What I've Learned.

In taking this class I have learned that there is a very different way of writing with it's own rules and guidelines. I had a difficult time with various things, but the hardest was doing interviews with people I do not know. But now i am able to do it without any hesitation. The class in general was a huge time and effort consumer for me. To be honest, I still like the creative and research based writing better. But my eyes were opened to something new that I may eventually grow into someday.

Online vs. In class lecture hours

Traditional classroom, online, or hybrid classes? Today there are various ways you can get a degree in college. Though some students think taking all online classes will benefit them in great ways, financially, because they get to stay at home. It may be a wiser choice to take either a traditional classroom course of even hybrid.

            Sitting in long lecture hours isn’t required anymore when you take college courses. Completely online courses are now available along with hybrid classes, which consist of a certain amount of in class lecture hours along with online participation.  There are drawbacks and benefits of each, but in different ways for different students. For some college students working in classes, with groups, having one on one time with the instructor in person, or even if you have no Internet access, having a complete in class lecture course would be more beneficial for them. “Because of my schedule, the only option I had was to take one online course this semester. It has been difficult because I live where I have no internet access, so I would have to drive to the campus or a coffee shop for instance, just so I could hand my assignments in, communicate with my instructor, and check the syllabus,” said Billy Karth. Karth is in his third and final year at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. For the past 6 semesters at ARCC, Karth has only taken in class lecture hours or hybrid courses, never a completely online class. “Adjusting to an online class was hard at first, but I did eventually get the hang of it. I like that there are no group assignments with online courses, and that I can do my work when it works best for me. Keeping track of assignments, and discussion boards was somewhat difficult for me because of the fact that I don’t have Internet access at home,” added Karth.

            Ashlynn Harlan, a first year PSEO student at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, is taking 3 completely online classes and 1 hybrid class. She decided to do this because of rising gas prices and so she could work more than what she would be able to if she were taking all or more in class lecture hours. She is taking an English online course, two business courses, and a hybrid psychology course. In the beginning of the second semester Harlan had no problem with keeping up and even getting ahead, but as the work load became to become more and more, Harlan is now having a difficult trying to find time for everything that needs to be done. “You have to discipline yourself a lot more than you think you would when taking online courses. There is a larger workload and more time consuming. I was hoping for it to be about the same as a class you go to the college for lecture. I do like that I can be alone and in my own environment for tests and quizzes though. I have less stress anxiety and have noticed that I am doing better with the quizzes and tests,” states Harlan.

            “It all depends on the student,” says Jennifer Liberty-Clark, a psychology instructor at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. Having a lot of self-discipline and devotion to school will make taking online classes almost a breeze. It also depends on what type of learner you are or how much structure you need from others. Liberty-Clark added, “I prefer to teach in-class courses or even hybrid courses. It gives me time to get to know my students better, and lectures have always been one of my favorite parts of teaching. There is definitely an advantage to being in class on a teacher-student basis. It creates a better relationship and makes the learning process more fun.”

            Faith Towl, an Anoka-Ramsey Community College student, who is working on getting a 4-year degree, has mixed feelings about what type of classes to take. “For me, it depends on the class. I don’t have a problem with taking completely online courses, but if it is a class in math or science, I find it difficult. I can ask my instructor questions when I run into a problem with homework, but for math and science it is more difficult to understand and learn the material through text and e-mail,” Towl informs.

            Not having an instructor there to spend the time working on it with you, leading you step my step in math courses can make it difficult to understand, unless are a good self teacher. It makes it easier hearing it from the teacher, not learning from a book. Many students find themselves getting distracted while trying to do online homework. In this day and age there are such distractions like television, social networks such as Facebook, cell phones with texting, and friends or family members.

            Kelsi DeMarco-Guttenfelder is a first year PSEO student trying to get ahead and get her generals done for no cost. The in-class setting had been very beneficial to DeMarco-Guttenfelder with it being her first year of college right out of a small town high school. “I wanted to be in the class lectures and not take online classes mainly because it is my first year, and I wanted to get the hang of the college setting,” says DeMarco-Guttenfelder. “I also wanted to gain new friends at the college and being there in class and not over the computer makes that much easier. Next year for my last year of PSEO, though, I am considering taking some online courses just to see how it goes. I feel that it will be beneficial to me, still being young and not being paid much. With gas prices rising it would make it somewhat difficult to drive 30 miles to school everyday.”

            Knowing how you learn and how much you can discipline yourself will help in deciding what type of courses you should take in college. “You will never really know until you have tried though. Don’t take on a full semester of all online courses, or you may find yourself in trouble though,” stated Liberty-Clark.

           

Locked and Loaded World Tour.

The ninth USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour is now planned for Toby Keith, which has him packing his bags. A 12-day, three-nation tour that Keith began performing on behalf of the USO in 2002, entertaining more than 159,000 troops and their families.

Keith, a very supportive American country music singer-songwriter, recorder producer and actor of the U.S Armed Forces, was presented the 2009 Military Offices Association of American Distinguished Service Award in recognition for his ongoing support for troops and their families through his entertainment. Keith enjoys performing on the USO-sponsored tour for the troops. Because of security issues, the specific date and destinations for 2011 have not been announced.

 "It's a wonderful geography lesson. It's a wonderful history lesson. Not to mention getting to shake hands with heroes every single day you're over there," says Keith.

Keith has also recently joined forces with several NFL players to form a non-profit organization called Pros 4 Vets, which helps troops and their families after they return home from service.

Deja Vu-story 7

Deja Vu

What is it like to have something unexpected happen twice in practically the same way? It was completely life changing for Jessica Ortis, former student of Anoka-Ramsey Community College, currently attending the University of Minnesota-Mankato, who experience her mother go through a horrific car accident, and nine-years later go through almost the same accident.

After going through her parents divorce, changing schools, getting used to a new home, and just adjusting to her new life in general, Ortis had the biggest scare of her life. One Saturday night, Ortis had asked her mom if she could stay at home, in Ogilvie, Minnesota, at her neighbors house because she was having more fun that she had had in quite some time. Her mother, Lisa Winterfield, had said that would be okay but she was still going to go along to Elk River with her boyfriend to attend Sunday morning church.

Sunday afternoon Ortis had a funny feeling about something, but she hadn’t known what. Her family hadn’t been home at the time Ortis had gotten there, and Winterfield was not answering her cell phone. The anticipation of knowing something was wrong had overwhelmed Ortis, and she could not sit still and couldn’t help but expect the worst.

 Later that day a family member had called Ortis to inform her that her mother had been in a terrible car accident and is now in the hospital. They told her everything they knew. Winterfield’s stomach had detached from her diaphragm and had cracked her pelvic bone in several places because of the seat belt. Recalling all the memories Ortis said, “I was incredibly scared.  I didn’t know what was going on other than what people were telling me, and they weren’t too sure at the time.  I didn’t know if my mom was dying or not, and I couldn’t lose my mom.  I wasn’t prepared for that.  My mom means everything to me.  So I was scared.  I didn’t know what to do.  I didn’t have a license, so I couldn’t go anywhere.  I had no one near by who could take me down to her.   It was one of the scariest moments of my life.”

Winterfield had been stopped at a four way stop when a van had veered into her, hitting the drivers side of the car. The impact had been so great Winterfield had blacked out causing her to put pressure on the gas pedal, driving into the ditch, hitting a telephone pole. Paramedics had to cut her from the car, and kept telling her she was extremely lucky to be alive.

After the accident and surgery Winterfield had to go through, she spent a week and a half in the hospital, and had to learn to walk again. Being a single mom, this was extremely hard on her. While struggling though, Ortis said she had touched her three children in an inspiring way.

Nine-years later, Tuesday, February 8, 2011, on her way to work, Ortis had a green light to make her right hand turn, while a man in a super duty pick-up truck had raced through his now red light. The next thing Ortis had realized was that she had just experienced what her mother had, nine-years ago. Ortis was taken away on a backboard due to neck pain. Luckily, Ortis only had minor muscle injuries that could be fixed with physical therapy and seeing a chiropractor.

“I was scared.  I have never been in a situation like that before.  The main impact of the truck was right on the front tire area and if the truck had hit just a little back further, I could have been hurt a lot worse.  It is scary to think what could have happened, but it makes one thankful that nothing really did,” added Ortis.

            Ortis suffered in many ways because of this accident. The pain caused her to be unable to work, and being a college student, this made a larger financial crisis. Her car had been totaled, so she had to find a way to get money to get another reliable car, and still pay her bills. She also started to struggle with school, and fall behind. For a week after the accident she was unable to go to her classes at all, then came all the physical therapy appointments and chiropractor appointments. She had to find time to heal, do school work, and go to her job. “This accident has exhausted me from doing all the normal tasks I have no problem with and I am ready for a break,” said Ortis. That is exactly what she will be getting with summer right around the corner, when she will be moving back home to attend Anoka-Ramsey Community College once again. 

Life Is Still Young. Story 6.

Jennifer Liberty-Clark, 42, of Maple Grove, Minnesota, found her passion by just trying something out. Psychology class after psychology class, she became attached.

            Clark grew up as an only child with her mother and father in Cumberland, WI. While attending Cumberland High School Clark first worked as a dishwasher at a small town restaurant. She then worked as, “a dilly bar maker at the Dairy Queen and then on an assembly line at a bean factory, picking sticks, frogs, and muck out of Green Giant Beans,” stated Clark.

            After graduating High School she then continued her journey going to attend and eventually graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She got a degree in psychology and a minor in speech communications. Later on in 1995 Clark received her Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and Vocational Rehab from St. Cloud State University. Clark said, “I knew when I started taking psychology that I wanted a degree in it. They were the classes and the content of material that was riveting to me, that made me want to read the textbooks, etc. I just kept going back for more!” As a little girl, like any other, she had big dreams of becoming an actress, but claims she just isn’t skilled in that department, psychology is now her dream.

            Clark utilized her psychology degree in various ways for many years. While she was attending graduate school she worked at a bank, in a huge office by herself. She knew then that she was not, by any means, an introvert, but an extravert. Which also applies to psychology. She then worked in a Level 5 Day Treatment Program, which is a type of sit in counseling. After that she then spent 8 years in training and development in corporate America. Starting in the fall of 2004, for the last 7 years Clark has been teaching psychology classes, among a few others at Anoka Ramsey Community College-Cambridge.  She began as a part-time, non-permanent position teacher for two years. In the spring of 2006, Clark was then hired full time.

            In life, there can be many hardships. In this sense Clark adds, “There really hasn’t been a ‘hardship’ in becoming and being a teacher. I think one of the most frustrating things about teaching with adult learners is that you can’t help everyone be successful. You can lay it out there for them, but in the end a student has to make the choices that gets them what they want by way of hard work and dedication. It’s frustrating when I lose a student to their negative life situation or to their lack of clarity about how to get from point A to point B. I’ve realized that there is only so much I, as a teacher, that I can do. The rest is really up to them!”

            Clark had many words of wisdom, and when it came to being successful and giving advice, she says, “Being a good teacher involves technique and heart. Both are equally as important. One doesn’t work w/o the other. I would tell anyone who is making a career decision to follow their heart/passion of what they want to do and the money will follow. If it doesn’t, but you’re doing what you love and you can feed yourself then you’re successful!”

            As Clark’s life begins to grow and prosper in many ways, she has become a successful teacher, friend, colleague, wife, and mother of her children Ahna, 11, Zach, 8, and Afton, 4. She is now living with her husband and three children in Maple Grove Minnesota while still being close with her parents in Wisconsin. She still strives to experience growth in each thing she is successful or not in. Many may perceive that she is successful because of her career, house, marriage, and her family life. But the truth behind it all is that Clark worked very hard for every single thing in her life. “There are many, many internal qualities that I have that I’d like to spend the rest of my life working at improving them. That’s what a life’s journey is all about,” added Clark. 

Story 5: Attend and event

OHS Pops Concert

            The evening of Saturday, March 12, 2011 Nancy Hendry and her show choir put on quite the concert. Exciting music, beautiful singers, dancing, and best of all, sweets!

            Annually, Ogilvie High School’s music director, Nancy Hendry, loves putting on the best pop’s show of the year. She spends two thirds of the year picking out music and creating choreography with her show choir students. This year the theme was “The Lions’ Roar Café”. Hendry had the joy of teaching one Senior, Jessica Simcox, two juniors, Megan Torgeson and Sammy holzenagel, and four sophomores, Christie Visser, Anna Munstertieger, Brianna Dewitt and Sarah DeYoung. This was a small but very lively and talented group.

            Their performance included songs such as, Summer of ’69 by Bryan Adams, Love Shack by the B-52’s, I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper, and Another One Bites the Dust by Queen. The group sang and danced together to every song with enthusiasm and excitement. Which then rubbed off onto their audience who had their private tables spread out in front of the stage enjoying refreshments and snacks provided by the parents of the performers.

            Before the show the group had stated, “We are extremely nervous but excited at the same time.” They were hoping for a good turn out with the fact that they had a smaller group than usual. The older girls had some words of wisdom for the younger girls they were performing with. “The nerves will get the best of you if you let them, but while you are up there performing and giving it your everything, seeing how excited and into it the audience is, that’s the best feeling of the night.” Hearing this Visser, among all the younger girls, felt more confident that they were going to have a great turn out that night. Hendry was very excited for the girls. Stated that, “ The girls have been working very hard for this all year, and tonight is their big night.” Hendry was also nervous, but being a professional she knew how to hide her nerves and not let them overcome her.

            The overall performance was breathtaking. All the girls put their heart into the music and dancing. They were ecstatic after the show and had wished it would last just a bit longer. Simcox said, “In the past four years, this has been the best show I have had the privilege of performing in.” She was especially satisfied with how well the other girls had done and was sad that this was her last show choir performance and added that she would miss it greatly. Hendry had gathered up the girls after the show to tell her how proud she had been and had a ‘mini’ party for Simcox’s very successful four years of show choir at Ogilvie High School. 

Story 4-Interview Mary Schabert.

            Salt Lake City, capital and gateway in Utah, with the “greatest snow on earth”. Mary Schabert of Minneapolis, Minnesota caught the breathtaking view and beauty of this city while having the time of her life snowboarding down the mountains.

            Schabert has plenty of experience in this heart-racing sport since the age of 12. The winter of 2006 Schabert, her family, and some friends took a trip designated for just snowboarding down the beautifully enormous mountains in Salt Lake City for eight days. Spending hours among hours speeding down packed down trails, going off jumps, and hiking. Although Schabert encountered a scare after falling off of a box in a blind spot with snowboarders speeding above her and one had landing on her, yet she still got right back up with the courage and passion to just have fun. Snowboarding can be a very exhilarating sport but at the same time very scary. Schabert stated, “The faster you go the more fun it is. It is such a rush to be going down a mountain and barely being able to see.”  After a long day of boarding down the mountains Schabert, her family and friends headed back to their cabin-like hotel to jump into the nice hot tub to relax and sooth their sore muscles. Eight days had been just the right amount of time and they were on their way back to Minnesota. “Sadly, that has been a one-time trip. My brother currently lives in Colorado and I am saving up for a trip out there still,” said Schabert. A trip filled with long lasting memories doing what Schabert loves to do.

Interview Transcript.

Brittney Ortis

Interview Questions – Mary Schabert

When did you go to Utah?

-I went the winter of 2006. It was super cold here but surprisingly perfect on the hills in Utah.

Which part of Utah?

-We went and stayed in Salt Lake City.

How long did you stay in Utah?

-We stayed for 8 days. It was the perfect amount of time to stay.

How long have you been snowboarding?

-I started snowboarding when I was 12. I have skied since I was 4 but switched after I broke my leg skiing and was to scared to try that again ha-ha.

What’s your favorite thing about snowboarding?

-The faster you go the more fun it is. It is such a rush to be going down a mountain and barely being able to see.

Do you go off of any jumps or ramps?

-I go off everything. The rails are the scariest due to how much it hurts to hit your head on one. Jumps are only fun with out the fall.

Have you ever raced in snowboarding?

-I have never done any competing with snowboarding. Just for fun.

What was your favorite thing about the trip?

-The best thing about the trip was how one day was packed down snow, tons of trails through the trees, and speed. The next day was fresh powder, fun jumps, and a ton of hiking.

Did anything funny happen?

-My best friend landed a back flip, which I thought I had on camera; somehow it just didn’t stay on the camera. Wasn’t too funny to him but I laughed pretty hard.

What was the experience like?

-It is a totally different experience snowboarding where you have never been before. Also the new people we met are crazy fun.

Did you have any dangerous falls or scares?

-I fell off of a box once in a blind spot. Other snowboarders didn’t see me and kept coming down the hill. Got landed on once pretty bad.

Did you do anything else while in Utah?

-They really don’t have nightlife there. After snowboarding the hot tub is the next place to go.

Who did you go with?

-I went with family and a few friends who could afford the trip.

Did you stay in a cabin?

-We actually stayed in a cabin like hotel. Very log like.

Do you do this every year?

-No sadly. That has been a one-time trip. My brother currently lives in Colorado and I am saving up for a trip out there still.

What is the best memory you have?

-In Utah the first day was amazing. I had never seen mountains and seeing something that beautiful and large was awesome.

Anything else you would like to add?

-I think your questions covered pretty much everything. Sorry this is so last minute.

Story #3, Hospital Bill.

How would you feel after being billed to donate your own son’s organs minutes after his tragic death? Flustered, confused, angry, maybe?

            Carmen Foucault, mother of a 23-year-old son, James Foucault, who died in a tragic motorcycle accident last week, Wednesday. The officers informing her of her son’s accident drove Foucault to Mercy Hospital. Minutes after arriving, doctors were suggesting that she keep her son alive just long enough to donate his organs. That with the brain damage caused in the accident, there was no way he would regain full consciousness. He was barely alive then. Foucault stated, “I knew it’s what he would want. He was always helping other people, so I agreed.”

            What upset Foucault most was that after staying at the hospital until the afternoon after, the nurse just told her it was over with and she should go home. “They had him all cut apart, just butchered him. They didn’t say it was going to be like that. Then they didn’t thank me or anything. Can you believe it? My son dies, they take his parts, and then they send me a bill.” Foucault said very confused and angry.

            Mercy Hospital billed Foucault $41,000 for keeping her son alive for an extra day while they took his organs. She was not informed of this at all before the procedure was started. Later to find that the hospital put a lien on her son’s house to ensure that they got paid the money. This caused Foucault to be unable to pay for a proper funeral and burial of her own son.

            After hiring an attorney, Foucault was informed by the hospital’s chief administrator, Irwin Greenhouse, that the bill was a complete mistake on the hospital’s end. It was to be originally sent to the Division of Transplantation for review. Greenhouse stated, “It’s embarrassing, and we’ve already had our attorney remove the lien, told him to make it his number one priority.” The Division of Transplantation has now taken the liberty of paying Foucault’s cost of normal emergency care.

            Now Foucault only wants to meet whoever got her son’s organs. She would “like to meet them, touch their chest and see who Jimmy saved.”

Brittney Ortis- Obituary

Brittney Ann Ortis, mother, ultrasound technician, and world speaker of brain cancer. Ortis died on her 25^th anniversary while under for brain surgery on October 10, 2042. She was 49 years old.

            Ortis graduated in the top 10 percent of her class at St. Cloud State University. She dove in the world championship competition of diving along side of her teammates. She began speaking about brain cancer when she was diagnosed with stage-two brain cancer at the age of 18. Ortis married Billy Karth at the Basilica in St. Paul on October 10, 2017. Ortis worked at Mercy Hospital in Minnesota for 15 years while traveling the world speaking. She enjoyed playing with her son, dog, and her fish.

            Surviving her are husband Billy, and child Bentley Carl. The funeral will be held at Zion Lutheran Church in Milaca at 5pm. Burial to follow immediately at Forest Hill Cemetery. 

Story 2

Kanabec County’s Sheriff department is going through a dispute of what the funding should go towards. It is now left in the commissioner’s hands to decide.

            Sheriff Gus Dicesari is at odds with some of his commissioners with the funding. Commissioners Anita Shenuski and Raymond Laybourne believe that the funding should go towards the sheriff’s department and law enforcement. Commissioners Valerie Dawkins, Faith Ellis, Jose Gardoz and Roland Grauman believe it should go towards programs for migrant workers in the county.  Dicesari said, “You’re putting the live of the people of this county in jeopardy.” The sheriff wants to hire five new sheriff’s deputies and eight new police cruisers. Commission president, Anne Chenn, is not on the same page. There is a belief that the migrants are the reason to all of the problems in the county, and that residents need to be protected from them. As the arguments kept growing and becoming more heated points were made, but with five in favor of president Chenn’s proposal and only two in favor of Sheriff Dicesari, the additional money requested for eight new cruisers and five additional deputies was refused. 

Post #1: Intro

Hey there! My name is Brittney (I'm on the left), I come from a family of eight. I have one older brother, three younger, and three older sisters. Life is most definitely always an experience. I work with my dad at a restaurant where he is a partial owner, working as a line cook and an expeditor. Working with my dad has it's ups and downs, but I love it.  I'm 17 going on 18 and I am a PSEO student from Ogilvie High School. I have been on the diving and swimming team all throughout high school and I enjoy doing it very much and hope to continue it after I graduate. I hope to go to St. Cloud State. I am still unsure of what I want to major in. I have changed my mind several times. I do know for sure I would like to minor in photography though. It has been one of my big passions throughout life. I am currently living in Anoka. I take classes at Cambridge because my mom lives in Ogilvie and that's where I was previously living, so when I am there it makes getting to Cambridge a lot easier. I have always taken an interest in writing, but I have only done it on a more private level and haven't let anyone read anything that I have ever written. I took this class to learn a different way of writing and to maybe, get some of my stuff "out there".