A helping hand

A helping hand

Al Stover / Reporting

Carson Heath / Photography

Published in 41.2 of the SFCC Communicator

Ian Reynolds pushes screws into the sides of an artificial foot, surrounded by the sounds of a band saw ripping through the bottom of a Nike shoe and a wrench falling on the floor.

Reynolds is one of the 32 students enrolled 

in SFCC’s Orthotics and Prosthetics technician program.

Reynolds, who started the program this quarter, says his interest in the program began during the rehabilitation he received after having surgery to remove his leg due to sciatic nerve damage. This damage was a result of an explosion caused by a homemade bomb at his home three years ago.

“What got me hooked was working with my prosthesis,” Reynolds said. “I then got in with the program and the instructors. The accident shaped my whole life and future.”

Bernard Hewey, the orthotics instructor, says the program is divided into two halves. The prosthetics portion teaches students to make artificial limbs using materials such as carbon fibers, fabrics and metal. The orthotics section trains students to make braces for patients who still have their limbs but need the devices to help their limbs function.

According to Hewey, the program is self paced and it takes three quarters to complete both halves of the program.

“The students have 28 contact hours every week except for when they have General Ed. classes,” Hewey said. “There are first, second, and third quarter students of different ages working at the same time.”

Clayton Wright, the prosthetics instructor, said the program began in 1984 with Dr. Walt Caleson.

“Walt had built a private practice in San Diego,” Wright said. “He was asked by the college to start the program.”

Hewey adds that the college looked at the structure of the Prosthetics and Orthotics program at Century College in Minn. the only college to offer this program at the time.

“The curriculum was brought from Minnesota which included text books, audio, and visual aids,” Hewey said. “We also procured a lot of funding to provide the lab with state of the art equipment.”

In addition to learning to make artificial devices, students also learn about the body. Harold Mayers, a third-quarter student, says his first two quarters were partialy focused on anatomy.

“We learned about limbs and muscle,” Mayers said.

Hewey explains that once a student finishes the first half the program, they must complete a five week internship at a private hospital.

“Once the internship is done, they return and finish the other half of the program,” Hewey said. “Then they go on to do another five week internship.”

Jeff Kemp, a former engineering major, recently finished an internship in at a hospital in Portland making limbs and interacting with patients.

“I learned a lot with working with patients and going out into the community,” Kemp said.

The program’s students have recently participated in the national registration exam for technicians that is held at SFCC every fall. According to Hewey, all 32 students participated in the exam. They also received career advice and information from doctors.

“Jobs are open in small and medium companies, private clinics, and VA hospitals,” Hewey said.

According to opcareers.org, a National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE) resident with an average of one-year experience makes $33,732 a year.

Reynolds says that the program is everything that he expected and he is looking forward to finishing the program.

“I’m excited to graduate and work with prosthetics and the patients,” Reynolds said.

A fighter's identity

A fighter's identity 

Al Stover / Reporting, Images, and Production

A fighter's identity


Rick "The Pitbull" Welliver is a former pro boxer is the owner of Spokane Boxing and Martial Arts. This is his story from his transformation from pro to coach.

related links:
Rage in the Cage
Storycorps:  My Daughter the Champ: Raising a Boxer

Fridays with Dostoyevsky

Fridays with Dostoyevsky

Al Stover / Reporting and Photography

This story was published in Issue 41.3 of the SFCC Communicator

Frankie Viner sits at the table as students pass by. In front of her are paperback copies of Virgil’s Aeneid, Dostoyevsky’s The Devils, Silko’s Almanac of the Dead, and Melville’s The Confidence-Man.

Viner, a second-year student, is just one of the members who is a part of SFCC’s Lit Club.

SFCC English Instructor, Ryan Simmons is currently helping Viner and her fellow club members get the Lit Club off of the ground. According to Simmons, the Lit Club is essentially a book club for students.

“It gives students who are interested in reading an opportunity to connect with like minded souls here at SFCC,” Simmons said.

According to Viner, the Lit Club unofficially began last spring quarter with six members who met every other Friday.

“We (had) read some great books in class, and we decided to get together and discuss them,” Viner said.

The Lit Club has already read and reviewed The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and The Cave by Jose Saramago. The club picks its selections by first having members suggest what books they would like to read, then putting them to a vote.

Adam Bradley, a second-year student, said Viner recommended the club to him.

According to Derrick Annis, the Editor of the Wire Harp, the club’s membership increased after Club Day.

“We had up to 25 (people)who are interested so far,” Annis said.

Natalie Lester, a second-year student, said discussing literature with other people has helped motivate her to read more outside of school.

The Lit Club had their first meeting of the school year Sept. 24 where they wrote up their constitution and submitted it to the Activities Board. According to Viner, the constitution is currently under review.

“We should know within the next few weeks,” Viner said. “After the review we’ll be added to the agenda and receive a budget.”

According to Simmons, the Lit Club has already begun to brainstorm ideas for activities and events for the year.

“Field trips to literary readings, or sites, book drives, and a fundraiser or two,” Simmons said.

Viner said one focus for the Lit Club in the first few weeks is to discuss and vote on reading selections suggested by new members.

“We’ll see what books they want to read and take a vote,” Viner said. 

Rage in the Cage

Rage in the Cage

Al Stover / Reporting

Jarad Alexandar / Photography

published in 41.4 of the SFCC Communicator

The gymnasium smelled of sweat and pizza as fans filled the bleachers and seats surrounding the six-sided cage. On the opposite side of the room, 22 competitors were preparing themselves for battle.

Northwest Fighting presented Spokane Showdown 18. The event took place on Nov. 7 at the East Central Community Center. The event featured 11 mixed martial arts bouts in front of an audience of all ages.

The main bout of the evening featured Austin Peaker defeating Charlie Shultz for the Northwest Fighting Lightweight Title.

Peaker locked a rear naked choke on Shultz a minute into the first round, forcing the champion to submit.

Peaker, normally a welterweight fighter, explained that he trained hard with his gym and coaches to prepare for the fight. He also said he had never seen Shultz fight before their match.

“I had no idea what to expect,” Peaker said. “I was a little nervous.”

In addition to crowning a new champion, Showdown also featured a women’s MMA bout between Krista Burleson and Kristin Phares. Bart Smith, the event’s promoter, said this was Northwest Fighting’s first women’s fight.

“The girl fights are hard to put together, but they are a crowd favorite,” Smith said.

In the first 20 seconds, Burleson reversed Phares’ take down, mounted her and delivered several strikes to the head. The referee stopped the fight 23 seconds before the end of the first round, declaring Burleson the winner.

Phares, despite losing, was energetic about competing in her first MMA bout.

“I really enjoyed it,” Phares said. “I’m gonna keep doing it.”

The crowd was filled with friends and families of the fighters who competed on the card. Julie Eldred, whose 19-year-old son Justin was fighting for the first time, said she was a nervous wreck watching her son compete.

“There are 25 people here (to cheer) for him,” Eldred said.

The first match on the card featured Roni Ghuman from Kent, defeating Bo Berge in the first round with a rear naked choke. Ghuman said that while he was both excited and nervous, he still remembered his game plan.

“I had to keep it standing and avoid the ground,” Ghuman said.

Three of the fights at Showdown were finished in less than a minute. Welterweight fighter Mike Soderberg knocked out his opponent Brad Roberts fifteen seconds into the first round of their fight.

In addition to the MMA bouts, Showdown featured a grappling exhibition. Northwest Fighting will have their next event Dec. 5 at the Main Event, 8108 N. Division. 

Twiss speaks at cultural series

Twiss speaks at cultural series

Al Stover / Reporting

Rachel Fortney / Images

At 18 years old, Richard Twiss found himself a part of the arson squad during the takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs building, waiting for the order to burn the building to the ground.

This was one of the stories he shared as part of SFCC's Cultural Series. Twiss came to SFCC to speak to students and staff in a two-part lecture about diversity and being a loving neighbor in an ever-changing cultural society.

Twiss, a member of the Sicangu Band of the Rosebud Lakota/Sioux Tribe, used stories and life experiences to explain to students how they could be better human beings and neighbors to everyone else on the planet.  He also stressed how being human means appreciating diversity.

"Diversity is difficult yet it's also beautiful," Twiss said.  "It is not a one-sided deal."

Twiss used the example of the difference between learning how to ride a bike and experiencing it as a context to understanding diversity.

"In the east, you can't say you know something without experiencing it first, this is similar to diversity," Twiss said.

Twiss also had the audience practice an exercise where they said they were "ethnocentric, narrow minded, with limited vision."  He said the limited vision comes from the language people learn and the place where they grow up.  He added that he did not realize he was ethnocentric until he married his wife, who is caucasian.

"When you are in a relationship with someone who is different, they will show you how ethnocentric you are," Twiss said.

One belief Twiss said has helped him become a better human being and neighbor, is what he described as the Seven Generation continuum.  He explained that he learned from the previous three generations but also suffer the consequences of their actions.  Twiss said he considers his choices will affect the next three generations.

"I imagine they are with me and they are helping me make better decisions," Twiss said.

Twiss also spoke about traveling to various parts of the world and learned how different countries revered and respected Native American culture and history.  He played a video of himself and his son going to Irsael and interacting with other ethnicity cultures in different rights of passage ceremonies.

"All of these people would say they are followers of Jesus and living as human beings," Twiss said.

Esther Munroe, 22, said she loved how Twiss had traveled around the world and learned the ways of different cultures.

According to Activities Vice President Ricky Sullivan, Twiss was brought in at an all inclusive rate for $2800 out of the cultural series budget.  Sullivan said he brought Twiss to SFCC after seeing him speak at a conference.

"I thought his information would be useful,"  Sullivan said.

Twiss is also the founder and president of  Wiconi International, which is an organization that bridges the gap between the beliefs of Jesus Christ and native culture.

He has traveled to different countries, learning different religions, including Hinduism, Islamism, and Buddism, and is currently writing a dissertation where he interviewed 420 people about being spiritual in this age.