Amarillo College Ranger

Issue date: 4/5/07 Section: Front Page

Speech communication major Nate Lotzgesell pushes his Nissan Frontier down U.S. Highway 385 in the Oklahoma Panhandle. His goal is to be the first person to push a vehicle across an entire state. He works at the East Campus Student Activity Center. [Click to enlarge]

Speech communication major Nate Lotzgesell said he always has been coming up with crazy ideas. His most recent, becoming the first person to push a vehicle across an entire state, is in the process of becoming a reality.

"I wanted to push a small car from the Pacific to the Atlantic," said Lotzesell, who began pushing his truck down roads for physical exercise.

After researching it, however, Lotzgesell decided the endeavor would be too dangerous and he didn't know if it would be physically possible since the eastern part of the United States is hilly. So he decided he instead would push his three-ton 1998 Nissan Frontier on a north-south line across the approximately 56 miles of the Oklahoma Panhandle.

"It's a short enough distance, and it's pretty nice and flat," he said.

His biggest challenge will be at the Beaver River, where he will encounter a large hill that he will have to push his pickup up and then down.

"It's pretty ugly when you're looking down at it," he said.

Since Lotzgesell has to take this task on all by himself, he ties ropes to the steering wheel to steer himself down U.S. Highway 385, marking each mile he travels with white spray paint.

Lotzgesell works at the East Campus Student Activity Center and will receive the Outstanding Speech Communication Major award at the annual honors convocation April 22.

Art Rodriguez, Student Activitees supervisor, speaks highly of Lotzgesell's truck-pushing project.

"I think it's pretty awesome," he said. "I wish I had not only the energy, but the will to do something like that." Rodriguez said it demonstrates Lotzgesell's work ethic.

"I like people who have a lot of spirit. It's good for the Student Activities Center."

Continued...

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