KCC will show Frankenstein, the 1931 Boris Karloff movie classic, on Wednesday, Oct. 30 in the Conference Hall, Room D140.
In addition to being a free movie, free popcorn also will be available. The community is invited.
A brief discussion will follow the movie.
For Fall 2024, KCC professors Trisha Dandurand, Scott Kistler and Kenneth West have been interweaving the book, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley into classes. Frankenstein is being used across seven individual course sections, including Introduction to Philosophy, Introduction to Literature, Western Civilization, Women's and Gender Studies, and English Composition.
KCC is located at 100 College Drive in Kankakee. The Conference Hall, Room D140, is in the Workforce Development Center. Enter the doors marked "Welcome Center."
With a new solar array installed, Kankakee Community College will save on energy costs and have another tool for renewable energy education.
The ~950 Kilowatt (kW) solar array, financed by Dr. Sarode Pundaleeka and the Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA), is on the south end of the college’s Riverfront Campus. It covers a little more than 2.5 acres.
The array, which includes five rows of 540-watt solar panels, will produce over 1,300 megawatt hours of energy, or about 8% of the total electricity consumed annually on KCC’s Riverfront Campus, said Brian Maillet, founder and CEO of Renewable Energy Evolution, LLC, the company that installed and maintains the solar array. This is equivalent to the energy used annually in about 100 homes, Maillet said.
KCC has no start-up or maintenance costs for this project because Pundaleeka generously financed the equipment, and will donate it after six years, said Rob Kenney, director of KCC’s Physical Plant Department. The solar array will immediately save KCC on energy costs, he said.
This initiative aligns with the college’s long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and offers substantial educational and financial benefits, said Beth Nunley, vice president of KCC’s Business Affairs Division. It can immediately be used as a hands-on learning lab for students in KCC’s Renewable Energy Technology program.
The system is designed to produce clean energy with no pollution or emissions. Low-growth, native vegetation around the solar array was incorporated during installation. The plantings will support habitats for pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and beetles, which are crucial for agriculture.
“The native grasses and deep-root systems are more effective at absorbing run-off compared to traditional turf grass, and no chemicals or pesticides will be used in their maintenance,” said Kenney.
Maillet said the timing of the solar array was good. In collaboration with Sunlarge Industries, KCC originally explored having the array in 2016, but financial incentives were not enough to justify the cost.
“Once the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) was signed into law in 2021, the state incentives were strengthened with the introduction of the Illinois Solar for All program, which was designed to make solar projects more viable for schools, municipalities and other nonprofit organizations in low-income areas,” Maillet said. “The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2023, opened up additional incentives as well.”
For the first six years the array is used, KCC will have a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) in place. With the PPA, KCC pays a reduced rate to use the energy produced by the solar array. As an example, Maillet said the PPA rate in 2017 would have been $0.057/kWh. KCC now has a $0.015/kWh rate in year one. Then, the rate rises 1.7% each year of the 6-year term. After the PPA is completed, the energy will no longer have a cost.
“This results in savings of over $84,000 in the first year alone, with over 80% savings during each of the six years of the agreement, with a projected $2.8 million in savings over the warrantied 25-year life of the system,” Maillet said.
KCC sustainability measures
KCC renewable energy programs
KCC’s Food Pantry is now located in Room D321.
Anyone can stop in for a snack or some food to go.
Hours are:
More information is on the Food Pantry site.
A day of golfing, camaraderie, and giving back is planned for the KCC Athletics Golf Outing on Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Kankakee Elks Country Club, 2283 Bittersweet Drive in St. Anne.
The event begins with lunch at 11 a.m. and a shotgun start at noon. It includes lunch; 18 holes of golf; cart; on-course beverages; and prizes and games on the course.
“The outing is one way for former athletes and community members to continue supporting the program,” said Bryce Shafer, KCC’s athletic director. “We’re going to get together for a good time. It’s a great chance to network and support the Cavaliers.”
The fee is $100 per golfer. Sponsorships are also available. All proceeds support KCC Cavaliers athletics.
KCC has seven intercollegiate sports – baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, softball and volleyball.
During the Spring 2024 semester, 67 KCC athletes achieved a 3.0 or higher GPA. Thirteen of them had perfect 4.0 GPAs. In 2024 the volleyball, softball, baseball and women’s soccer teams all received NJCAA Academic Team Awards by having above 3.0 GPA for the academic year.
This fall, 31 recent Cavaliers have transferred to continue their athletic and academic careers at NCAA and NAIA colleges and universities, including Central Michigan University, Culver Stockton College, Governors State University, Millikin University, Olivet Nazarene University and Southern Illinois University–Carbondale.
“I’m proud of the achievements of our athletes and the coaches who lead them,” Shafer said. “The teams work hard both on the field and in the classroom. It pays dividends for years to come. Community support really helps with things like tutoring help and quality equipment.”
For more information, to register as a golfer, or to find out about sponsorship opportunities, go to athletics.kcc.edu/support/golf-outing or phone the KCC Athletics Office at 815-802-8251.
