The Open Petal

The

Open Petal November 2014

Johnson County Community College

Faculty, students reach out to the world

Plan puts priority on student success

Military veterans find new home

The Open Petal | 1

The

Open Petal November 2014

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 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.

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.

Paul Kyle

E

ach year, Johnson County Community College welcomes approximately 400 veterans into the student body. Veteran students do well at JCCC; we know they generally have a slightly higher graduation rate when compared to the general student population.

However, theirs is not an easy road. The student veteran’s transition to higher education is different than our other students. Veterans have been through training and immersion in a military culture and military situations that other students know nothing about. When they return to civilian life, they can easily feel isolated and purposeless. When they think back to the camaraderie of the units, it’s often difficult for them to re-establish their roles and relationships when they are no longer in uniform.

As you’ll see in this issue of The Open Petal, JCCC has a number of programs in place to meet the distinctive needs of the veteran student population. Our CaVets program allows veteran students to form learning communities to enhance their success in class, take advantage of a comprehensive financial assistance package and enjoy support through collaborative partnerships the college has established with community organizations with similar missions regarding military students and their families. We’re also part of the Vet Success on Campus initiative, in which a full-time Veterans Administration counselor comes to campus to assist veterans with education, career and benefit counseling. This is capped by our new Veterans Center on campus, housed on the third floor of the Commons building, which allows us to centralize our services and provide an optimal learning environment for our veteran students.

You can see why, for the past several years, JCCC has been named by Victory Media to its list of Military Friendly Schools®. The list honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus. Our veterans deserve that support.

Sincerely,

When planning your estate, please remember Johnson County Community College. For more information, call the JCCC Foundation at 913-469-3835.

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Paul Kyle Dean of Students

CONTENTS 28 24

26 Features 4 Global studies

New program feeds into KU.

In Every Issue

8 Center opens

20 Continuing Education

Veterans have a place to meet.

10 Reaching our goals

Strategic plan shows the way.

14 From appetizer to dessert

Culinary team wins national title.

16 Meet Mike West

He’s the new dean of business.

18 Kennedy Center for the Arts

Schools benefit from partnership.

2 The View From Here Ideas pay off for student entrepreneurs.

28 Alumni/Foundation

Foundation honors Heart to Heart founder.

30 Campus Life 32 Sports

Basketball coach draws young squad.

34 Worth a Look Back

21 Phone a friend

Success advocates want you to call.

22 Flint Hills women

Professor shares research Nov. 11.

24 Serve while you learn

Professor incorporates service-learning.

26 Walking the back roads of Kansas

Adventurer to speak Nov. 19.

On the Cover Full-ride scholarships allowed students Aaron McIntyrne and Kendyl McDougald to study in China in fall 2013. JCCC’s long-time connection to Northwestern Polytechnical University helped make the scholarships available for 10 students last fall and 10 more this fall.

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JCCC strengthens ties abroad, initiates global studies program

By Diane Carroll

JCCC student Kendyl McDougald explores China while studying at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi’an.

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K

endyl McDougald was one of those many college students who didn’t know where her life was going. She prayed about what to

do. Then an opportunity to study in China came along.

“It changed my life, really,” said the 20-year-old student at Johnson County Community College.

“It’s hard to put into words just how eye-opening it was.”

Kendyl, who returned with a desire to study environmental science at a university in Germany, was one of 10 JCCC students who landed fullride scholarships to study at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi’an, China, for the fall 2013 semester. This fall, another 10 JCCC students are there, again with the benefit of the scholarships.

As international connections become commonplace in today’s job market, JCCC is strengthening and expanding its ties with countries abroad. It also has set up a global studies track that will funnel students into a bachelor’s program in global and international studies at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

“Now a student will be able to begin studying international education here at JCCC, and if they follow the transfer guide they can start at KU at the junior level without having to extend their time in college,” said Tom Patterson, director of international education at JCCC. “There are jobs out there, and KU is very interested in getting them hooked up with potential employers early.”

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New global studies track

Among the latest initiatives:

Starting in January, JCCC will offer a three-credit course called GIST 250: Introduction to Globalization. Patterson and the director of KU’s Center for Global & International Studies put the course together; it’s also being offered at KU. In addition, Patterson is drawing up a one-credit requirement to accompany every study-abroad trip.

Otherwise, JCCC already offers the courses a student would have to take to fulfill the requirements for the program’s first two years.

• JCCC recently ventured into a partnership with the Sukkur Institute of Business Administration, which in 2010 became the first community college in Pakistan. With the help of a grant from the U.S. State Department, JCCC is sharing its knowledge of working with students who arrive at college unprepared for college work.

Aaron McIntyre, another JCCC student who studied last fall at Northwestern Polytechnical, said the trip to China gave him the opportunity to interact not only with Chinese students but also with other study-abroad students from around the world. The trip was amazing, he said.

“The world is not that big at all once you take that leap and go,” he said.

World-wide connections JCCC has been building international ties for more than two decades.

Besides offering study-abroad programs for students, the college participates in faculty exchanges and partnerships with universities abroad.

The college has two main service-learning projects – one helping out a community in Las Pintas, Mexico, and the other serving at a hospital in Uganda. Those projects, led by faculty, give students a chance to learn at the same time they serve others.

Faculty also lead shorter trips abroad, often during fall or spring break.

“The goal is to further the internationalization of JCCC,” Patterson said. “There are a lot of ways in which it can be done, and we try to work on all of them.”

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As Sukkur implements the community college model, it is facing the challenge of a high dropout rate due to students being underprepared to succeed. Only 5.1 percent of Pakistanis between the ages of 17 to 23 are enrolled in higher education. Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission aims to reach 10 percent by 2015.

Sukker representatives visited JCCC in September to learn about instructional strategies for developmental education and best practices to launch a learning resource lab.

• In Peru, JCCC has entered into a new partnership with Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola in Lima and Cusco.

It is JCCC’s first Latin American partnership. JCCC’s first student studied there this summer.

• JCCC has signed a partnership with Florence University of the Arts in Florence, Italy, which has a culinary program.

The agreement came about through the efforts of Lindy Robinson, former business dean, and Ona Ashley, professor and director of hospitality management. JCCC has occasionally sent students to study there in the past; the partnership sets up a plan to send JCCC students there on a regular basis.

• A JCCC speech professor now is including Russian students in an online intercultural communications course she teaches at JCCC. The professor, Terri Easley, came up with the idea after participating in a faculty exchange program with Udmurt State University in Izhevsk, Russia. Keith Geekie, professor and chair of the English department at JCCC, is doing the same kind of thing in an online composition course, mixing JCCC students with students who attend Northwestern Polytechnical University in China.

Faculty, staff set priorities JCCC’s international programs are growing because many faculty and staff members believe in their value, Patterson said.

After arriving at JCCC in 2012, Patterson surveyed faculty and staff to get their views on charting the future of international education. With that information, he worked with the International Education Committee to determine priorities. Setting up the global studies track with KU was one of the priorities. Attaching a college credit to every study-abroad trip was another.

“The support and involvement of faculty, staff and the administration here is outstanding,” Patterson said. “The college really values globalization, and it’s the broad support that makes it happen.”

A major in international studies can pair well with a wide range of careers: business, education, Foreign Service, medicine, law, and governmental and social service agencies.

That international know-how can be useful not only for students who pursue careers abroad but also for those who stay and work in the Kansas City area. That’s because there is a good chance that a job here might require routine contact with colleagues anywhere in the world.

With its aviation and agricultural businesses, Kansas alone has more than 75,000 jobs directly related to exports. When measured in per capita for its population, Kansas is the top exporting state in the country, sending out $12.5 billion in exports each year.

From small town to China McDougald grew up outside Emporia. After visiting Costa Rica while in high school, she knew she wanted to go abroad again.

While attending JCCC, McDougald and her roommate heard about the full scholarship to Northwestern Polytechnical in China. The roommate, who could speak Chinese, applied and “she kind of talked me into it,” McDougald said.

“The trip got me out of my comfort zone,” McDougald said. “I learned how to survive traveling, I made a lot of connections, and I just got the experience of a brand new culture.”

On the negative side, smog was a regular companion. On the positive side, it enhanced her interest in environmental science and sustainability. She now is focusing on getting accepted into a student exchange program that would allow her to attend a university in Germany that is strong in those areas of study.

Scholarships paved the way The scholarship made the trip possible for McDougald, as it did for McIntyre.

The Chinese government offers the scholarships to the partners of their top universities. The scholarships are part of the 100K Strong Initiative, a U.S. initiative that is strongly supported by the Chinese government. It is designed to dramatically increase the number of American students studying in China.

McIntyre plans to study the Chinese language and culture at KU after finishing his liberal arts degree at JCCC. He wants a career that allows him to use the language, whether it is in social work or translating or making trade deals with China.

“With knowing the language, you just have such a bigger foot in the door,” he said.

JCCC was the right fit McIntyre, 20, lives with his parents in Tonganoxie and plans to stay put through college. It helps with his goal to get a degree in the most economical way possible. JCCC’s price tag also fit into that goal.

“JCCC is a good school. I’m glad I came here. It’s cheaper; they just work with you better. They have a writing center and a math center – you can’t find a lot of community colleges that have that. I looked around and this was the best. At KU and K-State, you are pretty much on your own.”

For McIntyre, living at home and attending JCCC means missing out on the traditional experience of living on a college campus. He’s OK with that.

“I might have missed out on some freshman experiences but I had way more experiences with other people in another country. How many people can say that?”

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Engaging student veterans New center, new classes help students transition from military life

By Anne Christiansen-Bullers

Army veteran Christopher Chance feels at home studying at JCCC. 8 | The Open Petal

W

hen Christopher Chance transitioned from the Army in July 2013, he knew Johnson County Community College would be an excellent way to return to civilian life.

First, it was close to home. Second, it had a “more relaxed atmosphere,” where he could more easily ease into academics than at a university. Third, it offered a lower price.

“That meant I had the freedom of trying out new classes without that big financial commitment,” he said.

“I was in the Army seven years … and I was nervous when I got out,” he said. “But people at JCCC took the time to explain things to me, and it’s been a really great place.”

For the last four years, JCCC has been named by “G.I. Jobs” magazine as a Military Friendly School®. When veterans of the armed forces enroll at JCCC, they benefit from a wide variety of special programs, and two recent changes have only strengthened the commitment to student veterans.

Veteran’s Center To show commitment to student veteran success, JCCC has designated space on the third floor of the Commons building for a new veteran and military student resource center.

“It’s so awesome to be on a campus that wants to collaborate and provide an environment that is committed to the success of veterans,” said Kena Zumalt, veteran services coordinator for JCCC. The office in COM 305 contains administrative offices for Zumalt; Jon Bohlander, outreach assistant for veteran’s services; and Eric Gormly, veteran services assistant for education benefits. Four work-study students, paid by the U.S. Veterans Administration, also will be based there.

As a bonus, the center will include a study and meeting space exclusively for student veterans.

Chance, one of the work-study students, said he’s looking forward to the center. Current offices in the Student Center are not conducive to student vets just dropping by or hanging out. With COM 305, they’ll have a place to feel at home.

Shanti Ramcharan, the veteran services counselor from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, has been located on the second floor of the Commons, but her new office on the third floor will be in COM 302, just across the hall from the Veteran and Military Student Resource Center.

Zumalt said the location couldn’t be much better.

“Eighty percent of what keeps students from succeeding is not what happens in the classroom but what happens outside of it,” Zumalt said. “The whole resource-center

concept will be extremely helpful, as we’ll have a community support services piece, too. I really feel we have the whole package.”

The center officially opens to kick off the 2014 Veteran’s Week celebration. The ribbon-cutting will be at 10 a.m.

Monday, Nov. 10, in COM 305.

Other noteworthy events, including a speaker who works to create art with veterans, an exhibit about the suicide rate within the veteran population, and a film about transitioning from military to civilian life, can be found at www.jccc.edu/veterans.

Class cohorts for veterans Since veterans share a common experience and have been trained with a similar set of core values, they often form instant bonds with one another, explained Jon Bohlander, the outreach assistant for veteran’s services at JCCC. “There’s an esprit de corps that forms in the military,” he said. “We can provide really good services to the students, but one thing we can’t provide that these students really need is a sense of comradeship.”

To create that connection, JCCC began offering classes in introductory courses limited to veterans only. These groups, or class cohorts, began class with a shared history, even if they didn’t come from the same branch of service or even the same years of service.

The classes also are offered to soldiers on active duty or in the reserves, as well to the spouses and dependents of veterans.

“That’s because if you have a spouse in the military, you might as well be in the military yourself,” he said.

Research from Cleveland State University has shown that veterans stay in school at higher rates when a college offers veterans’ cohorts, Bohlander said.

“One reason it succeeds is because the maturity level of a veteran and a typical student are just so different,” he said.

“The majority of traditional students are still living at home, and veterans often have families of their own. They’ve also been in charge of million-dollar equipment. They have a level of commitment to task that stays with you.

“It can be quite challenging, and frustrating, when veterans don’t see other students with this level of commitment to a cohesive team,” he explained.

They also share their own language, full of acronyms and shortened words that can create distance between them and their non-military classmates. In a cohort, Bohlander explains, everyone just “gets it.”

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College lays out road map to attain its goals

By Anne Christiansen-Bullers

Faculty and staff gather to learn more about the college’s strategic plan.

S

tudents are more likely to reach their goals when they create a plan and follow it. The same is true for the colleges they attend.

With that forward-thinking, goal-setting agenda in mind, Johnson County Community College has created a strategic plan for 2014-2017.

Who created the strategic plan?

Much like a student assessing his or her strengths and abilities for a certain class, the college spent time assessing its current status before deciding how to move forward.

Faculty, staff, students and community members offered input on JCCC’s strengths and weaknesses through surveys and focus groups.

“While the college has adopted strategic plans over the years, the process we followed to develop this plan was quite different,” explained Joe Sopcich, president of JCCC. “This time we followed the principle of planning from the outside-in, to specifically address student and community 10 | The Open Petal

needs,” he said. “Hundreds of students, community members and employees have provided input to the strategic planning process over the past 12 months, helping us develop a vision that will direct our efforts.”

To create the strategic plan, a task force of 13 faculty members, 11 staff members and the president of the student senate served for a year on one of four work groups: • Community Outreach – Tasked with collecting perspectives from people both inside and outside the college, and then making sure they were integrated into the final plan.

• Data collection – Responsible for getting information via survey questions, focus groups and higher-education data.

• Data analysis – Conducted a Strengths-WeaknessesOpportunity-Threat (SWOT) analysis to understand the college’s situation in the community.

• Communication – Worked to share the task force’s progress and the strategic plan’s message.

What does it do?

“A strategic plan provides complex organizations with a road map on how to achieve a common set of goals,” said Patrick Rossol-Allison, executive director of institutional effectiveness, planning and research and chair of the strategic plan’s steering committee.

“Without a strategic plan, organizations chase after objectives that are not mission-critical or – worse – after nothing at all and become stagnant.”

The plan included a new mission statement and vision statement, and it spelled out the values most dear to Johnson County Community College. The values are: • Integrity – We hold ourselves accountable for decisions and actions.

• Collaboration – We respect diversity of thought in building a culture of collaboration.

• Responsiveness – We respond to the needs of our students and communities through relevant offerings.

Does the strategic plan affect me?

Probably. As the college leaves behind the planning process to implement the strategic plan, its reach will be far and may affect everyone associated with the college in some way or another. The strategic goals and tasks have been chosen to guide the institution forward and will therefore guide its staff, students, faculty and community involvement.

Those goals and related tasks are: • Increase student success by improving student satisfaction, retention, persistence, graduation and transfer rates.

• Demonstrate increased agility in responding to stakeholder needs.

• Focus on communicating the college’s comprehensive offerings.

• Commit to the efficient use of resources to strengthen quality offerings.

• Leadership – We pursue leadership roles in our communities and higher education.

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Joe Sopcich

Judy Korb

Barbara Larson

Patrick Rossol-Allison

Numerous members of the faculty and staff are involved in implementing the college’s strategic plan. Among those leading the effort are Joe Sopcich, president; Judy Korb, executive vice president of instruction and operations; Barbara Larson, executive vice president of finance and administrative services; and Patrick Rossol-Allison, executive director of institutional effectiveness, planning and research.

JCCC Goals Increase student success by improving student satisfaction, retention, persistence, graduation and transfer rates.

Demonstrate increased agility in responding to stakeholder needs.

Focus on communicating the college’s comprehensive offerings.

Commit to the efficient use of resources to strengthen quality offerings.

How will the success of the strategic plan be measured?

Starting this year, 13 groups composed of members of the faculty and staff will explore each task, developing action plans and setting outcomes and milestones to accomplish each one. Each task has a project leader and a liaison to the president’s cabinet. The cabinet will be updated quarterly, as will the board of trustees, and then the trustees will receive a final briefing at their September meeting each year.

This overview of the annual plan will include a report on how well the college is meeting is goals from the previous year and outline what needs to be achieved in the year ahead.

“The promise of our common future – to reach new levels of educational excellence and innovation – will require us to put forth our own best efforts and work together as one college in a united and cohesive way,” Sopcich said.

Counselor Alicia Bredehoeft encourages everyone to particiate.

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D

uring a college forum on the strategic plan, Andy Anderson read this poem that he wrote for the occasion. Anderson is JCCC’s vice president of academic affairs and chief academic officer.

Students compete during a “Quiz Bowl” to provide the best answers to questions about the strategic plan.

Mission, Vision and Values

Taking the Stage (A strategic plan is more than connecting dots

JCCC’s strategic planning process included the development of mission, vision and values statements that represent the role of the college in the community, its aspirations and the principles we live by.

OR fourteen lines toward implementing a strategic plan)

Mission

Our students seldom come just so…

JCCC inspires learning to transform lives and strengthen communities.

they always bring the accident, problems,

Vision

They come with old dreams, new aspirations,

JCCC will be a national leader through educational excellence and innovation.

with worlds the world forgot. Yet they believe

Values Integrity We hold ourselves accountable for decisions and actions.

Collaboration We respect diversity of thought in building a culture of collaboration.

Responsiveness We respond to the needs of our students and communities through relevant offerings.

Leadership We pursue leadership roles in our communities and higher education.

the unaccounted for, the miracle –

behind a door just opened they will find a clue, they will hear some word, find ways to change: what to be, to believe, to do, to seek.

How do we greet them when they enter here?

Can we share the secret that no one knows a certain cure, the only answer, what is more or less. We survey across horizons, We share risk, success, and measured failure We venture possibilities and laughter.

– Andy Anderson

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Team members were Kathryn Ratzlaff, Katie O’Connor, Matt Phillips, Jessica Seely (captain) and Raquel Kramer. The coaches were Felix Sturmer, professor of hospitality management, and Edward Adel, assistant professor of hospitality management (not pictured).

Culinary team celebrates national championship

By Melodee Blobaum

W

hat does it take to make it to the top of the student chef world?

Practice, practice, practice.

And it helps to have a recipe box filled with dishes like Lamb Loin Encased with Chanterelle Mushroom, Oregano and Pine Nut Farce, Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse with Flourless Chocolate Cake and Hazelnut Inlay, and Salmon Ceviche on Compressed Yellow Watermelon.

The combination of practice and recipes helped the Johnson County Community College culinary team slice and dice its way to the top of the student-chef world, winning the 2014 American Culinary Federation Student Team National Championship in Kansas City, Mo., this summer.

JCCC’s culinary team began its journey to the top in September 2013 when the team was formed. The group began competing in local competitions in January, culminating with a regional win in the Central Region 14 | The Open Petal

competition held in St. Louis in March. Four months later, it topped the three other regional teams and a military team to win the national honor. JCCC is the only student team program to have won four national competitions, notching wins in 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2014.

Practice this year began long before members stepped into the kitchen in St. Louis. Student culinary competitions begin with a skills salon in which the young chefs work like a relay team, with each member taking on an assigned culinary task: filleting a fish, cutting apart a whole chicken, displaying specific cuts on a vegetable or fruit and preparing pastry items.

Team members blindly draw the task they’ll be performing in competition, so they all spend hours practicing each skill, over and over again.

And, in the end, perfection is the goal. Though the JCCC team was competing against all the other teams, ultimately they were competing against perfection: perfect timing, perfect execution, perfect plates of food.

Appetizer Poached sockeye salmon topped with saffron mousseline on fennel, celery and apple slaw, in lemon chive dressing Crème fraiche with salmon caviar and micro sea bean Red beet puree and roasted baby beets with micro greens Cured and smoked salmon belly with horseradish sour cream panna cotta on wilted arugula, sweet pickled shallots, parsnip chip Salmon ceviche on compressed yellow watermelon Blue corn disk

Salad Petite summer greens, red ribbon sorrel, frisee, red Romaine with rhubarb and strawberry dressing Burrata filled with freshly made ricotta cheese, drizzled with basil olive oil Fresh peach and tomato salsa Tomato and rhubarb jam Avocado fan, thinly sliced speck Marinated heirloom tomato petals Spiced cracker

Entrée Lamb loin encased with chanterelle mushroom, oregano and pine nut farce Spicy lamb sausage, caramelized onions with whole grain mustard Reduction sauce with blueberries and Shiraz Puree of fresh green peas with a hint of mint Baby carrot, sugar snap pea, pea sprout Sautéed Swiss chard Roasted corn and feta cheese bake Pommes dauphine

Dessert Bittersweet chocolate mousse with flourless chocolate cake and hazelnut inlay Rainier cherry compote Raspberry sorbet on a hazelnut tuile Raspberry gastrique Chocolate design filigree Croquant sprinkled meringue

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As dean of business, Mike West leads 11 departments.

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New dean seeks to partner with area businesses

By Anne Christiansen-Bullers

I

n his new role as dean of business, Mike West wants to bring the experience of business into the classroom.

“We need to continue to strengthen our connections to the business community,” he said. “We have a diverse set of program areas in the division, and we need to work to improve our student experience.”

West leads 11 different departments from accounting to hospitality management to interior design and replaces Lindy Robinson, who retired after the 2014 spring semester.

Life and work West brings experience both in business and in higher education. In business, he worked for a small industrial equipment company. He also worked for a consulting firm.

“I worked with so many different industries, so many different people, but there was a lot of travel. It actually was 100 percent travel, and that tends to wear you down after a while,” he said.

He decided higher education offered a better life-work balance and began teaching business at Maple Woods Community College, one of the five campuses that comprise Kansas City’s Metropolitan Community Colleges.

At Maple Woods, he became chair of the business department, and eventually the dean of instruction; additionally, he served as acting dean for Continuing Education, responsible for industry training and economic development projects.

The pull of business led him to open his own BaskinRobbins franchise in Kansas City North, but he didn’t stay away from higher education for long. While running the store, he also began teaching at Craig School of Business at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri.

When the position for dean of business at Johnson County Community College was posted, West knew he wanted to apply because of JCCC’s reputation. Some of that high praise came from his own wife, Nancy West, who was an associate professor of nursing at JCCC for 27 years before retiring in May 2014.

His vision West said he sees an impressive group of business programs at JCCC, and he’d like to use his combined background in business and education to strengthen partnerships between the JCCC programs he supervises and the area businesses in need of an educated workforce.

The new dean has devised a plan that goes like this: 1. Focus on developing even stronger, more active, advisory boards. Each department has advisors from outside the college that help the faculty identify the skills necessary for students to succeed in that field. Those connections should be strengthened so faculty can help students succeed, he said.

2. Emphasize experiential learning. West said internships were an important part of business programs, but hands-on learning with a real-world impact can happen even before the internship process. Instructors have long embraced this idea, but he hopes to find more opportunities.

3. Develop a collaborative approach, not only within each department, but also between departments. It’s easy to see the connection between architecture and interior design, but other unlikely pairings could create great projects, especially if entrepreneurship or marketing management was part of the equation. The collaboration could then expand outside the business division to other academic areas. After all, how does a sculptor make a living without knowing something about marketing and entrepreneurship?

West is a member of the Clay County Economic Development Council, serving on committees for economic development and strategic planning. He hopes to bring his community involvement and economic development to Johnson County as well.

“I am really excited for this opportunity,” West said. “This is the best job in higher education.”

“I joke that it was a revolving door; she held the door open for me as she left,” he said.

The Open Petal | 17

At the Kennedy Center last spring were Debbie Allen, from left, arts specialist with Shawnee Mission School District, and Angel Mercier and Emily Behrmann with JCCC. 18 | The Open Petal

Kennedy Center partnership boosts arts in school districts

By Diane Carroll

I

f you appreciate art, you’ll like what is happening this year between Johnson County Community College and the Shawnee Mission School District.

Allen and Mercier plan to bring in artists for four professional development workshops for teachers this school year and another four for the 2015-16 year.

The two entities – who were inducted last spring into a partnership program run by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts – are working on ways to integrate the arts across the district’s curriculum. They already have lined up a number of professional development workshops for interested teachers.

“We are just so excited to have this opportunity to work with the school district and the Kennedy Center,” said Angel Mercier, director of the college’s arts education program. “The expertise we are getting from the Kennedy Center is priceless.”

The Kennedy Center, based in Washington, pairs arts organizations with school districts as part of its Partners in Education Program. It limits the number of partnerships to 100 and invites applications only once every two years.

The JCCC/Shawnee Mission partnership was one of 11 partnerships inaugurated in April. It is the only one in Kansas at this time.

Mercier is collaborating with Debbie Allen, the school district’s performing arts resource specialist.

Shawnee Mission is thrilled to be part of the Kennedy Center partnership, Allen said.

“Helping teachers find the artist within himself or herself will take instruction to new levels,” she said. “As a result, we hope inspired teachers will spawn inspired learners.”

Allen and Mercier plan to bring in artists for four professional development workshops for teachers this school year and another four for the 2015-16 year. About half of them will be artists who have been trained by the Kennedy Center on how to incorporate the arts for all disciplines. The other artists, who might be participants in the college’s arts

education program, will also be under the Kennedy Center’s guidance while planning their workshops.

Mercier’s arts education program brings in artists regularly to work with school districts throughout Greater Kansas City.

Sometimes schoolchildren arrive in buses on the JCCC campus to see and interact with the artist. Other times, the artist will go to a school. Mercier’s program also includes some of the professional artists who perform at JCCC through the college’s Performing Arts Series.

Mercier, Allen and Emily Behrmann, general manager of the Performing Arts Series, attended a four-day workshop at the Kennedy Center in April learning and planning how to integrate the arts. The center’s approach calls for specific outcomes and for following specific guidelines to reach them.

“Through the experiences they have had over 30 years they understand the methods that will lead to those outcomes,” Behrmann said. “And they set you on that path and they are very specific. It’s not like, ‘Here is notebook of ideas and here are some case studies from other places; now go off and do this on your own.’ It’s not like that at all. Its very specific to what they want and it’s successful. That has been proven time and time again in school districts all over the country.”

The Kennedy Center staff are really the pioneers of art integration, Mercier said, because they recognized that classroom teachers needed the support and that the arts could be used more than just as a performance vehicle.

The center’s staff is very hands-on in providing guidance.

“We are communicating with the staff on a regular basis,” Mercier said, shortly after school started this fall. “We have their stamp of approval on our first three sessions.” Those sessions are “Assessment in the Arts,” “Science and Media Arts” and “World Masks and Drumming.”

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Students take home dollars for their ideas Story by Anne Christiansen-Bullers The winning students were Brian Khongmaly, second from left, Brian Stephens, third from left, and Ben Hammes, fourth from left.

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or the first time at Johnson County Community College, three budding student entrepreneurs have received scholarships for their business-creation ideas.

Second place

First National Bank sponsored the business plan contest, giving away a total of $5,000 in May to the three finalists.

Second place and a $1,500 scholarship were given to Ben Hammes for his business plan, Vape West. As Hammes pictured it, Vape West would be a high-end retail outlet for electronic cigarettes located in the Westport area of Kansas City.

Jennifer Sanborn, marketing director for First National Bank, said the bank has offered scholarships to Johnson County high school students, but it decided to extend the contest to JCCC as well.

Hammes spent a year and a half in Huntington Beach, California, and used the e-cigarettes himself as a way to quit smoking. When he came back to the Midwest to attend JCCC, he noticed no businesses like the ones he saw back in California.

“I wondered what it would be like at JCCC, since the students have different levels of maturity and experience (than high school students),” she said.

“I modeled my business plan on what I had seen in California,” he explained.

Real-world connection Barbara Millard, associate professor of entrepreneurship, said she was very impressed with the quality of presentations from JCCC student participants.

“I got some notes from some of those participants, saying how much they appreciated the opportunity and the chance to work with real bankers,” Millard said. A team of judges – all employees of First National Bank – selected the winners at each school.

First place At JCCC, first place and a check for $2,500 went to Brian Stephens for a veteran-owned change-management business called EoMH Advisory. Stephens and a partner are already working the business, which helps hospitals and clinics embrace the change to electronic health records.

“Hospitals tend to focus on the new system rather than on their people in large implementations. Often they fail to put the same attention on the ‘human interface’ side of things,” he said. His business provides advisory consulting, helping organizations empower their clinicians when working with the new system.

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“It would be like a hookah bar, but with premium-product vapor.”

Third place Brian Khongmaly was honored with third place and a $1,000 scholarship. His business plan capitalizes on his experience in the military, serving in Afghanistan, and his desire to help others.

Brothers in Arms Strategic’s business plan focuses on Khongmaly teaching others firearms safety and selection.

“The idea started when I was working at a gun shop. A family came in to purchase their first firearm, and I started asking them about what they needed, what they were looking for in that first firearm, and from there I created a checklist system to use so others could leave with the right firearm for their situation.

“A guy at work said, ‘Why don’t you do that as a living, to use your background and your experience (in the military) to help people?’ and that was when I decided to become a nationally certified firearms expert.”

Brothers in Arms Strategic has a client base “of really anyone who wants to learn firearm safety. People want a sense of protection, and they need help from someone with experience.”

Millard said she looks forward to future years of exciting business plans as First National Bank continues the contest at JCCC.

Advocates guide students along college path

By Diane Carroll

S

tudents who would like a little help in navigating their educational journey need look no further than the JCCC Student Success Center.

Success advocate Connie Cupryk, left, works with a student.

The goal for the advocates is to make connections with students in any of those situations as needed.

In the past, the staffers stood at lecterns to greet walk-in This year, the center Now they sit at a The goal is to provide information students. implemented a new way for desk with an extra chair for and support for students from the the student. Depending on front-line staff to interact with students. The goal is student’s needs, they first time they step into the center the to provide information and might have time to introduce support for students from the until all the way to graduation. the students to a program first time they step into the provided at the college’s center until all the way to graduation.

Career Development Center that helps them identify their strengths as they embark on their academic and career paths.

“The atmosphere in the student success center has changed, Or the advocate could provide information on volunteer which is wonderful,” said MargE Shelley, assistant dean of opportunities within Access Services or make referrals to the enrollment management. “It is much more inviting.” student life and academic departments.

Before the change, the front-line staff served more as traffic New student orientation sessions start every hour on the managers, pointing a student to the needed resource at that hour. Students see a video; a success advocate is in the room moment. Now they not only address the immediate need, to answer questions. Also in the room is a bowl of candy, they also offer to serve as a central resource contact and a usually chocolate. It’s just a little treat they don’t expect, mentor going forward. They make sure that the student has Shipley said, and it seems to brighten them up. their direct phone line, if the student wants it.

With the new approach, time is built in during the day for And when advocates ask, “Do you want me to follow the success advocates to make follow-up calls to students. up on this with you, many students say, ‘would you?’’’ said They each have their personal voicemail extensions so Jane Shipley, former program director of the success center. students also can contact them directly.

“The college has tried to make those connections in many The change has been a relief for the success advocates, ways before and this way has just been very successful,” Shipley and Shelley said. Students used to leave a new Shipley said. “Having a connection with a student the orientation session overloaded with information. Staff moment the student walks in has been a real plus.” members would hope that students would remember all the The idea of success advocates came after seeing a similar information they needed to be successful. Now the advocates community college program in Kalamazoo, Michigan. can follow up to make sure.

JCCC has 12 part-time advocates. Besides answering the phone and greeting walk-ins, they provide students with college-wide information, lead new orientation classes, set appointments between students and counselors and help students in the center’s recently opened registration/ transcript room.

“The students are happier, the success advocates are happier and the counselors are happier,” Shelley said. “It just feels like we are firing on all cylinders.”

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College scholar discusses role of women in Kansas Flint Hills

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By Anne Christiansen-Bullers

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s a Flint Hills native herself, growing up listening to her father’s stories of the history and folklore of the area, Farrell Hoy Jenab knew the Flint Hills was a special place.

But it wasn’t until she was a grown woman, teaching English as an adjunct professor at Johnson County Community College, that she began writing about the lives of the women of that region.

Those stories will be shared as Jenab presents “Flint Hills Women” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, in Hudson Auditorium at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. A 6:30 p.m. public reception in the Regnier Center Atrium will precede the event. Her presentation is part of the College Scholars program at JCCC. “When I started talking to these women, they asked, ‘Why would you want to talk to me?’” she said. “They downplayed the role they’ve had in the history of the Flint Hills. Almost invariably, they would begin by talking about their husbands.

After a while, though, they would begin to open up about their accomplishments and the hard work they’ve done, which goes by relatively unnoticed.”

Hoy Jenab leads KSI in 2015 In addition to being a College Scholar for the fall 2014 semester, Farrell Hoy Jenab tackles the job of director of the Kansas Studies Institute beginning in spring 2015.

This semester, she shares the title with exiting director James Leiker, professor of history at Johnson County Community.

“I’m looking forward to building on the marvelous work that Jim has done,” Jenab said. “I grew up in Kansas, and the Kansas Studies Institute focuses on so many of the unique and wonderful things about Kansas, from history to present day.”

Jenab helped out on her grandparents’ cattle ranch in the Flint Hills, and she graduated from Emporia State University in 1994 with a degree in library and information management.

“Farrell enters this position with years of experience in the JCCC community and a lifetime of experience as a writer, teacher, folklorist and lover of all things Kansan,” Leiker said. “For me, stepping away from KSI brings a little sadness but mostly, it brings pride in being able to turn over this program to such a worthy and dedicated successor.”

Jenab said the Flint Hills are widely recognized for its distinctive ecology, tallgrass prairies and ranching heritage. Her father, Jim Hoy, has written more than a dozen books on Kansas history, including “Flint Hills Cowboys: Tales from the Tallgrass Prairie.”

His daughter’s work takes a look at the Flint Hills cowgirls.

“I think my work complements his research with the information about the important role of women in the region,” she said.

In her interviews, Jenab has discovered the “passionate practicality” of Flint Hills women and their love of the place they call home.

“These women’s lives reflect a universal pattern – experiences that all women share – but they also live somewhere that demands a great deal of hard, physical work,” she said. Women work alongside the “cowboys” of the cattle ranches, literally doing the heavy lifting involved in farm and ranch work, only to continue working at their “second job” when the chores are over.

“Women generally still prepare the food, do the shopping, and they often manage the books, too,” she said. “They don’t give themselves much credit for the significant amount of work they contribute.”

Little research exists on the history of women in the Flint Hills, which makes Jenab all the more dedicated to recording what she can now from the Greatest Generation. “Oral history is a powerful and effective way to investigate the rhythm of these women’s lives,” she said. “The primary sources for this project – the women themselves – fill an important gap in the historical record.”

In a second presentation, Jenab will discuss notable horsewomen and rodeo riders in “Prairie Women’s Writings” at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, in Carlsen Center 211. The public is invited to this presentation as well.

The College Scholars program at JCCC showcases faculty excellence in research fields that go beyond the classroom to make scholarly contributions to knowledge within the professor’s academic discipline. Jenab has taught writing at JCCC for 13 years.

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More than a grade Helping out in their community leads students to gain insight, experience

By Anne Christiansen-Bullers

Professor Dawn Gale asks her students to take part in service learning.

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awn Gale was seeking to impart a practical element to her ethics classes, which were largely theoretical. How did she jump that chasm between book learning and human experience, that thing that brought the thoughts of philosophers into the light of everyday?

The answer proved to be service-learning.

“Of all of the assignments I give in my classes, it is by far the most work for me,” Gale said. “But it is the best assignment by far.”

Gale, associate professor of philosophy, mandates that her students in Ethics (PHIL 143) write a reflection paper after working at least 18 hours in an approved nonprofit organization.

She joins other professors across campus that view community service-learning as an integral part of classroom study.

Adding service-learning component Service-learning efforts at Johnson County Community College are both local and international, with about 250 students a year participating in some form of servicelearning.

Cheryl Slaugh, administrative assistant for honors and community service-learning, said JCCC students gave 2,472 hours of service as part of a recognized class or program in the 2014 spring semester.

Mary Smith, professor of nursing and coordinator of community-based learning, said the benefits of service learning are reciprocal. A community agency gets help reaching its goals, and the student benefits as well.

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“Students meet academic course objectives while growing in their abilities to critically think, gain confidence and discover more about their potential and abilities,” she said.

Gale incorporated service-learning in her classroom due in part to the persistent efforts of then-director Marcia Schideler.

“She kept sending email after email, asking for participants.

Then she presented at professional development days, and I finally decided, ‘Well, why not? I don’t think she’s going to stop asking until I agree to sign up,’” Gale said, smiling.

She said she has a list of organizations seeking volunteers, but she also lets the students select a site not on the list.

If they can get approval from the JCCC service-learning coordinator and show that the work will meet the guidelines she has established, they can work wherever they choose.

“I’ve had students work with homelessness, hunger, disability, poverty – I want them to have input on what they are choosing,” she said.

First-hand accounts Mary Khadivi enrolled in PHIL 143 knowing of the servicelearning component. “I was actually quite excited about it because my high school required service hours, and it was something I wanted to continue in college,” she said.

Khadivi chose to volunteer for The Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (K-CART), mentoring fellow JCCC students who had been placed within the autism spectrum.

“I absolutely, one thousand percent, would recommend service learning to others,” she said. “I hope that Professor Gale continues to require it for the rest of the time she teaches.”

For PHIL 143, student Phyllis Greenquist chose to work

Student Amber James, in the white coat, teaches a program supported by Harvesters.

at the Village Presbyterian Church Food Pantry since she understood the importance of food banks firsthand.

“I’ve had the need to turn to food banks for assistance. I felt it would give me an opportunity to give back, since a food bank had helped me in my own time of need,” she said.

For her next class with Gale, Environmental Ethics (PHIL 128), Greenquist worked with Bridging the Gap. The nonprofit environmental management group organizes more than 1,000 volunteers annually.

“Each experience was very rewarding,“ she said. “The wonderful people that I worked with were selfless and philanthropic, trying to make this place a better world. Each experience helped me to see the actual application of ethical principles applied in real-life situations.”

Ramping up for the future Mary Smith, professor of nursing and coordinator of community-based learning, said she’d like to see an increase in the number of students engaged in service learning.

To that end, she invited Gail Robinson to JCCC in April 2014. Robinson, a consultant with 18 years of experience as director of service-learning for the American Association of Community Colleges, shared data on how service-learning can assist in student retention. The hands-on workshop also invited community partners to give feedback to faculty about the process and promise of service-learning.

“Our international efforts receive much more attention than our local efforts, but those local volunteer hours serve a very important purpose in our community,” Smith said. “It also introduces many students to the concept of service-learning.

They realize they don’t have to leave their community to be of assistance. They can help right here.”

CLEAR path to success When Cheryl Kennedy signed up for service learning, she knew from past volunteering that she’d feel a sense of satisfaction from helping others. She didn’t realize it would lead to a job she loves.

Kennedy was enrolled in Ethics (PHIL 143) in the fall semester of 2013.

Dawn Gale, associate professor of philosophy, expected students to complete a service project and write a reflection paper that incorporated ethical concepts.

She decided to work with CLEAR, the program at Johnson County Community College that offers continuing education classes for adults with mild developmental disabilities or other cognitive disabilities. (CLEAR is an acronym for College Learning Experiences, Activities and Resources.)

“I thought it would be a good fit for me,” Kennedy said. “Back when I was younger, I worked at a MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) camp during the summer as a water safety instructor.”

As a nontraditional student, Kennedy wondered if her age would stand in the way of establishing camaraderie with the CLEAR students.

She had little to worry about. “First off, I loved it. I was the oldest person in the class, and they just welcomed me anyway … Second, I believe when you give of yourself, you get 20-fold back,” she said.

Kennedy worked as an aide in the class. As she describes it, she was “just an extra pair of hands” to help where help was needed.

One of the CLEAR instructors noticed her delicate touch, her respectful manner and her willingness to help. She approached Kennedy to see if she’d be interested in applying for a job with Kansas Focus, an organization that helps individuals with disabilities in a community setting.

Kennedy interviewed and got the job.

“This was a gift to me long after the class was over,” she said.

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Henry Fortunato will talk about his trek across Kansas on Nov. 19.

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Experiencing Kansas on foot Henry Fortunato shares tales of his trek across Kansas

By Anne Christiansen-Bullers

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enry Fortunato once described himself as a “dyed-in-the-wool denizen of the urban East Coast who couldn’t imagine living more than five blocks away from a subway station.” Yet this “naturalized Kansan” walked a lot farther than five blocks in the fall of 2014; he trekked across Kansas, without a subway station in sight.

Fortunato, director of public affairs at the Kansas City (Missouri) Public Library, departed from his front door in Overland Park with a destination of “Mount Sunflower.”

The “mountain” is the highest natural point in Kansas and only a half-mile from the Colorado border.

He’ll present tales of his trip a month later at Johnson County Community College. “Kansas on Foot: A Long and Winding Walk Across the Sunflower State” will be at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 19, in Hudson Auditorium in the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. A public reception for Fortunato will be afterward in the nearby Regnier Center Atrium.

The event is free, and the public is invited to attend.

Fortunato said he’s walked hundreds of miles on the trails and back roads of the Sunflower State. “I’ve been escorted to a county line by a sheriff’s deputy, clambered across creaky old railroad bridges that couldn’t pass an OSHA inspection, and dined with two women who channeled the spirits of Amelia Earhart and Calamity Jane,” he writes of his adventures.

The latest installment promises additional adventures along the way.

“I’ll start by more or less following the Kansas River Valley,” he said before his trip, “with a slight detour into the Flint Hills.”

His interest in walking across Kansas blossomed within the historic archives stored at the University of Kansas.

At the time, as project director and editor-in-chief of two public history initiatives, he buried himself amongst the documents that described Kansas’s history.

Even though he’d spent many summer vacations traveling across Kansas with his family, there were still historic areas he wanted to see for himself by himself.

“For me, walking is one of my solitary activities,” Fortunato said. “It plays a vital role in physical and mental health. The human body was made to walk, especially mine.”

As most of his Overland Park neighbors know, Fortunato does not drive, preferring to walk or take public transportation. He said he figures his daily hikes will help him better handle the 25-mile-a-day pace (on average) that he’s set for himself.

“Most people think of Kansas as a dull, flat place as they zoom by at 70 miles per hour. But when you experience it at 3 miles an hour, you’re simply struck by the color, the beauty and the subtle changes in the landscape. You also meet some extraordinary people.”

He’ll talk about the people he met, the routes he chose and the historical and geographical sites along the way when he visits JCCC. The presentation is jointly sponsored by the Kansas City Public Library and the Kansas Studies Institute at JCCC, which seeks to promote research and teaching on the culture, history, economics and natural environment of Kansas.

Fortunato holds a bachelor of science degree in foreign service from Georgetown University and a master of arts degree in American history from the University of Kansas.

He was the 2013-14 Simons Fellow in Public Humanities at the University of Kansas.

Fortunato has also worked as a marketing consultant, magazine editor, public radio commentator and freelance writer.

He’s said he’s hoping on turning the trek into a book with a title similar to his presentation, using William Least HeatMoon’s book, “Blue Highways,” as both prototype and homage.

“It was everything a travel narrative should be,” Fortunato explained. “I’m aiming for a hybrid of the insights of Least Heat-Moon and the humor of Bill Bryson, leavened with a dash of Federico Fellini. That’s how I’ll explain my take on Kansas.”

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JCCC Foundation honors founder of Heart to Heart

By Julie Haas

Gary Morsch relaxes in a warehouse that stores supplies.

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G

ary Morsch of Olathe, who has been named by the Johnson County Community College Foundation as the Johnson Countian of the Year for 2014, will be honored at the Foundation’s 28th annual Some Enchanted Evening gala on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Overland Park Marriott Hotel.

Some Enchanted Evening, which begins at 6 p.m. with a social hour, is a black-tie event that includes a gourmet dinner, entertainment and dancing. Proceeds from the event support student scholarships at JCCC. Over the past 28 years, the Foundation has raised more than $5.5 million for the college’s scholarship program through Some Enchanted Evening.

For tickets, call the JCCC Foundation at 913-469-3835 or visit www.jccc.edu/foundation.

“Dr. Gary Morsch and Heart to Heart International bring aid, comfort and hope to those who suffer anywhere in the world,” said Joe Sopcich, JCCC president. “His humanitarian efforts toward individual relief have global consequences. In his quest to alleviate suffering, he does what is right, and as a result, is an inspiration to those around him and beyond. It is our honor to recognize him as the 2014 Johnson Countian of the Year.”

“The JCCC Foundation is privileged to recognize Dr. Morsch through this award,” said Stewart Stein, JCCC Foundation president. “His significant contributions to underserved populations and nonprofit communities are truly inspiring. We look forward to celebrating his achievements at our Some Enchanted Evening gala this fall.”

Trained as a physician, Morsch spent 21 years in the United States Army and Army Reserve, retiring with the rank of colonel.

During his years of service, he deployed to Kosovo, Iraq, Germany and Kuwait and served as commander of the 325th Combat Support Hospital.

His commitment to volunteerism and passion to serve led him to found Heart to Heart International, of which he is president. Heart to Heart International is a nonprofit humanitarian medical aid, training and disaster relief nongovernmental organization (NGO) that is committed to connecting people and resources to a world in need. Since its founding in 1992, Heart to Heart International Honorees has delivered medical aid and supplies worth more than $1 billion to more than over the years 150 countries, including the United States. The organization responds to crises and Past Johnson Countians of the Year are natural disasters both domestically and internationally by supplying medical relief Lynn Mitchelson, 2013 and mobilizing volunteers.

Audrey Langworthy, 2012 David Wysong, 2010 Heart to Heart International broadens access to healthcare by providing continuing Terry and Peggy Dunn, 2009 medical education opportunities and lab standards training around the country Fred Logan, 2008 and the globe. It works with U.S. safety-net clinics to help increase its capacity by Dick and Barbara Shull, 2007 Norman and Elaine Polsky, 2006 providing medical equipment, supplies and volunteers that are vital to operations.

Ed Eilert, 2005 The organization has been named to Forbes magazine’s prestigious list of “America’s Robert D. Regnier, 2004 200 Largest Charities” and is recognized as one of the top nonprofits in the categories Walter Hiersteiner, 2003 of donor efficiency and charitable commitment.

Mary Birch, 2002 Morsch continues to practice family and emergency medicine through Docs Who Care, a medical staffing company he founded in 1993 to serve rural clinics and hospitals throughout the Midwest.

Morsch is also the author of several books, including the bestselling “The Power of Serving Others.” The book, which has been translated into multiple languages, has inspired thousands of people across the globe to dedicate their lives to serving the needs of others.

Morsch and his wife, Vickie, have four children and eight grandchildren.

Through events like Some Enchanted Evening, the JCCC 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.

Mary Birch, Overland Park, is the chair for the 2014 Some Enchanted Evening gala.

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 Robert H. Meneilly, 1987 In 2011, all previous Johnson Countians of the Year were honored for the 25th anniversary of Some Enchanted Evening.

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CAMPUS LIFE Datebook Nov. 8, 6 p.m. Saturday, social hour, 7 p.m. dinner, Some Enchanted Evening, annual black-tie fundraiser for JCCC Foundation, Overland Park Marriott. This year’s event honors Gary Morsch as the Foundation’s Johnson Countian of the Year. For tickets and information, call 913-469-3835 or visit jccc. edu/foundation.

Nov. 11, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Farrell Hoy Jenab, adjunct associate professor of English at JCCC, presents “Flint Hills Women,” in Hudson Auditorium (6:30 p.m. reception in the Atrium) and she presents “Flint Hills Cowgirls” at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, in Room 211 of Carlsen Center.

Free.

Nov. 12, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Polsky Series presents Elizabeth Washburn on the Combat Arts program she founded in San Diego. California. Part of a presentation by JCCC’s Veteran’s Week Celebration, Hudson Auditorium, located in the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. 6:30 p.m. reception in the Nerman Atrium. Free

Nov. 14-16 and Nov. 21-23, 7:30 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. JCCC theatre department presents “An Experiment with an Air Pump”

by Shelagh Stephenson.

Carlsen Center’s Bodker Black Box Theatre. Free.

Nov. 19, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Kansas Studies Institute presents Henry Fortunato who will speak on “Kansas on Foot: A Long and Winding Walk Across the Sunflower State.”

Nerman Museum’s Hudson Auditorium. Reception after the presentation in the Nerman Atrium. 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.

Julian Sands

“A Celebration of Harold Pinter” 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5

Voice

Tango Buenos Aires

“If Music Be the Food of Love” 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14 Polsky Theatre

“Song of Eva Perón” 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29 Yardley Hall

At the Nerman These images were created by the three artists who were chosen this year as the winners of the annual Charlotte Street Foundation awards. The works from Amy Kligman, Garry Noland and Sean Starowitz will be on view at the Nerman until Dec. 21. The awards recognize locally-based artists who are creating outstanding art and provide financial support. For more information, visit www.nermanmusuem.org.

Sean Starowitz

“A Baker’s Dozen,” 2014, Digital image, dimensions variable, Courtesy the artist.

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Garry Noland

“Partial Column,” 2014, Marbles, PVC pipe, foam and tape, 84” x 16” x 65”, Courtesy Haw Contemporary, Kansas City, Mo. Image: EG Schempf

Amy Kligman

“That spot on the ceiling,” 2013, Acrylic on canvas, 12” dia., Courtesy the Artist. Image: Misha Kligman

Online Exclusives Here are some stories featured recently on our home page. You can get to them by going to www.jccc.edu and searching for the words that are highlighted.

Hare & Bell

Two students have been named the first winners of prize money from “Hare & Bell,” the online scholarly journal created for students at JCCC. In first place was Anne Brewer, and in second place was Anna Geilman.

Both wrote essays.

Scholarships to Ottawa

Eight JCCC students celebrated the completion of their bachelor’s degrees last spring through Ottawa University’s inaugural oncampus cohort. The model has proved so successful that the agreement between JCCC and OU has been updated.

Do what Dana does

By day, Dana Carr is a counselor at JCCC. But one evening a week, she continues her work with students as a volunteer.

She’s been a tutor at Johnson County Adult Education since 2006.

Interpreting success

Ena Lucia Yordana Rivera de Guzman credits divine intervention for finding her path to the legal interpreting program at JCCC. “I honestly believe the Lord gave me this gift,” she said.

Afraid of math?

Austin Hoffman never liked math but he knew he would have to fulfill JCCC’s math requirement.

He took advanntage of the help sessions his instructor offered and ended up helping other students with their math.

In a world of his own Josh Luffman gives the human hamster ball a whirl during Campus Kickoff, an event celebrating the beginning of the fall semester. The inflatable sphere was the most popular activity that day.

Photo by Susan McSpadden

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SPORTS

New basketball season features new faces

By Tyler Cundith The respected basketball program will compete with a young squad this year.

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osters change, and players come and go, particularly at the community college level.

However, the Johnson County Community College women’s basketball program finds itself consistently among the top NJCAA programs. Currently, JCCC is enjoying one of the best stretches of basketball success in school history.

Entering his seventh season this fall as head coach, Ben Conrad has won 85 percent of his games at Johnson County (173-30), won three straight East Jayhawk Conference titles, appeared in three national tournaments and four times finished either No. 1 or No. 2 in the final poll.

Last year, Conrad guided his team to a 30-2 mark, allowing him to become the first coach in the 91-year history of the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) to have five consecutive 30-win seasons in basketball.

“Obviously we’ve had really good players,” Conrad said.

“We also have had a bunch of kids that have really paid attention to detail and done things the right way. The word ‘consistency’ definitely applies here. We’ve had some really special people in our program during the past six years.”

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Under Conrad’s guidance, it has become evident that when great players leave JCCC, he has others to step in and fill their spots. That will definitely be the case this year. There is no question his team will look a whole lot different this season. For starters, nine players from last year’s team moved on and will be wearing uniforms for four-year colleges and universities, including Kansas and Missouri.

“We do start over a little this year, so outside our program I’m sure there is a sense that we may be vulnerable this year,” Conrad said. “I personally enjoy years like this. It’s nice to exceed external expectations and validate how we do things in our program. As a teacher of the game, it’s also fun to teach our system to a new group that is really starting from ground zero. Practice and teaching take on an even greater importance.”

Veterans Kelsey Barrett, left, and Nieka Wheeler will play key roles.

Right now Conrad said it is little early for him to get a good feel about this group.

“They really haven’t faced any adversity together yet, which I think is where teams are defined,” said Conrad. “Early on though there does seem to be a lot of enthusiasm, and they really enjoy playing the game, which is more important than you might think. We also have some newcomers that are showing tremendous leadership potential, which is huge at this level.”

The Lady Cavaliers 2014-15 roster will feature two key returning players, four transfers, two red-shirt freshmen and seven true freshmen. Those two returnees are forward Nieka Wheeler and guard Kelsey Barrett.

Wheeler had a stellar start to her collegiate career. She was a first-team all-conference and all-region selection and was voted the East Jayhawk Conference Freshman of the Year, making her just the second player in JCCC history to earn that distinction. She finished the year averaging 11.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and her .561 shooting percentage ranked 23rd nationally.

Barrett played in all 32 games, and was a starter nine times.

She closed out her first season averaging 8.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Conrad’s two returning redshirts are forward Kayonna Lee and guard Emily Work. Both players are healthy and he expects them to make key contributions this season. Lee demonstrated a glimpse of her talents in JCCC’s first two games last season. She averaged 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, but that is when her season ended.

Conrad also has brought in four transfers, and two bring NCAA Division I experience with them. Guard Braile Barnes played for the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, and forward Hunter Thomas attended Northern Arizona University. For Hunter, transferring to JCCC is more like a homecoming. She was an all-state player at Blue Valley Southwest High School.

Ben Conrad posted a 30-2 record last year

The other two transfers, Chelsey McGee and Brook Vaughn, attended other community colleges their freshman year.

McGee went to Northwest Florida State College, and Vaughn attended Iowa Western. Vaughn too is returning home, playing her prep career at Louisburg (Kan.) High School.

Rounding out the roster are seven talented but inexperienced true freshman. Those seven are: guard Janae Barnes (McPherson, Kan.); guard Alexis Brown (Ferguson, Mo.); forward Shelby Dahl (Overbrook, Kan.); guard Chastity Franklin (St. Louis, Mo.); forward Kierra Isaiah (Kansas City, Mo.); guard Katie Jones (Baldwin City, Kan.); and guard Erica Nelson (Lee’s Summit, Mo.).

While these seven are highly touted newcomers, they are just that – new to the Lady Cavaliers and new to collegiate basketball. Despite their inexperience, there is a lot of promise with this group of players Conrad has assembled.

The 2014-15 version of JCCC women’s basketball should be efficient in all phases of their game. They have the players who can blitz opponents from the outside with perimeter shooting, pound the ball inside and play absolutely relentless defense. The defensive end of the court has been a dynamic strength of Conrad-coached teams. Last year, they outscored opponents by nearly 40 points per game and held opponents to just 47.9 points per game.

If the Lady Cavaliers can stay healthy and get continued superior play at both ends of the floor, there is no reason why Johnson County should not be in contention for a fourth straight conference title and in the hunt for a berth in the national tournament, which JCCC will host.

This year’s national tournament will be a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the inaugural NJCAA women’s tournament, which has direct ties to the college. The first women’s tournament was played on the JCCC campus in 1975. Johnson County was the host site from 1975 to 1982 and again in 2004 and 2014.

The Open Petal | 33

THE REAR WINDOW

The soccer team jumps around Sept. 17 with their opening match only hours away.

Photos by Susan McSpadden

Worth a Look Back

B

efore many of us could believe it, summer faded into fall and a new group of students joined the veterans in the hallways. The sports teams and the Golden Girls who cheer them on got their photo shoots, members of the Student Senate took an oath to fulfill their duties and a speaker from

Chicago encouraged students to reach for their dreams. With that, the studying began.

The Golden Girls Dance Team found this spot Sept. 16 and several other locations on campus that worked well as settings. The photos will be used to create their annual fund-raising calendar.

34 | The Open Petal

The men’s basketball team crams into a hallway early this semester while waiting to get their studio portraits.

Josh Powers promises Sept. 8 to abide by the rules of the Student Senate as he officially takes the office of parliamentarian. The rest of the executive board and newlyelected senators also were sworn in.

Kathryn Grube, an interior design professor, participates Aug. 15 in a session for faculty on the best ways to assess student performance.

Welcome signs greet students as they arrive Aug. 18 for the beginning of the fall semester.

Ernesto Mejia of CoolSpeak, a leading youth engagement organization based in Chicago, speaks Sept. 19 about leadership and motivation at the Hispanic Conference.

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.�

The Open Petal | 35

12345 COLLEGE BLVD OVERLAND PARK KS 66210-1299

NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Johnson County Community College

Marilyn Maye The Merriest 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 Celebrate the holidays as this Kansas City legend takes the stage at Yardley Hall accompanied by a six-piece band of local jazz performers.

Preshow dinner is $25 per person (paid reservations required by noon Dec. 10) Sponsored in part by Harvey S. Bodker

Give the gifts of the arts this holiday season!

PAS gift certificates available through Dec. 19 for Christmas delivery!

2014-2015 Performing

Arts

Series

jccc.edu/TheSeries | 913-469-4445 Performing Arts Series | Johnson County Community College NO ONLINE FEES | FREE PARKING | BEER AND WINE AVAILABLE