The
Open Petal November 2013
Johnson County Community College
Nursing team serves, learns in Gulu Foundation event fetes Lynn Mitchelson
Walking down scenic byways
Trustees look ahead to trek across Kansas The Open Petal | 1
The
Open Petal November 2013
The open petal is a symbol of JCCC’s openness to new concepts and ideas as it strives to serve each member of the community.
Editor Diane Carroll
The View From Here
Associate VP, Marketing Communications Julie Haas Senior Graphic Designer Randy Breeden
C ontents 8
12
Photographer Susan McSpadden Writers Melodee Blobaum Anne Christiansen-Bullers Tyler Cundith Writer/Editor Tim Curry
The Open Petal is published four times a year by Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210-1299. It is produced by Marketing Communications and the Office of Document Services. To find the magazine online, go to jccc.edu and search for “The Open Petal.” To subscribe or to offer a comment, call 913-469-8500, ext. 3886.
T
his issue of The Open Petal magazine showcases our students’ international service-learning project in Uganda. This was an invaluable opportunity for our nursing students to practice their skills in a situation so different from what they
experience in Johnson County hospitals. As you can see in the story, they cared for patients in the Ugandan villages they visited, helping the sick and teaching the well. I could not be prouder of the students or their faculty for their humanitarian and educational efforts. International education spans the entire range of college activities at JCCC, from credit and continuing education courses to study abroad and international service-learning projects, such as the one in Uganda. (The college has another project in Las Pintas, Mexico.) JCCC also offers a number of international courses in business, humanities and social sciences, as
Stay in touch with JCCC by visiting jccc.edu, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JCCC411 or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/ JCCCtweet. Or you can connect by visiting jccc.edu and clicking on “Connect with JCCC,” where you can also subscribe to JCCC Update, an email newsletter sent twice a month.
14
Judy Korb
well as 12 foreign languages and opportunities for students to study in 30 countries. JCCC’s partner colleges from around the world bring international faculty here, and experts on international topics visit the campus each year. JCCC is also one of the top community colleges for student study abroad awards. Last
Features 4 Uganda connection
8 Walking with L and C
The two have miles to go.
2 The View From Here
17 Continuing Education Is a sales career for you?
year, JCCC students studied in China, the Czech Republic, England, Japan, Spain, Italy
11 Trustee Lee Cross
and Costa Rica.
At JCCC, learning takes place in and out of the classroom, and even in and out of the
12 Student Senate
20 Campus Life
country! As JCCC students are discovering, there’s a world of things to learn.
Sincerely,
13 Culinary delights
22 Sports Athlete breaks school records.
When planning your estate, please remember Johnson County Community College. For more information, call the JCCC Foundation at 913-469-3835.
College strengthens tie with hospital.
In Every Issue
Judy Korb Executive Vice President, Instruction and Operations
Lawyer joins college board.
New president reaches out.
Take a look inside.
18 Alumni/Foundation Event honors Lynn Mitchelson.
26 The Rear Window
14 A love story
On the Cover
These two little ones play outdoors on a hospital compound in Uganda where their parents work. JCCC faculty led a group of students there last summer as part of a service-learning project.
Feelings grew at the farm.
15 Starving artists
Author shares ways to get money.
16 Deepak Chopra 2 | The Open Petal
Author speaks at Yardley.
Photo by Caitlin Buerge The Open Petal | 3
Service learning expands to northern Uganda Nursing students test their resiliency at Gulu hospital By Anne Christiansen-Bullers
The nursing professors from JCCC who led the trip are Kathy Carver (third from left) and Mary Smith (fifth from right in the back row).
“W
e travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and our knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed…” In a village in northern Uganda, a nursing student from Kansas wrote these words on a generic 3x5 card. It had been an assignment from Mary Smith, professor of nursing at Johnson County Community College, and one of the organizers of the trip. To process everything they had experienced, she directed the students to write their thoughts on index cards and share them with each other. They were halfway through a three-week trip in June 2013. Twelve nursing students and a handful of faculty had come to help educate African nursing students and to care for the sick. It was a lot to process. So the first words on the card were a famous quote by Pico Iyer. The next words were entirely original and brought tears to Smith’s eyes, both the first time she saw them and months later, rereading them: “We are young, ignorant and make stupid decisions every day. Thank you, Mary, for pushing through and putting up with us, for you are allowing each of us to become our own, [to] grow into our true self…”
Betty Anyiri, (right) principal of the nursing program at St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor, leads the American team on a tour of the hospital. Among the team members are Nancy Barr, (left) a nurse with the University of Kansas Medical Center; Heidi Weisbrod, (middle) a nursing student with Research College of Nursing/Rockhurst University, and Josiah Oborny, (behind Anyiri) a nursing student at JCCC. Photo by Abigal Hayo
4 | The Open Petal
“That’s the reason I am such an advocate of service-learning,” Smith said. “You find out more about who you are and what you are capable of doing. This is an opportunity where students are really in some uncomfortable situations. You find out about your resiliency.” Since 1998, students from JCCC have been traveling to Las Pintas, Mexico, an impoverished community on the outskirts
of Guadalajara. They have helped with medical and dental care and most recently completed a solar-power project. During the last two years, service-learning at JCCC has expanded to include the struggling region of northern Uganda. This latest trip to Uganda has strengthened JCCC’s commitment to service-learning on an international level. JCCC President Joe Sopcich said the initiative brings together service-learning and international study. “Students hone their skills in an environment that couldn’t be more different from what they know in Johnson County and provide much needed support in these communities,” he said. “I know these students will never forget what they’ve seen and learned in Africa.”
Making the connection The JCCC connection to St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor (pronounced La-cho) in the Gulu district of northern Uganda began with an invitation from Dr. David Zamierowski, the Healthcare Simulation Center medical adviser at JCCC. Smith and Kathy Carver, professor of nursing, accompanied him in 2009 on a 12-day trip to the war-torn African country. Those days were just enough for them to realize they needed to help more than their short trip would allow. Uganda had undergone a bloody civil war. Generations of Ugandans had been wiped out. Missing was a firm organization run by the voice of experience, and healthcare was no exception. Ugandans were trying their best to educate a new cadre of nurses, but it proved difficult given recovery from chaos. They wanted to learn so much, explained Smith. They just needed someone to help support them. The Open Petal | 5
Mary Smith, (right) JCCC nursing professor, and Kay Johnson, a nurse with North Kansas City Hospital, visit with “retired” nuns who live on the compound. Photo by Caitlin Buerge
In June 2012, the first group of nursing students – four from JCCC, four from Rockhurst University and four from the University of Kansas – introduced themselves to the nursing students of Lacor. “We learned a lot from that first year,” Smith said. “The collaboration we began [with Rockhurst and KU] was rich, as was the connection to the hospital, so continuing that collaboration into a second year was a definite positive.”
Learning and growing Students in the second-year trip benefitted from even greater team building before the trip. Smith organized a retreat for the students in Parkville, Mo., and the guest of honor was Sister Carmel Abwot, an administrator from a nursing school a few hours from Lacor. She came to visit JCCC that month. “The students learned so much from Sister Carmel,” Smith said. “They were allowed to ask questions about the culture, about what they might expect, and that really helped prepare them.” The second year also allowed Smith to analyze how the American students interacted with the “Level 9s” – the students in their last year of nursing education at the school. In the first year, the American students visited the hospital patient wards and helped in the classrooms, but they had no established relationships with the Uganda nursing students. For the 2013 visit, American students were paired with a “mentor.” This mentor would lead the visitors through each step of the hospital visit and classroom experience. That relationship component made the experience even richer, Smith said, for both the mentor and mentee.
Laughter and tears While in Uganda, Carver dug out the patient simulators that had been delivered previously during the 2009 trip and set up an African version of the Healthcare Simulation Center she oversees at JCCC. While teaching a class in midwifery, Carver and another instructor simulated hemorrhaging during childbirth, with simulated blood everywhere. That was the moment when an entourage from the government’s Ministry of Health decided to meet the American teachers.
Video producer Barrett Beasley joins these children for a group photograph. Photo by Abigail Hayo
Documenting history A Video Services crew from JCCC accompanied the students and faculty on the 2013 trip. Each trip member was recorded in action and then interviewed. The crew also interviewed
“That was quite a moment,” Carver said, laughing.
Ugandans telling their stories – stories that seem almost too horrendous to believe.
Other moments proved to be less humorous. Students watched a birth where only one baby from a set of twins could be saved. They also saw a child die of malnutrition.
“They want to share what has happened,” said Dain Hartwell, videographer.
“We don’t shield them from things like that,” Smith explained. “It’s part of the experience, unpleasant and heartwrenching as it is.”
The plan is to turn the 58 hours of raw footage into three separate documentaries: one on
JCCC nursing student Josiah Oborny said the trip reaffirmed his decision to become a nurse.
Uganda and one that aims to give a wider view of Uganda’s past, present and future.
“It was a very emotional and raw experience which left you continually processing all of these extreme and beautiful moments,” he said. “I learned that I have the capacity to handle those types of situations.”
“We’re calling that one Peace and Recovery in Northern Uganda, but they’re all related to each other so
The student who quoted Pico Iyer on that nondescript 3x5 card closed by saying, “I have fallen more in love with nursing, Lacor, Uganda, travel and myself through this experience, and we’re only halfway there.” “That,” said Smith, “is really what it’s all about.”
the American nursing students’ work in Uganda, one on the secondary education system in
… they’ll be a library of works,” said Barrett Beasley, video producer. “The whole trip was pretty amazing,” Beasley said. “We experienced so much on a daily basis. There were some days when I couldn’t even remember what we did the day before because that morning we had an interview with someone and what that person said just blew our minds.” Artist Stan Herd is known internationally for his earthworks.
6 | The Open Petal
The Open Petal | 7
Walking with L and C Trustees trek the scenic byways of Kansas By Anne Christensen-Bullers
JCCC trustees Jerry Cook, (left) and David Lindstrom enjoy one of the eight wonders of Kansas at a spot near White Cloud, Kan., during their walk on the Glacier Hills Scenic Byway. The view allowed them to see four states: Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska.
G
born and bred all of their life in Kansas, blindfolded and dropped them down in some of the places we’ve been, they would say ‘We must be somewhere else,’” Lindstrom said.
He picked up his cell phone and called friend and fellow Johnson County Community College trustee Jerry Cook.
Cook and Lindstrom decided to walk the scenic byways of Kansas instead of first making the long-distance trek across the state for a number of reasons.
azing out the window of a speeding RV on his way westward to a charity golf event in Goodland, Kan., David Lindstrom got an idea.
“Hey, Jerry,” he said. “Has anyone ever walked across Kansas?”
“Okay,” Cook responded. “But maybe we should work up to it first – take some incremental walks first.”
“First, it was a way to promote Kansas and its beautiful byways,” said Cook, who is chair of JCCC’s board of trustees and who just happens to be president of the Overland Park Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Second, it was much easier to schedule. We could take a few days here and there as our schedules permitted instead of having to block off so much time.”
That was how “Walking with L and C” began. A simple phone call led the two men to begin walking the scenic and historical byways of Kansas before someday setting off on a journey across the state. So far, they’ve completed 10 of the 11 byways, with only Western Vistas remaining.
They began a blog at www.walkingwithlandc.com as a place to promote their message and post their pictures. Word spread. Cook said the site now has more than 6,000 followers from 46 countries. The site’s subhead is “Walking for Health, Wellness and Happiness.”
The “L and C” is a historical nod to Lewis and Clark, who skirted the corner of Kansas via the Missouri River in 1804. Though Lewis and Clark failed to see the beauty of the Kansas interior, Lindstrom and Cook found beauty along every byway.
“Health is another reason why we’re doing this,” Cook said. “We’re both over 55 (Cook is 68, Lindstrom is 58), so if we can do this, it proves anyone can.”
“Plenty of people,” Cook answered. “Why?” “I think we should do that,” Lindstrom said.
JCCC trustees Jerry Cook, (left) and David Lindstrom test their stamina at the Overland Park Arboretum before embarking on their first walk across a scenic byway.
8 | The Open Petal
“I’m not a native Kansan, but even if I took a Kansan,
L and C’s first byway was the Route 66 Historic Byway in August 2012. For 13 miles it traces a portion of the famous coast-to-coast route that predated interstate The Open Petal | 9
Parents, lawmakers sparked desire to serve
Glacial Hills Scenic Byway
Post Rock Scenic Byway Native Stone Scenic Byway Western Vistas Scenic Byway
Frontier Military Historic Byway Prairie Trail Scenic Byway
Smoky Valley Scenic Byway
Flint Hills National Scenic Byway
By Diane Carroll
Wetlands & Wildlife National Scenic Byway Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway
Gerald Lee Cross Jr.
Kansas Historic Route 66 Byway
About the byways Trustees Jerry Cook and David Lindstrom have walked 10 of the 11 historic byways in Kansas. The only one left for them to cover is Western Vistas. To learn more about the byways, go to ksbyways.org highways. Only weeks later, they tackled Post Rock Scenic Byway. That trail juts from Interstate 70 at a right angle from Wilson to Lucas west of Salina. The byway is so named because settlers used rocks for fence posts. With no wood to speak of on that part of the prairie, they improvised, Lindstrom explained.
A simple phone call led the two men to begin walking the scenic and historical byways of Kansas before someday setting off on a journey across the state.
The two averaged about 20 miles a day – the same distance the pioneers managed to cover – so outposts along the trail were about 20 miles apart, he said. Sometimes they completed a byway in a day. Other times, they camped out overnight or brought their wives along and stayed in a local hotel. “I can’t tell you how much history we’ve learned on these walking trips,” Lindstrom said. “You just learn so much, and you see things so differently when you’re out walking instead of driving by.” One incredibly important lesson they learned? Carry a big stick. “Dogs were by far the biggest, most unexpected challenge. 10 | The Open Petal
We’re walking in rural areas, and all of these farms of course have dogs,” Cook said. Naively oblivious to the threat during their first walk, they were chased down by a big ol’ growling farm dog intent on protecting his turf.
Cook said Lindstrom, a former defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs, ducked behind him as the dog approached. “Behind me, do you believe?” he said, laughing. “You keep remembering it that way,” Lindstrom joked. Whatever happened at least did not lead to bloodshed; the dog turned tail when Cook ordered it back home. The biggest walk – from Johnson City, Kansas, to Johnson County, Kansas – isn’t all the way across Kansas as they first planned since Johnson City is 16 miles from the Colorado border. But it’s still about 435 miles from southwest Kansas to northeast Kansas and they’ll schedule the trip as soon as the two can find a break in their schedules. For now, they’ll keep walking to promote health, happiness and Kansas. “We’ve met some really wonderful people on these walks,” Lindstrom said. “It’s been a great experience.”
G
erald Lee Cross Jr., has long had a special spot in his heart for Johnson County Community College.
About “Lee” Cross Grew up in Lawrence Graduated from UMKC School of Law Founded Cross Law Firm, LLC Elected to JCCC board of trustees
That’s because all of his family has attended JCCC: his mother, his father, his three younger brothers and, of course, himself. When a position on the board of trustees opened earlier this year, he decided to make his first run for political office. Cross, who uses Lee as his first name, won an at-large seat in April and attended his first meeting as a trustee in July.
“I was drawn to politics and because the college meant so much to me I chose the college to jump into local politics,” Cross said. The 34-year-old founded Cross Law Firm, LLC, in 2010. His firm focuses on civil litigation, environmental and agricultural law, family law and criminal law. He and his wife, Jennifer C. Knight-Cross, live in Overland Park with their young daughter, Maria Ann, “Mia.”
“Coming from small towns, my parents just saw education as an opportunity that should be available to as many people as possible.”
Cross graduated from Lawrence High in 1997 as part of the last class to graduate before Free State High School opened. Through KU’s Robert J. Dole Institute, Cross served as an intern for Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt while Schmidt was a freshman senator in the Kansas Legislature. He also did a stint as an intern for former JCCC trustee Dennis Moore while Moore was a U.S. representative in Congress. And in 2002, he served as the Johnson County campaign coordinator for former Kansas senator David Adkins, who was seeking to be elected as the Kansas Attorney General. “One of the reasons I enjoy this position as trustee is that it is a nonpartisan position,” Cross said. “I think public education should transcend partisan politics. I learned that from Dennis and Sen. Schmidt and Sen. Adkins. “
Cross grew up in Lawrence and graduated from the University of Kansas in 2002, earning bachelor of arts degrees in psychology and political science. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law in 2007.
As a trustee, Cross wants to make the college more accessible to outlying areas of the county. And residents in southern Johnson County need better access to public transportation to take advantage of JCCC’s offerings, he said.
Cross said he became interested in politics watching his parents participate in the democratic process.
Cross also is a big proponent of keeping tuition affordable.
“They had always voted and took great pride in doing so,” he said. In addition, they were active on the parish council at St. John’s Catholic Church. His parents also spoke out in support of a controversial bond issue in 1994 that ended up passing to open a second high school. They took a lot of criticism for taking a stand, he said. Lawrence was a big football town and some residents wanted to keep the status quo so Lawrence High School could keep winning ballgames, said Cross, who played football.
Cross took a psychology class and an introduction to economics class at JCCC during the summer of 1999, in between semesters at KU. His father picked up some credits to satisfy a requirement to get into the School of Engineering at KU, his mother graduated from the licensed practical nursing program and two of his brothers attended JCCC after returning from military service in Iraq. His youngest brother attended JCCC before returning to KU and earning a master’s degree in architecture. “We have a duty to make sure that education is available and affordable to as many people as possible as it was for myself and my family,” he said. The Open Petal | 11
College hosts open house as it dedicates culinary academy
H
undreds of food-lovers from across the Kansas City metropolitan area turned out on Sunday, Oct. 6, to celebrate the opening of the Hospitality and Culinary Academy at Johnson County Community College. The 36,000-square-foot building on the east side of campus opened with the start of fall classes. It houses the college’s award-winning hospitality management program and features state-of-the-art kitchens and classrooms.
Visitors who stopped by for the open house and dedication ceremony were treated to foie gras, pastries and champagne punch, and other delectables and watched the program’s professors and students demonstrate their skills in the kitchens. On their way out, they also received a free new cookbook put together by the culinary academy.
Meet student senate president Elliot Rogers He came for the education, stayed for student life By Melodee Blobaum Elliot Rogers, (left) who was elected president of the student senate, posted a cutout of himself during the campaign in the Commons Building.
J
ohnson County Community College students might not know Elliot Rogers yet, but they’ve definitely seen him around campus.
Life-size cutouts of the student senate president popped up at various locations around campus shortly after classes started, urging students to run for the senate, to have a voice in student governance and to avoid showing up on @JCCCProbs, a Twitter account that catalogues complaints about the school. Rogers, 21, is a role model for getting involved and making a difference.
Pastries were one of the highlights at the dedication.
His first semester at JCCC he joined five existing organizations – Koinonia and InterVarsity Bible studies, the chess club, swing dance club and student senate – and worked to organize three more – the engineering club, the enjoying the performing arts club and a hacky sack club. The hacky sack club never got off the ground, but the other two did. The performing arts club was a loosely organized group that juggled and performed with hula hoops and other props on Fountain Square. Though Rogers doesn’t perform himself, he had the know-how to get the group organized, so he did. “I helped them get space to meet and helped them get attention, though it’s so showy they really didn’t need a lot of publicity,” he said. The engineering club was born when Rogers got together with a friend who also liked to build objects. Though the friend left about the time the paperwork was completed, two other would-be engineers stepped up and kept it going. The plans are to offer wooden car races in the gym.
Staff and students get an early look at the building just before classes begin.
12 | The Open Petal
Last spring, when the student senate’s parliamentarian quit and the group’s executive board considered eliminating the position, Rogers stepped up, arguing that the post needed to
remain. He then became the parliamentarian, rewriting the group’s constitution to make it consistent with the senate’s practices and easier to read. It also gave him a chance to shadow last year’s president to see if the presidency was something he was interested in. Rogers’ goal for the year is to raise student senate’s visibility with students. He’d also like to see students get more involved in clubs and organizations. Only 6 percent of the student body participates in such groups, and Rogers said he wants JCCC to be a campus where students want to get involved. “There’s a lot of disconnect between students who don’t understand that they get out what they put into it,” he said. “I want to make sure people understand there’s more than just going to class.” Juggling multiple responsibilities is nothing new for the administration of justice major who plans to become a pilot and work either in private security or for law enforcement. He was homeschooled in Davis, Calif., where he was a fencing instructor, worked at Target and was a 3-D graphic artist. Also while in California, he was a cadet with the Civil Air Patrol Air Force Auxiliary program, which led to his interest in administration of justice and flying. His parents moved to Lawrence just after Rogers turned 18, and he started classes at JCCC initially because he wanted to learn French, and because he would have had to pay out of state tuition at four-year schools. The administration of justice program – and the Regional Police Academy on campus – also appealed to him. “I came for the education but I stayed for the student life,” he said. Anne Christiansen-Bullers contributed to this article. The Open Petal | 13
Love at the farm Sustainable ag students meet and marry
By Anne Christiansen-Bullers
Finding money and time to create Scholar-in-residence helps artists sustain their passion
Alex Gould and Kait Mauk met during a class at JCCC.
F
ew love stories begin with, “A corn contest brought us together.”
But this is Kansas. And the two young people in question were enrolled in the sustainable agriculture entrepreneurship program at Johnson County Community College. This summer, Kait Mauk and Alex Gould married. They had bonded over who could grow the biggest stalk of corn. But that came later. First they had to meet. It was the start of the spring semester 2012, and Gould had just returned to Olathe after a deployment in Afghanistan. “I got out of the Army, moved back home and wanted to go to school for farming. The sustainable agriculture program was the closest thing I could find without having to go to K-State, so I signed up, and in one of my classes was Kait,” he said. “She was pretty good-looking, especially with her green cowboy boots.” She may have been wearing boots that spring, but on her first day of class in the program – in fall 2011 – her choice of apparel wasn’t as practical. “I showed up in a dress,”Mauk said. “We had to go out walking in the fields, and I was in a dress … I was totally unprepared.” When she met Alex, however, she had a full semester of sustainable agriculture under her belt. She enrolled at JCCC thinking she wanted to be a nurse, but a visit to her uncle’s horse ranch in Illinois changed her career plans. She loved life on the farm. She noticed Alex that first day. And she noticed his boots. Because of her first-day fashion faux pas, she wanted to size up the newbies by looking at their shoes. “He was the only one wearing boots,” she said. “He was the only one wearing what he should have been wearing for that class.” 14 | The Open Petal
She started to lose interest, however, when he opened his mouth. Gould was “kinda goofy” and “sort of a know-it-all,” she said. “But first impressions aren’t always correct, are they?” she said. Later, Gould challenged her to a corn-growing contest. “He said he could grow corn better than me, and I said, ‘Bring it on.’” In pots near the hoop house on the JCCC campus farm, they measured their stalks. Gould babied his, trying different techniques. Mauk just let hers grow without too much interference. And who won? “I did, actually,” she said. “But not by much. Maybe an inch.” As the corn grew, so too, did their love. (Somebody had to say it …) So when he proposed in December 2012 with snow on the ground, it was in that same hoop house at JCCC where their corn once grew. “It was freezing, and he wanted to get out of the car and see the hoop house. I couldn’t figure out why,” she said. “When he proposed, it was a total surprise … and again, I was wearing the wrong kind of shoes!” The two married on June 28, 2013, and they now live in a small house on a farm his family owns near Milford, Iowa. The plan is to farm together – grain to pay the bills but some land set aside to put sustainable agriculture into practice. “He’s a wonderful guy,” said the bride of her groom. “At first I thought he was goofy, but now that’s one of my favorite things about him. He makes me laugh. And he has such a good heart.”
By Anne Christiansen-Bullers
A
ward-winning author and artist Mira Bartok visits Johnson County Community College on Sunday, Nov. 3, with a message of financial hope for struggling artists everywhere. Bartok will present Finding Money, Time and a Place to Create: Upbeat News in a Down Economy from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Hudson Auditorium in the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. A reception for Bartok will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Regnier Center atrium. Bartok is the author of The Memory Palace, a New York Times best-selling memoir and winner of the 2011 National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography. She also has published numerous children’s books and appeared across the country to help other artists find the funding they need to keep creating. She founded the arts blog Mira’s List, a website that helped artists locate and apply for fellowships, grants and residencies. Recently Mira’s List migrated to Twitter (@miraslist) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/miraslist) to offer the most up-to-date information on upcoming deadlines. As a writer, Bartok said she wanted to help other writers navigate the confusing world of publishing. But her work transcends a single genre; she received her bachelor of fine arts in multimedia arts from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. She then completed a master of fine arts in painting and film from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a master of fine arts in fiction at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. The Memory Place combines her memories of her childhood with evocative visual artwork she also created. Larry Thomas, professor and chair of fine art and photography at JCCC, said he thinks all creative people,
Mira Bartok will speak at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, at the Nerman.
regardless of discipline, can benefit from Bartok’s advice. “She really is multi-disciplinary in the truest sense of the word,” Thomas said. “She understands artists of all types.” In the Nov. 3 presentation, Bartok will discuss what kinds of grants and fellowships exist both in the United States and overseas, how to find them and how to apply for them. She will also discuss crowd funding and other innovative ways to finance non-mainstream creative projects. While in the Kansas City area, Bartok also will present two more talks: one for JCCC students in select writing classes on the art and business of writing and one for metro-area writers and artists. I Wrote a Book, Now What? How to Navigate the World of Publishing: From Finished Product to Finding an Agent to See Your Work in Print will be from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, at the Kansas City Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.. A reception for Bartok will be from 6 to 7 p.m. at the library. Bartok’s interactive lectures are a collaboration of the JCCC Scholar-in-Residence program and Artist Inc. at the Innovation Center at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
About Mira Bartok Mira Bartok is an author and artist who helps artists find funding for their creative projects. She lives in western Massachusetts where she runs an arts blog called Mira’s List. You can find Mira’s List on Twitter (@miraslist) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/miraslist). Bartok will speak at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, in the Hudson Auditorium in the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. Her presentation is free and open to the public.
The Open Petal | 15
What are you hungry for?
Learning to be your own boss
Deepak Chopra addresses that question at JCCC Story by Diane Carroll
R
enowned author Deepak Chopra will appear at Johnson County Community College on Thursday, Nov. 14, to talk about What Are You Hungry For?
That’s the name of his latest book, which will go on sale in early November. In it, Chopra returns to his health and wellness roots with a new approach to weight loss. Chopra will speak at 7 p.m. in the Carlsen Center’s Yardley Hall. For tickets, which are $55 and $37.50, contact the JCCC Box Office at 913-469-4445 or visit www.jccc.edu/ TheSeries. The ticket price will include a copy of the book that will be available for pick up that evening. Chopra will sign books after his presentation. The event is presented by the JCCC Foundation’s Nell Mitchell Lecture Series and co-sponsored by the college. A booking agent for Chopra said that Kansas City is one of the few stops Chopra will make on this national book tour. The college is the only place he expects to visit in the metropolitan area. Chopra, an internist and endocrinologist, is the author of more than 75 books that have been translated into more than 35 languages. Among them is the New York Times bestselling Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul. His new book focuses on the hungers that can be experienced physically, mentally and spiritually. It asks readers if they are hungry for food or love or self-esteem or perhaps security, acceptance or peace. During his talk, Chopra will create a roadmap for “higher health,” based on the latest findings in both mainstream and alternative medicine. Here are some of the questions he expects to address: • Are we in the midst of a major paradigm shift in science? • Is the universe becoming self aware in the human nervous system? • Is the next stage of human development conscious evolution?
16 | The Open Petal
By Anne Christiansen-Bullers
• Can we develop a higher awareness of who we are, what we yearn for and what we can ultimately do about it? Chopra also expects to share practical ways to experience higher consciousness, transformation and healing.
About Deepak Chopra Deepak Chopak is the founder of the Chopra Foundation and co-founder and chairman of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, Calif. He is a columnist on faith for the San Francisco Chronicle and the Washington Post and contributes regularly to Oprah.com, Intent.com and the Huffington Post. Chopra is known as a prolific author. He has written more than 75 books, including 21 New York Times bestsellers in both fiction and nonfiction. His books are a global force in the field of human empowerment. Peace is the Way received the Religion and Spirituality Quill Award in 2005 and The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life was awarded the grand prize in the 2005 Nautilus Awards. His latest New York Times bestsellers include Super Brain: Unleashing the Explosive Power of your Mind to Maximize Health, Happiness and Spiritual Well Being and War of the Worldviews and Spiritual Solutions: Answers to Life’s Greatest Problems. The Soul of Leadership was mentioned as one of five best business books to read for your career by FINS, the Wall Street Journal’s career resource. Chopra’s popularity as an international presenter and keynote speaker is exemplified in a long list of honoraria. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
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ndependence, flexibility and monetary motivation make direct selling one of the most attractive jobs in the workforce. Sales people who really know and trust their products can set their own hours, work as much or as little as they’d like, and provide for their families a revenue stream defined only by their willingness to work. But this entrepreneurial lifestyle can be tough, too. Before embarking on a direct sales career, aspiring sellers have questions: What product do I sell? How do I make sales contacts? What can I expect from a potential customer? These questions – and much more – are addressed in the course Fundamentals of Direct Sales, offered as both a credit class and a continuing education class. “The class provides students the opportunity to discover the direct sales industry and how their entrepreneurial skill and talents can be used in this arena,” said Donna Duffey, chair of entrepreneurship at JCCC. “Fundamentals of Direct Sales is one course in JCCC’s new 15-hour direct sales certificate.” Fundamentals of Direct Sales introduces students to the fundamental components of small business management, including: • marketing • finance • legal issues • planning • network marketing • online sales • salesforce recruitment and training
• building positive customer experience The course materials were developed through a partnership between the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) and the Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF). DSEF is the foundation branch of the Direct Selling Association, a trade organization for companies that produce goods to be sold directly to the consumer by sales associates, not retail stores. “The DSEF is committed to helping sellers succeed,” explained Duffey. “To those who already sell products to customers – or those who think they might want to. The knowledge and skills gained from the course will help students realize their entrepreneurial dream working as an independent contractor selling some of the world’s most recognizable brands.” Upon completion of the course, students will identify themselves as small business owners, capable of incorporating the numerous entrepreneurial skills learned in class in order to maximize the opportunities offered by the world of direct selling. Credit students already enrolled in JCCC or those considering enrolling to complete an associate’s degree should register for ENTR 185: Fundamentals of Direct Sales. For noncredit students (those not seeking to complete a degree), call a continuing education registration specialist at 913-469-2323 to register for Fundamentals of Direct Sales. The Open Petal | 17
Honoring a lifetime of service Lynn Mitchelson named Johnson Countian of the Year By Julie Haas
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n 27 years, Lynn Mitchelson has missed only one Some Enchanted Evening, the JCCC’s Foundation’s annual fund-raising gala. (He gave it up to accompany his wife, who was receiving an honor out of town.) He helped with the first gala in 1987 by approaching corporations to ask for support. He and his wife, Alicia, served as co-chairs for the event in 2000.
Mitchelson is a banking executive with more than 50 years of business-lending experience in the Kansas City area. He founded Corporate Woods State Bank in 1980 and stayed with the bank through subsequent sales to Bank IV, Boatmen’s, NationsBank, N.A., and Bank of America. In 2001, he became an advisory director for Executive AirShare, helping to establish a regional air startup in Kansas City.
This year, he’ll be there again, only this time as the honoree. Mitchelson is the 2013 Johnson Countian of the Year and will be recognized at this year’s Some Enchanted Evening.
Three times since 2004, Mitchelson has served as chairman and CEO of banks operating under regulatory enforcement actions that required them to change their lending practices to meet higher standards. He is currently helping restore American Bank in his hometown of Baxter Springs, Kan., a struggling small town of 4,200 people. “I’m trying to restore the bank to health, which in turn will build a healthy community,” Mitchelson said.
“It’s just an unbelievable honor and something I hadn’t envisioned happening,” Mitchelson said. “I am thoroughly grateful and humbled.” Mitchelson has a long history with JCCC. “To me, it’s on the list of best values in the county,” he said. He was a member of JCCC’s board of trustees from 1996 to 2011, serving as treasurer, vice chair and chair, and as a member and executive board member of the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees. He has also been a director, president and member of the executive committee of the JCCC Foundation. “From my initial introduction to JCCC in the late 1990s, I saw Lynn Mitchelson as a leader of the college and an advocate for students,” said Steve Wilkinson, president and CEO of Menorah Hospital and past president of the Foundation. “Over the ensuing years, I watched Lynn demonstrate his commitment in many different ways. Lynn Mitchelson’s name has been synonymous with leadership and JCCC. I’m pleased he is being honored this year.” The college hasn’t been Mitchelson’s only focus for civic engagement. He also has a long history of community service with other aspects of Johnson County and the metropolitan area. He’s been involved with: • The Johnson County Education Research Triangle • The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation • The Learning Exchange • The K-10 Association, Inc. (K-10 SmartCorridor) • The Kansas State Affairs Committee of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce • The Overland Park Chamber of Commerce • County Arterial Road Planning (CARNP) • The KC150 Sesquicentennial • The Delta Upsilon fraternity, KU Alumni Foundation • The Overland Park Rotary Club and its Foundation • The former Humana Hospital in Overland Park • The Kansas City chapter of the American Red Cross • The Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra • KCPT Previous honors include Kansas Volunteer of the Year (bestowed in recognition of his help in bringing the Sprint campus to Overland Park); the Hugh Speer Award from the JCCC Foundation; the K-10 Corridor Association Service Award; the Delta Upsilon KU Chapter Distinguished Alum; and a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow.
Lynn Mitchelson says that JCCC is “on the list of best values in the county.”
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When he isn’t chairing a committee or serving on a board,
Civic service is a natural fit for a banker who wants to invest in a healthy community. Mitchelson’s role model for such service was his father. “He was with the Red Cross, the school board, the Lions Club, the blood bank – you name it, he got involved,” Mitchelson said. Like father, like son. “A lot of good things have happened to me,” Mitchelson said, thinking back over his long career. “I made a lot of good friends.” “This community is a better place to live because of Lynn Mitchelson’s tireless work within the community,” said Joe Sopcich, JCCC president. “And this college is a better place to learn because of his support of the Foundation and his years on the board of trustees. It’s an honor for us to recognize him as the 2013 Johnson Countian of the Year.”
About the gala Some Enchanted Evening, the gala event at which Lynn Mitchelson will be honored, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013, at the Overland Park Marriott Hotel. The black-tie event includes a gourmet dinner, entertainment and dancing. Proceeds support student scholarships at JCCC. Over the past 27 years, the JCCC Foundation has raised more than $5.4 million for the college’s scholarship program through Some Enchanted Evening. Through such events, the Foundation has helped thousands of students pursue their dreams of a college education. Students with exceptional needs, such as single parents and displaced workers, and talented students in all areas of study benefit from Foundation scholarships. Past Johnson Countians of the Year have been Audrey Langworthy, 2012; David Wysong, 2010; Terry and Peggy Dunn, 2009; Fred Logan, 2008; Dick and Barbara Shull, 2007; Norman and Elaine Polsky, 2006; Ed Eilert, 2005; Robert D. Regnier, 2004; Walter Hiersteiner, 2003; Mary Birch, 2002; Drue Jennings, 2001; Betty Keim, 2000; Steve Rose, 1999; Charles J. Carlsen, 1998; George and Floriene Lieberman, 1997; Dick Bond, 1996; William Dunn, 1995; Adele Hall, 1994; SuEllen Fried, 1993; James P. Sunderland, 1992; Stan and Shirley Rose, 1991; John H. Robinson, 1990; Paul H. Henson, 1989; Ben Craig, 1988; and Robert H. Meneilly, 1987. In 2011, all previous Johnson Countians of the Year were honored for the 25th anniversary of Some Enchanted Evening. Contact the JCCC Foundation at 913-469-3835 to become a sponsor or visit www.jccc.edu/foundation for additional information about the event. The Open Petal | 19
Online Exclusives
CAMPUS LIFE Datebook Nov. 9, 6 p.m. Saturday, social hour, 7 p.m. dinner, Some Enchanted Evening, annual black-tie fundraiser for JCCC Foundation, Overland Park Marriott. Tickets and info at jccc.edu/foundation. Nov. 13, 7 p.m.Wednesday, Military Service: A Latino Perspective, presented by the Polsky Practical Enrichment Series. Yardley Hall. Free
Nov. 14, 7 p.m. Thursday, Deepak Chopra will talk about his latest book, What Are You Hungry For? Yardley Hall, Tickets: $55, $37.50, Call the box office at 913-469-4445 or visit jccc.edu/TheSeries.
Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, JCCC Concert Band performs with New Horizons Concert Band from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. Polsky Theatre. Free.
Nov. 15-17 and Nov. 22-24, Dead Man’s Cell Phone presented by the JCCC theatre department. Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, 2 p.m. Polsky Theatre. Free
Jan. 24-25, Jazz Winterlude, Carlsen Center performance spaces; Daytime Friday, school band clinics and performances; 7 p.m. Friday, Doug Tally Quintet followed by headliner Terri Lyne Carrington in Yardley Hall; 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Eight local jazz bands; 7 p.m. Saturday, Book of Gaia followed by headliner Arturo Sandoval in Yardley Hall. More info: www.jccc.edu/ jazzwinterlude. Tickets: 913-469-4445 or jccc.edu/TheSeries.
These stories have been published on the college’s home page. To go back and read them, go to jccc.edu and search for the words in the headlines. Jan. 29, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Polsky Series event, Financial Outlook and Opportunity 2014 by Tim Carlin, Polsky Theatre. Free.
On stage For tickets and information about these and other events sponsored by the Performing Arts Series, visit jccc.edu/TheSeries or call the JCCC Box Office at 913-469-4445.
Pop, rock and history
Starting off right
Better late than never
Full ride to China
A great place to work
Rock out and earn college credit at the same time. David Cantwell, adjunct professor of English, teaches Literature of American Popular Music (ENG 22) and Harvey Fitzer, adjunct professor of music, teaches History of Rock and Roll Music (MUS 128).
This year’s Cavalier Leaders share suggestions on how to start each semester right and keep it going in a positive direction.
Ron Smith’s path to a college degree has taken numerous detours over the course of nearly two decades. Now his goal is in sight. “At first, I wasn’t sure how I would be received because I was an older student. But I was pleasantly surprised ...”
Ten JCCC students are studying in Xi’an, China this fall, thanks to a full-ride scholarship from Northwestern Polytechnical University, the school they are attending.
For the fifth straight year, the Chronicle of Higher Education has named JCCC as one of the best colleges to work for in the nation.
Student inaugurates fall session Rita Moreno 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16 Yardley Hall
The Sound of Christmas starring Elisabeth von Trapp 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 Yardley Hall
The Lettermen 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20 Yardley Hall
Cassie Fulk celebrates the first day of the semester by making bubbles in Fountain Square.
At the Nerman Care’ Huaco ‘ta Cariñosa is part of Kukuli Velarde’s Plunder Me, Baby exhibit which runs through Dec. 22. Dylan Mortimer’s site-specific installation of three “halos” called Illuminate runs through Feb. 9. Also on view this fall is Iona’s Rozeal Brown’s POD 444. For details, go to nermanmuseum.org and click on “exhibitions.”
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Kukuli Velarde
Care’ Huaco ‘ta Cariñosa, Fishy, fishy. Do not trust, te va a dar de macanazos! Nazca phase III Perú, AD 500, 2009 Raku red clay and mixed media, 26.5 x 12 x 16.5” Courtesy the Artist, Philadelphia, PA
Dylan Mortimer
Illuminate (rendering), site-specific installation, 2013 The installation features three wall-mounted halos and asks the question: How does one “earn” a halo? Each halo has motion sensors and lights up only when someone draws near, allowing anyone to choose to be a source of light.
Iona Rozeal Brown
POD 444, Lynxes and Dropses (Song of Solomon 4:1,9,5:16), 2013 Acrylic, ink, krink and graphite on wood panel, 60 x 48” Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art Gift of the H. Tony and Marti Oppenheimer Foundation
Photo by Susan McSpadden
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SPORTS
Long throw catapults athlete into limelight
By Tyler Cundith
Caniggia Raynor says his first semester away from his home in Jamaica was tough. “Praying every day and working hard got me through.”
mark ranks him as his country’s No. 1 thrower now. “Caniggia’s success stems from his relentless pursuit of excellence in all aspects of his training,” said Groves, JCCC assistant coach of track and field. “He works extremely hard at his craft and communicates very well with me. His ability to provide good feedback and his high-spirited attitude make working with him both productive and fun.” Groves first learned of Raynor through another Jamaican thrower he coached while an assistant at UMKC. Eventually Groves offered Raynor a scholarship, and he arrived on campus in the fall of 2011.
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bout this time two years ago, Caniggia Raynor (pronounced Ca-NEE-ja RAY-nar) of Greater Portmore, Jamaica, was just an unknown, hard-working track athlete with a goal of earning a full-ride scholarship to an NCAA university.
Today, he is a top-notch recruit and ranks as the top thrower in his country.
believe him,” Raynor said. “After I hit 19-meters, my phone was a hot wire.”
Raynor popped onto the national radar after topping the 19-meter mark in the weight throw last January at a meet in the JCCC Fieldhouse. All the schools that paid no attention to him before were now clamoring to get him to their campuses.
Raynor went on to earn NJCAA All-America by placing second at the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in March, and he continued his development into a national caliber thrower with another runner-up national finish in the hammer throw at the NJCAA Outdoor Championships. His mark of 59.76-meters (196’1”) shattered the JCCC school mark by nearly 14 feet and was just under two meters shy of the Jamaican world record set by Nigel Green in 1996. That
“Coach (Phil) Groves kept telling the coaches at those schools I would get to 19-meters (62’4”) but they didn’t 22 | The Open Petal
“I was excited to come to JCCC because coach Groves specializes in coaching the hammer,” Raynor said. “But that first semester was difficult. I had to find work, pay for food and bills. I ate a lot of tuna and rice.” Finding a job was tough too for him. Because he is an international athlete, he could only work on campus, and by being so far away from his family, campus was his home. “I can’t just run home for a few days to get away,” he said. “That was the most challenging part of being here. Praying every day and working hard got me through that semester.” Eventually Raynor settled in, and as he entered his sophomore season last January he felt it would be a good year for him. He worked extremely hard on his footwork, quickness and balance during the summer, and in the fall, he felt he was on the brink of a breakthrough. At the end of his sophomore season, Raynor owned all five
of the top marks at JCCC in the indoor weight throw, owned the JCCC Fieldhouse, region and conference meet records and was the school outdoor record holder in the hammer and discus. With a big smile, Raynor said that the most rewarding part of being at JCCC was all the school records he set. “Those throws demonstrate my hard work and they opened doors to schools that turned me down before. I have a goal to get a full ride somewhere. To do so, I need to be on top of my academics and my sport. That really drives me.” Raynor is finishing up some class work at JCCC this semester while waiting to get through the NCAA Clearinghouse, and then he will be on his way to the next level. Getting a scholarship is just one of Raynor’s goals. He also wants to represent his country at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. “Having only thrown the hammer for two years, the sky is truly the limit.” Groves said. “I would expect Caniggia to excel in the throws for many years to come. I could definitely see him representing his country at the World Championships or Olympic Games. He is a fine young man with a great work ethic and impeccable character, and those traits will serve him well both on and off the field through his life.” Page 24/25: After wrapping the 16-pound ball of metal in steel wool and igniting it, photographer Susan McSpadden used a slow shutter speed and a fill-flash to capture the effect produced by Caniggia Raynor’s rotations.
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THE REAR WINDOW These three take a break Sept. 17 from their obligations and try out the new air hockey table in the Student Lounge, COM 322.
Members of the Golden Girls show their silly side Sept. 20 during a photo shoot for the group’s annual calendar.
The volleyball team prepares for its season by posing July 17 for its media guide.
Photos by Susan McSpadden
Worth a look back
T
he fall semester kicked off with a bevy of activity for students and staff in and out of the classroom. While academic learning comes first at JCCC, the college also offers opportunities for students to develop in other ways – whether it be on the debate or volleyball team or as a leader in student government. Should you
Phi Theta Kappa adviser Terry Helmick photographs students in the honor society on Sept. 16 on the stairs of the Student Center. The society encourages academic achievement.
These three seem to know exactly where they are going as they trot Sept. 24 toward the Regnier Center.
Rain brings out umbrellas Sept. 17.
JCCC’s student senators and executive board take the oath of office on Sept. 9, promising to fulfill their duties.
A campus farm workday Sept. 20 yields produce.
think it’s all work and no play, check out the new air hockey table in the Student Lounge in COM 322. Brenden Brower-Freeman, (from left) Blaire Warren and Jesse Nation show off the past accomplishments of the JCCC debate team on Aug. 29 as they prepare for a new year.
JCCC’s new president, Joe Sopcich, greets students Sept. 12 before his State of the College address.
For more photos, visit www.facebook.com/JCCC411. Or connect with Facebook by going to the college home page at jccc.edu and clicking on “Connect with JCCC.” 26 | The Open Petal
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NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE
12345 COLLEGE BLVD OVERLAND PARK KS 66210-1299
PAID
Johnson County Community College
Friday and Saturday, Jan. 24-25
Two internationally recognized artists! Free! Local bands on Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Polsky Theatre • Ron Gutierrez • KC Sound Collective • Chris Clarke Trio • Beach Nuts
Terri Lyne Carrington Money Jungle Opener: Doug Talley Quintet 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24 Yardley Hall, $20
Arturo Sandoval
Nine-time Grammy winner Opener: Book of Gaia 7 p.m. Sat., Jan. 25 Yardley Hall, $25
Recital Hall • Marimba Sol de Chiapas • Juha Silfverberg Quintet • Fado Novato • Gamelan Genta Kasturi
www.jccc.edu/jazzwinterlude • 913-469-4445 • Sponsored in part by JCCC Performing Arts Series