Experience Black Excellence at the Black Owned Business Expo

Looking for a way to celebrate Black History Month? Attend the Black Owned Business Expo hosted by the Black Student Union (BSU), Wednesday, Feb. 26 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. in CoLab OCB 100. You’ll have the opportunity to learn from more than 45 local black businesses from the KC metro area. 

At 12:30 p.m., Elaina Paige Thomas will come out as the event’s keynote speaker. She is the CEO and Founder of Next Paige Talent Agency, Kansas City’s first black owned talent management and production agency. Elaina Paige Thomas has over 15 years of industry experience, using that to help many people achieve their dreams and true potential through her agency. 

The expo is the perfect way to support Black History Month. You can win prizes such as jewelry, food, hair products, home decor, and many more, as well as support the black student union and show some love to the black businesses in attendance. The experience demonstrates black excellence in the form of entrepreneurial prowess.  

– Mckenzie Hollinshed

2025 Hare & Bell Writing Contest

The 2025 edition of the Hare & Bell Writing Contest is open, with submissions accepted through March 7.

The Hare & Bell Writing Contest “is an endeavor of Johnson County Community College focused on celebrating and awarding excellent academic student writing. Within our educational scheme, Hare & Bell amplifies academic competence of JCCC students,” according to the organizers. 

The contest, which takes place annually, accepts submissions of academic writings. The first-place winner will be awarded $500, second place $300, and third place $100. The contest is also a great way to win prestige for your academic writing. Contest winners will be recognized during the 2025 Cavalier Conference in Writing and Literature on April 11.

For more information on the submission process and requirements, click here.

Entry deadline: Friday March 7, 2025

To see submissions from past editions, click here.

This contest is sponsored by the JCCC Writing Center.

 – Baptiste Raffin

A Little More About Playwright Martin McDonagh

Students who have watched or are planning on watching, “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” here on the JCCC campus, may have heard of the man behind the show. Martin McDonagh, a British-Irish filmmaker and playwright. He is infamous for his intense and dark humor and has produced several movies and plays that have won numerous awards.

McDonagh was born on March 26, 1970, in Camberwell, London. He is most famous for producing “In Bruges,” “Seven Psychopaths” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” With one Oscar under his belt, over 90 other awards and over 180 nominations, Mcdonagh shows no sign of stopping. 

With one of his earliest plays, “The Beauty Queen of Leenane,” written in 1997, he got one of his first nominations. With his newest project “Wild Horse Nine,” in pre-production, there is a likely chance that it will see a nomination or award.

– Zach Jewell

All the languages to explore at JCCC

Στο JCCC διατίθενται πέντε μαθήματα ξένων γλωσσών. That is, according to Google translate, “Five foreign language courses are available at JCCC” in Greek. 

However, here at JCCC, we do not offer Greek. But we do offer German, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Japanese. 

If you are still reading this, I would imagine that you can read English and have some sort of interest in learning more languages. JCCC offers a vast range of classes pertaining to the five choices, with some of them being intermediate level classes, or more advanced topics like conversational classes. Or, if you don’t have a brain like me (just kidding!), maybe JCCC’s elementary level classes might suit you. Brushing past the jokes, here at JCCC you can find what works for you. You can find more info here.

– Patrick Ravanesi