News

Spots: Lincoln’s only bedbug sniffing dog
The 3-year-old Rat Terrier doubles as a work dog and family pet for K9 Bed Bug Detection.

Caught between two language worlds, an Hispanic mother searches for balance
Griselda Cortez aspires to be accepted in the English community but struggles with the difficult task of learning a new language.

Center for People in Need event offers low-income persons presents for children
On Dec. 17, the Center for People in Need will start a three day gift giveaway for low-income parents to give to their children for Christmas.

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Features

Downtown barber shop retains 1950s style
The Captain’s Chair has been a Lincoln fixture since 1953.

Trading crown for books, Miss America prepares for college after pageantry life
Teresa Scanlan reflects on how she’s changed and what her future holds.

Young couple defies marriage trends
UNL students find challenges and joys in matrimony.

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Sports

Burkhead is a hero on and off the field
He’s one of many athletes who help in community.

Recent UNL grad starring at new sports radio station
Jake Bogus quickly ascended to program director at 93.7 The Ticket.

Before tipoff, behind-the-scenes workers spend hours bringing Devaney Center to life
Early prep work leads to smooth game days for fans.

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Profile: Erinn Wakeman

September 20, 2011

Erinn Wakeman

Story and photo by Dominique Kelley, NewsNetNebraska

Erinn Wakeman has spent her entire life in Lincoln but she’s ready to dream big in a city full of bright lights once she graduates.

“I have lived in Lincoln my entire life. Not that it’s a bad thing, but there is so much this world has to offer,” Wakeman said. “I can always come back,” said the 22-year-old news editorial major. Erinn plans on settling in the Big Apple after graduation and attending graduate school at Columbia University.

” I have always had a love and passion for writing,” Wakeman said. “My whole entire life I have always wanted to move to a big city and New York made sense because Columbia is one of the best journalism schools in the country.”

With a master’s degree from one of the most prestigious journalism schools in the country, she hopes to continue dreaming big with aspirations of someday becoming a writer or reporter for Time Magazine. She would like to write analytical and editorial pieces on national topics and global issues. And when asked why?

“Time has played a very prominent role in journalism in the U.S. for a long time. I like the fact that it is not just the facts of everyday news but they examine different aspects of current issues and I would like to be a part of continuing on that great tradition.”

Tags: Kelley, Staff Profiles, Wakeman

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Profile: Dominique Kelley

Nique Kelley

Story and photos by Erinn Wakeman, NewsNetNebraska

Dominique Kelley is a competitor. A force on the Nebraska women’s basketball team for the past four years, Kelley has goals for herself both on and off the court.

“I’m very driven,” says Kelley, a senior broadcasting major who plans to graduate in December. “I have goals to set and reach. I’m not perfect, but I’m learning a lot about myself and continue to amaze myself.”

One of Kelley’s goals is to become a women’s college basketball coach. She is the assistant coach for Doane College and plans on earning her master’s degree in sports administration.

“Being a coach is the best of both worlds because you are still around the game and get to impact young girls’ lives and help them transform into amazing adults,” says Kelley, who is getting a minor in coaching. “I want to be a coach because I love being around people, I love the game of basketball and it has been extremely rewarding to me.”

Becoming a sports analyst is another dream of Kelley’s, and she says it fueled her interest in broadcasting.

But basketball isn’t Kelley’s only love. Family is incredibly important to Kelley, who loves babysitting her 2-year-old sister and spending time with her four other siblings, her boxer, Cudi, and her fiancé.

Always busy, Kelley is planning her wedding, set for June 2012, attending school for a final semester, and working as a distributor for the ViSalus Body By Vi fitness challenge, which touts a 90-day fitness and nutrition program.

Nique, as she is known to her family and friends, says that her faith is of highest importance to her. “Jesus Christ is the largest aspect of my life, and I truly believe that he as a specific plan for my life.”

Tags: Kelley, Profile, Staff Profiles, Wakeman

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Profile: Ryne Stefankiewicz

Ryne Stefankiewicz

Story and photo by Camila Orti, NewsNetNebraska

For Ryne Stefankiewicz, Husker football is everything.

“Life stops on Saturdays,” he said. “I haven’t missed a game since I was six.”

Luckily for Stefankiewicz, The Lincoln Journal Star’s sports department always has the game on. Stefankiewicz, a senior news-editorial major, has been working there for a year, giving up part of his social life to write about college sports.

Before coming to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Hastings transfer student worked as the editor-in-chief of his school’s paper and wrote for the Hastings Tribune. After his experiences in both Hastings and Lincoln, Stefankiewicz has decided he’d like to stay in the Midwest after graduation.

When Stefankiewicz isn’t reporting, you can find him training for the next Lincoln half-marathon. He ran his first half last spring.

“I like the feeling that you’ve accomplished something that you’ve spent so much time working toward,” Stefankiewicz said.

For now, though, his life is all about the Huskers.

“I’m almost too much of a fan to cover Nebraska,” he said.

Whether or not Stefankiewicz has his notebook and pen, you can bet he’ll be watching the game.

Tags: Orti, Staff Profiles

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Profile: Brittany McNeal

Brittany McNeal

Story and photo by Teresa Lostroh, NewsNetNebraska

First, she was a Hawkeye. Then she was a Longhorn. Now, Brittany McNeal is happy as a Husker.

When McNeal, a 23-year-old senior news-editorial major, moved to Nebraska two years ago as a transfer student from Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, she didn’t know much about the Cornhusker state.

She knew UNL’s volleyball team was a perennial powerhouse (her 21-year-old sister, Allison, plays middle blocker for the Huskers, and McNeal played the same position for Angelo State). And, of course, McNeal knew there was corn. Lots of it.

“It’s kind of surprising how similar Nebraska and Texas are, though,” she said of the two states that, when it comes to sports, would rather not be compared. “I definitely prefer the Huskers. I like the tradition here.”

McNeal lived in Iowa until she was 8, when her family uprooted to Texas. She moved to Nebraska in 2009 because her sister was here, and she wanted to be close to her parents, who now live in western Iowa.

Aside from playing and watching volleyball, McNeal’s hobbies include listening to music – her boyfriend plays guitar for Lincoln band “A Summer Better Than Yours,” and she writes for a music publication, HM Magazine.

And add baking and vacuuming to McNeal’s list of favorite activities.

Yes, vacuuming.

Atypical as her penchant for domestic chores may be, that’s not the only characteristic that McNeal said sets her apart.

“I feel pretty unique for having red hair,” she said.

But in the land of the Big Red, McNeal fits right in.

Tags: Lostroh, profiles, Staff Profiles

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Profile: Camila Orti

Camila Orti

Story and photo by Ryne Stefankiewicz, NewsNetNebraska

In high school, Camila Orti vowed to go far from home for college. Instead, the Lincoln Southeast graduate made it across town to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Although the junior broadcasting major didn’t travel far for school, she enjoys running long distances. In May, she ran the Lincoln Half-Marathon.

“Running marathons is kind of a big thing on my dad’s side of the family,” she said. Her father, Guillermo Orti, has finished six marathons.

“When I was little, I used to ride my bike next to my dad when he would go on long runs,” Orti said. “Then, as I grew older, I started running with him.”

Orti, 20, is training for the Omaha Marathon and Omaha Triathlon. Running isn’t her only passion, though. She aspires to be an entertainment reporter after graduating next May.

Her dream job, she said, is to host an entertainment-based talk show or work for E! News.

“It would be fun to talk to people and make people laugh,” she said. “I love making people laugh, so that would be an added bonus.”

A job in entertainment would finally get her out of Lincoln, too.

Tags: Orti, Staff Profiles, Stefankiewicz

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Profile: Sara Nelson

Sara Nelson

Story and photo by Brittany McNeal, NewsNetNebraska

As the only sister to three older brothers, senior News-Editorial major Sara Nelson was definitely predisposed to enjoy all the things that boys do: playing video games and riding dirt bikes.

So her talent for darts should be no surprise.

“On my 21st birthday I discovered I am some sort of darts prodigy, of course I am over-exaggerating, but I really like darts,” she said. “It is on my bucket list to join a darts league … eventually.”

Aside from that distinctive list of hobbies, Nelson has a flair for photography and spends most of her free time watching CNN and getting as much news from Twitter as she can find.

“I am a social media junkie (Twitter is my favorite), and I think social media marketing is fascinating,” she said.

Nelson decided to pursue a journalism degree during her time at UNL where she has studied photojournalism intensively. Even though she has a background in photography, she wants to use her degree to pursue a career in public relations.

“While talking to an adviser about majors that involved a lot of writing, photojournalism came up and I knew immediately that was what I wanted,” Nelson said. “I have since decided to use my degree to pursue public relations. For one, there seems to be more jobs available in PR.”

Nelson will graduate in December. She is keeping her options open, but she definitely knows which direction she wants to head in.

“My absolute dream job is doing the PR/marketing for a concert venue or being the publicist for a band,” she said. “I know I won’t start out at my dream job but it’s something for me to aspire to.”

Tags: McNeal, Nelson, Staff Profiles

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Profile: Teresa Lostroh

Teresa Lostroh

Story and photo by Sara Nelson, NewsNetNebraska

Teresa Lostroh may live in Lincoln, but her heart remains in Costa Rica.

That’s where Lostroh, a senior news-editorial and Spanish major, discovered her passions: Spanish and traveling.

She studied in San Jose, Costa Rica, for four months during her junior year and spent six weeks in Bilbao, Spain, after her freshman year. She wants more.

“Spanish is my passion,” Lostroh said.

She is fluent in Spanish and says although she loves journalism, Spanish is her favorite. She’s intrigued by observing cultural differences and the fact there is always something new to learn when you’re studying a second language. She recalls once trying to translate the idiom ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’ into Spanish and receiving a blank stare.

Lostroh plans to continue globetrotting after college and hopes to teach English in Spain for a year after graduating in December. Recently engaged, she hopes to travel abroad with her future husband.

“For my honeymoon, my fiancé and I have talked about backpacking in South America,” Lostroh said. “I know it’s not really the typical honeymoon, but I’m all about trying something different, and I’d get to dust off my Spanish.“

Tags: Lostroh, Nelson, Staff Profiles

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Profile: Elizabeth Venrick

September 30, 2010

Story and photo by Kiara Letcher, NewsNetNebraska

Erin Andrews of ESPN might want to be on the lookout because Elizabeth Venrick wants her job.

With a news-editorial major and political science minor, Venrick is eager to start her future as a journalist. She grew up in South Dakota, but decided to come to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln more for the football team than anything else.

“I’m passionate about college football, and I wanted a school with a good team,” she said.

Venrick interned in Washington, D.C., where she met President Obama. She also interned with Minnesota Vikings, which she created a blog about this past summer. Other than becoming the next big thing in sports broadcasting, Venrick said, she would love to write for a magazine. She’s also obsessed with online media.

“Everyone wants to be me,” Venrick said, noting that she’s a people person who loves to have a good time and enjoys meeting new people.

She said her strongest skills are writing and speaking, which both come easy to her. She believes good broadcasters must be able to write and tell stories well.

And with all of those qualities, Venrick said she is hopeful she’ll be able to land a spot on ESPN in no time.

Tags: Staff Profiles, Venrick

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Profile: Kiara Letcher

Story by Elizabeth Venrick, NewsNetNebraska

Kiara Letcher is an entertainer. From day to day antics to the performance stage, Letcher dreams of one day making it big on the small screen.

“My future plans include morphing myself into Chelsea Lately or Joan Rivers,” Letcher said.

A Lincoln native, Letcher follows both of her professional heroes on twitter, which is just one of the many social media outlets she frequents.

“I want to have my own TV show and talk about entertainment and media related subjects,” said the broadcasting major, theatre and Spanish minor.

A self-described eccentric, Letcher is fully aware of her quirky behavior.

“Someone once told me I walk the line between funny and annoying, but I’m more funny,” Letcher said with a laugh. “I like to put on shows. I like to write funny things. I like to make people laugh.”

In fact, she’s been performing for her younger sister, Leah, 18, for years.

“I was always putting on shows for Leah and embarrassing her,” said Letcher.

Letcher’s audience has grown, however. She is now entering her second year as an official member of Red Theatre, a futuristic, community theatre group written by, for and about its community, based out of Lincoln.

“Entertainment is my passion,” Letcher said. “And drinking and collecting clothes.”

Tags: Letcher, Staff Profiles

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Profile: Tori Grdina

Story and photo by Ryan Evans, NewsNetNebraska

Tori Grdina, a news-editorial and English major, enjoys writing so much that she hopes to do it for a living someday.

“My dream is to write my own book series,” the University of Nebraska-Lincoln junior said.

Grdina has even been developing a concept for the series since before her 2008 graduation from Pius X High School in Lincoln, Neb., that is loosely based on her own high school experiences.

“Right now I have an outline of where the story is going and I work on it every once in a while,” she said.

Indeed, it seems that Grdina enjoys the creative outlet that writing allows her– a passion that was discovered in sixth grade when she authored her first short story.

“The teacher showed the class what a good job I did and that kind of started me into liking writing,” she said.

That creative passion continues to Grdina’s blog, where she not only practices her craft, but also shares it, something that could certainly soon win her a job.

Tags: grdina, Staff Profiles

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