by David Hiestand

To help students and faculty stay safe and aware of their surroundings, the MCC Police Department will now be sharing safety tips and other useful information via their new Twitter account.

“We wanted to use another medium to get information out to our faculty and students,” says MCC Associate Director of Public Safety Domenick Brouillette, who recently made the decision to implement Twitter.

In addition to regularly tweeting safety tips, Brouillette says @MCCPoliceDept will keep followers up to date about campus closings, areas under construction, closed parking lots, and any other information that will “help students and faculty get around better,” he said.

Emergency messages will be tweeted in addition to being emailed, posted on the MCC Alert web page, and texted through the MCC Notify Me text messaging service.

Twitter users can now follow the MCC Police Department by texting “Follow MCCPoliceDept” to 40404, or by going to twitter.com/MCCPoliceDept.

Attending classes, staying caught up on textbook reading, studying for tests, and a revved up social life keep college students very busy. Holding a job and caring for a family add to the worries of many MCC students. Unfortunately the last thing on their mind could be one of the most important.

Twenty-four percent of identity theft victims are age 20-29, according to a report from the Federal Trade Commission. This is more than any other age group. College students, although notoriously broke, make ideal victims. This is because of their clean credit histories and “the availability of personal information and the way many students handle this data,” says the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

According to a 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report by Javelin Strategy and Research, social networking sites are a growing entry point for fraudsters to get personal information. College students are often careless about what they post online, and could inadvertently provide information such as a phone number or hometown or a hint to a password.

The Better Business Bureau  suggests these seven steps for college students to prevent identity theft:

•  School mailboxes are not always secure and can often be easily accessed in a dorm or apartment. To combat sticky fingers in the mailroom, have sensitive mail sent to a permanent address such as the parents’ home or a PO box.
• Important documents should be stored under lock and key―such as in a filing cabinet. This includes social security card, passport and bank and credit card statements. Shred any paper documents that have sensitive financial information rather than just tossing them out. Also shred any credit card offers that come in the mail.
•  Never loan your credit or debit card to anyone, even if they are a friend. Also just say no if your friend wants you to co-sign for a loan or financing for items like a TV.
•  Make sure your computer has up-to-date antivirus and spyware software. Always install any updates and patches to your computer’s operating system or browser software which help keep your computer safe from any new advances by identity thieves online.
•  Always check your credit or debit card statements closely for any suspicious activity. The sooner you identify any potential fraud, the less you’ll suffer in the long run.
•  When shopping on unfamiliar websites, always check the company out first with BBB online. Also look for the BBB Accredited Business seal along with other trust seals; click on the seals to confirm that they are legitimate.
•  Check your credit report at least once a year with all three reporting bureaus for any suspicious activity or inaccuracies. You can do this for free by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com.

Teen homelessness has become an epidemic. More than two million teens go homeless every night in the U.S. Thirty-two percent have attempted suicide, and 46 percent left home because of abuse. The statistics don’t get better from there. Eighty-five percent of homeless teens have substance abuse problems. One third of homeless youth are lured into prostitution within the first 48 hours of homelessness, and 15 percent of homeless teens do not live to see the age of eighteen.

One Homeless Night, an event hosted across the metro on Nov. 11, is a way to raise money to keep the doors open at Synergy Services, a safe facility for teens who have nowhere else to go. This year MCC-Longview raised over $3,000 to help this cause. Students and other people in the MCC community slept out in an effort to raise awareness about homeless living conditions.

Hannah Sabbaugh, an MCC student and event participant, participated because “it’s just one night. And it’s for a good cause.”

At the beginning of the night a presentation was given by Mace Hakes and Jen Paulsen of Synergy Services to inform participants about their facility and about the epidemic of teen homelessness. Synergy Services is what they called an “umbrella agency,” which means that they help teens with all issues relating to their homelessness, including contacting and trying to work with parents. Teens are allowed to stay only 30 consecutive days at the shelter, but are given access to schooling, therapy and peer mediators, all to help them work through their troubling times. Most of these teens are having family troubles, which Paulsen calls the “root issue.”

Others, like MCC student Cory Kurzweil, participated for fun. “It sounded like a fun experience, it was something different,” he said. He also admitted to having friends who are homeless, and that that also influenced him to participate in the cause. The event however, is not just a cause for fun. The experience included sleeping outdoors with nothing but the clothes on your back. Only those who earned blankets through donations could have one, and though it was a nice night for the beginning of November, it got cold very quickly after the sun went down.

Students contributed amounts of money ranging from $10 all the way up to the top-earning participant in the event, student Kathy Lueck, who donated an awe inspiring $570. She said she decided to participate in the event because she thought it would be a good opportunity to give back to the community.

Event sponsor and English instructor Casey Reid said she was pleased with the event turnout, about 100 people. She hopes that the experience will have had “some impact on participants’ perception of homelessness and the homeless and helped combat some stereotypes and misconceptions.”

Kurzweil shared Reid’s sentiments. “One Homeless Night was quite an experience for everyone who participated in it. It’s definitely something I won’t forget.”

Metropolitan Community College will soon make going to class more convenient for Cass County students.

Starting in February, MCC will offer classes in Cass County at the Belton High School Freshman Center.  Enrollment is already under way for the seven classes that will be offered there this spring.

All classes will be held in the evening from 6-9:30 p.m., one night a week for 12 weeks. Students enrolled there will be able to earn an associate of arts degree after completing a total of 62 credit hours.

The Belton location will mean a shorter commute for Cass County students who want to take a class on campus. Longview, the closest campus in the MCC system to Cass County, can be a good 20-mile drive for many students from there.

Cass County students are looking forward to the savings in money and time.

Ashli Clark, a first year student who lives in Peculiar, said that she “uses $30 in gas a week” traveling to and from Longview. Toni Smalls, a student and a resident of Raymore, said, “I spend a gallon of gas driving to campus and from campus.”

Sarah Reed, a second-year student and a part time resident of Peculiar, likes the idea of spending less time on the road.

“I spend somewhere around an hour and a half in my car, going to and from school,” she said.

College students are notorious for pulling all-nighters. Juggling school, work, family and a busier than ever social life simply don’t leave enough hours in the day to sleep. Unfortunately, slurping another enormous non-fat, double shot, iced mocha may not be enough.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of sleep nightly for adults. According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the largest telephone health survey in the world, 35.3 percent of Americans get less than seven hours of sleep on average. The National Institute of Health estimates that sleep related problems affect 50-70 million Americans of all ages.

This is a widespread problem with huge consequences. Dr. William Dement, founder of the first ever sleep laboratory at Stanford University, warns of the myriad consequences of missing sleep. These include difficulty studying, diminished productivity, tendency to make mistakes, irritability, and fatigue. Sleep deprivation can also have more dire consequences. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that fatigue causes 100,000 auto crashes and 1,500 crash-related deaths a year in the U.S.

Unfortunately, the factors that prevent getting a full nights sleep, such as work, school, family or stress, can be difficult or impossible to eliminate. Possibly the best resolution is to simply make quality sleep a priority.

The CDC recommends these seven tips to better sleep:
1: Stick to a sleep schedule
2: Pay attention to what you eat and drink
3: Create a bedtime ritual
4: Get comfortable
5: Limit daytime naps
6: Include physical activity in your daily routine
7: Manage stress

The holidays have officially arrived, and so have this year’s flu and cold viruses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have prepared a vaccination for 2011-2012 that is identical to the one used last year. How effective is the vaccine and what should a consumer consider before getting the shot?

The groups of people recommended for the flu shot are also the ones most at risk from serious vaccine complications like Guillian-Barre Syndrome, a rare reaction involving the nerves, causing numbness, tingling, loss of motor control and partial paralysis. A case of Guillian-Barre Syndrome was recorded in 2009, to 25 year old former Redskins Cheerleader, Desiree Jennings, after she received her annual flu shot.

Ingredients in the vaccine may contain ingredients that could be detrimental to your health. The vaccine is made by inoculating the fluid from chick embryos. After the virus grows, it is inactivated with formaldehyde a proven carcinogen and then it is preserved with Thimerosal, a mercury compound knows to cause neurological damage.
Scientists have to guess which strains of the flu virus are going to most likely infect people because they change every year. The flu virus is notorious for changing its DNA structure as a survival mechanism. There is no guarantee that the vaccine you receive will protect you from the virus you come in contact with.

The CDC says that the risks of receiving the vaccine are lower than not getting the vaccine at all. Older people and those with compromised immune systems can put themselves as a greater health risk if they receive the vaccine. Mild flu-like symptoms commonly occur and can last one or two days.

There are ways the public can help stop the spread of the flu virus. The CDC recommends these guidelines; avoid close contact with others, stay at home when you are sick, cover your mouth and nose when sneezing, wash your hands frequently, avoid touching facial orifices and establish healthy lifestyle habits. More information about the vaccine can be found at http://cdc.gov.

Heading to Longview westbound on 3^rd Street has caused problems, and it’s not the sheer amount of traffic. It’s a driver’s worst nightmare: When trying to take a left onto View High Drive, drivers are reporting the light not turning green. The light stays red and does not change colors, at all.

Michael Park, City Traffic Engineer in Lee’s Summit, said it’s up to the public to call and warn the city when things are not working properly.

“Most often it is because we have a detection failure, and in the case of the 3rd Street and Longview intersection, there is a video camera that detects vehicle presence. That sends a call to the controller (computer) to service that face,” Park said. In other words, the light turns green only when it sees a car that needs to turn. If the light’s not changing, it’s because the detector doesn’t see the cars.

Longview sophomore Michael Mahoney said it wouldn’t switch from red to green on a morning in late September.“I probably waited there for five minutes and then had to run it eventually,” said Mahoney.

The more detailed the citizen is when calling about a specific light not working, the better Park and the crew can figure out what is wrong.

“Assuming it is a video detection system, we will align the camera to the appropriate lanes. We will verify we are getting a good image and that it is sending the right signal to the controller. Through that evaluation process, it at worst case may need a new camera and best case may need a lens cleaning,” he said.

To report a traffic light not working, anything traffic-related, or for information on signal maintenance visit Cityofls.net or call the Lee’s Summit Operations Division at 816-969-1870.

Student Keenan Kahler throws away his Coke can after hearing about the caramel color study (Liz Harmon/The Current).

by Liz Harmon

In a study conducted by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), caramel color – the coloring in favorite soda and energy drinks such as Coke, Pepsi, Rockstar and Red Bull – was determined to cause thyroid and lung cancer in mice.

In February 2001, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) submitted a petition to the FDA to ban the artificial colors.

“That’s crazy and awesome. I probably won’t finish my drink,” said student Keenan Kahler.

Over the past decade, the National Toxicology Program has been studying the effects of caramel color in mice and concluded there was clear evidence of carcinogenic activity in rats and mice. In 2007, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a division of the World Health Organization concluded the colors are “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

“It should bother me but it doesn’t. It won’t stop me from drinking soda in the future. Everything is going to kill you, so drink what you want,” said student Nicholas Meireis, student. Student Farah Hussain said the information was interesting but not enough to change his drinking habits.  “No matter what we know, we still drink it. I’m addicted to it.”

Artificial coloring is used to offset color that is lost due to certain environmental conditions, such as temperature and storage conditions. They are also used to help make food appealing and “ fun.”

There are four different color types of caramel; caramel I, II, III and IV. Caramel colors III and IV are produced using ammonia. The FDA does not require the colors to be listed as such, but at minimum as “ caramel” or “color.”

“I always thought it was just a color. I probably won’t drink it again,”  said student Tara Thomas.

Caramel color is produced chemically using certain acids, alkalis and salts that are listed under the FDA Code of Regulations Title 21, as long as the amounts are consistent with good manufacturing practice. One of the alkalis used in this process is ammonium hydroxide also known as “ammonia,” a common ingredient found in cleaning agents.

During the caramelization process, when carbohydrates and ammonia are heated together they produce a by-product. Two of those by-products made from making caramel color are 2- and 4-methylimidazole (2-MI and 4-MI), the by-products that caused the cancer in the rats and mice. The FDA does not limit the amount of 2- or 4- MI in caramel colorings.

“I would rather have Coke Clear. They should have an option if they are putting 2 and 4 (MI) in it,” said student Michael Howe. Pepsi used to have a caramel color free drink called Crystal Pepsi, which was on the market for one year in 1992.

The State of California has already concluded 4-MI as a carcinogen and have been going through regulatory proceedings that may require cancer-warning labels on food and non-food products. California determined anything about 16 micrograms a day pose a significant risk to consumers.

The CSPI admits that the cancer risk is small, but they still believe that if 2- and 4- MI caused the cancer in rats and mice, there is still a risk in humans. There have not been any human studies and many people believe that the warning was an unnecessary scare tactic.

Student Robert Stokes read about the study and agreed that the study was controversial. He said, “The results, to me, were exaggerated to get public effect. Doctors were graduates not M.D.s There is no reason for concern because the research was performed with the lowest regulations.”

Currently, there are no results to the petition that was filed against the FDA but the CSPI still hopes that people are still aware of the potential risks.

With the recent release of the new iOS 5 software and the new iPhone 4S barely announced, the news of Steve Jobs’ death October 5 stunned students.

“I was surprised to see that Steve Jobs died,” said MCC student Cory Kurzweil. “I didn’t know he had pancreatic cancer.”

Jobs’ death makes students really think about his life and his contributions. UCM student Brandon Clark describes Jobs as having had a “vision of the future,” which Jobs spent his whole life trying to make into a reality. Jobs had much success during his lifetime, developing important corporations, including Apple and Pixar. He left his footprint on the computer and cell phone industries with his intuitive programs and sleek designs, which contributed to the development of many other technologies.

“He helped pave the way for the things that help keep people in touch in these modern times: email, Facebook, and iTunes. If you can do it on the computer, Steve Jobs had a giant hand in the road leading to it,” said MCC student Zac Holman.

Though Jobs has passed, Clark, Kurzweil and Holman all agree that what was best for the company was done when Jobs stepped down from his position, feeling he was no longer capable of fulfilling his responsibilities. Jobs “placed the company in the hands who he thought was best for Apple,” Clark said.

The Kansas City Chiefs searched high and low for this year’s recipient of the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award. They chose none other than MCC’s own CiCi Rojas, Foundation Board Member. Rojas received a $2,000 donation to a foundation of her choice. Rojas chose to grant the Greater Kansas City Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HDF) .

“A sizeable donation like the one CiCi Rojas means so much to our scholarship fund because 100 percent of those donations go to scholarships for students and it can impact someone’s life in so many ways, ” said Maria Chaurand, HDF Consultant.

HDF has been helping Hispanic students stay in school since 1983. It is their mission to help improve life for Hispanic families in the Greater Kansas City area.