September 29, 2007

TIME OUT: Sweet Sixteen!

From NAHJ:

Sports Journalism Institute accepts applications for 16th class

SJI is a nine-week training and internship program for college students interested in sports journalism careers.

SJI, which includes involvement from the National Association of Black Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, is funded by the Tribune Foundation, Hearst Newspapers/Houston Chronicle, Associated Press Sports Editors and the New York Daily News.

Administrators of this program hope it will help to enhance the racial and gender diversity of sports departments at print-related newsrooms nationwide.

SJI runs May 29 - June 8, 2008.

BENEFITS:
Students selected for the 2008 Sports Journalism Institute receive:

  • A crash course in sports journalism at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla. May 29 – June 9. Working professionals in daily sports journalism along with staff from the Poynter Institute for Journalism offer sessions ranging from ethics to photo editing to how to keep a running score at a baseball game to copy editing. SJI covers travel and room expenses.
  • A paid eight-week internship in a daily newspaper sports department from June 9 – Aug. 3, 2008.
  • A $500 scholarship for students returning to college.

ELIGIBILITY:
SJI will select at least 12 student journalists. Ideally, the applicants should be college sophomores, juniors or seniors. Candidates must demonstrate academic achievement, interest in sports journalism as a career and excellence on the application essay.

APPLICATION MATERIALS:

  • A current college transcript
  • Two letters of recommendation.A professional-style photo (head shot)
  • Up to seven writing samples or clips (photocopied on 8 ½ by 11-inch paper)
  • An essay of no more than 500 words stating why he or she should be selected.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: DEC. 5, 2007

Download the application in PDF here or in MS Word here

For more information contact:
Gregory Lee
The Boston Globe
glee@globe.com

September 27, 2007

TIME OUT: So You Want to be a Latino Reporter, eh?

This post was prepared for Hispanic Youth Day's Communications/TV panel
at the University of Missouri - Kansas City
, Sept. 28, 2007


Advice for Aspiring Journalists:
Take Charge of Your Journalism Education
Regardless of their field, passionate people seek training -- always

Journalists know that when we wait, we want. When we snooze, we lose.

We're constantly moving. We
race to get the most accurate sources, race against deadlines, race to publish the news first. But we're also racing against ourselves. Like any competitor, we can't win races if we don't train.

Here are a few essential tips for Latino student journalists:

Join the staff of the campus newspaper
Whether its a class, a student club or independent of the college, Latinos need to join the staff of the student newspaper.

A recent article from Campus Progress notes that many college newspapers are neither diverse nor racially sensitive.

My experience tells me that Latino students and instructors will go out of their way to read your work -- even if they don't agree with it.

You'll also educate your instructors, advisers and fellow student journalists on how to work in a multicultural environment. Let's face it, for some students, working on the campus paper is the first job they've ever had.

Become a student member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
NAHJ offers access to scholarships, student training programs, student chapters and national conventions. Every four years NAHJ joins with three other journalism organizations to produce a super-conference called UNITY.

Next summer, UNITY will be in Chicago, Ill.

NAHJ student members may apply for special programs that include travel, hotel and registration for the conference. For some the $25 student membership fee seems like a lot, but its worth it. Besides, how much will you spend this weekend?

Find mentors
Just as a journalist never wants to write a story with only one source, student journalists -- especially Latino students -- should never have only one mentor.

Mentors can be other students, instructors or professional working journalists.

A mentor offers a unique perspective and the more mentors a student has, the more diverse and richer the perspectives are. Experience has shown that sometimes students can teach old journalism watchdogs new tricks.

Also remember that mentors don't give -- they offer. And students shouldn't take but instead receive.

This means a mentor doesn't owe students anything. It also means that he or she cannot make a student do anything. It should be a respectful relationship.

Self publish
Student media helps provide clips and a traditional newsroom experience but that's not enough these days.

Students should also create blogs, Wikis, or podcasts. Use YouTube, iTunes or their cellphones.

This is where student journalists have the advantage over the professionals.

Students can easily self publish by using new technologies and adapting the latest social networks. Mastering these new systems can only boost your ability to report and to get a job.

Ethics and integrity
Before a student writes for the campus paper, joins a professional journalism organization, finds a mentor or self publishes, he or she must have a clear understanding of his or her ethics and integrity. That understanding will guide the student on what kind of journalist he or she will be or if he or she should even be one in the first place.

I define ethics as the rules one lives by and integrity as how one acts on those rules.

Here are a few questions students should answer:
Do you keep your word? Have you ever kept you word even when it ended up hurting you? When was the last time you broke your word?
Are you fair? Describe the last time you treated someone unfairly. How did you apologize?
What tempts you? Describe what someone could offer to buy you off. When was the last time someone sold you out?
How do you handle fear? How do you handle lies? How do you handle the truth? How do you handle praise? How do you handle stress?

September 22, 2007

NEWS: College Icon Creates Cohesion

Claiming Kansas' Black History
Preservationists take lesson from JCCC instructor
Carmaletta Williams, professor of English at JCCC, spoke to organizers of the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area, Sept 20.

From the Osawatomie Graphic:
Williams' speech about the history of African Americans in Kansas during the Civil War period sparked many of the representatives in attendance to discuss how they could put more of an emphasis on teaching African-American history throughout the heritage area.

The group agreed that a stronger emphasis was needed, with many officials pointing out that not one African-American organization is represented in the group.
“I'm used to being the only chocolate chip in the cookie,” Williams said with a laugh.

Congress designated the area, one of 37 across the country, to help preserve local history and promote tourism. Freedom's Frontier encompasses 29 counties in eastern Kansas and 12 in western Missouri.

Williams has presented to more than 250 groups. Many of those presentations included her first-person characterization of noted black writer, folklorist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurstons. She's also served as a consultant to the government of Guinea, West Africa. Last year, Williams served on the college's presidential screening committee.

September 20, 2007

Opinion: Lee Leaves JCCC - part 1

Walking on the Ledge:
She taught me that sometimes Walking on the Ledge means standing in truth
I sent an e-mail asking if the college planned to give her a going away party.

I wanted -- I needed -- to stand with her again and we'd celebrate instead of strategize. A few days later, I read the posting on Infolist, the college’s electronic mail server.
FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR TERESA LEE
As some of you may be already be aware, HR Manager Teresa Lee has been offered and accepted the position of director of human resource services for John Knox Village in Lee's Summit, Missouri. Her last day at the college will be Thursday, September 20. To acknowledge and bid her a fond farewell, the HR department will host a reception for Teresa Wednesday morning, September 19, from 10 to 11 AM in GEB 240. Please come by to say goodbye and wish her well.
Of course, we already heard. How could we not know that the woman who made the allegations of unlawful harassment against Charles Carlsen, then president of Johnson County Community College, was leaving?

When the day of the reception arrived, I stood in my bedroom and cried.

I loosened my tie, kicked off my dress shoes and put on my usual college wardrobe of cargo shorts and a t-shirt. I wouldn’t be going to the reception.

I’ve never been good at goodbyes. But I struggled with this one in particular because, I felt it was wrong.

Why should she have to leave?

Carlsen took a leave of absence April 14, 2005 -- the day after my story detailing the allegations broke. He resigned a week later.

Susan Lindahl, vice president of College Information and Strategic Initiatives and Carlsen’s right hand, who admitted knowing of the allegations and not acting on the complaint resigned March 19, 2006.

Elaine Perilla, Board of Trustees chair, who denied knowing of the allegations, did not seek re-election to the board and skipped out on her last board meeting in June.

Dorothy Friedrich, then director of Human Resources and Lee’s direct supervisor, also admitted taking no action after learning of the allegations. Yet since the allegation became public, Friedrich received two promotions. The first made her vice president of Human Resources and the next, announced 10 days ago, makes her Vice President of Policy and Strategic Initiatives. Apparently, she has Lindahl’s old job.

Friedrich, who violated college policy, now oversees the same policy? Why don’t we just hire a child molester to run the daycare center?

It’s disgusting -- and that’s why I stood and cried.

In my 13-month investigation into the allegations against Carlsen, I forged a unique relationship with Teresa. We tortured and supported each other.

I had never experienced that kind of truth with a member of the administration. At that moment, I knew our campus would change forever.

An anonymous source made her the object of my reporting. A 22-page narrative detailing her harassment fell into my hands. A few months later when I finally summoned the courage to take on the story, I asked Teresa about the narrative. She stood in her truth and confirmed its validity. I had never experienced that kind of truth with a member of the administration. At that moment, I knew our campus would change forever.

Over the next few months, I dragged Teresa on to the record because I knew using her name would make the story credible and it would ultimately protect her. I also learned of the mistrust she had for those who betrayed her -- and the college -- when they chose to protect Carlsen. At times, I had to stand in her anger because I was the only safe outlet she had for it.

At times, we frustrated each other but inside we knew that we were really testing one another.

Everyone who knew about Carlsen’s harassment could have stopped him but they didn’t. And when I learned about it, Teresa waited for me to betray her like Lindahl, Friedrich and Perilla had. But I didn’t.

In her, I saw my sisters. I saw the women in my family and my female friends. If this harassment had happened to one of them, who would stand with them and who would betray them?
So you see, I had to write her story.

I stand a better man because of Teresa Lee.


TIME OUT: 'The Old Grey Lady' Goes Brown

Another opportunity from NAHJ:
NAHJ seeks students for New York Times Student Journalism Institute
For 10 days in January, students will work with the nation's leading Web and print journalists.

Reporters, editors, photographers and Web producers from The New York Times, The Boston Globe and Times Company regional newspapers will join selected student journalists for 10 days of intensive learning and achieving in a newsroom at the University of Arizona.

As students will cover real news, and deal with issues journalists face, they'll consult veteran professionals.

It's a remarkable chance to learn the skills needed for successful internships -- and to get jobs at top news organizations.
The project covers all expenses. Deadline to apply is Oct. 27.

Download the application here. You may also learn more about the program by visiting the Institute Website.

To apply, you need to:
  • complete the application form,
  • write an essay of up to 500 words on why you want to be a journalist,
  • provide six published clips (Web or print),
  • provide -- separately from your application -- a letter of recommendation from a faculty member or editor of a news organization.
Students who have specialized in copy editing may submit stories they've edited, with headlines they wrote, as their clips. Designers and photographers may submit either published clips or unpublished portfolio material or a combination.

Questions may be directed to:

Don R. Hecker
Director
New York Times Student Journalism Institute
hecker@nytimes.com

September 19, 2007

TIME OUT: A Strong Constitution

When I became an editor for the student newspaper, one of the first assignments I handed out was covering the college's Constitution Day activities.

A history professor dressed as Ben Franklin and answered questions that no one asked. Student Life passed out pocket-sized Constitutions and, at noon, Big Brother broadcast the Pledge of Allegiance (or something similar) on all the campus view screens.

Booorin
g.

Each subsequent year, this event allowed me to guide a newbie reporter through his or her first news assignment -- covering Constitution Day.

Well, this year, my college forgot to celebrate Constitution Day.

Truthfully, I only remembered it after reading the headline from NewsU's Access blog, "Censorship Update on Constitution Day."

So my college forgot. Who cares, right?

It's actually a big deal because federal law mandates that all schools receiving federal funds must offer an educational program on Sept. 17, Constitution and Citizenship Day.

JCCC did not.

The point? Sometimes those annual stories (Constitution Day, Last day to drop a class, Snow closes college) get a new twist when those running an institution take those process for granted.

It's the job of a student journalist to hold the institution accountable when it does -- and that's what I did.

TIME OUT: I Want My MTV

From my contact at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists:
MTV News Seeks Journalists to Cover the '08 Election

Citizen Journalists! Visionaries! Vloggers! This is your year. More than ever, the presidential candidates know that every vote counts, and that local campaign stops can be covered and spread worldwide by anyone with a cell phone. You have power.

As part of our collaboration with The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Knight News Challenge, MTV News is looking for one aspiring reporter from every state and Washington, D.C., to be part of our Choose or Lose team. We know that you're already hitting the streets and doing this work. Now we want to give you the chance to represent your state by joining a national team of journalists in covering this unprecedented election year from a youth perspective.

Ideal candidates will have their finger on the pulse of issues that are important to young people in their state and be passionate about politics and the possibilities of new technology. Strong writing and reporting skills are a must; distinct voice and authoritative point of view… even better.

We'll load you up with some production gear and bring you to MTV's headquarters in New York City for orientation. In return, you will be expected to work in a paid, part-time capacity to file video, written, or graphical stories weekly throughout the election year. Your pieces will be posted online and spread to mobile devices, and the top stories will be broadcast on MTV, MTV2, MTVU or MTV Tres each week.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of the communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers.

Requirements:
  • You must be at least 18 years old by December '07.
  • You must reside in the state you are covering from January '08-November '08
  • You must have the time and ability to travel within your state and file at least one video, written, or graphical story per week.
Applications can be filled out and submitted at Think MTV

The application deadline is September 26, 2007.

September 17, 2007

NEWS: Lee Leaves JCCC

Posted today on the JCCC Infolist:
FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR TERESA LEE
As some of you may be already be aware, HR Manager Teresa Lee has been offered and accepted the position of director of human resource services for John Knox Village in Lee's Summit, Missouri. Her last day at the college will be Thursday, September 20. To acknowledge and bid her a fond farewell, the HR department will host a reception for Teresa Wednesday morning, September 19, from 10 to 11 AM in GEB 240. Please come by to say goodbye and wish her well.

September 13, 2007

TIME OUT: Online Freebie

Here's a freebie from Poynter's News University that will help new advisers, editors and editorial board members. Like many of NewsU's courses, it's free!
COACHING TOMORROW'S JOURNALISTS

Now that you're in charge of a youth staff for your newspaper, how do you turn your inexperienced team into a savvy journalistic machine?

This course will help you become a better youth editor by becoming a better trainer. You'll explore different methods for training youth journalists. Or start with our Coach's Challenge simulation, picking up your clipboard and whistle to give feedback to a virtual staffer. Along the way, you'll get pointers from colleagues and a library of resources to help you and your staff.

How long will it take? "Coaching Tomorrow's Journalists" takes about one to two hours to complete. You can access the course on your own schedule, starting and stopping at your convenience. And you can come back anytime once you enroll.

Cost? This course is available at no cost to registered users of News University.

September 12, 2007

NEWS: You really like me!

Ledger earns two more honors
Kudos continue for staff that covered campus controversies

The Campus Ledger, the student newspaper of Johnson County Community College, earned two prestigious honors from two separate journalism organizations for its 2006-07 editions.

Pacemaker Finalist designation from the Associated Collegiate Press. This award, known as the Pulitzer Prize of student media, goes to the top college newspapers in the country for overall quality. The Ledger competes against 14 other community college newspapers for the award presented at the ACP's National Convention Oct. 24-29 in Washington, D.C.

Gold Medalist rating from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The medal rating reflects the judge’s overall score of 945 of 1,000 points, including an All-Columbian, or “best of best” rating, in The Ledger’s reporting and coverage of campus events including the investigation into multiple allegations of unlawful harassment and the search for a new president. The Gold Medalist rating is the result of an extensive evaluation of the entire year’s publications.

The Ledger also earned the All-Kansas award, the top award for college media, from the Kansas Associated Collegiate Press last spring. Over the summer the paper won Best in Show from ACP for overall coverage and design.

September 11, 2007

CALENDAR: JCCC Events

Posted on the college's Infolist:
UPCOMING EVENTS

Dedication of the Regnier Center and Open House
3-4 p.m., Sept. 25
Dedication in the Capitol Federal Conference Center in the Regnier Center - Free but please RSVP to the Foundation, ext. 3835
Open House, 4-6:30 p.m. - Free

Campaign for the Community Conclusion Celebration for JCCC Faculty/Staff
2-4 p.m., Oct. 12
Regnier Center Atrium - Free to all JCCC Faculty and Staff

Nerman Museum Gala
7- 10 p.m., Oct. 20
Fundraiser for Nerman Museum programming - Invitation only - $125 per person

Nerman Museum Sneak Preview for JCCC Faculty and Staff
2-4 p.m., Oct. 25 - Free

Nerman Museum Public Opening
2-5 p.m., Oct. 27 - Free

September 10, 2007

NEWS: JCCC Restructures

JCCC's new president revamps college structure.

Terry Calaway, JCCC president, posted a message on JCCC's Infolist notifying the campus' 2543 employees of upcoming changes.

From: InfoList
Sent: Mon 09/10/07 1:16 PM
To: InfoList
Subject: A Message from Dr. Calaway

To: JCCC Faculty & Staff
From: Terry Calaway
Subject: Organizational Structure

Let me take this opportunity to congratulate you all on a great start to the fall 2007 term and to wish you well for a successful academic year. Certainly the future of the college is very bright as we all work together to create quality learning opportunities for our students and ourselves in this unsurpassed learning community.

As I discussed during our fall in-service program, I have spent my first 10 weeks at the college assessing institutional strengths and weaknesses. I have reviewed a significant number of institutional documents and met with better than 200 members of our college team and dozens of individuals from our external community in an effort to gather as much input as possible in setting our course for the future. At this stage I believe I have a good sense of the myriad of opportunities at hand and believe we need to make some adjustments in our organizational structure if we are to move ahead at the pace we have come to expect at JCCC. With that in mind I wish to share several organizational enhancements with you that will take effect immediately, and then in the next 10 days I will share a draft timeline of organizational study that will occur this year.

First, as I mentioned during in-service, I have found that our college needs to put in place a systematic process to identify and develop needed policies, processes and procedures. As an AQIP organization, and one which wishes to be renowned for quality, it is important that we collaboratively develop and measure processes which are key to student and organizational success. To that end I have asked Ms. Dorothy Friedrich to assume the role of Vice President of Policy and Strategic Initiatives. In this role she will work directly with me and a group of constituency representatives in development and documentation of processes designed to continuously improve operations. Additionally, Ms. Friedrich will work with me in development of future strategies the college will consider regarding campus design, organization and public policy.

To assure continuity in the human resources operation, I have asked Dr. Judy Korb to assume the vice president leadership responsibility for the human resource function of the college. In this new role I have asked Dr. Korb to place major emphasis on refocusing our human resource function as an advocate of the administration and, equally important, all college employees. She will be working closely with constituency leadership to identify areas for enhancement of service. She will also be working to revitalize our college’s Leadership Development Institute. This program will be instrumental in preparing our college team for the future and establishing a pathway for internal personnel to begin to prepare for future job enrichment or promotion. Additionally, she will be working with the college’s constituency leadership teams in the design of a college diversity officer position. Both Dr. Korb and the diversity position will report directly to me and will be responsible for the development of processes and strategies designed to expand cultural proficiency and civility within the institution. I expect the diversity position will be one which enhances our employee and student recruitment processes, advises on ways we may enmesh expanded diversity strategies into our college culture and serves in an advisory role in curriculum areas desiring or in need of enmeshing cultural diversity issues into the classroom.

Next I have identified, and many of you have corroborated, the need for the college to provide expanded support to our evening and weekend program faculty and students. To that end, I have asked Dr. Lin Knudson to move to a new position of Dean, Evening/Weekend Programs. In this role she will design infrastructure support to our adjunct faculty and all individuals who provide learning opportunities beyond our regular working hours. She, along with a support team, will work with employee development to design and carry out adjunct training and development and other support mechanisms they determine to be of need. Dr. Knudson will report to Vice President Rhinehart.

Finally, I have asked Dr. Wayne Brown to take on added responsibility for Campus Safety. Dr. Brown has extensive experience in the area of law enforcement and public safety, and we will use his talents along with those of our very fine safety team to determine what safety enhancements will be required for the college in the future. I have also decided to adjust Dr. Brown’s title to Executive Vice President of Administration; this title is more reflective of his role and future responsibilities.

As we move throughout the year, I look forward to working with our faculty, staff and administrative leadership in a complete review of the college structure. We also, as part of our accreditation process, will be expected to review the institutional vision, mission and value statements of the college. Please be aware that I intend to hold regular town hall meetings to gather input from everyone interested in participation. Your input is important. Additionally, these meetings will be used as a communication mechanism to keep all employees in the loop regarding the direction we are heading. The next town hall meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 11, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in CC 211.

September 6, 2007

Opinion: Meet the FOC-ers

Walking on the Ledge:
Former JCCC president accused of unlawful harassment returns to public life thanks to low friends in high places

Charles Carlsen, former president of Johnson County Community College, has slithered his way back into public life thanks to the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).

A unanimous vote by the BOCC named Carlsen and six others to the newly formed Johnson County Public Arts Commission Aug. 30.

In 2005 while celebrating his silver anniversary as president of JCCC, Carlsen abruptly resigned when the student newspaper, The Campus Ledger, published allegations of sexual harassment against him.

Despite his public resignation and a statement from JCCC's Board of Trustees acknowledging other harassment victims, Carlsen continues to sit on the Board of Directors of the JCCC Foundation.

What does this have to do with the Public Arts Commission?

Annabeth Surbaugh, BOCC chair, and David Lindstrom, commissioner, currently serve on the JCCC Foundation's Board of Directors with Carlsen.

It was Lindstrom who nominated Carlsen to serve on the Public Arts Commission.

According to GuideStar, an organization that tracks public information provided by nonprofits, Lindstrom and Carlsen also sit on the Board of Directors of the Shawnee Mission Medical Center Foundation.

But Lindstrom and Surbaugh aren't the only commissioners with ties to Carlsen.

In 2005, The JCCC Foundation honored Commissioner Ed Eilert as Johnson Countian of the Year.

Commissioner Ed Peterson worked with Carlsen on the Bistate II tax proposal.

In 2002, JCCC hosted an Ingram's magazine event where Carlsen, Peterson, Surbaugh and others discussed Johnson County's economic future.

And while not incriminating, Commissioner John Toplikar attended JCCC as a student when Carlsen presided as its leader.

Upon his unanimous approval by the commissioners, Carlsen will represent the third district. But more importantly he now has the clout to strut around Johnson County and perhaps onto the JCCC campus free to terrorize his alleged victims and their families.

Teresa Lee, the woman who brought the first allegations against Carlsen, told the Kansas City Star that neither Carlsen nor his supporters ever faced the reality of the situation.

"It’s a small community, a tight-knit community,” she said. “I just don’t think they understood."

This is not the first time Friends of Carlsen, or FOCs, have tried to restore Chuck to his former glory.

Last December, at JCCC Foundation event "Some Enchanted Evening," Calrsen took his first steps in public. In support of Chuck, the benevolent Polskys committed thousands o
f dollars to a scholarship in Chuck's name and urged other FOCs to contribute.

I know his victims and others on campus would like to see his name removed from the Carlsen Center. And Chuck slithering back into public life might just be the incentive
they need.

September 4, 2007

NEWS: Environmentalist vs. JCCC

Here's another interesting item concerning JCCC in Angela Curry's At Your Service column published in The Kanss City Star Sept. 1.

College, patron at odds over mass mailing

I’m an environmentalist and am most concerned about the destruction of trees and the massive use of energy to produce and deliver unwanted direct-mail pieces.

I am constantly calling the offenders to stop sending catalogs that I don’t want. I’ve discovered an offender in my own city that refuses to address their non-green approach to marketing, namely Johnson County Community College.

I receive a catalog the size of a small phone book three times a year. I have never attended JCCC nor plan to do so. I called and asked to be removed from the mailing lists. A college spokesman said she could not honor my request. I was floored. She said that the college uses the cheapest possible way of mailing — that is giving a stack of catalogs that are marked “residential customers” to the post office for them to deliver to each mailbox.

She suggested I contact the post office.

I learn that the college mails 211,000 of these catalogs three times each year. I can only imagine the waste of trees, electricity to run presses, toxic inks to dye the cover, and gasoline to ship the catalogs to their distribution points. JCCC said this is a community service. I do not perceive this misuse of energy as a service. — A.B., Prairie Village

Dear A.B.: Julie Haas, a spokeswoman for the college, confirmed that JCCC’s continuing-education class schedule is mailed to every household in Johnson County three times a year — October for the spring semester, March for the summer sessions and July for the fall semester.

“Because it’s the college’s mission to offer all kinds of educational opportunities to county residents, we feel it’s important to communicate what we have to offer to all county residents,” Haas said. Most U.S. community colleges follow the practice, she said.

Haas said that the fall continuing-education class schedule is printed on inexpensive newsprint, and at 124 pages, it is hardly the size of a small phone book. Haas said that no taxpayer funds are used for this, because continuing education classes are self-supporting. The program pays for the schedule from the revenue it earns from classes, Haas said.

Haas also said the college is able to economically distribute the booklet through saturation mailing, for which it pays the lowest postage rates.

Shawnee Mission Postmaster Russell R. Jacobson confirmed that the college takes advantage of the rate for saturation mailings, and as such each letter carrier is required to distribute the mailings to each residence on the route.

Jacobson also said that the Postal Service is required by federal law to deliver all mail that has been paid for.

Even though you mentioned that you had contacted the Direct Marketing Association to have your name removed from mailing lists, the organization said consumers may continue to receive mail from non-DMA member companies and also local merchants, professionals and alumni associations, political candidates and office holders, and mail addressed to “resident/occupant.”

Jacobson said that even though the Postal Service must deliver such mailings, you can mark “Refused” on the mailing and return it unopened to your letter carrier.

September 2, 2007

NEWS: College Punishes Protester

Anti-war Activism Unfurls on Campus
JCCC fires employee and former student for protesting Iraq war.
by Miguel M. Morales

Kaedden Timi admitted unfurling a 20-foot square anti-war protest banner during a political debate at Johnson County Community College Aug. 13.

"I did it," Timi told the student newspaper, The Campus Ledger, Aug 30.

Days later the college fired him.

Timi, a employee in the college's theatre department and a former student senator, released the banner during a political debate between Rep. Dennis Moore (D-Kan) and Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan). The two policticians participated in an event dubbed "Reaching Across the Aisle: Bipartisanship in Washington, D.C."

Near the end of the debate Timi released the banner that read:

"Guilty of Crimes Against Humanity: bush/Cheney & Their Administration
Pat Robers & the Senate
Dennis Moore & The House
End The War In Iraq Now!"

Timi posted a letter Aug. 26 on AfterDowningStreet.org describing his actions.
"To fall on ones own sword has never been so gratifying!" Timi wrote. "Hopefully it was Moore and Roberts who felt the sword of justice at their throats' [sic] for if they do not start listening to their onstituents and put an end to the profiteers' war then surely they too will 'fall on their own swords.'"

According to the website, Timi knew the college might fire him for his actions. College policy 422.02 Political Activities states that employees are free to engage in any activity afforded "any free citizen." However, the policy also states that employees may not use college property, school equipment or materials.
The Kansas City Star reported Aug 31 that JCCC fired Timi not for protesting but for possibly placing the audience in danger.