Kansans could be easy victims of identity theft

August 27, 2012

Ledger staff reports, in collaboration with Kansas Watchdog

Earl Glynn, Watchdog Labs researcher, discovered a pattern which can enable criminals to easily predict the first five or six digits of Social Security numbers.

The pattern applies to people born in Kansas between the years 1989 and 2011, and the only information required is the subject’s date of birth.

Campus Ledger reporters Jon Parton and Mackenzie Clark teamed up with JCAV producer Mike Czerniewski to test the pattern on students of the college and film their reactions:

Read the full article by Travis Perry, Kansas Watchdog reporter, here.

Compiled by Mackenzie Clark, mclark68@jccc.edu

Science building gives sinking feeling

August 23, 2012

By David Hurtado

The college brought in mudjackers from KC Master Companies July 30 to repair the north side of the SCI building, which had begun to sink into the ground.

The total cost for repairs was $15,860. Maintenance included drilling cores out of sections of the building where voids were located and pumping in mud to fill underlying voids and float the slab’s base back into position.

David Frey, president, KC Master Companies, said the problem centered on particles in building materials moving closer together while the void spaces began to shrink.

“The interior concrete slab floors were settling along the north side of the building,” Frey said. “The material consolidated over time, and that’s a pretty common situation.”

Rick Monk, director, Campus Services and Energy Management, said the age of the building materials likely played a role in causing it to sink.

“Those buildings were constructed approximately back in the ‘70s, I believe,” Monk said. “There were some materials under there that were used back in that day that over time were depleted. Combined with soil erosion, that’s when we noticed there were areas that were sinking.”

According to Monk, a maintenance worker first noticed the issue last year, but the safety of students and faculty was never at risk.

“It’s more of a maintenance item,” he said. “All areas, even under buildings through contraction and expansion, mostly in the Midwest, have voids. Right now the ground is really hard and so you’re getting a lot of contraction. There was never any safety problems or issues attributed to that.”

Monk said it is possible other buildings on campus may be in danger of sinking into the ground, but ground-penetrating radar (GPR) studies have yet to turn up any problems.

“Some of the buildings were built during the same time, so we anticipate that there may be some other buildings that have the same problems,” he said. “We do not have any current problems in any other buildings.”

Brian Baumgardner, professor, Science, was out of his first floor SCI office for the summer but his office was cleared during the mudjacking. He said to his knowledge this was the first time the college has had a situation like this.

Baumgardner also said he feels completely safe in the SCI building, because the college is “very proactive” in addressing safety issues.

Classes scheduled to be held in SCI this fall will not be affected.

Contact David Hurtado, features editor, at dhurtado@jccc.edu.

Student senate president-elect steps down

August 23, 2012

By Jon Parton

Awista Sherzada has stepped down from the office of Student Senate president. Bruna Iacuzzi, the senate vice-president, agreed to take over the position.

This marks the second consecutive year an elected president has resigned from office before the start of the semester. Last year, President-elect Corey Paris opted to vacate the position after deciding to attend another college.

Sherzada could not be reached for comment. In an interview with The Campus Ledger last semester, Sherzada said she was excited to be the new president.

Mindy Kinnaman, Student Senate adviser, said she received Sherzada’s resignation a few weeks before the start of the semester. Kinnaman said Sherzada’s resignation is not unusual.

“It’s actually quite common for officers to step down,” Kinnaman said. “We usually have at least one officer every year that has to, for some reason or another, resign from the Senate.”

In the event that the president resigns, the Student Senate’s constitution states that the vice-president has the option to step up and assume responsibilities of the presidency.

If the vice-president chooses not to accept, nominations will be accepted for the position with the stipulation that nominees be previously-elected Executive Board members.

According to Kinnaman, the office of vice-president will be available to existing Student Senate officers. If more than one officer is nominated for the office, or if no officers are nominated, a new election will be held to determine who will take over as the new vice-president.

“Everything is spelled out in the Student Senate constitution,” Kinnaman said.

Iacuzzi said she was initially startled by the news, as she was in Italy at the time she heard about Sherzada stepping down.

“Well, I was surprised,” Iacuzzi said. “I was really excited to work with Awista. I didn’t expect it.”

Iacuzzi said she hopes to accomplish a lot during her tenure in order to help the student body.

“We are excited to continue things like trick-or-treat for kids, and ‘JCCC Gives,’” Iacuzzi said. “We had a successful town hall meeting on the smoking ban last semester and we hope to have more of them this year.”

Iacuzzi also said that she hopes to help inform students about safety and services the college provides.

“I want to let the students how we can help them,” Iacuzzi said. “I want to promote security at the college, to let students know how to be safe. For instance, I want students to know that campus security is willing to walk them out to their cars at night.”

Although Iacuzzi did not expect to start off the semester as president, she said she is excited and ready to start.

“I really care about Johnson County,” Iacuzzi said. “I wasn’t expecting her to step down but I’m ready to do it.”

Contact Jon Parton, managing editor, at jparton@jccc.edu.

SIFE food pantry open for fall

August 23, 2012

By Tabi Secor

The Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) food pantry is still up and running after two years of successfully providing food to the campus community.

The college’s SIFE organization started the food pantry in OCB 272 after they won a contest sponsored by Campbell’s Soup Company. Colleges from all over the country participated and had to show how they would best utilize the food pantry. The college’s chapter won a grant for winning the competition.

“There were instances,” Lynn Richards, SIFE adviser, said. “For example, Food Services were finding that people didn’t have money to buy lunch.”

Richards said that he had students who previously inquired about places they might be able to get food.

“We determined there was a need,” said Richards.

In Johnson County, one in five full time employees makes $30,000 or less per year. And, between 2008 and 2010, the median income declined by 7 percent. The statistics, compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau and released in a report by the United Community Services of Johnson County also showed that nearly 40,000 people lived in poverty in Johnson County in 2010.

Richards said they understand money is tight, and they want to be able to help.

Students involved with SIFE stock the food pantry and the school also receives money from the grant. The food pantry collected more than 5,000 pounds of food last year.

Even though there is no one around in the summer to replenish the pantry, people have been taking advantage the last few months.

“I know for a fact that people have come in and gotten food,” Richards said.

According to Stacey Allison, SIFE vice president, the pantry will be open for the fall.

“We want people to use it,” Allison said. “Anyone can go in. We don’t have any qualifications. We do ask that people sign their first name, and list how many people they’re buying for. That way we can keep track of how many people are using the pantry.”

One of SIFE’s goals for the pantry is to move it so that it will be more accessible to students. Right now it shares the space with adjunct professors.

“We would love to move it,” Allison said. “We just need someone to find the space for us. We would be able to utilize the pantry better if it were more accessible and in a bigger space.”

Along with re-opening the pantry, SIFE is preparing to put donation bins back up. There will be four or five them, spread across numerous campus buildings, including GEB.

“Our purpose is to provide food for people in need,” Richards said. “I want people to know that it’s there.”

If you would like to join SIFE, volunteer for the food pantry or donate, contact Lynn Richards at hrichards@jccc.edu or at ext. 4695.

Contact Tabi Secor, news editor, at tsecor@jccc.edu.

Staff editorial: Hidden hunger

New social media policy still in the works

August 23, 2012

Scherba-Social-RAW — Illustration by Sara Scherba

By Jon Parton

A committee at the college is drafting a new social media policy, expected to be finalized during the semester.

A writing committee was set up in 2010 to create guidelines on how the school should handle social media. The school is one of many that have had to implement social media guidelines for students and faculty in recent years.

According to Patrick Lafferty, assistant professor, Computer Interactive Media and committee member, the guidelines were created after four nursing students were expelled for posting pictures of themselves with an anonymous woman’s placenta on Facebook. One of the students, Doyle Byrnes, successfully sued the college in federal court.

“It’s a good idea for an institution to implement a social media policy,” Lafferty said.

The process itself has been worked on for two years. Lafferty said that it has been difficult creating a policy that accounts for privacy, freedom of speech, and changing technology.

With the abundance of social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, Lafferty said it is important to account for all of them. Although the policy is likely to be released this semester, Lafferty said the process has taken two years.

“We never actually completed a policy,” Lafferty said. “It’s important to write it with future considerations.”

According to Tanya Wilson, general counsel for the school, the current guidelines mostly make reference to existing policies already in place. She said there is no guaranteed timetable for the new policy, but she believes it should be completed within a couple of months.

“It’s not unusual for a policy to be updated,” Wilson said. “But it’s important to make the policy flexible.”

Wilson said the writing committee is made up of ten college employees. She was unable to comment on the specifics of the policy because it is still being drafted.

The current social media guidelines posted on the college’s website state that the use of profane or harassing language will not be tolerated on any college-hosted sites. They also prohibit students, faculty and staff to act as official representatives of the school without authorization.

Peter Belk, program director, Admissions, has been a part of the writing committee for the past two years. He said although the original agreement was written two years ago, there were many issues the guidelines did not address.

“We had to merge things together,” he said.

Belk said it is important that the final policy address issues such as violent language and libelous content.

“Let’s say you were to harass or threaten someone online,” he said. “If you’re a student and a staff member, do we fire you or expel you?”

Contact Jon Parton, managing editor, at jparton@jccc.edu.

A new beginning: After 31 years, future of college now in hands of new photographer

August 23, 2012

Daniels-Photog-Online — Susan McSpadden poses with a collection of vintage cameras she found in her new office after becoming the college`s new administrative photographer on May 29. Photo by Kelly Daniels

By James Russell

The office is sparsely decorated, the space of a woman who is still in the process of moving in. Ghosts of the office’s last tenant still linger in the two rooms that comprise it: jerry-rigged lighting assemblies; a large, faded photograph of men shoveling snow; bits-and-bobs that hide in the shadowed recesses of the studio portion of the office.

This is a place pleasantly haunted by Bret Gustafson, who chronicled the history of the college for 31 years. But the chronicling of its future rests in the hands of the woman sitting behind the desk of LIB 142.

At the age of 15, Susan McSpadden, the college’s new administrative photographer, needed an elective for high school.

“I chose Photography, and haven’t put a camera down since,” she said. “I was a shy, introverted kid and photography was a way for me to express myself differently and to put myself into situations that I wasn’t confident enough to get into on my own.”

Born the daughter of a career Army man in Ft. Knox, Ky., McSpadden life was one characterized by change. Moving every two to three years until she graduated high school, it was not easy to consider anyplace home.

In 1988 she entered the University of Kansas to pursue her degree in photojournalism, and graduated in 1994 with many of her core classes taken here at the college. So where does she consider home?

“I claim Kansas City,” she said. “I’ve been here since ’94.”

After graduation McSpadden entered the professional world as a photographer and photo editor for The Kansas City Star, a job that would span eight years and play a large part in molding a young, timid girl into a woman confident in herself and her abilities.

But feeling the change in her confidence and skills wasn’t enough for McSpadden: she wanted to see it in action. She left The Star to pursue a freelance career, to test what she thought she was capable of.

The move to being self-sufficient was a big leap for her, and a scary one. It was after a year of flying solo that the realization, “This is working. I can do this,” entered her mind and it was then that McSpadden knew she would make it.

Fast-forward ten years to the office situated in a back hallway of the college’s library. It is now Susan McSpadden’s. The personal touches that will come to characterize the area are thus far minimal: beside the desk is a grouping of personal family photographs taped to the wall. The shelves which stand nearby are crowned with antique cameras salvaged from what was left by the room’s predecessor. In front of the desk which dominates the room are not the usual separate chairs reserved for visitors, but instead two movie theatre style seats bolted to a carpeted piece of what is presumably wood. This is a place that resonates with a personality yet to be fully realized.

But it is the woman behind that desk that is the room’s most distinctive feature.

“One of the coolest things about photography, when I started out and even now, is just the ability to capture the essence of a person and capture their personality through an image,” McSpadden said. “The passion and the challenge is still there to capture people at their best and to really show off emotion… capturing that peak moment that really tells the story of the event.”

McSpadden is still a quiet, reserved person. The remnants of the shy girl she once was still exist, tempered now with experience, confidence, and maturity. She speaks softly and thoughtfully, exuding the aura of a woman who knows just who she is.

Administrative photographer is a job that demands not only time and dedication, but also passion. Julie Haas, assistant vice president, Marketing Communications, said McSpadden possesses the traits necessary for the position.

“Susan’s skills are exemplary,” Haas said. “We think she is a wonderful addition to the marketing communications staff.”

Taking over for someone that has been such a huge part of this institution’s history are shoes seemingly hard to fill – Gustafson wore those shoes for over 30 years – but as will always be the case with the passing of time, things must change and batons must be passed. This particular baton seems to be in good hands.

“At the end of my career, at the end of my life, I hope that people who knew me and worked with me will say, ‘She always did it well,’” she said.

Contact James Russell, reporting correspondent, at jrusse24@jccc.edu.

Ancient Chinese board game spurs new club on campus

August 23, 2012

DeZamacona-GoClub2 — Bonfilio makes a move in his game of Go.

DeZamacona-GoClub1 — John Bonfilio, left, and Brian Weddle want to start a Go club on campus. Photos by Daniel De Zamacona

By Natalie Goodwin

There is a world where combat can be handled within the realm of manners and etiquette; where man can remain humble and have a magnanimous spirit during battle.

A world exists where conflict is gently controlled by balance and harmony; not by aggression and greed. This is the province of the game ‘Go.’

John Bonfilio, junior, and Brian Weddle, sophomore, have been playing Go for several years. Both are actively involved in sponsoring a Go club on campus and teaching the game by volunteering at Harmony Middle School in the Blue Valley school district.

“We are trying to spread word and interest in the game in a more scholastic fashion,” Bonfilio said.

At the college’s Japan Festival last fall, Bonfilio and Weddle said they were approached by Blue Valley Schools to bring the game to their multicultural festival that October. Both men continue to teach Go at Harmony Middle School on a regular basis.

Go is a board game generally played by two players or teams of players. It is played with white and black stones with the goal of obtaining the larger territory using a wide variety of configurations and possibilities.

According to Bonfilio, the game originated in China during the Zhou Dynasty more than 2500 years ago when it was called weiqi. Games can take anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes to finish, or longer for tournament games.

The men’s objective is to get schools to treat Go clubs like chess clubs. They began volunteering at Harmony Middle School to bring the children a game that encourages a more benevolent, self-controlled way of managing conflict.

Bonfilio said that one of his motives to play and teach Go is that he enjoys how the game “promotes growing from losses, learning from and investing in your failures.”

Weddle discussed the aspects of the game, saying it “does a tremendous job of getting in touch with yourself.”

“Everybody hungers for knowledge, so they try to learn from as many sources as possible,” he said.

Bonfilio and Weddle are in full swing of the process required to found an official Go club here at the college. In need of just a few more petition signatures and after completion of the club’s constitution, they are eager to have the club made official by sometime in September.

Gina Egan, adjunct associate professor, Science, has agreed to sponsor the new club as faculty adviser. Egan has been playing Go with her daughter for almost a year.

“The strategy and critical thinking that must occur to play is on a whole other level,” Egan said. “It can provide the opportunity to exercise and stretch the mind in ways that few other pursuits can.”

She has high hopes that Bonfilio and Weddle are successful in their club and that it generates a lot of interest.

Bonfilio and Weddle both believe that the Go club will be a great benefit to the student body as a club that teaches a game of humanity and peace.

“Go helps in developing friendships in group immersed activities, where we learn together and play together,” Bonfilio said. “Along with constant discussion, focused and abstract thinking, Go helps develop better study habits and better students.”

For more information on the game or Go Club, follow Bonfilio and Weddle on Facebook at ‘Four Dragons Go Club’ or contact Bonfilio directly at john.bonfilio@gmail.com.

Contact Natalie Goodwin, reporting correspondent, at ngoodwi1@jccc.edu.

Sports Column: “We’re gonna beat the hell outta you!”

August 23, 2012

SportsEd-Red_Friday_at_the_Memorial — "Red Friday at the Memorial" - Photo illustration courtesy Jim Russell

By James Russell

I can still smell the sulfuric aroma of the fireworks as they drifted down in smoking trails from the dark night sky that crowned Arrowhead Stadium.

It was Monday night, Sept. 13, 2010, and the Kansas City Chiefs were set to face off on the national stage against the San Diego Chargers. I had never been as pumped for the beginning of a football season as I was that night.

I had never experienced such a certainty that one single event was about to signal the beginning of something historic as when I listened to the reverberating echo of over 75,000 people roaring “Chiefs!” at the final word of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The very marrow in my bones resonated with the knowledge that I was witnessing the start of something amazing.

And I did.

A playoff game in Arrowhead stadium. Six players selected and five participating in the Pro Bowl. A new energy in Kansas City – a skin-tingling sensation that let you know the city was alive with what could be.

Enter 2011: A ridiculous, money-driven strike decimated any type of offseason. Injury ridden pre- and regular seasons took from the Chiefs Jamaal Charles, Eric Berry, and Tony Moeaki within a matter of three consecutive weeks at the very beginning of the year – as well as Matt Cassel with still seven weeks to go. A local media that gave up on all that was red and gold as soon as things turned sour.

For one of the most historic teams in the NFL – and a fan base just as legendary – we reacted badly to these events. Many fans bought into the media hype and forgot about injuries, coaching issues, and a multitude of problems that could never have been accounted for prior to the 2011 season. Matt Cassel sucked. Our receivers didn’t care. Our rookies weren’t superstars. And such has been the sentiment up until shortly before the time that I find myself sitting and writing these words.

But 2011 was a fluke. No one could have anticipated what was to befall the Chiefs via injury so early. Yet we still fell two field goals away from a second playoff berth. Four of our top-rated players gone, three of them back-to-back by the time we finished our second game, and yet we were still in the race up until the last moment.

After such a disappointing season, this is a team that is about to live up to the fireworks launched that Monday night nearly two years ago. We have created one of the best defenses in the entire NFL, forged an offensive line that protects the quarterback and allows time for those breathtaking plays that we’ve been waiting for and we’ve put together a coaching staff that has learned from recent mistakes and will build on them.

With these things in place Matt Cassel, like it or not, is about to succeed in a way that will leave analysts questioning how they could have possibly missed it. The Chiefs are about to amaze the world – be it this season or next – and once they do, we will again be a dynasty in the NFL, the rightful heirs to a throne we have long vacated.

Get ready, Chiefs fans. Soon the tang of fireworks will once again tinge the air. This time, however, it will not merely be above Arrowhead. It will rain down upon all of Kansas City as we celebrate that which has eluded us for so long.

Lombardi is on his way.

Contact James Russell, sports columnist, at jrusse24@jccc.edu.

Staff Editorial: Hidden hunger

August 23, 2012

Johnson County has a reputation that many residents of the metro area could confirm without skipping a beat: privileged, well-off, and oblivious to the world outside the cozy bubble of suburbia.

These generalizations are not entirely unfounded, as Johnson County continues to lead the Kansas City metro area in median household income at $73,733, according to data collected by the United States Census Bureau.

With such a generous figure of wealth, it may come as a surprise to hear that poverty not only exists in this area, but it’s on the rise. In fact, from 2000 to 2010, numbers from United Community Services of Johnson County show the poverty rate rose 134 percent — the largest increase in poverty among neighboring suburban counties.

It’s easy to believe poverty couldn’t possibly be an issue when cruising around campus and immediately surrounding areas. But it’s these generalizations that make it even more difficult for those living in Johnson County to seek help when they need it, or to even find assistance when they do seek it out.

The resources are available if you know where to look, but often times this information does not make it to the young adult demographic. Jokes about ramen noodles and ketchup sandwiches run rampant about the college lifestyle, but for many in the metro, including our own students, it isn’t a joke. It’s a reality.

In November 2011, members of the student association Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) addressed this need on campus by establishing a food pantry in OCB 272. The pantry is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and is available to any student, no questions asked. In addition to food items, personal care and baby items are also accepted for donation at the pantry.

With such a great resource available to students, how many have actually been taking advantage of it? Representatives of the pantry have estimated about ten students visit each week. This number seems small, but the reason is most likely due to lack of promotion rather than a lack of need.

With so much wealth in this county it’s hard to imagine an excuse for poverty here, but poverty and hunger are not going away. That much is apparent. Instead of pulling the North Face hoodies over their eyes or hiding their heads in oversized Coach bags like cartoon ostriches, citizens should face the facts.

How can we help? We can start by sharing our abundance with those who must wonder if they’ll have enough money for textbooks after buying diapers and food for their toddler. Or ponder, once again, heading to the dollar menu instead of the kitchen for dinner after a long day in class.

Even if we have no goods to give, we can give the gift of our time and compassion by volunteering to staff the food pantry, or actively make rounds to gather donations. But perhaps the most important and easiest way to help is by simply spreading the word of the college food pantry and dispelling the Johnson County daydream.

SIFE food pantry open for fall

Changes to faculty contract now in effect

August 23, 2012

By David Hurtado

Modifications to the faculty contract are finalized after a lengthy negotiating period. At their June meeting the Board of Trustees approved the changes, now in effect until July 30, 2015.

Foremost among the changes was the decision to raise base salary by 2 percent the first year and 2.5 percent for years 2 and 3. Base salary for years 2 and 3 will build upon the base salary after the two percent raise for the first year.

Jeff Anderson, counselor and former Faculty Association president, said the research conducted by the bargaining team prior to contract negotiations showed the cost of living increased in Johnson County by almost 3 percent this year.

“When you receive a salary increase of 2 percent, you are not keeping up with the cost of living increases,” he said. “In years 2 and 3 of the contract, we agreed to a 2.5 percent increase but we will also be paying more for our health insurance, so that reduces the 2.5 percent increase to a lower percentage. If the cost of living increases in Johnson County continues to climb at a 3 percent annual rate; you can see where this is going.”

Don Perkins, executive director, Budget and Auxiliaries Services, said the negotiating team settled on the salary increases.

Another major amendment was the decision to require faculty members to begin paying for part of their medical insurance.

In the past, the college has fully covered rising healthcare costs. Under the new changes, the college will fully cover health insurance premiums for the first year of the contract but will require faculty members to share in the cost during the second year.

Becky Centlivre, executive director, Human Resources, said she doesn’t believe the healthcare changes will have any negative bearing on retirees, who do not have representation in the Faculty Association.

“I don’t think it’s going to impact them that much,” Centlivre said. “When you retire, [the government] takes money out of Social Security to pay for Medicare. I think them paying for part of their Medicare right now will be similar to paying for it when they turn 65.”

Centlivre said she believes the contract will be helpful in retaining faculty due to the cafeteria plan the college has. A cafeteria plan is a type of benefit that allows employees to choose between different kinds of benefits, similar to choosing between various food options in a cafeteria.

“I don’t think it will hurt at all, because our cafeteria plan is very unique,” she said. “A lot of schools don’t have a cafeteria plan. I think as long as we have that, we are extremely competitive in the market place.”

Anderson said he was disappointed with how the contract turned out.

“It’s safe to say that the 3-year contract we agreed to will not be keeping us up with the cost of living in Johnson County,” Anderson said. “The vote passed with a high percentage approval but we also had over 100 faculty members who didn’t vote.”

Another change was the decision to lower the qualifying time to receive medical leave from six months to three months, making it available to new faculty members sooner, said Deborah Williams, Faculty Association president.

“As new faculty come who might be of reproductive age or family-minded, that happens to be a benefit that could be important to retaining and recruiting faculty at this institution,” she said.

The flex dollar benefit will also be frozen for the duration of the contract. The flex dollar benefit contribution is a benefit that allows faculty members to allocate percentages of their paycheck toward different kinds of insurance. Faculty members can also store the percentages in a structured retirement program.

Centlivre said the flex dollar benefit was frozen because faculty members who did not use all of their benefit dollars could cash the remainder in, which was not the intent of the benefit.

The Master Agreement between the college and the Faculty Association is expected to be finalized “pretty soon,” according to Anderson. Human Resources employees are currently touching up on the language of the agreement, which finalizes the changes agreed upon in negotiation.

Centlivre said the agreements in the contract are in practice. The finalized agreement only applies to full-time employees with contracts signed post-July 1.

“We have agreement on all the major points,” Perkins said. “When you come out with the final version, you want every word to be as correct as possible. The Board has approved and the faculty has approved.”

Contact David Hurtado, features editor, at dhurtado@jccc.edu.

Jon Parton, managing editor, contributed to this article.

Staying on track

August 23, 2012

Cook-StockCar — Student Kelly Barnes, left, helps her stock car-racing boyfriend Bryce Roberts. Photo by Tasha Cook

Student Kelly Barnes hopes to help push her boyfriend, a local athlete, from regional to national racing by supporting him in his roles as a student and lifelong racer.

When Barnes first met Bryce Roberts, she quickly learned he had a growing passion for the racing pastime.

“He’s been [racing] for five years,” Barnes said. “I just caught the last year and a half.”

Roberts, a stock car racer from Spring Hill, started racing soon after getting his first car from his parents. Starting out on smaller tracks, Roberts recalled how difficult it was to race go-karts with his dad.

“It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be,” Roberts said. “That challenge makes you want to step up.”

Roberts’ parents later purchased one of his previous cars for transportation, but he had future plans for it.

“As I grew older, it became more a part of my life,” Roberts said. “I took it off the streets and put it on the track.”

Barnes makes sure he never drives without repairs.

“I would wash his tires, help change air pressure and set up the scales,” she said. “Now that he moved up to bigger cars I really don’t do anything except scrape mud.”

With repairs made, there’s still a lot for Roberts to keep track of while racing. A radio helps maintain contact between race officials and the racers, and cars are divided into Hobby Stock, Pure Stock, A-Mod and B-Mod classes.

Depending on the class amount, about 40 cars race around dirt tracks as fast as possible each race. Even with other obstacles like mud, other racers and weather, nothing comes close to racing for Roberts.

“It’s just you and the car versus everybody else out there,” Roberts said. “It’s a feeling I haven’t been able to replicate anywhere else.”

Heartland Park of Topeka hosts many of the stock car races Roberts enters. Motorcycle and drag racing are also available.

Roberts recalls his first car for races.

“It was just a regular car,” he said. “As soon as I got it, that rebel boyhood thing, tearing around [the track] started then.”

A minimum stockcar weight of 3,300 and some specific parts are required to race. There is a chance to win prizes like car parts or sponsorship winnings.

Eager racers may sense a lot of opportunity from upcoming events, but Roberts has advice for those new to stock car racing.

“Do your homework,” Roberts said. “Go to the races and meet people.”

No matter where Roberts places on each track, he’ll have one supporter until the finish line.

“He would like to go big, to NASCAR,” Barnes said. “As long as he’s happy, he should go for it.”

Roberts intends to enroll at the college in spring and join Barnes in pursuing educational goals while balancing his racing career.

Contact Adam Lignell, staff reporter, at alignell@jccc.edu.

A note from the editor

August 23, 2012

By Mackenzie Clark

Welcome to The Campus Ledger 2012-2013. As The Ledger’s editor-in-chief, I want to explain my intentions for your campus newspaper.

Our job is to report facts accurately and track down stories we believe will be pertinent to the student body. Of course, this means that we need your feedback. If we’re missing something that you feel we ought to cover, please let me know.

We are not a public relations outlet of the college. We intend to report on both positive and negative decisions the administration make.

Our job is to hold those in power accountable for their actions, which you will see frequently in upcoming issues.

We are also expanding our online coverage. You can expect to see more breaking news and frequent online-exclusive articles. The website is still under construction but we have made great strides in the past couple of weeks.

The Ledger will also enhance our social media presence. We are on Facebook at www.facebook.com/campusledger and on Twitter, @CampusLedger.

At The Campus Ledger, we fully believe in our rights of freedom of speech and press and intend to utilize them to their fullest extent.

My colleagues in the Student News Center and I are in the process of drafting a resolution that we hope all college administrators and the Board of Trustees will agree to sign. This resolution will confirm that they believe in our freedom to operate as an entirely student-run publication and that they will not attempt to censor us at any time.

As always, we will be willing to accept criticism and advice. But I call upon all administrators to guarantee in writing that they believe in our freedom as strongly as we do.

The Ledger will report on the outcome of this resolution in coming issues.

CONTACT MACKENZIE CLARK, EDITOR-IN- CHIEF, AT MCLARK68@JCCC.EDU.

Wolfgang Puck visit starts off new culinary series

August 23, 2012

By Tabi Secor

Famed chef Wolfgang Puck will be visiting the college for a special night of food on Saturday, Aug. 25.

The event, “Spice! with Wolfgang Puck,” will be held in honor of Marc Valiani, a chef who worked under Puck. Valiani also worked in the Kansas City area as executive chef of PB&J Restaurants. He died of Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) in 2011.

The dinner will be hosted by the college’s foundation.

“We are the charitable arm of the college, so we can accept donations for the college,” said Kate Allen, executive director, Institutional Advancement.

Tickets to the event ranged from $2,500 to $25,000. So far, 210 tickets have been sold through the Foundation, making the event essentially sold out.

“We had to be careful with our price point, to make sure that we raise as much as we could and still fill the room,” Allen said.

The money raised from the event will go to three different areas. One-third will go to the new Hospitality & Culinary Academy, one-third will go to chef apprenticeship scholarships, and one-third will go to The Marc Valiani Foundation.

Kaymie Valiani, Marc Valiani’s wife, approached the college when she moved back to the area. She wanted to help raise money for culinary scholarships.

“She decided she wanted to do a fundraiser for the culinary building, scholarships for hospitality, because Marc was really one of the chefs that liked to teach the young chefs, and for ALS,” said Lindy Robinson, dean, Business.

The dinner will be held in the Capitol Federal Conference Room in the Regnier Center. Allen said that some individual tickets have been sold, but most have come through outside entities such as local hospitals, banks and Farmland Foods.

“In many cases, it’s the first time we’ve received donations from those companies, so that’s a really great new relationship that we’ve been able to start because of the event,” Allen said.

Students will also be involved with the event. There will be 17 apprentices from the college’s culinary program who will help assist Wolfgang’s crew of six chefs and a pastry chef. Two chefs from the college’s culinary program, Eddie Adel and Felix Sturmer, will also assist. Students will also work in the front of the room with guests.

“This is a very heavily student involved event,” Sturmer said. “They want as many students as possible.”

Robinson said this kind of event is very important to students in the culinary program.

“I think it’s great for them to be able to work with crews of this caliber,” she said. “Right now Wolfgang Puck owns the most prestigious restaurant in [Los Angeles] called CUT. There is a level of chefs out there that are really renowned, so for our students to be able to work with their crews is just fabulous.”

Puck’s visit will signal the first of the ‘Spice!’ series, which will feature chefs of the same caliber.

“This is the beginning,” Robinson said. “We are hoping this will be an ongoing, annual event.”

Sturmer said that the menu will be extensive. It is being mirrored after the dinner Puck prepared for the 2012 Governor’s Ball, the annual dinner held after the Academy Awards. A few of the items from the five-course menu include lobster, Colorado rack of lamb and a carving station serving Snake River Farms ribeye, heirloom tomato salad and roasted garlic potato puree.

Puck has built a food empire that includes Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc.

Contact Tabi Secor, news editor, at tsecor@jccc.edu.

News briefs – Thursday, Aug. 23

August 23, 2012

BREAKING: Attempted theft of laptops from employee office

August 20, 2012

An unidentified male attempted to steal two to three notebook computers from an office in the Student News Center this morning.

The man entered an office on the COM 2.5 level, rummaged through the office’s content and took off running with the stolen items.

A professor and a food court worker chased the man down. The man punched the food court worker in the stomach and continued running. He then hopped into a light blue Honda Accord.

The food court worker described the African-American man as approximately 5’10” tall, 160-175 pounds and athletically built. He was wearing a black t-shirt and shorts, and had no distinguishing tattoos or other markings.

The Ledger is waiting for more information from Campus Police. Updates will be added as they become available.

Compiled by Mackenzie Clark, mclark68@jccc.edu, and Jon Parton, jparton@jccc.edu

Brownback visits college; promotes new statewide education initiative

August 14, 2012

CookBrownbeckEdit — Gov. Sam Brownback visited the college Tuesday to promote SB 155, which he said will make it possible for more high school students to achieve certification in various vocations. Photo by Tasha Cook

By Jon Parton

Gov. Sam Brownback promoted a new statewide education initiative at a press conference Tuesday held at the Regnier Center.

The Career and Technical Education program (CTE) was unanimously passed by both the Kan. House and Senate earlier in the year as part of Senate Bill 155. Brownback signed the bill last May and it went into effect July 1 of this year.

The law allows for the state to pay for student tuition for technical education courses taken at community colleges, technical and vocational schools. The law also incentivizes school districts to promote CTE by offering districts $1,000 for each student who graduates with certain CTE certificates.

The money for the program is to be drawn from the state’s general fund.

“We’ve got a valuable asset that’s here in the student,” Brownback said. “And now what we want to do is mix that student’s time and talent with opportunity.”

Brownback said the number of high school students enrolled in technical education programs has been decreasing statewide. According to the governor, of 50,000 high school students enrolled in CTE courses in 2011, less than 10,000 completed the program. He said projections show a greater need for CTE training for the future.

“Sixty percent of our workers are going to need to have some technical skill to get the job that they’re applying for,” Brownback said.

Steve Waddell, owner of I Support Learning, Inc., said he supports the new law.

“I see Kansas now taking a leadership role in showing the country that career and technical education is important,” Waddell said.

Waddell said his education software business has had some difficulties in obtaining employees with technical know-how.

“We always struggle trying to find people who are endowed with good skill sets,” he said.

Gene Johnson, superintendent, Shawnee Mission School District, was on hand to address the crowd. Johnson said he looked forward to working with the college on the new program and that he believes the law will have a positive impact on the community.

“There is a huge increase in the poverty in our county and this will give students an opportunity that maybe couldn’t participate because of financial issues,” he said.

College President Terry Calaway said the law will support local businesses by providing more skilled workers.

“We know that this is an important way of helping the community colleges help business,” he said.

Contact Jon Parton, managing editor, at jparton@jccc.edu.

Academic Achievement Center, computer lab swap rooms

August 13, 2012

The Academic Achievement Center (AAC), currently located in LIB 227, is switching rooms with the computer lab in OCB 304.

Steve Storkel, computer lab supervisor, said the old lab location housed 85 computers. In LIB 227, there will be room for 32. He is uncertain of what effect the change will have on students.

Jeffrey Merritt, director, AAC, said the change will be good for the AAC.

“We’ve needed more space for some time and it’s going to allow us to offer some additional services,” he said.

In particular, Merritt said, the AAC will be equipped to offer more services to students on a drop-in basis.

Computer labs will open for the fall semester next Monday, August 20. For lab hours and locations, click here. The website is updated to reflect this location swap.

Update, August 15, 11:09 a.m.: Larry Reynolds, dean, Communications, explained why the AAC will fare better in OCB 304.

“The space [in LIB 227] has always been somewhat cramped, and really kind of limited what we could do and how we could serve students,” he said. “So we wanted to kind of think about that process and how we might do that.”

Shannon Ford, director, Academic Technology Services, said with wireless access now updated campus-wide, the emergence of tablets and the AAC’s need for a larger space, downsizing the computer lab would be the best plan.

“It seems that the trend in general for higher ed is to move away from large, wired, open labs in favor for more of a mobile resource for students,” he said.

Ford said from general usage of the lab, the other computer areas on campus will be able to pick up overflow. Some additional computers from the former lab in OCB 304 will be moved to the Library, and some to the new AAC location.

In the past, the AAC has offered credit classes to help students be successful. Reynolds said the room switch will allow for more assistance on a drop-in basis.

“In essence, we’re trying to make the AAC a place where if a student has an academic issue they can come see us, and we’ll be happy to help them,” he said. “In order to do that, we need the space.”

Compiled by Mackenzie Clark, mclark68@jccc.edu

College alumnus named Ames fire chief

August 11, 2012

College alumnus Shawn Bayouth, class of 2005, was chosen from more than 50 applicants to be fire chief of Ames, Iowa on Wednesday.

Growing up in Seattle, Wash., a close family friend who was a battalion chief with the Seattle Fire Department sparked Bayouth’s interest in fire safety.

“As a child I used to visit the fire stations and help with fire prevention movies,” he said.

Bayouth graduated from the college with an associate degree in Fire Science. He furthered his education after leaving the college, recently completing a doctorate in industrial and agricultural technology from Iowa State University.

Bayouth said his experience at the college provided the jump start to his professional career.

“I tribute the quality of instruction, rich learning environment, and highly affordable education as some of the best benefits one can receive from [the college],” he said. “These things have helped me progressively move up the ladder in my profession.”

As fire chief of Ames, Bayouth said his goal is to promote the benefits of higher education as a way to establish the fire service as a worthwhile profession.

Compiled by Mackenzie Clark, mclark68@jccc.edu

“Dave has left the building:” NJCAA Hall of Fame coach retires

August 6, 2012

burgess-dave — Dave Burgess coached track and field from 1986 to 1998. Stock photo courtesy JCCC Athletics

Dave Burgess, the college’s first track and field and cross country coach, has retired, effective July 31.

Burgess coached at the college from 1986 to 1998. He coached student athletes to 30 NJCAA championships, according to his JCCC Athletics Hall of Fame page. He also coached 10 athletes who qualified to compete in USA Olympic Trials in 1992 and 1996.

“What a pleasure to coach so many great young people,” Burgess said in a post on JCCC Athletics’ Facebook page. “The story of the athletes to come through the program are remarkable… To all of you keep working hard, your stories continue. God Bless you. [sic] Dave has left the building!”

Burgess was inducted into the NJCAA Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1998.

Mike Bloemker, current track and cross country head coach, said Burgess’ “unbelievable knowledge” of track and field made him a great friend and mentor.

“[Burgess] genuinely loves this college,” Bloemker said. “He really believes in the mission of the college and what we’re doing here.”

Compiled by Mackenzie Clark, mclark68@jccc.edu

Issue 1 is on the way

August 3, 2012

Worry not, Cavs: you still have a couple of weeks to enjoy your summer. But The Campus Ledger staff is hard at work preparing Issue 1 for your enjoyment, and it comes out Thursday, August 23.

Athleticsphoto — New carpet ready for use in the GYM locker room, which is currently being remodeled. It features the JC logo in new colors as part of rebranding. Photo courtesy Jim Dice, Facility and Clinic Coordinator

What to watch for:

Some staff members have been forced out of their offices due to the SCI building sinking into the ground. Find out what’s going on and what’s being done about the problem.
Learn about the college’s new photographer, Susan McSpadden, who has filled the position her predecessor, Bret Gustafson, held for 31 years.
Students are starting a club on campus to enjoy the game Go, which originated in ancient China.
Find out the details of the newly negotiated Faculty Association contract.
Rebranding continues. Get the latest updates.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and if you can’t quell your desire for news, keep watching this site for updates in the meantime.

Monthly Archives: August 2012