TABLE OF CONTENTS
Husker spirit runs deep 3 Husker characters 4
11
Husker fanatic
Breast cancer awareness 16 History off the beaten path 21 Hauntings 25 Tastes of
the season 26
Milkweed: Good for butterflies and business 28 Mid-Plains Community College
Photo credit: Omaha World-Herald 31
Spirit Fall 2020 Edition 3
HUSKER SPIRIT RUNS DEEP
every opportunity we get to watch the Huskers play,” he said. As for the lack of fans and the cardboard cutouts that will be all over Memorial Stadium, Dodson said everything is going to be fine. He’s just happy he can watch some Husker football on Saturdays again. “What I’ve watched up to this point in college football, for us, the joy of the game of football,” Dodson said, “you’re going to be attuned to what’s going on and you’re going to watch some good football.” Every now and then, Dodson will try to find an opportunity to take a trip to Lincoln to go to a game. He said when that happens, it’s always fun to see the Huskers play. Saturdays for Dodson are for Nebraska, even when he was growing up. He said he has fond memories of listening to the Huskers play on the radio. When they were on TV, it was a special day for his family. “Right now, what an opportunity we can watch every game on TV on a Saturday,” Dodson said. “That time, whenever the Huskers play, you might as well just black out the calendar because we won’t be getting a whole lot done at home but watching Husker football.”
He may only go to a handful of games, but Goddard said he loves to tailgate for a Nebraska game. His brother does big tailgates, so he’ll join him when he makes the trip from Maxwell to Lincoln. Goddard tries to make it to a game or two every year, but due to COVID-19, that won’t happen. Even if the Huskers were allowing fans to attend their games, Goddard said, he would have watched from his couch. St. Pat’s football coach Kevin Dodson offered his take on the return of Nebraska football after his team’s 55-14 win over Gordon-Rushville Oct. 9. While the Goddards believe the season will be different with no fans allowed at games, Dodson and others are just happy Husker football is back. “I do like watching the Huskers play,” Dodson said. “I’m a fan; I went to UNL. We’re excited to see what they can put out on the field this year.” When it was announced the Big Ten would have a season this year, Dodson said, he approached the news the same way he approached this season with the Irish football team.
BY JAKE DREILINGER jake.dreilinger@nptelegraph.com
When Nebraska football fans tune into the Huskers’ game against Ohio State on Oct. 24, the first thing they might notice is the lack of people watching live. If they didn’t feel the full impact of the Big Ten’s no-fan policy in week one, they’ll definitely notice it the following week when the Huskers host Wisconsin. Fans won’t be there to cheer on their team in person, but if they decide to purchase a “seat,” a cardboard cutout will be in their place instead. For lifelong Husker fan Don Goddard and his wife, Suzy, there’s only one word to describe the situation this year: Weird. It will be weird, he said, not seeing that usual crowd cheering on his team. That won’t stop him from watching the games from the comfort of his couch with a cold beer in his hand. It’s a tradition he and many Husker fans will indulge this year to keep the football spirit alive. Goddard has been a Nebraska fan for as long as he can remember. “(I’ve been a Nebraska fan) all my life,” said Goddard, a Maxwell native. “Born and raised in Nebraska. I eat and breathe it.” Up until about four years ago, his brother, who lives in Omaha, had never missed a home game dating back to the 1970 season. “He had grandkids get into sports,” Suzy Goddard joked. When Nebraska was in the Big Eight, Goddard said, he used to like to go to the Oklahoma game. Suzy was an Oklahoma fan before they got married, and Goddard took her to an Oklahoma- Nebraska game. “I took her to a game and it was 2 below and the wind-chill index was 10 below,” Goddard said. “And then Nebraska smoked Oklahoma, so now she’s a Nebraska fan.”
“We’re going to embrace that and enjoy
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FROM OSBORNE TO THE HOT DOG GUY, THESE HUSKER CHARACTERS CAPTURED THE HEARTS OF NEBRASKA FANS
Whether it’s making an unforgettable play that leads to free drinks for life in Lincoln or exhibiting characteristics that appeal to Nebraskans, Husker football has no shortage of adored characters. Some are obvious. Some are not. They all share something in common: At some point, they have stolen the hearts of Husker fans.
By CLARK GRELL Lincoln Journal Star
So here they are, the most beloved Huskers (not necessarily the greatest or most talented):
Illustrations by Clark Grell / Lincoln Journal Star
Husker characters We Love
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I.M. Hipp Nebraska fans have a deep affection for walk-ons, and Hipp is at the top. Considered Nebraska’s most famous walk-on, the Chapin, South Carolina, native left the program as NU’s all-time leading rusher (2,940 yards). Tom Osborne Who in the Nebraska household is more beloved than Dr. Tom? Osborne led the program for 25 years, a stretch that included one of the most dominating runs in college football history. The Huskers won national titles in 1994, 1995 and 1997 (sending Osborne out a winner). Nebraska fans gravitated to the soft- spoken Osborne at every turn during and after his role as coach. Bob Devaney He made his way from Wyoming, and what followed was the start of something special. The rise of Husker football started with Devaney, who led the Huskers to national championships in 1970 and ’71. He was smart, savvy and a fighter — traits adored by Big Red players and fans.
Johnny Rodgers A beloved Husker and quite possibly the most electric player in school history, “The Jet” broke a bunch of records and won the 1972 Heisman Trophy. And when you are part of one of the most memorable plays in Husker lore — his punt return at Oklahoma in the 1971 Game of the Century — you belong on this list. Brook Berringer Nebraska fans loved Berringer’s work ethic and his maturity. Now in an age where college quarterbacks transfer to another school in a flash, you appreciate more Berringer’s willingness to stick it out at Nebraska. His life ended way too soon, but his legacy remains strong. Alex Henery Husker fans don’t like losing to Colorado. So when Alex Henery booted the longest field goal in school history, a 57-yarder in 2008, Memorial Stadium erupted, Henery never had to buy a meal in Lincoln again (OK, maybe not completely true), and he found a spot in the hearts of Husker Nation. From left to right: Johnny Rodgers, Brook Berringer and Alex Henery
From left to right: I.M. Hipp, Tom Osborne and Bob Devaney
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Kenny Walker Walker was one of the best stories in college football for many years. He became deaf at the age of 2, but that didn’t stop the defensive tackle from becoming an All-American at Nebraska. When Walker stepped onto the field on Senior Day in 1990, the fans paid tribute with a pregame “deaf clap,” raising their arms in the air and turning their hands back and forth — the sign- language signal for applause. Ndamukong Suh Suh has a controversial reputation in the NFL, but that hasn’t changed his place on this list. To this day, Nebraskans in rural cafes sip their coffee and talk about the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game. You know, when Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was
From left to right: Brandon Rigoni, Grant Wistrom, Barron Miles Brandon Rigoni The Lincoln Southeast graduate wasn’t a blue-chip recruit or a rising star. He was a 5-foot-6 walk-on who became a fan favorite because of his effort and tenacity on special teams. In 2006, he was named Nebraska Lifter of the Year. Grant Wistrom The Webb City, Missouri, native had such a high motor. He brought it on every play, and Husker fans appreciated that. Wistrom won the Lombardi Award in 1997 and was part of three national championship teams. He’s one of the greatest Blackshirts to ever tie on the cleats. Barron Miles The 5-8 cornerback wasn’t the biggest player on the field, but he played large every time. He was a lunch-pail guy, and in addition to being a physical corner, he was NU’s top special teams player, served as a backup punter for road games, and even practiced at quarterback with Tommie Frazier and Brook Berringer slowed by injuries.
running for his life. Tommie Frazier
How pretty a sight it was to watch Touchdown Tommie run the option attack. No Husker did it better, and when you quarterback two national championship teams, you’re as beloved as they come.
From left to right: Kenny Walker, Ndamukong Suh and Tommie Frazier
Husker characters We Love
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Tom Rathman He just looked like a bulldozer out there with the neck roll and large shoulder pads. Oh, and he could carry the offensive load, too. The Grand Island native rushed for a fullback school-record 881 yards in 1985, which ranked fifth in the Big Eight that season. Jeff Kinney How hard did the McCook native play the game? Just look at his tattered tear-away jerseys. The state of Nebraska fist-pumped at once in 1971 when Kinney dove into the end zone for the go- ahead touchdown against the Sooners in the Game of the Century. Turner Gill He was 28-2 as a starter, including 22-0 in Big Eight games. Uh, yeah, that will get you some love from the Big Red faithful. Gill was a great passing quarterback before passing at Nebraska became cool. The engineer of the Scoring Explosion offense, he threw only 11 interceptions in 428 attempts as a senior.
From left to right: Carlos Polk, Dave Rimington, Cory Schlesinger Carlos Polk He probably doesn’t quite get the credit he deserves. A former All-American, Polk was a tackle machine in 1999 and 2000 and a vocal leader. Husker fans loved guys who could hit, and Polk was a heavy hitter. Dave Rimington Nebraska fans love tough guys, and how tough was the greatest center in program history? He played his entire Husker career with a torn knee ligament. He won the Outland Trophy twice (1981 and ’82) and the Lombardi once (1982). Now the guy has a big-time college football award named after him. Cory Schlesinger Nebraska fans looooooove their fullbacks, and the pride of Duncan is at or near the top for most of them. It was his two fourth-quarter touchdowns that helped lift Nebraska to the 1994 national championship, shaking the monkey off the back of Tom Osborne.
From left to right: Tom Rathman, Jeff Kinney and Turner Gill.
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Charlie McBride Nebraska’s defenses were staunch, physical and nasty. At Tom Osborne’s side was McBride, the man at the controls for some of the greatest Blackshirt units in program history. To this day, Husker defenses try to play to the standard set by McBride. Brendan Holbein A 5-9 split end from Cozad, Holbein captured the hearts of fans with his tenacious blocking on the perimeter. He was a pretty good receiver, too, catching 47 career passes for 592 yards. Milt Tenopir The architect of the “Pipeline,” Tenopir coached the best offensive lines in school history. His O-lines were a reflection of the state’s toughness and hard-working mentality. Fans loved Milt. Players loved him even more. “There wasn’t anybody who didn’t like Milt,” Charlie McBride told the Journal Star after Tenopir died in 2017.
From left to right: Charlie McBride, Brendan Holbein and Milt Tenopir
Husker characters We Love
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Greg Sharpe A welcomed voice in a tractor cab during fall harvest or in a car on I-80, Sharpe has been calling Husker games on the radio for more than a decade. He’ll be entering his 13th season and will be serving a more prominent role for fans who won’t be able to attend the games in person. Clarence Thomas One of the more famous Husker fans sits on the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice Thomas has been known to attend games and address Husker teams and coaches. P. Stephen Potter Before the “Viener Schlinger,” there was Potter, the original Memorial Stadium hot dog slinger. Satisfying the hunger of fans every Saturday for 36 years, Potter could throw a foil-wrapped hot dog behind his back with either hand. The Gothenburg native and prominent lawyer died in 2019. Jeff Schmahl The father of HuskerVision, Schmahl brought fans closer to behind the scenes with his brainchild — the Tunnel Walk. At the time, Schmahl’s idea was considered groundbreaking for college or professional football games. Schmahl passed away in 2015, but the Tunnel Walk remains the most anticipated staple of game day in Lincoln. Herbie Husker You’ve got to put the mascot on this list, right? Herbie became NU’s official mascot in the mid-1970s. He has been through multiple revisions, though nothing beats the overall-wearing, corn-husk-bearing Herbie. Kent Titze Speaking of old-school Herbie Husker, Titze is a real-life walking Herbie. When people would tell Titze he looked like the old Herbie, he started dressing like the mascot. Easy to spot at games, Titze gives Husker fans a shot of nostalgia.
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Photo credit: Omaha World-Herald
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WHY YOU — THE HUSKER FANATIC — LOVE THE BIG RED
Lincoln and the rest of the state as nearly anything else. Parents name their children after players. High school teams copy what the Huskers do on offense and defense. Vacations and weddings are planned around each fall's schedule. Any number of lower-level professional sports teams have come and gone in this state. But the Huskers have endured. And they likely always will. The sellout streak In all kinds of weather, Nebraska fans have shown up. Whether the opponent was Pacific or Oklahoma, Louisiana-Lafayette or Colorado, the Huskers have played in front of a full house for every home game since Nov. 3, 1962, against Missouri. OK, so sometimes it hasn't exactly been a full house. The leanest times of the past 20 or so years have seen pockets of gray bleachers mixed in with the thousands of red-clad fans. But every ticket for every single one of the past 375 home games has been sold, whether the buyer actually showed up or not. While it may elicit chuckles from other corners of the college football world, the streak remains a point of pride among a large portion of the NU fan base. And while there can be some sleepy Saturdays from time to time, Memorial Stadium can rock with the best of them with the right combination of circumstances. The Miami and Oregon home games of the past few seasons are proof of that. If NU is in a big game, at home, the old girl will be rocking.
By CHRIS BASNETT Lincoln Journal Star
Whenever it ends — if it ever ends — Nebraska's streak will almost certainly stand untouched for as long as college football is played. Only Notre Dame, which saw its sellout streak end at 273 games in November 2019, could even come within shouting distance of the Huskers. There are too many other ways to watch a game, too many conveniences coming into homes, and now, real, live health concerns every person thinking of entering Memorial Stadium will have to deal with. It's too hard and getting harder to keep streaks like Nebraska's going. Which makes it, in the end, impressive that it still exists at all. The uniforms We don't need to talk about the gusset era. The fact that we can mention the gusset era, and pretty much everyone knows what we're talking about, says plenty about the iconic threads Nebraska dons every weekend. Most every list of best college football uniforms will include the scarlet and cream. There have been changes here and there over the years, but the overall look has pretty much stayed the same: red jerseys with white pants, or white jerseys with red pants, topped by one of the most recognizable helmets in the game. The simple red N on the side of the helmet might stand for "Nowledge," according to a few opposing fan bases, but it's also instantly recognizable. The lid has remained mostly unchanged since 1970, with the move from a gray to red facemask in 1980 the only major difference.
How is Husker football unique? Let us count the ways.
Every program in the country likes to talk about what sets it apart, but Nebraska is in rare air when it comes to defining features. From location to nickname to fan loyalty, few can match NU when it comes to defining features. Chris Basnett kicks us off with 10 traits, most of which race to the top of the minds of Husker fans when beckoned to explain their love for Nebraska football. It's the only show in town At the end of the day, this is the only one that matters, right? Everything about Nebraska football — every idiosyncrasy, every great story, every fun fact — starts and ends with the Huskers being the all-encompassing, all-consuming monolith that dominates that state from the Missouri River to the far reaches of the Sandhills. In the fall, there is nothing else. For the rest of the year, there are only a couple of other things. With the closest Major League Baseball team and National Football League team 200 miles away and the closest NBA and NHL teams more than 400 miles from Lincoln, the Huskers have control of their sports market like few teams, college or professional. We all know the statistic. When Memorial Stadium fills up, it becomes the third- largest "city" in Nebraska. The football team, as has become painfully clear over the past few weeks and months, is as important to driving the economy in
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point loss at Texas), and that's a pretty good run to end the decade. We'll also include NU's 52-7 stomping of Colorado on Halloween in 1992 in this; perhaps no Memorial Stadium crowd has wanted blood more than the 76,287 in the stands that day. It was a momentous run of seasons for Nebraska — a defining stretch for a program that was already among the game's elite. Five national titles Few can match Nebraska's success when the stakes are highest over the past 50 years (even if the past 20 or so have been, uh, void of great success). Since winning its first in 1970, Nebraska is one of only three schools to win five national titles. All five came in a 26-year span, between 1970 and 1995.
Nebraska has two of the best to ever do it. Over 36 consecutive seasons, Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne combined to win 356 times in 430 games, a nearly 83% clip. Devaney won two national titles, Osborne three. Devaney won eight conference titles, Osborne 13. When each man retired, he was the winningest active coach in the sport. Devaney went into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981. Osborne followed in 1999. Both served as Nebraska's athletic director, to varying degrees of success. On the field, though, there was no arguing the results. In the 130-year history of Nebraska football, only two coaches rank ahead of Devaney and Osborne in winning percentage: E.O. Stiem went 35-2-3 (.913) from 1911-15 and W.C. Booth went 46-8-1 (.845) from 1900-05. On a national level, of men who coached at least 10 years of college football, Osborne ranks fifth all-time in winning percentage and Devaney ranks 15th. After running the offense for Devaney as a full-time assistant from 1967-72, Osborne took over and won 255 games, reaching 200 wins and 250 wins faster than any coach in college football history. Of the top 25 coaches in career wins, Osborne's winning percentage is the highest and the only one over .800. He is the only coach in the top 20 in winning percentage with more than 250 wins. And it all started with the hire of a relative unknown (Devaney) out of Wyoming. Sustained success Remember the shock? The absolute disbelief? Of course you do. And that was near the end of an 11-2 season, when out of nowhere, Colorado shellacked Nebraska 62-36 to start NU's slow descent into college football purgatory. That didn't happen to Nebraska, at least not like that. The Huskers were always good. Always competitive. Almost always the favorite no matter who they lined up across from.
Whether you prefer stripes on the pants or not, or stripes on the shoulders or not, it's not hard to figure out which team is the one you're rooting for when you're scanning the channels looking for the Huskers. In recent years, alternate uniforms have made their way into the fold. The 2009 team wore throwback jerseys to commemorate the 300th consecutive sellout of Memorial Stadium, and in 2012 the Huskers began wearing an alternate jersey for one game every season. There have been some good (last year's homage to the Blackshirts) and some not so good (the 2012 all reds with the giant black "N"), but they've always stirred debate for fans of a look that is among the most recognizable in the sport. Dominant run in 1990s You want unique? How about going 60-3 over a five-year span — that unique enough for you? Nebraska's stretch from 1993 through 1997 is considered among the gold standards when it comes to college football dominance. The 1995 team is on the short list of greatest teams the sport has ever seen. Nebraska was never rated lower than ninth in the Associated Press poll during those five seasons, and that ranking came in the first two weeks of the 1993 season. The Huskers were in the top five for 32 consecutive polls at one point in the run, and 50 of a possible 63 polls overall. NU was No. 1 or No. 2 33 times in those 63 polls. Even the "bad" year, 1996, saw NU go 11-2, win nine straight games and roll No. 10 Virginia Tech 41-21 in the Orange Bowl on the way to a No. 6 final ranking. And the other non-championship year was a 12-1 campaign that ended in heartbreak against Florida State. Throw in 1998, when NU went 9-4 in Frank Solich's first season (remember when four losses in a year was a disaster?), and 1999 (12-1 with a Big 12 title and a four-
Alabama has nine in that time, while Miami joins NU with five.
Three of the games have been blowouts: 42- 17 over Tennessee for the 1997 title; 62-24 over Florida for the 1995 championship; and 38-6 over Alabama for the 1971 crown. And of course the 1971 and 1995 title teams are considered two of the best to ever play the game. The other two wins, 24-17 over Miami for the 1994 championship and 17-12 over LSU for the 1970 title, produced iconic moments up there with the most memorable Husker highlights. There was Cory Schlesinger tumbling into the end zone for the winning touchdown with 2:46 left against Miami; and Jerry Tagge stretching the ball over the goal line in the fourth quarter against LSU. Forgotten somewhat in both of those wins? Nebraska's defense then held firm to deliver the championships. NU has also played in a bowl game for a national championship on four other occasions. Two iconic head coaches Most schools would take one really good coach in their program's football history.
Ph
It was so unthinkable because for the
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NU in the running for something big.
State College also has one.
better part of four decades, it hardly ever happened. For so long, a child could be born, grow into an adult and have children of her own without ever seeing Nebraska football fall out of the national discussion. From 1969 to 2001, NU had 33 consecutive seasons of at least nine wins. The Huskers won 10 games eight times in that stretch. They won 11 games five times. They won 12 games four times and 13 games three times. There were 22 conference titles and five national titles. Nebraska never lost more than three games in a season for 29 consecutive seasons. The further away that statistic gets, the more remarkable it becomes.
Nebraska played in a bowl game for 35 consecutive seasons, the longest streak in college football history. The Huskers were ranked in the final Associated Press top 25 poll 33 straight years, and in 23 years, finished in the top 10. It was a sustained, consistent level of success that perhaps more than anything else allowed Nebraska to be unique among its peers. Memorial Stadium/Atmosphere Every school has a place it calls home. A lot of those schools even call their home Memorial Stadium. Heck, the University of Nebraska doesn't even have the only Memorial Stadium in its state —Wayne
There are few Memorial Stadiums, though, that can match the one in Lincoln. It's not the biggest, or the loudest (though it might be close in that regard). But when the moment is right, when the Huskers need it most, there isn't a better home-field advantage in the sport. Those moments have been rare since the program's glory days. But at times in recent years — Miami in 2014 or Oregon in 2016, for example — the old girl still rises to the occasion.
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That success, naturally, almost always had
Photo credit: Omaha World Herald
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small-town players who took advantage of their shot to others who turned football into a career after college. Nearly every town in the state has at least one boy who stood out in high school and decided to head east and try his luck with the Big Red. And NU, especially in its glory days, turned some of those boys into professionals. Of the hundreds and hundreds of walk-ons to come to Lincoln, 36 have made it to the NFL. A whopping 28 of those stayed in the league for multiple seasons, and five hung around for 10 or more years. But even those who didn't reach the highest of highs played a huge role in lifting their program to new heights. Former NU players and coaches have for years credited Nebraska's crop of walk-ons for toiling in anonymity and pushing their higher-profile teammates with their intensity on the practice field and love for the program. Still, some of Nebraska's best went the walk-on route. Derrie Nelson, Jarvis Redwine, Jimmy Williams, Jared Tomich, Kyle Larson and Alex Henery were all first-team All-Americans. John Parella was a second-team All-American, as were I.M. Hipp and Clete Pillen. Under Scott Frost, Nebraska has seen its walk-on program revived. There will likely be future stars who come to Lincoln with little more than a dream. And Nebraska's fans will be ready to embrace them.
Sometimes, they'll even have the majority of the fans in the stands. That was the case last September, when the Big Red caravan rode into Boulder, Colorado, and took over Folsom Field for an afternoon. The crowd was perhaps 60-40 in favor of Nebraska fans, who had plenty to cheer about until Colorado dominated the game's final 20 minutes. Nebraska didn't have the majority in a 2000 game at Notre Dame; it just felt that way. In the all-time Husker takeover, about 25,000 NU fans were inside venerable Notre Dame Stadium for the Huskers' 27-24 overtime win. Another 5,000 or so traveled to South Bend just to be there. After the university was allotted 4,000 tickets for the game, 28,000 requests hit Nebraska's ticket office. Nebraska fans will buy opposing season tickets just for one game. They'll call the opposing school's faculty members in search of ducats. They also fill local bars and restaurants, which is just fine with local business owners. The walk-on program There is perhaps no more perfect encapsulation of Nebraska fans' love for their team than the Huskers' vaunted walk- on program. It has produced some of the most loved players in the program's history, from
Nearly everything involving any aspect of Nebraska athletics starts at One Memorial Stadium Drive. It is the location of most of the biggest events in the department, whether those events happen on the field or within the stadium's walls. Scott Frost's introductory news conference was there. So was Fred Hoiberg's. (So was Bob Diaco's, but we won't talk about that one.) Nebraska's high school teams hope to end their seasons there, playing for state championships. Every person who lives in the state almost certainly has been inside the complex or knows someone who has. Traveling to road games If there's one thing Nebraska fans love just as much as traveling to Lincoln to watch the Huskers, it's traveling to other places to watch the Huskers. Nebraska's fans have taken over stadiums for decades. Part of that is NU's nationwide fan base. Part of it is a home-state-based contingent unafraid to spend the time and the money to see the Huskers play away from home. Some college teams travel. Nebraska fans Travel, with a capital T. Good, bad or otherwise, no matter where NU plays, the Huskers know they will have a vocal contingent behind them.
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16 Spirit Fall 2020 Edition SUPPORT FOR THE JOURNEY GPH OFFERS RESOURCES FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS BY SUSAN SZUCH susan.szuch@nptelegraph.com
years ago with a similar stage ... if they’ve been doing well all along, that gives the patient the confidence to skip chemo. On why screening matters So when someone gets diagnosed with breast cancer, or any other cancer for that matter, for some it may feel like the world is coming to an end. Each case is different. That’s why we put so much emphasis on screening measures, so we can catch something early.
more patients are involved in those support groups than others. That would be the best way to start, because you can meet friends and make friends, share your experiences. So (survivors) don’t feel they’re alone in this battle. On how support groups can help patients If they meet someone who has gone through all this before, then they know what to expect: what their treatments might be, what the side effects can be, what the recovery from the surgery is like, what problems they encountered post-operatively, those kind of things. We do educate about all those, but coming from someone who has gone through all of this, that puts a whole lot of different perspective on it for the patient. They come to terms better, having someone to talk to who has gone through that. That makes much more of a difference than just us physicians telling them. For example, if they’re early- stage breast cancer (and) we tell them they probably don’t need extensive chemo, then it might not give them the confidence initially. Some people are afraid of getting chemo, but the majority of patients are actually afraid of skipping chemo because they worry the cancer might come back. ... For low risk or intermediate risk, we’ve been skipping chemo lately, and when we do that, patients do tend to get concerned, like “why are we skipping chemo for this stage?” But then when they talk to someone who was probably diagnosed like five
Screening is very important. If they have someone in their family with breast cancer, prostate cancer or pancreatic cancer, they do need to see a genetic counselor to see what their risk is. They will need screening at an earlier age compared to others. On treatments available at GPH
In 2018, breast cancer accounted for 19% of cancer diagnoses at Great Plains Health, according to the Callahan Cancer Center’s annual report for 2019. Dr. Avinash Pasam, a medical oncologist with GPH’s cancer center, spoke with The North Platte Telegraph about breast cancer. Responses have been edited or abridged for clarity.
We use chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormonal therapy.
Support services available through GPH
In addition to physicians, GPH has other staff members who can help patients through their cancer journeys: • A social worker can help patients with emotional and financial issues and provide access to community resources and care facilities. • A nutritionist can help patients ensure dietary needs are met, help them with menu planning and offer tips on food preparation. • Rehabilitation specialists can help patients regain mobility and integrate back into life. There are also tools that patients can utilize: • Patients who have hair loss from treatment can get a wig or turban from the wig bank at the Callahan Cancer Center. • The Callahan Cancer Center Library offers books, pamphlets and audiovisual media that cover diagnosis, treatment and coping skills as well as humor, relaxation and music therapy. • The Callahan Cancer Center also offers educational programming.
Dr. Avinash Pasam
On resources available for patients
As far as our hospital is concerned, we do have a good nurse navigator and support groups and staff that can provide more information for each individual person, just to them, instead of just broad information, which may or may not apply to everyone. Our nurse navigator is very good. She has been doing this for several years, and she usually hands out a booklet with all the information and highlights resources for that particular person. Breast cancer has a more robust support group just because of the volume that we see, and
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blood and may cause a problem down the line. Radiation just targets whatever cancer could be left in the breast after the surgery, so it’s just focused there. Most of the breast cancers are hormone-sensitive, meaning they feed on female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Premenopausal ovaries are the main glands producing the hormones, but once someone goes through menopause, there are adrenal glands that sit on top of the kidneys that produce estrogen and progesterone, and there is conversion of other hormones in the fat tissue. Even when someone goes through menopause, they still have estrogen and progesterone in their system. So to target all that, we use hormone blocking pills. On how treatments are changing Previously we were doing mastectomies, removing the entire breast, but we’ve gotten to know more about that. There’s more scarring, more limitations as to how much someone can do after the surgery. So what we’ve been doing now is a lumpectomy, which is removal of the cancer itself and some surrounding tissue. Lumpectomy always has to be followed by radiation therapy. If we do mastectomy — some patients still elect to do that because they don’t want to worry about it coming back — then they can skip radiation, provided there’s no cancer in the lymph nodes. On clinical trials at GPH We do clinical trials mostly in
collaboration with the University of Nebraska Medical Center or Creighton University, like the Nebraska Cancer Consortium. There are some other trials we’re doing with the pharmaceutical companies, too. So we do have some clinical trial options. It’s mainly to take a tested and proven approach and add something on top of it to see if someone has a better outcome or not. There are certain criteria test participants have to meet, so whenever we see a new patient or have to change treatment, we’ll see if someone will qualify for a clinical trial. Clinical trials are the reason we know what we know now, so we encourage everyone to participate. Using all these treatment approaches is one thing, but there are things the patient can do to minimize the risk of the cancer coming back in the future. One of these is alcohol moderation; studies have shown that someone who is consuming more alcohol has a higher risk of breast cancer. Regular exercise has also been shown to decrease the risk of breast cancer coming back. Weight reduction, especially if On how patients can reduce their risk of cancer returning someone is obese or overweight, if they can get into a healthy weight range, that has been shown to decrease the risk of breast cancer. For much younger age groups, breastfeeding has been shown to help reduce breast cancer risk.
The idea is to attack the cancer with all the modalities that are available. With surgery, the surgeon can take out whatever cancer they can see with their eye, but there might be some cancer left behind, which may or may not be visible in mammograms or scan. Chemotherapy’s purpose is to attack those cancer cells that might be floating around in the Telegraph file photo Mammogram machines such as this one are used to help screen women for breast cancer.
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1 IN 10 W MEN
diagnosed with breast cancer is under the age of 45.
Being proactive about your health may help you take steps to lower your risk for getting breast cancer, or nd it at an early stage. To schedule a mammogram, call your physician today. TAKE ACTION TO LOWER YOUR CANCER RISK.
601 West Leota Street | North Platte, Neb. | 308.568.8000 | gphealth.org
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CLEARING UP CONFUSION OVER BREAST CANCER SCREENING RECOMMENDATIONS MAYO CLINIC Society, which recommends that women start yearly
NEWS NETWORK What are the current recommendations for breast cancer screening? It sounds like it should be a simple question with a simple answer. However, the answers to that question can vary, says Dr. Katie Hunt, a Mayo Clinic radiologist. To make it simple, Dr. Hunt shares the breast cancer screening recommendations that she gives to her patients, friends and family. “Women should start screening mammograms at the age of 40 and get them yearly,” Hunt says. “Women at a high risk of breast cancer, such as those who have a strong family history or those who have a genetic mutation that might increase their risk of developing breast cancer, may need earlier screening and/or screening with a breast MRI,” Hunt says. She says those women should talk to their doctors about what's the most appropriate screening test. “The reality is that by not getting annual mammograms starting at the age of 40, the risk of dying of breast cancer is higher, and there's an increased likelihood that you'll need more extensive treatment for cancer if it's found,” Hunt says. Dr. Hunt's recommendation for breast cancer screening aligns with the American College of Radiology, the Society of Breast Imaging and the American Society of Breast Surgeons. However, Hunt says, there may be other recommendations women may hear about online or in the news. “One commonly cited set of recommendations is from the American Cancer
mammograms no later than age 45. However, they state that women should have the option to start at age 40 and get them yearly. There is a shift in the recommended screening interval at age 55, where they say that women can switch to mammograms every other year or continue yearly screening,” Hunt says. “Another controversial set of recommendations comes from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force. They do not recommend yearly mammograms for women ages 40 to 49 but rather recommend every-other-year mammograms for women who are between the ages of 50 and 74. They state that the decision to screen women in their 40s should be individualized, and those who place a higher value on the benefit than the harms of screening may choose every- other-year screening between the ages of 40 and 49. This recommendation has been criticized by essentially every organization that is involved in breast cancer care, and so I do not recommend women follow this. Studies that have analyzed this screening regimen have shown that if women followed this schedule, we would miss up to a third of breast cancers and have up to 6,500 additional deaths per year from breast cancer.” Again, Hunt recommends that women start yearly mammograms at age 40. “That's been the regimen that we have the strongest data for, and that is shown to have the highest reduction in mortality for women,” Hunt says. Patients should talk with their health care provider to find out what's the best screening test for them.
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The Nebraska historical marker commemorating the Russian Grand Duke Alexis’ famous January 1872 buffalo hunt — with U.S. Army scout William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody as his guide — stands at the intersection of Avenues 369A and 370A about seven miles northeast of Hayes Center. The expedition’s campsite was about one mile north along Red Willow Creek.
Todd von Kampen/The North Platte Telegraph
HISTORY OFF THE BEATEN PATH
All versions offer topical marker tours (such as “Path to Statehood: 1803-1867” or “Native Americans in Nebraska”) and download driving directions from your location to a marker’s exact latitude and longitude. The smartphone app’s “Discover” feature lists “Nearby Stories” to your location. If you’re in North Platte, for example, you’ll see the Sioux Lookout marker (now located at the Lincoln County Courthouse), Fort McPherson and Scout’s Rest Ranch, among others. The actual text of each marker can be read on the app. But visiting a marker really is about standing where it stands — and what one A fine case in point can be found at one of west central Nebraska’s most out-of-the-way historical locations — one about to mark its 150th anniversary. Post-Civil War America was abuzz in late 1871 at the arrival of the young Grand Duke Alexis, fourth son of Czar Alexander II of Russia. While making his expected visits to national leaders, Alexis made it known he wanted to visit the Great Plains. Lt. Gen. Philip Sheridan, Civil War hero and Indian Wars veteran, arranged a royal buffalo hunt. “Camp Alexis” was set up on Red Willow Creek in present-day Hayes County at the recommendation of an Army scout Sheridan knew and respected: William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, then stationed at Fort McPherson. can learn from being there. Grand Duke Alexis
BY TODD VON KAMPEN todd.vonkampen@nptelegraph.com
You’ll find Nebraska’s official state historical markers in many a well-traveled place: in parks or downtowns, along highways or at Interstate 80 rest areas. But what if you’d rather take the paths not beaten for a day trip or a weekend wander? Well, many of the 569 blue-and-silver markers actually stand in obscure spots at or near where the history they tell took place. They can explain a humble pioneer cemetery, memorialize a vanished town or mark events whose participants are long remembered but whose locations have long since shed any contemporary sign of what happened there. With smartphone apps and GPS maps, it’s easy to find your way to the Nebraska historical marker of your choice — or to string a few together and make a trip of it. ‘Explore Nebraska History’ An online search will unlock the secrets behind Nebraska’s best- and least-known historical markers with the help of program sponsor History Nebraska (formerly the Nebraska State Historical Society). Available via desktop browser (mynehistory.com), the iTunes App Store or Google Play, the Explore Nebraska History app lets you browse or seek out markers and stories near your home or along your travel route — and then find your way there.
22 Spirit Fall 2020 Edition The Russian prince arrived by train at North Platte on Jan. 13, 1872. With Sheridan and Maj. Gen. George A. Custer also present, the hunting party of about 500 spent Jan. 13-15 at Camp Alexis — a period that included the grand duke’s 22nd birthday on Jan. 14. Alexis, with assistance from Cody, celebrated his birthday by downing a bison after several shots. Brulé Lakota leader Spotted Tail and about 100 of his people demonstrated their dances and hunting techniques. Modern motorists have to take county roads to reach the event’s marker, which sits about one mile south of Alexis’ camp and seven miles northeast of Hayes Center. Cornfields, cylindrical hay bales and leafed-out tree groves define the site in warm weather. As winter sets in, however, visitors can more easily imagine what Alexis saw. Dull Knife’s flight Much the same can be said for the Keith County surroundings of one of the state’s newer monuments to a heartbreaking chapter of the Indian Wars. More than 300 Northern Cheyenne, banished from their Montana homeland to Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma, set out in September 1878 to return home. Their leaders, known to their people as Morning Star and Little Coyote, are better known to history as Dull Knife and Little Wolf, the names given them by their Lakota allies. They crossed the South Platte River and Union Pacific Railroad on Oct. 4, 1878, near the marker put up in 2018 along U.S. Highway 30 west of Roscoe (originally called Alkali Station). The Cheyenne split up in the Sandhills, with Little Wolf ’s band reaching Montana. Dull Knife’s party surrendered and were held at Fort Robinson, from which they escaped in the “Cheyenne Outbreak” of Jan. 9, 1879. Army troops from the fort recaptured or killed most of them, but Dull Knife and part of his family found refuge with Oglala Lakota leader Red Cloud at South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Agency (now Pine Ridge Indian Reservation). In time, Dull Knife and his One of the newer Nebraska historical markers, along U.S. Highway 30 west of Roscoe, marks the 1878 flight of some 300 Northern Cheyenne from a reservation in present-day Oklahoma. Led by Little Wolf and Dull Knife, they crossed the South Platte River and Union Pacific Railroad near the marker’s location and escaped into the Sandhills (the edge of which sits in the background) before U.S. Army troops could cut them off. Todd von Kampen/The North Platte Telegraph
approximately 80-person remnant were allowed to rejoin Little Wolf ’s band on a new Northern Cheyenne reservation in southern Montana. The reservation remains there today.
Settlement echoes All throughout Nebraska, historical markers pay tribute to early settlements or towns that flourished for a time but withered after the 19th century gave way to the 20th. One such town was Ingham in southern Lincoln County, whose tale is told by a marker along Nebraska Highway 23 just across the county line in Frontier County. The town was born about 3½ miles to the northwest in 1886, when the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad built its “highline” from Holdrege through Elwood, Eustis, Farnam, Curtis, Maywood, Wellfleet, Wallace and Grant to Sterling, Colorado. Ingham did well for about 30 years, benefiting from a nearby silica mill as well as nearby dryland farms and ranches. But it faded away after World War I, disappearing by the 1950s. Gothenburg, 35 miles east of North Platte, permanently recalls the Swedes who settled western Dawson County. But so does a tiny pioneer cemetery and state historical marker 2 miles north and 2 miles west of the city. The sole occupants of the “Swedish Crosses Cemetery” are the This Nebraska historical marker off Nebraska Highway 23 along the Frontier-Lincoln county line commemorates Ingham, a now-vanished town in the latter county about 3½ miles northwest along Deer Creek Road. Established in 1886 as a station on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad “highline,” it began to decline after World War I and was gone by the 1950s. The marker sits about 3½ miles west of Farnam. Todd von Kampen/The North Platte Telegraph
The quiet rolling countryside of extreme western Dawson County surrounds the “Swedish Crosses Cemetery,” about four miles northwest of Gothenburg, where the resting places of Singne, Carl and Gustave Berg rest below steel crosses made by their grandfather, Benjamin Palm. Todd von Kampen/The North Platte Telegraph
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first three of the seven children of Peter and Anna Berg, who emigrated from Sweden in the early 1880s with Anna’s father, Benjamin Palm. Singne Ester died at 4 months old on July 21, 1885, followed by 3-month-old Carl Alfred on Sept. 14, 1886. Gustave Andrew, born in 1887, barely made it to his second birthday before dying on Aug. 19, 1889. All three lie side by side near the intersection of County Roads 769 and 409, their graves marked by steel crosses intricately designed by Palm, Gothenburg’s first blacksmith. They’re surrounded by the gently rolling landscape fronting a typically vast Nebraska horizon — epitomes of the vistas that change from winter bleakness to summer beauty and back again as the seasons change. Landmarks of all types Historical markers at western Nebraska’s natural Oregon- California Trail landmarks — Ash Hollow, Court House and Jail rocks, Chimney Rock — in essence state the obvious about their significance. (Scotts Bluff National Monument, strangely enough, doesn’t have a silver-and-blue state marker.) But the state’s marker program also includes lesser-known trail sites like California Hill, ascended by thousands of pioneer wagons after crossing the South Platte River at Lower California Crossing west of present-day Brule. The hill, just north and west of its marker along U.S. 30, bears deep “swale” ruts from the wagons bound for Ash Hollow. A Nebraska National Trails Museum was planned in the area in the 1990s but fizzled.
the names of future President Dwight D. Eisenhower, his wife, Mamie, and her parents.
They stayed there in August 1919 as Eisenhower, then a U.S. Army lieutenant, traveled with a West Coast-bound “Motor Transport Train” out to prove the need for good transcontinental highways. The trip inspired Eisenhower’s promotion of the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s. Several much less savory individuals or groups have been associated with the hotel — wrongly in two cases, correctly in a third. » Cowboy-turned-outlaw Sam Bass and his gang pulled off the most famous train robbery in Union Pacific history at Big Springs on Sept. 18, 1877. But that was eight full years before the Phelps family built the hotel. » Nearly a century later, college student Duane Earl Pope robbed the Farmers State Bank, shot three people to death and wounded a fourth on June 4, 1965. The Phelps Hotel was being operated at the time by family descendant Sarah Phelps, who died in 1968. Some have said Pope stayed at the hotel the night of June 3. But Omaha World-Herald coverage of Pope’s November 1965 trial said he registered under his own name at a motel in Ogallala, driving to Big Springs the next day. » That said, the Phelps did once host outlaws — future ones. Its 1889 register includes the names of Gratton, Emmett and Bob Dalton, who a year later would form the “Dalton Gang” with another brother and take up bank- and train-robbing farther south. Most counties represented Eighty-six of Nebraska’s 93 counties have at least one blue-and- silver state historical marker. Instructions about nominating and sponsoring a site for a marker can be found at history.nebraska. gov/visit/nebraska-historical-marker-program. If your town or county doesn’t boast a marker, that doesn’t mean it’s been overlooked — merely that you’ve likely got a notable story somewhere that has yet to be told. In any case, 569 pieces of gold for your next Nebraska “staycation” are just a few clicks away. The 1885 Phelps Hotel, which graces downtown Big Springs about one mile north of Interstate 80 Exit 107, has played host during its life to future President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1919) and three brothers who later gave their names to the outlaw Dalton Gang (1889). Todd von Kampen/The North Platte Telegraph
California Hill, which sits behind (north of) this Nebraska historical marker and left (west) of the nearby road was traversed by thousands of Oregon-California Trail migrants after crossing the South Platte River en route to Ash Hollow near present-day Lewellen. The marker sits along U.S. Highway 30 about five miles west of Brule. Todd von Kampen/The North Platte Telegraph
And, of course, many markers pay tribute to dozens of human- built landmarks. One in nearby Big Springs has had its share of notable visitors — though its VIP list has gotten tangled with other historical events. The downtown Phelps Hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been a handsome point of local pride since its opening in 1885. A functioning lodging site until recent times, its register includes
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