Web-exclusive column: A marathon race towards humanity

April 18, 2013

By Mac Moore

Two bombs went off at the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15. According to ABC News, there were three deaths and at least 45 more injured. It’s shocking and we don’t know what to do.

Long distance running is one of the few sports that we don’t wish for our competitors to fail. The runners wish each other good luck before and after the race. They root for each other. The only true enemy in long distance running is yourself, your own limitations. That changed on Monday.

It makes us sick. We see the unneeded death and it haunts us. We see the lack of safety. If those participating in and viewing a simple race have to fear that the streets will become a shrapnel filled bomb site, then are we safe anywhere?

The fear leads to questions. Who did this and why? As a journalist, we have to navigate a blurry line. It’s our job to report to people the who, what when where and why.

The problem with some stories is, we don’t have access to the answers. We know what I wrote in the opening paragraph. Everything else the authorities will have to gather in the coming days and weeks.

Yet we still seek those answers immediately as the news sets in that terrible feeling of concern and unknown. The media does what it can, until a swirl of misinformation takes over the social discussion.

I sat at a bar Monday evening watching the news coverage. It started with the patrons questioning how nobody noticed the bombs. People were confused at why the police would do a control demolition of a third bomb. Soon people were saying things that the news report never said.

Refrain from this. Don’t call out a government conspiracy with only the facts that a bomb went off. Don’t speculate to the possibility of Middle Eastern connection when none of the known information makes a connection. Don’t speculate about anything.

The authorities will figure out the who and why. If we take a few days off from that worrying, we will have our answers in the coming weeks. Soon we will know whether it was a lone wolf or a group of destructive sociopaths.

The people responsible do not matter right now. What matters? Reports indicate that after the first bomb, people were running to the bombing trying to help, not away. While a small fraction of human beings try to cause havoc to civilization, a larger percentage try to help those in need.

Don’t worry about the culprits when you have none of the necessary tools to find them. We do have the tools right now to help the victims. They need us right now. Go to redcross.org to help donate and there are many other ways too you can find to help out.

Turn off the news for the next few days and spend that time with your family. If anything, this tragedy should make you cherish what you are in control of.

Contact Mac Moore, sports editor, at mmoore82@jccc.edu

Honor society offers opportunities

April 18, 2013

PTK officers 1 — The seven officers of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. *Photo courtesy*
*of Terry Helmick*

By David Hurtado

Attending college affords many different opportunities for students, whether they be social or academic in nature. Having a GPA of at least 3.5, however, opens those doors just a tad bit wider.

Phi Theta Kappa, a national honor society, provides additional scholarship opportunities for students who go the extra mile, as well as volunteer activities and leadership skills. Students who are members of the group are not required to actively participate.

Terry Helmick, adviser, said the principal benefit Phi Theta Kappa offers members was the availability of scholarships. Even if a member prefers not to participate, Helmick said it’s still a good feature to include on your resume.

“I think the biggest benefit is the availability of scholarships for Phi Theta Kappa members,” Helmick said. “There are certain scholarships only available to the Phi Theta Kappa people and they’re really good scholarships too. Some universities will also give you a scholarship just because you’re a Phi Theta Kappa member.”

Among the scholarships included are the Jana E. Pinker Foundation Scholarship, the Life Happens Scholarship and Alumni Book Scholarship.

Formed in 1918 at Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., Phi Theta Kappa now has over 1,250 chapters and 2,000,000 members worldwide. To qualify for initial membership in the organization, a student must have completed 12 college level credits with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.5. Eligible members are sent invitations at the beginning of each semester.

An initial $75 onetime fee is also required. Students are lifetime members once paid though.

However, Phi Theta Kappa is not to be confused with the Honors Program at the college. Pat Decker, adviser, said the major difference between the two was the amount of requirements to retain membership status. She said apart from sponsoring events, membership in Phi Theta Kappa has no requirements other than a healthy GPA.

“The Honors Program is an academic program that involves enrollment in four honors classes or honors contracts, along with additional requirements,” Decker said. “It is open to JCCC students with a GPA of 3.5. Members of the Honors Program can apply for a merit-based scholarship and have early enrollment privileges. They graduate from the program in a special ceremony and Honors Program Graduate is noted on their transcript.”

In the event a student’s GPA were to drop below 3.5 after joining Phi Theta Kappa, they are required to notify the advisers and are placed on a one semester probation to get their grades up. Still, unless the student is actively participating, they won’t really feel the effects. Membership status is not revoked, but the student becomes ineligible for scholarships offered by Phi Theta Kappa.

Naira Hueper, officer, said she joined Phi Theta Kappa through one of her close friends who encouraged her to join. Hueper was a member for two years before she became an officer.

“One of the reasons I joined is because of the resume; it always looks good,” Hueper said. “I know that they travel a lot and you can gain a lot of leadership experiences. My position is leadership, and I’ve gotten some scholarships because of that as well, so it has really benefited me. It has helped me grow on so many levels. I used to be shy to talk in front of people, and you cannot be shy if you are an officer. […] you have to be able to talk in front of a group.”

Members participate in a variety of activities, including Hospice, Harvesters, Food Crop Mob and the Truffle Shuffle which is held each year at the college. All times and dates for events can be found on ANGEL in the Phi Theta Kappa community or on the group’s Facebook page.

Marcella Carvalho, officer, said she values the scholarships Phi Theta Kappa offers just as much as the chance to help others.

“Phi Theta Kappa is an honors association so as soon as you join, you’re a member for life,” Carvalho said. “You can always apply for a scholarship as soon as you’re in college; that’s a big deal. Second, they have a mission to help others as a community service. Besides the scholarship which is something for me, I can give something to others as well.”

The most important event for Phi Theta Kappa is the national convention. At the national convention, the organization recognizes achievements by chapters for their work on an Honors in Action Project or College Project, as well as recognizing distinguished chapter members, officers and advisers. Guest speakers included Wimbledon winner Jean King and Geoff Colvin, an editor for Fortune Magazine.

“There were 3,500 people at the convention,” Helmick said. “It’s kind of the end of the year culmination of everything Phi Theta Kappa has done throughout the year. There are a lot of awards given out for top chapters, advisers, even college presidents. It’s like the academy awards of Phi Theta Kappa, truly. They had huge sets, music; when you went in to the convention hall, it looked like the Democratic National Convention.”

Contact David Hurtado, staff reporter, at dhurtado@jccc.edu

Global citizens: living in an interconnected world

April 18, 2013

International students Karla Flores, Marisol Martinez, Amitipal Sing and John Saiki get together and have fun outside of campus. *Photo by Esaul Flores*

By Sara Maleki

It may be argued that the world has become a much smaller place thanks to the advent of social media and improved technology. Students now more than ever have the chance to study or work abroad and learn a second language.

Globalization and social media is a positive force, said Julia Stock, professor of Foreign Language. Stock is from Germany and teaches German at the college.

“I use Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family,” she said. “[Social media] is a great way to stay in touch with people who are not from Overland Park. You get to see different sides of the world.”

Stock also said globalization will lead to increased international travel and work opportunities.

“People will get more exposed and more inspired,” Stock said. “I have several students in Germany right now, their stories might inspire their friends. JCCC has a lot of opportunities through Study Abroad.”

The college’s International Education office offers advice and information about different study abroad programs, which can take students to 30 different countries.

“To stay competitive, try to know a different language,” Stock said. “Even if you’re not fluent, you will be exposed to the culture. You will get a better understanding of the world than if you just watch TV or read a newspaper.”

“It’s really important to learn and be open minded to other cultures,” Stock said. “Even if you don’t have the chance to experience it first hand, talk to international students here.”

Learning a second language was beneficial, said Veronica Clark, a student from Romania.

“I’m really glad I learned English to come here to America because if I didn’t, then how would I communicate to people?” Clark said. “Plus, learning the language can help make new friends when a person decides to do a study abroad.”

Marcela Carvalho, a student from Brazil, believes globalization will affect her future career.

“I believe technology and social media will affect my future career, which is going to be management in human services, because both of those resources will accelerate and improve communication between co-workers and people we are willing to help,” Carvalho said. “It is important to me to be in a new country and learn about a new culture and language because I can improve my knowledge about the world and grow as a person.”

Contact Sara Maleki, reporting correspondent at smaleki@jccc.edu

Mastering the motorcycle

April 18, 2013

Gripe-Motorcycles2 — A group of students in the motorcycle course learn how to turn on the bike. This training course allows one to learn how to operate bikes properly without owning one. Photo by Mackenzie Gripe

Every weekend during the spring, summer and fall months, the Train parking lot is transformed into a course for the motorcycle training program.

The classes started three years ago after the college received requests to create a motorcycle training program. Since Continuing Education essentially exists to meet the needs of the community, the program was created to meet that need, according to Phil Wegman, program director, Skills Enhancment.

“The main reason we’re doing this is for safety,” Wegman said. “The truth is there are elements of risk no matter how safe we teach you to be, how well we teach you to operate that motorcycle, one thing we can’t teach you, is […] to control someone else’s behavior.”

The three-day course is comprised of 20 hours of training. Each class has a maximum of 12 students, two rider coaches and one range aid. On Friday night there is classroom work and instruction; starting Saturday morning through Sunday, students go out to the specially-marked Train parking lot course to start riding. At the end of Sunday, students take a test and if they pass, they get their DE-99 form signed, which they can then take to the DMV and get their license.

The course starts out with basic skills and builds toward more complex maneuvers.

According to Wegman, the classes are constantly filled to the maximum, but he has noticed an increase in interest.

“I see more people on the waiting list now than we used to have,” Wegman said. “I think we could expand the program more but frankly, it would be kind of hard to do because we don’t really have the space.”

Joakim Ekström, student, has taken the motorcycle training program at the college. You learn absolutely everything about how to ride, and even if you’ve never sat on a motorcycle before, you’ll be able to pass the course with the guidance of the instructors, Ekström said.

“[I] highly recommend taking the course,” Ekström said. “It will lower your insurance but you’ll also become a better rider cause you can think you’re a good rider, but there’s so much more to riding than just sitting on the bike and riding on the road.”

Ekström has been riding bikes his whole life, starting out with motocross when he was young. More people are starting to ride, according to Ekström.

Additionally, Ekström believes there is more to the popularity of motorcycles than people just thinking they are cheap or cool.

“It’s kind of its own community in a way and it’s a form of individuality, symbolism and self-reliance, adventure […] and it’s also a stress reliever as well,” Ekström said. “I’ve met a lot of new friends and a whole new community with riding as well.”

Along with meeting new people, Ekström, a self-described “adrenaline junkie” who owns a sports bike, enjoys the thrill of riding.

With the new season, Wegman believes more people are ready to enjoy riding.

“Spring’s here and it’s kind of that feeling of freedom that you’re outside you’re out in the open,” Wegman said. “You’re not all cooped up in a car […] People enjoy being out, enjoy the weather.”

In addition to riding skills and safety, the college also offers training on how to repair and maintain motorcycles.

William Brown, professor, automotive technology, teaches the Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair class at the college. The class is very popular with older and younger students alike, according to Brown.

“Most people that ride bikes, they want to know more about it,” Brown said. “It’s more than just an appliance.”

There is a need to have at least a little interest in the mechanical side of things due to the nature of motorcycles, Brown said.

“Your butt’s on the line on a motorcycle,” Brown said. “If you forget something like checking your tire pressure then that can cause you to crash and you can get hurt bad, so you need to be more mechanically aware of things because of the additional risk.”

Working on and maintaining his bike is another aspect of riding Ekström said he enjoys.

“I like working on the bike because its mine,” Ekström said. “When I get it working [there is more] satisfaction in riding because I fixed it up or I’ve done the maintenance on it and everything.”

Whether it’s repairing, riding or meeting new people, Ekström enjoys the whole experience of riding motorcycles.

“I can’t think of anything that I don’t like,” Ekström said. “I love absolutely everything about riding.”

Contact Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, at scook35@jccc.edu

Cavalier star watch: Mario Funcic

April 18, 2013

By Mac Moore

Sophomore Mario Funcic is a golfer from Pula, Croatia. As a freshman Funcic earned first team All-Jayhawk Conference and NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention. Funcic led the college with a stroke average of 75.5 and five top-five finishes.

What are your goals for the season?

My personal goal for the season is to break the lowest average record in JCCC history. I think with having that goal in mind, many good things will happen. My second personal goal is to become an all- American again this year. Those are pretty high goals and I’m working hard to accomplish them.

Team Goals?

Our team goals are to win conference and also to end up in the top 10 at Nationals.

Three players finished in the top 15 at the last tournament, is this the level you guys expect to play to start the season?

Yes, three of our five guys place in the top 10, but that was not very good. In our first three tournaments we had five guys in the top 10, and that was up with our standards.

How often do you practice?

We practice every day for almost five or six hours.

Any tips for beginners?

Practice your putting.

Favorite Movie?

My favorite movie is Scarface. My favorite actor by far is Al Pacino.

How has the weather affected your practice?

Snow did affect us pretty bad. We missed a bunch of practice days at the beginning of March, but now we caught up and everything is good.

Contact Mac Moore, sports editor, at mmoore82@jccc.edu

Brownback signs public employee union bill

April 18, 2013

By Hannah Davis

House Bill 2022 was signed into law on the first of this month by Gov. Sam Brownback. The bill, proposed by the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, prevents public employee unions from taking voluntary donations automatically from union members’ paychecks.

This bill has led to much controversy in the last few weeks over labor unions. Organizations such as the Kansas Organization of State Employees (KOSE) and the Kansas National Education Association (KNEA) strongly oppose HB 2022.

“They’re trying to take public employee unions out of the picture,” Executive Director of KOSE, Michael Marvin, said. “They don’t want us to be a voice for our employees because they have their agenda they want. […] We don’t only speak for what we believe is good for our people, but these people speak out. Certain people want to silence that voice and they don’t want that voice to be heard.”

Jerry Magliano, professor of Computing Sciences and Information Technology, said this is simply how the adversarial political system works.

“Whichever political party is in power is going to try to minimize and marginalize the power of the opposition party,” Magliano said. “In this case, in the state of Kansas, the Republican Party is very strong, and they were in a position to pass laws that could, in a certain way, without impinging on people’s constitutional rights, marginalize, to some extent, the power of labor unions.”

Professor of History, Patrick Dobson, and a member of a local ironworkers union, opposes the bill and dismissed the supporters’ reasoning.

“That’s nonsense,” Dobson said. “It’s not like a lot of money is going into advertising campaigns for candidates that Republicans don’t like. Right? Or the conservatives beyond being Democrat or Republican don’t like. It’s a drop in the bucket. Basically, that’s not, it’s not for what they say it is. It’s ultimately about weakening the power of unions overall, because if they can do that to teachers unions, state employees, municipal employee unions, they can then, ultimately, find a way into doing it for other kinds of unions that actually do unions a lot of good.”

Dobson said the good unions do for members range from safe working conditions to wages.

Marvin, who serves as a liaison to the legislature for state employees said the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and conservative legislators that supported the bill misrepresented the issue.

“They believe that, the argument that they put out there the whole time, is that the state shouldn’t be in the business of doing political actions for the union, like its tax dollars, not employee dollars,” he said.

Marvin also said some union members were upset about the bill because it “is telling them how they handle their money.”

A common argument is that workers are often pressured or coerced into joining and paying dues to unions.

“Out of a hundred workers they may find that one person who is resentful,” Dobson said. “Maybe didn’t get their grievance, maybe didn’t come out exactly their way, or whatever. There’s always going to be people like that. And much of that is anecdotal, and it’s very bad policy to establish law on anecdotes. If it was thousands, it might be something else. It might be a trend. It might be indicating inefficiency on the part of unions, or abuses.”

As an American historian, Dobson dated the modern labor movement during the mid-19th century after the Civil War.

“Unions have been involved in trying to get laws favorable to say, worker longevity,” Dobson said. “Not just at a particular job or a particular craft or industry, but also in a very real sense, you know, worker longevity because ultimately employers will mostly only respond to pressures for workplace safety if they can get sued. But we take it one step further, that it’s not just being sued, it’s just the right thing to do – to make sure people don’t get hurt on the job, get fired and that’s it for them and the rest of their lives.”

Kansas is a “right to work” state, which means workers do not have to join a particular union.

“The unions have been faced with diminishing membership in recent years, both private sector and public sector unions, and I’m sure they’re all looking at what happened in Wisconsin,” Magliano said. “When Wisconsin passed similar laws regarding the collection of union dues, guess what? Their membership declined pretty dramatically. […] That’s why the unions are very concerned about anything that might discourage current or future members to participate.”

Marvin believes unions are important for the welfare of workers.

“We’re out there to support the employees to the best of our abilities and give them a voice,” Marvin said. “There is a huge, huge reason for unions, despite what other people will say on the other side. Employees need someone to stand up for them.”

The bill will be enacted on July 1, 2013.

To read House Bill 2022, visit www. kslegislature.org

Contact Hannah Davis, news editor, at hdavis18@jccc.edu

Assessing threats on campus

April 18, 2013

By Olivia Fox

Between numerous college shootings and the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, gun violence has come to the forefront of the media and in Washington as well.

Officer Dan Robles spoke of three threatening incidents that have taken place in the past few months. Two of them occurred at the area railroad school right next to the college.

Robles said the first incident occurred several months ago when a student of the railroad school had several firearms in his vehicle on campus. The student did not pose a threat to other students, Robles said, and was reprimanded accordingly.

The second incident occurred recently.

“A student worked in the railroad school building and had done a show-and-tell with a firearm for another person,” Robles said.

The person let faculty know, and officers approached the student the following day. As with the previous incident, Robles said the student posed no threat to anyone.

The third incident was a domestic situation that occurred in a campus parking lot. An exboyfriend grabbed a female, shook and threatened her. There was no threat of a weapon though, according to Robles.

Officer Robles said the usual reports they receive at the campus office are incidents of theft.

“Common occurrences are thefts in locker rooms: unlocked lockers, [stolen] backpacks, wallets, car keys, laptops, cell phones,” he said. “Those are our common crimes here. It’s not the display or use of any firearm here. That hasn’t been going on.”

Robles said the college adopted the A.L.I.C.E. program as its protection program last August.

The acronym stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate.

The college has a few different notification systems for emergency situations. These include alert texts, alerts over the P.A. system and phone calls to classrooms.

The A.L.I.C.E. program advises students in an emergency situation to inform others by any communication means possible. This could be via text message, phone call, tweet or status.

The next step is to counter the attacker as a last resort. Officer Robles explained, at the Virginia Tech shooting, the shooter went down the aisle, shooting classmates at point blank range.

“If he [the shooter] had a mass amount of students swarm him and attack him, he would have had a harder time,” he said.

By using the swarm technique, the attacker will get distracted and have a much harder time shooting individuals.

The final step is to evacuate. Officer Robles stressed the importance of knowing your escape routes.

“Once you start getting distance between you and the intruder, and become a moving target, your percentages of being a victim go way down,” he said.

Robles added that while the campus police department’s goal is to get to the situation as fast as possible, they may not be there when activity initially breaks out.

“You guys are there. We [the police] aren’t in the classroom, you are handling the situation. You are taking them down right now, instead of waiting for us to arrive.”

Campus executive director of Audit and Advisory Services, Janelle Vogler, said the A.L.I.C.E. program gives students more information about what to do in a shooting, rather than just hide under a desk or table.

“You need to have options,” Vogler said.

Campus police officer Jim Keaton said the techniques taught in the A.L.I.C.E. course are applicable to everyone.

“The A.L.I.C.E. program is not just something you can apply here [on campus],” Keaton said. “We have to consider that this [a shooting] could occur at any time.”

April 20 marks the 14th anniversary of the Columbine school shootings. Since the shootings, schools across the nation have worked to put protection plans in place to prevent students from being unprepared in such a situation.

“You know the old Columbine days, a lot of that’s gone,” Robles said. “Waiting for the SWAT guys to arrive, I don’t know of any place that waits anymore.”

Contact Olivia Fox, reporting correspondent, at ofox@jccc.edu

Why football is not likely to come to the college

April 18, 2013

By James Howey

With all the resources and success the college’s athletics have had lately, one question always seems to come up. Why doesn’t the college have a football team?

Football is arguably the most popular and loved sport in America right now. The college is surrounded by a number of high schools that excel at the sport. Conventional wisdom would have most people believe it’s a perfect match.

“The good thing about football is it starts the year off and it sets a tone,” the college’s athletic director Carl Heinrich said. “I was the offensive coordinator at Highland Community College for six years and absolutely love the sport.”

Despite the tremendous love of football and the success the college could have with a football program, there are many reasons why the college does not have a football team. Most notably, the tremendous cost a football program holds.

“It would probably double our expenses in our athletic department, you’re talking probably $1,200 to $1,500 a student athlete,” Heinrich said. “The startup cost for a football program would probably be two to three million to get it going.”

A football team requires a much larger coaching staff than most sports. Sports like baseball, basketball, and volleyball usually require only a head coach with one or two assistant coaches.

“Football at the community college level usually takes at least four coaches,” Heinrich said. “You would probably need a full-time offensive coordinator, a full-time defensive coordinator, and then your full-time head coach, and then you could probably fill in with the other position coaches with part-time people.”

The success that the college has had in so many programs could greatly be affected by the addition of a football program.

“If we had a football program it would actually hurt the athletic program, because we would then have to cut other men’s sports to be title nine compatible,” sports information director Tyler Cundith said. “As far as I’m concerned it’s a good thing we don’t have it, because now we have it even with 18 sports between male and female.”

Having dorms for a football program is essential. This is something the college does not have and probably will not need any time soon.

“Until we have dorms we won’t have a football team,” said the college’s athletics facility and clinic coordinator Jim Dice. “This school has driven for 40 some years without dorms and I think that’s the big key is dorms.”

One issue for Cundith is how much fan support a football team could get at the college.

“Being in a commuter school like this, even though we are very large we don’t have students that stay on campus,” Cundith said. “The programs that do have it like Coffeyville, Butler, Highland, and Dodge City, it is part of the community. Shoot, KU is just down the road and they have a hard time filling their stadium.”

The costs of starting a new sport might not necessarily pay off for the school, according to Dice.

“You would have to win to benefit, and if you don’t win, you don’t benefit,” Dice said. “A lot of these schools survive because of what football players bring to the city and community.”

Thus, for the people and students that dream of the college having a football program, don’t hold your breath.

“You never say never, but the interest would have to start at the Board of Trustees and the community interest would have to be strong enough to support it,” Heinrich said. “You would probably have to raise the mill levy for something like that.”

By James Howey, special to the Ledger

Column: Mac talk: Who’s got the rock

April 18, 2013

By Mac Moore

As the regular season winds to a close , the only story for a playoff push falls apart. Or more accurately tears an Achilles.

Kobe is done… with the Lakers… if they’re smart. Basically, he said he plans to retire after next season. Even if the Black Mamba recovers faster than most humans, the 34 year-old won’t play until after January. He definitely won’t reach top form before the playoffs next season.

Instead he will just cost the Lakers $80 million in luxury tax, according to ESPN reporter Bill Simmons. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban might go from fool to prophet after discussing the possibility of using an amnesty on Bryant. Even in top health, is Kobe leading a team that almost didn’t make the playoffs worth $80 million? No.

The Achilles tendon won’t end Kobe’s career. It will however leave the Lakers with a choice and the situation already wasn’t ideal for winning a championship. The Lakers will have to make a tough decision, then Kobe will have to figure out what he will do from there.

As I said in my trade deadline column, few teams would be able to compete with the Heat. I said this before, the Heat went on their ridiculous 27 game winning streak. Initially it looked like the lack of moves would leave the Heat with little competition until the Finals.

Not so fast. Before the season I made a long shot bet with my co-worker. We both had to pick the MVP but could pick neither LeBron James or Kevin Durant. He picked James Harden who was not too shabby in his first season with the Rockets. I picked Carmelo Anthony. If LeBron didn’t put up one of the most impressive seasons in NBA history, I might have won this bet.

Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks to a 13 game win streak and the second seed in the East. During the winning streak, he shot so unbelievably well that he surpassed Kevin Durant for league scoring leader, averaging 38.6 pts/gm in April, according to NBA.com.

Normally, excessive scoring by Anthony leads to the rest of Knicks falling out of rhythm on offense. Not during this stretch. The team has shot lights out and look to have a staunch defense once Tyson Chandler comes back from injuries.

While the competition out West looks fierce, the memorable series this June might be when the Heat face off with the Knicks in the Conference Finals. The Knicks have the fire power, they have beat the Heat three out of four times this season and won by double digits all three times. I’m excited for the playoffs.

Contact Mac Moore, sports editor, at mmoore82@jccc.edu

World events: April 18, 2013

April 18, 2013

WorldEvent_Scherba — Illustration by Sara Scherba

As automatic federal budget cuts known as sequestering begins, the U.S. Air Force plans to ground about a third of its combat aircraft. In addition, the U.S. Navy has cancelled all future flyovers of the popular Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron. General Mike Hostage, commander of Air Combat Control, said in a statement he believed the Air Force would have difficulties responding to new threats immediately as they occur. The cuts will affect aircraft stationed in the U.S., Europe and the Pacific.

Syrian militant group allies with al-Qaeda’s Iraq branch

In an effort to topple the regime of Bashar Assad, al-Qaeda’s branch in Iraq and Jabhat al-Nursa have forged an alliance. Now known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, this new entity has the U.S. and its European and Gulf allies concerned about increasing prominence of Islamists among the rebels. For rebels who favor a secular state in post-Assad Syria, however, the presence of Jihadist fighters could be detrimental to international support.

Knife attack at Texas college leaves 14 injured

A community college in Texas was the target of a unexpected knife attack on Wednesday, April 10. Dylan Quick, a 20 year-old student of the Lone Star Community College campus slashed 14 people in the neck and face with a razor utility knife. Authorities say Quick went from one floor to another choosing his targets at random. Neighbors and the grandmother of Quick were at a loss to explain this sudden outburst of violence. According to police, Quick had been planning this attack for some time.

Egyptian legislature approves revised election law

On Thursday, April 11, Egypt’s Islamist-dominated legislature approved a revised version of the law regulating the country’s parliamentary elections. The approval was made by Egypt’s Shura Council, the upper house of the Egyptian Parliament entrusted with legislation until new elections can be held. Morsi and his supporters see the parliamentary elections as a way to bring peace and stability to the country. The mostly liberal and secular opposition, however, have called for Morsi to first find some political census and ease the anger and the anxiety of the Egyptian population.

Ex-German president charged with corruption

On Friday, April 12, German prosecutors filed corruption charges against former German president Christian Wulff over allegations that favors prompted his resignation. Wulff resigned from the presidency in February 2012 amid a storm of allegations of him accepting inappropriate favors prior to being elected president in 2010. The charges specifically mention about 4,000 Euros in hotel and entertainment costs allegedly paid by German film producer David Groenewold for Wulff and his family during a visit to Munich in 2008 for Oktoberfest. This is the first time a former German president faces charges in court.

Boston Marathon bombing kills three, injures over 140

Two bombs exploded in the crowded streets of Boston on Monday, April 15 during the annual Boston Marathon. At least three people were killed and scores more injured when the twin detonations struck near the finish line. As many as two other unexploded bombs were discovered along the 26.2 mile course. A third bomb exploded at a nearby library. Although the investigation is on-going, White House officials believe the explosions to be part of well-coordinated terrorist attack. Investigators have urged police to be alert for a darker-skinned male with a foreign accent. The man, seen with a backpack and sweatshirt, was attempting to enter a restricted area five minutes prior to the explosions.

Compiled by David Hurtado, staff reporter, dhurtado@jccc.edu

A lifetime of learning

April 18, 2013

Associate professor Patrick Dobson has been at the college since 2009. Dobson teaches U.S. History Since 1877. *Photo by Andrew Shepherd*

By Stephen Cook

He has traveled on foot to Helena, Mont. and canoed back on the Missouri River. He has worked in a vineyard in Germany. He builds bridges during the summer as part of the Ironworkers Union. He is a published author and is on track to getting his Ph.D.

Patrick Dobson, adjunct associate professor, History, has been at the college since 2009. He describes himself and his life as always constantly discovering things.

One of the ways he has done this is by traveling on foot. Dobson said one of the reasons that led him to go on his trip to Helena, Mont. and back in May of 1995 was the want to feel that space. For Dobson, walking instead of driving provides a different experience.

“You’re no longer watching more TV, it’s just like the windshield of the car is like another screen,” Dobson said. “You’re actually in it and you’re moving at a different pace and you’re actually able to experience nature and the bigness of it as you can’t when you’re driving around.”

Although Dobson used to work in an “expensive hotel”, he said he’s never stayed in one. For him, if it takes more than a bag over his shoulder, then it’s a pain. Movement and spontaneity are what adds value to a trip for him.

Dobson said even though you may walk in the city a few blocks or even a couple of miles, you don’t get a sense of your insignificance in those settings.

“There’s something really beautiful to that insignificance,” Dobson said. “You know if you think you’re significant, go ahead and talk a walk out there, find out how long that lasts.”

After taking the five month long trip to Helena, Montana and back, Dobson started his writing career with the Pitch Weekly. He first wrote columns for the publication before being hired as an investigative reporter. Later around 2002, Dobson was asked to teach a journalism class at UMKC. He then worked various jobs until coming to the college to teach history.

Dobson said his goal in teaching history is to show how complicated it is, with everything having a historical development.

“There’s very few sort of spontaneous births in history, everything comes from something else,” Dobson said. “Students come into my class and they’re sometimes not ready for that, you know they’re ready for George Washington chopped down the cherry tree and then he became President and then we had another President and that’s all fine and good but that doesn’t show us the complications of human beings acting, doing, thinking.”

Chris Gaignat, student, said Dobson is passionate about what he teaches, and that helps to make it interesting.

“He’s fired up, he likes it, you can tell he cares about it,” Gaignat said. “It makes learning easier when a teacher can keep you interested and he does.”

In addition to teaching history at the college, Dobson has been working on getting his Ph.D., having just handed in his dissertation at the beginning of March.

Vincent Clark, professor and chair of history, was on the interview committee that hired Dobson. Clark said Dobson finishing his degree is praiseworthy, showing a lot of perseverance.

“He’s been very dedicated at getting his dissertation done,” Clark said. “That’s really hard to do …especially if you’re working very much.”

All of this work has meant a lot to Dobson. Up until this point, he said everything he has ever done was to ‘show those people.’

“I was the fat kid, I got picked on, I got beat up on, I was always trying to please people, I was always trying to be somebody,” Dobson said. “In the end, the only person I was trying to prove anything to was myself, and now I can like do these things without having that agony, having the agony of carrying around this incredible baggage… I mean I did it, what did I need to do it for, I didn’t need to it for anybody.”

As a professor, Dobson reminds his students that life is bigger than what is in the Midwest. It is important to “put yourself out there”.

“Don’t think that it’s grow up, get a career, work for 35 years, retire and die,” Dobson said. “Do something else: go travel, go question what these people have told you you’re supposed to be doing, what these people have told you you’re supposed to be satisfied with… Most people I think wind up being afraid of anything new.”

Contact Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, at scook35@jccc.edu

Column: Overcoming challenges

April 18, 2013

By Shawn Gelushia

I grew up in Kansas City, KS. I was in the Turner School District from preschool through high school. I am a student with disabilities and was in special education all throughout school. There have been plenty of obstacles that I have had to overcome most of my life. Some of the biggest obstacles I have had to endure happened in high school.

One of the biggest obstacles that I had to overcome was being bullied by some of my classmates. It included name calling, getting hit, and pushed around by students who didn’t know how to treat a person with disabilities. I was even thinking about dropping out of high school because I felt like I could not take it anymore. Another obstacle that I had to deal with was having two teachers and a school psychologist tell me that I would not be able to go to college because they thought my disabilities would not let me be successful. If I had listened to what they were telling me I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Luckily, there were two paraprofessionals that told me to not give up and that I needed to get my high school diploma. I thought to myself that they’re right; I needed to take a stand for myself. I made friends with the football team and the cheerleaders, and they stood up for me when I was being bullied. One of my most important days of high school life was when I went to prom, but the biggest day was when I had my family watching me walk across the stage and being handed my high school diploma.

After high school I worked for four years at different jobs before deciding to go back to school. The first school I visited was Kansas City Kansas Community College. I didn’t feel comfortable with the way the college looked and smelled and the staff was not very helpful.

One of my friends told me about Johnson County Community College, that it was a very good school and the professors were great and encouraging. I came out to enroll and was greeted by very nice and helpful staff members in the Student Center. They helped me fill out my application and enroll in my classes. After my first semester I took advantage of Access Services. It’s available to students who have disabilities. This program has helped me tremendously. As a person with disabilities I have had to fight for my own independence to become the person I want to be in life.

There has been another challenge that I have faced in my life. I was in eighth grade when I realized that I was gay. I was teased in high school because of how I looked, talked and acted.

When I came to JCCC, it became so much better. You can be yourself and be accepted for who you are. My fellow students and staff treat me very kindly here on campus. My major is journalism/communications and the whole department is like one big family. One of my professors, Molly Baumgardner, has helped me to be comfortable when I am doing JCAV news and ECAV radio. She has always encouraged all of her students to be themselves and to never give up.

As a gay student, I was looking for a club to be a part of and I found out about the Queers and Allies club here on campus. It’s a great way to meet other people who have a different sexual orientation. I was later elected treasurer/ public relation person for the club. Another part of the club is being open to going into classrooms and answering questions about your life as a gay person.

I feel like I have grown a lot here at JCCC and I am very excited to go to K-State next year. I have learned to work hard and believe in myself.

Contact Shawn Gelushia, circulation assistant, at sgelushi@jccc.edu

News briefs: April 18, 2013

April 18, 2013

Assessment conference on April 19

The third annual Regional Community College Assessment Conference will take place on April 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is open to registered faculty and staff.

The focus of the conference will be “Assessment Matters.” Susan Hatfield, assessment coordinator and professor of communications studies at Winona State University, will be the speaker for this session.

The first Regional Community College Assessment Conference took place at the college in 2011.

Natural history museum to be opened in Overland Park

The Museum of Prairiefire is currently under construction on 135th St., between Nall Ave. and Lamar Ave. in Overland Park, Kan.

This 580 million dollar project began in Jan. 2013, when developer Fred Merrill heard that the American Museum of Natural History in New York was hoping to expand.

The museum of Prairiefire will have many permanent fossils and artifacts, including a cast of a Tyrannosaurus rex from the one in New York. It will also host several traveling exhibitions in the years to come.

The director of the new museum, Linda Segebrecht, taught high school science for ten years and has been involved in expanding and creating educational programming and curriculum.

The museum is scheduled to open in April 2014.

‘Kansa’ artwork on campus to be dedicated

On April 25, an internationally known artist, Stan Herd, from Lawrence Kan., will be at the college for the dedication of his “earthworks” artwork entitled “Kansa.” This artwork uses the land as a canvas and plants as paints.

The dedication will take place at 2 p.m. by the artwork outside the Horticulture Science Center (HSC). Herd will speak along with director of the Kansas Studies Institute, James Leiker, the college’s president, Terry Calaway and the chair of the Board of Trustees, Melody Rayl.

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served after the dedication on the terrace of the HSC.

Free College Day

On April 20, the college is hosting “free college day” where faculty and staff have volunteered to teach over 200 classes at no cost to the public.

These classes range from culinary practices such as homebrewing beer to scientific classes about solar storms and how they affect the earth.

Most classes start at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. and last about 45 minutes.

The deadline for web registration is April 18. Walk-up registration on the day of the event will be allowed but seats cannot be guaranteed if sessions are full.

Compiled by Hannah Davis, hdavis18@jccc.edu

Serving up success

April 18, 2013

DZamacona-Beckett — Top singles player Shannon Beckett hits a forehand during indoor practice. She will be competing at regionals the coming weekend Friday and Saturday April 19-20. Photo by Daniel De Zamacona

By Stephen Cook

Sophomore Shannon Beckett, of Gold Coast, Australia, is progressing this season with a current record of 13-1 in singles and a 14-0 record in doubles.

Born in South Africa, Beckett then immigrated with her family to Australia when she was eight years old. Two years ago, Beckett moved here after making the tennis team.

Beckett was looking for a junior college where she could get a full scholarship.

“I looked here and I had an Australian friend that was here and he said it was super cool and in this area, “Beckett said. “So I decided to come here.”

Beckett started playing tennis after she moved to Australia, when she was eight years old.

“My mum’s very good at it and so I was kind of influenced by her and my sisters and brother, they played as well, very competitively,” Beckett said. “My dad’s a sporting guy too and so we all have a competitive blood in ourselves.”

Now, Beckett is ranked 5th in the nation for community college players in singles and 2nd for doubles.

Glen Moser, Beckett’s coach, said Shannon is a multi-dimensional player and that she is at the top of the lineup.

“Obviously she’s got a lot of talent,” Moser said. “So many players are one dimensional in tennis and Shannon has a lot of dimensions to her game.”

Moser believes Beckett, and the team as a whole, is one of the college’s most successful teams in quite a few years. Overall, the team has a 13-1 record for the season.

Beckett said a favorite part about playing at the college is the everyday challenges with her and her teammates, allowing them to work to improve.

“We know what to play every day and have good competition every day,” Beckett said. “Anytime we play, it’s not that often easy, everything you’ve got to work for and which is cool cause then we can set new goals and achieve new goals.”

Sophomore Erika Castillo Lopez, who is Beckett’s partner in doubles, said that not only is Beckett skilled, but she said her personality leads people to be themselves.

“I think she’s very talented and then she works hard training,” Castillo Lopez said. “She’s very outgoing, I was very shy when I first came here.”

One of Beckett’s favorite moments is from this year’s spring break, when the team went to Texas to compete.

“I beat quite a few girls that I wasn’t really expecting to beat I mean I always had it in the back of my mind that I can do what I can do but, I ended up being undefeated in Spring Trip and that was really cool, that was really good tennis,” Beckett said.

In addition to regular practices and matches with the tennis team, Beckett is currently enrolled in 16 hours. For a degree, Beckett said she is undecided, but is thinking about going into something in the sporting field, possibly sports psychology, athletic training or coaching.

In the future, Beckett hopes to keep athletics as part of her future. She plans on going to Texas State and playing there, then advancing as far as she can.

Looking at this season, Beckett is happy with the success, but is looking forward to playing at regionals this weekend and then hopefully going onto nationals in Arizona.

“So far the score and the record’s talking for itself,” Beckett said. “I feel like I’m playing pretty well and obviously the team’s playing pretty well too.”

How the team works together is what makes the group unique, Beckett said.

“We’re not just teammates, we’re really good friends,” Beckett said. “We hang out on weekends and we almost know each other to the point, we know each other’s game we know what they can work on, we all help each other no matter what the problems are.”

Contact Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, at scook35@jccc.edu

Police briefs: April 18, 2013

April 18, 2013

Failed theft at fitness center

Police were dispatched on April 5 when an evening fitness instructor reported an attempted theft. She said she heard something drop on the floor while at the front desk and saw a white leather purse by the suspect’s feet. The suspect ran from the room in the direction of the tennis courts. The witness did not see the suspect’s face. The victim reported that nothing from her purse appeared to be missing. The campus police canvassed the surrounding buildings and parking lots for the suspect with negative results.

Tablet left in restroom

A Nexus tablet owned by the college was reported missing on April 15. The reporting party said that he entered the men’s restroom on the second floor of the library with the tablet on April 11. When he got back to his office he said he realized he had left the table behind. He returned to the restroom, but it was occupied. After a few minutes, he returned to the restroom, but the tablet was not there. The reporting party told the officer that he did not report the theft immediately because he wanted to check the lost and found locations the following day.

Compiled by Hannah Davis, hdavis18@jccc.edu

Web-exclusive: “Halo: Silentium” review

April 6, 2013

By David Hurtado

In the final years of the Forerunner Ecumene, the galaxy is in a state of capitulation.

The Flood has returned in force, more than 10,000 years after having seemingly been defeated at the hands of humanity. Thousands of systems across the galaxy have been infested by the parasite and an insidious plan 10 million years in the making is finally coming together.

Halo: Silentium picks up right where Primordium left off, with the Forerunners attempting to pick up the pieces in the wake of the attack on the Capital.

Master Builder Faber has been put on trial by the new council for crimes against the Mantle. The Ur-Didact has been abandoned in a flood infested system by the Master Builder. And the Librarian is preparing to depart for Path Kethona (the Large Magellenic Cloud) in the hopes of learning the origins of the Flood.

As the final book in the Forerunner saga, I cannot imagine a more worthy conclusion to the end of the series. The plot was compelling and many of the questions that long plagued me were finally resolved in the pages of this book.

The origins of the Flood are revealed, more light is shed on the still enigmatic Precursor species and we learn why the Ur-Didact seemed to be completely mad in Halo 4. Still, there are questions that are left unanswered.

We don’t know how the Precursors, a Tier 0 civilization, lost to the ancient Forerunners. Nor do the pages disclose any more on the relationship between Forerunners and Humanity; we know they are similar genetically and both products of the Precursors, but that’s about it.

Unlike the previous two installations in the Forerunner saga, Cryptum and Primordium, Silentium has a considerably different narrative style. In lieu of using one or two characters to tell Silentium’s story, he uses many different voices to spin this tale. Personally, I found it a little difficult to keep track of everything that was going on, with all the different perspectives.

Aside from that, I don’t have many other major complaints. The pacing was excellent in this book. I never found myself bored while reading or utterly overwhelmed with new knowledge. Flipping through the pages, you can almost feel the heightened sense of urgency and suspense of the Forerunners as the Flood slowly closed in; the twilight of their civilization.

Silentium is an intense read; clocking in at 330 pages, it’s a tad shorter than its two predecessors. However, it forces you to read slowly and carefully; there are many small, yet important details hidden in the pages that are easily overlooked.

If there’s anything that could have been improved upon, it was definitely the ending. There was absolutely no tie in with Halo: Primordium, where 343 Guilty Spark takes control of the ONI prowler in search of the Librarian. In comparison, Silentium’s ending felt weak and ineffectual.

All in all, I give this book a 9/10. With its compelling and cohesive narrative tapestry and fresh insights into Forerunner civilization, I don’t regret reading this for a moment.

Contact David Hurtado, staff reporter, at dhurtado@jccc.edu.

Thrift stores recycled back into popularity

April 4, 2013

By Sydney Studer

Either people are taking Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” literally, or people are recognizing they can get popular brands at a next to nothing price.

One of many shops in the area, Savers is a chain of thrift stores that was started in 1954 by a man named William O. Ellison. The first store to open was in San Francisco, California and the chain has expanded to include stores in other parts of the U.S., Canada and Australia. Each store is privately owned and has a local charity where it donates funds.

The customers who come into the stores have been changing in recent years, including the Savers on 95th Street and Nall Avenue in Overland Park.

“We have definitely seen an increase in both sales and traffic, especially among college and high school kids,” Steve Stark, store manager, said.

The cycle of Savers thrift stores begins with who their nonprofit alliance is. In Kansas City, that alliance is Big Brothers Big Sisters. Each time a donation is made to Savers, they pay Big Brothers Big Sisters.

After that, the team of workers at each store sorts the donations. Then, the highest quality donations are priced and placed in the store according to the type of merchandise.

Anna Tucker, student, said she shops in thrift stores that are in higher income areas.

“If you live in areas that have higher income brackets, you can get brand name things for really cheap,” Tucker said. “Here in Overland Park, when you walk into their thrift store, they have silver platters up front and things like that. I can get Talbots and Cold Water Creek and all kinds of brand names for really cheap.”

Even with the increase in traffic and sales, they don’t sell everything they receive. Savers has a recycling program for extra merchandise. This program prevented 600 million pounds of unsold items from being thrown into landfills, according to its website (www.savers.com).

“Whatever items we do not use on our floor does not go into the landfill,” Erika Hopkins, a manager of the Overland Park store, said. “We actually recycle them over to developing countries.”

Besides helping to create a cleaner environment and contributing to helping to fund Big Brothers Big Sisters, Hopkins said there are additional perks to shopping at Savers stores.

“If they come here to the Savers and donate, they receive a 20 percent off coupon,” Hopkins said.

Since the company’s birth, they have opened more than 315 stores and in the last 10 years have paid over $1.5 billion to local non-profits.

Contact Sydney Studer, reporting correspondent, at sstuder1@jccc.edu

Sports briefs: April 4, 2013

April 4, 2013

TENNIS

Both teams faced the top competition in the country over spring break. The Men’s team pulled away from the five day stretch of duels with a 4-3 team record. The Women’s team is still undefeated, with a 8-0 team record after beating three different squads by 5-4. Sophomores Shannon Beckett and Erika Castillo-Lopez have yet to drop a match.

TRACK

Both Men’s and Women’s track teams had strong finishes at the Razorback Invitational hosted by the University of Arkansas. National qualifiers include Sophomore Mark Sitek in the 200m, Sophomore Hayes Grissom and Freshman Derek Webb in the javelin, and sophomore Caniggia Raynor in the hammer and discus. The women’s team had freshmen Maddi Osmundson qualify for javelin, freshman Jalisa Brice qualify for the triple jump and sophomores Monet Jackson and Mikayla Vette qualify in the hammer.

BASEBALL

The Cavs split doubleheaders with both Highland CC and Neosho County, on March 20 and March 29 respectively. Their season record stands at 12-11 while the team is 8-6 in conference play. If the weather cooperates, the squad will host five of their next six doubleheaders.

SOFTBALL

The Lady Cavs have started the season strong with a 15-9 record. The squad is also hoping home field will help them continue to improve on their 8-4 conference record. The team will host their next eight games.

Compiled By Mac Moore, sports editor, at mmoore82@jccc.edu

Man on the street: New liquor bill in Kansas legislature

April 4, 2013

(Click on image to view full-size)

World events: April 4, 2013

April 4, 2013

WE combo — Illustrations by Sara Scherba

Ascendancy to the Papacy

His Holiness, Pope Francis I, was selected on March 13, 2013 as the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church. Formerly the archbishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina, Pope Francis has already made a name for himself despite being relatively new to the Papacy. On Holy Thursday, March 28, the Pope broke with tradition for the foot-washing ceremony, when he washed and kissed the feet of two young women in a detention center. The ceremony traditionally only involves washing the feet of men, signifying when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. Pope Francis is the first non-European Pope and Jesuit to assume the mantle of the Papacy.

Tensions continue to rise along the 38th Parallel

In response to the United States flying stealth bombers over South Korea, Kim Jong-Un’s government issued a fresh barrage of threats on March 29. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea declared it was “entering a state of war” with South Korea. Despite the continuing threats, defense officials at the Pentagon believe the threats to be little more than warmongering rhetoric designed to solidify Kim Jong-Un’s place among his people. The two Koreas have been in a technical state of war since the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice.

Congo war crimes suspect surrenders to US Embassy in Rwanda

Bosco Ntaganda, a fugitive Congolese warlord, surrendered to the United States embassy in Rwanda on March 18, asking to be transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Ntaganda faces charges of conscripting child soldiers, murder, ethnic persecution, sexual slavery and rape during the 2002-2003 conflict in the Ituri district of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Embassy officials were “shocked” by his arrival, and do not know why the warlord decided to surrender so suddenly.

Miners trapped after Tibet landslide

Despite ongoing efforts to recover 83 miners from a landslide in a Tibetan gold mine, rescuers have yet to find any survivors or bodies. The incident occurred on March 29, at about 6 a.m. in Maizhokunggar County, east of Lhasa, the regional capital. The landslide extended nearly two miles and was composed of 2.6 million cubic yards of mud, rock and other debris. According to Xinhua, the Chinese state run news agency, temperatures fell to 26 degrees Fahrenheit, lowering the miners’ likelihood of survival.

Battle-hardened US soldier charged with aiding Al-Qaeda group in Syria

Eric Harroun, a former U.S. army soldier and native of Phoenix, was arrested on March 26 for allegedly aiding Al-Qaeda in Syria against Bashar Al-Asad’s regime. According to the FBI, Harroun fought with the al-Nursa front, which claims responsibility for nearly 600 terrorist attacks in Syria. Harroun served with the U.S. Army from 2000 to 2003 and is not charged with targeting U.S. troops in Iraq. The Pentagon declined to comment on Harroun’s arrest.

Compiled by David Hurtado, staff reporter, at dhurtado@jccc.edu

A missed opportunity

April 4, 2013

By Mac Moore

There was a chance. A chance to put a face on a disorder that is rarely talked about and usually overlooked as shyness. He had all the tools to become that face. Now Royce White is telling the Rio Grande Valley Vipers that he does not want to play for them in the postseason. “Good,” the D-League team says, “he isn’t worth it.”

Royce White has made it clear from the get-go that his anxiety disorder would always be a factor in his game. Considering the pressure of being a basketball player, having a disorder that strikes you the hardest when stress is placed on you cannot be good.

While playing for the Cyclones, White led the team in all five major statistical categories. According to ESPN, White is 6’8” and 270 lbs yet has amazing ball handling skills and athleticism. This led the Rockets to select White 16th overall in the 2012 draft. His potential outweighed the negatives his anxiety disorder brought with it.

It is too bad the anxiety is not the only baggage that White carries. White was suspended for his freshman season at Minnesota for attempting to steal $100 worth of merchandise and running over a security guard.

I just don’t get it. One moment I see White as the possibility that we can teach the masses about anxiety disorder. His first year in the NBA, he held the Rockets accountable for providing the necessary support for mental health issues.

When everything seems to be resolved and White is scheduled to start practicing with the team, the Rockets report that White didn’t show up for practices. After getting the D-League assignment, White refuses to play, saying in a statement that the playing environment was “unsafe”. Yet, without a notable change to the situation, White starts to play for the D-League squad.

I don’t want to speculate, but his mind seemed to change once the Rockets suspended him without pay. Maybe the fight against the bad ole NBA that doesn’t have the correct protocols for dealing with mental health issues is only worth fighting when you can still cash their checks.

The point is all but moot if White doesn’t get on the court. I don’t see a possibility for increasing awareness on the subject if White doesn’t start to become that superstar player that he has the potential to become.

I remember reading the Myron Medcalf article on ESPN.com, right after White put up 18 points and 17 rebounds against my Jayhawks. His anxiety and fear of flying caused him to cancel his visit to Kentucky. This was his life. Nobody can guarantee you a second chance at D-I basketball. White nearly gave up his for a mental health issue that few people even know about.

The debilitating effects of White’s general anxiety disorder took my breath away. I just watched White dominate a college basketball game like few people ever can. Yet his Superman performance doesn’t make him invincible. I know the feeling White felt as he asked his mother to cancel his flight to Lexington.

My first day of classes at JCCC, I sat at the K-10 connector bus stop in Lawrence waiting for the 6:30am bus. Then the 7 o’clock. Then the 7:30. Finally the 8am bus. I couldn’t make myself get on. A cloud covered over my thoughts and emotions.

I had an unnecessary fear of something that had been done for the last 12 years. Sure it’s college. There is an expected level of anxiousness involved with this “new” thing. This is something totally different. As I awaited the bus that would get me to class on time, I threw up. Twice.

A feeling overtook me that day. It’s the same feeling I get when I walk into a room full of strangers. It’s the same feeling I get when I send a text message that I really need a response to. It’s the same feeling I got when I got suspended in junior high for skipping class.

It’s a chill down my spine. It’s tunnel vision. It’s a shaking that takes over my whole body. It is an anti-adrenaline that zaps all your energy. It’s a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. It’s an extreme fear that should be reserved for victims in the Saw franchise. It’s an overload of the brain, worrying about everything and nothing all at the same time.

Like White, I suffer from anxiety. When people joke around about being creatures of habit, I chuckle. If I’m not doing the exact same thing, if I’m introduced to something new, I immediately tense up. My eyes find a spot on the ground so that I can entertain only my thoughts in an effort to calm myself down.

When I first found out that White suffered from anxiety, I assumed this was the chance for people to truly understand. He seemed liked the perfect candidate. Now he’s not even important to a semi-pro team as they enter the post-season. What could have been?

Contact Mac Moore, sports editor, at mmoore82@jccc.edu

Students share passion for singing

April 4, 2013

By Stephen Cook

Although the college’s choirs only meet for three hours a week, they are closely united by one thing: a shared passion for music.

The college has two choirs: the Chamber Choir, made up of anywhere from 20 to 40 students with varying skill levels, and MadRegalia, which is a group of eight of the most talented singers.

Nick Chance, student, sings in both the Chamber Choir and MadRegalia. He received a scholarship for singing in the choir after coming here from KU. Chance, a multi-instrumentalist and drummer for the Kansas City Chiefs drumline, said he finds the human voice unique and special to hear.

“Part of what I really enjoy is hearing the human voice without the technological touch ‘cause most of our world today is technological sound and we kind of lose musicality in that,” Chance said.

Although Chance does not plan on going into a career in music, it is still a passion. For him, it’s something fun that keeps him going.

“[Students in choir are] all going their separate ways for majors, not everyone in choir here is a music major,” Chance said. “It’s a lot of fun to see how far people can progress toward a similar goal from such different backgrounds.”

The choir comes together under the direction of Dr. Terri Teal, professor of vocal music, who is the leader of the two choirs at the college. The choirs put on approximately two concerts a semester, in addition to participating in special events around and off campus.

Although the choirs work hard, Teal said her biggest obstacle as a teacher is getting students up to speed in their sight reading.

“I think life is too short to learn everything by rote. We could do more music and go faster [with better sight reading].”

With this in mind, Teal said she tries to choose “good choral literature” that is appropriate for her choirs.

“I do not want to give them something they will lose at, I will give them as challenging as I think they can win and sing well and learn from,” Teal said. “We usually pull ‘em off and I think part of that’s because I think I choose well for my students.”

One of Teal’s favorite parts about the choirs at the college is the learning process, being able to push her students and hold them to a “pretty high standard.”

“I feel like I really can help people wherever they are become better, get more skilled, get more choral skills learn more music, learn how to sing more musically,” Teal said. “I find that my students … really love music and that love for music and the passion for it and the passion for singing and the choral arts … makes them more open to making mistakes and learning and trying to improve and trying to get better and that is really, really fun. I love thinking about where we start and where we end up and how far it goes.”

This journey has helped student Alex Velasquez improve his conducting skills as well. Velasquez is another one of the eight students who sings in the MadRegalia choir. Velasquez was able to work with Teal to take a private conducting course which allowed him to conduct and rehearse with the chamber group for a piece in time for their concert. Velasquez described this as his “favorite experience with the choir.”

“It’s like I got to experience both sides of music, both being in charge of making it happen and then actually doing the playing,” Velasquez said. “If it weren’t for my time here at the choir, I would have never gotten to do something that neat before.”

Velasquez said with each semester he feels more and more at home in the choir, growing to become friends with other members.

“My favorite aspect about the choir is probably still the feeling I have for everyone there, my strong friendship ties with the members in the choir,” Velasquez said. “It would not be the same choir without those people and the relationship among members of the ensemble is one of the key elements to a great ensemble.”

That sense of relationship rings true for Chance as well. He said although members come and go from the choir, they have still been able to bond and sustain a friendship.

“The MadRegalia choir has really become a very close knit second family to me,” Chance said. “The other part of what makes this so great is that we get to share it with people … and show people how much it means to us, and hopefully to them.”

From group to group, Teal said it is the students that make the choirs special. They let their love of singing and music be the final thing when it comes to how they approach what they do together.

“I actually think choirs are one of our last communities, we can’t do it technologically, we can’t do it online,” Teal said, “We have to come together and make a community and we have to live together and we have to work together, despite our differences.”

Contact Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, at scook35@jccc.edu

Police briefs – April 4, 2013

April 4, 2013

ANGRY STUDENT IN THE ATB

Campus police were called on March 26 when a student became upset with his instructor. The instructor told the officers the student, in a rage, made statements about her and her job, and then left the classroom as soon as she called the police. Several students witnessed the altercation, and the enraged student was identified. The instructor was advised to contact the police department if she had further problems with the individual.

THEFT IN FITNESS CENTER

The victim of a theft contacted police on March 27. She stated she left her car keys, yellow leather purse, Apple headphones wrapped around an iPhone, and $4 in a storage bin in the gym fitness center. When she returned twenty minutes later, everything except her iPhone was gone. The investigation is ongoing.

WALLET THEFT

A second theft was reported in the gym fitness center on March 27. The victim reported that his wallet was missing. The wallet contained numerous credit cards, a debit card and documents from his home country. The investigation is ongoing.

SUSPICIOUS SKI MASK

Campus police were contacted for a suspicious party call on March 28. It was reported that an individual, wearing a full ski mask, appeared to be meditating on the top of the hill next to the COM building. Upon contacting the individual, the officer recognized him. This individual was dressed in a similar manner last semester, and the police had been called then. At that time, and on this contact, the individual was advised that both his actions and the manner in which he dressed may cause further police dispatches. The individual apologized for the inconvenience.

Compiled by Hannah Davis, news editor, at hdavis18@jccc.edu

News briefs – April 4, 2013

April 4, 2013

DEBATE TEAMS ADVANCED TO ELIMINATION ROUNDS

Two debate teams from the college advanced to elimination rounds at the Cross-Examination Debate Association national tournament at Idaho State University on March 23 and 24.

The novice team, Tabi Secor and Blaire Warren, advanced to the quarterfinals of the novice breakout, which is a separate elimination round for students in their first year of debate. They won several preliminary rounds against Sacramento State University, City University of New York and New School— New York City. Justin Stanley, coach of the debate team, called this “a very impressive accomplishment.”

The second team, David Cuellar and Daniel Plott, made it to the elimination round after their 5-3 preliminary round record. The pair then lost in their first elimination round to the University of Wyoming.

David Cuellar was also selected to participate on the 2013 All-American Debate Team. Only 30 debaters in the United States are given this honor. These debaters are chosen based on academic success, competitive success and overall value to their squad.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING TIME CHANGED

The Johnson County Community College board of trustees will meet on April 18 at 4 p.m. instead of 5 p.m.

The rescheduled meeting will take place in the Hugh Speer board room, GEB 137.

TWO PARKING GARAGES TO BE CLOSED

On Friday, April 5, two parking garages will be closed temporarily. The south half of the Regnier Center garage will close at 11 a.m. and reopen at noon. The lower west garage by the Carlsen Center will close at 7 a.m. and will reopen at 9:45 a.m.

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO INTERVIEW PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

The trustees will interview Edward E. Raspiller on April 9 at 4 p.m., Joseph M. Sopcich on April 16 at 4 p.m., and Richard G. Shrubb on April 24 at 4 p.m. These meetings will take place in the Hugh Speer board room located in GEB 137.

Each candidate will spend two days on the campus, meeting with students, faculty, staff, Johnson county residents and the college’s Foundation board.

The presidential search committee, which was created to review the candidates’ applications, intends to bring a recommendation to the trustees by May.

Compiled by Hannah Davis, news editor, at hdavis18@jccc.edu

Cavalier star watch: Hayes Grissom

April 4, 2013

By Mac Moore

Sophomore Hayes Grissom is a javelin thrower for the Men’s Outdoor Track and Field team. Last year at the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) National Championships, Grissom placed second with his top throw of 63.74 meters. Grissom placed fourth at the Arkansas Spring Invitational on March 29-30 with a throw of 64.01 meters.

The Indoor team finished their season on a strong note, do you think that there will be any drop off between then and the start of the outdoor season?

Not really. Our coach keeps us pretty busy. If anything, I’d say we took advantage of that time off to continue to improve and get stronger.

What are your expectations for the season, both personally and as a team?

I expect my teammates to set new personal records. I’ve seen all the countless hours and hard work they’ve put in. I’ve been right there with them. There’s no reason they can’t be some of the best competitors in their events. As for myself, I expect nothing less than a national championship. I’ve sacrificed a lot to get where I am and I honestly believe I cannot fail in achieving the success I desire.

What will be the biggest obstacle in the way of a national championship?

The biggest obstacle I face is a probably how excited and psyched I get right before I compete. I usually harness it pretty well but I definitely over think my goals and let the excitement get to me in some of the bigger meets, like Arkansas or KU Relays.

Favorite Movie

Pulp Fiction or Cool Runnings

Favorite Artist

These days it’s Ellie Goulding. The Bassnectar remix of her song “Lights” gets me pretty pumped to throw.

Contact Mac Moore, sports editor, at mmoore82@jccc.edu

Son of HeLa cell donor visits the college

April 4, 2013

By Michael Fancella

Immortality means many things to different people. In the case of a young black woman named Henrietta Lacks, immortality means to truly live forever, biologically speaking.

In 1951, Lacks went to John Hopkins Hospital with concerns about a tumor. That tumor ended her life, but some samples of the cells in and around the tumor were extracted. The cells were hearty and grew at an amazing rate, even taking over cells around them. These cells have become famous in medical science, referred to as HeLa cells after the deceased donor. They were most famously used in the experiments that led to the polio vaccine.

In 2009, Rebecca Sloots authored the book “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” detailing the situation surrounding her story. This book has been discussed in many classes at the college, including nursing, dental hygiene and English classes.

Lacks’ son David and his wife Shirley are touring colleges and answering questions students have about the information Sloots presented in her book. On March 28, English professor Danny Alexander moderated an open discussion with David “Sonny” Lacks and his wife in the Polsky Theatre.

“David and Shirley Lacks have been touring schools for months,” Alexander said. “There were some health issues that might have caused concern, but I feel the interview went well and we are definitely glad to have them here.”

David Lacks was four years old when his mother Henrietta passed. His only memory of his mother is the funeral, “Something I will always treasure,” David said.

Deborah, David’s deceased sister, was the family member from which Sloots drew most of her information. Both Shirley and David recounted anecdotes of Deborah, calling her quite the family character. Perhaps the best description given of her was the hamster story, in which she performed mouth to mouth on a dying hamster.

“Who does that?” David said. “I’m going to put a straightjacket on her.”

The issues of racism and cultural differences came up during the discussions. Alexander said he was “schooled on the racial and cultural issues” presented in the book.

In response, Shirley said, “Times have changed, but the older generation keep [racial issues] in the forefront.”

David expressed a great deal of admiration for his mother. He felt she would be proud of her legacy, and he expressed pride in his family for donating tissue and cell samples during the 1950s.

During the discussion, David also told of his experience when he visited John Hopkins Hospital, and how it was fascinating to “see the [HeLa] cells divide, multiply, and take over other cells.”

Henrietta Lacks has supplied science with a series of experiments with her HeLa cells. Modern ethical code no longer allows for cells to be taken without the consent of the donor.

David feels the good the cells have done are adequate compensation. Shirley would like to see the profits from the research used to provide healthcare for those who cannot afford it.

While a great deal of attention is given to the medical advancements the HeLa cells facilitated, David has a different view of his mother. To him she is a hero, but most importantly, “She was a mother, she was a wife, she was a person,” he said.

Contact Michael “Bernie” Fancella, special to the Ledger, at mfancell@jccc.edu

Board approves raising student tuition

April 4, 2013

By David Hurtado

The Board of Trustees voted to increase tuition for the next academic year by $1 per credit hour at their March 14 meeting.

“Through the fiscal year 2013-2014 budget process, a need was identified for additional funding for the Student Activities Fund,” said Jerry Cook, trustee. “The primary purpose of the fund is to provide scholarships, and we all know there’s a need for that out there. As tuition has increased in the past few years, the credit hour fee for scholarships has not increased.”

The Board of Trustees last voted to raise student tuition at their Feb. 16 meeting during the spring 2012 semester. The increase went toward classroom furniture and equipment.

Prior to the Board’s decision, tuition for Johnson County residents cost $81 per credit hour.

Contact David Hurtado, staff reporter, at dhurtado@jccc.edu

The robot invasion has arrived

April 4, 2013

By Stephen Cook

They always say if science fiction can think it up, it will happen.

So where is the robot invasion? Well, it’s already here – just look around.

According to a report released by the International Data Corporation (IDC), 79 percent of smartphone users reach for their devices within 15 minutes of waking up. Then throughout the day, they will go on to check Facebook an average of 14 times from their phone. And that’s just Facebook – Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and all the others just add on to that!

Now tell me that doesn’t sound robotic.

I’m not saying that checking your Facebook is wrong, I’m just saying that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. We are becoming gluttonous with the interwebz.

That, in turn, is morphing us into creatures who would rather spend time with a computer or a phone chatting with one of our 2,000 “friends” than with actual, 3-D, living, breathing friends.

I know, unfortunately, we are a campus where folks would rather look at their phone in order to avoid eye contact with the person next to them; it’s an easy way out. But look at it this way, what are you missing by always staring at a tiny screen?

I’ll be honest and admit I often check Facebook or Twitter before classes, but it’s good to put away the phone and look up, look around and talk to people. It’s refreshing to stop and think without the distraction of the blue glow. Also, even if you are checking your phone, you can still be aware of your surroundings and be courteous to others. Besides, hunching over and holding your phone three inches away from your face is bad on your eyes and your neck.

The modern smartphone may be an amazing invention, but it is obviously both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it allows us to communicate with anyone in the world in a matter of seconds. On the other hand, it’s turning us from compassionate human beings into computerized machines. Instead of verbally socializing with others face to face, we thrive through faceless, emotionless, often poorly-spelled words on a screen.

As we go into spring, nicer weather should hopefully arrive soon. Try to spend time outside, meet with others face to face or take up a new hobby or interest. Slow down, relax and take some time to think about what matters in life.

After all, what will you look back on? The cat memes that you posted on your friends’ walls or the actual time you spent together with your friends?

Contact Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, at scook35@jccc.edu.

Bar Trek: The search for mom and pop

April 4, 2013

By Jon Parton

There’s a corporate formula for everything. From where the products in a grocery store are located to the amount of lighting filling the store. Howl at the Moon feels like it was built by test groups.

Howl at the Moon, located at 1334 Grand Blvd. within the Power and Light district, is part of a chain of dueling piano bars.

It features a stage with two baby grand pianos and two or more entertainers who take song requests from the audience. The concept hearkens back to American cabaret shows of the Roaring Twenties, when restaurants and bars featured live jazz music and dance.

They charge a ten dollar cover to get in on a Saturday night. This is one of the worst complaints I could ever have for any bar. In addition to spending money on drinks, you’re forced to spend money just to get in the door.

This wasn’t an amusement park. The place wasn’t big enough to house an indoor roller coaster. The idea of paying money for the privilege of paying even more money is ludicrous.

Back to the formula, there are some things every corporate establishment needs. First, they need a lot of neon signs. Check. Second, they need the female wait staff to wear skimpy outfits. Check. Third, they have to offer weird or unique drinks. Check.

A waitress approached us shortly after we got in, offering us some weird drink served from a huge fake syringe. We passed on her offer. Instead, like any classy bar patron would, we ordered a “bucket of booze” called the Hurricane.

It was a combination of rum, dark rum, grenadine, orange and pineapple syrup, Bacardi 151 and cola. Although I’m not much of a mixed drink type of guy, I have to admit the combination of fruity flavors mixed well with the cola.

Unfortunately, the bucket wasn’t stirred very well, leaving most of the bottom of the bucket with a strong taste of rum. That’s not something you want to drink out of a straw. It definitely wasn’t worth the 35 dollars I paid for it.

The entertainers were the best part of our experience. They kept the atmosphere lively with covers of famous pop, rock, country and even rap songs.

Another positive aspect was the people watching experience of our visit. A man was celebrating his 50th birthday that night and brought his friends with him. It’s always fun to watch people try their best to dance.

We were less than impressed with the level of noise in the bar. Although it’s expected to run into loud volumes at most bars, it’s downright annoying when you have to shout to the person next to you in order to communicate.

We cut out of the place after about 40 minutes. The quality of the show wasn’t worth the quality of the booze and the noise of the place. Although I wouldn’t completely write the bar off, I probably wouldn’t go again unless I was with a large group of people.

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

College seeks replacement system for ANGEL

April 4, 2013

By Sara Maleki

The college is investigating proposals for a new Learning Management System (LMS) which would gradually phase out the current system, ANGEL.

Procurement Services is one of the departments involved in the process of finding a new LMS.

“JCCC Procurement Services facilitates the expenditure of college funds in a manner that maximizes the ultimate value and meets the college’s needs, consistent with Board of Trustee’s policies as well as statutes and other guidelines,” said Gary Cromer, senior buyer.

The process of finding a new LMS system involves inviting various companies, such as Blackboard, to submit proposals to the college. At the end of February, a request for proposals (RFP) was released, with a deadline of March 7. Procurement Services at the college provide open opportunities for companies to make proposals and defines the terms and conditions of the proposal.

The RFP contains basic ‘yes and no’ questions for companies to answer in order to identify a suitable LMS for the college. Questions for companies include ‘Does the LMS support mobile learning?’ and ‘Can students create their own portfolio?’

Prior to using ANGEL, the college used the Web CT system. The ANGEL system was developed in 2002 by the University of Indiana, and has been used by the college since 2008. In 2009, ANGEL was acquired by Blackboard, which has also acquired other competitor learning systems, such as Prometheus.

An updated LMS is needed to fit the needs of students and faculty. The options for mobile technology, sending texts to students and the use of ANGEL on iPads, are not available under the current system.

“ANGEL has worked well,” said Ed Lovitt, director for distance learning. “[There is] the option of staying with Blackboard, but [we] owe it to students and faculty to see what changes are available.”

On March 27, a Student Senate Town Hall meeting sought student opinions on what features were important in an LMS.

The current system has received some positive feedback from students, such as Ben Anderson.

“I think ANGEL is a pretty efficient way of checking my grades and homework”, Anderson said.

However, other students think there is room for improvement.

“I’m not a huge fan of ANGEL,” said Kelsey Sparrow. “I think it’s too hard to get to see your grades[…] a good change would be to make grades easier to see and have them automatically update.”

In April, three companies will be invited to the campus to demonstrate the features and functionality of their systems. Students and faculty will have the opportunity to fill out survey sheets to provide feedback on how well these companies answered their questions.

“The first priority is to meet student and faculty needs,” Lovitt said.

In making a decision about the potential choices, the college will look at whether other schools are currently using the system, and whether the LMS can be customized to the college. The final decision will be made in May, taking into account feedback from faculty and students.

If a new LMS is adopted by the college, it will be run parallel alongside ANGEL over the course of one year, with spring 2014 being the final semester with ANGEL. Washburn University, which also used ANGEL, has now switched to another LMS, and will phase out ANGEL by the fall 2013 semester.

The final decision about a new LMS will be approved by the Board of Trustees, and students will be informed of any changes to the LMS by August.

Contact Sara Maleki, reporting correspondent, at smaleki@jccc.edu

Monthly Archives: April 2013