By Dalton Carver
Staff reporter

Graduation weekend started with receptions and awards that were given at the various events preceding graduation day. After the festivities, the graduates made the traditional trek up the 77 steps into Richardson Auditorium, where the Honors Convocations took place. The Student Loans also had a brief performance before graduation and honors announcements were made.

Dalton Carver is a sophomore majoring in communication. You can email him at dalton.carver@sckans.edu or tweet him @dalty_james.

By Dalton Carver

Staff reporter

This year is the first that The Collegian and Update SC have used the application of Instagram to report stories and capture images throughout the year. This slideshow features some of the moments our entire staff captured and reported on, ranging from sports to inclement weather on campus. We’ve recently integrated Vine into our social media reporting repertoire and hope to use that application much more next year as well. Be on the look out as we find new ways to bring campus and community news to you.

Dalton Carver is a sophomore majoring in communication. You can email him at dalton.carver@sckans.edu or tweet him @dalty_james. 

By Jonathan Woon
Staff reporter

Jonathan Woon is a senior majoring in communication. You may e-mail him at jonathan.woon@sckans.edu 

By Clinton Dick
Editor in chief

Clinton Dick is a senior majoring in convergent journalism. You may e-mail him at clinton.dick@sckans.edu

By Min Jiao
Photography editor

Min Jiao is a junior majoring in communication. You may e-mail her at min.jiao@sckans.edu.

By Jonathan Woon
Staff reporter

Jonathan Woon is a senior majoring in communication. You may e-mail him at jonathan.woon@sckans.edu or tweet him @jonathanwn.

Dalton Carver
Staff reporter

A giant hose wraps around a tree and travels to a small mud puddle, where it has laid for months. Will Rosson, Southwestern alumni, attempts to drag it from the tree, but to no avail. Walking away, he can take solace in the fact that it’s one of the few pieces of garbage around the Walnut River that can’t be picked up.

The Green Team took the lead in this year’s Earth Day events by cleaning up the area around the Walnut River that runs adjacent to the Winfield fairgrounds. Starting at half past noon, Jason Speegle, director of Green Team, and company took to the mud and dirt to pick up as much litter as they could. With the various events that are often stationed around the area, the effort was to make the area look better.

“A lot of folks visit this area of the fairgrounds multiple times a year,” said Alex Gottlieb, of Gottlieb Lawn and Landscaping.  “The idea was to clean it up so that the folks visiting would get a better taste of Winfield rather than having a trashy environment.”

Initially, the effort was a collaboration between several groups, but unfortunate circumstances trimmed the helpers down to only three organizations, which included the Green Team, Gottlieb Lawn and Landscaping and Grace United Methodist Church.

“We did have some last minute changes of plans that lowered our numbers,” said Speegle. “We were originally expecting to have about fifty people out here, which would’ve had a much bigger impact.”

Despite the low participation, the workers were not deterred in their efforts. “The fact that we’re out here on a nice, sunny day and that we’ve collected dozens of bags of trash out of the river, that’s a success,” said Speegle.

Gottlieb agreed that the day had been successful. “I would guess so far that we have thirty or forty bags of trash,” he said.

Ashley Jordan, Green Team member, picked up two, full bags of trash. She had no doubt about her work. “I’m just doing my part,” she said. “And I think it helps you personally grow.”

How the surrounding nature looked wasn’t Jordan’s only concern, however. “I know that a lot of animals live by the water and there are fish in the water,” she said. “I want to pick it up and get it out of the way so they’re not involved with it.”

Even though everything wasn’t picked up, like the hose around the tree, it’s safe to say that the area around the Walnut River is a little more beautiful.

The green efforts continue tomorrow at Island Park, where the same organizations plan to work just as hard. The clean-up starts 1:00 p.m., and will continue until 4:00 p.m. The event is open to all, and helpers are encouraged to attend as the area around the park and the moat is tidied up.

Dalton Carver is a sophomore majoring in communication. You can email him at dalton.carver@sckans.edu or tweet him @dalty_james.

By Angel Vadillo
Sports editor

Angel Vadillo is a sophomore majoring in communication. You may e-mail him at angel.vadillo@sckans.edu.

By Dalton Carver
Staff reporter

Warning: Spoilers

Season 3 of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” is the best and most intense one so far. While the first season built everything, and the second expanded it, the third makes you feel all of it. The inhumanity and the death, but most of all, the life.

However, life is something of a commodity in “The Walking Dead.” You feel a sort of loss when you experience the death of a beloved television character. “The Walking Dead” makes you feel that loss, whether you like that character or not. Another death means one less human being that walks that Earth, and one more Walker that does.

The worst part is “The Walking Dead” doesn’t kill its characters just once.  It brings them back, and makes you watch as they must be killed again. And even after their death, they keep reappearing in some way to haunt the ones that did survive.

This is the predicament of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) for the majority of Season 3, as the phantom of his recently deceased wife often returns to haunt him. The group’s faith in him is shaken quite visibly, and it’s a major conflict throughout the season. Even his son, Carl, asks that he not be the leader anymore, one of the biggest lines of the season. Fortunately, Rick pulls himself together by the end of the season. However, one wonders if he’ll ever be the same again. None of this is helped by the horrendous actions of The Governor of Woodbury, a Walker-free, idyllic community.

The Governor is one of the most sadistic, evil characters I have ever experienced in a story, let alone a television series. David Morrissey plays this role to perfection, slowly revealing the character’s true, animalistic nature as the season wraps up. Right from his introduction, something is a little off about the Governor. I thought viewers wouldn’t find a more reviling character than the racist and violent Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker), but his sacrifice in the penultimate episode redeemed him.  On the other hand, nothing the Governor can do will ever reconcile his actions.

The nearly seven-month gap between the second and third seasons may confuse viewers for a little bit, but the world rights itself soon after. It was interesting to see how the characters had changed since the escape from Hershel’s farm.

Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs), especially, underwent one of the most significant transformations throughout the season. Right from the get-go, you see Carl participating in a violent house-clearing. When the moment was determined that Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) wasn’t going to survive childbirth, it didn’t take much hesitation for Carl to shoot his mother in the head. He continues doing boneheaded things, like going on the search for the photograph of his parents, and nearly getting himself killed quite often. The transformation is complete when he shoots a surrendering Woodbury assailant. Shane may have had more of an impact on the boy than viewers had previously conceived. As the season went on, I liked Carl less and less.

The group never really feels settled into the prison, mostly because Rick and company never fail in making enemies. On the tail of killing Shane, Rick begins to adopt some of his best friend’s qualities. He doesn’t hesitate to kill those who threaten the group, and trusts no one. As the conflict from Woodbury escalates, certain character’s qualities shine. Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) is forced to deal with the death of his brother, Merle, and becomes better for it. It’s easy to see why Daryl is a fan-favorite. Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson) is another one that is very likable, being the grandfather figure of the group. His diplomatic approach in a violent, direct world is refreshing. Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Maggie (Lauren Cohen) continue their couple-like ways. Glenn eventually proposes to Maggie, but this is hardly the biggest change for him. His personality and demeanor change drastically from the point where the Governor and Merle torture him and Maggie. Although he takes on a darker side, Glenn still manages to remain a positive and likable individual.

Last, but not least, Michonne (Danai Gurira) really came into her own by the end of the season. Her image as sword-wielding badass gave way to the point where she was actually accepted into the group. The conversation with Rick towards the end of the season finale was especially gratifying. Hopefully, Season 4 sees her developing even more.

Despite all these great things, I was disappointed with the way the Woodbury – Prison conflict was solved in the season finale. The Governor wasn’t dealt with like he should’ve been, and I guarantee that he’ll return next season. I just wish some sort of punishment had been handed to him. The fact that there wasn’t makes him all the scarier for the next season, though. Aside from this, Season 3 is the best by far, creating a good balance between Walker-killing action and survivor interaction. Although, one wonders how many survivors will be around to review next season.

On a final note, Andrea (Laurie Holden) finally got killed off. I don’t think the majority of fans will be disappointed by that one.

Dalton Carver is a sophomore majoring in communication. You can email him at dalton.carver@sckans.edu or tweet him @dalty_james.