Spartan Times

Graduate Reflection: One last cruise down Kennedy Drive

Darnell Thompson

Reporter

The time is coming up for the end of the school year. And my two years of CNCC is ending. The love/hate relationship I have for this place is weird because I have had some of the greatest times here, but then again I have had boring times here, too. I am from Denver, so the small town life was something new to me once I first got here.

But to experience the outdoors and go to activities like Septemberfest, and meeting some of the good townspeople like Josh Allred and Trevor Packer, is something I’ll never forget in my two years of life here in Rangely. I am happy to know that I survived. When I first came up here, I kept imagining “The Hills Have Eyes” type stuff or that outbreak of zombies, or I’d hear things about the Kralicheks coming to kidnap people at night .

You’ll never know what is in the back of these Rangely deserts. I’ve hit two deer in my car so far, and a person told me once I came up here that you’re not from Rangely unless you hit a deer. So I guess I’m a citizen now.

CNCC has been a good place at times. I came here for the smaller environment so I could focus on my studies and go on and do better in my life. It helped me grow and be a better person.

I have to thank the people here at CNCC for the added experiences in my life. Even from an unexpected overnighter in Meeker for someone coming in my room while I was naked. But hey, what can you say. It was still good times.

I have met many good friends here that I am going to miss, like my homies Travis Moody, Austin Tipton, and Steve aka PeeWee, and all the rest of my baseball homies. Next I have to give shout outs to Christina Anderson, Kiersten Cushman, Brianna Notz, and Danielle Duncan on the volleyball team, D.J. from the women’s basketball team, and Mike, Myles, and Steve from the men’s basketball team, and Shelby. Lastly, I gotta give it up for my three ladies of the Spartan Times, Angel Mataia, Michelle Snowden, and Azyha Haili. I have much love for all of you, and I am going to miss you all. Thanks for being good friends.

Another thing that I had a great time with here at CNCC was the ORP trips, such as the Thanksgiving hiking trip and the Water Rafting trip this year. They are trips that I will never forget. They were one of the best things I have ever done in my life. and on the trip I became good friends with one of the people that I thought I would always hate, John Bottelberghe, whom I now respect and get along with well.

One of the things that the students hate and complain about every day is the one thing I hate the most, the cafeteria food. Even though James is a nice guy, he has to do something about this food. I don’t know how many times I have had diarrhea or been constipated from it. If it weren’t for the two best cooks here, Sue and Rene, I would probably be a hundred pounds less, looking like starving Marvin off of South Park. So once again, thank you Sue and Rene–the starving kids need you.

Even though CNCC has its flaws in some areas, this can be a great school. I had a faculty member say not too long ago that this school is for sports and trades, and it’s not really an academic school. But I think that person is wrong. I think this school could be great for academics. I mentor alternative school kids who could use a smaller environment to start their college lives, and a place like CNCC in Rangely could be good for these young kids. It will be nice if students like that could have people around, such as two of my favorite teachers, Joe Wiley and Pastor Morton.

They are two of the funniest guys who have great knowledge and are very good teachers. Also, a person to go to like Tresa England, who gives you great advice and can point you in the direction you need to go. And Jim DeLung, who has been like a white brother to me, a white brother who doesn’t BS you and tells you like it is. It’s good to have people like that around you.

And I would like to thank you all for what you have given me through these last two years. And the person I would like to thank most of all, who has been my Sandra Bullock from “BlindSide” and Michelle Pfeiffer from “Dangerous Minds,” who has been a great adviser, friend, and also a great cook for me when I didn’t want to eat in the cafeteria, Heather Zadra. You have made my time here great.

But for the last time, thank you to all. If you think that I have forgotten you and that your name deserved to be in this article, too bad. You can cuss me out later. Spartan for life.

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