mcckc.edu/longview Spring 2015816.604.2030mcckc.edu/lvcommed

College for KidsSummer 2015

H Edible ScienceH Design Your Own RoomH Go Fly A KiteH Cartoon DrawingH Dumbledore’s ArmyH Kids in the KitchenH Discovering AlaskaH MAD ScienceH Pet First AidH When Machines Take OverH Video Game MakingH Pinterest CreationsH Creative WritingH Photography

H ...and much more!

Featuring

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As we approach the end of the academic year, we are excited to share some of our year’s achievements and look ahead as we continue to build on our legacy.

This year we have had so many things to celebrate. We have had academic successes, partnerships in the community, outreach to the public and alumni, and a very special anniversary.

I hope you read inside about some of our best and brightest students who were recognized by the international honor society

Phi Theta Kappa, as well as student scholar athletes and automotive students competing at the national level.

Over this past year, we have had the honor of working with so many organizations in the community as we developed partnerships in education, community engagement, business and workforce development, and more. There are so many opportunities available

as we seek to provide the educational resources and expertise that can enhance all of our communities. We continue to expand our relationships with Grandview, Belton, Harrisonville and Raytown.

Part of our Spring Homecoming activities included a first-time reception for alumni to come back and visit campus. We hope to build on those connections as we seek out alumni and others who can advise us on opportunities and can help identify and reach out to others with beneficial resources. Every time a local mayor, superintendent, first responder, business leader or anyone in the community stops to tell me, “Dr. Nooks, I’m a Longview Laker!” I am reminded of the reach and potential our alumni have in the community!

Finally, in 2015 we recognize the 100th anniversary of the founding of Metropolitan Community College as Kansas City Polytechnic Institute. At Longview, we celebrated with a week of diverse events for the public, alumni, retirees, faculty, staff and students. We hope you were able to attend the Spring Convocation, or perhaps the alumni or retirement receptions. Also, we hope you keep in touch with us as we continue to serve as the community’s college.

Dr. Kirk A. Nooks, PresidentMCC-Longview

MCC-Longview’s Phi Theta Kappa honor society was recognized with several awards at the spring 2015 PTK convention. Honors included:

• GageBorgfield,JacquiVernon,KristinGeiman and Richard Miller received 5-star Competitive Edge certificates and pins (16 total recognized)

• Chapterawardedthe5-starChapter Development certificate (15 recognized)

• JacquiVernonreceivedanawardfor Distinguished Chapter Member (3 awarded)

• GageBorgfieldreceivedanawardfor Distinguished Chapter Officer (6 awarded)

• BrianClarkreceivedanawardfor Distinguished Chapter Officer (6 awarded)

• TheOfficerTeamreceivedanaward for Distinguished Chapter Officer Team (3 awarded)

• Thechapterreceivedanawardforits College Project (3 awarded). The project was working with College 100 classes and others to help students understand StrengthsQuest and CollegeFish, a PTK project to explore the transfer opportunities available to community college students.

• MargaretBerterreceivedtheHorizonawardfor 12 years of service to the chapter and region

An international honor society recently recognized two MCC-Longview students placing them among the best and brightest in the nation.

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) selected Gage Borgfield as a Coca- Cola gold team scholar – one of the top 50 students in the nation – based on a scorethatcombinesacademicrigor,anessayandGPA.JacquelineVernonwasnamedtotheCoca-Colabronzeteam.BorgfieldandVernonwere also named to the All-Missouri Academic First Team – the first time Longview has had two students named to the first team. Longview’s PTK chapter was also ranked fifth in the state.

BorgfieldandVernonwereselectedfromseveralapplicantstorepresentLongview in the international PTK recognition program.

PTK sponsor Margaret Berter explained what an achievement this is. “There are more than 1,500 applicants for this program, and for our two to have placed so high is just outstanding.”

As a gold team member, Borgfield receives a $1,500 scholarship from The Coca-Cola Company to further his studies. As a Bronze team member,Vernonreceivesa$1,000Coca-Colascholarship.

“They both are great students and very hard-working members of PTK,” added Berter. “They deserve this recognition and I am proud of them.”

Borgfield, Peculiar, Mo., is a political science major at Longview and plans to transfer to Pepperdine University to study criminal law. When

askedforapersonalphilosophy,thefuturelawyersharedthequote, “I would rather be loved by a few, than liked by many.”

Vernon,Belton,Mo.,isabusinessmajoratLongviewandplanstotransfer to Park University or Avila to study finance. For this high achiever, herquotereflectedherpersonalphilosophyaswell.“Ihavebigdreamsbecause life is more fulfilling when I am reaching for the stars.”

MCC-Longview automotive students Jonathan Robertson in Automotive Service Technology and Quinn Kielty in Job Skill Demo Open are headed to the SkillsUSA national competition. The two will compete against the best in those fields in Louisville, Ky., this summer.

Longview students who medaled at state include:

Automotive Service Technical Information (written contest): Gold: Noah JurgensmeyerSilver: Jonathan RobertsonBronze: Joe Fisher

Automotive Service Technology (skill contest): Gold and qualifying for nationals: Jonathan RobertsonSilver: Noah JurgensmeyerBronze: Joe Fisher

Job Skill Demo Open (leadership contest): Gold and qualifying for nationals: Quinn Kielty

“I’m proud of all our students who competed at district and state,” said Longview automotive instructor Bryan

Compton. “This will be exciting to see how these two do at the national level now.”

SkillsUSA includes more than 320,000 high school and college students who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations.

Celebrations on Campus and in the Community

Phi Theta Kappa Earns Awards at Regional Convention

MCC-Longview Students Receive National Academic Honors

MCC-Longview SkillsUSA Students go National

Gage Borgfield, MCC-Longview Student

Jacqui Vernon, MCC-Longview Student

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MCC-Longview students will be learning lessons outside the classroom through community service as part of the campus’ newly-formed Rotaract club, the young adult version of Rotary International.

LongviewacademicadviserandRotaractchapteradviserKeithStifflersaidthe purpose of the student group will be to “build connections between community and the campus while creating a sense of civic responsibility and volunteerism with students.”

The Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit is the sponsor of the new group, with member Rob Gilkerson serving as liaison to the students. He said by the end of May, the chapter will be certified and there will be an installation ceremony. Longview’s will be the only community college Rotaract chapter in Missouri.

The group has already picked up about 70 bags of trash around Longview Lakeandtheyranafluawarenesscampaignoncampus.Inthespring,students organized a 5K Run/Walk with the theme and purpose to promote “Random Acts of Kindness.” Students also volunteered at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Food Pantry in Kansas City, Mo., where they packaged about 250 pounds of meat into one-pound bags.

“In Rotaract, there is the young person component of Rotary’s ‘Service Above Self,’ so they have opportunities to develop leadership skills, serve their community and network as young adults,” explained Gilkerson.

“We hope they continue to take on projects that excite the students of Longview to be engaged and improve the community,” he added.

In addition to active service, the Rotaract students also want to promote interactions with other student organizations to help connect all students with volunteer opportunities. They recognize that learning does not exist just in the classroom. “The intent is to help other folks but along the way studentsarelearningandgrowing,”Stifflersaid.

As Rotary member Gilkerson recognized, “These are skills they will use all their lives.”

On April 17, 160 students from seven area career & technical and high schools converged on the MCC-Longview campus to explore educational and career options in the automotive industry.

The Automotive Experience Day at MCC-Longview is a 16-year-old tradition on campus, but this year brought some new elements to the event.

The day included a “Pit Crew Challenge” where students demonstrated their ability, speed and teamwork by rotating tires in a timed competition, and “Drag Strip Trivia” where students tested their reaction time and automotive trivia knowledge. Students also checked out vintage cars and visited with the car owners at the Classic Car Show on campus.

“We wanted to pump up the experience for incoming high school or transfer students, and we did,” said Misty Chandler, MCC-Longview Enrollment Manager and event chair. “There were more activities and we had very positive feedback from schools and sponsors.”

Between activities, students rolled up their sleeves and tried out a variety of hands-on automotive challenges.

Students could also visit with representatives from O’Reilly Auto Parts, Midway Ford Truck Center, Cable Dahmer Chevrolet, the City of Lee’s Summit Fleet, University of Central Missouri and Pittsburg State University about automotive careers and training after Longview. O’Reilly Auto Parts also provided lunch for the students, sponsors and more than 40 MCC faculty, staff, student and retiree volunteers.

“This was a great day with a variety of activities to help students see inside our program at Longview, to get to know our faculty and staff a little, and to hopefully consider coming back to join us as a student,” said Automotive Instructor David Patience.

“Our sponsors and volunteers made this possible,” he added. “We greatly appreciatethesupportofO’Reillyandotherswhoknowwehaveaqualityprogram and produce highly-skilled technicians.”

Rotaract Young Adult Service Group Starting at MCC-Longview

The Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit has named its 2015 Claud Shaffer scholarship winners. The area high school seniors who will receive $1,000 to help pay for classes at MCC are: Jacob Buffinton, Lee’s Summit; Marsha Yazdani, Lee’s Summit; Asmah Zaben, Lee’s Summit North; Andrew Plaas Stevens, Lee’s Summit North; Scott Ferguson, Lee’s Summit West; Kaitlin Loegering, Lee’s Summit West; and Paige Medlin, Summit Christian Academy.

“Since 2006, 55 Lee’s Summit high school students have benefited from these Rotary Club scholarships,” said scholarship committee chairman Cotton Sivils. “We’re proud of this long r elationship and our commitment to support area students going to a local educational institution.”

The Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit provides two scholarships – one for a male and one for a female – for each Lee’s Summit R-7 school district high school, plus one for Summit Christian Academy.

Seven Area Students Named Local Rotary Scholars

The spring season of MCC-Longview’s Cultural Arts Center had something for everyone. Shows included Longview’s community partner Kansas City Chorus of Sweet Adelines in Concert. A packed house attended An Evening with Filmmaker Kevin Willmott. The Vagina Monologues was a benefit for Hope House. The student production of Couples included comedic and dramatic scenes of love, lust and romance. This was the second year for the popular Rock by the Lake II Student Music Showcase. Another MCC-Longview community partner, Summit Theatre Group, presented Picasso at the Lapine Agile by Steve Martin, and presents AssassinsbyStephenSondheiminJune.TheCulturalArtsCentertheateralso hosted the auditions for Lee’s Summit’s Got Talent, which benefits Lee’s Summit Cares. An estimated 400 people attended performances throughout the semester.

Cultural Arts Center Theater Performances

MCC-Longview students in a scene from Couples.

Imagine all of the standard jobs for college students, then imagine working at Disney World. MCC-Longview student Evelyn Crosby has had the experience of a lifetime as she moved from her home in Grandview, Mo., to Florida for the spring 2015 semester.

During the spring she greeted guests at one of the resorts, lived in a Disney apartment and took a college course that will transfer to either MCC or a four-year institution.

Crosby is on track to receive an Associate of Arts degree in criminal justice. Her Disney course focused on security, fraud and loss prevention, so they can keep it the happiest and safest place on earth.

“After my AA degree, I plan to continue in anthropology, studying child psychology,” Crosby said. She already has some relevant experience. In middle school, she served on the Grandview Youth Court that handled misdemeanor cases. “Once I got to high school, I was asked to do an undercover experience and got the idea of entering college with an internship with a police department.”

MCC-Longview Student Learning at Disney World

MCC-Longview student Evelyn Crosby at Disney World.

Automotive Experience Day Welcomes 160 Students to Campus(L) A full house visited campus for the Automotive Experience Day, April 17. (R) Checking out the inside of a car at the Classic Car Show.

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Spring Homecoming Events Celebrate MCC 100th

The community joined MCC-Longview faculty and staff to celebrate homecoming. Events held on and off campus helped celebrate the community, the campus and the Metropolitan Community College’s centennial.

“It’s important that everyone we serve feels welcome at Longview,” said Kirk Nooks, campus president. “Homecoming is a time for very special events for our students, alumni and community members.”

Homecoming kicked off with Spring Convocation where more than 400 guests met the family of Henrietta Lacks and discussed her life and the book that chronicled the use of her stem cells. The festivities concluded with a play in the Cultural Arts Center. Not seen this year was the annual Flights of Fancy Mega Kite Festival. The festival was cancelled for the first time in nine years due to inclement weather. Organizers say it will be back in full force for Spring 2016.

John Carney (left), president and CEO of the Center for Practical Veronica Spencer (Henrietta Lacks’ great granddaughter), and bioethicist Richard Payne, MD, before the Convocation.

Members of the MCC-Longview Allied Health Club, staff member Sharon Pyant, Psychology instructor Angela Bahner and Biology instructor Lavon Tonga (who both moderated the panel discussion) with Lacks and Spencer.

MCC-Longview Student Government Association president Sam Atkinson gave a welcome from students.

An estimated 425 community members, MCC-Longview faculty, staff and students attended the Spring Convocation at The Pavilion at John Knox Village to hear the personal story behind The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks April 16.

Beverley Hatley, widow of the first MCC-Longview president William Hatley, and immediate past president Dr. Fred Grogan shared anecdotes and insights at the Presidents Panel April 21.

MCC-Longview counselor Deah Robinson introduced the speakers.

MCC-Longview administrative assistant Laura Cooper (center) visited with her former instructors Shirley Smith (left) and Doone Loughery (right) at the Retiree Reception April 21.

Alexandra Echelmeier shared her thoughts and praise of MCC-Longview retiree Kathleen Jarvis. –––––––––––––––––––––– Spring Convocation Sponsors ––––––––––––––––––––––

MCC-Longview president Dr. Kirk Nooks visited with alumni at the first Alumni Reception on campus April 21.

MCC-Longview students Josiah Bell and Tyler Atkins entertained students who stopped to learn about recycling on campus. Over the past five years, MCC-Longview has averaged about 2,000 pounds of material collected for recycling per month.

A “hazardous waste” handler Ryan Stout and decomposing zombie Oliver Smith demonstrated separating recycling from trash during Earth Day service and awareness activities on campus April 22.

Apr. 16 Spring ConvocationApr. 17 Automotive Experience DayApr. 20 Laker Spirit Day

Apr. 21 Presidents Panel• Retiree & Alumni Receptions

Apr. 22 Earth Day• Couples Student Performance

HOMECOMING EVENTS

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Women’s Cross Country Team Named Academic All-American

2015 Laker Athletics by the Numbers•29-26baseballteamseason

record at press time.

•100%retentionofbaseballplayersfrom fall 2014 to spring 2015.

•Headingintofall,18playershavecompleted eligibility, 23 players are scheduled to return.

•100%retentionofvolleyball players from fall 2014 to spring 2015.

•5volleyballplayersarereturninginthe fall. One is headed to Ottawa University.

•5outof6,or83%,crosscountryrunners returned from fall 2014 to spring 2015.

•3runnersarereturninginthefall.One is headed to the University of Kansas.

•9freshmanvolleyballplayersand4 cross country runners have signed for next fall.

•Longviewhassigned9freshmanbaseball players, 7 from Missouri and the Kansas City area, 1 from Denton, Texas, and 1 from Arvada, Co.

•13outof31membersof 2015-16 Laker baseball team are coming to Longview from out of state.

MCC-Longview women’s cross country coach Charlie Gilkison tells his runners, “Academic success is always our first goal.”

This year that certainly held true as the cross country team placed 16th nationally as an Academic All-American Team by the National Junior College Coaches Association (NJCCA). The team’s GPA was 3.235.

Two Longview runners were named individual Academic All- Americans: Bailey Horlander, with a 3.76 GPA, and Markie Roach, with a 3.66 GPA. To receive this honor, athletes must have a 3.4 GPA or higher.

The grades of all team members, including Haley Roach, Jessica Myers, Hannah Davis and Rachael Evans, are calculated in the composite GPA so this is a whole team achievement, Gilkison explained.

The MCC-Longview crew was also an Academic All-American team last year coming in at number 20.

More than 50 schools compete in women’s and men’s NJCAA cross country.

The graduating class of 2014-2015 has a special place in MCC history as the graduates representing the 100th year of the college.

The 670 MCC-Longview Lakers walking across the stage of Municipal Auditoriumjoinedall2,389studentsrepresentingallfiveMCCcampusesas they earned their degrees May 14.

The graduates heard Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II, who represents Missouri’s Fifth District in the U.S. House of Representatives, share his thoughts and wisdom as the commencement speaker. In addition to their

diplomas, the students received a commemorative medallion marking their place in this historic anniversary.

AtLongview,graduationadviserJackieKinghashadaspecialroleinthelast couple of months with these students on campus.

“As soon as they apply to graduate, we are working together on the completion agenda,” she said. “From confirming credits to picking up caps and gowns, our goal is to do everything we can to see graduates walk across that stage.”

2015 Graduation Commemorates MCC Centennial Year

Teamwork can be a powerful thing; it can even travel from high school to college. Five Fort Zumwalt West High School baseball teammates have made their way from outside St. Louis to play baseball together at MCC-Longview.

Longview baseball coach Clint Culbertson explained he recruited outfielder Alan Hall, whose teammate Peter Wright then decided to come to Longview at the same time. “Then during winter break last year (their freshman year), their buddy, pitcher Ryan Franklin, wanted to transfer to Longview from the school he’d started at.”

Next, Peter encouraged his younger brother David to come to Longview to play. Then one more transfer from another school, Kyle Thurman, joined his high school teammates at Longview.

Culbertson appreciates that they promote Longview to other players. “They’re familiar with the program and they’re comfortable here. They look

out for each other.” Culbertson added, “Next year we’ll have another from Fort Zumwalt. The Wright brothers have already recruited their cousin to play at Longview.”

Baseball Teammates Travel from High School to MCC-Longview

Teammates in high school, teammates at MCC-Longview.

MCC-Longview Laker bats warmed up with the weather.

The first collegewide faculty art show, hosted by MCC-Longview in the Cultural Arts Center Gallery, featured 13 pieces from eight art instructors representingPennValley,BlueRiver,MapleWoodsandLongview.

“This was a great experience to have the faculty together in one room as theaudienceaskedquestionsabouttheirwork,”explainedLongviewart instructor and Gallery Director Daniel Reneau. “It was clear the instructors are still artists – making art and not just teaching – asking each other the samequestionsweaskourstudents.”

MCC-Longview Hosts First Collegewide Art Faculty Exhibit

Kim Lindaberry, Internode • Maquette, 2014-2015, stereo lithographic print – ABS plastic.

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Gallery Exhibitions Fine Arts Challenge in MCC-Longview Cultural Arts Center GalleryFor the sixth Fine Arts Challenge, juror Andrew Lyles selected 70 pieces toexhibitfromthe192workssubmittedbyLee’sSummit,Lee’sSummitNorth and Lee’s Summit West high school students. The exhibit in the MCC-Longview Cultural Arts Center Gallery showcased the best work of the year from some of the best high school artists in the area. First place and $125 went to Michael Artis, second place and $50 went to Cyan Townley and third place and $25 went to Paige Edson.

“This year we had the most entries to date,” said MCC-Longview art instructor and Gallery director Daniel Reneau. “And next year we plan to include other schools in MCC-Longview’s service area - Grandview, Center, Raytown and Ruskin – as well as other Lee’s Summit Schools. We expect it to become more competitive as we broaden the scope to other schools.”

End-of-Semester Student Show Features Best WorkThe end-of-semester student show included art selected from the best work of MCC-Longview students in the Cultural Arts Center Gallery. About 50 pieces created by 40 students made up the exhibition.

“It was great to see some really challenging work by students,” said art instructor Daniel Reneau. “We want them to think about not just the technical, but the conceptual. We want them to become creative thinkers not just creative makers.”

Dr. Randall Moore already has several titles after his name: social sciences division chair, MCC Academic Affairs Committee chair, Chancellor’s Policy Review Committee faculty representative, and Missouri National Education Association faculty liaison.

Now he can add one more: Governor’s Excellence in Teaching Award recipient.

The MCC-Longview history instructor may have various leadership responsibilities, but at heart, he’s a teacher, committed to high academic standards and mentoring students.

“His students highly respect him for the challenge he presents to the best students we have, and the support he offers the students who struggle,” a colleague said while nominating Moore for the honor. “His ability to reach both sides of that divide while maintaining academic integrity is no mean feat, and his students remember him for many years.”

MoorehastaughthistoryatMCC-Longviewsince1993.Duringthattime,hehassuccessfullyguidedthreestudentsto$30,000JackKentCooke scholarships and has been honored twice with the Faculty Mentor Award from the Longview chapter of Phi Theta Kappa honor society.

In the classroom, Moore explained, “One of the most enjoyable aspects of teaching history is helping students understand the ‘big picture,’ the thematic concepts, and conveying how important it is to appreciate both the changes and the continuities in the historical process. I enjoy asking students, for example, to consider how environment affects history or to consider the medicalconsequencesoftheSpanish-AmericanWar.Ibelieveacollegehistory course ought to present the material in ways the students have not previously encountered.”

As the nominating colleague said, “Moore treats students with courtesy, respect and honesty, which shows in his approach.”

“I have had the pleasure of teaching many excellent and interesting students at Longview over the years,” Moore added.

In the academic world, there’s getting published, and then there’s getting published by the University of Cambridge Press.

MCC-Longview English instructor Robyn McGee is experiencing both this spring as herchapteronslaveliteratureofVirginiawillbe included in the book, A History of Virginia Literature, published by the University of Cambridge Press in May.

The book chronicles the development of literarycultureinVirginiafromthefoundingofJamestownin1607tothe21stcentury.

McGee’s chapter focuses on narratives written by slaves and ex-slaves in the 19thcentury.

“Researching and writing the chapter has provided me with valuable information to pass on to my African-American Literature class students, so the project is directly related to what I do in the classroom,” McGee said.

The chapter is also a glimpse into McGee’s academic focus for most of her career. “For the past 20 years, I have devoted my academic studies to the field of African-American literature.” McGee started studying the works of southern author William Faulkner, but ended up being more interested in the African-American response to his writing.

“I soon found that my passion wasn’t with Faulkner but with issues of race in literatureand,morespecifically,withAfrican-Americanwritersofthe19thandearly 20th centuries,” McGee added.

McGee’s other passion? Teaching.

“I love teaching. I feel incredibly alive when I’m in front of a group of students, especially when I know that I’m teaching them something they didn’t know existed or helping them think about a topic or a problem in a different way. I love helping them become better communicators and, more importantly, better citizens.”

McGeealsocontributedanessaytothebook“ReadingwithJean-Luc Godard.” Her essay focuses on the filmmaker’s use of works by Eldrige Cleaver and Amiri Baraka in his film Sympathy for the Devil. The book, published by Montreal publisher Caboose Books, was published this spring.

Randall Moore Receives Governor’s Excellence in Teaching Award

Robyn McGee’s Chapter on African-American History

Robyn McGee, MCC-Longview Instructor

Sophia Tuey, Infatuation of the Heart, 2015, mixed media, 16” x 26.5”

Dr. Randall Moore, MCC-Longview Instructor

MAY 22 & 23PARADISE PARK - 1021 NE COLBERN ROADFOR MORE INFORMATION: TRULY150.COM

For more information and updates on performances and exhibitions at the MCC-Longview Cultural Arts Center, visit mcckc.edu/culturalarts, call 816.604.2200 or email ryan.morehead@mcckc.edu.

MCC-Longview Receives BIGG AwardMCC-Longview received a BIGG (Business Investment and Growth in Grandview) award this spring from the Grandview

Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes Grandview Chamber members or businesses or organizations in Grandview that have started, expanded or reached milestones in the last year. The award honors the 100th anniversary of the beginning

of Metropolitan Community College as Kansas City Polytechnic Institute in 1915.

mcckc.edu/longview Spring 2015816.604.2030mcckc.edu/lvcommed

College for KidsSummer 2015

H Edible ScienceH Design Your Own RoomH Go Fly A KiteH Cartoon DrawingH Dumbledore’s ArmyH Kids in the KitchenH Discovering AlaskaH MAD ScienceH Pet First AidH When Machines Take OverH Video Game MakingH Pinterest CreationsH Creative WritingH Photography

H ...and much more!

Featuring