The Campus Ledger - Vol. 35, Issue 14

APRIL 18, 2013 VOL. 35

ISS. 14

CAMPUSLEDGER

the

OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN PUBLICATION OF JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, OVERLAND PARK, KS

GEEK GENERATION the

HOW SWIMMING AGAINST THE STREAM BECAME MAINSTREAM

PROFILE ON PROFESSOR AND TRAVELER PATRICK DOBSON

AN INSiDE LOOK At the MOTORCYCLE program

WHY THE COLLEGE DOESN’T HAVE A FOOTBALL TEAM

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NEWS

APRIL 18, 2013 VOL 35

NEWS BRIEFS 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,

ISSUE 14

POLICEBRIEFS 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.

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

Compiled by Hannah Davis, hdavis18@jccc.edu

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WORLDEVENTS Budget cuts ground Blue Angels, some Air Force combat planes 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 alQaeda’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 yearold 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

NEWS 3

Illustration by Sara Scherba

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, at dhurtado@jccc.edu

CAVALIER Q&A: Should LGBT citizens have the right to marry?

Virginia Roche

Cesar Moreno

“With same sex marriage, I believe in equality, that everyone should be treated like everyone else. Whether it is by quote-onquote marriage, or union or any kind of form like that, everybody should be able to be treated the same. If the LGBT community wants to be married and miserable like everyone else, hey, go for it. I feel it’s one of those things that has to be left up to the states.”

“Of course. Anybody should be able to marry, gender doesn’t matter. I’m not married or anything, but it really shouldn’t matter. It doesn’t harm anyone.

Logan Coleman Brandon Dearing “Absolutely. I have nothing in between two people being happy. If two people want to be happy and they both consent to marriage, then we have no right to stop them from doing so. I feel like it’s completely a personal issue, I don’t feel state’s and federal law have anything to do with it. The only reason it hasn’t gone forward is because of the personal issue people have and the religious issue that it causes.”

“Personally and morally I don’t believe that because I am a Christian, but I would leave it up for each state. I would let them vote, which is what we have been doing and I would just leave it to them. The federal government should be regulating more high priorities like that, while I think each state is different and unique they should be dealing with that on their own.”

Nnedima Anya “I feel that everyone has the right to marry. However, I think that everybody should get civil unions to start out with. Get a civil union for five years if you’re gay, straight, lesbian or whatever; if you can do it for five years, then we’ll grant you a marriage.”

Compiled by David Hurtado, photos by Andrew Shepherd

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NEWS

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ISSUE 14

Brownback signs public employee union bill

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.

SEE ‘UNION’ CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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NEWS 5

Assessing threats on campus

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

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SEE ‘THREATS’ CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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JAN. 31, 2013 VOL. 35

ISS. 09

CAMPUSLEDGER

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OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN PUBLICATION OF JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, OVERLAND PARK, KS

A RESURGENCE

OF RECORDS VINYL RECORDS SPINNING BACK INTO POPULARITY

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SEARCH CONTINUES FOR THE COLLEGE’S NEW PRESIDENT

THE PASSING OF TWO INFLUENTIAL MEN

ABCA HALL OF FAME WELCOMES JCCC COACH

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6 FEATURES

APRIL 18, 2013  VOL 35 

ISSUE 14

FEATURES CALENDAR CAVALIER FILM FESTIVAL 3 p.m. - 10 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, GEB 233 The festival will begin with a speech by filmmaker and JCCC graduate Jonathan Dillon, followed by a discussion panel with four independent and Hollywood panelists ending with a viewing and voting on student made films.

Cost: free

Photo courtesy JCCC

Fashion Critic Lecture 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, Hudson Auditorium in Nerman Art Museum New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn will be discussing, via video, 2013 fashion trends and the impact of fashion in everyday life. After the video, she will conduct a Skype question and answer session.

Photo courtesy JCCC

Cost: free

Theatre DepARTMENT presents Anna in the Tropics 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 26-27 and May 3-4; and 2 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday April 27-28 and May 4-5, Polsky Theatre in the Carlsen Center Based on a Pulitzer Prize winning play, this is the story of a Cuban cigar factory worker who begins to read Anna Karenina aloud to his co-workers, causing unforeseen results.

Photo courtesy JCCC

Cost: free

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo 8 p.m. Saturday, April 27, Yardley Hall in the Carlsen Center Better known as The Trocks, this ballet group features an all-male ensemble, who dance both the male and female roles. Their comedic performance has proved to be popular in cities such as New York and Sydney.

Photo courtesy JCCC

Cost: $40, $50, student tickets $5 (limit two)

Compiled by Gabrielle Fitzgerald, gfitzge1@jccc.edu

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FEATURES 7

Road trips for the weekend vacationer

A fun vacation doesn’t have to be expensive and far away. Here are four different places that have great tourist attractions and best of all, it’s only a short drive to get there.

Omaha, NE

Lincoln, NE

Distance: Approx. 200 miles

Henry Doorly Zoo not only has a large variety of animals, but it is home to one of the world’s largest indoor rainforests, underground caves and an aerial tram.

Distance: Approx. 200 miles

Museum of American Speed which claims to house the world’s largest collection of exotic racing engines. It was created by racer Bill Smith to display items significant to auto racing history.

Lauritzen Gardens is 100 acres of Victorian gardens, rose gardens, kids’ gardens, arboretums and an indoor floral display.

Pioneer Park and Nature Center, home to 668 acres of prairie and woodlands, has walking trails for adults and play areas for kids.

El Museo Latino, the first Latin history museum in the Midwest, houses local to international art and culture displays, as well as offering folk performances by musicians and dancers.

Memorial Stadium, home of the Nebraska Huskers, named to honor the fallen soldiers of our past wars, has top-rated training facilities and is known for its sellout streaks.

wichita, ks

des moines, ia

Distance: Approx. 185 miles

Museum of World Treasures is home to collections of artifacts including dinosaurs, mummies and pieces of the Berlin Wall.

KANSAS CITY

Mosley Street Melodrama is one of Wichita’s most popular dinner theatres, serving up BBQ with various interactive comedic shows.

Exploration Place, an interactive science museum for all ages, is extensive and features a number of traveling exhibits.

Distance: Approx. 200 miles

John Wayne’s birthplace is the home of the famous leading man and houses a number of props from films like True Grit, as well as rare photographs and letters from famous actors of the time.

Jon Anderson White Riverboat provides an authentic riverboat ride on the Mississippi, even offering First Friday Brewery Tours with drinks from local brewers.

Compiled by Gabrielle Fitzgerald State photos courtesy of WorldAtlas.com

Adventureland Park and Adventure Bay has more than 100 rides, including three large roller coasters, and a newly opened waterpark.

Bar Trek: The wrath of tequila

By Jon Parton

Kansas City used to be called “Paris of the Plains.” It earned the nickname during the Prohibition era thanks to the amount of alcohol available in the area. Manifesto is a posh cocktail bar that does well in evoking that time period.

Located in the basement of the historic Rieger Hotel Grill and Exchange on 1924 Main Street in Kansas City, Mo., Manifesto has all the hallmarks of an old-time speakeasy.

You have to first make a reservation to get in. The bar only seats about 40 people and they fill up quickly on the weekends. Although you can enter through the restaurant above to get to the bar, you can also enter through a back alley, guarded by a security system.

In any case, if you don’t have a reservation, you’re not getting in. Although it seems kind of snooty, it really does make the place feel a

bit more unique than most bars.

We were led down a narrow flight of stairs into the dark basement made of unhewn stone. I cannot reiterate how dark it was.

Most of the lighting was provided by candles located on the bar and tables.

The bar has certain rules listed on their drink menu, including the silencing of cell phones and prohibiting men from approaching women without buying them a drink first. They also prohibit loud speaking but it didn’t seem like anyone really adhered to that rule.

While the atmosphere was certainly impressive, I was ready to try one of the more than 20 cocktails offered by the bar. One look at the menu shows how Manifesto is bringing back gourmet cocktails.

I ordered the Acrobat, a mixture of cream

sherry, spiced apple cordial, mole bitters and raw egg. To be honest, I would never normally consume any of those ingredients separately.

I was completely astounded by the taste.

The smoothness of the sherry combined wonderfully with the sweet apple cordial and frothiness of the egg.

It was probably the fanciest drink I’ve ever ordered and I still think on how great it tasted. My drinking companion ordered the Smokin’ Choke, a combination of whiskey, Cynar, maple syrup, and Peychaud’s bitters. To be honest, I never even imagined what such a drink would taste like.

I was afforded a sip of the libation and was taken aback by the smoky flavor. The syrup seemed to complement the whiskey rather than detract from it. Although I was perfectly happy with my drink, I secretly wished I had

ordered the whiskey concoction as well.

The bartenders at Manifesto are craftsmen of mixology which is something I like to see in a bar. However, the prices are a bit expensive.

It costs eleven dollars for a cocktail, meaning you shouldn’t go in expecting a long evening with only 30 to 40 dollars.

Trying to make a reservation is also a bit of a hassle because of the popularity but small amount of seating. If you do go, I recommend calling in about a week in advance. That said, I found the atmosphere enjoyable, the staff friendly and the drinks to be phenomenal.

It’s the perfect place for a date night or if you just want to gather friends for a little taste of history.

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

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FEATURES

A lifetime of learning Professor learns from travels and experiences

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

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ISSUE 14

Associate professor Patrick Dobson has been at the college since 2009.

Dobson teaches U.S. History Since 1877. Photo by Andrew Shepherd

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.

Honor society offers opportunities Phi Theta Kappa provides academic, scholarship opportunities for students

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 seven officers of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. Photo courtesy of Terry Helmick the amount of requirements to retain membership status. She enrollment in four honors classes early enrollment privileges. They said apart from sponsoring events, or honors contracts, along with graduate from the program in membership in Phi Theta Kappa additional requirements,” Decker a special ceremony and Honors has no requirements other than a said. “It is open to JCCC students Program Graduate is noted on their healthy GPA. with a GPA of 3.5. Members of the transcript.”

“The Honors Program is an SEE ‘PTK’ ON PAGE 19 Honors Program can apply for a academic program that involves merit-based scholarship and have

the CAMPUSLEDGER

Mastering the motorcycle

Programs at college teach students about motorcycles

By Stephen Cook 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 speciallymarked 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

www.campusledger.com

FEATURES 9

A group of students in the motorcycle course learn how turn on the bike.

This training course allows one to learn how to operate bikes properly without owning one. Photo by Mackenzie Gripe

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

Global citizens: living in an interconnected world

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

10 IN FOCUS

APRIL 18, 2013 VOL 35

ISSUE 14

the

REVolution

By Jon Parton

GEE ARE

Darth Vader posed calmly next to a Jedi as they patiently waited for their photo to be taken. This didn’t take place in a galaxy far, far away, but at Planet Comicon, Kansas City’s annual comic book convention.

Although the event is normally held at the Overland Park Convention Center, the increased popularity of the convention forced organizers to move to the larger venue of Bartle Hall.

The convention is just one example of how “Geek culture” has become more mainstream. Ironically, the slang word “geek” has traditionally been used to describe people who hold interests outside of the mainstream.

Out of the top ten highest-grossing films of all time, two are based on superheroes, two are science fiction and three are based on fantasy. Not only is geek culture spreading, it’s making a lot of money.

Geeks can’t be pinned down to a single stereotype, said Joe Egnatic, employee at 31st Century Games in Olathe.

“The term has changed in meaning,” Egnatic said. “There are all sorts of different people interested in different things that could be called geeks.”

Geek culture is not limited to one type of hobby or interest. While comic books are considered one interest, manga, also known as Japanese comic books, are considered a different diversion altogether.

“What people call geeks, we say, ‘That’s just a dude,’” Egnatic said. “And it’s not like people only like one thing. I know plenty of people who come in here [at the store] and are into martial arts as well as tabletop gaming.”

Even certain geek hobbies are divided into subcultures, according to Dwayne Halda, local manga enthusiast.

YOU

Test your geekiness!

KIN

?

1 Correct: Non-geek. You might know someone though.

2-4 Correct: Mainstream Geek. You’ve seen some episodes of Community or The Big Bang Theory.

5-6 Correct: Geek Specialist. Chances are there’s a particular area of geekdom you’re into.

7-8 Correct: Geek Aficionado. If it’s geeky, you know about it.

9 Correct: Ubergeek. Seriously, start applying to appear on game shows.

1. What is the name of the 1997 sci-fi movie starring Bruce Willis as a futuristic cab driver tasked with saving the world?

2. What author not only created “John Carter of Mars” but also “Tarzan”?

3. What was the name of Sega’s last video game console?

4. In what year did Batman make his first debut?

5. What does TIE stand for in TIE Fighter?

6. Who is the Daedric Prince of Madness from the Elder Scrolls?

7. What race was Sméagol before he became the being known as Gollum?

8. What was Return of the Jedi called originally before George Lucas had it changed?

9. Who was the Lord of Admirals of the Prehistoric Human Empire in the Halo universe?

the Jedi 9. Forthencho

1935 5. Twin Ion Engine. 6. Sheogorath 7. Hobbit 8. Revenge of 1. The Fifth Element 2. Edgar Rice Burroughs 3. Dreamcast 4.

Compiled by Jon Parton and David Hurtado

HISTORY OF THE

A timeline of all things geeky

“You can’t just say you’re a fan of anime [Japanese animation],” Halda said. “You can be a fan of different genres of anime, like comedy or romance.”

The video game industry was once known as a male-dominated hobby in the 70s and 80s. Today, 47 percent of all video game players are women, according to a report by the Entertainment Software Association.

“I think it was bound to happen,” said Rachel Henton, local video game enthusiast. “As video games got more popular, they drew in more people. At this point, they’re everywhere; on the computer, cell phones, game consoles. I don’t know of anyone in their 20s, guy or girl, who hasn’t played. It’s almost not geeky.”

Egnatic said he thinks there’s a simple reason why geek culture is gaining in popularity.

“I think it’s the escapism,” Egnatic said.

“When the economy is poor, people want to escape and have a sense of fantasy. Like how the Walking Dead says, ‘Forget about everything going wrong in the world.

Here’s some zombies. Blame the zombies.’

It’s also why shows like Game of Thrones are so popular. People want to be engrossed in a story.”

Halda said he thinks it’s just a matter of people finding a connection to a hobby or interest.

“My friends tried to get me to watch certain anime and I just said, ‘Oh, that’s for geeks,’” Halda said. “So they said, ‘Ok, watch this one then.’ I finally watched something I liked and have been hooked ever since.”

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

1926: The first science fiction magazine Amazing Stories debuts.

1954: J.R.R. Tolkien releases The Fellowship of the Ring, the first novel in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

1865: Journey to the Center of the Earth, written by Jules Verne, is published.

the CAMPUSLEDGER

www.campusledger.com

Q&A

IN FOCUS 11

WITH PHIL KILGORE

Phil Kilgore opened up Tabletop Game and Hobby nearly 20 years ago. Today, it is the oldest tabletop

By Jon Parton and board game store in the Kansas City area.

Q: How has geek culture changed over the years?

We opened back in 1994. The most amazing thing that I have seen across this time is when I opened; the clientele was 98.9 percent male. My clientele now is over 30 percent women and it’s the fastest growing section that we’ve got. I think video games demystified that. You take a poor lady; you put her into a room full of super nerds. Ok, she’s going to get testosterone poisoning from that to start with.

With video games, when we’re able to approach that on their level. The game was kind of a teacher without the sexist crap buried underneath all of that. Because of that, it’s amazing to me to see couples coming in. That was kind of how it started.

But now women are coming in and looking for their toy soldier, their role-playing game, their board game, things like that.

TOP: Mario Mora is an illustrator who travels to festivals, conventions, to sell his original drawings. He says he gets his inspiration from medieval festivals and anime, but really, anything and everything inspires him. LEFT, ABOVE, BELOW: The U.S. Toy magic costume shop. The owner, Leatha Laguardia has been a proprietor/manager of this shop for 2 and a half years. She loves these conventions and collaborating with her coworkers. Photos and cover photo by Mackenzie Gripe

1995: 1984: Microsoft The releases Transformers lines of toys Windows 4.0, are released. better known as Windows 1985: 95.

Back to the Future, starring Michael J. Fox, is released in theaters.

1972: The video game company Atari is formed.

1974: The role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons is released.

1997: 2001: The website The first Wikipedia goes online.

Harry Potter novel, 2006: Nintendo Harry Potter releases the Wii video and the game console.

Philosopher’s 2007: Apple Stone is releases the iPhone. published.

2011: DC Comics cancels all their ongoing titles and introduces 52 new ones

Q: What are some examples of geek culture going mainstream?

It’s the fact that I’m seeing Disney coming in and buying properties within these industries. They bought Marvel, they own Star Wars. You know what Disney likes?

They like to make money and they like to do that by giving people what they want. Now premiere directors are lining up [to direct those properties]. They look at Pete Jackson’s treatment of Lord of the Rings...that’s a cultural legacy item. That is, Lord of the Rings is the Gone with the Wind from this generation. The fact that it’s this geek stuff that I’ve loved for so long, I feel personally vindicated. I’ve loved and done this stuff for so long, finally it has some greater acceptance to it.

Q: Are gaming events and gaming conventions becoming more popular?

Well, it’s interesting because I have a little bit different view on that. We have a game room facility next door. Most larger, successful stores have a dedicated game space. In my mind’s eye, I have a convention every single day of the week. We draw 50, 60 hobbyists every night of the week and we have it devoted to different geeks but at the same time, audiences will intermix.

The biggest impact we have seen within the game industry in the last 10 years has been Wil Wheaton’s Tabletop [online video] series. The impact of that was unbelievable.

That single show was responsible for the mainstreaming of board games in a way I have never seen any other thing occur. For God’s sake, Target carries many of these titles now.

If a mass-market retailer is paying attention to what we have going on, that means that this is mainstream to a way beyond seeing

Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons.

Q: What about the stereotypes of gamers?

I’ve had this discussion at some game industry shows. The truth of this is, it’s what we perceive as the stereotypical game customer comprises of a minority of around 15 to 20 percent is my estimate. I base this on anecdotal evidence of me just counting heads of people who come into the store.

And by that, I mean that guy might be, “I live in mom’s basement. I’m 35.”

The truth of it is that the stereotypical game customer is a professional person that happens to enjoy this. By and large, IT is a very popular one, also legal services. I’ve got so many other people, you would never guess.

They don’t wear the nerd shirt, they don’t have the stripes on the sleeve, but [gaming] is what they do when they go home. In that aspect, I think the social stigma to it has started to fall away, which is wonderful.

Q: Why do you think geek culture is becoming more mainstream?

The truth of it is guys my age, people in their late 30s to early 50s. We grew up playing Dungeons and Dragons. Part of this, I think, is the natural evolution of generations. The people who have the ability to control what movies get made, what TV shows go out, they’re nerds. There’s a bunch of nerds in there.

I think, quite honestly in 20 years, this will be benchmark entertainment. The other stuff is that it’s a family activity. I see three generations of families coming [to the store].

When I first opened up, it was a dad bringing his six-year-old kid. Well now, it is grandpa with his son and grandson coming in that all share this stuff. How weird is that? That can’t be fringe anymore.

Everything in geek culture is people doing stuff face-to-face, and computer gaming is its own beast over here. We live in a world that is trying to put an electronic filter on every interaction we have, whether it’s looking at each other, talking to each other, however we interact. The role-playing games, the board games, the toy solider games, everything we have is all face-to-face. I think the more electronicized this world becomes, the more this culture is going to flourish.

People crave human contact. I think we’re hard-wired for that. Video game sales have been falling the last two years. They’re dropping double digit percentages. But within board games, role-playing games, toy soldier games, they’re having double digit growth.

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

12

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APRIL 18, 2013 VOL 35

crossword Across 1 Some light fare 11 Co. now known 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 23 25 28

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as Ally Financial Toast maker’s start “Streamers” playwright Unlike conference games Going ___ Vision, in Vichy Classic literary inits.

Midwestern twin city Precarious positions “The Gondoliers” girl Poppin’ Lemonade is one of its flavors See 43-Across Birthplace of Queen Sonja Big rush Where the Pawnee R. flows High Everywhere “See ya, bro” What a handheld — or handholding — may be, briefly With 29-Across, like many sales reps Gains

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Lake from which the Blue Nile begins Motor oil letters Avoid Scientist for whom an element is named Slugabed’s state Like 3 a.m., say One on the Lee side?

Book of Mormon book What you may have to enter to enter Familia members Almost due Commune SE of Palermo Is no longer fazed by

Down 1 Have

a cold response?

2 Ricky Martin’s springboard to fame 3 Big name in taco kits 4 “Give ___ the play” (line from “Hamlet”) 5 Old dynasty members 6 Kind of tag for a Web designer

AnswEr To PrEVIoUs PUZZLE M I R T H

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D I S C O U R A G E S

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CAMPUSLEDGER

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edited by Will Shortz puzzle by tim croce

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Stephen Cook Editor-in-chief scook35@jccc.edu 913-469-8500 ext. 4297

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Jon Parton Managing editor jparton@jccc.edu

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combat 8 Robert Burns’s birth county 9 Suffix with proto10 Victors of the 1879 Battle of Isandlwana 11 Interest, informally 12 Dancer known for her execution 13 From the start 14 Air-breathing swimmer 22 1980s Cosby co-star 24 Subject of the musical “Mayor”

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Like 24-Down, eight times Causing faceclenching, maybe With 62-Down, old ball game Certain pancake makeup Big name in skin care Excites, with “up” Party switcher, say “Enemies, a Love Story” Oscar nominee Possible response to 41-Across Squirt Minarets, e.g.

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One way to study Thelonious Monk’s “Well You ___” Reflectivity measure Malay for “person” Places where talk is cheep?

Simon & Garfunkel’s “El Condor ___” The “you” in “you will serve your brother” Mercury’s core?

See 30-Down Symbol of rebellion on many T-shirts

For answers, call 1-900-289-CLUE (289-2583), $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5550.

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 5,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

‘UNION’ CONT. FROM PAGE 8

‘THREATS’ CONT. FROM PAGE 8

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

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

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

10

OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN PUBLICATION OF JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, OVERLAND PARK, KS

15

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ISSUE 14

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

Hannah Davis News editor hdavis18@jccc.edu

Daniel De Zamacona Photo editor ddezamac@jccc.edu

Gabrielle Fitzgerald Features editor gfitzge1@jccc.edu

Ashley Lane Production designer alane15@jccc.edu

Mac Moore Sports editor mmoore82@jccc.edu

PRODUCTION Gabrielle Fitzgerald Advertising manager gfitzge1@jccc.edu 913-469-8500 ext. 3193 Aaron Fitzgerald Circulation manager afitzg10@jccc.edu Shawn Gelushia Circulation assistant sgelushi@jccc.edu

Erica Aldridge Design assistant ealdridg@jccc.edu

Brian Buie Staff illustrator bbuie1@jccc.edu

Kelly Daniels Design assistant kdanie19@jccc.edu

Sara Scherba Illustrator correspondent sscherba@jccc.edu

Edem Elessesso Web manager eelesses@jccc.edu

REPORTERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS David Hurtado Staff reporter dhurtado@jccc.edu Olivia Fox Staff reporter ofox@jccc.edu Sara Maleki Reporting correspondent smaleki@jccc.edu

Sydney Studer Reporting correspondent sstuder1@jccc.edu

Mackenzie Gripe Photo correspondent mgripe1@jccc.edu

Andrew Shepherd Staff photographer ashephe5@jccc.edu Esaul Flores Staff photographer eflores3@jccc.edu

ADVISER Corbin Crable Faculty adviser ccrable@jccc.edu Copyright © 2013 The Campus Ledger and/or its freelance contributors. All rights reserved. Content appearing in The Ledger’s print or electronic media may not be reproduced, published, broadcasted or redistributed without The Ledger’s prior written permission.

The Ledger publishes biweekly during the fall and spring semesters. Issues are free and available campus-wide. Additional copies, including back issues, can be obtained from the Student News Center (COM 260) while supplies last. Online-exclusive content is published at http://www.campusledger.com.

The Campus Ledger welcomes all readers to submit letters to the editor, which can be sent via email to Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, at scook35@jccc.edu. Letters for print publication may not exceed 250 words. Guest columns for print publication may not exceed 450 words.

Letters are selected for print publication at the discretion of the editorial board. The Ledger reserves the right to request revisions or clarifications. Contributors may not submit more than two letters or one guest column per academic semester and must include the writer’s name, title and contact information with each submission. Valid photo ID must be presented upon request in COM 260. No libelous content will be accepted, and letters are not edited for length or grammar.

The Ledger accepts advertisements suitable for its student body. Contact Gabrielle Fitzgerald, advertising manager, at gfitzge1@jccc.edu.

The Campus Ledger is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Advisers, the Kansas Press Association and the Kansas Associated Collegiate Press. The Ledger endorses the Associated Press Stylebook.

Enroll for

SUMMER/FALL 2013

n HORNET CONNECTIONS Saturday, April 20, 2013 (Transfer)

Tuesday, May 21, 2013 (Transfer Module)

Friday, June 7, 2013 (Transfer)

Friday, June 21, 2013 (Transfer)

Check-in begins at 8:30 AM for all programs except the Module Program, where check-in begins at 11 AM.

meet your advisor schedule your Summer & Fall classes reserve your textbooks get your student Hornet ID Card open your ESU student email account start lifetime friendships with other new and current students at ESU For more information about the Module Program, a complete list of dates and to sign up online, go to www.emporia.edu/ admissions/hornetconnection

n n n n n n

See you soon!

877-468-6378 go2esu@emporia.edu

14 OPINION

APRIL 18, 2013 VOL 35

Non-traditional learning redefines success As the end of this school year approaches and tuition continues to rise, we as a college community need to take a step back and look at education.

In the 2011-12 school year, the cost of public college tuition in the U.S. rose by 8.3 percent, according to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. During that same school year, state and local education funding, including student aid, fell by nine percent. This academic year, tuition and fees alone rose almost five percent.

Both the Kansas House of Representatives and Senate passed budget bills in March that will cut over 50 million dollars in higher education funding in our state. Still, college enrollment continues to rise. Why? We are all looking to better our future, whether we are fresh out of high school, coming back to college after twenty years or somewhere in between. Some of us want to

learn, some of us want to make more money and some of us want both.

We all want job stability, and attending college or university used to guarantee that.

That is no longer the case. Stability cannot be found in an education system without earnest support by our leaders and lawmakers.

As hard-working students, we at the Ledger share a common voice: education should be a priority. But education doesn’t always mean higher education or formal education. It means listening and reading and discerning for oneself what is truth, what is opinion and what is important.

Many of us have a blueprint for our lives.

The infamous “four-year plan” that was pounded into our heads during our senior years of high school gives a rigid mindset of what we, as students, are supposed to be doing. The truth is, college isn’t for everyone.

An inflexible four-year plan rarely is, either.

COLUMN

Modern music headed in “one direction”

By Stephen Cook Music, at its core, is a form of art, or at least it should be.

Now, you could argue this means that any song qualifies as art.

While that may be true, I would have to say this means many songs are just not very good art.

However, this whole topic is like opening a can of worms – “Who are you to tell me what is good and bad?” “Who made you the judge of music?”

What I’m trying to address here, though, is deeper than just the issue of what the music industry is producing. I believe the current state of popular music reflects the direction of our society in a nutshell, like it or not.

It’s called the Top 40 for a reason.

First: the lyrics. Most songs at the top of the charts have lyrics that are more shallow than a kiddie pool. Unless you are looking to constantly party and get simultaneously tipsy, there’s practically no redeeming value in spending your time listening. The abundance of profanity in songs is another testament to the loss of and lack of creativity in today’s music industry.

Second: the actual music. Tune into a station that plays today’s hit singles and chances are, you’ll have a difficult time trying to distinguish between songs. The tunes are catchy enough, but the actual “instrumentation” – what instruments?

– tends to be more of the same from song to song. All pop music seems to blend into one big blurb, there’s no real differentiation or special value that can be attributed to a song.

The final and most problematic issue is the lifestyle behind the music. Concerts are bizarre spectacles and the paparazzi have a field day with all of the shenanigans caused by celebrities. This isn’t new - it’s been happening for years and years - but it is only getting worse with time.

I’ve heard it said that the best music writing comes from the heart, what you are thinking about and what you believe in. If mainstream American can be summed up by the public’s interest in what the music industry is putting out, then I believe deeper issues can be explained.

Sex outside of marriage, alcoholism and drug usage are not necessarily causes of modern music, but however, they are made evident in the prominent role they play in the lyrics of most new popular songs.

As a musician myself, I’m not just saying this to be “a hater”. I honestly wish artists would create distinctive pieces of music that have actual meaningful value.

Don’t get me wrong, there is still a whole array of musicians who are crafting all sorts of music that is well thought-out and interesting to listen to. It’s just that, unfortunately, most people don’t seek it out.

I know there’s a time and place for having a good time, but is this really what having a good time is to people?

In closing, I suppose one of the best ways to evaluate music is to look at how timeless it is. I just don’t see us sitting down with our grandkids to tell them about and listen to One Direction or Katy Perry.

But then again, by that time, who knows where music will be? If the decline continues, what we have now could seem tame.

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

Some people need a degree so they can put it on their resume, so they can hopefully get a decent paying job after college, so they can have formal training in a particular skill, so they can mark that box in their “societal norm checklist.” Some people, however, don’t.

Steve Jobs, founder and former CEO of Apple Inc., attended one year of college before dropping out. Michael Dell, founder of Dell Inc., dropped out of college to run his business.

Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard when he created the social networking site Facebook.

We aren’t all the same brand as Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg, but we can learn something from them. Critical thinking, creativity and dedication can lead to success, stability and satisfaction. We don’t all have to have a colorful mascot and a fancy diploma hanging on our wall to find success in life.

Knowledge is success, whether that means

ISSUE 14

STAFF EDITORIAL a formal education or not depends on the individual. Stepping outside of our comfort zone is okay, even if that means not doing what mom and dad or society expects from you.

College is expensive, and in all honesty, completely unaffordable. Some people attend because they’re expected to. We, at the Ledger, want you to attend because this type of education is important to you, not because someone always told you that’s what you need to do.

As students, we need to be active in finding ways to combat the rise of education costs. I can’t think of any good person who wants to prevent people from getting a formal education if it’s important to them. As a student body, let’s advocate for lower tuition costs. Let’s advocate for changes that will support students. Let’s advocate for education in whatever form that presents itself.

COLUMN

Overcoming challenges

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

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OPINION 15

Point/Counterpoint: Magneto vs. Darkseid

Darkseid

The malevolent tyrant from Apokolips

By David Hurtado

Occupying a dimension somewhere between the physical realm and hell, lies the world of Apokolips. And under the amber red sky, lives one of the most malevolent and feared beings spawned from the DC Universe: Darkseid.

Considered one of Superman’s greatest adversaries and the greatest threat to the DC Universe, he seeks to control all living beings through the Anti-life equation, the ability to dominate the thoughts and emotions of all sentient races in the universe.

What sets him apart from your average run-of-the-mill villains are his abilities; Darkseid, for all intents and purposes, is a god. He, and the rest of Apokolips reside outside of normal space time in a realm known as the Fourth World. They live in close proximity to the Source, a primeval energy which fuels the powers of the beings in Apokolips.

As a god of Apokolips, Darkseid is endowed with many different godlike traits, including immortality, invulnerability and colossal super strength. Through brute force alone, Darkseid can overpower powerful beings such as Superman and Wonder Woman. It is generally accepted he can lift 100 tons and even destroy a Green Lantern ring with his bare hands.

Because Darkseid is a hightier cosmic being, most forms of conventional damage cannot harm him. Bullets, bombs, lasers and even high voltage energy emissions won’t even leave a mark on him. Despite his resistance, another high-tier cosmic being such as Superman can harm Darkseid, as can the unknown substance Radion.

In addition to his immense strength and near invulnerability, Darkseid wields a cosmic energy field called the Omega Effect. This effect allows him to travel through time and space at will, enabling him to rip through impenetrable barriers and force fields as if they were paper.

Derived from the Omega Effect,

the Omega Beams are Darkseid’s most powerful weapon. A form of energy fired from his eyes, the Omega Beams are capable of transporting a target to anywhere in the universe or even utterly erasing them. Unlike Superman, Darkseid can direct his beams in any path he chooses, at relentless speeds.

Regardless of all his powers, millenia of combat experience and minions at his disposal, what makes Darkseid truly a dangerous opponent is his sadism. He’s ruthless beyond perhaps any other villain in the DC Universe. Darkseid doesn’t care about grudges; he isn’t obsessed with his opponents, and he’s not going to toy with them. He has to win and anyone that stands in his way, he annihilates.

In order to stand up to Darkseid, you too have to have that same ruthlessness. That’s the one and only reason Superman was able to defeat him in “Superman the Animated Series: Legacy:” In his mind, Darkseid was going down, and to hell with the consequences.

The only other beings who are capable of defeating Darkseid besides Superman, would have to be on the same level as Orion or Doomsday. The only non cosmicbeing who even came close was Batman in the final episode of Justice League Unlimited by outsmarting the Omega Beams, something Superman to this day has not done.

If Batman can’t even defeat Darkseid, what possible hope could any other superhero have? Let alone Magneto.

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

Magneto

The magnificent magnetic mutant

By Jon Parton

Listen up, true believers.

We have one heck of a fight on our hands.

Magneto, from Marvel Comics X-Men series, is a villain/anti-hero mutant with the ability to manipulate the entire electromagnetic spectrum.

This power allows him to perform a variety of effects, including: control over magnetism, create e l e c t ro m a g n e t i c pulses, generate force-fields which can repulse matter and energy, and manipulate charged particles at subatomic levels.

His opponent from the DC universe is Darkseid, a so-called god who manages to get defeated every single time.

Magneto controls and manipulates magnetism, one of the four fundamental forces in the universe that binds all matter.

So Darkseid is a god.

Magneto has a long history of defeating “gods” in the comics, including Thor from the Avengers.

Rather than go into the scientific reasons why Magneto would easily win this fight, I’d like to take a look at previous uses of his abilities in order to build precedence.

Magneto has used his powers to block bio-electric signals between neurons in the nervous system, effectively preventing his foes from using their powers. He has been able to withstand being caught in the

middle of a nuclear detonation using his force-field.

Furthermore, Magneto has been able to create black holes simply by manipulating the EM spectrum.

Rather than having to scrap with a “god,” he can simply let a black hole take care of it.

Darkseid can regenerate health, but it requires his body to be intact to do so. In the comic series, “Age of Apocalypse,” Magneto tore apart Apocalypse at the molecular level. Apocalypse was a supposedly immortal mutant who could also regenerate his health.

One of Darkseid’s most powerful weapons is the ability to generate Omega Beams. These beams have the ability to track down a target, wiping them from existence or even transport them through time and space.

According to the DC Comics website, they are “powerful bioelectric energy beams.” They’re bio-electric, as in part of the electromagnetic spectrum easily manipulated by Magneto.

One shot of these beams and Magneto can easily take control of them, turning Darkseid’s own power against himself.

But beyond even Magneto’s ability to control and manipulate one of the fundamental forces in the universe, you have to look at it from the standpoint of a comic book writer.

Although Magneto is frequently a villain, he also carries with him redeeming qualities. He has fought on the side of good a number of times, whereas Darkseid has only ever sought to control the universe.

Let’s face it; in the comic books it’s the good guy who wins. Even though Magneto isn’t always good, he’s a lot better than someone who claims to be the “god of evil.” Winner: Magneto.

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

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sports COLUMN

Mac talk: Who’s got the rock

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.

With all the resources and success the college 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.

sports briefs BASEBALL

After a bumming 2-6 streak over the past two weeks, the Cavalier baseball players are staring at a 15-20 record as they enter the final week and a half of the regular season. The squad holds a 9-6 home record, but have been 6-14 on the road. The team is hoping the next eight home games will help them push to a .500 record.

SOFTBALL

The Lady Cavs hold a 28-10 record after rattling off a 13 game winning streak. Eight of those victories were shutouts. The team will finish the regular season with a double header against MCC- Maple Woods. Freshman Pitcher Zoe Price led the way with a 6-0 record that earned her KJCCC/Verizon Division II Pitcher Contact Mac Moore, of the Week honors.

sports editor, at mmoore82@jccc.edu

Why football is not likely to come to the college

By James Howey

SPORTS 17

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

TENNIS

Men’s Tennis is 9-5 on the season while the Women’s is 13-1. In the Men’s last duel against Emporia State, the squad swept it 9-0. Against Seward County, the Women’s team won 8-1. Both teams will host Bethany College then go to Northwest Missouri State to finish the regular season.

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

SPORTS CALENDAR Baseball 4 p.m. Friday, April 19 v. Independence (doubleheader) 1 p.m. Saturday, April 20 v. Independence (doubleheader) 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 23 v. Rockhurst (double header)

men’s & women’s Tennis 2 p.m. Thursday, April 25 v. Bethany College Compiled by Mac Moore, sports editor, at mmoore82@jccc.edu

18 SPORTS

Serving up success International tennis player is building a record of success

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 inf luenced 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

APRIL 18, 2013 VOL 35 ISSUE 14 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 Top singles player Shannon Beckett hits a during indoor practice. She will be like I’m playing forehand competing at regionals the coming weekpretty well and end Friday and Saturday April 19-20. Photo obviously the team’s by Daniel De Zamacona playing pretty well each other’s game we know too.”

How the team works what they can work on, we together is what makes the all help each other no matter what the problems are.” group unique, Beckett said.

“We’re not just teammates, we’re really Contact Stephen Cook, good friends,” Beckett said. editor-in-chief, “We hang out on weekends at scook35@jccc.edu and we almost know each other to the point, we know

Cavalier star watch

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 allAmerican 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

Student golfer Mario Funcic has led the college with numerous top-five finishes and a stroke average of 75.5. Photo courtesy of JCCC

the beginning of March, but now we caught up and everything is good.

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

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ETC 19

‘PTK’ CONT. FROM PAGE 8 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

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