By Allie Campbell
Calendar Editor
In the small town of Chikatowaga, New York, a person can find six to seven bowling alleys within a five-mile radius. Therefore, it is not a surprise that Chikatuaga native and Mira Costa science teacher Karl Kurz is the self-proclaimed star of the Costa staff bowling team.
Kurz, along with several other Costa teachers and employees, is on one of three Costa teams that play in the Torrance and Friends Faculty Bowling League. Faculty members from departments including math and science gather after school every Tuesday at Gable House Bowl in Torrance.
Science teacher Daniel Sponaugle used to play in the Torrance Faculty League, and four years ago introduced Costa to the league. The Faculty League, once comprised of only Torrance School District faculty members, is now called the Torrance Faculty and Friends league, the “and friends” referring to the Costa faculty teams.
“Spo [Sponaugle] was in the league first actually, but he has the funniest bowling stance. Let’s just say the one time Spo gave me some bowling tips I bowled 100 less pins the next game we played,” Coller said.
Even though the league is purely recreational, there are still standings, and teams compete to win. Team SNM Department (Science and Maintenance Department), comprised of Kurz, Coller, and Director of Maintanence and Operations Jeff Mulikin, is looking to be highly competitive this season, which lasts until May. SNM Department has so far proved itself as a successful team and even received fifth place last year.
“The league does have a cap so that really good bowlers don’t join the same team and dominate. We had to drop Debevec who was putting our team above the talent cap, and pick up Coller, who definitely put us back below it,” Kurz said.
Since their first season four years ago, Kurz and Sponaugle have increased Costa’s participation in the league. This year, there are three Costa teams competing and several faculty members who play. Whenever one member cannot attend a game, a substitute from the Mira Costa faculty fills in, allowing more Costa faculty and staff members to participate.
“Last year I made flyers of Uncle Sam holding a bowling ball, and put them in all of the staff’s mailboxes. We spread the word about the league and now in our fourth year of participation have a lot more faculty members playing with us,” Kurz said.
Though they do hope to bowl well, the Costa players collectively agree that the bowling league is a great way to socialize with colleagues outside of campus. The teachers say that they all play solely to have fun.
In fact, the league now even refers to Coller as Harry Potterbecause in the past, Kurz has referred to him this way because of his distinctive glasses and similar name.
At the end of the season, the League holds a banquet where participants can socialize, and “gag awards” are presented to those that participated over the year. The banquet marks the end of a fun season of bowling.
“I don’t really know anything about bowling at all. All I know is that I have a trophy for it,” Coller said.
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