The Campus Ledger - Vol. 35, Issue 2 by The Campus Ledger

VOL 35 ISSUE 02 SEPT 06, 2012

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

WHEN MENTALITY

BECOMES BRUTALITY PAGES 8-9

2 NEWS

the CAMPUS LEDGER / SEPT 06, 2012 / VOL 35 / ISSUE 02

Drought affects campus community Horticulture, Sustainability programs affected by waterless summer By TABI SECOR

he drought that has been engulfing much of the Midwest this summer has had major effects on two of the colleges’ programs. “[The drought] has so severely impacted this program,” said Lekha Sreedhar, chair, Horticulture Sciences. Students in the Horticulture program typically work during the summer and come back to school in the fall. In the summer students do landscaping and mowing, but because of the drought, there have not been many jobs available. “I get emails from students who say they don’t have the money to come back in the fall,” Sreedhar said. “The program is down about 17 percent for the fall.” The program has a 10,000-gallon reservoir available, but it mostly relies on rainwater that has been collected and stored on site. If there is no rainwater to collect, the reservoir serves as the primary source of water for the plants at the Horticulture building. Stu Shafer, chair, Sustainable Agriculture,

said that their program is also being affected. “We were out on the campus farm, and I took a picture of four of the students working in the soybean section,” Shafer said. “One of the students was working on the rotor tiller, and you could see the dust come right up. The soil is just really dry.” For the agriculture industry, the drought has played a significant role in global climate change. “The drought is part of the bigger pattern of global climate change,” Shafer said. “It’s just not the drought this year, and the long term that’s affecting us, but the rising of the temperature.” According to Sreedhar, droughts do not just impact plants, but numerous other areas that people may not realize. “Droughts seriously impact our food production, our environment, our livestock consumption, everything,” she said. As for how long it will take to bounce back from a drought like this, Sreedhar said it could take awhile. “The problem is that winter wasn’t so good either, so there’s going to be pest issues

The Buried Life

nt a W u o Y o D t a h W D i e? u o Y e r o f e B o D to 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 20 Yardley Hall, Johnson County Community College Students $10 • Public $18 First 750 to arrive the night of the show receive a free copy of their book! Tickets on Sale Now Call the box oﬃce at 913-469-4445 or stop by SC106. Visit www.jccc.edu/TheSeries for more information.

The same willow tree and lake in Heatherstone Park, Olathe, Kan., is shown Aug. 14, 2011 (top) and Aug. 30, 2012 (bottom). The severe drought the Midwest experienced this summer caused a visible difference in the park within just one year. Photos by Tasha Cook

Check out theburiedlife.com

The event is co-sponsored by the Campus Activities Board and the Performing Arts Series. For more information, call 913-469-8500, ext. 3807.

as well,” she said. “West Nile Virus is a good example of how big the drought is. It’s going to take a couple years to bounce back.” Sreedhar said there are simple things the campus community can do to help out the environment during the drought. “Don’t leave the sprinklers on, and

start watering the streets,” she said. “Mulch really helps conserve water. So if you have mulched in the early spring, you don’t have to water as much.” SEE DROUGHT ON PAGE 7

the CAMPUS LEDGER / SEPT 06, 2012 / VOL 35 / ISSUE 02

NEWS 3

Social Security and Medicare on radar of campus community Faculty, students take watch on two programs

2012 ELECTION

By TABI SECOR

ith the presidential election season in full swing, there are two issues that may not be getting many sound bites from the candidates, but are topics that could significantly impact younger generations. Medicare and Social Security have been around since 1965 and 1935, respectively. There has long been a stigma surrounding the two that they are issues for older Americans. “They should play out far bigger with young people because everything that needs to be done to those two systems needs to be done to save it,” said Jerry Magliano, adviser, College Republicans. Magliano believes that people should put aside their political affiliations and look at the greater picture. “The reality is by the time you’re my age, there are going to be a hundred million more Americans,” Magliano said. “There are going to be twice as many seniors. Anybody who believes that the current system can survive without being reformed for younger generations is clueless.” He went on to reiterate the importance of revamping the two programs. “If things don’t happen to change these systems- I don’t mean taking away benefits, I’m talking about reforming them in a way that can be sustainable into the future,” Magliano said. “They’re headed for bankruptcy now.”

One solution to the problem of money comes in the form of collecting Medicare taxes from people with higher incomes. “If they simply asked everybody who was earning money at whatever level it was to pay, that would fix the problem,” said Vincent Clark, adviser, College Democrats. He also believes in order to keep Social Security and Medicare alive, there will have to be major changes. “I would say by using one of those fixes,” he said. “It means testing Medicare, making Medicare tax applicable to all incomes, no matter how high.” Clark believes that the uncertainty surrounding Medicare and Social Security comes from the GOP’s longstanding push away from the programs that is now making them political issues. “It’s really a function of the growing conservatism of the Republican Party,” Clark said. “These were not controversial issues in the ‘50s and ‘60s, ‘70s.” Magliano said that one of the keys to solving the problem is for the two parties to come together. “I don’t think of these issues as partisan issues,” he said. “They shouldn’t be partisan issues.” The two programs, while not entirely hot button issues during the election season, do play out big amongst seniors. Magliano said it should not be that way.

“Young people shouldn’t blow it off,” he said. “I hear a lot of people say, ‘It’s not going to be there for me, I don’t care.’ You will care when the time comes.” David Cuellar, student, believes Social Security and Medicare probably are not on the radar of many college students. “They’re relatively irrelevant because they’re not things people can sensationalize very easily,” Cuellar said. “Especially during these times where there are more immediate concerns like Iran or the current downturn of the economy that people can blame on other people.” Despite their political affiliations and the differences between them, Magliano and Clark agree that voters should be well informed and vote for the candidate who best represents what they need in the future. “Students ought to really study the issues, and they ought to decide for themselves before they even think about party affiliation,” Magliano said. Clark echoed his sentiment. “Voters should be as well informed as they can be about the issues,” he said. “And there are also ways of getting that SEE MEDICARE ON PAGE 7

4 NEWS

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Enrollment numbers down but not out College experiences a decrease in first day enrollment By TABI SECOR

irst day enrollment numbers at the college are down 5 percent from last year, according to Pete Belk, director, Admissions. The first day count came in at 17,245, which is around 850 students less than this time last year. Even though the numbers are lower than previous years, Belk said what the college really looks at are the census numbers that are made available to the state on the 20th day of classes. They also look at end of semester statistics. “That end of the semester number is really where we become the largest undergraduate institution in the state,” Belk said. “We are not as concerned with

first day numbers. Last year we were also down first day, but then late start classes and College Now kind of bring things up, and we ended up being up for the year.” One thing Belk knows is that students are returning. “The largest population that is increasing on campus is the returning student population,” he said. “So we are retaining more students than we have before.” Although the Admissions department has not been told to do anything differently in terms of recruiting students, Mysti Meiers, recruitment specialist, said it does push the staff to work harder. “Just the knowledge that that we may be down in enrollment

kind of encourages us to get out there and be more aggressive in our efforts,” she said. The college has also hired a new diversity recruiter, Melisa Jimenez, who will work directly with minorities in order to increase the number of students from different areas to the school. “I’m going to be visiting high schools in Wyandotte County, some parts of Missouri, but I am going to be specifically working with diverse populations,” Jimenez said. “My goal for this first year is to really develop relationships with schools, with school counselors, with staff that is in charge of these specific demographics, so ELL, ESL teachers.”

NEWS BRIEFS CAMPUS FARM HOSTS LUNCH TUESDAY, SEPT. 18 The college will host a lunch using produce from the campus farm. The three-course menu includes a cantaloupe and lettuce salad, choice of chicken or stuffed red pepper and cinnamon flan for dessert. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for non-students and are available online or from the Business office (GEB 115). A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Student Environmental Alliance. The lunch will take place from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18 in RC 101. COLLEGE JOINS NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH CAMPAIGN This September is the ninth annual National Preparedness Month and the college’s office of Emergency Preparedness has joined a coalition with the intent of encouraging people to take action in their own communities. The theme this year is “Pledge to Prepare – Awareness to Action.” For more information, visit http://www.ready.gov.

DELIBERATION OVER BROWN & GOLD CLUB CONTINUES According to Dennis Day, vice president, Student Success and Engagement, no final decisions have been made regarding the Brown & Gold Club, available to Johnson County residents over the age of 55. Currently the club offers free tuition in credit classes and other benefits for an annual membership fee of $10. One recommendation, mentioned in the minutes of the May 7 Learning Quality Committee meeting, is to start charging members $25 per credit hour. Day said members will be notified when decisions are finalized. Kris Dye, former director of Brown & Gold, resigned from the position late last month. Day said he does not know if the position will be filled or if administrators will decide on a different route. COMPILED BY MACKENZIE CLARK, MCLARK68@JCCC.EDU

She went on to say she hopes to put the college out there in a way that will meet the needs of diverse students. “If I have to do something in Spanish, I will be able to do a presentation in Spanish,” she said. “If I have to meet families because, you know, studying the dynamic of some Hispanic families is more collective, so much of the time it is a family decision that is made.” Meiers concentrates on Johnson, Franklin, and Miami counties. “[Jimenez] and I’s charge really is to go out into the public, and bring awareness to Johnson County Community College to students with the ambitions

of bringing them to campus,” she said. Casey Wallace, student visit coordinator, said that around 3,000 potential students visit the college each year and are likely to attend. “If we can get them to campus, we can get them to enroll,” she said. CONTACT TABI SECOR, NEWS EDITOR, AT TSECOR@JCCC.EDU.

POLICE BRIEFS IPAD THEFT IN GYM

Campus Police were dispatched to the GYM after a college staff member said his iPad II, which had been charging in GYM 017, was reported missing on Aug. 16. He reported that he left the room for about 10 minutes. The room was open and many people would have had access. The Help Desk also instructed him how to clear the contents of the iPad via computer.

EQUIPMENT STOLEN FROM BASEBALL FIELD

A college faculty member reported on Aug. 15 that someone had stolen netting for the batting cage. He said he was mowing the field and was surprised because generally the netting is installed in spring and remains there until winter. He asked coaches and the contractor making repairs to the field if they had removed it, but none had. The reporting party also said he was unsure what value the net would have to the thief.

MISSING LAPTOP

A student reported his Macbook Pro missing on Aug. 22. The student was parked in the lower east garage of the Carlsen Center. He told police he remembered putting the laptop on the roof of his car as he put his book bag in the car and when he arrived home the laptop was nowhere to be found. COMPILED BY MACKENZIE CLARK, MCLARK68@JCCC.EDU

the CAMPUS LEDGER / SEPT 06, 2012 / VOL 35 / ISSUE 02

FEATURES 5

Taking a spin on the K-10

Advantages, disadvantages to riding public transit By DAVID HURTADO

ith Americans paying through the nose at the pump, relieving the vice grip gas prices have on wallets resonates with many people. The 710 K-10 Connector route, which runs between Lawrence and the college, provides students with a cheaper means of getting to school. Chuck Ferguson, deputy transportation director, said rates for the K-10 Connector could see an increase in the near future. Johnson County Transit is currently dealing with a budget crisis that will require a significant reduction in services next year. “The K-10 Connector is both the longest route in miles and the route with the most service daily of any JO route,” Ferguson said. “It also is equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities, unlike other JO routes.” The budget deficit is the result of a reduction in federal

and state operating funds. Some local officials have recommended students be charged extra for using the Wi-Fi capabilities. Ferguson also said Johnson County operates the service that is designed to connect three campuses in two counties, yet Johnson County shoulders the operating cost burden alone. The fare increase proposal is still being finalized and is expected to take effect in January 2013. It costs approximately $933,000 a year to operate the 710 K-10 connector. Roughly $426,000 of the cost is funded by taxpayers. Alternatives such as buying a hybrid or electric car can cost more than most people would like to fork out. Even carpooling has its setbacks for people who like driving on the road alone. Riding the bus or other forms of public transit saves gas,

negates car insurance, eliminates maintenance expenses and reduces the monthly payments one makes. Brandon Cleveland-Soter, student, said he rides the bus for those reasons. “I don’t have a car, it’s very convenient and it’s a hell of a lot cheaper,” he said. “If [the bus] gets into a crash, I don’t have to pay for it.” The route was first established in January of 2007 from a study conducted by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). “They looked at widening the corridor and how they could move more traffic on the corridor,” said Chuck Ferguson, deputy transportation director, Johnson County Transit. “As a subset discussion from that we decided it would be a good experiment to try a connector service between Lawrence and Overland Park, specifically connecting the

The K-10 Connector bus drops off passengers at the Carlsen Center Friday, Aug. 30. Some students find the commute between Lawrence and the college is cheaper by bus than by car. Photo by Tasha Cook

universities of Kansas. It’s been widely successful.” With the elimination of over 200 parking spots at the college, taking the bus may be a more viable option for students. In addition to lending a hand to cash-strapped students, riding the bus can benefit the environment. According to the American Public Transport Association (APTA), 1.4 billion

gallons of fuel and 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide are saved annually through public transportation. Another APTA study found families condensed their expenses by $6,200 annually though public transportation. Still, riding the bus has its share of problems just as carpooling and energy efficient vehicles do. Traveling time can take longer, since it’s likely the

IT’S NOT JUST DOING HOMEWORK.

SEE K-10 ON PAGE 7

IT’S DOING WORK THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE, TRANSFORMING AMBITION INTO ACHIEVEMENT.

umkc.edu/choose

6 FEATURES

the CAMPUS LEDGER / SEPT 06, 2012 / VOL 35 / ISSUE 02

Reveling in drunken discord

Study claims college students who binge drink are more likely to be happy By DAVID HURTADO

ow can students stay happy in college? By drinking more alcohol in one setting than a frat boy at the Super Bowl game, of course. According to a study conducted by the American Sociological Association, college students who binge drink are more likely to be happy than their peers who don’t. The study showed students from social groups considered to have high status were more likely to binge drink than those from lower groups. This, in turn, led binge drinking to become associated with being popular on campus. “I think college students drink because they assume they’re suppose to,” said Meghan Wiggin, student. “They think that’s what you go to college to do nowadays. Instead of going to college to get a degree, it’s to party.” The study also found students did not binge drink because they were unhappy, but because they wanted to fit in. However, researchers found students who suffered from stress,

anxiety and sexual abuse were less likely to drink. In addition to health risks such as liver disease, binge drinking can also create extra burdens for law enforcement. Sgt. Gregory Russell, Campus Police, said since the college does not have dorms, binge drinking is not as serious of an issue as it could be. “Because of the lack of housing on campus, we don’t have the problem that a normal college setting would have,” Russell said. “Since we won’t have frat houses, dorms or apartments nearby, it’s not a problem for [the college].” Binge drinking is defined as consuming at least five alcoholic beverages for men and at least four for women in a single drinking session. Although some Americans point to the media or films such as “Project X” for encouraging binge drinking, others feel personal responsibility plays just as big a role.

“There’s a certain influence that comes from the media,” said Ronald White, student. “But I think the people you hang out with generally set the tone for what you do when you have fun. I definitely think it can start out from your peers and then the culture that the media can create can make it seem like this is what you should be doing.” Russell said to his knowledge there have not been any episodes of binge drinking at the college in recent years. “I’ve been here approximately five years and I’ve not had any reports of binge drinking,” he said. “It’s not tolerated by school policy, and if it was headed in that direction with any kind of alcohol consumption on school property, we would take the necessary means to discourage it.” If binge drinking were to occur at the college, Russell said Campus Police would take action in keeping with Kansas law. Failure to cooperate with Campus Police would result in

Illustration by Morgan Daigneault

the case being handed over to the Overland Park Police Department. “We would handle it within the confines of the law,” he said. “For the most part, we would have the interest of the student in mind as to try and resolve it on a more peaceful

term, without having it to end in the result of an arrest, because that arrest would stay with that individual on their record.” CONTACT DAVID HURTADO, FEATURES EDITOR, AT DHURTADO@JCCC.EDU.

JCCCCreditsAreWelcomeHere Illustration by Morgan Daigneault.

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the CAMPUS LEDGER / SEPT 06, 2012 / VOL 35 / ISSUE 02

WHAT

CAMPUSCALENDAR WHAT

Formula for Leadership Success presentation

Comedian Erik Rivera

WHEN AND WHERE

12 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 26 in the Craig Community Auditorium (GEB 233)

12:30 - 1:45 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13 in CC 107.

WHY YOU NEED TO BE THERE

Are you interested in developing or strengthening leadership skills? Come on down and listen to a presentation given by retired Green Beret Mark Johnson.

COST Free

WHAT

Man Up!

WHEN AND WHERE

2 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, in CC 107

WHY YOU NEED TO BE THERE A presentation that teaches men what they can do to counter sexual violence.

COST Free

MEDICARE, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

information because we have the internet now, which has every major newspaper in the country. They’re going to get to the point where they’ll benefit both from Social Security and Medicare, and it’s a system that works well.” Magliano said that the programs are on the verge of not being around when younger generations get to retirement age. “They’re getting to the point where they’re not self-sustaining,” Magliano said. Clark agrees. “Unless someone does something about it, it will run out of money,” he said. “Well, it’s a long ways away for most people. I’d say it makes sense for students, as voters, to favor candidates who want to repair Social Security and Medicare and keep it on a sound financial footing.” Clark believes that although there is uncertainty surrounding the programs, the problem will DROUGHT, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Shafer agreed. “Reservoirs, which are major sources of water, and rivers which are another major source of water, and then the ground water, all of those supplies are finite,” he said. “It seems like it’s infinite when we can just turn on the tap, but they’re finite. And when in a drought, they’re reduced. So everybody should be aware how they’re using water and limit it.” WaterOne provides water to Johnson County, and although they have not implemented any required water restrictions, they have asked some people in the county to voluntarily change their watering habits. According to their website, WaterOne has asked customers living in sections of Leawood, Overland Park, and Prairie Village to change their outdoor

WHEN AND WHERE

WHY YOU NEED TO BE THERE

FEATURES 7

Culinary building to eliminate 264 parking spots

Do you love to laugh? The talents of stand-up comedian Erik Rivera are for you.

COST Free WHAT

TAKE Defense Self-Defense

WHEN AND WHERE

6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, in CC 232

WHY YOU NEED TO BE THERE A class hosted by the Ali Kemp Foundation that teaches self-defense for women.

COST Free

COMPILED BY DAVID HURTADO, DHURTADO@JCCC.EDU

eventually fix itself and they will be there for younger generations. “I don’t think it’ll ever happen [ending the programs] because too many people rely on it,” Clark said. “But if we didn’t have Social Security, people would be dependent on their savings during their working years, and people would have to save a lot of money to make it.” Despite the optimism, Cuellar sees the idea of Social Security collapsing as an issue still worth talking about. “I consider the collapse of Social Security to be something along the lines of the economic equivalent of heart disease; it’s the silent killer,” he said. “People are going to continue to ignore it until they’re on the ground reaching for their Bayer Aspirin.” CONTACT TABI SECOR, NEWS EDITOR, AT TSECOR@JCCC.EDU.

watering schedule due to water demand in the area. Sreedhar said the issue of water consumption is important to future generations. “It’s time we started talking about these issues,” she said. “We can’t just deplete everything, and not think about the next generation of this planet.” CONTACT TABI SECOR, NEWS EDITOR, AT TSECOR@JCCC.EDU.

The new Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center, which began construction in May, will eliminate 264 parking spaces from campus. “The Library lot where the construction is happening in [has] 264 spots,” said Ryan Wing, senior Sustainability analyst. “The building itself is only supposed to sit on 120 when it’s completed, but we lose the whole lot during construction.” A temporary parking lot was added by the Quivira entrance in response to the loss of the Library lot. According to Wing, the temporary lot will stay open throughout construction of the culinary building. “There were several locations that were looked at for the building,” he said. “The building itself got moved at least a couple of times during that planning process. Originally it was going to be on [the west]

side of campus and it would have taken up fewer parking spaces, but there was a concern about visibility of the building and access to the building.” There are no current plans to build additional parking to even out the number of spaces lost. “Our office has made the recommendation to the administration that we not build additional parking,” Wing said. “The cost to construct another garage the size of the Galileo garage that we currently have is $17.5 million or so. Part of our concern is we don’t want that cost passed onto students in increased fees to help pay for that.” COMPILED BY DAVID HURTADO, DHURTADO@JCCC.EDU

K-10, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

bus will be making other stops before arriving at your destination. This is also compounded by the fact that the bus may not always be on time, whether it’s due to accidents, road work or the driver. Katarina Unruh, student, said the bus is usually on time both to and from the college, and has only experienced minor discomforts on The JO. “Sometimes it’s overcrowded and sometimes the Wi-Fi messes up, but that’s about it,” she said. CONTACT DAVID HURTADO, FEATURES EDITOR, AT DHURTADO@JCCC.EDU.

8 IN FOCUS

the CAMPUS LEDGER / SEPT 06, 2012 / VOL 35 / ISSUE 02

ALONE, FEARFUL,

DESPERATE

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF A TROUBLED MIND BODY BY JON PARTON

harles Joseph Whitman was a Marine, a Boy Scout troop leader, and a student of architectural engineering at the University of Texas. His wife taught biology at a nearby high school. On Aug. 1, 1966, Whitman entered the observation deck of the Main Building at the university and began firing a high powered rifle at people on campus. An autopsy later found a tumor in his brain that may have affected his behavior. Whatever the cause, many people suffer from serious mental health illnesses such as major depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in 17 American adults and an estimated one in 10 children

suffer from some kind of serious mental health disorder. This past summer has seen a number of mass shootings in the national headlines. Susie Sympson, adjunct professor, Psychology, believes that too much attention is being placed on the violence rather than the reasons behind it. “I think that we’ve turned into a society that, you know, watches maybe in horror, but they watch these things,” Sympson said. “They are very much attracted to these things.” She said action needs to be taken to help people with mental illness before it reaches a point where a person inflicts harm on themselves or others. “The majority of our homeless people are mentally ill,” Sympson said. “The number of mentally

ill in jails is super high. We don’t have the services, we don’t pay attention to the things that we can do.” She added that people are more likely to commit suicide than to harm others. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide was the eleventh leading cause of death of Americans and the third leading cause of death of Americans ages 15 to 24. Sympson said people with mental health disorders do not just “snap.” “That’s very simplistic,” Sympson said. “There is no one thing. There are lots of things. We can’t get away from society and what society is doing.” Michelle Salvato, professor, Psychology, works to address mental health issues in children.

She said behavior can sometimes be linked to family. “History and psychology has shown normal people are capable of horrendous things,” Salvato said. “I think what happens is there may be a genetic vulnerability.” She believes parents play one of the most important parts in developing good mental health for their children. “People don’t learn coping skills,” Salvato said. “I just don’t think parents teach kids coping skills.” Brad Redburn, chair, Psychology, said that psychologists have yet to discover a link in behavior between violent killers. “They have looked into aggressive behavior for a very long time,” Redburn said. “And

what they’re finding is that there are no patterns. These seem to happen under exceptional circumstances.” Redburn said there is not a lot of evidence to study because mass killings are so rare. “There’s a perception that it’s more common,” Redburn said. “It’s sort of like when an airplane crashes. It makes the news because it rarely happens.” He added that people should simply communicate better in order to help others. “You run the risk of a false positive if you don’t talk to a person you suspect is having problems,” Redburn said. “It’s very much a situation-bysituation situation.”

the CAMPUS LEDGER / SEPT 06, 2012 / VOL 35 / ISSUE 02

STAYING SAFE

ALICE

SAFETY STEPS

DURING AN EMERGENCY

series of mass shootings has gained national attention in recent months and the college has responded by implementing a new strategy known as ALICE training. ALICE stands for Alert-LockdownInform-Counter-Evacuate. The program was created 10 years ago by Greg Crane, a former law enforcement officer, and his wife Lisa Crane, a former counselor and educational therapist. The college contracted their company, Response Options, for the ALICE training. The program created controversy back in 2006 when the Texas school district of Burleson rejected the program after training all of its teachers and some of its students. Part of the ALICE training calls for students and faculty to physically confront attackers if the opportunity presents itself. Alisa Pacer, manager of Emergency Preparedness, said the college decided to adopt the ALICE strategy because it was believed to be better than the school’s previous policy. “If you truly break down ALICE, it’s the same strategies that are enforced and provided by the Department of Homeland Security, where you’ll hear the out principles, ‘Hide out, get out, or take out,’” Pacer said. “In other words, it’s self-empowerment for survival.” Pacer said that a possible emergency situation involving an active shooter on campus has no clear solution. “Each situation is so volatile and so quickly changing,” Pacer said. “You know, in my experience, especially when I first came to this campus, active shooter was big then too. It was after Virginia Tech and people asked the question, ‘Tell me what to do?’ And there’s not a one-size-fits-all answer.” Pacer said one of the most significant changes to policy involves the idea of lockdown. “If we lock classroom doors, either for you, or you do it yourself… you can always get out,” Pacer said. “You’re never locked in. And in the training, that’s a big concept that we’re trying to change. And we’re not telling you to stay if it’s in your best interest to go.” The training is a requirement for all college employees. Pacer estimated that more than 1,200 employees already completed training in the span

of one week. “By the end of September, we will have an online Angel core for those employees that just absolutely can’t make an in-person session,” Pacer said. “They’ll be able to take the online video course and we will be able to track the training that way.” The school also adopted a new text and desktop alert system called JCCC Alerts. Pacer said that every credit student, continuing education student and college employee is automatically enrolled in the program. JCCC Alerts sends texts during emergency situations, informing people with upto-date known details. “We’ve gotten the buy-in that, as we have information, so will you, because that equals survival,” Pacer said. Pacer said real-time communication of events as they occur is important to ensuring survival during a shooting. “If you look at any instance that has fault, or turns to chaos, I mean if you look back at root cause, communication is usually 90 percent of the theme that you’ll see,” Pacer said. The college is currently looking into making the program available for students, but nothing has been decided at the moment. Janelle Vogler, executive director of Audit and Advisory Services, said that she would like to see students be able to take participate in ALICE training. “Since it’s not a required thing, I think it’s such a positive, great skill for people to have,” Vogler said. Larry Dixon, deputy chief, Police Department, said police officers on campus have taken the ALICE training as well. “Our officers have trained with the Overland Park Police Department’s tactical unit,” Dixon said. “We’re trained to respond to violent intrusion, but the [ALICE] training offered a new perspective.” Dixon said he believed the program would be very useful for students to take and welcomed the idea of opening training to everyone. “Anytime you can make the college community more aware, the better,” Dixon said. CONTACT JON PARTON, MANAGING EDITOR, AT JPARTON@JCCC.EDU.

IN FOCUS 9

ALERTNESS Report suspicious Campus Police.

activity

LOCKDOWN Lock down or barricade entry points to provide barriers between yourself and a violent intruder.

INFORM Listen for information updates, either by JCCC Alert or any other real-time communication.

COUNTER As a last resort, counter the attacker using movement, noise, or distraction.

EVACUATE When it is possible to do so, leave the area and get to a safe location. COMPILED BY JON PARTON, JPARTON@JCCC.EDU

SEE SOMETHING? SAY SOMETHING

ot everyone with a mental health disorder is inclined to commit acts of harm or selfharm. According to Brad Redburn, chair, Psychology, there is a risk in pointing out someone who may not necessarily tend to violent behavior. “I would say that you want to look for extreme emotional reaction to normal events,” Redburn said. “You want to look for irrational thinking.” Redburn added that the signs of mental illness are usually evident. “Most of the time, people already knew before the violence took

place,” Redburn said. “They usually tell someone.” If you or someone you know is suffering from mental illness and you are not comfortable confronting them, a confidential report site is available through KOPS (Keeping Our People Safe)-Watch at http:// www.jccc.edu/kops/index.html. If it is an emergency on campus call ext. 4111; off campus, dial 911. COMPILED BY JON PARTON, JPARTON@JCCC.EDU

Photo illustration and cover by Tasha Cook

the CAMPUS LEDGER / SEPT 06, 2012 / VOL 35 / ISSUE 02

10 OTHER

Crossword

puzzle by josh knapp

Across

1 Gossip 5 David Bowie’s

rock genre, informally 9 Old Indian ruler 14 Fit 15 Excellent, in modern slang 16 African virus 17 Samuel Adams or Corona 18 Magazine for arithmetic lovers? 20 Momentum, informally 22 [as written] 23 Want ad letters 24 Bizarre demand to a dry cleaner? 29 City served by Indira Gandhi International Airport 31 Sexy 32 Flamenco cry 33 Took part in a bee, British-style 35 Arizona tribe 39 Zales or Tiffany’s? 43 Middling noble rank 44 Early Westinghouse collaborator 45 Silent ___ (Coolidge nickname) 46 “That feels goo-oo-ood!”

51 55 56 57

60 65 66 67 68 69

70 71

Oscar-winning director of “The Departed,” 2006 Overfish? “Luke, ___ your father” Center of gravity? Philosopher who was the father of dialectical idealism Light shower? Flowing hair Chair designer Charles High coif Record for later, in a way Ones before whom pearls are cast Hornets’ home Deep black gem

Down 1 Applies

with a Q-Tip, say 2 “Yeah, sure …” 3 Retirement attire 4 Usher in with fanfare 5 Important econ. indicator 6 “U crack me up!” 7 “Thank you, come again” speaker, on “The Simpsons” 8 Like drawn-out divorces

AnswEr To PrEVIoUs PUZZLE P R O B E S I L T

C U E

L E V E R

A D A G E

Z I T I

A D E N A D U O I R E N N E R T S O U G H R O A L A D Y U B E C L A K E D

S U P N E A R M B E D B Y A S R N A O H W O L Y

staff

edited by Will shortz

P O U R

U M P S

R E R O O L O O U L A Z G U I D E H M O S Q U E S T I O U K R G T E E C A N O E T A S S E N A I L S S N L A C N C Y A S T O I O C U R V N T A M I E E S B O A S

S K Y

N O E L T R Y S T

28 31

35 41

43 47

45 49

10 11 12 13

19 21 25 26 27 28 29

around a canyon, say Lincoln moniker Card #53 or #54 Dole out First president to have a telephone in the White House Genie’s offering Reagan attorney general Ed Chow chow chow brand Grand ___ Auto Least spicy Emperor of A.D. 69 “Uh-uh”

30 34

36 37 38 40 41

42 47 48 50

Managing Editor jparton@jccc.edu

Production Designer Staff Illustrator mdaignea@jccc.edu

TABI SECOR

TASHA COOK

News Editor tsecor@jccc.edu

“___ Enchanted” (2004 film) N.Y.U.’s ___ School of the Arts “I repeat …” Droids, e.g., for short Aruba or Bora Bora Extended family Ingredient in some suntan lotions Waterlogged locale Counsel Take counsel from “It would ___ me …”

51 52 53

54 58 59

61 62 63 64

Advertising Manager Circulation Manager gfitzge1@jccc.edu 913-469-8500 ext. 3193 Marketing Manager tpoor@jccc.edu

Singing ability, informally 1980s-’90s courtroom drama Taste that’s not sweet, sour, bitter or salty Many a summer show Green-eyed monster Pope who excommunicated Martin Luther 100 years: Abbr. Jungle swinger Checks the age of, in a way “Only kidding!”

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.

YOUR AD COULD BE HERE!

The Classified section of The Campus Ledger is the perfect place to advertise, whether you need a roommate, are hiring for your business or trying to sell puppies.

JON PARTON

TRUDY POOR

8/21/12 (No. 0821)

9 Bounce

Features Editor dhurtado@jccc.edu

GABRIELLE FITZGERALD

DAVID HURTADO

Editor-in-chief mclark68@jccc.edu 913-469-8500 ext. 4297

MORGAN DAIGNEAULT

Photo Editor tcook15@jccc.edu

production

55 60

44 46

editorial board MACKENZIE CLARK

22 25

21 24

Contact Gabrielle Fitzgerald, Advertising Manager gfitzge1@jccc.edu 913-469-8500 ext. 3193

ERICA ALDRIDGE

Design Assistant ealdridg@jccc.edu

SARA SCHERBA

Illustrator Correspondent sscherba@jccc.edu

reporters and photographers JAMES RUSSELL

DANIEL DE ZAMACONA

NATALIE GOODWIN

KELLY DANIELS

Sports Columnist jrusse24@jccc.edu Reporting Correspondent ngoodwi1@jccc.edu

Staff Photographer ddezamac@jccc.edu

Photo Correspondent kdanie20@jccc.edu

adviser CORBIN CRABLE Faculty Adviser ccrable@jccc.edu

Copyright © 2012 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 Mackenzie Clark, editor-inchief, at mclark68@jccc.edu. Letters for publication may not exceed 250 words. 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, and valid photo ID must be presented upon request in COM 260. No libelous content will be accepted. 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.

the CAMPUS LEDGER / SEPT 06, 2012 / VOL 35 / ISSUE 02 STAFF EDITORIAL

Transparency

A brief history: the college’s lack of communication

COLUMN

Affirmative Action

Promoting inequality since 1961

By DAVID HURTADO Illustration by Sara Scherba

magine if you owned a company built with your own money. You would want to make sure the employees did the job they were hired to do. Now imagine that your employees update you on their work only if you pay more than $47,000 to type up the report. That is the long-standing legacy of JCCC, the college built upon taxes and tuition paid by students. As a public institution funded by taxpayers, it is the legal obligation of the school to act in an open and transparent manner consistent with our democratic system of government. Without this transparency, we run the risk of allowing school officials, our employees, to do what they will with zero accountability. An official letter was made available to The Ledger last spring. In it, Dennis Day, vice president of Student Success and Engagement, stated that Brown & Gold Club members were no longer receiving free credit class enrollment as of fall 2012. Brown & Gold Club is available to Johnson County residents ages 55 and up. In an interview about the story, Day said the letter was never meant to be sent out and no changes had been made. We never learned how the letter got released. Another issue that could have benefitted from more transparency was the smoking ban enacted last year by Student Senate and the Board of Trustees. In a decided move, smoking on the campus was restricted. The board did decide to allow for designated smoking areas near the ITC building only because Burlington Northern Santa Fe asked for them for their employees who attended the school. The ban was enacted out of health concerns. Note that you can still purchase fried and sugary foods in the

school’s cafeterias and many vending machines. Student Senate hosted a town hall meeting in February to discuss the matter. Although attendance for the event was high, the impotence of it was evident when school officials stated that no changes to the policy would be made. A former Ledger employee, along with the Student Press Law Center, sued the college last year when the school determined that it would cost more than $47,000 to print up requested e-mail records. Such an exorbitant amount of money brings into question the college’s reasoning for the fee. Why would the school charge so much unless it had something to hide? When transparency is shut down, actions come into question. The Ledger staff is all too familiar with school officials who do not check their voicemails or e-mail or are somehow too busy for a 10-15 minute interview. However, failure to receive an answer only leads to more and more questions. This school is funded by you. The Board of Trustees, the college president and all college staff are your employees. Why wouldn’t you want to know what they are doing with your money? Starting today, The Campus Ledger will make available on its website the information request form required by school officials for all inquiries. Our staff encourages you to use it to become more informed. You can ask for a large range of information, from lease agreements with Chick-Fil-A to weekly expense reports. Discover how your money is being spent. You might be surprised. SUBMIT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO MACKENZIE CLARK, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AT MCLARK68@JCCC.EDU.

OP ED 11

f all the policies designed to keep Americans at each other’s throats, affirmative action is among the worst. There was once a time in our history when it was needed, but that time has since passed. Affirmative action was born from Executive Order 10925, which was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. Its aim was to give all Americans an equal chance in employment and education opportunities, regardless of race, religion or national origin. Like most government policies, it’s done more harm than good. Remember the old saying, “Two wrongs don’t make a right?” Affirmative action discriminates against different races of people in favor of others by giving them special advantages. The concept revolves around making up for past discrimination by giving people employment based solely upon minority status instead of personal merits and experience. Some feel this reverse discrimination is justified because it “makes up for centuries of oppression.” Not only is that line of reasoning baseless, it is self-contradictory. In our desire to right the wrongs of the past, we have discriminated against those who were not alive to commit the offenses, believing good reasons and intentions make it acceptable. That is not equality; that is an affront to everything promoters of equality have fought against for decades. Instead of working toward a future where race no longer matters, we choose to continue legislation that carries on past hatred. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought long and hard all of his life to teach Americans to treat each other with love and compassion, no matter our differences. Even though King endured prejudice at every turn, he never gave into hate. “I look to a day when people will not be

judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,” King said. Besides the blatant discrimination this failed concept encourages, affirmative action has an adverse effect on businesses. It undermines the principle of a free market economy by involving the federal government in the hiring process. Although it’s illegal in the United States to have quotas, affirmative action still pressures employers into choosing employees based on status even if some of the applicants aren’t the most qualified. Of course there’s nothing wrong with having an ethnically diverse workforce, but the most qualified candidate should always receive the position. Too many unqualified workers negatively affect a company’s profits, and sufficient cumulative negative drag can impede economic growth. No one should ever be rewarded for something they have not earned, regardless of race, gender or any other factor. Some feel that rewarding individuals through affirmative action because of these factors is both insulting and demeaning. Doing so insinuates they aren’t good enough to get ahead on their own and require assistance from Big Brother to succeed in life. Thomas Sowell, economist, claims in his book, “Affirmative Action around the World,” that such policies are detrimental instead of helpful. “Affirmative action in the United States has made blacks look like peoples who owe their rise to affirmative action and other government programs,” he wrote. “It has been carefully cultivated by black politicians and civil rights leaders so as to solidify a constituency conditioned to be dependent on them, as well as on government.” An eye for an eye is not going to make any anger or resentment go away. The only way to mend this deeply fractured country is through forgiveness, just as Nelson Mandela did to his captors of 28 years: “Resentment is like a glass of poison that a man drinks; then he sits down and waits for his enemy to die.” CONTACT DAVID HURTADO, FEATURES EDITOR, AT DHURTADO@JCCC.EDU.

12 OP ED

the CAMPUS LEDGER / SEPT 06, 2012 / VOL 35 / ISSUE 02

Talkin’ ‘bout my generation

COLUMN

Kids these days lack coping skills; believe they deserve the world for nothing

By MACKENZIE CLARK

erhaps some of you may have noticed a pattern emerging from the many shootings in the news fairly recently. In quite a few of those cases the suspects were in their teens or 20’s. These immature

kids decided that some aspect of their lives had gone wrong and it was their duty to make the world pay for it. Naturally mental illness is a huge factor in cases of shootings, but I believe the root of the problem goes deeper than that. This generation was raised in a society where there are no losers. “Oh, you came in tenth place? You’re the last winner! Here’s your trophy.” Not only that, but some schools have eliminated failing grades and instead offer students as many chances as they need to finally figure out the correct answer. This even applies to cheaters and plagiarizers. We celebrate far too many of our inadequacies, and it’s exactly the wrong way to handle them. The areas where we fare poorly do not make us diverse; they make us human. This is not how the real world works, and it’s time kids start to realize that at an early, healthy age. Otherwise they will be blindsided when life isn’t the sunshine and rainbows they believed it was before they

Hope for four more years By TABI SECOR

our years ago, Barack Obama was elected by the people of the United States to be their commander-in-chief. In that time, he has, despite what your favorite conservative pundit might say, accomplished a multitude of things while in the White House. He signed into law the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare.” As a young person who is going to school full time, who is involved in campus organizations and is trying to balance everything at once with no health insurance, I can honestly say that knowing that the ACA is now law relieves a great deal of worry about my physical future. That’s not to say there aren’t things that could be different, or better, but at the end of the day would Romney do anything close to what Obama has done? No. According to Romney’s own website, he will “pursue policies that give each state the power to craft a health care reform plan that is best for its own citizens.” In other words, he’ll restore health care to exactly what it is now. Tell me again who has the best interest of America in their hands. I’ll give you a hint: it doesn’t rhyme with tomney. President Obama also repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the out of touch and polarizing law that said if you were gay and in the military, you couldn’t talk about it. He is also the first president in history to endorse same-sex marriage. Romney would not only support the Defense of Marriage Act but would also endorse an amendment that would define marriage between a man and a woman, constitutionally. As students, we should be worried about the amount of money we are borrowing for education. Obama has

signed into law a new measure that would reform student loans. Under the law, no borrower would pay more than 10% of their income. It also forgives any outstanding debt after 20 years. Any individual who chooses to be a teacher, or nurse or any other public service employee will have their debt forgiven in 10 years. Romney has said that he would not forgive student loan debt, or make promises he can’t keep when it comes to increasing grant awards. Obama has increased funding for the Violence against Women Act, expanded Pell grants, cut costs on prescriptions for Medicare recipients, closed Guantanamo Bay, and oh yeah, there’s that little mission he ordered which killed Osama bin Laden. No big deal, right? Analysts and politicians are quick to jump on the “it’s about personal responsibility” bandwagon, but when are people going to realize that whole idea of the American dream is to have a life worth living? People aren’t just going around merely wanting a government payout, or set out to get pregnant and have to undergo an abortion procedure or lose their jobs and have to go on welfare. We have to learn, as a country, that we shoulder one another’s burdens. Vote for the candidate that will best stick up for what you believe in. Don’t just take my word for any of this. Do your research, on both candidates, and really decide who you want as your leader for the next four years. In my opinion, that man is Barack Obama.

graduated high school. You know what happens when someone doesn’t live up to the standards set for The Ledger staff? I warn them, and if I have to, fire them. Game over. Just like all supervisors do. At some point, society began turning its children into whiny, incompetent, spoiled, interdependent little pantywaists. Now the kids of my generation are growing into adults who, like their younger forms, believe they’re entitled to everything under the sun. “I, like everyone else, can’t find a job in this economy! I need unemployment.” “I can’t afford $8 a month in order to be as promiscuous as I want. I need free birth control. Oh, and in a few months, I’ll need free STD tests, too.” “I can’t pay my tuition myself! But I really need to go to Harvard…” and the list goes on and on. So, James Holmes of Aurora, Colo., you didn’t get into that graduate neuroscience program? That’s because you are a failure.

Contact Mackenzie Clark, editor-in-chief, at mclark68@jccc.edu.

He had his chance

By DAVID HURTADO

s the 2012 election season comes into swing, the American people have two options on the table. We can either reelect President Obama and have four more years of “hope and change,” or cast our ballot for Governor Romney and end the shadow that has fallen over America. President Obama is many things, but an effective leader he is not. For starters, a good leader does not continuously blame his predecessor for what he inherited. Democrats took full control of Congress in 2006 and the presidency in 2008. For two whole years after, Obama had ample opportunity to pass laws designed to repair the economy. Instead, most of those two years were spent trying to pass the Affordable Care Act (ACA). That law is not going to help improve the economy, especially when our elected representatives have no idea what’s in it. “We have to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it,” former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said of the ACA. If our lawmakers have no idea what’s in a piece of proposed legislation, it should never be passed. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 presented another opportunity Obama had to mend the void in the economy. According to an article by USA Today, the bill was intended to increase employment by 3.6 million by the fourth quarter of 2010. The problem here is, you can’t just take $787 billion, force-feed it into the economy and make everything all hunky-dory. $787 billion doesn’t just magically appear out of thin air. It has to come from somewhere. That somewhere is either through taxes or borrowing. Picture the

CONTACT TABI SECOR, NEWS EDITOR, AT TSECOR@JCCC.EDU.

Those 12 people you killed and the 58 you injured had nothing to do with it. Holmes failed an important oral exam, and he so miserably botched an interview with neuroscience program director Daniel Tranel at the University of Iowa that the man warned his colleagues, “Do NOT offer admission under any circumstances.” Is this a license to kill? Last time I failed an exam I certainly didn’t go out and buy four guns and over 6,000 bullets and swing by a movie’s opening night on my way home. I dealt with it and knew no one had any choice in the matter but me. Holmes’ entitlement mentality, among other things, led him to believe that someone else needs to pay for his own shortcomings. If after reading this someone decides to go on a shooting spree and I’m first on the list, I have but five choice words for you: Go ahead. Make my day.

POINT // COUNTERPOINT

economy as a pie, with various slices comprising it. All this law accomplished was re-distributing how large those slices are, which failed to address the underlying problem. The government spends exceedingly more than it takes in. Romney, on the other hand, knows and understands how the economy works. According to FactCheck.org, job creation in Massachusetts rose to 28th in the nation during his final year in office. He also vetoed a measure that prevented Mass. from doing business with a state contractor who was re-locating customer service call centers to India. Still, for those of you on the fence between Obama and Romney, this nation looks royally screwed. However, compared to Obama, Romney represents the lesser of the two evils in this election. No, Romney’s not the ideal Republican candidate, but Obama has little to no knowledge of how economics work, nor does he seem to understand blaming his predecessor four years after he left office clearly displays his lack of leadership. There is no guarantee Romney will improve economic conditions, as the future is uncertain, but four more years of Obama and America might not exist after them. Our country has fallen to a sickening standstill. Remember the proposal Obama made back in 2009 if he couldn’t turn around the economy? “If I don’t have this done in three years, then there’s going to be a one-term proposition.” Let’s hold him to that. CONTACT DAVID HURTADO, FEATURES EDITOR, AT DHURTADO@JCCC.EDU.

the CAMPUS LEDGER / SEPT 06, 2012 / VOL 35 / ISSUE 02

SPORTS 13

SPORTS BRIEFS ALL INFORMATION BY AND COURTESY OF TYLER CUNDITH, INFO WRITER, SPORTS INFORMATION College harriers impressive in season opener The women’s and men’s cross country teams got off to an impressive start to their 2012 season, finishing second and third respectively at the Maple Leaf Invitational last weekend at Baker University. Both Baker teams came away as Maple Leaf champions. The Lady Cavaliers had four runners finish in the top 20. Freshman Michala Ruder led the way for Johnson County, crossing the 4k course in 16:08.40, giving her ninth place overall. Her time of 16:08.40 ranks as the 17th-best 4k recorded in team history. Two spots back in 11th place was sophomore Liliana Lira. She finished with a time of 16:13.50, which ranks 18th all-time at Johnson County. The other two in the top 20 were freshmen Halie McCombs and Abi Hartzell. McCombs placed 14th with a time of 16:29.37, and Hartzell came in at 16:52.21. McComb’s finishing time ranks 24th all-time at the 4k distance. Rounding out the runners were freshman Mackenzie Gorthy (37th-17:43.81), sophomore Angela Mancuso (53rd-18:40.37) and freshman Maggie Hornick (55th18:46.06). The men also had four top-20 finishers, and one place in the top 10. Freshman Sam Yoakum placed sixth overall with a time of 16:41.78. Joining him in the top 20 were sophomore Kidus Bekele, freshman Tyler Roberts and sophomore James Bowlin. Bekele placed 13th with a time of 16:41.78. Roberts was 17th finishing in 17:04.53, and

Bowlin was 20th with a time of 17:14.27. Rounding out the runners were sophomore Zach Palmer (26th-17:22.40), sophomore Kurt Vukas (44th17:51.87) freshman Michael Chalfant (46th-18:01.56), freshman Jordan Dodd (82nd-23:40.24), freshman Nickson Baselle (83rd-23:40.50) and freshman Peter Rogers (84th-23:52.27). Men’s soccer posts three wins over the week The men’s soccer team rebounded from its season opening 3-0 loss to No. 1 Cloud County with three impressive road wins last week. The Cavaliers posted a 7-1 win over MCC-Blue River Aug. 28, a 4-1 win over South Suburban Aug. 31, and a 3-0 shutout over Kishwaukee, Sept. 1. Two key offensive players for were freshman forward Jake Walter and sophomore forward Luis Cadena. Walter scored five goals and had one assist in the three matches. He had two goals against Blue River. He scored the first goal against South Suburban and the first and third goals against Kishwaukee. Cadena recorded the first hat-trick of the season, netting three goals against Blue River. He also scored once against South Suburban and had an assist against Kishwaukee. Freshman goalkeeper Guillermo Aguilar was credited with all three victories for the week. He saved 11 of the 13 shots he faced, and earned his first collegiate shutout against Kishwaukee.

Women’s soccer suffers first setback The college’s 19th ranked women’s soccer team suffered its first loss of the 2012 season Saturday, Sept. 1 falling to Iowa Lakes, 2-1. All three goals in the match were scored in the second half. The Lady Cavaliers had the wind at their back in the first half, and put a lot of pressure on Iowa Lakes’ defense, but could never capitalize on their scoring opportunities. Iowa Lakes’ Dania Rodriguez broke the scoreless tie, but freshman Christiana Tran pulled the Lady Cavs even, with her team-leading fifth goal of the season. After the college tied the match, Brittany Hansen’s header would give the Lakers its second lead, and they were able to hold on for the win, dropping to 2-1-0 on the season. Tran garners first Player of the Week honor Freshman forward Christianna Tran has earned the first KJCCC/Verizon Wireless Player of the Week honor for the 2012 season. The Wichita native was selected after a stellar performance in her collegiate debut for JCCC women’s soccer last week. Tran netted three goals and assisted on two others to lead the Lady Cavaliers to a 7-3 victory over Cloud County Community College in both team’s season openers. Tran added another goal to her season total in the college’s second game, helping JCCC to a 6-1 road win at MCC-Blue River. CONTACT TYLER CUNDITH, SPECIAL TO THE LEDGER, AT TCUNDITH@JCCC.EDU.

WANT TO WORK FOR THE STUDENT NEWS CENTER? We are still hiring for many positions. Visit https://jobs.jccc.edu to find out more.

Questions? Contact Mackenzie Clark at mclark68@jccc.edu or by phone at ext. 4297

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14 SPORTS

the CAMPUS LEDGER / SEPT 06, 2012 / VOL 35 / ISSUE 02

Arrowheading into the 2012 season

SPORTS COLUMN

By JAMES RUSSELL

reseasons are a hard thing to use as a gauge for what will happen in the regular season. There are too many variables going on behind the scenes for us to know with any certainty how much the team we see on the field has in common with who they really are. Players are being scrutinized by coaches and as a result we see a lot of guys in the game that will not be around in a few weeks. Offensive and defensive play-calling is usually done at the simplest of levels – no reason to show the enemy your plans before the true battles have even begun. Players have the psychological ability to not play to their potential in games that don’t count, which can lead to blown assignments and sloppy play. While that is a

negative mindset which should be fixed by the coaching staff, it can’t really serve as a reliable indicator for how they will play come week one. That said, there is no excuse for Kansas City’s third preseason game against the Seahawks. It is the most important game of the four and the one most scrutinized by fans of all 32 teams. The start of the regular season is only days away, and in truth I am a bit nervous. What team will we see take the field on Sept. 9 against a powerful offensive squad like the Atlanta Falcons? Will it be the team that is stacked top-tobottom with talent on both sides of the ball; that is finally capable of waging a successful war against the rest of the AFC? Or will we see an unbelievably talented team that is unable to make that talent work together – to make it click? After much thought, I expect to see the former. I don’t believe we’ll see it in all of its glory that first game, however. The game against the Seahawks proved that something, for at least one game, was seriously off for this team. Look at the caliber of players we have sitting on this roster: Jamaal Charles, Matt Cassel (contrary to the popular, unreasoned opinion of him, he is a huge asset to

this team), Eric Berry, Dwayne Bowe, Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson, Jonathan Baldwin, Steve Breaston, Dexter McCluster, Glen Dorsey, Eric Winston, Kevin Boss, Peyton Hillis – and this is only a handful of the quality players who currently wear the arrowhead upon their helmets. Add to the quantity of great players, the quality of character and leadership among them, and on the side of those actually playing the game, our potential is nearly mind-boggling. The only real question mark lies on the side of the coaching staff – and our head coach in particular. Romeo Crennel, for all of the accolades he won in the final three games of last season, is still a variable in the formula that currently remains an unknown. His record as head honcho for the Browns is not exactly impressive at 26-40, but then again in Cleveland he was not surrounded by the level of talent he is here in Kansas City. He is a defensive genius, but should he really be at the helm of both Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator? Yes or no, I don’t believe that answer will be long in coming. Crennel has the possibility to be great, but the truth, as yet, is

that no one knows if he will be. He has to take the reins of this team, to balance being a players’ coach (Herm Edwards, anyone?) with the fact that he is the final authority for the 53 men in his charge and that he must make them respect him as such. He has to be willing, should it become necessary, to relinquish the role of Defensive Coordinator and focus solely on his HC duties. There is no reason to believe he is not more than capable of all of the above. It is clear that the players do respect him. He brought them together in a spectacular win over the undefeated Green Bay Packers late last season. My prediction, just before the regular season begins, is that we will see a few stumblings in our early games but these instances will be merely growing pains – some creaks and groans as the sleeping giant that is Kansas City pulls itself up from where it has lain for so long and prepares to go to war. Those missteps, should they happen, will be worrisome when they occur. The game against the Falcons was gut-wrenching, and it was only an inconsequential preseason matchup. The local media will likely pick apart

every mistake and put it under a magnifying glass for the public to take as a sign of the apocalypse. But we will get through it. The Chiefs are in a place that should allow them to grow at an exponential rate once they’ve begun to gain momentum - in strength and in speed, but just as importantly in unity as a team. There is an invisible current running through this ball club, a current that hums quietly but powerfully beneath the surface of not merely Arrowhead, but of the entire Chief’s Kingdom. If you are quiet enough, if you can manage to drown out the naysayers and doomsday prophets that appear at the slightest provocation (not making a Super Bowl since 1969 has the ability to make some a bit cynical, I know), you can hear it. It’s that deep, nearly silent vibration that makes the helmets look just a bit brighter on game day, the grass on the field that bit greener. That makes hope just that small bit more real. But it won’t be quiet much longer. CONTACT JAMES RUSSELL, SPORTS COLUMNIST, AT JRUSSE24@JCCC.EDU.

New regulations to affect college teams NJCAA regulations downsize spots for international students By TABI SECOR

he National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) has passed new regulations that directly affect the college’s sports teams this season. According to the NJCAA, the number of international students allowed on a sports’ roster cannot exceed one-quarter of the total number of athletes on the team. NJCAA officials voted on the new rules in 24 regional conferences across the country two years ago and implemented them one year ago. “The coaches have known about this for a year,” said Carl Heinrich, director, Athletics. “I am not aware of any player that would have been a freshman last year who was not afforded the opportunity to come back this year.”

Even though some teams have been affected by the new regulations, Heinrich said that he is unaware of any student who was dismissed from the team because of them. He did say, however, that sports such as soccer and tennis have had to cut back on the number of international students on the team. The college belongs to the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC), one of twenty-four regional conferences in the NJCAA. Bryce Roderick, KJCCC Commissioner, said the new regulations will have a positive effect on the conference. “It will serve to balance the regions across the nation, because all teams in that sport can only have the same allowed number of

international athletes,” he said. The official reasoning for the change has to do with the philosophy of the conference being one which serves the community. “When the dominant number of players on a team are international athletes, then there is a question of serving the community and therefore community support is eroded,” Roderick said. Heinrich believes the new regulations were impacted by the amateur or professional status of some international athletes. “What rules are made for is to put everybody on a level playing field, and to compete, and let the game be won on the court or the field,” Heinrich said. “So, were we really giving a fair opportunity

for you as a student to compete against another school that had maybe pro players that were paid, and their skills were much higher?” Heinrich said there are instances in which the new regulations come up short. One of those instances is in the case of international students who might not have been born here, but have spent a significant time playing sports in this country. “We still have some holes, and it’s the undocumented person that maybe goes three years to Olathe North,” he said. “They don’t have a green card, then they come here and we have to count them as one of the four.” Despite the fact that these new regulations have been passed, Heinrich wants to continue

to focus on serving the local community. “The reason for that is by definition of who we are,” he said. “We are a community college. We are here to serve Johnson County first. Our philosophy has always been we want the best athletes at Johnson County that we can possibly get and sometimes there are limitations.” CONTACT TABI SECOR, NEWS EDITOR, AT TSECOR@JCCC.EDU.

the CAMPUS LEDGER / SEPT 06, 2012 / VOL 35 / ISSUE 02

Cross country teams set to break new records

SPORTS 15

Coach Bloemker ready to lead another winning season

By JON PARTON

Start your degree at J CCC. Finish it at KU Edward s C a m p u s. Start2Finish

The women’s cross country team is shown practicing the morning of Aug. 29. Photo by Daniel DeZamacona

he men’s and women’s cross country teams trained in triple degree temperatures three weeks before the school semester even started. According to Head Coach Mike Bloemker, it is that level of dedication and stamina that has led the success of both teams. “There isn’t any real secret,” he said. “You just get out there and train, train, train.” This season marks 15 years for Bloemker as head coach for the cross country teams. During his time at the college, he has garnered a number of achievements for the programs, including two individual national champions. Bloemker has won more half marathon national championships than any other coach. He was named the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region VI Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2004. Both teams train together every day of the week. Bloemker said it was necessary in order to create competitive teams. “We do a big long run on Sundays,” Bloemker said. “We’ll go anywhere from 12 to 20 miles, it just depends on the group.” Last year, the Lady Cavaliers broke six school records and finished in the top five 18 times. The men’s team broke two stadium records and finished five times in the top five. “Guys run a little bit more than the women,” Bloemker said. “Women, though, at this level out train any other team in the country. Overall, I think it’s one of the best teams we’ve ever had.”

Bloemker added that this year’s teams have a lot of potential. “Right now, it looks like we have a really strong women’s team,” Bloemker said. “Our freshmen on the men’s side have come in and we’re really surprised with where they’re at.” Angela Mancuso, sophomore on the women’s team, said she is optimistic about this year’s chances. “There are always different personalities and that can be a challenge, but we all want the same thing,” Mancuso said. “We want to win.” According to Bloemker, the race at Disney World is one the teams look forward to the most. “Usually, you know, we compete well there,” Bloemker said. “Our guys were third there last year.” Bloemker said it is the goal of each team to win at regionals. He thinks both teams have a good shot at making that happen. “The guys I think, for sure, are top eight in the nation,” Bloemker said. “And the women are probably top five in national cross. Both sides will try to win the half marathon championship.” James Bowlin, sophomore on the men’s team, said that the major challenges to face are health related. “It’s basically staying away from injury,” Bowlin said. “Keep everyone together and stay focused.” CONTACT JON PARTON, MANAGING EDITOR, AT JPARTON@JCCC.EDU.

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Students at Campus Kickoff enjoyed free food and live entertainment while browsing tables set up by more than 40 campus clubs and organizations Friday, Aug. 24. Photos by Kelly Daniels

A VIEW INTO

CAMPUS KICKOFF Student Senate President Bruna Iacuzzi takes her turn riding a mechanical bull in the Fountain Square.

Students flock to more than 100 booths set up in the Plaza Commons and Fountain Square during Campus Kickoff Friday, Aug. 24.

Representatives from the International Club, the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest student organization, recruit new members and share information about upcoming events.

KU was on hand to share information about transferring into one of their four-year programs.