JCCC’s fashion merchandising and design students presented their spring fashion show, Flaunt, featuring clothes designed by JCCC students. Brandon Gillette, a member of the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets education team, presented Ice Movement in Antarctica: Byrd Glacier. The lecture was sponsored by JCCC’s Center for Sustainability, the Center for Teaching and Learning, and Staff and Organizational Development. The fourth Lose the Training Wheels camp, a program that teaches children and adults with disabilities how to ride a conventional bike, was conducted at JCCC in March. The camp offers specially adapted bikes that help special-needs children and adults learn to ride a bike without training wheels in five days.
In April, the Student Environmental Alliance again celebrated Earth Day. The students promoted awareness of environmental issues, ideas and actions. Andrew Jenks, award-winning documentary filmmaker, shared highlights of his work on the MTV series World of Jenks, challenging students “to make a difference and leave their own unique stamp on society.” In each episode of his series, Jenks brings viewers closer to understanding someone else’s reality, whether it’s a platinum-selling recording artist or a young homeless woman. Carbon Nation, an inspiring look at recent advances in clean energy and green technologies, with the film’s director, Peter Byck, was presented by the Student Environmental Alliance and the Center for Sustainability. The screening was streamed live to other colleges
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and universities across the country. Topiary artist Pearl Fryar, whose garden is recognized by art and botanical enthusiasts, and his wife, Metra, spoke to students. Afterward, Fryar sculpted a tree, which was donated to JCCC and remains on campus. The event was sponsored by the Center for Equitable Education in partnership with JCCC’s Student Environmental Alliance and the Horticultural Sciences Students Association. Jana Corrie, co-anchor, FirstNews Weekend, and reporter, FirstNews, KMBC-TV-9, and Dave Helling, multimedia reporter for The Kansas City Star, discussed “backpack” journalism with students in JCCC’s journalism and media communications department. Backpack journalism refers to the trend where one journalist covers a news story – conducts the interview, shoots and edits the video, voices the news story and produces
the promotional piece. After the story is complete, the reporter may be required to post it for a variety of media – television, print or the Web. Kelly Eckerman, news reporter/anchor, KMBC TV-9, received the Headline Award from JCCC’s journalism and media communications department. The Headline Award recognizes persons who have made significant contributions to journalism in the area. The Cohen Community Series raised more than $40,000 for scholarships through a performance by country music star Vince Gill. Gill was the fourth person to appear in the series, inaugurated in 2008 in honor of the late Barton P. Cohen, president of Metcalf Bancshares, vice chairman and general counsel of Metcalf Bank, an attorney with