The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced to MCC’s Board of Trustees that it has filed a complaint with the EEOC.

At the Feb. 17 meeting of the board, NAACP Kansas City President Nancy Russell presented a statement saying, “Since this Board of Trustees refuses to involve the community in the selection of a chancellor and some other high-level positions, the NAACP has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for alleged discriminatory hiring practices.”

The board recently named Vice Chancellor Mark James, who is white, to replace retiring chancellor Jackie Snyder, who is white.

The organization requested information on the “racial composition” and gender of all students and employees before the March 17 board meeting. The college distributed a response saying, “MCC has worked diligently to improve its diversity and inclusiveness and will continue to do so” and listing the information requested by Russell.

Also attending the meeting was Clinton Adams of the Urban Summit, who presented a statement asking Missouri legislators and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver to “withdraw all support for the allocation of federal and state funds to this institution until you change your discriminatory practices.”

Kathryn Bigelow is the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Director (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times/MCT).

Jordan Martin is the winner of the Current’s Oscar picks contest. He predicted every major award except Adapted Screenplay, and he knew that District 9 was funded by the the money raised for a movie based on the video game Halo, which was scuttled before it got started. Big winners: 

• Best Picture: The Hurt Locker
• Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
• Best Actress: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Best Supporting Actress: Monique, Precious
• Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• Best Supporting Actor: Christophe Walz, Inglourious Basterds
• Best Original Screenplay: The Hurt Locker
• Best Adapted Screenplay: Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Penn Valley’s Student Ambassadors will host MCC’s tenth annual talent show on Friday, March 5, and welcome all students to attend.

The event will be held on the Penn Valley Campus in the theatre of the Science Tech building. Tickets cost $6 in advance and $7 at the door. Space is limited to 240 seats, so get your tickets before they run out.

First, second, and third-place prizes will be awarded. For any questions, contact Penn Valley Student Ambassador Veronica Scroggins.

Longview’s baseball home opener is Saturday, March 6. Team members warm their arms in the gym throughout the winter, making sure they can pinpoint throws on a daily basis (Marcus Sunde/The Current).

Yummy (Marcus Sunde/The Current).

by Kyle Gross and Marcus Sunde

Chocolate, one of the most divine tastes a person can enjoy, is so amazing February 17 has been designated National Chocolate Day. To celebrate, Longview Campus Life and Leadership hosted a chocolate splurge in the Campus Center that included a fondue chocolate fountain, with choices of dipping strawberries, graham crackers, or marshmallows.

The fountain was so popular that it ran out a half hour before the show was supposed to pack up and leave for the day.

Some students needed to go back for multiple trips.

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“I love chocolate day,” said Jacob Rocklold, a first-year student. “I’ve gone back again and again. This is my new favorite holiday.”

Even students who had never experienced fondue chocolate before, like first timer Phranqlin Brownfield, were in a state of awe of the deliciousness of the chocolate and the sheer grandeur of the fountain.

“National Chocolate Day should be an official no school day type holiday, you can’t pass up free chocolate, it’s yummy,” said second year student Billy Lee.

MCC-Penn Valley hosted a health fair in February to address the top health concerns of African Americans—diabetes and HIV among them. The Campus Activities Board and Penn Valley Admissions collaborated to organize the event.

“We tried our best to get all those areas covered,” said Gerald Palmer, academic advisor at Penn Valley. “The goal is to give our students correct information about their health.”

Organizations like Komen for the Cure and Heart to Heart International provided information about volunteering. Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center, a local general practice clinic, provided diabetes screenings.

While some students talked with representatives and waited in line for diabetes screenings, Penn Valley student Donna Rowland huddled at the information table of the Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care.

“I was checking out what they had, and I wanted to get info on the Hospice House,” said Rowland.

Students were able to find out which common health issues could affect them most, and Rowland might well be concerned. According to Karlease Bradford, Director of Cultural Health Initiatives at the American Heart Association, African Americans and women are especially vulnerable to heart disease.

“African Americans in the United States have the highest prevalence of high blood pressure in the world,” said Bradford. “ Heart disease is the number one killer of women over the age of 20.”

The collection of health organizations did not address all of the top concerns for African Americans, but for those trying to improve their overall heart health, Rowland offers some advice.

“You really want to know your numbers [blood pressure and cholesterol for example],” Rowland said, “and talk with your doctor so you can learn how to keep them in the correct range.”

Students wanting more information about heart health should visit Health.org. To get involved in a health services organization, contact Heart to Heart International in Olathe, Kansas at 913-764-5200.

Swimmers donated a minimum of $75 to Special Olympics. Costumes are part of the annual tradition (Marcus Sunde/The Current).

Longview beach was filled with more than 900 people on Jan. 30. Each person showed up either to jump into a freezing cold lake or to support friends and family members who made the Polar Bear Plunge to raise funds for Special Olympics.

The temperature was 27 degrees Fahrenheit. Some people might jump into the freezing lake just to be able to say, “I jumped!” But for these swimmers, it was about supporting and raising money for special needs people.

“I’m 55 and keep saying next year will be my last,” one swimmer said. “But whenever I see my son’s friend Brett [who has Down's Syndrome] standing on the beach holding our towels, it makes jumping in the freezing water worth it.”

Each swimmer donated a minimum of $75 to participate. By 9:30 a.m., the largest donation given for a single jump was $8,000, according to organizers.

Jumps began at noon. Eighty heats of 15-25 people stood in line waiting for their turn to jump into Longview Lake.

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Evening approaches, and soon the MCC-Penn Valley Fitness Center gets busy. A basketball game plays out downstairs, and people make their way to the ellipticals and treadmills. Darrell Phillips, coordinator at the fitness center, bandages a knee and prepares to finish his workout.

Phillips is one of a handful of instructors at the fitness center who work with students and community members to achieve their fitness goals. For students and community members, goals vary from person to person.

“I need to lose some weight,” says Jackie Werley, a Penn Valley student who enrolled in several semesters of physical education courses to achieve her goal.

“I’m trying to gain five pounds of muscle in two weeks,” says Ladon Chambagnie, Penn Valley basketball player.

Weight loss and muscle gain are common goals, but the staff at the fitness center promotes a broader idea of fitness. According to Sheri Deets, personal trainer and physical education instructor, fitness is not about losing weight.

“Not everybody needs to lose weight,” says Deets, who leads a 12 noon boot camp and a 5 p.m. kickboxing class. According to Deets, fitness is about overall health.

“The five components of fitness are cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, body composition, and flexibility,”she said.

And, according to Phillips, fitness can be measured. He and the other staff at the center implement a series of tests to determine each person’s level of fitness.

“We have fitness evaluations for each of the [five] parameters,” he said.

Most beginner plans are low intensity, functional based activities, like practicing lunges to improve the ability to lift grocery bags.

But what of those who want to go beyond basic fitness to loftier goals, like weight loss or muscle gain? Phillips and the staff find activities suited for the individual, matching their interest and body type to a particular type of physical activity.

“It’s a process,” Phillips said. “You need to try various things [and] give feedback to your instructor.”

Physical therapists are available all day to test for fitness, create workout programs, and encourage good nutrition for students and members.

Lorrie Blake (Antoinette Bradley/The Current)

Whether it’s called The Good Center or the Re-Entry Club, Longview Campus Center room 257 has a positive effect on students.

The Re-Entry Club is not only a lounge for students to study, says Longview Student Services assistant Lorrie Blake. It’s specifically for students who have been out of school for five years or more. Founded in 1978 by Longview English Fran Good, the program is designed to assist returning students to adjust to college demands.

Students come to the Re-Entry Club to form personal connections with other students, form study groups, receive updates on campus events, and to take part in good networking opportunities. Sometimes, they even have potlucks.

Last semester, the club engaged in sessions with the counselors participating in stress-management and relaxing exercises, and also learning about college success skills.

Blake has been a student at Longview for six years and the club gave her the opportunity to help other people, she said. As leader of the group, she wants to make sure that for future students there process is as smooth as possible.

“My goal is to make sure students know about The Re-Entry Club,” she said.

Kathy Baker, who has been attending Longview for two and half years, says that the Re-Entry atmosphere is friendly, the club is informative, and everyone is close-knit.

Club member Kenneth Miller agreed, and says that knowing people that are motivated to do something with their life is a good thing. Miller also says that the Re-Entry Club is a good support system, adding that meeting people who understand you and your situation can provide insight.

“Learn to focus on the successes than failures. Focusing on the successes will be more successful,” is what he’s learned as part of the group.

Good Center/Re-Entry Club office hours are Monday – Thursday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Fridays 8 – 2:30.