Time.

Four years ago today, I lost one of the best friends I will ever have as long as I live.

As my sister Vashti Forrest Seacat lay sleeping in the early morning, her husband Brett Seacat shot her and then lit her and their house on fire. I'll never forget the call, the panic, the not knowing, but most importantly, the overwhelming loss.

My sister went to live in heaven at the end of my freshman year in the midst of finals, and now finishing my freshman year in college I can't but help think that this is a total different lifetime, and that I am opening a new chapter. I am not leaving her behind in the previous chapter, but continuously carrying her memory with me.

I found this photo today while going through a journal that was dedicated to writing little memories and letters to my sister after she passed. Four years have gone by, and I still stand by what I wrote as an adolescent 15 year old girl.

Take the time to hug someone you love today, and if you have something pop in your head worth remembering four years from now...write it down.

sleepy sleep sleep

Just a little bit of information for the final takers out there that think they can skip sleeping for several nights and still perform to their best potential. Listen to your body and get some sleep.

This interesting article proves that and gives tips on how to avoid sleep deprivation.

http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/archive/newsrel/general/12-08Sleep.asp

Procrastination, Panic, Please let it be summer.

As the semester is coming to a close, I am learning the new meaning of a word.

PROCRASTINATION. 

Don't do it. Ever. In no circumstances.

I am also learning another word.

PANIC. 

When you do the first P word, the second P word comes following right behind it ready to smack you right up the head when you are least expecting the semester to end. 

I am definitely looking forward to having a little summer break, but I will miss the pressure of having to get stuff done. I just like to operate with tasks to complete and someone breathing fire down my neck(just a tad). So that is why instead of doing my yearbook spreads, I am PROCRASTINATING and coming up with a summer reading list, so that I have purpose and task this summer. 

My summer readings list includes: 

1. Crime and Punishment

2. A Death in Belmont 

3. Killing Kennedy... Again 

4. Finish the Beautiful and Damned(Which I am 3/4 done with, but due to homework stowed away)
5. Looking for Alaska
6. Wuthering Heights
7. Animal Farm because it's so good and deserves to be read once a year.
8. And Last but not least.. Henry VIII: The King and his Court

So my procrastination is now complete, and I shall begin working again towards my goal of finishing the semester in one piece. 

Bruised Ego

The definition of journalism according to the Webster Dictionary:

noun jour·nal·ism \ˈjər-nə-ˌli-zəm\

journalism: the activity or job of collecting, writing, and editing news stories for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio. 

The definition of failure according to the Webster Dictionary:

noun fail·ure \ˈfāl-yər\

 failure: omission of occurrence or performance; specifically :  a failing to perform a duty or expected action. 

When you put these two words together it results in something catastrophic and ultimately disloyal to the entire public. This past week Rolling Stone is retracting a 9,000 word story about a gang rape that allegedly occurred on the campus of the University of Virginia. 

The story describes a fraternity house, Phi Kappa Psi, sexually assaulting the victim, Jackie. The reporter used Jackie as her sole source and didn't bother to fact check what Jackie had told her. 

This one sided sourcing and refusal to check your facts makes me as a journalist cringe. It is heavy stuff to report on sexual assault, for the reporter, the victims, and the assailants as well. While I'm not discrediting the fact that something horrible might have happened to Jackie, I think it is proper that the Rolling Stone is retracting this story. Unfortunately their reputation as a source of journalistic truth might be bruised a little after this blunder. 

To read the full story and grasp a few more details click on the link below. 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32193377

Upcoming meeting

I will be attending the next Winfield City Commission meeting taking place March 6th. Look for a full story reporting on that meeting.

Winfield's Own

Winfield journalism has lost a piece of itself this week. Lloyd Craig, winfield daily courier publisher, has passed away at the age of 82. Craig had worked in the Winfield Publishing Company for 56 years, but had became publisher for the Courier in 2009. He leaves behind a wife and three daughters. To read more about Craig's life go to the link below.

http://www.winfieldcourier.com/news/article_71159aec-c92e-11e4-a811-bff858905b03.html

Docking Lecture

Nigerians poking their fingers in your chest and handing out death threats. Bullets whizzing by deviating inches from your head.

These were a few of the gut-wrenching stories that Sebastian Junger, award-winning author and American journalist, shared at the Docking Lecture on March 5 in the Richardson Performing Arts Center.

But before the Docking Lecture, I, along with Dalton Carver, communication senior, were able to interview Junger and talk to him about things that we wished to talk about. 

I had previously written the profile on Sebastian Junger and a book review on his book, "The Perfect Storm," so it was an honor for me to get firsthand interview experience with someone that is so established, educated, and well-spoken. 

I will be writing an upcoming story about the interview I had with Junger so stay updated on my blog. 

Sun in the Snow

There are several benefits of going to a small college. 

1. More one on one time with the professors.

2. "Family Feel" on campus. 

3. More traditions.

4. Less distractions 

5. You aren't just a number, you are a face. 

All of these things are true of Southwestern College, but another amazing thing about campus is how beautiful it is. This photograph was too beautiful not to share. 

Sebastian Junger

Winfield will have a celebrity of sorts roaming the campus of Southwestern College on March 5th. 

Sebastian Junger, American journalist and award-winning author, will be speaking at the Docking Lecture at 11 a.m. in the Richardson Performing Arts Center. 

Check out the link below to read my full profile on Junger. I apologize it's a bit lengthy, but there was too much information to include. 

http://scupdate.org/2015/02/28/american-journalist-award-winning-author-set-to-speak-in-richardson-auditorium/

Family Matters

79 years.

That's a long time. That's the average life expectancy in the United States, but it is also the number of years that my grandparents have been together.

In this day and age it is hard to find couple that have been together five years, let alone almost eight decades. My grandparents started "going steady" the first day of first grade. My grandpa walked my granny home from school and it was all over from there. Once I found out about this, my first question was, "Well did you ever break-up?"

My grandpa looked at me, laughed and said, "Nope, it was one long engagement." The only time they ever encountered a hiccup in their relationship was when another boy walked my granny home from school, and my grandpa solved that by pushing the kid in a creek.

In their 79 years together they have created two businesses, three children, fifteen grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

They have suffered and they have flourished. They've endured tragedies and miracles. They've lost three grandchildren in tragic and horrific manners. They support their son, and my father, that has a brain tumor and Alzheimer's disease, yet they don't let these bumps in the road bog them down. Instead, they rely on their love for each other and their love for the Lord to pull them through.

Not only do I love them, but I admire them for their sustainability and their courage. They support me with whatever that I do and I couldn't be more grateful. I believe that individually they are refreshing, but together they are inspiring.

Restrepo

Tonight Southwestern College held a screening of the Oscar nominated documentary "Restrepo." The screening was open to students, faculty, and the community of Winfield. The screening took place in the Richardson Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m.

"Restrepo" takes place in the Korengal valley during the Afghanistan war. American journalists, Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington, were embedded into a platoon that was deployed in the valley for 15 months. The documentary allows for viewers to delve inside the true life of an American soldier. The movie will cause for one to truly think about how much they have to be thankful for.

The majority of those that attended were individuals from the community and professors. Only a handful of students attended, but I encourage more students to attend Sebastian Junger's docking lecture at 7 p.m. March 5.

Stop #1

This might be a little cliche, but this is the reason why I am in Winfield. This is my first stop in the things that I think make Winfield unique. Southwestern is a small school in a small town, but that doesn't mean the opportunity to grow emotionally and educational isn't of big proportions. In the short time that I have been here I have come to love the 77 steps leading to Christy and the people that walk this campus. I have met some lifelong friends and encountered some of the most valuable professors. While I believe that every college has something to offer, Southwestern is built upon tradition and the small values that matter most. Stay posted for stop number two tomorrow and sit back and enjoy a week in my Winfield shoes. 

Slow life, Sit down

Winfield isn't exactly known for it's fast-paced lifestyle. Sometimes it can feel like the days drag on and the air moves lazily. I suggest that during these times you pick up a good book and settle into another realm. One book in particular I advise you read is "The Perfect Storm." It was written and by Sebastian Junger. The book, published in 1997, is a nonfiction book that recounts tales from the 1991 storm that hit New England like a thousand bricks. In particular, it tells the story of the crew on the Andrea Gail, a fishing boat that was caught at sea at the time of the gale. The read is action-packed and will leave you wanting more with each page you turn. Sebastian Junger will also be visiting Southwestern College in the upcoming months for a docking lecture.

Check out the link below to get my complete review of the book.
http://scupdate.org/2015/02/07/the-perfect-storm-book-inspires-blockbuster-film/

International Affairs

This past week a video was released that showed Jordanian pilot, Lt. Muath Al-Kaseasbeh, being burned to death at the hands of radical terrorist group ISIS. This was met with outrage from the people and government of Jordan. They released a statement saying that they believe that the international community must intensify the campaign against the Islamic State (Associated Press).

While I agree that it is possibly time to stop relying on Kurdish fighters backed by U.S. Airstrikes, I believe that Jordan responded to the brutal killing of one of its own in an undignified way. Jordan responded to Al-Kaseasbeh's death by executing two prisoners that they held captive. They hung these two individuals, one of which was a woman who had tried blowing herself up as a terrorist movement.

In the United States we believe that the death penalty should be handed out sparingly, and for crimes that are equivalently punishment by death. We do not believe that handing over a death sentence as a politic move is justified.

I hope that as an international community we look at this rash and angry behavior and think about what if we were on the end of that anger. Lashing out is not the answer, but using a community combined justified political judgement to fight ISIS is. There is a link below to learn more about this story.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/photos/8/8df00411-2b53-4e54-8fa9-53525edb8354.html?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Neighbor News

Wichita is only an hour away from Winfield so it was tragic to hear that a Wichita State transfer student was found dead inside his dorm room Wednesday night. Click the link below to read more about the details. Praying for the family affected by this loss. http://www.kwch.com/news/local-news/student-dies-on-wichita-state-campus/30982116

Musical Mando Mamas

Winfield might be a small town, but that doesn't mean that you can't experience culture within the city limits. Mando Mamas, a local acoustic group, will be performing at College Hill Coffee this Friday evening beginning at 7:30 p.m. They are such a unique, family based group. Check out the link below to updatesc.org to get more information on this group. I'm also including a link to the College Hill Coffee website in case you get hungry or thirsty while listening to music. I will be attending this event so expect a follow up blog and photo of this performance.

http://scupdate.org/2015/01/27/local-musical-group-to-give-live-performance/


http://www.collegehillcoffee.com/

A big part of what makes Winfield unique among the array of numerous small towns in Kansas is the people that live here. Check out my story about Alicia Lillich, Southwestern reference librarian. 

By Taylor Forrest

She reads in her secluded office surrounded by paintings of cats and photos of her 1 year old son. As she finishes the book she is reading, she immediately picks up another. One book down, 74 more to go.

Alicia Lillich, reference librarian, has a full plate. While juggling the responsibilities of mother, wife and librarian, she has also taken on the role of chairing the Kansas Notable Books Selection Committee.

Eight professionals consider 75 to 100 books written about Kansas or by Kansas authors during a five month period. The committee sifts through these books until they award the top 15 the distinction of being a Kansas Notable Book.

Cindy Roupe, legislative public librarian, coordinates the group. “My job consists mainly of collecting titles of eligible books and gathering input from other authors, librarians and committee members,” said Roupe.

Roupe also selects the chairperson. “I asked Alicia to chair the committee this year because it was her second year and she had not only experience, but a powerful enthusiasm that she channeled into organization,” said Roupe.

Marjorie Snyder, technical services librarian, said Lillich’s role as chairperson brings a unique rarity to the library. “Alicia is so knowledgeable. She is exposed to so much regional information, and while she enjoys this responsibility, it is like an assignment and it makes her that much more valuable.”  

Lillich reads a lot of the nominated books, along with managing and scheduling meetings. “While I put so much effort into this committee, it has also given back to me by breaking my previous stereotypes of Kansas. Kansas has such a rich history that I never would have known about if I hadn’t applied to this committee,” said Lillich.  

While the committee is an enormous task, it does not overshadow the rest of Lillich’s life. “In the free time that I have, I play with my son, bake and watch Netflix. You might even catch me reading ‘Galapagos’ by Kurt Vonnegut for the hundredth time.”

Taylor Forrest is a freshman majoring in communication. You may email her at taylor.forrest@sckans.edu

Winfield City Commission

Here is a little preview of what the Winfield Commission meeting times will look like for the next couple of months. The commission meets regularly in the Community Council Room on the first floor of the City Hall Building, 200 E Ninth. I encourage you to take a part in your community and attend.

February 2nd- 5:30 p.m.
February 17th- 5:30 p.m.
March 2nd- 5:30 p.m.
March 16th- 5:30 p.m.
April 6th- 5:30 p.m.
April 20th- 5:30 p.m.


Here is a link to the official city of Winfield website if you have further inquiries. http://www.winfieldks.org/index.aspx?nid=17

Pilot Run

Hello online community,


This is my first blog and I'm just going to be giving a little bit of information about my blog and what it will consist of.




My name is Taylor Forrest and I am a freshman studying communication at Southwestern College. My blog will mainly consist of community issues and happenings in Winfield, KS. Although, I also plan on blogging about current events, politics, and things of that nature.