Advice every student should hear

Written by Bob Woelk Tuesday, 09 April 2013 12:47

Almost by accident, I was listening to a group of radio and TV gurus discussing the topic, “What’s ahead in the job market?” at a Kansas Association of Broadcasters student seminar and career fair in Topeka last week.

The accidental part is that Hillsboro High School does not have a broadcasting program. I was actually there to take part in a workshop on 21st Century Journalism, a class I teach that launches students into yearbook and newspaper.

The opening session was a panel discussion among the movers and shakers of Kansas broadcasting: Kyle Bauer of KCLY/KFRM, headquartered in Clay Center; Nate Hill of KSNT/KTKA TV out of Topeka; Jim Ogle of WIBW TV in Topeka; and Ron Covert of Cumulus Radio, the Topeka-area equivalent of...

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Help! Teachers are under attack

Written by Bob Woelk Tuesday, 12 March 2013 13:49

We teachers are under attack, and we need your help. State legislators in Topeka are gunning for us as never before.

If you have a friend or a relative who is a Kansas educator, or if you have a soft spot in your heart for someone who flipped on your academic switch, now is the time to speak up.

There are several bills under consideration that are undisguised attempts to weaken teacher rights, including free speech and collective bargaining. I receive daily updates on the progress of these bills, and I still don’t understand everything that is going on. But, I do know the current legislature is anything but friendly toward educators.

When Rep. Don Schroeder visited Hillsboro a couple of Saturdays ago, he seemed less than...

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I love to run — let me tell you why

Written by Bob Woelk Tuesday, 12 February 2013 11:52

Why do I love running? That’s a question I sometimes get asked by people who witness my jogs through town and the surrounding countryside. I often reply that I don’t exactly love to run. I do, however, enjoy the benefits.

People seem to believe I hit the streets and county roads every day. Though I might wish that were true, I actually run between three and four days per week for total distance of between 12 and 18 miles, depending upon whether I am training for a race.

Perhaps Valentine’s Day week is a great time to examine what it is about this sport that has kept me participating all these many years. I can’t speak for the millions of other Americans who join me in this pursuit, but perhaps I can shed some light on my own...

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Poetic justice for bowl schedule

Written by Bob Woelk Tuesday, 08 January 2013 15:41

’Twas the week after Christmas, when across this great nation,

All the football fans waited with anticipation.

The TV remote was garnered with care,

In hopes that the bowl games soon would be aired.

The sports nuts were settled down in their recliners

Listlessly watching St. Louis vs. 49ers.

Uncle Joe in his jersey, and Bev in her cap,

Had just faded off for a third-quarter nap.

When from the wide-screen there arose so much static,

The picture was gone; this was more than traumatic.

Through the various channels they surfed quickly, not slow,

Tried every trick they knew to clear up the snow.

But, the satellite feed on which they depended,

Had ceased to exist, the signal suspended.

Then what to Joe’s panicking mind did...

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