DEC. 5, 2013 VOL. 36
ISS. 8
CAMPUSLEDGER
the
OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN PUBLICATION OF JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, OVERLAND PARK, KS
STUDENTS SHARE THEIR SEASONAL TRADITIONS P. 8-9
AN UPDATE ON THE BUDGET REDUCTION PROCESS
TIPS ON PREPARING YOUR CAR FOR THE WINTER
MAC MOORE SHARES HIS LOVE FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON
P. 3
P. 5
P. 13
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NEWS
DEC. 5 2013 VOL 36
NEWS BRIEFS Bookstore retail buyback and textbook rental check-in runs Dec. 4-14 The college’s bookstore retail buyback and textbook rental check-in dates are Dec. 4-14. Check the bookstore website for daily buyback hours. The last day for textbook rental check-in without penalty is Saturday, Dec. 14.
for each nation that they represented. The awards recognize pre-conference preparation. In order to resolve issues as the Model UN team, these papers are required as they cause the team to negotiate and compromise to create feasible solutions.
Model UN team receives awards at conference
New AED installed in Student Center
The college’s Model United Nations team received four awards for policy positions papers of Tanzania and Zambia at the 2013 American Model United Nations Conference held in Chicago Nov. 23-26. The team received a set of awards
Due to traffic flow and feedback, an additional Automated External Defibrillator (AED) life-saving device has been placed at the base of the stairway on the second floor of the Student Center. This AED is ready for use. In the past two months, 26 people attended CPR/AED training classes on
ISSUE 8
campus and are now trained in both. If you wish to join your Building Emergency Team, contact Alisa Pacer, emergency preparedness manager at ext. 7622 or apacer@jccc.edu. United Way update: Final total tops $27,000 The JCCC United Way workplace campaign ended with 97 employees donating a combined total of $27,009.49 Compiled by Farhin Lilywala, news editor, flilywal@jccc.edu. Illustration by Alyssa Jolitz.
CONSIDERING THE ISSUE OF CONCEALED CARRY By Stephen Cook
COLLEGE MAY ALLOW WEAPONS ON CAMPUS IN FOUR YEARS
At the monthly Board of Trustees meeting on Nov. 21, trustees voted to unanimously approve a four-year exemption from House Bill 2052 at the college regarding concealed carry of weapons. The board had voted to approve a resolution on June 20 to temporarily exempt all buildings at the college for a period of six months from the adequate security measure requirements of the new concealed carry legislation that became effective on July 1. In order to proceed without the exemption, there would be certain expenses to prepare and properly secure the college’s buildings. The building cost estimate for three buildings on campus – the Carlsen Center, the CLB and the ATB was $4.4 million, not including additional staffing. An estimate for the entire campus, as well as off-site locations, is not available at this time. Trustee Jon Stewart also brought up the point that there was an aspect of how the college’s insurer would respond to concealed carry and potential incidents in the future. “The deciding factor for me was the fact that we would be uninsured and if there was an incident on this campus, you know what kind of multimillion dollar lawsuits could be brought against us,” Stewart said at the meeting. “If we cannot insure against that
I think that’s just too high of a risk for is not a constitutional issue, it’s a policy us.” issue and it’s a political issue.” The cost to prepare all of the buildMusil said if the college was to ings on campus under the unfunded change their decision, he would want mandate would cost the college dozens to know that the campus would be safof millions of dollars, which is multiple er than it is now. mills on taxpayers, according to Trust“We have 29 people who are trained ee Stephanie Sharp. 40 hours a year as professional certified “The argument will be made to just law enforcement officers to keep us allow concealed weapons on campus,” safe,” Musil said. “Our history has been Sharp said. “The reality of our campus very good, I would rather keep that is that we solid profeshave 22,000 sional law students Unless the legislation is changed enforcement coming and over the next four years and I’m as our securigoing and ty – it’s never how does not confident that will happen – going to be our police we will have concealed carry on perfect.” department the campus in four years. Interim know who police chief –Trustee Jon Stewart the shooter is Gregory Rus– the original sell said, at shooter, the this point, alperpetrator – and who the defender is though campus police is prepared and and how many people get caught in the trained, concealed carry is not a good crosshairs, intentionally punned.” thing for the college. However, it is not unconstitutional “We will continue to do extensive for the college to change the ability training to prepare for the worst and to bring weapons on campus, Trustee hope for the best,” Russell said. Greg Musil said. Sharp also encouraged the audience “Our constitutional rights that peo- to contact their state legislators about ple talk about in the First Amendment, changing this law. the Second Amendment, the Fourth “It’s our job to serve the public,” she Amendment, they’re all limited, none said. “Are we doing that by allowing of them are absolute,” Musil said. “This our students that come here to get an
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education, our adults who come here to get an education, those who come to our performing arts series, those who come to the museums, are we endangering them?” Deb Williams, of the Faculty Association said it is important that the campus comes together to be a force for legislative change. “I think if you ever would have an opportunity to achieve a one college one community one goal is to invite that kind of a communication collectively,” Williams said. “We certainly do not, on behalf of the faculty, I can state definitively that we do not want guns on this campus.” Also, if concealed carry is hoped to be continued to be limited at the college, the law will have to be changed within the next four years as there’s no provision in the law for a second extension, according to Stewart. “I think that the writing’s on the wall,” Stewart said. “That eventually, unless the legislation is changed over the next four years and I’m not confident that will happen – we will have concealed carry on the campus in four years.” Contact Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, at scook35@jccc.edu.
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NEWS 3
DRAWING THE LINE FOR SERVICE ANIMALS By Farhin Lilywala
COLLEGE ADJUSTS POLICY REGARDING PETS ON CAMPUS
Walking around campus, you may have noticed a few furry friends amongst us. Here’s the secret: they’re not just pets, they are service animals. In March 2013, an “Animals on Campus Policy” was placed into effect, an official alternative to the once unwritten rule that animals were not allowed indoors on campus without special permission. After two separate incidents, according to Greg Russell, interim police chief, with employees bringing their pets to the college, the police department, in consultation with the Office of General Counsel and Student Access Services, created this new bylaw. This policy applies to all students, employees and visitors. “We had to make sure that it was in compliance with the school’s policy,” Russell said. The clauses of this policy include requirements such as keep your pet on a leash, make sure he/she has all proper
vaccinations, and cleaning up after the animal under all circumstances. Also, service animals cannot be left unattended at any time. “Taking care of the animal or restricting the animal to a certain area would go against the Americans with Disabilities Act,” Russell said. “Therefore, it is something that we would not even entertain.” The policy also elaborates that animals are not permitted in college buildings, unless the service animal is assisting a disabled individual, accompanied by a qualified handler or trainer, used for authorized research projects or experiments, or part of an academic program. “In alignment with the recent policy, every dog should be under the control of the handler, especially those dogs that have the predisposition to be aggressive,” said Julie Pitts, program director, International and Immigrant Students, who has a service dog. “My
service animal needs to respond to me even while let go for toileting.” As far as the process to bring a service animal on campus, Russell and Pitts agreed there is no formal procedure or application. However, these animals must meet certain requirements. The basic campus requirements are outlined by the policy and tested by service animal certification agencies. Once the animal has completed certain activities, the agency will vouch that the public and the owner are safe from the animal. “Activities include downstay, when a dog must stay still while a person walks over him without being able to see you, and maneuvering on command on all sides of you and around obstacles,” Pitts said. Although there is not an official manner to keep track of the number of animals in the system, if the college has reasonable doubt that the animal is not a service animal, it may ask the owner
if the animal is required because of a disability and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform. However, service animals have also been requested by those seeking psychological comfort. “That doesn’t fall under anything that is within the policy, as these service animals are trained, so that is something that we cannot approve,” Russell said. According to Russell, the safety of all humans and animals on campus alike is a priority for the Campus Police. If you see an animal on campus that seems to be mistreated or a danger to others, contact the JCCC Police Department at 913-469-8500 ext. 4111 for emergencies or ext. 4112 for non-emergencies. Contact Farhin Lilywala, news editor, flilywal@jccc.edu.
UPDATE ON THE BUDGET PROCESS By Stephen Cook
SOPCICH DISCUSSES THE PROGRESS OF CURRENT BUDGET REDUCTIONS
President Joe Sopcich has been working toward his goal of reducing the college’s budget by $3 million over the course of the fall semester. Looking ahead to next year, Sopcich hopes to make more progress in the reduction process. Could you tell me where you are in the process right now? The first step was for the cabinet to bring reviews of their areas and try to evaluate those areas and then the second step was the creation of this budget discussion team in which that information was shared, in which they were invited to provide their own, to go back to their areas and collect insights and ideas and recommendations and things like that, which they’ve done. So now the cabinet has all this information and it needs to review it very closely and to see what kinds of ideas and suggestions perhaps can incorporate into the ultimate planning so that’s kind of where we’re at. It was kind of very compressed as we need to execute and get this through and I think we got a little compressed there but because a lot of things are going on and this is all, obviously this is very important to me, but time, we need to be able to meet a
schedule and things like that. Have you just been collecting information at this point? Yeah, we really don’t have anything down and we kind of need to start turning that around so we need to come up with some tangible ideas. Going into next year, do you know when those decisions might start being made? There’s a budget calendar and if you look at that budget calendar that will tell you kind of when things fall because all that has to be loaded into the budget and then you get what the budget looks like and the trustees have to approve it. Keep in mind that the sooner we can get that done, the better off we’ll be because the year starts on July 1, so that budget calendar is very important. Are you on track right now? Yeah, we are and then you never know what can come up that kind of throws you off a little bit and potentially can push things back but you just got to keep on going when it comes to the budget, you can’t push it off forever, right? You’ve got to get it done, so
that’s the challenge that we have; it’s a tough one, it’s a tough one for every institution and especially this year we’re trying to make some adjustments. I remember you talked about department evaluations, how do you think that’s been going? Feedback received from people involved? Well, it’s been interesting because some of the things that when we do it again, we’ll strive to do a better job of it, we can always do better. We need to look at greater consistency throughout the whole school with regards to some of the metrics, with as far as some of the service areas, some areas do a pretty good job of looking at that, we need to kind of perhaps model ourselves after some of the strong areas that do a good job in that and then other areas, I know on the instruction side they did quite an elaborate collection of information that they put together and that was all very positive. All of this –keeping in mind is just one data point, it’s one piece of the puzzle and just because it says something like that on a spreadsheet doesn’t mean you take it and run with it but it certainly is a good opportunity to kind of focus on those areas and ask questions as ‘Well why is this like this?’ and
‘What can we do to strengthen this or make it better?’ What’s it been like getting those people in the departments involved? Well, it starts at the cabinet level and then as we reached out you believe that all the areas have been involved; certainly a lot of areas have been involved as far as putting information together. SEE “BUDGET” ON PG. 10 ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSSA JOLITZ
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“Sing We Now,” a holiday choral concert conducted by Anita Cyrier will feature the talents of Evangelos Spanos, Monique Danielle and The Chalice Bronze. The concert will be performed by the Johnson County Chorus.
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ADVANCE SCREENING OF ‘ANCHORMAN 2’ 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, at the Palazzo 16 Theatre, 8601 W. 135th St. in Overland Park. The Student News Center will host a special advance screening of “Anchorman 2”, Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures with attendees encouraged to arrive early for a Ron Burgundy look alike contest. Prizes will be awarded to the top three contestants. Buyers must be current students, faculty or staff. Limit 2 per person. Cost: $7.50
THE LETTERMEN 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20 in Yardley Hall
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A well known trio of romantic singers, the Lettermen will be performing various hits from their repertoire of top hit singles.
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Photo courtesy of the college
4370 West 109th Street, Suite 200 • Overland Park, KS 66211
Compiled by David Hurtado, dhurtado@jccc.edu.
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Cold, ice and snow…oh my
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How to prepare your car for the winter months
By Lindsay Sax Illustration by Alyssa Jolitz If you’re thinking about skipping out on winterizing your car, Jack Ireland, assistant professor, automotive technology says you should think differently. Besides a basic oil change, Ireland said all-season tires with good tread are an important part of getting your car winter ready.
Go to a repair shop or auto parts store and have the battery tested for its ability to hold a charge to make sure you aren’t left out in the cold.
FEATURES
“Do not skimp on tires,” Ireland said. “They can be very expensive. However, they may the most critical factor in keeping your vehicle on the road. They are what helps the vehicle accelerate and stop. It is very critical to install a good quality and correct tire for the vehicle.” Another thing you may not think of is
Oil thickens in colder temperatures, and if it’s too thick it’s not doing its job. Check the owners manual to find the right viscosity for your car.
engine coolant. “It is also very important to make sure the correct amount and type of engine coolant is in the vehicle,” Ireland said. “Incorrect levels, mixtures, or types can lead to freezing, overheating, or overcooling, none of which you want to occur with your engine.”
Make sure to always have a full tank of windshield washer fluid. Also, invest in a good set of wiper blades for best results.
Test out the heating system before it gets cold to make sure it is working properly.
Ireland said there is no need to fill tires with nitrogen for better tread patterns, and it is not necessary for cars today. It is also important to wash your car, and under your car as well, when temperatures permit. Ireland said the salt, sand and moisture wreck havoc on the car.
Keep an emergency kit in the trunk. Include: flares, blankets, boots, radio, engine oil, washer fluir, coolant, flashlight and car charger for your phone. Keep the gas tank at least half full; it helps to add weight. If you get stuck, you’ll have gas to keep warm until help arrives.
Check belts and hoses for wear and tear, the cold can cause them to snap leaving you stranded and with a tow truck bill.
Watch tire pressure. Properly inflated tires lead to better traction in snow and ice. The days are shorter in the winter, make sure that all headlights, brake lights and hazards are not burnt out.
Check the status of the antifreeze with a tester found at auto parts stores. Aim for a half and half mix of water and antifreeze, this prevents the mixture from freezing.
Water-resistant vinyl or rubber mats help to keep the interior clean from the dirty slush of the winter environment.
Ice can freeze your car shut, and can break keys if they are forced open. Warm water can thaw them, but also keep a stash of glycerine (found at auto parts and hardware stores) to use as a de-icer.
JCCC GIVES: STUDENT SENATE’S CHARITY PROJECT By David Hurtado Bells are ringing, children are singing, but it’s not quite Kriss Kringle’s big scene just yet. In the meantime, Student Senate’s JCCC Gives drive has been working to help the less fortunate members of the college community. JCCC Gives is a charity drive Student Senate hosts each year which runs until Dec. 5. It is geared toward provid-
ing aid to students, staff and faculty of the college buckling under financial strain during the holiday season. This year, the drive met the needs of 27 different families. Mindy Kinnaman, manager of Student Life and Leadership Development, said each year JCCC Gives seeks to help various individuals and families at the college. Kinnaman said some of the requests this year have included grocer-
ies, gift cards to places like Walmart and Hy-Vee and winter clothing. “For everyone who is nominated, at the very least we provide them with a holiday meal, but we’ve never just given a family a holiday meal,” Kinnaman said. “We’re usually meeting their requests at some level, and those requests can be for things such as gift cards to Walmart and Target so they can buy some individualized gifts for
their children.” Kinnaman said the idea for JCCC Gives came back in 2011 from a senator named Charles Ruiz who shared a class with a student who was experiencing financial difficulties. Ruiz and his class all pooled together and provided the student with gifts for the holiday season. SEE “GIVES” CONT. ON PG. 13
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DEC 5, 2013 VOL 36 ISSUE 8
Cavalier: Q
What is the worst gift you’ve ever &A received?
Addie Hart “My mom’s aunt and uncle, they’re really nice people, but they always send me Jesus related things. They’ve sent me cross bracelets and pens and I don’t understand why they do that, because they never send my brother anything religious or anybody else in my family religious gifts. Maybe it’s a sign, I don’t know.”
Jessica Holcombe
Jackie Saavedra
“When I was a teenager, I think [my mom] got me a pair of denim overalls that had a Disney character on them. You know, when you get a present, you have to make a straight face. You don’t have to consistently wear them, you have to say thank you, and you have to act like you’re grateful. That’s the hardest part.”
“It was at a white elephant exchange, and I went from getting a Wii then to getting a Dora makeup set.”
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“I got toilet paper once as a joke, and I got a dog biscuit in a really big box with multiple boxes inside. It was terrible, I got really excited.”
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“In a secret Santa, I actually got coal. It was my mom’s work at Children’s Mercy. It sucked.”
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FEATURES 7
GIVING GROUP LEARNING A CHANCE
By Stephen Cook
A LOOK AT THE BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH OTHERS
“Everybody split up into groups” – words that strike fear and dread into the hearts of many students. However, there can be real benefits to group learning, according to Maggie Ackelson, full-time professor and chair of the learning strategies program. “Group learning should always have a clearly established objective,” Ackelson said. “What is the goal for that group learning, what is it that students should be doing, what kind of an outcome does the professor want from that particular group learning?” Allison Smith, professor and chair of the art history department, teaches several art history classes at the college. Although she has her class break up into small groups, Smith said she doesn’t necessarily require her students to do the activities for a grade. She decided to purposefully make it a point to make group learning a key part of her class in order to get students more excited about the subject. “[We do] various little things to try to get them engaged other than just looking at slides,” Smith said. “[The reason] why we all have studied the subject for so long is because we’re interested in it, and we want other people to be interested in it. Oftentimes faculty just don’t simply know how to do that.”
As an art history student, Smith said her classes at KU were usually taught in a huge auditorium, with students sitting in the dark and taking notes for 50 minutes. Now, she wants the classes she teaches to be more involved for students
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to class more if they feel like they’re going to see their friends.” This can also potentially help improve student retention in the classroom, according to Ackelson. “Initially, at the start of the semester
[The reason] why we all have studied the subject for so long is because we’re interested in it, and we want other people to be interested in it. Oftentimes faculty just don’t simply know how to do that.
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–Allison Smith, professor and chair of the art history department
than just sitting there taking notes. “Even if you loved art history you can only sit in a dark room for so long before you start to drift off,” Smith said. Her two goals in using group activities is to help students meet their classmates and feel like they’re a part of a community as well as present the material in a different format so that it keeps students more interested and engaged. “I think especially here at JCCC we have a certain obligation to help students feel the community because we have a commuter campus,” Smith said. “They don’t get to know one another and I think that having a relationship with your peers in the classroom is important to help keep you excited to come. Students look forward to coming
I think group learning can be very helpful for students to get to know one another,” she said. It can also be important to monitor the groups to make sure they are being as efficient as possible, Ackelson said. Also, in a small group environment, students may interact differently. “Quieter students in class who may not be so willing to speak out in a large group may really shine in a smaller group,” Ackelson said. However, it can also be important to make sure students have assigned duties or roles that they carry out in the group to ensure that every student is participating. “There’s always some students that are just more natural leaders, and
there’s some students that may tend to be more reticent,” Ackelson said. Ultimately it is up to the professor whether they feel group learning would work best in their classroom. “I think group learning is a real positive and can be implemented in almost any course or any classroom,” she said. For student Jacob Strickland, it really depends on the person, the teacher and what class it is. He likes group learning but believes you sort of have to be a people person. “I think it can be really effective,” Strickland said. “A big benefit is how you get to know other classmates and that creates a better environment.” Looking at the success of her activities, Smith has been happy to receive some positive feedback from her class. “We were doing an in-class activity just last week to prepare for an exam and when we were finished, [a student] just kind of shouted out, ‘I love this class – I never thought I would like art history and now I want to be an art historian’,” Smith said. “I think if I had just stood there and lectured for 50 minutes in the dark, I don’t think anybody would be screaming out “I love this class.’” Contact Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, at scook35@jccc.edu.
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For more information or to register online, visit www.jccc.edu/ce
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Stockings full of holiday facts Festive food for thought Mini Christmas Timeline 18th century Germany- Christmas lights first used 1841- year Philadelphia children went to see Santa model 1881- First electric Christmas lights used in London
Hanukkah- 8 day Jewish celebration meaning ‘dedication’ in Hebrew Celebration of Jewish Maccabees ousting Syrian army out of Jerusalem Popular foods: Latkes (potato pancakes) and Sufganiyot (sweet jelly filled doughnuts)
Early 1890s-Salvation Army sent unemployed out seeking donations, now the bell ringers we see today
Kwanzaa means “first fruits”
1904- First outside Christmas lights used in San Diego
Celebration based off harvest celebrations of the Ashanti and Zulu
1939- Rudolph first appeared 1965- “A Charlie brown Christmas” debuted
1966- Dr. Maulana Karenga of California State University at Long Beach created Kwanzaa as way for African Americans to come together after Watts Riots in L.A.
Each year: 25-30 million real trees and 7-12 million artificial trees 194,672 record number of lights on a Christmas tree, in Belgium in 2010 Most expensively decorated Christmas tree was $11,026,900 in Emirates Palace (UAE) in 2010 Average tree takes 7 years to grow 6 to 7 feet
Santa Claus from Dutch nickname Sinter Klass
1300 is the number of homes Santa would have to hit per second to get to all the houses in the Saint Nicholas, known as proU.S. alone tector of children and sailors, born 280 A.D.
Compiled by Lindsay Sax Illustrations by Alyssa Jolitz Cover by Courtney Holliday
: icans s Amer he holiday t ebrate ge gifts l e c 95% xchan r ties 93% e o to pa 74% g d religious tten 65% a er vice s es up tre t u p 88%
Top producers of Christmas Trees: • Washington • Oregon • Michigan • Wisconsin • North Carolina • Pennsylvania
Mistle toe protec was used f or ti thund on against e r, l and o ther e ightning Celtic vils in Nor se, Dr ui Nor th Amer ds and ican cultur Indian e
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Nathaly Cifuentes
Mike Ivarra
Arvaughn Baker
“I’m from Columbia, South America so we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but we celebrate Christmas and we celebrate the New Year. In Columbia we eat dinner at midnight, before we party outside the house for [both] Christmas and New Years. For New Years at 12 we hug everybody and say, ‘Happy New Year,’ and that’s it. Usually I celebrate with family and friends together. For New Year we eat 12 grapes, one for each month, to make sure the next year you’re going to have enough food. Another tradition, which is kind of weird and creepy but on New Year’s Eve we wear yellow underwear because that’s good luck.”
“I celebrate Christmas. We all meet at my aunt’s house. We don’t really do much, we just hang out. It’s literally just as simple as that.”
“I celebrate Christmas with my family. We do stockings still on Christmas Eve. It’s my great-grandma’s birthday too so we write on a piece of paper what we appreciate about her.”
Jeremy Farmer “Mainly [I celebrate] just Christmas. I mean I don’t celebrate it from the religion standpoint I just celebrate it like, we’ve been celebrating Christmas my entire life, basically it’s ‘X-mas’ is what I commonly refer to it as. Every year, well back when we were all kids, my siblings and I, we would each get to open one present on Christmas Eve. It couldn’t be huge, but it could be you know any present we wanted and I mean stereotypical we always have dinner, and it’s got to be ham. Can’t not have ham.”
Let’s talk
TRADITIONS Students share their unique celebratory conventions as the holiday season approaches
Mariza McDonald
Tri Vu
“[My family and I] go see a movie every year at AMC 30 on Christmas night, that’s usually the only thing we do. And we have dinner and I guess that’s really it. Opening presents. I really don’t do anything with my family [for New Years]. I go out with my friends and celebrate.”
“[I celebrate] Chinese New Year and that’s the only one, in my country. We dress up and visit relatives and wish luck for them for the new year and give out envelopes. I celebrate it here with friends and family.”
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Karolyn Mason “I celebrate with my immediate family. Usually we do turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and green beans. And of course pumpkin pie and a pound cake. That especially. You got to have the pound cake. The first thing we do for Christmas is breakfast. That’s what my grandmother does, that’s her thing. [...] And she does everything, she won’t let us cook anything. We don’t do anything but show up. We watch the game that’s on television and the third generation likes to pick on the younger generation. [...] Normally we play cards, dominoes, pity pat, seven up you know games like that. It’s nice and we try to keep everyone in the door and together because everyone’s starting to spread out.”
Kate Williams “The big tradition is on Christmas Eve we have this dinner and we always do the British cracker thing, like a cracker shell like these little tubes with paper over them and you cross your arms with everyone, everyone holds onto one end of each cracker and they pull, and inside there’s little paper crayons and little toys and candy and stuff. It’s very British, my stepmom brought it over with her because she grew up in South Africa. And so that’s the big tradition.”
Compiled by Jessica Skaggs Photos by Julia Larberg
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STAFF
EDITORIAL BOARD
OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN PUBLICATION OF JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, OVERLAND PARK, KS
Stephen Cook Editor-in-chief scook35@jccc.edu 913.469.8500 ext.4297
Farhin Lilywala News editor flilywal@jccc.edu
Mac Moore Sports editor mmoore82@jccc.edu
Courtney Holliday Production designer chollid3@jccc.edu
Jessica Skaggs Managing editor jskaggs4@jccc.edu
David Hurtado Features editor dhurtado@jccc.edu
Mike Abell Photo editor mabell@jccc.edu
Lindsay Sax Copy editor lsax@jccc.edu
Aaron Fitzgerald Circulation manager afitzg10@jccc.edu
Andrea Thomas Design assistant athoma26@jccc.edu
Alyssa Jolitz Staff illustrator ajolitz@jccc.edu
Ricardo AristiguietaPulgar Circulation assistant raristig@jccc.edu
Kristen Fairbanks Web manager kfairba3@jccc.edu
PRODUCTION
Gabrielle Fitzgerald Sales manager gfitzge1@jccc.edu 913-469-8500 ext. 2701 Kristen Fairbanks Marketing manager kfairba3@jccc.edu
REPORTERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS
Katelyn Larson Josh Bull Julia Larberg Reporting correspondent Reporting correspondent Staff photojournalist klarso27@jccc.edu jbull3@jccc.edu jlarberg@jccc.edu
ADVISER
Gabe Alejos Staff photojournalist galejos1@jccc.edu
Laura Cobb Photo correspondent lcobb2@jccc.edu
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 campuswide. 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.
“BUDGET” CONT. FROM PG. 3 It’s actually been very positive I think in the response from the different areas throughout campus and in a very encouraging way, but it’s always challenging to do, it’s always challenging for people. We’re very good at looking at other people’s areas, the challenge is to look at our own and try to perform some analysis on it and I think people are doing that, it’s very encouraging. From your perspective, how do you think the budget reduction is going? Well keep in mind that that is part of a plan a five year plan and it’s a five year plan that’s based on some very rosy projections over the next five years and so hopefully those things will come through. So this little step here, this ad-
justment, is significant for us and also I don’t think historically we may have never looked at it like this so that is, it’s something you can always look back and say you can always do better, right? I mean you can always do better – if the Chiefs had done a little bit better [at their game] they would have won, so it’s no different from this and that’s part of this process as we’re looking forward to next year on how we can strengthen certain areas with regard to the process itself. Going into next year, what challenges you are facing? When you look around at things – and you should be following the state issues – that’s $20 million [about 17 percent] of our budget. If that gets jeop-
ardized then you really have to start thinking, ‘Ok how are we going to accommodate for that?’, [if] property evaluations don’t grow at 3 percent every year as we projected, what do we do about that? We have 2 percent growth for enrollment every year over the next five years, so that’s a big deal. That’s really the only thing we have control over is that growth in enrollment and so we need to do everything we can to try to make that work because that’s the only area of the revenue side of the budget that we have any real impact in – can’t do much about the property evaluations and as far as what’s happening on the state we can try to defend what we have, but we’re one piece of a much larger puzzle at the state level and so that’s a tough one so we try to hold on to what we have and go from there.
Anything else you’d like to add? No, I think that the whole college, hopefully can feel good about how they’ve approached this and the information they’ve put together. I think the faculty has done a very fine job of collecting information and analyzing everything else that’s been out there, I think Dr. Korb is trying to marshal all this information and deal with that, the budget discussion team, which we’ve never had before, so that’s a positive too. So I think there’s a lot of positives and there’s a lot of things we can do better – kind of sounds like Andy Reid doesn’t it? Contact Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, at scook35@jccc.edu.
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12 OPINION
DEC. 5, 2013 VOL 36
r a e D TA
N A S
Dear Santa, I want a guide to girls. They are so confusing. I’ve spent a decade trying to figure them out, but they don’t even know what they want. I’ve studied chick flick after chick flick, but the answers aren’t in these surreal portrayals of human interaction. What did you do to lock down Mrs. Claus? Also I would like a cool vest, a fedora, fingerless gloves, and some jean shorts. Nevermind, I think I figured out the first part. Bring me a fake mustache or something. Sincerely, Mac Moore, a lonely sports editor Dear Santa, This Christmas I would like to mainly ask for one thing: that people start acting like human beings again. Whether you’re driving on the streets or shopping at the mall, it seems that everything just turns into a circus of people this time of year. So – whatever magic you can work – it would be awesome if you could spread some holiday common sense and common courtesy amongst us. Honestly that’s all I really want this holiday season. Oh, and a new pair of running shoes would be nice. Sincerely, Stephen Cook (Editor-in-chief)
STAFFERS SHARE WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE FOR THE HOLIDAYS SCAN TO VIEW A VIDEO OF WHAT SNC EMPLOYEES ARE ASKING SANTA FOR
Dear Santa, I would like to thank you again for the sheer awesomeness of the Dark Knight trilogy, I know it will eventually bring forth an age of peace and prosperity, but what I really want this upcoming year more than anything is Larry Fitzgerald to be traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. Think about it Santa – Dwayne Bowe, Larry Fitzgerald, Jamaal Charles and Alex Smith on one offense – deadly. Sincerely, Mike Abell (Photo editor)
Sup Santa, I figured since I paid my rent on time with good checks, I deserve a little something. I wish that all shoes in the world would fit my feet; it seems to be that I’m in-between two sizes sometimes and it’s a real inconvenience. I’d like a date with my boyfriend Mike Moustakas. If that’s not going to happen, can you have the Royals go to the World Series, and make sure I have tickets? Also, could you make the KU football just a little bit better so they don’t always play morning games? Tailgating at 11 a.m. is getting hard for my body in my old age. But if you hate KU and the Royals, I’ll just take two carat princess cut diamond stud earrings. Thanks! P.S. You could also just pay my rent, like forever. And another KU basketball national championship wouldn’t make me sad either. -Lindsay Sax (Copy editor)
ISSUE 8
Dear Santa, I would like a closet with an endless supply of over-sized, thrifted sweaters and a full restoration of old Disney shows, including Lizzie McGuire and Boy Meets World. In addition I would like a job where I get paid to hike any and all mountains and take artsy, filtered Instagram pictures captioned with quotes from the great Henry David Thoreau. I would also like a bottomless mug of Ethiopian coffee from Revocup, and to always be able to afford to wear all things Patagonia. Cheers, Jessica Skaggs (Managing editor) Santa, my main man, I’ve been a pretty good boy this year, so I was thinking you and I could see about cutting a deal here. I don’t usually ask for much, outside of a few good books and Lego sets to build, but this year I’ve got my eye on a few pies in the sky. E’erbody knows Stargate: Atlantis ended sooner than it should have, leaving us with only five seasons of low budget Sci Fi gold. If it’s not too much to ask, I’d like five more seasons before the next culling. And I don’t know if you and the missus are in to Star Wars, but mankind desperately needs another ‘Knights of the Old Republic’. Bioware can claim ‘The Old Republic’ is a successor to KOTOR all they want, but I won’t be fooled by their Jedi mind tricks. I’m countin’ on you Kringle. David Hurtado (Features editor)
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the CAMPUSLEDGER
COLUMN By Mac Moore
By Stephen Cook
13
’TIS THE SEASON FOR GOOD REASON
December rolls around and everybody is in an uproar. The world is just full of fogies and cynics that can’t stand the holidays. Yes, radio stations start playing Christmas music way too early. Yes, it is hard to tell the difference between the go-getters that put up Christmas lights early and those that
COLUMN
OPINION
were just too lazy to take them down after the holidays last year. None of that takes away from the magic of the holidays. I’m not one of those people singing carols as I over decorate the tree. It is also rare to find me rocking the Santa hat and I never turn my yard into the greatest light show ever to ruin my neighbors’ sleep habits. That’s not me, yet I still understand the positive attitudes that come with the holidays should not be cramped by my scrooge-like nature. The season is full of joy from people that do have the spirit of Christmas. Surprisingly, those Christmas songs are played early because many listeners can’t get enough of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The stations play them because there is a sizable demographic that will tune in. Luckily I have all sorts of outlets for non-holiday tunes, from online stations to my Christmas-devoid iPod. I will admit, it is overbearing sometimes seeing how much Christmas is milked for all it’s worth. The craziness that surrounds Black Friday is bonkers.
The numerous occurrences of tragedy the day after we celebrate what we are thankful for is sad, but that’s not all the holidays are. Growing up poor, the holidays have always been something for me to look forward to. My youth was filled with my parents breaking their backs to make sure they could keep the power on, the rent paid, and food on the table. Many of my friends got presents throughout the year and Christmas was just the jackpot. Not everybody is so lucky. Some years all I got was a stocking filled with fruit, candy, hot wheels cars, or whatever else my parents could afford. Some years all I got was clothing, usually a coat that I needed for the winter months or pants because I had outgrown the previous hand-me downs. One year I got a PlayStation. Basically, it was the greatest thing ever. I can’t imagine how childhood would have been without something in my stocking. Every year, no matter the hardships, my parents found a way to give me something that would bring
a smile to my face, something to make me think that this year might be better than the last. I hear those atrocious Christmas songs at the department store. Their giant tree stares me down in mid-November before I’ve even bought the turkey. It does as little for me as it does for the old curmudgeons. But I don’t feel the need to attack the holidays. I just imagine the look of the child that knows joy is right around the corner. I imagine the child that indulges in the mysticism of a jolly, fat fellow sliding down the chimney. That red attired man does it in one night, attempting to bring joy to all the good boys and girls. The use of Christmas for commercialism kind of sucks - I get that. It sucks for the adults that have to see the world for what it is. But for that child, maybe it’s worth me ignoring the radio for a month or so. One month of negative for me is probably worth the positive that it creates for everybody else. Contact Mac Moore, sports editor, at mmoore82@jccc.edu.
THANK YOU FOR A SUCCESSFUL SEMESTER
As the semester draws to a close, I just wanted to take a moment to thank everybody for making the past 16 weeks truly memorable. It has been a
“GIVES” CONT. FROM PG. 5 Pleased with the results, Ruiz brought his idea to Student Senate with the idea of expanding it to include every student at the college. Each fall semester, college students, faculty and staff are invited to nominate individuals who could benefit from donations via JCCC Gives. Once all nominations are in, details of each individual, excluding any identifying information, are compiled onto a slip of paper with a number and put on a tree in the CSI Lounge. People passing by can then take one of the slips and ‘adopt’ that person, making a donation in the form of gift cards, money or presents. Elliot Rogers, Student Senate president, said the drive generates a variety
very busy semester for both the Ledger and the school as a whole. I know, for one, there has been a lot to cover from our perspective. Although there have been some struggles, I feel the college is headed in a positive direction and a lot has been accomplished this semester. I also appreciate the hard work that everybody on staff at the Ledger has put in – without excellent cooperation
and teamwork the Ledger wouldn’t be a possibility. I hope that any student, professor or campus individual has had a fulfilling semester. I know that I have and I am looking forward to the spring and everything that is in store. We’ll be back in January with seven more issues plus additional online exclusives. As always, please feel free to
let us know your thoughts regarding the Campus Ledger – we truly value any feedback that we receive. I hope everybody has a fantastic winter break and I wish you the best in whatever you go on to do in 2014.
of requests for individuals and families in need. He said they can range anywhere from a new bed or heater to children’s toys. “We get a huge variety of things,” Rogers said. “It’s not always a situation of dire need where someone needs a heater to keep their house going or a way to get around. Sometimes, it’s just something small to warm the holidays for somebody.” However, Student Senate does assess the requests to make sure they are needs and not simply wants. Rogers said requests are reviewed as they come in, making sure they are necessary and fulfilling the purpose of Gives. “We review requests as they come in,” Rogers said. “The program itself is not that we have to watch it too terribly closely, because if we put something ri-
diculous up on the tree, people aren’t going to adopt it anyway. There’s a little bit of a fail-safe in that if someone sees something on the tree they aren’t comfortable with, they’re just not going to adopt it.” “We will have to pay attention when we’re taking just the donations that are given. When Mindy goes out and gets those gifts for those people that haven’t been specifically adopted yet, there will have to be a few judgment calls.” Rogers also added there have been some e-mails expressing concern in regards to self-nominations, asking if the requests could be validated. He said it’s generally just people wanting to feel secure knowing where their help is going. “We will not be turning away nominations,” he said. “We might review the way nominations are accepted. There’s
been some controversy over self-nominations; we might alter how that’s done, but it’s not like we’re not going to tell people ‘No, you can’t nominate another person.’ That’s not the spirit of the event.” Veronica Clark, senator, said she took part in JCCC Gives this semester because she likes to help people. Outside of the college, Clark volunteers in The Salvation Army and Angel Tree. “I like that I got to adopt a child this year,” Clark said. “I can’t afford a ton of things, but giving a little, small thing to someone else and making their holiday season more special is a nice feeling.”
Contact Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, at scook35@jccc.edu.
Contact David Hurtado, features editor, at dhurtado@jccc.edu.
14 SPORTS
DEC. 5, 2013 VOL 36
ISSUE 8
NATIONAL SUCCESS COMES STANDARD VOLLEYBALL TEAM TAKES THIRD AT NATIONALS By Mac Moore The college’s volleyball team made it back to nationals after the unthinkable happened last season. They lost in the district title match, one step from the big stage. This was unthinkable because the team had become a perennial nationals contender since the 2005 season. That 2005 season was the perfect opportunity to create this dominate decade of competition. That year the team won the national championship. Since then the team has thrice earned national runner up. The 2013 squad was hoping to breakthrough and regain the glory of that championship eight years ago. The team lost that bid against a tough Parkland team in the semifinals. Despite the letdown in the semis, the team regrouped to defeat Oakland. The victory earned the team a third place finish, as well as earning coach Jennifer Ei her 200th career victory at the college. Ei answered questions about the team’s 2013 campaign. How would you describe the team’s performance at nationals? “We came out very strong against
Hagerstown and accomplished our goal of moving forward in the tournament. We faced DMACC in the quarter finals and they were a touch team. We lost the first set, and then rallied back to win the next three sets. We faced a tall and very good Parkland team in the semifinal match. We lost the first two sets in close scores then we won the next set. We made a few too many unforced errors to a great team who capitalized on it and beat us in the semi-final match to go to the national championship game. We refocused ourselves to play hard for the chance to place third in the nation. We beat Oakland for third place and Gwen Getz came into the match to help our team finish third place.” What was the team morale like after the loss to Parkland in the semifinals? “We were sad that we fell short of our goal to win a national title but we still had business to take care of and win third place.” What did you do to get the team prepared for the third place match? “We scouted Oakland during the national tournament so we prepared the team to focus on what they did and what we needed to do in order to win
that match.” The third place victory was your 200th career victory as JCCC head coach. Did that register with you going in or were you just trying to get your squad to finish nationals on a high note? “I actually had no idea it was my 200th win until I read an article by Tyler Cundith this past Thanksgiving break. I am excited that this team’s final match marked my 200th win.” Sophomore Preecy Seever was named all-tournament team. Describe her performance, both during nationals and throughout the season? “Preecy Seever was one of those amazingly athletic players that other teams prepare to stop in order to win against JCCC. She performed at nationals like she did all season long, explosive and noticeable! She had a great season and deserves to be recognized for her outstanding play.” This team has a lot of freshmen. What does this tournament run mean for your returning players?
“The freshmen group played hard all season long and can’t wait to get started in the spring to prepare for a national title. They know what it is like to be at the tournament and play in big matches. Now they are focused to get back there and win it all.” How would you describe the team’s performance for the season? “This was a very special team who learned what it is like to be a family in the ups and the downs. They were resilient and learned how to play unselfish. They are so enjoyable and we will miss them.” Contact Mac Moore, sports editor, at mmoore82@jccc.edu.
SPORTS BRIEFS Women’s Basketball The Lady Cavs have started off the season strong with a 10-0 record. The average margin of victory has been 47 points a game. The closest contest was the season opener, a 68-45 win vs. Wentworth Military Academy. Currently sophomore Sameia Kendall leads the team with 14.5 points a game. Three other players have been double digits scorers on the season. Sophomore Kariel Hutt has led the way with 8.5 rebounds per game.
Men’s Basketball The Cavaliers have had a rough start to the season. The team is currently 2-8, losing the last four games. The team has been outscored by an average of 10 points a game. The early season schedule was filled with very tough opponents. Hutchinson, Butler and State Fair are all NJCAA Division I teams that have a combined 28-7 record on the year. The team took Hutchinson to OT before falling 81-87. The team lost twice to Butler by an average of 15 points per game. Compiled by Mac Moore, sports editor, mmoore82@jccc.edu. Illustrations by Alyssa Jolitz
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MORAL VICTORIES ARE SOMETIMES OKAY
SPORTS 15
SPORTS COLUMN
CHIEFS IMPROVE TEAM DURING LOSING STREAK
By Mac Moore Early in the season I urged Chiefs fans to pump the brakes on the bandwagon. Every week, as the wins continued to mount, people sarcastically asked me if it was okay to jump on the bandwagon. I didn’t relent. Now the Chiefs are 9-3. Three games ago they were 9-0. Everybody in KC loved them and they could do no
wrong. After three losses, two of which to the divisional rival Denver Broncos, everybody has jumped off the bandwagon. Why? The Broncos are currently the best team in the AFC and the Chiefs lost by an average of 8.5 points. The last team to win at least nine games before losing three straight was the 2009 New Orleans Saints. They won the Superbowl. The only foreseen deficiency before the three game skid was an offense that basically played to not lose. The defense won most of those nine games. Suddenly they flipped script. The dominant pass rush has dissipated; the talent in the secondary has gone AWOL. In those three games, the offense has progressed to the point of actually scoring. Quarterback Alex Smith showed that maybe he had a little more gunslinger in him than football fans gave
him credit for. The team averaged 33 points over the last two weeks. This team has to re-establish themselves on the defensive side of the ball. Their current level of play would require a top-10 offense to compete. Chiefs don’t have that. If the defense can right the ship, this offense has made the strides that will make them a factor come playoff time. We quickly forget this is Alex Smith’s first year here. Quarterbacks have a terrible time adjusting to new teams. Smith fell back into the caretaker stereotype he earned in San Francisco. In truth, he just wasn’t comfortable with his receivers yet. The defense also made it unnecessary for him to throw it down the field. They were so dominate early in the year that the Chiefs won with minimal offensive output. Now that the Chiefs
defense is giving up points, Smith has been forced to throw down the field and he’s mostly delivered. Without this test, Smith and the offense likely would have played game manager football where they simply waited for their opponents to make mistakes. This three game stretch has given the team the adversity that has made them push themselves to improve. The offensive improvements mean little if the defense doesn’t return to form. The moral victories are great until they don’t lead to scoreboard victories. If the defense continues to play mediocre the rest of the season, this team will back their way into the playoffs, but that will be all. Contact Mac Moore, sports editor, at mmoore82@jccc.edu.
CAVALIER STAR WATCH: KATIE NELSON Could you describe the Cross Country team’s finish? I think that the team could have done better at the Half Marathon and Nationals. We worked our hardest all season but it didn’t work in our favor. You are also in track. Does the way the cross country season finished make you more amped for the indoor track season?
Photo by Mike Abell The Women’s Cross Country team finished 12th at the NJCAA National Championships and eighth at the NJCAA Half Marathon. During those events, freshman Katie Nelson finished 71st and 31st, top three for the team at both events. Now that the cross country season is over, Nelson hasn’t missed a beat as she prepares for the indoor track season that starts in January.
We start in January so there isn’t really a break. We just push through the winter break so we always come back strong. Does cross country require a different level of conditioning than track? Yeah, we run much shorter events for indoor track. It’s still hard cardio wise, but the fact that your inside, kind of sucks. We also aren’t necessar-
ily running for a team, you’re running individually. In cross country you have teammates to pace off of. How would you evaluate your personal performance for cross country?
I wasn’t really going into cross country where I was at, so I didn’t really have goals per say. I just went out and worked my hardest. I still feel I could have done better at Nationals and Half Marathon. Hopefully next year for Half Marathon I can break 90 minutes. Favorite Movie “He’s Just Not That Into You”. It’s about relationships and it’s just a really fun movie. Everything works out in the end, it’s a just a really happy movie and I love happy endings.
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Favorite Artist
My favorite artist is Miranda Lambert. She’s hot, has really good songs and an amazing voice. My favorite song from her is “Kerosene”. Dream Job Housewife. You get to stay with the kids and run when you want to. It would be really relaxing. Hobbies I like to watch documentaries and “American Horror Story” is my addiction. “American Horror Story” touches on topics most people would never think of touching on. It’s really just awesome. I really like documentaries about drug cartels and drugs. Compiled by Mac Moore, mmoore82@ jccc.edu.