Alan French has recently become the new Director of Campus Safety at Park University. In his first month, he is developing an active shooter program and disaster mediation plan. He wants to upgrade operations and ensure his team of 10 officers patrolling 700 acres receives proper training. French has experience in law enforcement from the Kansas City Police Department and aims to focus on preventative safety measures for students and staff.

1. For a month, Alan French has been the
new Director of Campus Safety at Park
University.
“Where do I begin?” questioned
French when asked about his past.
French attended the University of
Missouri Kansas City on an athletic
scholarship. He majored in health and
physical education. While he was in
college, he was a reserve officer for the
Kansas City Police Department. After
receiving his degree, he went full-time
with the department doing various
assignments including public relations,
being a part of an investigation unit, a desk
sargent, and security for former governor
Kit Bond and former Kansas City mayor
Richard L. Berkley. But that is just the
beginning of French’s background.
“He’s the perfect blend…,” said Kate
Hwang, campus safety officer. “He has
extensive knowledge, the background of
law enforcement, as well as experience
as a private sector. It works well with our
department and what our team is trying to
achieve.”
Coming to Park University, he said
he knew there were things that needed to
be fixed and he has plans that need to be
implemented.
“My ultimate objective is the safety
of the students and the staff here,” said
French.
He is currently developing an active
shooter program for our campus as well
as a mediation plan for natural disasters.
“I’m a big believer in preventive
measures,” said French. “We have 700
acres patrolled by 10 officers. I don’t
know if that’s enough, but we have a
great relationship with the Parkville
Police Department. They are very
accommodating to us.”
His plan is to “upgrade the operation”
and provide the proper training his team
needs.
“They need to be able to observe the
students and point out if something isn’t
right,” he said.
French is taking measures to meet
OSHA’s requirements as well as FEMA’s.
He is responsible for making sure all the
fire codes are up to date and his people
have proper AED and CPR certifications.
This tops his assignment list.
“He’s juggling a lot but he doesn’t
seem to be affected by all of it. He always
appears cool, calm, and collected,” said
Hwang, “which is exactly what we need.
He’s been really great. He and I have a
great professional working relationship.
We both have worked with the Kansas City
Police Department and can understand
one another’s lingo.
From other officers, I’ve heard
nothing but good things about Alan,”
continued Hwang. “Everyone has been
very supportive of him and what we are
trying to accomplish. Take the opportunity
to stop by and meet the Officers as well
as our new Director. Ask questions, and
rest assured knowing we are always here
to help.”
Across the table, her light wavy
hair fell past the shoulders of her
dark jacket. A native of upstate
New York and college graduate,
Beth Pennekamp found herself
once again on a university campus,
pursuing a dream. When asked
about her plans, she tilted her head
and took a deep breath. A smile
never left her face.
Pennekamp grew up in Roches-
ter, N.Y., and left home to attend
Evangel University in Springfield,
Mo. After four years, she graduat-
ed with an art degree in 2013. For
the next two years, she was part of
the imagery department with Bass
Pro Shops as a scenic artist. Pen-
nekamp utilized her degree to help
build exhibits and dioramas the
company is so famous for in stores
around the country.
After two years, her husband’s
job led them to Kansas City, where
Pennekamp considered returning
to school, an inspiration that came
from her previous employment.
“While working at Bass Pro,
I realized I wanted to get into the
design part of it, and I didn’t have
a design degree,” said Penneka-
mp, “which led me to go back to
school. I loved looking at freehand
drawings of exhibits. So, I started
looking around in Kansas City for
interior design programs.”
Pennekamp said when she dis-
covered Park, it was a great fit. The
location and hours fit her schedule
perfectly. Before she enrolled, she
met Kay Boehr, associate profes-
sor and interior design program
coordinator, who showed her the
interior design department and
outlined the curriculum.
Almost finished with her first
full semester at Park University,
Pennekamp said so far it has been
great. Besides coordinating with
her schedule, Pennekamp said she
really loves the small class sizes,
compared to larger universities.
Despite already having a de-
gree, Pennekamp said she is con-
tinually learning new ways to ap-
ply her skills in various ways in
the work force.
“What’s great with Park is that,
as you continue in your classes,
you’re always learning new av-
enues to take with your degree,”
she said. “You realize you’re not
limited. I hope to learn more about
what else I can do.”
A new student to the program,
Pennekamp has drawn upon her
previously honed abilities and tal-
ents and merged them with her in-
terior design projects in distinctive
ways.
“As an art major, you are
trained to come up with concepts
off the bat and make connections.
It helps with rendering, design and
composition, what elements work
with what, and color theory, but
the biggest part I pull from my art
degree is how to make concepts
connect, how to be a developer.
I think about how to work with
my client, get to know what my
client’s needs are, who my client
is, draw from that and create a con-
cept out of that. It helps to have
four years plus training in concept
development.”
Pennekamp’s training didn’t
just happen in the classroom. She
said her work with Bass Pro and
summer internship with a theatre
company developed her skills and
opened the
door to great
opportunities
which led
her to pro-
duce some of
her proudest
work.
“When I
was a scenic
artist intern
at a theatre
company, I
was paint-
ing some
murals and
set elements
for produc-
tion, which
was really
fun and a
great expe-
rience,” she
explained.
“ Y o u ’ r e
painting and
building and
s c u l p t i n g
all summer
long. I was
w o r k i n g
a l o n g s i d e
costume design interns and car-
pentry interns and it was a really
creative experience.
Our supervisors were all set de-
signers or costume designers. You
got to see professional creative
fields really flourishing. At the
end, you step back and say, wow, I
painted that whole set. That was a
proud moment.”
Boehr said Pennekamp has
brought several strengths to the in-
terior design program and is able
to utilize her previous degree and
experience.
“Beth’s work as a designer is
conceptually sophisticated and
creative,” she said. “She has excel-
lent graphic skills and was able to
quickly learn the skills of drafting
and rendering.”
Boehr also said although Pen-
nekamp brings a lot to the table,
she is learning new material ev-
ery day to merge with her current
skills.
“Beth quickly caught on to
the principles of drafting, a skill I
assume that she did not have be-
fore,” Boehr said. “She now has
mastered that skill. Her art back-
ground helped her quickly master
the presentation style rendering
skills. Her ability to design a space
appears to come from years of ex-
perience, but I think she developed
this ability this fall at Park.”
Pennekamp said she is excited
to learn the intricacies of interior
design, and is looking forward to
pursuing that dream.
“I always wanted to stay in the
creative field,” she said. “I loved
the job that I had, but I wanted to
find an artistic field. Interior de-
sign includes forms, spaces, col-
ors, textures, and I just want to
stay around that.”
November 20, 2015 Page 5
Student draws upon art degree
Elizabeth Orosco
Features Editor
Beth Pennekamp, freshman interior design major, sits at her desk in the design studio on the top floor
of Hawley Hall. Pennekamp graduated from Evangel University with an art degree and is bringing her
previously honed skills and talents to pursue a degree in interior design at Park University.
PHOTO/Max Mohr
Park University did not hold classes Nov.
11 to honor the commemoration of Veterans
Day. This national holiday is dedicated to
those who have served in the military. Park
has a reputation for providing educational
opportunities to veterans, as well as students
working toward involvement in the U.S.
military. Today, the Park community is
home to many veterans among the student
population and faculty alike.
Wade Abel, assistant director of Military
and Veteran Student Services at Park, is a
retired army major who was deployed to
Iraq in 2006-2007.
“Veterans Day, to me, is a day dedicated
to those serving today and in the past,” Abel
said. “I have been married for 32 years, and
was in the military for 25 of those years.
My family’s lives have always been
oriented around the military - you don’t
know how many
anniversaries I have
had to miss.
Some parts of
being involved in
the military for all
of these years have
been good, some
bad. Veterans Day
is one day out of the
year, but I believe
it is something that
should be thought
about every day.”
Cole Nichols, a junior and accounting
major at Park University, served four years
as military police and was a part of the
United StatesAir Force, zoned in a classified
location.
“Being involved in the military was
life changing in many ways,” Nichols said.
“It made me more disciplined and more
organized. Veterans Day is a day that is
dedicated to remembrance of all who have
served in the military.”
Nichols said serving in the military is
important because without those who serve,
Americans would not have the freedom they
do today.
Both Abel and Nichols are involved
in Park’s Warrior Center, a place which is
dedicated to Park’s military community. The
Warrior Center is located on the first floor of
Thompson Commons.
Outside of the Center, veterans can be
found in more ambiguous locations within
Park’s facilities. Such as Frank P. Hamilton
is an adjunct professor who teaches
photography and served in the Navy four
years.
“I graduated from college in 1968, and
when I got out the draft board was waiting,”
Hamilton said.
“When I first received the draft board
letter stating that I was being drafted for
military service, I considered trying to find
a way in which I could abstain, however a
part of me felt obligated to do something for
my country.
I knew that if I was drafted to the Army,
I was going to be guaranteed to be sent to
Vietnam. Instead, I chose to join the Navy
in hopes that going to Vietnam would be
avoided.”
The ship Hamilton was assigned to, went
to Vietnam three times.
Hamilton said the first and second times
were for six months, and the final time was
for seven. According to Hamilton, when
he and his troop were not in Vietnam, they
were in various other places in the U.S.,
doing repairs and
other “miscellaneous
tasks.”
“In my time in
the military, I found
myself feeling
lonely,” he said.
“I made friends,
which was a good part,
but I did encounter
a lot of loneliness.
When I was in
college, I majored in
theatre, and through
that creativity became an important part of
my life.
The best thing I got out of being in the
military was picking up a camera. The
camera ultimately became a creative outlet
for me. Photography gave me a way to have
a life outside of the zoo that the military was.
As a photographer, my purpose is to
produce photographs, and in doing so, I am
faced with a choice. I can make photographs
that cause pain, or photographs that are
beautiful and cause joy. I chose beauty and
joy.”
Hamilton said he has kept track of several
people he served with. One, recently passed
away.
“Last year, the high school I graduated
from had its 50th
reunion,” Hamilton
said. “Several veterans from my class got
together for Veterans Day. This year some
of my colleagues and I were invited to Park
Hill’s Veterans Day ceremony….For me,
Veterans Day is a nice chance to get together
with fellow veteran colleagues.”
Beth Pennekamp brings previous art experience to studies in interior design
PHOTO/Max Mohr
Alan French, the new director of campus safety at Park University, sits in his office on the first
floor of Thompson. Only four weeks into his new position, French is implementing mediation
plans for student and faculty safety, ensuring his team is provided with the proper training.
New Park campus safety
director implements vision
Kristine Kennedy
Staff Reporter
Park students, staff remi-
nisce on service experience in
honor of Veteran’s Day
“Some parts of being involved in
themilitaryforalloftheseyearshave
been good, some bad. Veterans Day is
one day out of the year, but I believe
itissomethingthatshouldbethought
abouteveryday.”
-Wade Abel, assistant director of
MilitaryandVeteranStudentServices
Taylor Miller
Staff Reporter