martha
Benson and Annika Johnson wisely stay clear in the background.
Echo Photo by Grace Boyum
RCTC Student Senate President Michael Wenzel welcomes stu-
dents to visit him at his office on the fourth floor of the College
Center.
RCTC student’s latest film
premieres Sept. 27
In pursuit of grace
Page 8
Chilly
challenge
Iceman cometh for charity
By Danielle Kruger
Staff Writer
danielle.kruger2528@mb.rctc.edu
Facebook’s biggest viral hit, the ALS
Ice Bucket Challenge, is doing more than
just dominating your newsfeed.
The ALS Association says it’s received
more than $111 million in Ice Bucket
Challenge donations.
The Ice Bucket Challenge consists of
making a video of yourself pouring ice
water over your head, posting it on social
media and then tagging friends and family
to do the same. Once challenged, nominees
must accept within 24 hours or donate
$100 to the ALS Association or the cause
of their choice.
It didn’t take long for celebrities and the
rest of the U.S. population to put their own
spin on the brain-freeze-inducing stunt.
Facebook videos related to the challenge
were shared 17 million times, viewed more
than 10 billion times by more than 440
million people from June 1 through Sept. 1.
But how did it all start? The Wall Street
Journal reports it began last winter with
professional golfers trying to gain support
for their charities. According to Facebook,
the early ALS challenge videos originated
from the Boston area to former Boston
College baseball player Pete Frates, who
was diagnosed with ALS in 2012.
Page 3: RCTC administrator
shares how ALS affected his family.
Page 4: Ice Bucket Challenge
fosters public dialogue.
RCTC mass communications instructor Dwight
Boyum accepts the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge from
former faculty member Craig Swalboski. Boyum,
in turn, challenged RCTC graduates Chris Podratz,
Dean Spring and Jim Riccioli.

2. 2 NEWS
2 NEWS
2 NEWS Rochester Community & Technical College | The Echo
Award-winning author to discuss‘The Nazi and the Psychiatrist’
Jack El-Hai
Redesign will nearly double
Heintz Center expansion
A redesign has postponed the opening of the Career and Technical
Education Center until September 2016.
By Zech Sindt
Staff Writer
zechariah.sindt8464@mb.rctc.edu
More high school students will
soon be joining us at the Heintz
Center.
For many years, vocational and
technical education in fields such as
carpentry, welding, and agriculture
have taken a back seat to the more
traditional college-bound engineering
and medical fields in the Rochester
Public School system. Thanks
to a new program that has been
developed by the Rochester Public
School District, along with Rochester
Community and Technical College,
Winona State University and some
local business leaders, that is about to
change. High school students will be
able to have more classes to choose
from that are directly related to the
career fields they plan to follow.
Vocational and technical education
involving hands-on skills has been
put on the nationwide chopping
block for many years. According
to a study published in Taylor and
Francis Online by Patricia Pederson
in August, 2010, Under the No Child
Left Behind Act, most educational
systems became more concerned
with test scores rather than focusing
on the individual needs of every
child. Many children who would
have normally gone into a vocational
or technical program were instead
pushed into college.
As a result, funding that supported
high school vocational and technical
programs were cut whenever
budgets became tight, and the few
remaining vocational classes that
made it through the cuts were left
with outdated equipment and poor
facilities. Many of the job positions
that would have been filled by
students that would have normally
gone into the vocational programs
have been left unfilled.
The Minnesota Department of
Employment and Development
released a survey in March that
found two-thirds of manufacturers in
Minnesota are not able to find skilled
workers for jobs that require some
vocational or college training, but not
an actual four-year degree. Dean of
Academic Affairs Michelle Pyfferoen
said the C-TECH program aims to
resolve that problem.
In 2012, voters passed a $139
million sales tax re-authorization that
included a project called the Career
and Technical Education Center,
or C-TECH for short, at the Heintz
Center. Pyfferoen says, “this program
includes a more focused curriculum
that will enable high school students,
interested in going into health
careers, information technology,
engineering, manufacturing,
hospitality, agriculture and
construction to attend their regular
high school classes on campus.”
In addition to their regular
classes, students will be able to
attend classes directly pertaining
to their respective fields using
the college facilities. Many of the
current facilities related to those
fields sit empty part of the school
year, and this program would help
leverage that equipment, space, and
technology.
Part of the C-TECH
program includes a $6.5 million
22,000-square-foot expansion project
that was supposed to open fall 2015.
That deadline has now been delayed
for a year because of design issues.
The C-TECH building was designed
to meet standards developed for
regular college students, but since
the new building is going to be used
largely for children under 18, the
design must adhere to more stringent
fire, health, and safety codes.
School officials also realized that
they were trying to fit too much into
such a small square footage plan,
so they decided to do a complete
redesign of the project. The necessary
changes almost double the size of the
original 22,000-square-foot plan. The
new plan also calls for the building to
be built 60 feet away from the current
Heintz building and attach to it by a
walkway.
According to Michelle Pyfferoen,
the postponement of the C-TECH
building will affect the students
that were planning to start classes
in fields related to health careers,
manufacturing, and hospitality.
Those students will not be able to
begin until fall of 2016. However,
the classes relating to information
technology, engineering, agriculture,
and construction will still be able to
start in the fall of 2015 by utilizing
current space available at the Heintz
campus.
Echo photo by Zech Sindt
Author Jack El-Hai will be the
featured speaker at 4 p.m. Wednesday,
Oct. 1, in Coffman Building 206/208.
El-Hai’s latest book, “The Nazi and
the Psychiatrist: Hermann Goring, Dr.
Douglas M. Kelley and a Fatal Meeting
of Minds at the End of WWII,” won the
2014 Minnesota Book Award for general
nonfiction. It tells the story of Hermann
Goring, one of the top 22 Nazi prisoners
at Nuremberg, and Dr. Douglas Kelley,
the U.S. Army captain and psychiatrist
whose job it was to assess the prisoners’
states of mind and whether they would be
fit to stand trial.
Goddard Library is partnering with
Southeastern Minnesota Libraries
Cooperating for the Fall 2014 Author
Tour, which features 13 writers through
10 weeks.

3. 3
3
3
NEWS
NEWS
NEWS
Rochester Community & Technical College | The Echo
‘Someone who’s so strong and able, then all of the sudden ... ’
By Jennifer Rogers
Staff Writer
jennifer.rogers9107@mb.rctc.edu
It’s everywhere from social media sites to television to your
neighbor’s backyard and to our school.
When the purpose of the “Ice Bucket Challenge” as a
fundraiser for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as
the Lou Gehrig’s disease, became apparent, it captured more
attention, raising more than $111 million for ALS Association.
Some of us were first introduced of the terminal disease
by Mitch Albom’s best-selling book “Tuesdays with Morrie,”
which tells the story of a journalist’s weekly visits to his
former professor who was diagnosed with ALS.
Another book about man’s battle against ALS is “Fighting
to Give: The Jimmy Culveyhouse Story.” Culveyhouse was
RCTC Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Alex
Herzog’s brother-in-law. Herzog was willing to share his
family’s experience about losing a loved one to ALS.
Herzog: I am the oldest of my family and he was like my
older brother. My wife would get mad because he would call
me more than he would call her.
Echo: So when did you or when did he find out he was
diagnosed with ALS?
Herzog: He didn’t want to do it over the phone. They had
done a lot of testing and when they finally told us they got both
of us on the phone and chatted with him and they said ‘We
got something to tell you, that Jim has been diagnosed with
ALS.’When we would talk he had slurred speech, I couldn’t
understand sometimes what he was he was saying. My wife
and I would joke and be like, ‘He’s been at the bar too long,’
not knowing what the whole thing was about and bringing it
to his attention. Jim said, ‘I need to get this checked out.’He
would get clumsy with stuff and he couldn’t understand why
he would drop things.
Echo: So from there what happened?
Herzog: Well, he asked, ‘What does this mean?’The
doctors informed Jess he was in his early stages and that
they would see all the things they could do to help him.
Unfortunately, there’s not too much they could do, but slow
down the disease. So he got all fired up about it. There’re not
a lot of choices for people with ALS. I went out and helped
fundraised and helped build up a website. He would put all
the listed donors. I had the template, but I don’t have it online
anymore. I had lifted it up a few years after he had passed. The
only thing that is still up is his blog spot, where he would talk
about life, his concerns, and ALS.
Echo: So, how long was he sick for?
Herzog: Two years. The disease started out with simple,
you know from something little as dropping things, then next
thing you know he’s in a wheelchair and eating less because he
wanted to reserve all the energy he can.
Echo: How old was he when he passed away?
Herzog: I think he was 55. He was a good golfer. I used
to tease him all the time that he was a good golfer because
he didn’t work enough. He used to teach me, so we had that
in common and I remember he had to give that up. The thing
with ALS is the neck muscles are one of the first things to go,
and his head would kind of slouch and it just tore me apart just
to see that. It requires everybody to help you and it just sucks
because he had to use a wheelchair. And people can live a long
time with ALS. It’s just the complications. The reason Jim
died was because he wasn’t able to get the mucous out of his
lungs. They stepped out and they couldn’t do anything he just
asphyxiated and died.
Echo: So when would you say he passed?
Herzog: April 2009, it’s been five years.
Echo: So watching his body weaken must’ve really
affected you and your family?
Herzog: You see someone who’s so strong and able, then
all of sudden, don’t have that ability anymore.
Echo: So, how do you feel about the Ice Bucket Challenge?
Herzog: It’s not just about the fundraising, but the
awareness. They tripled and quadrupled the money for the
awareness that affects a small group, but it is a big deal. And
the fact that people are aware and that it is out there is just
incredible.
You can read more about the Jim Culveyhouse story at
www.fightingtogive.com.
Photo courtesy of Alex Herzog
Jim Culveyhouse, left, and his brother-in-law, RCTC
Vice President Alex Hartog.

4. September
2014
Volume 83, Issue 1
CC-209
507-285-7246
RCTCecho@gmail.com
www.rctc.edu/echo
Editor-in-Chief
Tracie Lee
Managing Editor
Sarah Jeanson
Graphics Manager
position open
Sports Editor
Caleb Anthony
Photo Editor
Emmy Miller
Arts/Entertainment Editor
Josiah Smith
Business Manager
Kohl Hanson
Advertising Sales
Danielle Kruger
Staff Writers
Scott Arndt
Grace Boyum
Ben Haney
Jennifer Rogers
Cora Sabie
Zech Sindt
Brock Stevens
Betty Truitt
Faculty Adviser
Dwight Boyum
We want to hear from
our readers. Send your
comments, story ideas
or upcoming events to:
rctcecho@gmail.com
The Echo is a free publication
written by RCTC students who
are dedicated to freedom of
press, while reporting on issues
affecting the student body, faculty,
administration and staff. Letters
to the editor are subject to editing
for content and length, and opinions
expressed within The Echo do not
necessarily reflect the views of
Rochester Community and Technical
College’s administration, faculty,
staff or student body.
Rochester Community & Technical College | The Echo
4 OPINION
4 OPINION
4 OPINION
Dialogue flows from Ice Bucket Challenge
Don’t know your niche? We’ll help you find it
T
here has been extra attention on the
ALS Association’s financial situation
since contributions have skyrocketed
from the Ice Bucket Challenge sweeping the
nation.
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is
raising awareness for the ALS Association
(ALSA) and its fight against the disease.
ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,
or Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects only a
small amount of the population — about
2 in 100,000 people. Due to the rarity of
the disease, funding for research is hard
to come by and donations are crucial.
Contributions for last year totaled $26.3
million, and because of the attention the
organization has received, numbers have
more than quadrupled that amount, to an
unprecedented $111 million.
The ALSA is now under extreme scrutiny
as to how it uses its donations; many are
upset that only 27 percent goes specifically
toward research. While that actually ends
up being a significant amount of money on
research, the ALSA is also focused on taking
a holistic approach toward the disease.
Thirty-two percent goes to public and
professional education and 19 percent goes
toward patient and community services,
including direct support of those living
with the disease. We believe a good charity
should not only provide hope for the future,
but should also provide comfort to those
already affected right this moment.
Some critics disparage the use of water
in such a frivolous manner when water has
become such a scarcity in many parts of the
world. Others critique the research of ALS
because it involves the use of embryonic
stem cells. Still, others claim there are far
bigger issues to raise money for, such as
the desperation of starving children and
the human trafficking trade. The list of
opponents goes on and on, but for better or
worse, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has
lived up to its goal: awareness.
In efforts to reach a stand on the Ice
Bucket Challenge, Echo staff have discussed
the pros and cons of such a campaign. We
have run through many possible scenarios,
and just when we think we’ve reached a
solid stance, more questions are raised. But
isn’t that what an awareness campaign is
meant to do? The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
succeeded in turning the disease and it’s
fundraising into a hot topic of discussion.
Whether the majority agrees or not, the
campaign is certainly making gains for the
ALS community.
Every issue has its positives and
negatives, and no single solution will
please everyone. The Ice Bucket Challenge
accomplished a mighty task; bringing a tough
conversation into the public dialogue. This is
what the Echo strives to do because there are
few topics that exist only in black and white.
As the year goes on, we will continue to
address the shades of gray that tint our world.
By Josiah Smith
Arts/Entertainment Editor
josiah.smith4122@mb.rctc.edu
It has been said that a student will be
more successful in college if they become
involved in some sort of extracurricular
activity. This includes clubs and
organizations as well as sports, dance,
music, or theater. Being involved gives
students a sense of belonging. They feel
more like they fit in and have a place to
make lasting friendships and connections.
There may be some of you here at RCTC
that seem to be a bit lost or confused. This
might be because this is your first time in a
college environment. One of the best and
easiest ways for a person to get accustomed
to their surroundings is to interact with
the individuals they come in contact with.
Person-to-person interaction plays a key role
in both finding your niche here at RCTC,
and finding a niche in the outside world.
To better understand this point, I would
like to talk about a student named Thomas
Voss. My friendship with Thomas began
when a friend of his contacted me on
Facebook. His friend told me how Thomas
couldn’t really find a place to fit in here at
RCTC. His friend also mentioned how he
thought Thomas would be a perfect fit in the
RCTC choir.
A few weeks had gone by and I had
noticed Thomas in the halls, but I hadn’t
taken the time to talk to him yet. This
changed one day, when a group of choir
members, including me, were eating in the
cafeteria. We were all joking back and forth
amongst ourselves when out of nowhere a
student at an adjacent table turned toward
us and said, “You guys seem like Music
Department people. Do any of you happen
to know someone named Josiah?” At that
moment I harkened back to the Facebook
message I had received. The student that was
addressing our group was Thomas. After
talking a bit and finding common interests,
the entire group walked down to the music
department and introduced Thomas to the
music department.
Since that time, Thomas has become
an influential person in the RCTC music
department. He has formed many lasting
friendships as a result of his participation in
the choir.
So, during these first weeks of college,
do yourself a favor and find some
extracurricular activities you are interested
in and get involved.
Even if you’re not completely sure of
your interests, take a chance and stay open
minded. You may surprise yourself at how
much fun a newfound group can be.
There is no sense feeling isolated or left
out when there are many options available
for individuals to get involved.
Thomas Voss, at the bottom, is pictured with Mike Szynal, Sean Ling, Tyler
King, Courtney Hlavka, Ben Carter, John Arachtingi, Sarah Fisher, Emmalea
Jensen-Germundson, Jocelyn McLaughlin and Josiah Smith, who are some of
the RCTC band and choir members.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Voss
Mass communications instructor
Dwight Boyum braces himself as
RCTC students Grant Reimer, Zach
McKenzie,KohlHansonandEllieLucas
fulfill the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
during a youth-group activity at Salem
Road Covenant Church in Rochester.
Martha Benson and Annika Johnson
keep their distance in the background.
Echo photo by Emmy Miller

5. FASHION 5
FASHION 5
FASHION 5
Rochester Community & Technical College | The Echo
thinkbank.com
Bank smart, live well. 1-800-288-3425
Fishing for cash?
It can take a boat load of money to finance higher education.
We do student loans.
Equal Housing Lender NMLSR ID 440195 Member FDIC
From left to right, Jacqueline Berg, Tanya Rath and Sarah
Jeanson model different styles of denim at the Old Navy
store in Rochester.
Photo courtesy of Karen Jeanson
Fall is an ideal time to renew
your relationship with denim
By Sarah Jeanson
Managing Editor
sarah.jeanson4357@mb.rctc.edu
Most people think of warm weather or final
vacations when it comes to the end of August and
before going back to school, but what about denim? In
the retail world, August and September mean denim.
A retail employee might describe these months a bit
differently. Try nagging mothers, whining children,
frustrating body types and puzzled faces. Yes, that is
right. All of those things mean a denim sale.
But there’s no reason to get the denim blues... or
grays or stonewashes for that matter. As long as you
have the tools you need, shopping for the perfect pair
of denim can be as easy as successfully zipping up that
dreaded zipper without having to suck, squeeze, jump
up and down or hold your breath.
Most people have their favorite pair of jeans and
most everyone knows the feeling they get while they
are wearing them. But for those who are struggling,
there are tips to help.
• Always try on and do not stop. Never buy a pair
of jeans without having tried them on. If the first pair
doesn’t fit, try another. It might take until the 50th pair,
but don’t get discouraged.
• Try different stores and brands. Different stores
carry different brands, and if one brand fits badly, try on
the next. Think of it as a relationship gone bad with a
much-needed break up; “It’s not me, it’s you. I just need
to try a different denim.”
• Size does not matter, fit does. Say it over and over
and over again, until it becomes truth. Size is just a
number. If the size is discouraging but the way the
jeans fit is encouraging, buy them! Cut the tag out if
necessary and rock those jeans regardless of the size.
• Color can make a difference, but again fit trumps
all. This tool goes hand in hand with tool number three.
“Black is slimming,” is not always true. Fit is more
important than the wash of a jean. If it fits well, have
fun with color, but if the wash doesn’t flatter a skin
tone, try something else.
• Price. People don’t need to drop serious cash to
get a good pair of denim. It’s personal prerogative on
this tool, and that’s that.
• Faking it can become truth. What does this mean?
People have to accept their body types for what they are
and the only way to change them is by self-motivation,
and that can start with clothing. Individuals should
always dress for their current body types. This brings
confidence and in return, motivation. Bodies can always
be camouflaged, but happiness lies within. Like I have
always told people and will continue to say, “If you
don’t feel your best, fake it. If you dress your best you
will start to feel your best.”
Don’t give up on the denim this fall season and it
won’t give up on you. Embellished, holey, dark, light,
low-rise, high-waisted; whatever the jeans may be, if
they fit, wear them. It’s that simple.
Echo Managing Editor Sarah Jeanson, who has
worked for three years in the retail industry, is a
merchandising specialist for Old Navy in Rochester.

6. Rochester Community & Technical College | The Echo
6 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
6 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
6 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
No scientists needed for‘The Local Experiment’
14,629
students (fall 2013)
100
majors
800
faculty
18:1
student :faculty ratio
14
athletic teams
compete in Division I
ndsu.edu/visit
NDSU IS
RECOGNIZED
AS ONE OF
THE NATION’S
TOP 108 PUBLIC
AND PRIVATE
UNIVERSITIES BY
THE CARNEGIE
COMMISSION
ON HIGHER
EDUCATION.
By Tracie Lee
Editor-in-Chief
tracie.lee1178@mb.rctc.edu
Chelsee Jean and Tyler Aug came together less than a
year ago to join forces on a web series known as “The Local
Experiment.” What has formed is a collaboration that shows
a more intimate side of Rochester and its surrounding areas
than viewers might otherwise see.
Jean and Aug both grew up in the Rochester area, and
are current and former RCTC students, respectively.
“The Local Experiment” is an online series dedicated to
bringing artists, businesses, and community together through
guerilla-style interviews. Jean brings a relaxed and inviting
aura, while Aug’s quick-thinking, creative mind lend
excitement to each episode.
“One of the best parts of working on the show is the thrill
of invading people’s lives for a moment and having that
camera act as someone sitting in the room,” Aug said.
The crew also includes Justin Pruett, production
coordinator, warmly referred to by Jean as the “hype-man.”
Nathan Bisping is the production assistant, who likes to call
himself the baby wrangler when Jean’s son Jove is on scene.
Aug and Jean put in long hours with little to no monetary
return. Each are quick to add that there are so many other
benefits.
“It’s like I’m working on my master’s degree,” claims
Aug.
They return the more tangible benefits to the show’s
viewers, through giveaways that have included T-shirts, gift
cards and signed CDs by hit musicians like Caroline Smith.
In the early stages, the pair wondered if they could gather
enough content for the weekly show schedule, and now they
are booked solid for two months out.
“The Local Experiment” is in the process of forming a
non-profit to ensure its sustainability; until that happens,
Aug and Jean continue to reach into their own pockets. With
a non-profit status, the show will be able to expand and
conquer larger topics that relate back to the community.
“We get out and are able to see and feel a real person
instead of the wall that is social media, and that is extended
out to our viewers,” says Jean. “We want each to take it as
their own; this is everyone’s show.”
The crew will celebrate their success at what Jean terms
their “one-year anniversary party bash, all things Local
Experiment coming together for one big hurrah.” It will
take place at the Salon, otherwise known as C4, on Nov. 8.
Expect to see performances and appearances from former
guests. To check out their videos and learn more, head to
their Facebook page or subscribe to their YouTube channel.
Echo Photo by Scott Arndt
From left, Justin Pruett, Tyler Aug, Chelsee Jean, and Nathan Bisping will celebrate the first anniversary of
the “The Local Experiment” on Nov. 8 at the Salon in downtown Rochester.

7. SPORTS 7
SPORTS 7
SPORTS 7
Rochester Community & Technical College | The Echo
Yellowjackets primed for explosive year
Sophomore Kelsey Aylward (No. 10) is the Yellowjackets’ leading scorer with
four goals through the first five games of the season. The Yellowjacket soccer
team is off to a 2-3 start to the season.
Join the Comfort Health team
“Bringing Comfort Home” was the commitment when
Comfort Health began in 1982. It continues to be our com-
mitment today. It is more than just a set of carefully chosen
words. “Bringing Comfort
Home” is the philosophy of
the entire Comfort Health
team. We are dedicated to
providing home care with
dignity, quality, comfort and
integrity.
We are currently accepting applications for:
Home Health Aides/Nursing Assistants, part-time and
full-time evenings and overnights at Rochester and Kasson
locations.
Apply online at www.comforthealth.org or stop by at
Comfort Health, 2746 Superior Drive NW, Rochester,
MN 55901. Questions? 507-281-2332. EOE/AA
By Caleb Anthony
Sports Editor
Caleb.anthony1431@mb.rctc.edu
10-2. MCAC State Champs.
Graphic Edge Bowl runners-up.
17th state championship appear-
ance in 18 years.
The 2013 Rochester Communi-
ty and Technical College Yellow-
jackets football team was all that
and a Golden Warhammer.
This year, they could be even
better.
Yellowjackets head coach Bill
Quistorff told the Post-Bulletin he
believes his team may be poised
to become “a consistent national
power.”
There’s plenty of reason to
believe it.
Last season’s wrecking crew
approached triple-digit scores at
its peak, and 2014 has started out
little different.
The team has already posted
two 40-point blowouts, and boasts
an impressive 3-1 record
Through it all, however, Quis-
torff hasn’t forgotten how hard it is
to finish strong.
He was there last year, for
RCTC’s three-point overtime na-
tional bowl loss to Iowa Central.
As good as those Yellowjackets
were, the coach intends to write a
different ending this time.
“Our goal since that tough
loss … has been to get back,” he
says, “and win it in a dominating
fashion.”
To this end, Quistorff continues
to make team unity a central prior-
ity for the Yellowjackets.
“We were a very tight group
last year, and everyone played
for each other,” he says. “That
is something we are looking to
build on this year.
“The difference between a good
team and a great team is…cohe-
sion, both on and off the field.”
Coach Quistorff’s message is
nothing new.
Most RCTC sports teams em-
brace this “family” notion, a fact
mentioned often by The Echo.
It’s mentioned because it mat-
ters.
However skilled the First Team
All-State players Quistorff has are,
without teamwork a team doesn’t
work.
With talent, hard work and
dedication, the Yellowjackets
might run the table this year.
They might reach their fifth
straight MCAC Championship;
they might win a bowl game.
Add unity, and the sky’s the
limit.
Nobody’s head is in the clouds,
though. The coach and his players
know they need to take the season
one Saturday at a time.
“Every team we face is the big-
gest game of the year, and could
cost us our goals for the season,”
Quistorff says. “[We] need to
prepare like we are going into that
National Championship game each
week.”
Quistorff and his players may
need to concentrate, but they don’t
ask the rest of RCTC to.
They ask merely for support,
and for the same loyalty they have
for each other.
“When we do well and win
games, it is not just us who do well
and win games,” Quistorff says,
“it’s the entire Jacket family. Let’s
make this…the best [season] in the
history of RCTC football.”
Freshman defensive back Daren Ardis breaks up a pass play
intended for Mesabi Range College receiver Erik Hunt. The Yel-
lowjackets routed the Norse 48-0 in the home opener Aug. 30
at the Rochester Regional Stadium.
Echo photo by Emmy Miller
Echo photo by Emmy Miller
Coach Quistorff:
‘Every team we
face is the biggest
game of the year’

8. Rochester Community & Technical College | The Echo
Free-Services
You’ll love our
Free-Services
You’ll love our
Simplify your life with mobile banking, online
banking and bill pay, e-statements and more.
What’s not to love about that?
507.288.0330
info@firstalliancecu.com
www.firstalliancecu.com
byron | 1011 tompkins Drive ne
rochester | 320 alliance place ne
rochester | 501 16th street se
rochester | 3900 55th street nW
By Grace Boyum
Staff Writer
grace.boyum4051@mb.rctc.edu
Aaron Potter is no beginner in
filmmaking.
The RCTC post-secondary
student soon will be releasing
“Pursued,” his seventh film project.
“Pursued” is the fictional story
of four cousins
as they travel
across the
frontier in
1839 while
pursued by a
stranger. The
theme of the
32-minute
film is “God’s
overarching
grace and love,
and how he
can take a bad situation and work it
for good,” Potter said.
“Pursued” will premiere at 7
p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, at Grace
Community Church in Eyota. The
event is free and open to the public.
It’s been a busy year for Potter,
as he started writing the script in
January. Shooting began in June
and ended in August. Editing is
mostly completed, but he finds
himself making a few tweaks as the
premiere date nears.
The movie also will be posted
on YouTube, and Potter is planning
to enter it in film events. One of
his previous films, “Letters and a
Rose,” was accepted by the 2014
Christian Worldview Film Festival
in San Antonio, Texas, and by the
2014 Headwaters Film Festival in
Bemidji.
He admires the work of Alex
and Stephen Kendrick of Sherwood
Pictures, a Christian film ministry
that has made films such as
“Courageous,” “Fireproof,” “Facing
the Giants” and “Flywheel.”
Potter already planning his
next project. This story, with the
working title of “The Letter,” is
about a girl who sets out to find the
father who abandoned her.
In addition to shooting films,
Potter also takes a TV production
class at RCTC and online classes at
Northwestern College in St. Paul.
When asked about the goal
of his projects, Potter said, “It’s
beyond ourselves. It’s about sharing
the goodness of God’s love.”
Filmmaker’s goal is to look‘beyond ourselves’
Kaitlin Krajewski, Josiah Jones and Anne-Marie Driscoll appear
in a scene from “Pursued,” a film written and directed by RCTC
student Aaron Potter.
Photo courtesy of Aaron Potter
SCUBA Lessons Snorkeling and Swim Gear!
318A Elton Hills Drive NW, Rochester MN 55901
507.288.8802 MDC@MDCSports.com www.MDCSports.com
RCTC Students and Faculty
(This means YOU!)
Learn about the other 70% of the world! Go DIVING!
Fish Life, Photo, Ecology, Historical Ship Wrecks
and Adventure await you!
Contact MDC Sports to become a certified SCUBA diver
NOW before Spring Break. We teach Snorkeling, too!
LEARN to SCUBA Dive
Student Part 1 Special $220 (reg $375)*
Offer expires 10/21/14 *Completion o f Part 1 & Part 2 are needed for full certifcation
SCUBA Part 1 taught indoors year ‘round!
You can complete your Part 2 dives on your winter trip!
Aaron Potter
8 FEATURE
8 FEATURE
8 FEATURE Rochester Community & Technical College | The Echo