First Place
Nick Fox, Photo Page: Plaza Art Fair

Second Place
Rachel Cantrell, Feature Photography: Rumors
Mike Blake, Story Illustration: Geese attack Longview
The Current, Overall

Third Place
Rick Wirt, Feature Writing: Phi Theta Kappa officer named Soldier of the Year
Jordan Lee, Sports Writing: Lakers train for another banner year
Michael Bartlett, Regular Column: American potheads are responsible
Mike Blake, Political/Editorial Cartoon: Me? Get swine flu?
Mike Blake, Non-Political/Entertainment Cartoon: Park at the Rec Center

Honorable Mention
Bryan Gentry & Michael Bartlett: Ban Johnson proposal shouldn’t be approved
Sean Graham, Sports Writing: Sports Lodge lends excitement to Lee’s Summit
The Current, Feature Page: Rumors

Miller (right) tutors in the Bloch School at UMKC (Jordan Lee/The Current).

by Jordan Lee

Longview graduate Steven Miller has found his niche. After discovering a natural talent while earning his Associate’s Degree at Longview, Miller, now a senior at University of Missouri Kansas City’s Bloch School, has transitioned his skills and education into success at the university level.

Miller’s story has not always been filled with achievement though. Out of high school, he pursued an ambition to play Division I basketball, but eventually realizing his goal was unobtainable, he found himself at Longview. It was here where he found his natural talent with numbers and began to grow into the sociable director he is today.

Miller took his first accounting class and as a result realized his passion and potential to excel in the discipline. “I could just read the book and figure it out. It convinced me that I need to do this,” he said. “I like looking at bank statements and there’s just something about things balancing.”

As easy as the numbers came for Miller, the outgoing behavior did not. Naturally an introvert, Miller finally stepped out of his comfort zone when he accepted an offer for an accounting tutor position his sophomore year. Pushed by a teacher to fill the spot, Miller’s interactions as a tutor led to growth in his involvement.
These skills and traits naturally carried over as he moved on to UMKC after graduating from LV in the spring of 2007. As a junior working toward a B.S. in accounting, Miller became involved with the honors accounting fraternity Beta Alpha Psi and was elected treasurer, assuming responsibilities that include creating financial statements for the organization, as well as planning and organizing community service involvement.

“You have to be involved and step out of your comfort zone. It opens doors that you may never know existed,” said Miller.

Over time his abilities and involvement began to gain notice which led to prime opportunities. In December of 2008, Miller was selected to participate in the FBI Citizens Academy. Here Miller learned about the inner workings of being an agent and got the chance to speak with current federal investigators.

“I hope to become a special agent in the white collar division dealing with forensic accounting and money laundering,” Miller said.

Along with the government recognition, Miller has also received notice from the faculty of UMKC. He was recommended by his teachers and selected to be on the cover of UMKC’s Bloch School magazine for 2008. Although a cover boy, Miller tries to remain humble with all his recent accomplishments. He credits his faith and family background as his support system and swears by using a planner to manage his time.

An air of change is apparent for the Lakers volleyball team, as head coach Darrin McBroom departs for Division I Western Iowa. McBroom’s resignation left the team searching for the next coach to pilot a program that is recognized for its prolonged success and high level of competition. To fill the position, eight candidates were interviewed and after a month long search, the team has named Rob Kaleikau as McBroom’s successor.

This will be Kaleikau’s first head coaching job after years of training individual players as a volleyball instructor in the community. “Kaleikau does a lot of one-on-one stuff and runs camps,” said Assistant Coach Jana Marler. “Anything that requires one-on-one volleyball or training, he does.”

“The kids are part of the interview process,” said Athletic Director John O’Connell. “I and the committee meet with the candidate and then we turn them loose with the kids and they have an informal discussion. The players give us really good feedback.”

Presumably, this transition has drawn some emotion from the players who worked closely with McBroom over the years but, for the returning girls, they have not allowed these personnel issues to become personal ones. The offseason process has left the team with many questions but now with the recent appointing of a head coach they can begin to quiet any doubts.

The main issue for the team now is the process of recruiting. The four returners – Kaitlin Bartolotta, Laura Green, Meghan Stratton, and Holly Wilson – will form the foundation of the team and they hope to combine with incoming talent.

“It’s hard not knowing if we’re going to get good recruits or not,” said Stratton. “He knows a lot of girls around the area so I think he’ll be able to get great recruits.”

With a coaching switch it is common for commitments to change but the team is optimistic that talent is readily available.

“The coach is important, but it’s the talent that we’re recruiting from,” said O’Connell. “I’ve plugged in four different coaches and won region championships. We can do well with a good recruiter in this area.”
Even with major changes, no one is willing to say that this is a rebuilding process. The team still plans to continue their winning trend and remain a force within the sport.

“We all have that competitive spirit,” said Green. “As long as [Kaleikau] trains us well, I think we can always compete.”

Lakers dive toward another NJCAA Division II Championship (Sean Graham/The Current).

The Longview Lakers baseball team is in full swing as they prepare for the 2009 season. After an enviably successful season resulting in a trip to the National Championship tournament, the team hopes to continue the trend.

Of the 29-man roster, only six players return from last year and the team must call upon some new talent to fill the voids. Most would be apprehensive when faced with the task of replacing a 2007 championship roster, but the Lakers are confident in the new roles they will assume.

“Our goals are the same as always—we’re going to try and win another National Championship,” said head coach Clint Culbertson. “I think the advantage that we have this year is that we have a bunch of new guys that bring a new energy. There’s not a chance of becoming stale or resting on our laurels.”

Culbertson said he is convinced that this year’s group is highly capable of performing at or above the same level as their predecessors. He also feels that with such a young team, it will take time for them to mature into their game.

“Athletically, this might be the most athletic team we’ve had in the three years that I’ve been at Longview,” said Culbertson. “They’re just young and we’ll have to see how that talent plays out in a game.”

The handful of returning players who look to guide this young team down the same path they traveled last year will use their experience and understanding of what makes a championship team. They realize the potential to obtain another title.

“The only thing we lack is obviously experience, but as the season goes on, the young guys will get [more innings],” said sophomore relief pitcher Adam Randles. “They’re going to have to play and they’re going to have to mature over the course of the year.”

With an already refined program, the expectations are set high for those who are new to the team. The prestige that they are associated with is understood and many look forward to the challenge of competing at such high levels.

“I know that I’m going to learn more [things] from players that are good,” said freshman third baseman and outfielder Taylor Didier. “It’s actually a learning experience and I know that I’ll be improving.”

The roster adjustment is not the only challenge the team may face this year. The competition will also be new, due to a change made in postseason matchups. If the Lakers advance beyond the Missouri bracket, the team will no longer play Illinois teams, but instead compete with teams from Oklahoma.

“Last year Western Oklahoma put up some gaudy Nintendo-type numbers. They’d be some pretty good competition if it were that team,” said Culbertson. “Until you’ve played in [the post season] you really don’t appreciate it. If you prepare the right way, you practice the right way, and you plan on it, then you have a pretty good chance of being successful.”

The Lakers begin the season traveling to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M on Feb. 14.

Slideshow: Practice, Jan. 22, 2009.

Photos and full-screen slideshow on Flickr

The Longview Lakers record-breaking season ended in the regional championship game against a team that they had previously beaten twice before in the season. The Lakers lost to regional rival, East Central in what turned out to be a grueling match.

“It was a difficult five-game match which we lost 14-16 in the fifth game,” said Coach Darrin McBroom. “Our opponent had been ranked just behind us all season long; we knew it would be difficult.”

The Lakers finished the strong season with an overall record of 35-10, compiling accomplishments along the way. The team climbed the national polls weekly and surged to the highest ranking ever held by Longview, rising as high as 4^th and never falling below 8^th. No previous team had ever cracked the top ten.

“The women on this year’s team have taken our program to new heights,” said McBroom.

This year’s team included the efforts of players Kaitlin Bartolotta, Bethany Bray, Sara Brown, Laura Green, Nicci Hartley, Stephanie Hopfinger, Allie Laber, Meagan McDougal, Megan Schmidt, Meghan Stratton, Holly Wilson, and Whitney VanDevyvere.

by Jordan Lee

What has been talked about for years will now become a reality on campus. As the environmental state of the planet has become a prominent issue with the world population, so it is true for the local planning community.

After ten years of input on the need to improve campus environmental policies, a group has been formed to focus on such a task. This diverse group of people forms a team known as the Green Initiatives Task Force.

“The general goal is to make Longview more green, more environmentally friendly,” said Jim McGraw, a Longview counselor and member of the task force. “We want to increase the degree to which we recycle materials and educate everyone on how we can be more conscious of our environmental impact.”

The task force hopes to fill the void of the now nonexistent environmental groups that once were on campus. In doing so, they meet routinely to discuss developmental ideas and to incorporate input from many perspectives.

Heading the group are Professor Keet Kopecky and Facilities Manager Steve Greife who are joined by a host of others, including teachers, students, and administrators.

“Dr. Grogan got this task force going,” said Kopecky. “He contacted us to let us know he thought it would be a good idea to put this task force together.” Both Grogan and Kopecky have experience with environmental issues as they are both members of the Sierra Club, a national environmental organization.

After forming, the group began creating ideas that would impact the campus and would develop beyond recycling. They observed what other campuses were doing and compared them to Longview’s own efforts. Through the implementation of these ideas, they hope to make a big difference on campus.

“Longview sends 200 tons of trash per year to the dump,” said Steve Greife. In efforts to reduce this number, the team plans to increase classroom and office recycling and use more recycled paper. They also hope to phase out the use of all Styrofoam completely.

Presently, newspapers, cardboard, junk mail, #1 and #2 plastic bottles, and aluminum cans can be recycled in the yellow bin near the building and grounds office west of the automotive center. Copy paper can be recycled in the grey bins near the loading dock marked for copy paper. Paper signs have been taped to the top of the gray bins indicating what can and cannot be placed in them.

All material that needs to be shredded should be taken to the copy center where Longview’s shredding contractor will take care of this. If employees shred materials at their workstations or office area, they should put the shredded material in a trash can.

Other efforts include the use of “demand-limiting” devices such as automated, motion sensing utilities that decrease the use of electricity and water. Even campus grounds will be used for further environmental purposes. With cooperation from the Missouri Department of Conservation, they hope to introduce native prairie grasses and wildflowers in some remote campus green spaces. The plants would add an aesthetic appeal while reducing the amount of land that must be mowed regularly.

“We’re going to experiment with ten acres and once we get it right, then we will expand the flowers and grass to a broader area of campus,” said Kopecky.

All these efforts require a large amount of funding. To support office and classroom recycling it would cost $14,000 alone. The Green Initiatives Task Force plans to cover these future endeavors with the grant that was submitted to the Mid-America Regional Council. Pending the grant’s approval in February, the committee members will continue their efforts and expand their influence.

The Engineering Club has initiated one green project with its effort to design and build a wind turbine. At their meeting, Nov. 19, they discussed the need for the money to actually accomplish the project. Club president, Charles Beauvais, said the economic situation has put a hold on the funding at this time.

If we all do a little bit, we can together make a big difference:

• by reducing the amount of junk mail we get. “At the same time you can also protect your identity from credit card offers. Just go to ‘Stop junk mail registry’ on your search bar and this will guide you to the link you need to fill out the forms. I have done this myself and it works! If everyone would do this, just think how many trees we could save.” – Miles Milburn, Longview Mail Services
• by printing single-sided documents on your printer. – Keet Kopecky, biology instructor
• by bringing a bag to the bookstore for books and supplies. “Need a reusable one? Buy one from us for a dollar.” – Michelle Capps, bookstore manager
• by reducing “the size of the margins on our documents.” – Susan Clark, instructor
• by “turning off the faucet rather than letting it flow every time you use water, (e.g., washing hands, brushing teeth). Save money and consciously conserve resources.” – Jim McGraw, counselor
• by “placing a cardboard box next to our office trashcans for recyclable paper.” – Shelly Summerour, instructor
• by “using cafeteria bins for empty, lidless bottles and cans. “Coming soon.” – Blake Wahlbrink, student Green Initiatives Task Force
• by “using the backs of calendars and other paper announcements, cut into smaller pieces, as scratch paper at your desk.” – Carol Kuznacic, instructor
• by “turning off the lights in your office between classes.” – Carol Kuznacic, instructor

by Jordan Lee

Move over Elmo, no longer do you maintain your grasp on the childlike minds of some college students. It seems the general desires of the collegiate set this year are the advancing technologies that have become ever so popular.

Once again the field of electronic items has caught the eyes of many with most looking for the newer, sleeker versions of last year’s gadgets.

The iPod Touch is one, as it includes all the features of its predecessors along with the multi-touch screen. The device also includes Wi-Fi wireless networking and Safari browser that can access various sites such as Google or Yahoo! wherever you go.

“The ability to get on the internet from your iPod is pretty cool,” said Brian Barrett, a student here at Longview.

Laptops are also a hot item with many new systems and tech advances being introduced this year. These upgrades, being paired with the many deep-cut deals offered by retailers, mean that this technology can be affordable for most.

As for gaming platforms, the Nintendo Wii is still the hot gift. The console calls for complete interaction while gaming by using motions and movement as controls. This creates a totally new aspect for gamers.

“You don’t just sit down,” said student Andrea Milligan. “You can actually get up and play with it like you’re in the game.”

Televisions still remain a big attraction for many and come in lots of variations and sizes to fit a budget. LCDs and Plasmas seem to be most popular due to their sleek and thin design, but DLPs can be found at the same quality but at much cheaper prices.

To finish the wish list of electronics, many have expressed the need for one of the two new generation phones. Apple’s iPhone and T Mobile’s G1 are each popular with both sporting a lustrous touch screen and web surfing capabilities.

Although these electronics were at the top of the list for most, some students expressed the desire for something more in the physical nature. A few lonesome souls are just hoping for a date for Christmas, being able to form an emotional bond with another would produce the warm cuddly feeling for this holiday.

“For Christmas I want some @$$,” said student Jerald Brown. “No one in particular but I do have some preferences.” Barrett agreed. “It’s wifey season, with the cold weather outside you need someone to cuddle with,” he said.

This may be a little harder gift to find; but if no luck with that, you could always snuggle up with good ole Tickle Me Elmo, I’m sure he’ll be lots of laughs with his three tickle points.