Call me cynical, but I’ve become convinced that World War III could break out, and the country would be too busy watching “Dancing with the Stars” to know it happened. Or Sunday Night Football. Or “NCIS.” Don’t believe me? All three ranked higher in the Nielsen ratings earlier this month than “60 minutes”, the highest rated news program on broadcast television.

Ok, yes, I’m exaggerating and, in fairness, I have no soapbox to stand on here. Quite frankly, it’s shocking that the ESPN logo is not burned into my television set. Watching, writing about, and discussing sports endlessly is my ultimate career goal, but I’ve lately been attempting to take in more local, national, and world news that doesn’t involve fantasy points. I had always considered myself relatively well informed, but I found out that catching headlines and podcasts was only giving me the narrowest of views of the world.  What really disturbed me, however, was that while I felt woefully uninformed and behind the times, I couldn’t find many other people who were more informed and inclined for discussion about things going on in the local community and world at large.

I wound up pondering the differences in college students in the Vietnam generation and the one in school now. Granted, the demographic has changed considerably over the years, but I still find it fascinating to consider how distracted entertainment and social media has made us on the whole. Even with all of the technology the world now has to communicate information to each other, the average college student is not actively aware of or involved in political events or societal changes. The Occupy Wall Street movement and protestors in Egypt and other countries have effectively used social media sites like Facebook to spread their message, but how many people are truly paying attention? Certainly many more people are aware of these events because of social networking sites than would be without them, but imagine what the college protestors of the Vietnam War might have accomplished with the power of Twitter behind them. How much more quickly might the sit-in movement in the South have grown with instant picture and video postings? Envision what Woodstock might have been if it started as a Facebook event.

My point is that maybe we as college students need to take a step back and consider our role in the new global society we live in. We are so saturated with various forms of media that it is entirely too easy to focus on entertainment than issues. It says something about us as a generation, however, that it is easier to find more students that can list “The X-Factor” finalists than those who can name the Presidential candidate front-runners. Perhaps if we exchange keeping up with the Kardashians for keeping up with the Senate, studying fantasy numbers for budget numbers, “Modern Warfare” for modern wars, and status updates for social awareness, we can change the dangerously ignorant path I fear that we’re on.

The crosswalks in front of MCC-Longview, Kessler Drive and Fascination Drive at Longview Road, are causing some worry for students at MCC-Longview.

“It’s never been a huge problem, but it could be safer in between classes when there is more traffic,” said student Josh Zans.

When the parking spaces on the school property are all occupied, students have to park across the street, making student safety the responsibility of the City of Lee’s Summit.

“The school is supposed to provide parking and that area is not owned by the school,” said Rod Schaeffer, Sergeant of Special Operations of the City of Lee’s Summit.

Even though students primarily use the crosswalks, standard pedestrian signs with painted lines to cross the street are used instead of school crossing signs.

“There are only two stop signs. Half of the people peel out just to look cool,” said Dylan George, student. Although there are two stop signs that stop traffic in front of pedestrians walking north and south bound when most students are walking east and west bound where there are no stop signs for oncoming traffic.

Students have noticed cars speeding on Longview Drive, too. “I have to cross both walks and I feel the speed limit should be 25. People are going 35 or 40 down the road,” said student Heather Howell. The speed limit on Longview Road is 30 miles per hour. The fatality rate for a vehicle traveling at that rate is 40 percent and goes up to 80 percent at 40 miles per hour.

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), is the nationally recognized standard for traffic control adopted by the City of Lee’s Summit. The MUTCD says that a school speed zone is recommended for crosswalks with probable schoolchild pedestrian crossing activity that is not protected by a traffic signal or stop sign, the adjacent school is elementary level instruction and the posted speed limit is less than 40 miles per hour. MCC-Longview meets two out of the three guidelines.

Loren Schoff, Public Safety Officer of MCC-Longview says that in two years since students have been parking across the street, there have been no accidents or complaints filed between drivers and pedestrians. To file a complaint or concern you must contact the City of Lee’s Summit Special Operations Unit at 816-969-1758.

You’re standing by the water fishing with a top water plug. The Sun has just dropped beneath the horizon and the Earth is cooling off. Popping the lure several times, a “KABOOM” splashes the water.

Setting the hook to the right, you fiercely start to reel in. A succulent tug and tremendous weight appears on the end of the line. You know this is a big largemouth bass. He goes left, then right and you finally gain control of the fight. You see him flash close to the bank and say, “I cannot lose this fish!” You finally get him on the bank and it is a four-and-a-half-pound bass.

This is the exact feeling I had about a week ago.

The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is a species of Black bass in the Sunfish family. Largemouth bass are native to North America and are known for their aggressiveness to eat almost anything that is alive. The largest Largemouth caught in the Missouri is a 13 pound 14 ounce monster by Marvin Bushong on Bull Shoals Lake.

Largemouth bass in Missouri seldom get bigger than 10 pounds in Missouri. Having caught three fish this year, five-pounds plus, let me tell you, those fish are big for around Kansas City. The fight they put out is tremendous.

Use a medium action fishing rod five-and-a-half feet or longer. Get a rod with IM6 or better graphite rating. Any medium-size reel will do as long as it is not too big. Using 8- to 12-pound monofilament is the best. You will need to buy good hooks—use No. 2 to No. 4 hooks. These hooks are medium to large and will allow a solid hook-set. Bass have strong jaws and need a hard hook-set to drive the hook in. Weights may or may not be needed in certain situations. The best lure is a plastic worm of any size. Year-round this will catch you more fish than any other lure.

The best way to learn is to get out there and try. Fishing from the bank, cast twice on the bank and twice out deep. Then cast twice on the left bank and move to another spot nearby. Fish visible cover like branches and rocks because largemouth bass generally hide by cover to wait for unsuspecting prey to venture their way.

The more you fish, the better your chances are to catch one. The bite feels like a quick tap tap, or it will pick up the lure and swim with it. Watch your line where it meets the water for anything that looks out of the ordinary.

A fishing permit is required for persons over the age of 16 in Missouri. You can get them at a retailer or conservation office near you. The cost is $12 for one year. This is to upkeep the lakes in Missouri. The dollar a month is well worth it. Good luck and happy fishing all.

It is ten minutes until class and the anxiety hits. Pulling into the parking lot, it is apparent. There are no parking spaces. Anxiety worsens and a decision must be made: Wait for a student to leave campus or park far away.

These are the problems faced by MCC-Longview students on a day-to-day basis.

Longview freshman Jon Cooper does not mind the walk. “I don’t bother going in the parking lot to park, I always parallel park, it’s just a waste of time trying to find a parking spot,” he said.

Staff and handicapped parking is close to the buildings. Longview Sophomore Stephanie Fleming said, “Parking sucks… There are places for staff and handicapped to park, but half of it’s empty.”

Dean of Student Development Janet Cline said that parking at MCC-Longview exceeds the amount of parking spaces required by the government guidelines. “The city would inform us if we did not meet these guidelines,” she said.

According to Cline, MCC-Longview currently has 1,911 parking spaces on campus. Fifty-one of those spaces are reserved to meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In order to park in these slots, the student must have a state-issued handicapped license plate or hang-tag.

Bruce Best of Architectural Graphics Management and Planning (AGMP) said the largest requirements for compliance are based on city zoning codes. “The first factor is the number of students attending Longview. The second factor is the absolute maximum square footage of the buildings,” Best said.

The use of a building is another factor. “The problem is the amount of students attending that were predicted when the buildings were designed,”  Best said.

Parking spaces created when each of the buildings went up were smaller than they are now – and more students attend Longview now than 20 years ago.

Cline pointed out that something has been done recently to combat the parking issue. “Two summers ago we received construction funding from the state and the Longview portion of that was used to construct additional student parking in A Lot,” she said.

Staff of MCC-Longview has parking available closest to the buildings. Cooper disapproves.

“I personally do not like it because they are there for a whole day while students are there for a couple of hours a day,” he said.

“Proportionately, there is more student parking per student then there is employee parking per employee,” said Cline.

The Recreation Center hike might take several minutes, but staff completes the dreaded hike too. “I’ve worked here for 16 years and if I arrive much past 8:30 – 9 a.m., all of the convenient parking is full and I, the president or faculty, are hiking from the Recreation Center parking lot,” she said.

Cline said the reason that staff parking is closer to the school than student parking is because many employees leave campus to meet with students or conduct meetings. The designated parking makes sure that staff can come and go more easily.

It’s not different for staff who arrive late. “Employees who arrive late are expected to park elsewhere throughout the lots and walk to their office or classroom,” she said.

She understands what we students go through. “I hope they understand I do understand. I have been in their shoes,” said Cline.

Maybe students should try to leave five to ten minutes earlier. If that does not work, prepare to put on your walking shoes.

Enrollment at Metropolitan Community Colleges is at a standstill, and there is only one place for fingers of blame to point–MCC itself.

According to MCC, the Enroll Now Pay Now program is supposed to help students who are “serious” about taking classes, the opportunity to have their pick of classes without being limited because of less serious students holding on the classes without payment until the computer system drops them.

Many students forced to make a $35 payment did so, but many are waiting for the college to hurry up so they do not have to give up the hefty sum. This has caused enrollment to be much slower than ever before.

This program fails in its mission to help students, hurting far more individuals than it assists. MCC considers students serious if they have money to pay the school on the day they enroll, whether with their own money or financial aid. If students do not make a full payment, they must set up a payment plan that requires an initial one-time fee of $35  is paid.

Students face many issues when trying to enroll. Even if students file all required paperwork by the priority date, they must face a waiting game. Each must wait until the understaffed financial aid office at their respective campus completes the processing of paperwork.

Student relying on grants to pay for enrollment endure just as much trouble as any cash-paying student. The school randomly chooses students for further review of tax information, which makes students wait weeks for approval. If students need to enroll in classes, they are unable to because of this lengthy review process. The only alternative available for students happens to be the payment plan.

Many more students rely on student loans to pay for classes. These individuals are forced to set up payment plans when the school processes loan paperwork like molasses, due to strained employees working tirelessly on thousands of files.
Cash paying students who may usually have the money to pay for classes at the time school begins are forced to set up payment plans, when they were usually given more time to pay in the past.

MCC conveniently set up this program to increase revenue. With hundreds of students on each campus being placed under review, MCC makes tens of thousands of dollars. The amount of students being forced to set up payment plans becomes much higher when including loan students and cash students. The set-up fee of $35 may seem like a small amount to pay, but in the lives of students, this sum can be hard to come by.

For every 286 students who must set up a payment plan, the educational institution pulls in $10,000. The school is dishonestly setting up students through the enforcement of the Enroll Now Pay Now program and is hindering enrollment of students in the process. The Enroll Now Pay Now program hurts students as it helps MCC’s bottom line.

Deafening quiet fills the classroom as final exams pass from desk to desk. Each student takes the heavy load with mixed feelings. With a clock speeding towards pencils down, tension sweeps across the room.

A student reaches in to his or her hoodie for a cell phone to text for answers. Another slightly moves his test up to read the notes covertly written on the desk the night before. Answers can be found scattered across the classroom, written on coke cans, pencils, hands and under the bill of ball caps.

“My first reaction is that I have to stop the cheating at the moment I see it,” said LeAnn Lotz-Todd, a Longview mathematics instructor. “Cheating is definitely something that bothers me, as there is no excuse for it.”

One hundred Longview students took part in a blind poll about cheating. Forty-seven percent said they had cheated in high school and eighteen percent said they have cheated in college. Only forty-five percent said they had never and would never cheat. Every respondent who cheated in high school and college said they would continue.

“The opportunity to cheat is there for the taking,” Alan-Michael Dougherty, a sophomore Longview student said. “Everybody wants something better than they have, and some are willing to do anything to get a leg up.”

Students’ attitudes toward cheating make the act as interesting as it is wrong. Even though students will not cheat themselves, many choose against reporting cheaters to the proper authorities. Seventy-four percent of students said they would not report someone for cheating. Nineteen percent said they had never cheated and would report a cheater.

Only one student who cheated in high school, college and will continue to cheat said that he or she would report a fellow cheater. By allowing others to cheat without consequence, how can the behavior ever be stopped?

“The integrity of the class greatly suffers with cheating present in the classroom and it hurts the people who actually do the work,” Meledge said. “In college, you have to do the work yourself or else you will not make it.”

Cheating is nothing new. In fact, it can be seen in many forms from journalistic plagiarism to classroom deceit. Cell phones allow students to cheat more effectively through texting than could be done with the passing of notes.

“With the technology of today, it is very tough to catch people in the act of cheating,” said Victor Meledge, a Longview geography instructor. “If the opportunity is available for cheaters, then people will take the easy way out.”

The dishonesty of few can form an umbrella over many as was seen in the 2010 University of Central Florida cheating scandal involving hundreds of students. A copy of the test complete with questions and answers had floated around campus, allowing students to achieve on average one letter grade higher than any previous class. No college wants to endure the same travesty of the UCF cheating scandal.

“I would hope cheating is not as widespread in college because we are all here on our own accord and dollar, but when you know you can get away with something, it increases the likelihood to do so,” said Jake Turney, a sophomore. “As a student at Longview, we do not as a college, want to be known for cheating, or labeled as such.”

As children, we are taught that cheaters never win. Integrity should be worth more than the increasing grade earned through dishonest behavior.

“Cheaters weed themselves out,” said Lotz-Todd. “Cheating catches up with people.”

A foundation of hard work can collapse through a single indiscretion. Unethical acts have no place in the world, especially in academic settings.

“Cheating can have a huge impact on a person’s academic progress,” Turney said. “Cheaters sell themselves short, and you want to get the most out of college.”

We have an obligation to hold ourselves to a high standard. As students, our behavior reflects back on our school and ourselves, whether it is positive or negative. The future is in each our hands. We must strive to be the best we can without resorting to amoral conduct.

An important question left off the poll could define each student: Would it be better to receive a high grade through cheating, but leave the class knowing little or would it be more worthwhile to leave a class with a lesser grade along with our honor left intact?

“Cheating affects everyone to an extent,” Dougherty said. “I would like to believe that an individual cheating incident would just be thought of as isolated, but in the society we live in, the darkness is brought across everybody.”

Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears, the NFL-record holder for kick return touchdowns, said it best on ESPN 1000 Radio in Chicago: “They’re going too far…changing the whole fun of the game.”

The National Football League becomes more like the No Fun League with each landmark rule it decides to change. Over the past few seasons, the NFL has completely changed rules of the game that had long been a mainstay in the minds of fans. The owners have let the power go to their heads.

The latest change to the rulebook goes beyond ridiculous. Owners voted 26-6 to move kickoffs to the 35-yard line from the 30, but leaving touchbacks at the 20 instead of moving them to the 25. The kickoff spot was pushed back to the 30 from the 35 in a 1994 rule change. This new change takes a great deal of pleasure away from fans. No more extraordinary kickoff returns for touchdowns. Well, at least not as many. Now we will have an increasing number of touchbacks. And the NFL says that by changing the rule, the number of injuries will decrease. One of the most exciting plays in football will once again become a rarity.

NFL fans do not need more touchbacks. Last year Billy Cundiff of the Baltimore Ravens tied a single-season league record with 40 touchbacks.

Hester further said, “Fans come out to see returns…now you are taking that away…you’re taking the whole return game out of the picture.”

The newest red marks to the NFL Rule Book seem as actions by the owners who are apparently not busy enough with the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement. Some rule changes can have a good effect on the game. Most of the rule changes prove that owners have lost it. They do not care what the fans want. Did they forget who makes the NFL go round? The Fans.

Players and owners disagree with a growing number of issues in the NFL. The rule changes by owners continue to build upon the wedge that separates the two groups. The players have no say in rule changes. Only the 32 owners, the competition committee and the commissioner get to make the decisions. This separation of power must stop.

The place of the kickoff was not the only kickoff change. From now on, coverage teams will be shortened from a 10-to a 15-yard running start before the kicker makes ball contact to only 5 yards. This change occurred due to the moving of the place for kickoffs. With the ball being place five yards further down field, many of the kicks will be higher, in order to try and keep the ball in the playing field. Higher kicks will lead to the trapping of returners, who will then fair-catch, leading to the detrimental decrease in the amount of returns.

Brad Smith on XM Mad Dog Radio said, “It just really changes the whole dynamic of a game, one of the most important plays in football.”

One rule change the NFL did that made complete sense dealt with the issue of scoring controversies. Booth replay official review will now occur on all scoring plays, so that coaches will not have to use challenges on scores. This is a great decision considering the amount of possible blown calls each Sunday. The rule also has the possibility of adding time to games that are already long enough at times. The rule addition passed 30-2. The competition committee had wanted to eliminate the third challenge owners receive when getting their two challenges correct. Instead, the two sides came to the new agreement. This amendment to the rulebook will make sure scoring plays get counted correctly, even if a coach is out of challenges.

The NFL also decided to require teams to get league approval before switching the color of their field. This issue stems from the blue field of Boise State and the reddish-orange field of Eastern Washington that are popular attractions in college football.

We have seen the most bogus rule changes in the last few years. One such rule is the tuck rule, which allows fumbles to become incomplete passes more often for quarterbacks. It even allowed Tom Brady to lead his team to the creation of a dynasty with the first win coming from an incorrect rule versus the Oakland Raiders.

For decades, fans were used to seeing a referee put out both of his arms to signify that a receiver was pushed out and therefore were given credit for the catch. This rule was fair. It allowed for receivers and their teams to get the yards they would have earned if the defender had not pushed him out of bounds. The NFL changed this rule a couple of seasons ago, which has led to many catches being cancelled out. Utterly, one of the most horrendous rules changes…ever.

Owners and the competition committee get bored with having things stay the same for too long. They must change something every year to improve the game in their eyes. The changes, in the eyes of many fans, further lessen the appeal the game once had.

Why do people talk during movies?

As the credits begin to roll, the realization sets in that the time has finally come. The future has arrived at last. The movie will start very soon. Tuned in to the screen, the rest of the theater disappears. Vision locked to the screen, mind engaged.

All of a sudden, noise appears. Is it talking? Perhaps it is the movie. No. Well, what is it? Seriously, the movie is starting. Silence is crucial.

Look to the left, look to the right. The answer to the question of the noise comes to the forefront.

A couple just feet away have apparently forgotten that talking creates a frustrating atmosphere in a theater setting. Common sense would seem to seep into the minds of a normal moviegoer. Unfortunately, these individuals must lack the intelligence needed to attend a movie in the first place.

If people have the dying sensation to talk during a film, then the best place to watch a movie would be their house. Movie tickets do not come cheap. Respect and decency should follow a person no matter where they venture.

A happy theater should not contain cell phones, talking, or crying children in an R-rated film (actually no children at all). Money does not come easy, and many people cannot afford for it to be wasted.

Whispering during the previews commonly takes place in every theater as people chatter about wanting to see the movie that belongs to the trailer playing. Once the production symbols make themselves visible on the screen and the credits come forward, all talking and noise should cease.

The pure of enjoyment of a movie comes from being able to place one’s self in the film. The feeling that we are in the movie makes seeing it an utter delight. No person has the right to ruin the viewing experience of another. Conversation needs to be halted for the few hours of the movie’s playing time.

The only talking that should occur in a theater during a movie is that of actors and actresses on the screen. Take the ridiculous giggling, laughing, talking, texting and narrating outside the theater or stay home.

No one wants to be the one to get up and tell on a theatre culprit. Then again, they should not be put in a position where they have to awkwardly exit the theater, missing minutes of the film.

Interruptions should lead to dismissal. As an avid movie lover, this reporter has a sheer lack of patience for those who want to make the theater their living room. The first one out the door to find a manager to escort a talker out is the one who happens to enjoy movies the most–me.

Q:  The engine light on my 1999 Mazda 626 is on when I drive and the radiator has no fluid, even after I fill it up, but I can’t find a leak. The antifreeze hasn’t mixed with the oil, and there’s no stench coming from the exhaust when the head is cracked. What could be the problem?

A:  The 1999 Mazda 626 can have one of a few different problems. First, check the transmission fluid because they share the same radiator. If there is no sign of an exchange, then a few tests need to be performed.

First, start with a pressure test. This will pressurize the system to check for any leaks. If no leaks are found with a pressure test, it would be best to fill the radiator and overflow to the proper level and run it. Start with the vehicle and bring it to operating temperatures for 10 minutes. Check under the car for any leaking. Turn off the vehicle and let it sit for 5 minutes. While the car rests, smell around the engine compartment for that sweet smell that comes from the exhaust when the head is cracked. If there is an internal leak, there could be coolant collected in one or more of the cylinders. Start the vehicle again, and check the exhaust for any white smoke from the coolant being burned.

If internal leaks are detected, then the leaks can be caused by a number of problems. Take the car into the shop, and there is a good chance that they will be repairing the cylinder head (the top of the combustion chamber).

I write this column after a grievance with MetroFlex, a bus service provided by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (ATA) since 1993. The service operates differently from the regular bus system because it allows riders to schedule trips to and from their homes. The MetroFlex bus is advertised to travel to anywhere in KCATA’s service area and does not make unscheduled stops along its path from departure to arrival.

 My request began simply enough. After reading MetroFlex’s information pamphlet with its promise of “personalized service,” I phoned the ATA call center to schedule my own personalized trip to campus. I was not in luck.

According to the call agent, the MetroFlex bus would not arrive at the time I requested. Instead, I was told the bus traveled to and from the MCC-Longview campus only about five times a day. I would have to ride on one of those trips to get to campus.

After my third call—because a bus just had to pick me up from campus at 1:45 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, not 2:55 p.m.—I began thinking about this column. What could be more enraging? Not the BP spill. The bus system. What happened to the “personalized service?”

A regular bus used to run through campus here. Remnant signs dot the parking lot and circular drive where the bus used to travel. The 258 Longview Connector, it was called. It ran from morning to night, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., carrying 60 passengers on 32 trips throughout the day. Bu, because of financial troubles last year, ATA cancelled the route and transformed the area MetroFlex, the 296 Bannister/Hillcrest MetroFlex, into a kind of regular route for travelers trying to get to campus. Riders would not be picked up from home, but would instead have to travel to a central location in the area to get a ride, and they would have only about five opportunities to make it to campus.

In spite of my upset, I conceded and made my morning connection, my angst dissipating as a young driver whisked me away from Bannister between an expansive golf course and an open field of haystacks. At least a bus came at all.

I think my anger had its roots in the principal of equal access, that every student should have the same access to education and that a city should provide its citizenry with the means to obtaining that access. Regular bus routes travel to every other MCC campus—Blue River, Maple Woods, Penn Valley, and Business and Technology. Why would Longview’s campus be different? Why would a city discontinue a service to a major landmark?

Instead of setting preset arrivals and departures from Bannister to campus here, the MetroFlex should open its availability as needed by each student rider, and the MetroFlex should travel to student’s homes. That’s the policy that is implied by the MetroFlex’s informational pamphlet, and that’s the policy that should be followed.