Business As Usual - Rough Draft

Unemployment to graduation, as the economy takes a downturn and millions of Americans found themselves without a job many are finding a light at the end of the tunnel at their local community college. There are a wide array of student loans, grants and subsidized funding designed to educate people for a changing market.

As millions of Americans lose their jobs Anoka- Ramsey Community College has large billboards placed along the highways within its’ community offering up 50% off tuition for anyone on unemployment. This  generous offer was met with a groundswell of individuals looking to enhance their resume through a wide array of programs offered by ARCC. Providing that you stay enrolled you can complete a degree for half-price.

 The Anoka County Workforce center has funding available for eligible individuals through the dislocated workers program. Providing you are currently on unemployment or if your unemployment has been exhausted you would still be eligible for the program. The funds are available for those qualified to obtain a two-year degree or a number of certification programs on condition that they are non-profit institutions, such as Anoka Technical College, where you could obtain a certification in welding or heating and air-conditioning.

If someone chooses to get a two-year degree they must commit to completing it in two years. There is $6000 available for each year plus funds available for summer courses. Students are also eligible for guaranteed student loans and any grants they are qualified to receive to help subsidize the living costs while attending school.

Renee Shepherd, a 53-year-old student attending ARCC, is one of thousands of students currently going back to school through the dislocated workers program. Shepherd's job was phased out after 21 years.

Shepherd said it was the most stressful time in her life. She went on to say, “even beyond the financial stress of unemployment, the toll it takes on your self-worth is incredulous. The low point in my job search came when I applied for a position which mirrored my previous position, was granted an interview, and then did not get hired.  It was nearly the final straw of rejection for me; I really wanted to just give up.  Because of my relevant experience, I believed this was my best opportunity at becoming employed again.”

Shepherd went on to say, “I also attended many classes and networking opportunities at the Anoka County Workforce Center.  This is a wonderful resource for the unemployed.  They offer so much including the use of computers and internet access, the use of office equipment, workshops and training, plus networking and job clubs.  They helped me in so many ways, one being paying for books and tuition at ARCC.  The moral support from the employees was probably the part that was the highlight for me.  I believe that they genuinely care that each and every person finds employment once again.”

At this point Shepherd decided to take advantage of the two-year program offered by the Anoka County Workforce Center. She is currently attending ARCC, in her third semester, in pursuit of a AAS degree in Business.

Shepherd said that the first semester was difficult.  It was a big adjustment from working for so many years and then going to school full time.  Because her position was eliminated she had to make a mental adjustment, because at first she, "wanted to be working and making money again."

Her experience has been very positive at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. She said all her teachers were great and they really made it enjoyable.  “I have a renewed appreciation for continuing education,” stated Shepherd.

Joanne Kost, a 30 year veteran of the workforce center, said the economy hasn't been this bad since the late 70s. The marketplace has changed dramatically as have the skills one needs to obtain employment in the marketplace today.

Kost went on to say that many of the people that have recently lost their jobs are inadequately equipped when it comes to computer skills. She said that it's not like it used to be 20 years ago when someone could walk into a business and talk to a manager and be immediately placed in a new position.

Jeffrey Janas, the job placement coordinator at ARCC, said there has been a large influx of non-traditional students coming back to school due to the recession. Many of these individuals have maintained their jobs for 10 to 20 years prior to this. Most of these people have never even had an interview since they were hired by someone they knew right out of high school and a large proportion of them will need help drafting their first resume. Janas goes on to explain that resume writing has become an art form based on the online word search performed for particular qualifications. Many resumes are tailor-made in an effort to obtain a particular type of position.

In mid-March ARCC has a workshop designed to help people with their resume skills and conduct mock interviews to help students better prepare for the interview process stated Janas. He went on to say that four of the individuals that practiced their mock interviews multiple times last year were hired within the following week.

Linnea Branstrom, the Interim Coordinator of Access Services and an academic advisor, said that the average age of students has risen to 25 due to the higher level of nontraditional students returning back for continuing education. Branstrom went on to say that many of the nontraditional students that are currently attending ARCC have a considerable amount of stress to deal with compared to the traditional student. A large portion of the nontraditional students have families to feed and mortgage payments to make. Regardless of all the stressors the majority of the students stay focused and are very dedicated said Branstrom.

Scott Wrobel, a creative writing instructor at ARCC said that most of his classes are online these days. Wrobel went on to say, “In my on-campus writing courses, however, though I can't say with certainty that the dynamic has significantly changed over the past couple years,  a good blend of traditional and non-traditional students has always been beneficial, especially during the workshop component of the course where students works in small groups to formally critique each other's essays on various subjects, many of which are persuasive in form and deal with controversial social issues. Having multiple perspectives as readers, especially with the sorts of topics the students are expected to research and write about, is critical and creates an energetic classroom. The blend of traditional and non-traditional students in my writing courses has always provided a terrific learning environment full of good energy.”  

Renee Shepherd said that after sixteen months, “I was finally fortunate to find employment again.  When I received the call from my current employer, it was one of the best days of my life.  I immediately informed the people who supported me throughout this ordeal and those I hold close to me.”

When asked if she was going to complete her degree Shepherd responded most definitely yes. The company that she is employed with currently has a history of hiring only people with degrees. The fact that she was working toward a degree was certainly a positive and most probably helped her get this position.

People by the thousands are flocking back to school all across the country through various financial means obtaining skills they will need to become gainfully employed again in an ever-changing work market. This is not the first time that our nation has had to retool or reeducate to remain competitive in the global market and most certainly it will not be the last.

Number One Hits

Patrick Lightheart

11200 Mississippi Blvd
Coon Rapids, MN, 55433

Release Date:  Monday, November 29, 2010

CONTACT: Patrick Lightheart
Office phone: (800)-555-5673
Email: ligh0078@metnet.edu

Number One Hits

Husband, father, successful actor, and country music superstar Tim McGraw will be releasing his album Number One Hits on November 30, 2010. Number One Hits is a two CD set featuring 30 of McGraw’s hits including his newest single Felt Good on My Lips.  It will be released by Curb Records and will be available at Amazon, iTunes and Wal-Mart. Tim McGraw has been with Curb Records since 1990 and has sold over 40 million albums.

Family and home dominate Tim McGraw’s world which is respected by fans as well as peers.  Among the rewards that McGraw has garnered are Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, and People’s Choice Top Male Performer. McGraw is also a member of several charity organizations including The American Red Cross and community little league events.

Necessary Skills

It is not necessary to be an All-Star to get a job, basic fundamentals and the ability to verbalize them are needed, says Jeffrey Janas who runs the employment side of career services at the Coon Rapids campus of Anoka-Ramsey Community College. Janas gathers relevant information from local leaders and businesses within the community to help guide students through the process of looking for a job.

When career services asked local businesses what their chief complaint was during the interviewing process, their answers overwhelmingly came back as subpar answers to questions or the failure to verbalize thoughts. It is surprising the amount of people that show up to the interview dressed inappropriately. "The coolest resume in the world won't get you the job unless you're prepared to do a proper interview," said Janas.

Job placement career services is designed to help students gain and develop the necessary skills through resume building, networking and interviewing techniques so they will be better prepared to cultivate their own future.

According to Janas, resume building is a critical part of attaining an interview. There are things that can be done to help bolster your resume while attending college. Volunteering for some sort of public service or being involved in community activities on campus can be important. These types of activities are always looked on favorably during the interview process.

Janas said there are various ways to gain experience through the process of networking and planting seeds for the future long before graduation. He strongly recommends doing what is known as an informational interview. This is where a person would find an individual within the field of study related to a particular major to ask questions relevant to that particular profession. There are a wide range of questions that can be asked, from how long did they have to work to get the position they are currently in, or do they find the job satisfying and are they happy with it. At the end of the interview one could ask if it would be okay to stay in contact for future questions. Now that face-to-face contact with someone in your chosen career path has been made the seed for the future has been planted. Six months later the possibility exists to go back and ask if they're looking for any interns and if not would they know anybody else in the industry that is. This can be a powerful method for networking and gaining work experience in a particular field.

The majority of most job applications are filled out online says Janas. A manager at Best Buy said that occasionally people come in after applying on-line to personally hand in a resume. According to that manager those people are moved right to the top of the pile for the interview because they are showing initiative and there is then a face to relate to the application.

A person may only hear back from two or three people after putting out 20 resumes in today's market. That is actually pretty good and means the resume is working said Janas.

Janas warns to stay positive during the interview process of job hunting. There are a lot of people out there looking for jobs and unfortunately rejection is part of the process of job hunting.

One of the most valuable services that is provided through career services is a mock interview that helps identify critical mistakes that could be made during an interview. Janas said everyone has a different comfort level when it comes to doing an interview. He said he gets people that are very well polished and are very prepared for the interviewing process. On the other hand though, he actually had to stop an interview because the person got so nervous that they stopped breathing and he had to assure  them that a mistake is not possible during a mock interview and everything was okay.

Janas was quite clear. If you want to get a job preparation for the interview is necessary. Practice interviewing and learn how to verbalize thoughts in a smooth tempo and a confident, clean and polished manner. Always dress appropriately for the interview. Take the time to research the company, learn a little something about them and their track record. This is your interview. Do not be afraid to ask some questions. You don't want a job that you won’t be happy with. Jeffrey Janas will be holding another workshop on campus March 29. For further information call 763–433–1430.

A Students Best Friend

For the past three months Linnea Branstrom has served as the interim coordinator for access services providing accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Prior to this Branstrom has been an academic advisor at Anoka-Ramsey Community College for almost three years. Branstrom graduated from St. Cloud State University where she completed a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling.

Branstrom explained that both positions are relatively the same at the core; advising and helping students achieve their academic goals. As an academic advisor she works with PSO students who are usually very prepared or accompanied by a parent. She said she also helps first-time students that just need a guiding hand to get through the process and occasionally an individual that woke up that morning and decided that they would start college that day. In some instances it would be the day classes were actually starting.

The core of both positions is similar in the aspect that students are helped to achieve their goals. Being an academic advisor comes with certain personal rewards, knowing that students are helped to navigate a steady course to achieve their goals. In access services the counselors go well past the core and delve headlong into heartfelt issues beyond an academic advisor.   There is a deeper sense of fulfillment that is found within the realm of intrinsic value. Even though just basic reasonable accommodations are provided to afford a student the opportunity for a college education they can actively participate in life. The students involved in access services show a deeper sense of appreciation that is undeniably candid. “There is definitely a broader sense of appreciation and personal fulfillment associated with the position,” said Branstrom.

Branstrom said that ARCC has an average of one hundred intakes every semester. The needs vary from one student to the other and there is no standard answer for most situations. The desires and goals are the same as any other student, they know that there's a hard road in front of them and they're always very determined. Most of the students know their self well enough to understand the obstacles that lay in their path. In many cases the accommodation have relatively simple solutions. Branstrom said, first and foremost, "we just need to follow their lead and make sure we understand what the real needs are and accommodate them within reason."

Every semester the access services office will schedule a meeting with each student and reevaluate their needs to adjust accommodations in accord with their individual needs and class schedule. "Sometimes you have to sit down and explain to a student that what they are trying to achieve may be extremely hard to achieve based on their situation, this is always a hard conversation to have," said Branstrom.

Linnea Branstrom will be spending three days a week at Anoka Technical College as the coordinator for access facilities. Branstrom will still be at ARCC for two days a week as an academic advisor at the Coon Rapids campus.

The Big Belching Bog

The 23rd annual Minnesota writers event at the Cambridge campus of ARCC, featured Phyllis Root, the author of over 30 children's books, and author and artist Betsy Bowman. They shared their experience and inspiration for the writing and illustrations in their collaboration of The Big Belching Bog.

Phyllis Root had originally planned on writing a children’s numbers book with the Big Bog State Park as a theme but was struggling to make that work. She took her first trip to the big bog and, "fell in love with the bog. There is no other place like this."

As Root ventured into the bog, on its one-mile long elevated platform, she "was smitten with its beauty." It was the most amazing site and she described the sun coming through the trees and hitting the bog as if it was stained glass Tiffany.  Nearing the end of the walkway she saw the bog was, "green, blue and pink where the peat had grown into islands with Tamarac and spruce trees growing upon them giving the appearance of ships sailing away in the distance."

Part of Root’s experience included meeting with a naturalist who pointed out some of the various plant species, frogs and birds that inhabited the bog while explaining their individual and unique niche. From the naturalist Root learned about the phenomenon of the belching bog.  Methane gas builds up slowly underneath the moss and pushes the surface up 6 to 8 inches. As the gas escapes they say that it belches. No one has ever heard it, but it is known to happen. That was the revelation for the storyline and the artist uniquely qualified to illustrate The Big Belching Bog was Betsy Bowmen.

At that point during the event Betsy Bowmen began speaking and described her plan for illustrating the book. She visited the bog and, “decided to do one wood carving for each of the unique backgrounds and then press them with ink onto the page.” She finished the individual pages by brushing them with oil paint. The illustrator needed to make the decision on what or who was going to be the narrator as the story of the belching bog unfolded. Bowmen believed that there was something about a picture of a landscape with animals and their friendly faces that drew one into the story. That was when she realized that it was already described in the book and an energetic, lively little finch with a fantail would narrate the journey.

Phyllis Root then began to read with illustrations in hand. She offered up secrets of the bog one at a time with the little finch leading the way from one stunning illustration to the next. The bog is apparently a cold, wet and seemingly hostile environment with plants that eat insects and frogs that freeze in the winter and come back to life the spring. All through the book something rose page by page, slowly getting closer, until it finally reached the surface, and maybe you will be the one to hear the big bog belch.

At the end of the reading everyone was invited up to the stage to have a closer look at the wood carvings used to press the pages and various stages of the artwork as it was completed. Both women signed books and answered questions for as long as people were willing to stay.

Interview with a Freshman

It is midterm fall semester at Anoka Ramsey Community College and the hallways are pulsating with that life-giving force that comes every fall. Yes, it is the freshman and their young smiling faces. They have survived the mid-terms exams. One of the survivors is 19-year-old Megan Norenberg who aspires to be a kindergarten teacher and aspirations of continuing her education at Bemidji State University and said, "…it has been my dream school." After getting her teaching degree Megan said, “I would love to come back to my hometown and teach," preferably at my grade school, Hamilton, in Blaine, MN.

When she was asked if she had a grade school teacher that inspired her she said,"This may sound corny but all of them did." She explained that each teacher taught her a different life skill; from literature to listening. She said, "I think kids are hilarious and I would love to teach them skills that will help them succeed in life."

She loves to read and says it helps her to relax. With a firm belief in the power of the written word Megan maintains a diary of everyone she meets. When she wrote for her high school paper she said, "I developed a love and respect for journalism."

In her spare time she loves to play sports, from ballet to hockey, but she said, "I don't play basketball since I'm only 4 feet 8 inches.” Every weekend she drives to Bemidji to help out at the family café while her aunt is recovering from a medical condition.

            There are so many different students, all with their own unique story, but there is one common thread, the desire to succeed in life.

Sleepless in America

A recent study on sleep deprivation indicated a direct correlation between accidents and an individual's sleep habits.  Diana Gant, a professor of psychology involved with these experiments stated that sleep is a matter of public and personal safety. It can be as hazardous to be sleep deprived as it is to be intoxicated.

The study found when people were provided a clean and comfortable bed with no external distractions, in a darkened room, most people averaged nine to 10 hours of sleep at an optimal temperature of 65 degrees. Some people still required an afternoon nap.

On average, most people only get seven to eight hours of sleep and some people get as little as four to five hours of sleep. Some of this can be attributed to various sleep disorders Gant stated. There are also people who believe that they are being more productive by staying awake longer. In the process they are depriving themselves of the sleep that they need.

Many people exercise to maintain their health stated the professor and not everybody would agree, but people should look at sleep as if it were an exercise. Sleep is healthy; and if someone does not get enough, sooner or later it will catch up with them.

The professor explained that not all of the evidence comes from laboratory experiments. There is correlating statistical data that links sleeplessness with accidents. Every spring when there is a shift to daylight savings time there is an 8 percent increase in accidents within the state. Gant stated that it is something similar to jet lag but on a national level. There is also a corresponding decrease in accidents when the time changes in the fall.

Major disasters can also be looked at. For example, the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The media focused on the possibility that the captain was drinking. Undershifting and long shifts may have caused the third mate to fall asleep at the wheel. Lack of sleep very well could be the culprit. Gant pointed out that the lack of proper sleep may have played a role in the Chernobyl nuclear reactor and the space shuttle Challenger disasters, too.

All researchers agree that a good night’s sleep is essential, Gant stated. There are some basic criteria to achieve this. Avoid tobacco, coffee and alcohol before going to sleep. Avoid foods such as chocolate or things containing sugar. When the effects of these wear off the brain becomes more active in the middle of the night causing you to wake up . One should always spend an hour relaxing before going to sleep possibly reading a book or watching some television. A quiet dark room with clean sheets and comfortable bed are the basic essentials for a good night’s sleep.