BRAYDON CONELL
conellbt@lopers.unk.edu
The 2010s are now over and the world has moved into another decade. For many of us, the 2010s were a time that we grew and blossomed into the people we are today. UGGs, athleisure, and fluidity have markedly shaped our fashion choices while Flappy Bird, Silly Bandz, and the Cinnamon Challenge kept us entertained. There was also some unique events that kept us on our toes like the End of the World (volumes one and two…) and Kony 2012.
Even the news reminds us of some of the biggest events during this past decade. Each description includes a publication date for those interested in reading the original story on the web addition of The Antelope at unkantelope.com.
Planetary Advancement – Jan 27, 2010
Beginning the decade off, 2010 marked the opening of UNK’s planetarium. Now a staple on campus in the Bruner Hall of Science, the planetarium is just barely ten years old. Dubbed the “most modern planetarium between Chicago and Phoenix”, the planetarium features a state-of-the-art projector with 7,000 individually projected stars and a movie theater surround sound system. If you have yet to go inside, you can view the upcoming shows here: http://www.unk.edu/academics/physics/unk-planetarium/
Three-Dimensional? – Jan 27, 2010
Another piece of technology that was groundbreaking in 2010 were 3-D movies. At the time, Kearney did not have a theater that was even capable of showing a 3-D movie and moviegoers had to travel the 45-mile trek to Grand Island. Personally, I am not a fan of 3-D movies – the whole glasses over glasses just doesn’t really work out – but Kearney Cinema 8 was missing out on the big business back then.
New Caf – Aug. 24, 2011
Jumping forward to the beginning of the 2011 school year, UNK students were greeted with a newly remodeled cafeteria called The Market at 27th Street. $3.2 million were poured into the university’s dining service that brought in a salad bar, a pizza oven, and the highly popular Mongolian Grill. Recently, The Market got another revamp with Sodexo taking over as the food provider last semester.
Tremors Reach Kearney – March 16 and March 30, 2011
On March 11, a massive earthquake of roughly 8.9-9.1 earthquake struck 70 kilometers off the coast of Japan. The earthquake, occurring in the Pacific Ocean, was the most powerful to ever hit Japan and hurled tsunami waves as tall as 33 feet just minutes later. By March 30, the death toll was already at 10,000. The tsunami damaged other Pacific coastlines including those in the United States, though much less severely. At the time, UNK had 115 registered students from Japan; 16 students returned to the country on a leave of absence to be with their families. Various campus groups rushed to these students’ support and set up fundraising efforts for relief aid. Like with other disasters, the Kearney community rallied together and helped the Japanese Association at Kearney (JAK) raise over $5,000.
Gone But Not Forgotten – Sept. 19, 2012
At the age of 103, Carol Cope passed away. Carol and her husband Ron were Kearney’s most generous philanthropists and community leaders. The couple gave an estimated $15 to $20 million plus a suspected millions more in private donations back to the Kearney community. This is evident by namesake locations in Kearney such as the Cope Fountain and Ron and Carol Cope Stadium on campus plus the Ron and Carol Cope Heart Center at Good Samaritan Hospital. In 1991, Cope reflected on her volunteer service in World War II, “I think part of everyone’s life is to invest in something other than themselves.” This is a lesson we can all learn from, even if we don’t have the wealth the Cope’s had to share.
Former Glory – April 10, 2013
The World Theatre has been a historical theater in downtown Kearney for many years. In 2013, The World was remodeled to bring back its former glory with new red curtains and new seating on the ground level. The World had cheap concessions and admission of only $5 but remains one of Kearney’s least utilized experiences. The World has became famous for showing “oldies, but goodies”. Moreover, the World is going through another phase of renovation with the “Balcony or Bust” campaign in which the theater is raising money to restore the balcony section of the movie theater.
Yik Yak Fearmongering – Oct. 1, 2014
The latest trend in social media came in 2014 with the rise of Yik Yak, a mobile application that allowed users to communicate with their communities anonymously. However, across the country, events turned dark. In Kearney, the Calvin T. Library was evacuated after Matthew Skinner from Ogallala made bomb threats on the app. Other universities such as the University of Nebraska-Omaha, the University of Alabama and the University of Southern Mississippi and Norwich University were all a part of a growing list of threats made through the app.
Budget Slashed – Feb. 21, 2018
Opening to a crowd of students and faculty, Chancellor Kristensen said “Today is a difficult day.” The month prior, Gov. Pete Ricketts announced a $173 million projected budget shortfall. Unfortunately, our state’s education system took a hit as a result. UNK alone faced
3.67 million decline in state funds. Kristensen planned to face this deficit, in part, by eliminating 16 faculty positions, men’s tennis, men’s golf and baseball teams, among other “strategic cuts”. In an age of rising tuition and increased cost of living in Kearney, students and faculty did not meet these decisions with peace.
Winter Weather – Feb. 27 and March 7, 2019
Every year as Nebraskans, we prepare for long months of cold, wintry weather, days filled with ice and snow. However, even the hardiest of us often resent going out on winter days, especially for walking to class. Feb. 20 brought on an onslaught of winter weather. But unlike many schools across the state, UNK chose not to close school despite the harsh conditions. Students took to social media to express the frustrations of the larger UNK community. The Antelope also interviewed students and administration. While students faced car accidents, slips on uncleared sidewalks and potential frostbite, administration argued that “our number one priority is to be open,” said Jon Watts, UNK’s Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance. Students fought back and claimed that the university’s number one priority should be the safety of the students, faculty and staff. Because of this backlash, UNK has been more considerate on granted closures due to weather.
Kearney Underwater – Sept. 16, 2019
While some students were still away for summer break, many students still live and work in kearney. On July 9, following in a disastrous trend much of our state had been experiencing since March, the City of Kearney flooded along the Kearney Canal south of 11th Street. With the average rainfall amounts at six to eight inches, with other areas pushing ten inches, there was little time to react for many residents and visitors in the flood zones as the water was normal one moment and climbed into flood range in a matter of an hour. Quick action by the city resulted in no injuries or casualties and the community stepped up to provide assistance. UNK helped a total of 336 people displaced by the flood and served as an emergency shelter.
