Cougar on campus

By Garrett L. Jacobson

Linda Puntney is a 60-something journalism camp veteran who has been teaching and directing camp for nearly three decades at Kansas State University.

Her love for observing the success of young minds has a positive influence on camp, but Puntney may be in search of change this year.

“What I can’t tell you is when I started,” Puntney said. “I think I started some time in the mid-1970s, when I taught yearbook writing and design. I began directing the program in 1989.”

For Puntney, the week of camp is the best time of the year.

“It’s fun to see it come together in unison, and it’s always great watching the energy and epitomes for hands-on scholastic journalism,” Puntney said.

Puntney may receive joy from viewing the progress of others, but she’s had an even greater lasting impression on faculty members.

“Linda is extremely innovative, up-to-date with trends and technology, and she’s the most creative instructor,” said Linda Drake, the camp yearbook instructor. “She just puts her heart and soul into everything she does, and really has had a huge impact on my career. She also values the opinions of others and continues to contribute to all the workshops.”

Aside from watching students learn and grow together, Puntney is drawn back because “life is too short not to enjoy.” It’s also her job – one she will be retiring from after this year’s camp.

It will be hard to find someone who approaches camp with the same intensity and goofiness as Puntney, who requested her picture be taken on Monday kissing the cardboard cutout of former camper, Tom Wittler. (She thought he was a movie star.)

“I was just like, WHAT? I’ve never seen a women her age act like that!” said Katie Mahoney, a student who witnessed Puntney and Wittler locking lips to paper. “It was absolutely hilarious to see.”

“I’m just upset that I didn’t get kissed by Linda,” said Jimmy Langston, a student who unfortunately wasn’t present when the scene unfolded in the advanced writing class.

“Oh,” Puntney sighed, “the kiss

“He’s just a high school student,” she joked. “We aren’t in a relationship. I was just trying to get him loose for the photo. He was very stiff. I wish he would have been more responsive, and that he could learn to better communicate with me. You know how it’s supposed to be soft? Yeah, that was not Tom. He was dusty and moist -- not to mention the fact he was nonresponsive. I wanted to slap him around.”

When asked about the kiss, the cardboard Wittler declined to comment.

Garrett L. Jacobson is a sophomore at Wichita Southeast High School and is a student in the advanced writing class at the Flint Hills Publication Workshop.