Wis. college student eats to pay for tuition

MADISON, Wis. A University of Wisconsin student with a nickname of "Silo" is eating his way through school — competitively.

In this undated photo provided by Eric Dahl, Dahl, a University of Wisconsin computer engineering student with a nickname of "Silo," fills up on a 13-pound bowl of Vietnamese noodles known as pho.

/ AP Photo/Aramis Phillip Alvarez

Computer engineering student Eric Dahl now ranks third in the world of competitive eating as determined by All Pro Eating rankings, though he once held the top spot. Dahl has earned more than $18,000 in prize money or merchandise to help pay for his education.

"I'm eating for my education," he said. "It helps me get through."

Dahl was drawn to competitive eating in 2011, at the former Big Red's Steakhouse in Madison. Dahl didn't want to pay for his meal so he signed up for a challenge: eat a three-pound cheesesteak sandwich in less than 10 minutes and skip the bill. He finished in 5 minutes, 50 seconds.

"It just started rolling from there," he said.

Dahl's first paycheck came from Dickey's Barbecue Pit in suburban Minneapolis, where he earned $250 for inhaling nine pulled-pork sandwiches in six minutes. The former high school athlete found the competition and its over-the-top atmosphere reminiscent of professional wrestling.

"I really get pumped when the crowd starts cheering," he said. "I'm friends with other competitive eaters, but once I'm on stage I don't have any friends."

The 6-foot-3 Dahl said he walks a few miles a day, lifts weights twice a week and plays intramural soccer and hockey to maintain his 220-pound weight. The State Journal reports that he eats no more than 3,100 calories a day, mostly vegetables to avoid increasing his waistline, and stretches his stomach by eating 10 pounds of cabbage or broccoli in a single sitting followed by a lot of water.

His next bout is scheduled for Saturday. "Silo" will try to win $1,000 at a national pizza-eating contest on Library Mall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

View the original article here

Wis. college student eats to pay for tuition

MADISON, Wis. A University of Wisconsin student with a nickname of "Silo" is eating his way through school — competitively.

In this undated photo provided by Eric Dahl, Dahl, a University of Wisconsin computer engineering student with a nickname of "Silo," fills up on a 13-pound bowl of Vietnamese noodles known as pho.

/ AP Photo/Aramis Phillip Alvarez

Computer engineering student Eric Dahl now ranks third in the world of competitive eating as determined by All Pro Eating rankings, though he once held the top spot. Dahl has earned more than $18,000 in prize money or merchandise to help pay for his education.

"I'm eating for my education," he said. "It helps me get through."

Dahl was drawn to competitive eating in 2011, at the former Big Red's Steakhouse in Madison. Dahl didn't want to pay for his meal so he signed up for a challenge: eat a three-pound cheesesteak sandwich in less than 10 minutes and skip the bill. He finished in 5 minutes, 50 seconds.

"It just started rolling from there," he said.

Dahl's first paycheck came from Dickey's Barbecue Pit in suburban Minneapolis, where he earned $250 for inhaling nine pulled-pork sandwiches in six minutes. The former high school athlete found the competition and its over-the-top atmosphere reminiscent of professional wrestling.

"I really get pumped when the crowd starts cheering," he said. "I'm friends with other competitive eaters, but once I'm on stage I don't have any friends."

The 6-foot-3 Dahl said he walks a few miles a day, lifts weights twice a week and plays intramural soccer and hockey to maintain his 220-pound weight. The State Journal reports that he eats no more than 3,100 calories a day, mostly vegetables to avoid increasing his waistline, and stretches his stomach by eating 10 pounds of cabbage or broccoli in a single sitting followed by a lot of water.

His next bout is scheduled for Saturday. "Silo" will try to win $1,000 at a national pizza-eating contest on Library Mall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

View the original article here

Kempton ag student finalist for national FFA award

Tyler Loschen, of rural Kempton, is one of four finalists for one of the highest awards of the National FFA Organization — the American Star Farmer award.

A senior at the University of Illinois, he also is involved in commercial agricultural production and FFA projects in corn, soybeans, forage crops, beef, swine and crop research. He will compete in Louisville, Ky., in late October, where the national winner will be selected.

Each star finalist receives $2,000 from the National FFA Foundation and earns the opportunity to participate in an international experience tour to Costa Rica. The winner will receive an additional $2,000.

Tyler is the son of Gary and Diana Loschen, of rural Kempton. He is a student in agriculture and consumer economics at the U of I. His mother is the vocational agriculture teacher and FFA adviser at Tri-Point High School, in Cullom, where Tyler graduated in 2010.

View the original article here

Kempton ag student finalist for national FFA award

Tyler Loschen, of rural Kempton, is one of four finalists for one of the highest awards of the National FFA Organization — the American Star Farmer award.

A senior at the University of Illinois, he also is involved in commercial agricultural production and FFA projects in corn, soybeans, forage crops, beef, swine and crop research. He will compete in Louisville, Ky., in late October, where the national winner will be selected.

Each star finalist receives $2,000 from the National FFA Foundation and earns the opportunity to participate in an international experience tour to Costa Rica. The winner will receive an additional $2,000.

Tyler is the son of Gary and Diana Loschen, of rural Kempton. He is a student in agriculture and consumer economics at the U of I. His mother is the vocational agriculture teacher and FFA adviser at Tri-Point High School, in Cullom, where Tyler graduated in 2010.

View the original article here

Local student hooks up with Bears' film crew

When the Chicago Bears broke camp in Bourbonnais on Wednesday, Limestone resident Reece Storey headed north with the team.

The 2010 Herscher High School graduate has landed a spot with the team, and for a man who never even played high school football, that's quite an accomplishment.

The 21-year-old senior won't be packing shoulder pads, cleats or a helmet, however.

The Olivet Nazarene University actuarial science major has made the team as a result of his camera and film work. He will work Bears' home preseason and regular season games in the film editing department.

Storey will be helping process images of each play and getting those pictures to the coaching staff during the game. The coaches review those pictures on the sidelines and often make personnel or play adjustments based on the information they glean from those still shots.

Storey has been shooting film during Bears' camp since it began in July, and the team obviously has been impressed with the product he has produced, which mainly has focused on offensive and defensive line work and special team's play.

View the original article here

Calif. student film nearly turns tragic when real cops arrive

LOS ANGELES — For a few harrowing seconds, eight officers from a suburban Los Angeles police department had their guns drawn and pointed at a group of college filmmakers shooting a robbery scene at a coffee shop.

One of the actors immediately dropped his fake assault rifle. But another held onto his fake handgun, forcing officers to make a life-or-death choice.

?One of the officers made the decision that had the man moved, he would have been killed,? said Glendora police Capt. Tim Staab. ?It was just milliseconds from a tragedy occurring.?

One of the officers, unaware of the filming, knocked the gun from the actor?s hand and handcuffed him, drawing a peaceful climax to what could have been something far worse.

Still, police said it depicted the potential dangers in a movie-making region for amateur film crews who don?t get permits and follow proper steps before taking to the streets.

?I can?t think of a situation more dangerous than having a gun in your hand with cops responding,? Staab said. ?It was much closer than we ever want to get close to.?

Attempts to reach the film?s director were unsuccessful. The students declined to tell police what college they attended.

The officers responded to the shop after receiving a 911 call from a woman who reported seeing an armed, masked gunman inside Classic Coffee in Glendora, a suburb east of Los Angeles that sees relatively few Hollywood crews.

Police said there was nothing to indicate a short movie was being shot. No one was outside to warn customers, there were no signs, and no permit had been pulled.

When officers arrived, there was no question in their mind that a robbery was occurring, Staab said.

It?s rare ?to go into a coffee shop and see someone carrying an AR-15 rifle and wearing a mask,? he said.

Under normal filming protocols, weapons carried by the actors have orange markings to indicate they are replicas. But the markings on the guns used by the students had been covered by a black pen, presumably to make the weapons look more realistic.

The standoff was captured on an audio recorder carried by officers, one of whom yells, ?Drop the gun! Drop it! Drop it! (Expletive) drop it!?

Staab said one of the masked men, apparently startled by the real-life response, held the fake gun by his side, pointed toward the ground. When he didn?t drop it, Staab said, an officer did something unusual ? he stripped it from the man?s hand and sent the gun falling to the floor.

After the man was handcuffed, the officer is heard on the audio tape asking what was going on. Somebody says a film was being made.

?You are shooting a short film?? the officer asks. ?In a store with a man with a gun??

Fred Sparling, who owns the coffee shop, told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune the crew had advised his manager that they were shooting a Christian movie and didn?t mention the robbery scene until they arrived.

?I think he is darn lucky that the police didn?t shoot him,? Sparling said of the man who momentarily held his gun.

The students were allowed to keep the fake weapons and weren?t facing any charges. They were given a lecture by officers about the dangers they created and went on their way.

View the original article here