A new Customer Service Certificate of Completion is being offered by Kansas City Kansas Community College.
This seven hour, for-credit certificate, will prepare students as they move into a supervisory role. This includes roles in the areas of communications, human relations, motivation, problem-solving, supervision and organizational skills. The higher quality of customer service provided to an employer, the more valuable the employees will become.
This certificate is geared for those who are new to a managerial role, as well as anyone who works with the public.
Classes within the Customer Service Certificate of Completion are:
• Essential Career Skills (BUSN0140)
• Customer Service (BUSN2253)
• Business Dynamics (BUSN0293)
• Supervision Skills (BUSN0267)
For more information, contact Karen Gaines, business instructor/marketing program coordinator, at 913-288-7165 or by email at [email protected].
Freshman Geoff Birkemeier will draw the opening pitching assignment when Kansas City Kansas Community College opens the Region VI playoffs at Colby Saturday at 1 p.m.
Beaten 11-8 by Maple Woods in their final regular season game Wednesday, the Blue Devils will take a 34-19 record into the regional as the No. 5 seed. The No. 4 seed out of the West, Colby is 28-22. A best of three series, two games will be played Saturday with a third if necessary on Sunday with the winner advancing to the super-regional starting May 9 at Wichita. The Colby games will be streamed on OpenSpacesSports.
“Colby always has a good club and is well coached,” said KCKCC coach Steve Burleson. “They like to run so managing their running game will be a key.”
Burleson sent four hurlers to the mound and rested several starters against Maple Woods. Spencer Nielsen worked the first four innings, giving up seven runs of which only three were earned, while Cole Frakes and Derek Watkins were both touched for three hits and two runs in their two innings of work. Zane Mapes doubled and singled twice and drove in two runs, Tyler Raymond and Mitch Glessner each singled twice and Trevor Norbury delivered a pinch RBI double in a 12-hit KCKCC attack.
The workhorse of the Blue Devil staff, Birkemeier completed nine of his 12 starts this season while compiling a 6-4 record with a 2.89 earned run average. Burleson is undecided on his Game 2 starter. Possibilities are southpaw Hunter Phillips, 8-5 with a 3.95 ERA, and E.J. Merlo, 4-3 with 4.36 ERA.
Boasting a team batting average of .300, seven of the eight Blue Devil starters are hitting .300 or better led by centerfielder Luke Norton, who is hitting .378 and leads in stolen bases with 27. The others are leftfielder Mitch Glessner (.344), third baseman Daniel LaMunyon (.341), shortstop Zane Mapes and catcher Garett McKinzie, both .319, rightfielder Christian Arnold (.308) and second baseman Tyler Raymond (.301). Only first baseman Tanner Foerschler is below .300 but he has 18 RBI.
Arnold, McKinzie and LaMunyon have supplied the power. Arnold leads in home runs (10) and RBI (50) while Garrett has six homers and 39 RBI and LaMunyon five homers and 36 RBI.
The 4th annual Kansas City Jazz Summit at Kansas City Kansas Community College welcomed 54 bands and crowned a new winner of the Basically Basie competition. (KCKCC photo)
by Kelly Rogge
The 4th annual Kansas City Jazz Summit at Kansas City Kansas Community College welcomed 54 bands and crowned a new winner of the Basically Basie competition.
The summit, which was April 23, 24 and 25 in the KCKCC Performing Arts Center, caters to jazz groups at the middle school, high school and college level in both competitive and non-competitive sessions. This includes bands, choirs and combos.
“Our students really brought their ‘A’ game as hosts, work crew and performers,” said Jim Mair, professor of music and director of instrumental studies at KCKCC. “The PAC looked amazing, like a New York City loft. We also had world class adjudication.”
There are three levels of participation at the Jazz Summit. These include:
• Jazz Summit. A non-competitive group where jazz groups perform for adjudicators. No winners are named, but outstanding groups and soloists are recognized. Groups that participate in this category receive a plaque or trophy.
• Kansas City Jazz Heritage – “Basically Basie.” This is a competitive category on Thursday of the Jazz Summit. Groups are required to pick three songs from an established list of Count Basie repertoire. These selections must have been recorded by the Count Basie Orchestra. Judging is based on the authenticity and attention to detail. The top two groups will compete for audience voting, which is done by text message. The winning group receives a traveling plaque.
• Jazz Tyro. This is specifically designed for younger bands with little experience. Those that participate receive positive comments as well as a clinic following their performance.
The winner of this year’s Basically Basie competition was Roosevelt High School from Sioux Falls, S.D. The last three years, Blue Valley Northwest has received the top prize. Local schools who attended the Jazz Summit include Piper, Basehor-Linwood, Turner, Lansing, Tonganoxie, Shawnee Mission East, Blue Valley Northwest, Olathe Northwest, Olathe North, Shawnee Mission Northwest and Johnson County Community College. The KCKCC Jazz Ensemble, KCKCC Jazz Combo and KCKCC Standard Jazz Choir also performed.
“That is by far the most educational jazz festival that I have ever attended,” said Jena McElwain, band director at Prairie Trail Middle School in Olathe. “Every aspect of the day was so smoothly run, so very professional, and completely all about music and jazz education.”
For more information about the Kansas City Jazz Summit, contact Jim Mair at [email protected] or by phone at 913-288-7503.
