Category: KCKCC

KCKCC golfers second in field of four-year colleges

by Alan Hoskins

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s 2014-2015 golf season is off to an outstanding start.

Competing in a field jam-packed with four-year colleges and universities, the Blue Devils finished a solid runnerup in the Central Methodist University Fall Eagle Open played at Hailridge Golf Club in Boonville, Mo.

Boasting the top five finishers in medalist play, William Woods finished the first day eight under par with a 276 and added a 4-under 280 for a 556 total while KCKCC rebounded from an opening 292 with a 286 for a 578 total. Columbia College was third with 581 followed by William Penn, 590; Missouri Valley, 595; Fontbonne, 602; Allen County Community College, 613; Central Methodist, 624; Evangel, 626; Avila, 627; and Westminster, 684.

Sophomore Seve Sites of Shawnee Mission West led the Blue Devils, finishing sixth with an even par 142 on rounds of 69 and 73 while freshman Marc McClain of Bonner Springs was alone in seventh with a 70-73-143. Soph Charlie Rinehart of Piper was another two strokes back, bouncing back from an opening 76 with a 2-under par 69.

Alex Forristal, a sophomore from Olathe North, tied for 19th at 77-71-148 with soph Lane Pauls of Newton tied for 28th at 77-73-150 and Piper sophomore Montana Fasching tied for 39th at 78-76-154.

The Blue Devils are back in action this week, competing in the Evangel Fall Invitational in Springfield.

No. 5 KCKCC volleyball cruises; No. 4 JCCC here Wednesday


by Alan Hoskins

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s No. 5 ranked volleyball team continued on its collision course with No. 4 Johnson County with a 3-0 sweep over Allen County at Iola Wednesday night.

The Lady Blue Devils and JCCC will meet next Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in a matchup of two powers who are both unbeaten in Jayhawk Conference play. Both are 4-0 in regional play while KCKCC is 2-0 and JCCC 3-0 in the conference.

KCKCC ran its current winning streak to six in a row and overall record to a conference best 15-2 in winning at Allen County 25-22, 25-16, 25-14.

The Blue Devils final tune-up before the showdown with JCCC will come Monday when KCKCC plays Missouri State at West Plains.

KCKCC celebrates Constitution Day

Constitution Day was celebrated Sept. 17 at Kansas City Kansas Community College. (KCKCC photo)
Constitution Day was celebrated Sept. 17 at Kansas City Kansas Community College. (KCKCC photo)

by Kelly Rogge
In recognition of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, the United States celebrates Constitution Day every Sept. 17. And as in past years, Kansas City Kansas Community College students, faculty and staff spent some time remembering the hard work and dedication of the United States’ founding fathers.

“What is the history of this great document,” said Ewa Unoke, KCKCC professor and chair of the Constitution Day Committee during KCKCC”s Constitution Day event Wednesday. “The American Constitution is the best, most dynamic Constitution in the world. Why? Remembering our founding fathers came from England, they did not like absolutism or a monarchy. So the founding fathers decided to divide the power of the king of England into three – the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch. We did not like kings and queens because we like freedom, and it is the love of liberty that brought the founding fathers here.”

Constitution Day was created in 2004, replacing what was previously known as Citizenship Day. Sept. 17 was chosen because that was the day that the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution. The federal law requires that all educational institutions that receive public funds provide some type of education programming on the history of the American Constitution, leading to events such as the one at KCKCC.

This is the ninth year for the Constitution Day event at KCKCC. Among the 60 students and staff who attended were Michael Vitale, vice president for academics and Cherilee Walker, dean of the arts, humanities and social science division. The event included a presentation from Bryan Whitehead, journalism professor at KCKCC; Joe Grasela, reference librarian at KCKCC and Valdenia Winn, professor at KCKCC and a state representative in the Kansas Legislature. Each took one part of the U.S. government and spoke on its history as well as how that relates to state government. Janet Velazquez, law professor at KCKCC, was the moderator and led the question and answer session.

Those in attendance were also given a copy of the Constitution to take with them and were able to ask questions following the presentations.

For more information on Constitution Day or how to get involved with the Constitution Day committee, contact Ewa Unoke at [email protected] or call 913-288-7119.
Kelly Rogge is the public information supervisor at KCKCC.

A panel discussion was part of Constitution Day Sept. 17 at KCKCC. (KCKCC photo)
A panel discussion was part of Constitution Day Sept. 17 at KCKCC. (KCKCC photo)