Month: October 2018

KCKCC soccer teams in home finales Sunday with much to gain

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s women’s soccer team stayed side-by-side with Jayhawk Conference champion Butler for one half Thursday before the Grizzlies pulled away for a 5-1 win.

The final road game for the Lady Blue Devils, both KCKCC teams close out regular season play Sunday when they play host to conference rival Coffeyville.

The women’s kickoff is at 5 p.m. followed by the men’s clash at 7:30 p.m. with much to be gained for both teams.

The Lady Blue Devils (4-5-3) can finish with a .500 record for the first time in KCKCC history with a win while the Blue Devil men (4-4-1) could overtake Johnson County (5-3-1) for third place if the Cavaliers lose their finale to second-place Neosho County (6-3).

Butler took a 1-0 lead 22 minutes into the game on a shot by Tessa Irvine assisted by Elise Leidersten but freshman Karleigh Enyart pulled KCKCC even 1-1 with an unassisted goal with 40:18 gone in the first half.

Butler, however, took command early in the second half as Paige Achey scored three unassisted goals in the first eight minutes and then assisted Leidersten for the Grizzlies’ final goal.

“Our goalkeeper, Alee Alter, had some great saves to keep us competitive going into halftime with a chance to win the game,” KCKCC coach Shawn Uhlenhake said. “But there’s a reason Butler is one of the top teams in the country. They were able to capitalize on a couple of mistakes and took control.”

Alter was credited with 12 saves on 24 Butler shots including 17 on goal.

“Our results with the top two teams in the conference, Butler and Johnson County (two ties), showed definite signs of growth,” Uhlenhake said. “We’ve got 15 freshmen who have done a good job of coming along quickly so I’m excited to see what happens in the future.”

KCKCC plans symposium on media moments

by Kelly Rogge, KCKCC

A lot has happened in the media during the past year. But the loud, attention-grabbing stories rarely focus on important changes in the media marketplace that are not as flashy, but have a much greater influence on what we watch, listen to and read, according to a KCKCC journalism professor.

Kansas City Kansas Community College Journalism Professor Bryan Whitehead will present “The Year’s Biggest Media Moments” from 11 a.m. to noon Oct. 25 in Room 2325 on the KCKCC main campus, 7250 State Ave. The event is open to the public. The presentation is part of the college’s Academic Symposium series.

Whitehead said he plans to focus on topics that have been under-reported or ignored completely during the last few months.

“When I started making notes for this presentation, I wrote ‘No Trump Tweets!’ in big letters at the top of the page,” he said. “I’d far rather take a closer look at recent developments that have a real impact on our lives.”

Whitehead said the topics he plans to cover will include net neutrality, open records, media corporations and journalists in jeopardy.

“I find that people are genuinely curious about why the media works the way they do,” he said. “I hope to leave plenty of time after the presentation for questions and discussion.”

The Center for Teaching Excellence offers the Academic Symposium series each semester as a way to encourage academic discourse on campus. The mission of the Academic Symposium is to provide an open and public forum, which will allow the faculty and staff at KCKCC to make presentations of academic or artistic merit.

Proposals are currently being accepted for Spring 2019 Academic Symposium. There is a $250 Honorarium for each symposium, and it is open to KCKCC faculty and staff. Submissions are due by Oct. 30.

10-foot inflatable model colon goes missing

A 10-foot, 150-pound inflatable model colon is missing, according to the University of Kansas Cancer Center.

The inflatable colon was last seen in the back of a pickup truck in Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri, according to a KU center spokesman. It is believed to have been stolen.

The inflatable colon, used to demonstrate the danger of colon cancer, is worth $4,000, according to the spokesman.

“Colorectal cancer screening is the most powerful weapon we have against colorectal cancer,” John Ashcraft, DO, surgical oncologist at The University of Kansas Cancer Center said. Ashcraft is also co-leader of the cancer prevention and survivorship research program. “Colon cancer is a tough subject for many to talk about and the giant, 150-pound, 10-foot long inflatable colon is a great conversation starter.”

The inflatable colon is owned by the Cancer Coalition, which holds walk-run events.

The inflatable colon was on its way to the annual Sister’s Living Beyond Breast Cancer 5K Relay Walk scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday at Swope Park when it disappeared. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kansas City Police Department, http://kcmo.gov/police/thank-an-officer/#.W8opS1VKiUl.