A Changed Perspective

I think this class has definitely changed my perspective on both journalism and writing for the media. When I first signed up for this class I was expecting something completely different. I was expecting free-hand writing and a laid back writing style. But I learned very quickly that journalism requires a lot more than most types of writing and is very structural. I learned a lot about journalism from this class and I have to say that I feel pretty confident in the knowledge I have attained from it. This class turned out to be a little more of a "cultural experience" for me, but I'm glad that I was able to learn the things I did.

PSEO/Non-Traditional Students-Enterprise Story

On today’s campus of Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) it is not unusual for students to find themselves seated in class with a 50-year-old on their left and a 17-year-old on their right.

There are currently three types of students attending ARCC as well as many other community colleges across the country. The first is the “traditional” student defined by two-year colleges as students under the age of 25. The second is the “non-traditional” student defined as anyone age 25 or older. A final classification of non-traditional student is the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) students who are usually ages 16-18. They are simultaneously attending a two-year college while continuing to meet their high school requirements.

The traditional undergraduate students of today share the college campus with both PSEO and non-traditional students who either haven’t yet graduated from high school or may even be parents of school-aged children themselves. Kate Vaccari from the ARCC institutional research office reported that, in the fall of 2009, 68% of the student body is made up of traditional students and 32% are non-traditional.

Nearly 10% of the total college headcount at ARCC are PSEO students. In a recent survey of all three types of students at ARCC as well as staff members, a variety of opinions were expressed regarding the mixed group of students on campus and in the classrooms.
Jaime Boretski, an advisor at the Cambridge Campus of ARCC, said, “Having students of various age groups adds to the diversity of our campuses and speaks to what a community college is all about. It also gives students the opportunity to learn from one another’s experiences.”

Hannah Serbus, 17, a full-time PSEO student at ARCC, said she feels blessed to have the chance to be part of the PSEO program and thinks the diversity of the students adds to the positive learning environment on campus. Serbus said she enjoys having non-traditional people in her classes and also stated that, “It is fun to have older ladies and guys around while still having the young environment as well.”

Sarah deRosier is currently a traditional, part-time student at ARCC and stated, “Everyone deserves a good education, whether you are starting early or late.” DeRosier said she is happy for the non-traditional students and encourages those who are either pursuing their college educations early or attempting to further their college education at an older age. DeRoiser said, “PSEO students are getting a glimpse of what college is like and it really will prepare them for when they get into their studies.”

True Grimes, 56, is a part-time student at ARCC and has returned to further her education after a 21-22 year absence from the education system. Concerning the different types of students, Grimes said, “I think it’s a good thing because diversity in the classroom really adds to each class, whether that diversity relates to age, religion, heritage, etc.”

Grimes said that her fellow students have always been very nice and welcoming towards her even though she is an older non-traditional student. “I usually do feel comfortable, especially after a couple days when the students realize that I’m not the instructor!” joked Grimes.

The interviews conducted show that, although students at ARCC are fully aware of the diversity in their classrooms, most of the students find it to be more of a positive aspect instead of a negative one. Many of the traditional students even expressed their regrets of not being a part of the PSEO program when they were younger.

Amber Hanson, 18, is a full-time traditional student at ARCC and said concerning the PSEO program, “It’s a good thing for students to be able to earn college credits earlier; if I could go back and do it again I would start the PSEO program.”
Traditional student, Carissa Parker, 20, described her excitement about the PSEO program, “I loved it while I was in it, I just wish I would have done it my junior year too.”

Kevin Alger, 39, is a non-traditional student at ARCC and said in reference to the PSEO program, “I feel it is the best use of tax dollars to challenge our younger generation educationally.”

Not only did the students interviewed believe that PSEO students should be welcomed and that the PSEO program is a positive experience, many also expressed their admiration for the non-traditional students who have returned to college to further their educations.

PSEO student Cory Lundeen expressed that he thought having older, non-traditional students in the classroom is a positive thing and that they have a right to be there. “I think that it is great because I feel everyone should have the opportunity to go to college to further their education no matter their age,” said Lundeen in response to non-traditional students attending ARCC.

Traditional student Carissa Parker described the difference she encounters in the classroom with non-traditional students from older generations. Parker believes that, “they tend to think that just because we’re young, we’re dumber. People around my parents’ age are always correcting me.”

True Grimes, a non-traditional student who is also a parent of four college-aged children, admits that sometimes, “I have to work hard not to talk too much, as non-traditional students can do.”

The reality is that college classrooms in the 21st century are populated with a growing diversity of ages and different life experiences. As ARCC instructor Melissa Bergstrom pointed out, this variation “always allows for a wider perspective that enriches all of us participating.”

Winter has come and it's brought it's dangerous roads with it

The severe winter storm that hit California Monday afternoon was expected to also strongly affect weather across the entire country through Wednesday. Due to the wintry weather there has been three weather-related traffic accidents that occurred on Sunday and Monday which killed a total of three people. -CNN

A special teacher of special students

Lisa Dietrich, 31, says she has had something inside her ever since she was a little girl telling her what she was supposed to be when she got older. Lisa Ann Dietrich is fulfilling those childhood ambitions as a full-time special education teacher.

“When it comes to teaching special education it is just something I have always felt like that was the position I was supposed to be in,” said Dietrich.
As a kid, Dietrich had diverse interests in various professions as nearly all kids do. Somewhere in the back of her mind she always knew she was meant to be a teacher, but not just a regular teacher, a special education teacher.

“I always wanted to be a teacher when I was younger, but I didn’t think I would be as good with normal kids as I would be with special ed kids. I wanted to help people; I wanted to have a helping profession. But I didn’t want to just do regular education, I wanted to do special education,” said Dietrich.

Dietrich said that a memory which has stuck with her from her childhood is that of her friendship with a Down’s Syndrome boy named Joe who attended her elementary school. Dietrich explained that every week the teacher at her school would choose someone to be Joe’s “special buddy” to play with Joe at recess and eat lunch with him.

Dietrich said she remembers that Joe always wanted to play out in the playground for a really long time, but often his “buddy” would leave him when it was time for lunch and a lunch room aide would have to go out to bring him in.

Dietrich says that whenever it was her turn to be Joe’s buddy, she always stayed with him when it was time for lunch instead of leaving him like the other kids did. “I really liked him and he really liked me, so I would always stay with him on the playground and not go in when everybody else would go in, even when we were supposed to go in,” said Dietrich.

Dietrich had a compassion for Joe and thought of him as a friend instead of a kid with special needs. “I would always wonder why, when other people would be his buddy, they would leave him on the playground. It really bugged me that people would do that and I just didn’t understand why they did,” stated Dietrich.

Dietrich says that she made her final decision to major in special education shortly after her graduation from high school. While attending a local community college for two years, she began to work as a home health aide for a family with two special needs children. One of the children, a 4-year-old named Katie with cerebral palsy, had a particular impact on Dietrich’s decision to continue working toward her special education teaching license.

“Working with Katie and taking her to therapy gave me the exposure that helped affirm the direction I had chosen concerning working in special ed,” said Dietrich.
Dietrich then went on to transfer to St. Cloud State University and received her degree in Special Education. Following graduation, she took a position as a special education teacher at White Bear Lake High School where she teaches 11th and 12th graders.

“As a 11th and 12th grade special ed teacher, I spend the majority of my class time trying to prepare the kids for when they have to go out into their communities to get jobs and help them prepare for those types of life skills,” said Dietrich.

Dietrich said that teaching practical life skills to her kids is one of her favorite things to teach because she knows that it is likely to be the most beneficial to their futures. Dietrich regularly takes her classes out into the community to teach them social skills that other high schoolers have gradually learned over their lifetimes. For example, Dietrich described an upcoming field trip where she will be taking one of her classes to the local movie theater to see “Old Dog.”

“I like to bring my kids into the community so they can practice things such as paying for a movie and learning how to wait in line for the popcorn,” explained Dietrich.

To Dietrich, teaching special education students is not just a job, but a personal learning experience as well. “You really realize when you’re a special ed teacher what you take for granted, especially when you see how hard it is for these special education kids to learn and remember things,” stated Dietrich.

Seven years as a full-time special education teacher has not diminished her enthusiasm for her chosen profession.“Teaching is exciting for me and it has made me a better person,” said Dietrich.

911 Call:The case of Jeffrey L. Dahmer.

Today Milwaukee police released the transcript of a 911 call made on May 27 by resident Glenda Cleveland, 37, related to the case of Jeffrey L. Dahmer.

Dahmer confessed to killing 17 people and pled insanity after police found 11 mutilated bodies in his apartment. Two months ago Mrs. Cleveland contacted police officers to report that there was a “butt-naked” young man in the middle of the street at 25th and State. Mrs. Cleveland said that the boy was very bruised and looked as though he had been beaten. She insisted that the boy needed help and informed them that he couldn’t even stand. The dispatcher speaking with Mrs. Cleveland transferred her call to the fire department and assured her that they would send an ambulance.

The transcript includes statements from the officer at the scene to the dispatcher describing, “Intoxicated Asian, naked male. Was returned to his sober boyfriend.” The tapes reveal that the officer is heard laughing as he makes the report.
Mrs. Cleveland made a follow up call 10 minutes later inquiring if the naked boy seen by her daughter and niece was certified as an adult. Mrs. Cleveland expressed concern that no information had been taken from the girls and queried whether further information “must be needed.” The officer states that the boy was only an “intoxicated boyfriend of another boyfriend.”
Mrs. Cleveland repeatedly asks for confirmation that the boy was an adult saying, “It appeared to have been a child.” The officer states multiple times that he is, “as positive as I can be,” that it wasn’t a child as it may have appeared. The boy involved was later found to be only 14-years-old and subsequently killed by Dahmer. As of one week ago, the officers involved were placed on suspension.

A glimpse of hope for children with autism

Researchers have recently found that early intervention with toddlers who are diagnosed with autism can both raise IQ levels and help them to improve their language skills as well as behavior. The intervention program is called “Early Start Denver Model” and it emphasizes play therapy for autistic children at an early age. -CNN

The power of music

Out of 25 people polled at the Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC), nearly 70% answered that they would rather have music than have television, newspapers, magazines, or video games.


Dictionary.com defines the term music as “an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.” Whether it was the soft hum of vibrating strings on an instrument or the melodic sound of a human’s vocal cords, music is something that has been around for many years. Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff once said, “Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.”


The results of the poll done with ARCC students revealed that of the 25, 64% of the participants answered that music is ‘very important’ to them. ARCC student Laura Sweeney said in response to her opinion on what life would be like without music, “I don’t think there would be life without music.” Andie Anderson mentioned on helium.com that music surrounds us all; there is music in dentist offices, operating rooms, weddings, funerals and music also plays a crucial role in movies. Seventy-six percent of ARCC students polled reported that they listen to music everyday for a minimum of two hours.


True Grimes, a student at ARCC, said, “Because music is considered the most popular way that Americans relax, we’d be a lot more stressed out without it.” According to psychcentral.com, Grimes may indeed be correct in her statement. Psychcentral.com says that music, especially slow and quiet classical music, can have a very strong relaxing effect on both our minds and bodies. The website also points out that soothing classical types of music can have a positive effect on our physiological functions, lower blood pressure, and minimize the levels of stress hormones.
ARCC student Rachel Hiel said, “I think people would be less open without music. Music is a great way to express your emotions and feelings and without it people are less likely to express that,” in response to the idea of a world without music. Healthychild.com confirms Hiel’s opinion and says that music can not only just be a useful relaxant, but also can provide people with the means of expressing their feelings and releasing their emotions. In the same way as poetry, the lyrics of songs themselves are expressions of a writer or singer’s emotions and feelings.

There are many different types of music in the world so, in turn, there are many people who like different types of music. The survey conducted with ARCC students asked them what their favorite type of music was. The top response, given the alternative choices of country, classical, hiphop/rap, and rock, was ‘other’ with 44%. The remaining percentages were: rock (32%), country (12%), classical (8%) and hiphop/rap (4%). Also included in the poll was the question of favorite music artist; among a broad variety of answers, the only answer mentioned by more than one respondent was The Beatles.

Relieving Stress

I have many different things that I use to try and relieve my stress. One of my favorite things to do is simply sit down and play the piano. Something about playing a song on a piano pushes my thoughts away and allows me to feel more relaxed and at peace.

Another one of my stress relievers is being around my friends and family(except when they are the cause of my stress). Being around the ones I love calms me down when I'm feeling uptight and stressed. It's always nice to be able to talk to someone you care about and let out all of your anger and frustrations. My sister and I frequently "vent" to each other when we are feeling stressed or angry. One of the other things I often do is pray. Praying probably relieves my stress the most out of them all.

Massacre in the Philippines

A gunman killed an estimated 21 people in Manila, Philippines on Monday.
Among the people killed it was reported that around 12 of the 21 people killed were journalists. One of the presidential advisers called the killings the most “gruesome massacre of civilians” in recent history. –CNN

Tobacco Survey

Over 70% of the people who completed a survey recently on the Anoka-Ramsey Cambridge campus about the use of tobacco answered that they knew 10 or more people who smoke a regular basis.

Cigarette smoking is easily observed in American society, and this was confirmed by my survey on tobacco in which 100% of the respondents answered that they knew at least one or more person who smokes regularly. According to cancer.org, “It is estimated that more than 43 million adults currently smoke cigarettes.” Over 60% of the respondents of the tobacco survey also answered that they had one or more immediate family members who regularly smoke tobacco.

Tobacco smoke affects many people, even those whose immediate family members do not smoke regularly. Opinions about being in proximity to people who are smoking appeared to be polarizing in this survey. Given three choices of “very much dislike,” “slightly dislike,” or “don’t care,” respondents were divided equally between the two extremes. News is constantly surfacing about the laws of when and where smoking is allowed. In 2007 Minnesota became the 22nd state to pass a smoke-free law that restricts smoking in both restaurants and bars, according to Startribune.com. The respondents of the tobacco survey split about 50/50 on whether they “greatly disliked” or “did not care” about smoking in general.

Smoking is a controversial topic for many people, but statistics reveal its effect on personal health. Lungusa.org reports that, “Every year in the U.S. over 392,000 people die from tobacco-caused disease, making it the leading cause of preventable death.” Around 50% of the respondents to the tobacco survey reported a reaction of “did not care” about smoking in general.

Balloon Boy

Richard and Mayumi Heene, parents of “balloon boy,” plead guilty on Friday to a felony charge of attempting to influence a public servant. In October a large silver balloon came loose from the Heenes’ yard and began to float away. The Heenes’ claimed that their 6-year-old son was inside the balloon. Millions of people watched the hoax take place and witnessed a military aircraft attempting to track the balloon for nearly two hours. -CNN

~Mexico~

My family never traveled very much when I was growing up except to visit my grandparents in Virginia, so I haven't had the chance to explore too much outside of Minnesota. But my first big trip, which I hope is not my last, was going down to Mexico with my church youth group on a missions trip.

We drove the whole way in a charter bus and I can assure you that it was one of the longest rides I have ever been on. It was definitely an interesting experience to ride 30+ hours on a bus with 35+ people. The whole trip was an experience that I will treasure and never forget. Although most of us knew each other before going on the trip, we got to know each other in a whole new way and we all became very close.

While we were in Mexico we were able to do a ride range of things and meet a wide range of different people. It was a very strong learning and cultural experience. We were able to help out at a juvenile center and also an orphanage. The orphanage was one of my favorite parts out of the entire trip. The kids there were so overjoyed to see us when we went to visit and it was obvious that they would give anything just to have someone to play with. Although most of us who went did not speak very good English, the kids didn't seem to care at all. They just continued to try to make us understand what they were saying and would laugh when we attempted to say something in English.

This trip was not only my favorite trip I have ever taken, it was also one of my favorite experiences. I hope with all my heart that I can go back someday and maybe see some of the people that we met while we were there again. Even if I am never able to go back as I so strongly wish, the time I will always cherish the time I spent there.

An honorable hero

Police officer Kimberly Munley put an end to the Fort Hood massacre on Thursday in Texas. Munley confronted and shot the man responsible for killing 13 people, ending the massacre at the Army base. Munley was injured during the exchange but according to her father she is doing well. -CNN

Halloween Costumes

When I was growing up my parents didn't like us to go trick or treating or dress up. Instead they would usually take us out to eat, or just rent a movie to watch at home with some candy. I remember that one year I really wanted to dress up because I never had before and my parents caved and said I could. I was about 11 years old and I had no ideas of what to dress up as. My brother just happened to have a cape and a Darthmall(from star wars)mask, so since I didn't have anything else I dressed up as Darthmall. Even though I didn't even really like him, because he was the bad guy, I didn't really care because I was just excited about dressing up.

I saw this video and decided right away that I think this is one of the best and one of my favorite halloween costumes I have ever seen. Let me know if you agree. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1HWqbOSJLo

Dr. Kittock is more than just a teacher and a volunteer, she is a "Book Lady"

To her students at Anoka-Ramsey Community College she is known as Dr. Kittock or Dr. K, but to the kids at the Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) she is simply known as the “Book Lady”.

Kittock has been volunteering at HCMC and reading to the children there for nearly a year now. Kittock said that she merely looked up the phone number for HCMC and volunteered her services wherever needed. HCMC has a literacy program in which they give out a free book to every child, patient, sibling, relative, or visitor. There are a group of volunteers, such as Kittock, who sit out in the waiting room with a pile of books and read to the kids at various times during the day.

Kittock has devoted one day a week, every Tuesday morning, to reading to kids at HCMC. Kittock says that she usually spends about two hours reading, but the time is flexible if she needs to leave early or wants to stay late. When Kittock first became a volunteer, they had many different jobs available for her to choose from but she quickly told them, “I wanna be a book lady!”.

Although they have books available for her use, Kittock likes to also bring books with her from her house to read. Kittock is given the choice of which books to read, but she prefers to let the kids choose. “Sometimes if they get called into the doctor before I get to their book, it cracks me up, because they’ll get done with their doctor appointment and they’ll come right back,” said Kittock. Two of the most popular books are Where The Wild Things Are and Horton Hatches an Egg, which Kittock says she usually ends up reading three or four times every morning.

Kittock says that she can have anywhere from just one child to seven or more; she welcomes whoever is there and wants to listen. She says that, as often happens with kids, they will walk away during a story, but they almost always come back. “It’s just pure, pure, pure fun; the magic of the story keeps them coming back,” states Kittock.
There are 30 different languages that are spoken at the pediatric ward where Kittock volunteers, but Kittock indicates that the language barrier is not a major problem. Kittock says that her motivation for volunteering at HCMC comes easily from her adoration and love for the kids. “I’m absolutely, over the moon, crazy about reading and the magic of reading and the magic of education.”
Kittock says that her favorite story from her volunteer work at HCMC so far has been the story of a little boy named Emilio. Kittock says that Emilio sat and read with her for over 90 minutes until eventually it came time for her to leave. Because HCMC is a public hospital kids often have to wait for quite a while before being able to see the doctor.

Kittock says she apologized to Emilio for having to leave and said that she hoped that he would be able to get in to see the doctor soon. Emilio, to Kittock’s surprise, responded by saying ‘Oh, I’ve already seen the doctor.’ Emilio told Kittock that he had already seen the doctor, but he told his Papa that he wanted to stay and read with her. “That man had sat almost two hours after the appointment was done so that Emilio could read with me!” said Kittock. Kittock says that although she tried to thank the dad, he kept trying to thank her saying that he was very grateful and that it was important that she read to his son.

Kittock says that she would never give up her chance to read to the little kids at HCMC and she couldn’t adore it more. “If I could get every student I’ve ever had and continue to have, to do a week of it at HCMC, they would be a changed person,” says Kittock.

Burglars' Ridiculous Disguises

Police couldn’t help but laugh when they arrested two men for attempted burglary in Iowa. Mathew Allan McNelly, 23 and Joey Lee Miller, 20, tried to break into a man’s home in Carroll, Iowa, last Friday night. The police were surprised to find that the two men hadn’t used ski masks or stockings and disguises; instead they had simply streaked their faces with permanent marker to try and hide their identities. -CNN

Interview Transcript

Interview Transcript: Interview A Faculty Member

Rebekah Phillips (RP): What types of volunteer work are you involved in?

Dr. Claudia Kittock (Dr.K): “I work at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) on the pediatric ward in the literacy program. The literacy program there, they’ve written a grant, and they give out a free book to every child that enters the hospital. Whether they’re a patient, a relative, a sibling, a visitor everybody gets free books. Then a group of us, at various times throughout the day, will go to the pediatric ward, sit out in the waiting room with a big pile of books and read books to kids.
The other one that I do is that I am a volunteer mentor for women with colon cancer through the American Colon Cancer Association (ACCA). Somebody there assigned me and it is all done through email; never in person. There is one in particular I would like to meet, but she lives in Long Island, New York so we haven’t met yet. The way I craft that is whatever they need. A lot of times I’ll get people at the beginning of their cancer and they want to know about the chemo they want to know about how they’re going to eat, are they going to lose their hair, how are they going to feel, how do they tell their kids; those kind of things. For several of the people we have kept in contact with have died and we would keep with them until their deaths. And sometimes it’s one email and I never hear from them again. It’s not my job to hunt them down; it’s just to be there.”

RJ: How did you come to be involved with the ACCA?

Dr.K: “I am a colon cancer survivor. So at the end of my treatment when I got the all clear I really wanted to do something that would have helped me. I wanted to have something I could do but that I wouldn’t have to go someplace and be physically present. I do find that email is particularly interesting because people are a little freer with email then they might be in person. When you’re talking to people with cancer energy is a huge issue, having to be somewhere at sometime is a huge issue.”

RP: How many emails do you usually receive?

Dr. K: “It depends. One time I had about eight or nine people I was working with, unfortunately now I’m down to one. There has been just a whole spade of deaths of people that I was mentoring. But there will be more coming in.”

RP: How many emails do you send back and forth? Do you have set dates when you send them?

Dr. K: “It depends. It depends on what they need. The one that I still keep in contact with is also cancer free and she and I probably email two or three times a week.”

RP: How long have you been volunteering with the HCMC program?

Dr. K: “Since my sabbatical which was last winter, so it will be coming up on a year.”

RP: How did you get into that volunteer work?

Dr. K: “I called them. We live four blocks away. I looked up their volunteer number and I said I would like to be a volunteer and they said come in. It was a very long process to become a volunteer, it took almost a month.”

RP: Was it a lot of paperwork?

Dr. K: “It was a lot of paperwork, they do a security check, you have to have various physicals, then you have to have tuberculin shots. Especially since I was working on pediatrics.”

RP: Were there any requirements?

Dr. K: “Yeah. You can’t be a felon, that’s for sure. They had lots of jobs and they said what do you want to be, and I said ‘I wanna be a book lady!’.”

RP: Do you enjoy volunteering there?

Dr. K: “I love it. I’m goofy about it. I absolutely adore it; it is the high point of my week. I also love my job teaching, but I get to go read stories to little kids.”

RP: How often do you volunteer there?

Dr. K: “Once a week. Tuesday mornings are my reading day. It is for the morning. I am usually there a minimum of two hours. It is usually two hours, but if I have to leave early, or if there are a bunch of kids sitting there I can stay as long as I want.”

RP: Do you get to pick the stories you read?

Dr. K: “I do, I do. I get to pick the books.”

RP: Do you bring them yourself?

Dr. K: “They have books there, but because I raised two boys and have a house full of children’s books, yeah I do. I kind of know what they are going to like. Two biggies are Where the Wild Things Are, which the boys all adore, and Horton Hatches the Egg, which I must read four or five times every Tuesday morning. The best part is that there are kids who have never read Horton Hatches The Egg and almost always I have a kid who, as I’m turning the pages, I is looking at me after every page and saying ‘he’s gonna break it’. Which I just adore.”

RP: Are there a lot of Spanish speaking children there?

Dr. K: “There are 30 different languages spoken at pediatrics. A lot of times, especially with the immigrant families, there will be an older brother or sister who comes along to translate for the parent. But HCMC has translators for all 30 languages. But when they come with an older brother or sister, then they don’t normally have to wait as long because the kids can translate.”

RP: What do you think motivates you to volunteer there?

Dr. K: “First of all, I really adore kids of all ages. I don’t have a lot of contact with little kids anymore and I miss that. I’m absolutely, over the moon, crazy about reading and the magic of reading and the magic of education. I also spent of significant amount of my time while I was in college working at the pediatrics (pedes) at St. Mary’s hospital which is associated with Mayo Clinic. So I have had a lot of experience on pedes. And I am really comfortable there. It was also a very interesting thing for me to, after my cancer to go to the hospital every week for a good thing.”

RP: Was that hard at first?

Dr. K: “I had anxiety and it wasn’t because I thought someone was going to grab me and start injecting me. But it was just kind of all the associations of oh no, oh no, oh no, here we go again, a hospital. So it has been very good for me in that regard too because now that is not in my mind anymore; it kind of forced me to work through that more quickly. But it’s just for the sheer joy of it; it couldn’t be any more fun, it really couldn’t. If I could get every student I’ve ever had and continue to have, to do a week of it at HCMC, they would be a changed person.”
RP: How do you think your volunteer work differs from your professional work you have done in the past or are doing currently?
Dr. K: “This is pure fun and my teaching is fun, but there are goals I want to accomplish all the time, there is a time table, there are things I need to get through. But reading to kids is just reading to kids. If they get up and walk away during the middle of a book, then they get up and walk away. They’ll come back.”

RP: Do they always come back?

Dr. K: “Yeah, they’ll come back or they won’t. It’s just pure, pure, pure fun. The magic of the story keeps them coming back.”

RP: Do you get a lot of the same kids coming back?

Dr. K: “Yes, they love to come over and say ‘remember me?’.”

RP: Do you remember them?

Dr. K: “I do!”

RP: How long do you read to each of them for?

Dr. K: “I just sit with a bunch of table and chairs, so I can have seven or eight kids or I can have one, whoever is there. It is seldom just one kid; usually there are a number of them. Then they’ll get in fights about which book comes next.”

RP: Do you let them pick the books?

Dr. K: “I always let them pick the books. I say, ‘Here are the books, you choose’. Sometimes if they get called into the doctor before I get to their book, it cracks me up, because they’ll get done with their doctor appointment and they’ll come right back.”

RP: Can you share a favorite story or describe a special moment from your work there?

Dr. K: “My favorite story so far was Emilio. Emilio sat with me for over 90 minutes reading. He was about five, had huge brown eyes, he was adorable, he was funny, he was intelligent, he asked me questions, and he laughed and laughed and laughed at every story. I had to leave before he did. Because HCMC is a public hospital, everybody is seen there so that often means really long waits for some of these kids. So I had to leave and I said to Emilio, ‘I hope you get in to see the doctor really soon,’ and he said, ‘Oh, I’ve already seen the doctor’; I said, ‘What do you mean you’ve already seen the doctor? You’ve been sitting with me for almost two hours’. He said, ‘I know, I saw the doctor first then I told Papa that I wanted to sit and read with you,’ and I said, ‘Where’s your papa?’. That man had sat almost two hours after the appointment was done so that Emilio could read with me! As much as I kept trying to thank the dad, he just kept saying, ‘No, no, this is important. You read to my son, that’s very important. Thank you so much.’

That is my favorite, but my second favorite was the day I left and I was walking down the hall and heard ‘Hey, hey, hey!’. And I turned around and there was a little boy standing in the door waving saying, ‘Goodbye, booklady, thanks for reading to me today!’.”

RP: Do you wish you had more time to spend there?

Dr. K: “It’s about right. They’re little kids and they lose their attention, so it’s about the right amount of time. But I adore it; I would never ever, ever give it up. I love kids.”

Bear on Ice Skates Attacks Man

A bear on ice skates attacked and killed a circus administrator during rehearsals at a circus in Russia. The bear also injured circus trainer Yevgeny Popov who tried to rescue the administrator during the attack. It is currently unclear what may have provoked the bear to attack the two men. -CNN

Don't forget to set up your appointment with a needle

Even the snow falling outside last Monday, Oct.12 didn’t stop people from taking 15 minutes to stop in and get a flu shot at Anoka Ramsey Cambridge Campus (ARCC) in room E-202.

With the increase of H1N1 cases and the rumors of possible shortages of flu vaccines, people are anxious to take hold of opportunities to get the flu shot as soon as it is available to them. The flu shot clinic, funded by the Homeland Health Incorporated (HHI), made its annual stop at the Anoka Ramsey Cambridge Campus.

The flu shot clinic is staffed by HHI employees who travel to many different locations in Minnesota. The shots were offered free to staff and faculty or students who had proof of insurance. Otherwise there was a nominal fee of $24 to those who were not insured.

The clinic was equipped with three different shots in order to be prepared for a variety of people. The first and most commonly used shot available is called the “flu flulaval”, used for people eighteen years and over. The second shot available is called the “flu zone” and is used to vaccinate ages 3-18. The third and final vaccination available at the flu shot clinic is actually not a shot, but a type of nasal injection called the “flu mist”. This nasal spray is a live but weakened vaccine that is available to any ages. The flu mist has proven to be an easier solution for children who are not comfortable with the shots as the studies show that it is more effective in children.

Alexander Andropol Andreievitch, a teacher at the Cambridge Campus, was one of many who received the flu shot at the clinic Monday morning. This was approximately the fourth or fifth time that Andreievitch has received the shot and he expressed that it is not as much the H1N1 virus as the regular seasonal virus that concerns him.

The average percentage of people who get the seasonal flu in the United States is ranges from 5%-20%. A common misbelief is that only the very old and sick need the flu shot, but this has proven to be false. Whether you are in good health or are suffering from long-term health conditions, you are still at risk of getting the flu.

Another common belief is that you do not need to get the flu shot before December. This is true. The flu shot can be given before or during the flu season, but that does not guarantee its availability as the flu season progresses. Tony Tong, a student at ARCC, realized the importance of getting the flu shot as soon as possible. Tong stated that he usually preferred to make getting a flu shot a family event in which they could all get them together.

But when the opportunity arose at ARCC he couldn’t resist. “This is a perfect opportunity for me, it came to where I am,” Tong reported.

Tong and Andreievitch were among the final count of 47 people who took advantage of the Cambridge Campus flu clinic. This number exceeds the previous final count of 38 from last year according those administering the shots. If you missed this opportunity to receive a seasonal flu shot don’t let it stop you from seeking out alternative flu shot clinic locations to get immunized.

Tough Little Red Kettles

The famous Salvation Army kettles are getting a fresh shiny red look from local auto-body shops. After six years of use in bitter cold weather, the kettles were starting to have a worn look to them. That is why local auto painters volunteered to sand and spray paint all 1,200 kettles before they’re needed on the streets.
-Pioneer Press