THE GRIZZLY MAGAZINE

Butler’s dedicated percussion ensemble received the honor of performing in the Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) workshop. This professional showcase will take place in Century II’s Performing Arts and Conventions Center in Wichita on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. Ensembles qualify for the workshop through a blind auditions process. Each group submits several recordings of their music to the workshop judges. The judges decide which ensembles should go to the workshop based on the content of each recording alone Kimberly Trujillo is co-director of the percussion ensemble. She was impressed with the students' perseverance in practicing for the auditions recording. “Approximately 20 one-hour long rehearsals took place, on top of the individual practice of each student and study during their private lesson,” said Trujillo. “It takes a lot of dedication to produce a recording that will be selected for such an honor.” “I’ve been inspired by [the ensemble’s] work ethic, as I hope they are inspired by mine.” Kim Trujillo, Co-Director of Butler'sPercussion Ensemble. (Photo credit Greg Patterson.) Brett Martinez directs the ensemble with Trujillo. His goal for the ensemble’s future keeps everyone on track for a successful performance. “We’re keeping our eyes on what the next thing is that we need to be working on, [what] we need to improve. And in the process, we should achieve excellence along the way,” said Martinez. “If they [students] are working hard because I’m making them work harder... as soon as we take the pressure off, everything falls apart. If they are working hard for the other people that they are performing with, that’s sustainable.” Emmanuel Trice plays drums and marimba in the Brett Martinez, Co-director of Butler's Percussion Ensemble. percussion ensemble. He values working with other (Photo Credit Josiah Rich). students in the ensemble as well. “Percussion ensemble is a big family because we are always around each other,” said Trice. Trice started learning drums at 2 and practiced daily throughout his entire childhood. He is motivated to improve his percussion talent to encourage others. “God showed me through my hands and how I play that I can change people’s lives and change how people feel at the moment…It makes me more motivated at the time,” said Trice. Trice says that this motivation allows him to push through a song, even if he makes a mistake during practice. Since he started the ensemble, Trice learned to write his mistakes down, read music proficiently, and to play entire pieces just from memory. These skills are necessary in the workshop performance.

Dr. Tamara Daniel was motivated through a series of events and her desire to transform lives to enter her role as Butler's president. As a first-generation student, Dr. Tamara Daniel’s parents always told her it was important to go to college. “They never really helped me connect my career to the classes I was taking. They simply did not have the experience to guide me in that way,” Daniel said. She earned her B.A. in psychology and later completed a M.A. and Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of Mississippi. While initially focused on theoretical mathematics, a question from a faculty member during her dissertation work shifted her perspective. “He asked me why I was spending so much time and energy solving a problem that someone else had not solved, instead of making that kind of difference in the lives of people,” Daniel said. “That question has always stayed with me.” Dr. Tamara Daniel, President of Butler Community College (Photo by Butler Marketing) Daniel believes a community college should be deeply embedded in the region it serves. That includes preparing students for local careers, supporting business and industry and welcoming community members onto campus for more than fine arts or athletic events. “The community college should be heavily invested in the community and in business and industry, and likewise, the community should be invested in the college,” Daniel said. Daniel emphasizes that Butler’s open access model creates opportunity for students from all backgrounds, whether they plan to transfer to a university or enter the workforce through career and technical education. “That is the beauty of Butler Community College,” she said. “We meet students where they are, no matter where they are starting, and help them succeed.”

When Dr. Tamara Daniel stepped into her role as president of Butler Community College, her priority was clear.

Butler Community College is preparing to enter its 100th year of operations. To celebrate this milestone, Butler has designated the 2026-2027 academic year as the centennial year.

Jon Cressler is Director of Career and Workforce Education.

A blast of winter weather hit Butler’s campuses over the weekend of Jan. 23-26, covering everything in 8 inches of snow and hitting 6 degrees below zero Monday morning. Campus police and facilities were both involved in getting everything ready for the start of classes the following week.

It’s the time of year to say what you are grateful for and stuff your faces with food. Thanksgiving is the time to spend time with family and friends with laughter and stories from the past. Not a lot of clubs were able to do Thanksgiving dinners or lunches this year, but one club that did was ‘Campus Crusade for Christ’.

Photos by Kaylin Bergeron Captions by Josh Cryer

Photos by Kaylin Bergeron Captions by Megan Trotter