The 2013 Hootenanny was hosted by "counselors" Matt Barr, Kelsey Carter, Jen Holland, Joshua Littauer, Laura McKinstry, Charles Mosiman, Alysa Nash, Mark Rowe, and Daniel Wilson. Acts included humorous skits and stand-up comedy but also showcased unique (and sometimes previously undiscovered) student talents such as singing and dancing. The judging panel awarded third place to LeTourneau Rugby's surprising new haka choreography, second place to the mismatched arms of two couples "Getting Ready for a Date", and first place to Ben Hansen for his multitrack a cappella rendition of "Little Lion Man". Stay tuned for YAC's release of the official DVD!

Below is a collection of center stage and behind-the-scenes photos taken by Curtis Wise:

Welcome to Camp Hootenanny

Transition Band

Emcees

Acts

Finale

... Backstage Humor

Photo credit: Curtis Wise.

You awake to two alarms… they are both necessary, along with the three chairs placed expertly in between to ensure you trip over at least one in your attempt to get up. You start a cup of coffee and head to the shower. This picture is not entirely foreign to the LeTourneau student of today. Consider, however, how the rest of your day unfolds.

You woke up at 6 AM. You shuffle into the classroom at 7:15. No, you are not a flight student. You came to this school to study engineering. You finish classes by noon. After a quick lunch break, you get back to work, but not in the classroom. You walk into the Civil lab and work on a class project for an hour, followed by a lab course in the Materials Joining lab. You finish the day with manufacturing in the machine tool lab, which starts at 3 and goes to 8pm. It’s tough, but it’s your job. You are employed full-time, by the school of Engineering. And, what is more… you didn’t pay a dime to come to this school.

You are a full-time engineering student at LeTourneau University and also a full-time employee of the School of Engineering. You take classes in the morning. You work in the afternoon and evening, and study by night. You work 40 hours a week. You are paying your way, and you will probably graduate in 5 years. The duration doesn’t really matter to you, though. You are not rolling by anyone else’s timetable. You aren’t tied to federal aid. You didn’t qualify for any. No one at the school qualified because of that little detail that happened several years ago. LeTourneau decided to maintain its strong stance as a Christian school. The consequences? No more federal funding. The result? A  chance to rise above a new challenge.

In the school of Engineering, they have done it. And, now you are here. You didn’t qualify for an academic scholarship, although many of your classmates did. You have the determination, though, to put in the work. And, now it’s finally paying off. You are well into your second year. You’ve started training the freshman to manufacture in the machine tool lab. You are gaining respect in the eyes of your professors, even as you struggle to turn out those B’s and C’s. They know you are a hard worker. They know you’ll find a way to get a job done. They are challenging you more each and every day; they are your mentors. Most of all, you have zero debt.

Is this fiction? Yes, but this is the picture that was recently painted for me by a group of engineering faculty and students this semester. It represents a very interesting idea and an interesting challenge. Imagine coming to school with nothing in your pocket but a little resourcefulness. Imagine if college was more about how to think and feel, than about stuffing your head with learning and your hands with a piece of paper. Imagine being taught not only in the classroom, but formed each and every day by mentors in the workplace who not only show that they care about your education, but who also want to disciple you as a Christian.

Written by Derek Hoyt.

For their 2011-2012 project, Senate commissioned a mural to be painted by LeTourneau alumni Dan Black. This year, after some discussion, that mural was finally hung on the hallway between Heath Hardwick Hall and Longview Hall, where it adds some variety to an otherwise boring walkway.

Last semester, Senate teamed up with the LETU Good Stewards Club to place 20 recycling bins around campus. Senate was also involved in recognizing and funding over 25 clubs and organizations, including the new rugby and hockey clubs. Senate also played a major role in organizing the student government elections, presenting the professor awards, funding the Fall Fest banquet, and hosting the “9 Days of Christmas” winter celebration.

This semester, Senate is going to buy new books and movies for the library with some of its money that is leftover from several years ago. Students can request non-academic books and movies that they would like to see at the library by talking to a Senator. Senate is also looking at replacing some of the old foosball and ping-pong tables around campus and at co-hosting several events with the Intersociety Council for the student body before this semester is over.

Senate is always open to new ideas from the student body, so students are welcome to share their thoughts or ideas with a Senator or to come to one of the Senate sessions at 11 am on Thursdays in MSC-3.

Senator Koreis has plenty of ideas for Senate for next year, including buying accessories for the new student center and installing a swing set. However, he also feels that it is very important that more new Senators are added next year, especially freshmen, as they bring a lot of energy and good ideas.

Koreis feels like Senator is a great position, because it allows students to actually accomplish something for the student body. “People should join Senate so that they get a chance to improve our campus. Our campus isn't perfect, but there are a lot of good ideas for how to improve it,” he said. “If you join Senate you can have a say in how we spend our money, as well as communicate more ideas from the student body to Senate. Simply put, in Senate, you can turn the student body's wishes into a reality.”

Written by Ian Willard. Photo credit: Andrew Pearson.

"Of Mice and Men" was originally a novel written by American author John Steinbeck. The story is set in the Great Depression and follows two working class men throughout the social and economic hardships they face while pursuing their dream of owning their own farm.

Those who are familiar with Steinbeck’s work know that most of his writing deals with very depressing themes, and "Of Mice and Men" is no different. For the people who act out these roles three, four, sometimes five times a week, this emotional experience has its side effects. Sometimes the actors begin to take on the personalities of their on-stage counterparts. “That happens sometimes for shows I’m doing, but I haven’t seen it in this show. Maybe it’s because I’m playing two roles,” said Ray Chapman. Chapman portrays the characters of Boss and Whit in the play.

For some actors, stage work is an outlet for their own emotions. “One of the reasons I went into acting is because I wanted to be able to feel these things on stage,” remarked Joseph Tisa, who plays the role of Candy, an aging ranch worker burdened by financial and physical handicaps. “I’m not depressed in life, and that may be one of the reasons - because I can have an outlet for those emotions on stage.”

With this outlet for expression, then, dedicated artists find the acting to be far more than just a job. According to Noah Putterman, who is Slim in "Of Mice and Men," theater has the power to shape worldviews: “My favorite thing about acting is very simple; it’s just to share a good story that moves the audience and maybe even makes them rethink their position on something.”

These ideas certainly form an elegant portrayal of theater, but if it really is such an amazing form of media, then why is it nowhere near as popular as film or television? The common consensus among the cast members we spoke with was that convincing the younger generation that theater is a highly impactful art form can be difficult - especially in the face of so many lackluster theater performances. “It’s like any artistic enterprise - most of it is mediocre,” commented Tisa. Chapman added, “I don’t think it’s anybody’s fault except for the theater that they find [other media] more compelling. The theater itself has to be compelling to them. I mean, people will have the art that they want.”

What does that mean for theater attendees today? Not all theater performances are equal. That boring musical you were forced to go to in the third grade? Good actors do a much better job than that. When done right, theater can be a powerful, engaging form of media. Chapman summed it up best: “Just by the fact that it’s happening right then, that’s the big advantage that we have over film and TV in that it’s an actual live person. There’s something about that. I’ve been moved by movies and stuff like that, but they still don’t approach how much I’ve been moved and changed when I’ve seen great theater. There’s something about the reminder that we’re human.”

Stay tuned for the events' times and locations - follow us on Facebook for updates!

Pray the Loop

Student Center Tour

Photo Credit: Curtis Wise.

Created by Caleb Bennetts.

A group of friends unaffiliated with any organization or official ministry will host a free pancake breakfast for LeTourneau students and Longview residents in the Tyler West parking lot from 8:00-10:00. What is the story behind the event, and what is its purpose? Katie Ruhrwien, one of the hosts, gave the scoop to the YellowJacket.

YJ: So, a pancake breakfast... what do you plan on this looking like?

KR: This is a come and go event, where people can come and talk to fellow students as well as the community. We would love to see deeper conversations to happen, rather than the normal everyday 'how are your classes?' talks.

YJ: Are students welcome, or is it mostly for the Longview community?
KR: Students are most definitely welcome. One thing we would love to see come out of this is for the community and students to interact. We want to love on both the students and the surrounding community.

YJ: If someone would like to help, is there a way that they can volunteer that day or assist your team beforehand?
KR: We would love help on the day of the event as well as passing out flyers beforehand. There is a Facebook page where students can volunteer or they can email Travisdavis@letu.edu.

YJ: Is there story behind the pancake breakfast, or what prompted the idea?
KR: Many people have been wanting to serve the community and our campus. There was a guy in chapel last semester who talked about serving his community with pancake breakfasts. Also, on Beach Reach [a LSM Spring Break Missions trip] the vision was encouraged because we were able to see exactly how it would look to serve pancakes to a bunch of people. It was such an easy way to start conversations and confirmed everything that had been previously discussed.

YJ: What is your vision/goal?
KR:We are hoping to encourage interaction between the community and our students. If we were living as we are supposed to be living, the people directly surrounding our campus would be the most blessed in Longview. We would love to be able to bless them in any way we can.

Whipped cream is the favorite food of Leslie Knope, the main character in NBC's comedy "Parks and Recreation"

YJ: Bananas? Chocolate? Whipped cream?
KR: Leslie Knope isn't going to be there, so we don't need whipped cream. #parksandrec

YJ: What are your thoughts about whether this school year has shown an increased push for students to serve and advocate larger causes?
KR: There has been an obvious change on campus after Spring Break. It is obvious that God has been moving in relationships and prayer. We would love to see that change continue to happen, so we are looking for ways to encourage this growth.

So if you wake up hungry and waiting in the omelet line at the cafeteria does not sound appealing, visit the Pancake Breakfast to get a warm meal and maybe make a new friend!

The YellowJacket is here to serve LeTourneau with publicity for the students, by the students! To spread the word about your student organization, upcoming events, or activities of interest around campus and the community, email CarlyRobinson@letu.edu.

If you had been in the Belcher Gymnasium at 3:00 on Thursday, March 28, you would have seen three complicated contraptions spread across the room and a crowd of people eagerly watching dominoes fall, balls roll, and Tesla coils spark. What was going on? Nothing other than the 2013 Rube Goldberg Show!

Every year the students of Electronics Lab III come up with the craziest inventions imaginable to showcase their imagination, electricity, and circuiting skills. The event is named after Rube Goldberg, a famous cartoonist who drew complicated machines that transferred energy in a variety of highly unusual ways. This year’s Rube Goldberg show featured three presentations and was featured on local television by KLTV.

The first presentation was “Photobomb,” a project put together by Darren McCary, Aaron McConnel, and Mario Perretta. “Photobomb” used water, magnets, a ruler, a ball, and lots of wires to light up a spider in honor of Dr. Graff, the legendary and beloved professor of E-Lab III.

On right: The team reported that they spent eighty hours on the project.

Up next was “Jokers are Wild,” designed by Ben Jaster, Evan Jones, Jonathan Sculley, and Jordan Swavely. The Batman-themed invention used a seesaw, a surge protector, a soldering iron, a pinball machine, dominoes, and golf balls to eventually play the original Batman theme song.

On left: One small hitch can disrupt the entire  Rube Goldberg machine. These engineering students would agree with the Joker: "introduce a little anarchy, upset the established order and everything becomes chaos..." 

The final presentation was “Gigawatt” by Kayla Bayse, Derek Hoyt, Benjamin Ito, and Alex Rickards. “Gigawatt” used some rather technical pieces of equipment to make a Tesla coil capable of producing kilovolts. The team also demonstrated their machine’s ability to light a fluorescent light bulb that was not plugged in.

On Right: Okay, so not quite the same thing as "The Prestige"... 

The 2013 Rube Goldberg show was certainly one to remember; we can only wait and see what ingenious ideas student will come up with next semester.

Written by Devin Graves. Photo credits: Kayla Bayse

For a summary and videos of the 2012 Rube Goldberg, view our article here!