Honors Bulletin 4/5/21

Message from Honors Director, Anne Dotter

Dear Honors Students,

Today marks a turning-point in the history of the COVID-19 pandemic: not that numbers have changed dramatically yet, but that JCCC is reopening its doors to students! The Honors Program will be open every day, from 8 until 5pm. Nellie, Tara, Ano, Kat and I will take turns keeping our doors open: when you stop by to say hello, you can expect one of us to be there to greet you!

While we have not yet been given the thumbs up to host events and other fun activities, we are planning on welcoming you back to the honors students’ lounge and in the honors learning studio! Again, this will not be a free-for-all but a planned and mindful return to something closer to pre-Covid times: individual students will be able to reserve the front room of the lounge while small groups (up to four students) will be able to reserve the learning studio for a few hours at a time. It isn’t much, but it’s better than what we had last week. Baby steps!

This reopening of JCCC’s doors should by no means be seen as marking the end of the pandemic nor be an encouragement to drop all precautions. In fact, my own children became direct contacts two weeks ago during school activities, which pushed our family under a mandatory quarantine all last week. COVID-19 is very real and most certainly present in our communities. Please, be careful and use all necessary precautions when you are in public spaces where you might be exposed to the virus.

Do not hesitate to reach out to me, to the honors staff or other JCCC staff if you have questions about any aspects of our plan to keep you safe on campus and the very best ways for you to contribute to a prompt(ish) return to normal. No amount of calling these times “unprecedented” will make them better. It is really hard, and I am as tired of social distancing as the next person. All we can do is focus on what we have control over: keep up your efforts to achieve success in all your classes, show kindness to others and contribute to the good of your community as you are able.

Stay strong and be well,

Anne

 

This Week in Honors:

  • Honors Hangout—Favorite Media 4/8 @ 3:00

Under Covid, many of us have indulged a little more than we usually would in mini-series and other mediated content. Do you have lingering regrets having devoted hours to a show that let you down? Do you have recommendations for must-see films of series? Join us at 3:00pm on Thursday, 4/8, to share your experience!

https://jccc.zoom.us/j/98538564812

  • Sign up to use the Honors Study Lounge or Learning Studio!
  • The honors lounge and classroom are now available for during the The Honors Program will now be open every day, M-F from 8:00 AM-5:00 PM and the study lounge and honors classroom will be available for your use! You must sign up in advance for   one-hour increments and all social distancing rules will apply. Click here to reserve a spot in either the lounge or the honors classroom!
  • PTK Kansas/Nebraska Regional Convention and International Catalyst Convention—both April 8-10.

This year the PTK Kansas/Nebraska Regional Convention and the International Catalyst Convention will both be virtual and take place on the same weekend: April 8-10! These events are great opportunities to learn more about the benefits of Phi Theta Kappa membership for PTK members.

Here’s how to join the fun:

    • Kansas Nebraska Regional Conference: (See attached agenda)https://zoom.us/j/7429763539
    • Catalyst: (PTK Members) Watch for viewing links to be sent directly to you this week. Make sure to review and update your email address and preferences atorg to ensure you receive these event communications. Here’s how:
      • Go to thePTK Members Page and click the Login button;
      • Enter your login credential.
      • Click your name once it appears to view and edit your preferences.

For all the latest PTK Catalyst news and the count down to the Opening General Session, follow PTK on social media: @phithetakappa

Make sure to follow JCCC’s PTK chapter for chances to win some PTK Swag:

 

This week “on” campus:

  • Explore the World: Hidden Gems in the Americas—4/7 @ 2:00 PM

Journey deeper into Central and South America as we delve into food, culture and spots that make these destinations unique. Among others, Honors Program alumna Mary Anne Matos will be sharing about her homeland of Brazil!

https://www.jccc.edu/academics/credit/international-education/global-speaker-series.html

Mark your Calendars:

  • Honors Student Association Meeting—4/13 @ 3:30 PM

https://jccc.zoom.us/j/96723646892

  •  Virtual Emerging Professional Workshop—4/13 1:00-5:30 PM

Get Career Ready! Impress potential employers! Enroll today in the Emerging Professionals Workshop, sponsored by the Career Development Center. Get your resume reviewed and learn the latest trends in branding yourself and communication professionally with LinkedIN and social media. Develop life-long skills that will put you ahead of the competition.

Attend all four workshops or just one:

      • 1:00-1:30 Resume Review
      • 1:30-2:30 Resume Workshop
      • 2:30-3:45 Interviewing Techniques
      • 3:50-4:30 Branding
      • 4:35-5:30 Communicating Professionally

-Registered students who attend 2 of the 4 modules and the final virtual networking event on April 27th will receive a Certificate of Completion and a FREE leather portfolio.

  •  Celebrating Our Loved Ones—4/15 @ 12:30 PM

“Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day…unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed and very dear” (Unknown). Please join the Multicultural Programming Advisory Council to celebrate loved ones who have passed away. RSVP for the event by emailing Robbie Miller at rmille98@jccc.edu If you are interested in sharing your story about a loved one who has passed away, please let Robbie know.

  •  Great Decisions Series—4/15 @ 2:00 PM

Stay in the know of the world around you with Great Decisions Spring 2021! Curious about the impact of recent developments in the world economy, foreign conflicts and more? Join us each month for discussions on relevant topics hosted by International and Immigrant Student Services.

Great Decisions sessions are from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursdays:

      • April 15th – The Korea Peninsula
      • May 6th – Global Supply Chains

All meetings are via Zoom, with short recommended readings sent beforehand. Contact Dessa Crum, dcrum2@jccc.edu, Coordinator, International and Immigrant Student Services, to subscribe to the mailing list. See you there!

  • April 15 is the last day to withdraw with a “W” or request a pass/fail grade option for a full-semester course.
  • Fall Enrollment is around the corner!
    • Fall pre-enrollment begins on Apr 19-21 at 8 a.m.
    • Open enrollment begins on Apr 21 at 9 p.m. on the web.
  • Epicenter 2021-Policy and the Art of Sustainability—4/19 12:00-2:00 PM

Epicenter 2021 has been designed specifically for high school juniors and seniors and college students who want to understand their part in activism as well as the arts.

At the conference, you’ll:

    • Find out how federal environmental policy might evolve in the next few years
    • Explore how you can be a change-maker through activism and the arts
    • Listen to professionals who offer hope and have passion for our planet

Register today!  Stay tuned to jccc.edu/epicenter!

  • Poetry Workshop # 2: “Making a Good Poem Great”—4/14 @ 1:00-2:00 PM

Fine-tune what you have created! Get experienced feedback and help to polish and refine your poem.

Led by Professor Tom Reynolds and assisted by Professor Beth Gulley

https://jccc.zoom.us/j/97731770068?pwd=bmtYbzNBUEVuNTBWQ3A1M3Nhak9jQT09

  • Black Student Union 2021 Poetry Slam-4/31 @1:00-2:00 PM

CONTESTANTS WANTED: To Enter, please contact Professor Cathy Schrag at cschrag@jccc.edu

AUDIENCE MEMBERS NEEDED: Please come and support your fellow JCCC students and listen to Original and Inspirational Poetry!

https://jccc.zoom.us/j/95339116716?pwd=SmxzT0NBN0c0MU51elpDT05lUjV2dz09

 Poems performed at the Slam must be:

    • 3 minutes or less
    • Original
    • Appropriate
    • Written in any genre or style
    • Basic Poetry Slam Rules: Taken from Hullabaloo – A Project of Vancouver Poetry House – https://youthslam.ca/slam-clubs/rules/

First Place $100, Second Place $50, and Third Place $25

  • Honors Symposium—4/27

The Honors Symposium will be a virtual experience this year. This means that you will record your presentation ahead of time and it will be posted to the Honors blog. The Honors Symposium videos will be available to viewers for the first time on April 27th. For a week, we will expect interaction between “audience members” and presenters in the comment boxes available to this very end.

We recommend that you record your video in Yuja. Step by step of how to do so: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UgbybwHyxQJR77A1Yj-nnln5A908-qWT/view. In order to best promote the symposium, when you send your video, please be sure to submit a short description of your presentation (abstract). This is so we can make the blog as compelling as possible, easy for guests to navigate, and to send teasers out to our community!  Please plan on submitting your video recording no later than Monday, April 19th to Anne Dotter, adotter@jccc.edu

  • Presentation from the Institute for Indigenous Studies at Lehigh University—4/28 @ 3:00 PM

Sheila North (Cree) will be screening her film, 1200+, about murdered and missing Indigenous women in Canada.  Sheila is the founder of the #MMIW movement in Canada.  She will be discussing what’s going on up there after the film.  For Zoom Links, contact Sean Daley at smdaley@lehigh.edu.

Often times we are put in situations where we have to decide if we want or can follow the leaders that are before us. But how often do we look in the mirror and ask ourselves would we follow ourselves? Do you have the talents and skills and you admire in leaders? What characteristics are you lacking?

In this leadership keynote, we will take an old business approach and reframe it for a more personal leadership approach by starting with assessing ourselves first to determine if we are being the best leader that anyone would want to follow at any time. Sara gives tips and strategies on how to overcome that fear and create the largest impact as a leader.

Other Opportunities:

  • Clubbies: Clubs & Orgs Award Nominations Now Open

For more details and to access the nomination form, click here. Nominations will be accepted through 4/19.

  • Sexual Assault Awareness Month Events

 

  • The Sustainability Challenge

How do you live sustainably? Do you recycle? Do you grow your own plants? Do you buy sustainable items? Do you use or create renewable energy? Come up with a creative way to tell us how you live sustainably! Student Senate will award prizes to the top 3 most creative submissions! For more details: https://jccc.campuslabs.com/engage/event/7042506

JCCC has received additional, limited funding through the Federal Government, which is available to current Spring 2021 credit students.

To qualify, a JCCC student must be currently enrolled in 3 or more credit hours and have a 2020-21 FAFSA on file. Students meeting the minimum criteria will have the application available in their scholarship portal through MyJCCC.

Contact Financial Aid at finaid@jccc.edu or 913-469-3840 with any questions.

  •  Kansas Micro-Internship

The Kansas Micro-Internship Program provides an opportunity for students to connect with Kansas-based companies and non-profit organizations through short-term, paid professional opportunities. Micro-internships provide students with paid opportunities to demonstrate skills, explore career paths, and develop professional networks. To see a list of companies participating in this program and other information, click here.

Note: 20 hours of work through this program will allow you to satisfy one honors exploratory requirement by filling a reflection upon completion.

Steps to get started:

    1. Complete the Agile Work Profilerand upload a PDF of your results into the Documents section of your Parker Dewey profile.
    2. Create your account on Parker Dewey.Be sure to add Kansas Micro-Internship Program to your profile in the Affiliations section.
    3. Apply to all projects that interest you.
  •  Research Fellowship & Mentorship

The Center for Black, Brown, and Queer Studies (BBQ+) is an independent Center dedicated to interdisciplinary research, pedagogy, and mentorship in critical race, Indigenous, postcolonial, and queer studies. Our fellowship brings together a diverse group of scholars from undergraduates to postgraduates working across these fields in a collaborative and supportive environment.

Applications for the 2021-22 academic year are open. See below for more information or click here to apply.

Stay in the Know…

  • Sign up to use the Honors Study Lounge or Learning Studio!

The honors lounge and classroom are now available for during the The Honors Program will now be open every day, M-F from 8:00 AM-5:00 PM and the study lounge and honors classroom will be available for your use! You must sign up in advance for   one-hour increments and all social distancing rules will apply. Click here to reserve a spot in either the lounge or the honors classroom!

    • Time to plan your Summer & Fall schedule!
    • Summer 2021 Pre-enrollment: April 5th through 7th
    • Fall 2021 Pre-enrollment: April 19th through 21st

For assistance with planning your schedule, you are encouraged to reach out to  one of our designated honors counselors (Natalie Bergman nbergma1@jccc.edu  & Melanie Roberts mrober64@jccc.edu )! To schedule an advising appointment, call 913-469-3809 and identify yourself as an Honors Student.

Check out the list of honors courses for Summer and Fall here Honors Summer and Fall 2021 Course Schedule and Descriptions.pdf

Important semester deadlines and enrollment steps can be found in the following documents:

Summer 2021 Academic Calendar.pdf

Fall 2021 Academic Calendar.pdf

  • Presentation help

At the end of the spring semester, many of us prepare presentations. There is help on campus! You can schedule one-on-one Zoom meetings with any one of our librarians at https://jccc.libcal.com/appointments?lid=144&g=679 .  In addition, librarians are available for research questions almost 80 hours per week at  https://library.jccc.edu/home/ask .

The impact of COVID-19 has created a new world of stress for students and many do not know where to turn. Please know that JCCC counselors are available to help and are trained to address the mental health needs of students. Counselors will assist students with on-campus resources, finding community support, or a referral to our student assistance program for therapy. Additional resources can be found at https://www.jccc.edu/student-resources/personal-counseling.

If you are personally struggling with a personal, academic, career or any other mental health concern, or know of another student who is struggling, JCCC counselors are available to assist with any questions or concerns and can be reached by either calling 913-469-3809 or by sending an email to advise@jccc.edu.

Please take action if you or someone you know is in immediate danger or having suicidal ideation and get help immediately:

Are you a student in need of food, housing, transportation, or technology for school? If so, visit the Student Basic Needs Center in COM 319. The center is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. Additional information about the services of the Student Basic Needs Center may be found at http://www.jccc.edu/basicneedscenter, or by contacting Steve Franklin, Coordinator, Student Basic needs at basicneeds@jccc.edu.

Located on the first floor of Billington Library, the Academic Resource Center is your one-stop shop for free tutoring and assistance for your credit classes. It has a large study area, a library assistant who will help you find where you need to go, and the new Stacks Cafe serving coffee and snacks. Services are still on a limited in-person basis, but you can get help online or via Zoom appointments. Each resource center has different options. Learn more by watching the following video: https://youtu.be/VEtS5QCSIZs

Need sources to keep up on local and national news?  Login to these resources with your MyJCCC username and student ID #.

Here are direct links to just a few:

 

 

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