Imagine this: being a full-time student striving to achieve a degree, attempting to academically challenge oneself, holding three jobs and leadership positions in Student-Life organizations, and assisting on student-oriented committees. Impractical? Impossible? Insane? Upholding all these responsibilities was a day-to-day task for David Blanchard, a former student at Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) Cambridge Campus.
“I think that the way students are challenged in college… is by having the initiative to make the fullest of their education,” Blanchard explains.
Blanchard’s résumé of academic and extra-circular activities is both bulky and brilliant: both chapter president and VP of the Minn-Wi-Kota region in Phi Theta Kappa, participant in the Honor’s Program, involvement with Student Government, an active member of the Student Life Committee, and a volunteer for various ARCC committees ranging from the building dedication committee to the hiring committee. Also, while participating in these activities, Blanchard was enrolled as a full-time student and held three jobs.
Though maintaining these responsibilities was hectic, Blanchard kept his eyes on the silver lining.
“Everything that I did made me all the stronger,” he explains. “I think that all of the activities I was involved in (at any level) made me a better student, friend, leader, citizen and person as a whole.”
Aside from the personal gratification Blanchard felt from being active at the ARCC, his hard work was well appreciated and rewarded
“While at the Cambridge Campus I received a number of foundation scholarships and a great list of service hours, references and recommendation letters,” says Blanchard. “(Letters of recommendation) mean much more, but don't always pay the tuition statement.”
Blanchard’s ambition not only earned him scholarships at the ARCC, but also helped him in achieving a substantial transfer scholarship at the college he currently attends: St. Cloud State University (SCSU). Presently, Blanchard is working towards his teaching license for elementary education, K-8th grade, with a science cognate, which will enable him to be a science teacher or general education classroom teacher.
Although Blanchard admits that he is not currently involved in Student Life activities at SCSU, he keeps himself preoccupied. With a full-course load, three jobs (sales floor team member at Pamida, Retail Data Collection Associate at The Nielsen Company, and a student manager at the SCSU Computer Store), and a 45-minute commute to and from school, his free-time is crunched. However, Blanchard adds that he plans to become more active in SCSU activities ASAP.
“I know what many of you may be thinking right now: ‘boy... this guy just keeps going,’ but the fact of the matter is… everyone needs motivation. The due date, the incentive at the end of the class, the discount on car insurance, and the feeling of a job well done are just a few forms of motivation that many students have and use. What motivates me is my family -past, present and future-, my friends -including the professors I am close with- and my love for education. Everyone needs to have some form of motivation. Once you find yours, keep the light alive and let that motivator propel you to your highest dreams. I have, and will continue to do so.”

The Generation Gap

Compared to the 1930s, sound recording, radio, movies, and television has drastically changed. George Flugaur, a retired high-school teacher and college professor, well understands these contrasts because he was in his teens during the 1930s, and is still active with today’s technology. Nonetheless, Flugaur is astonished by the significant technological differences between his generation and the current generation.
Sound technology largely contrasts between the current and Flugaur’s generation. Flugaur notes that during his youth, a record had a diameter of about 12 inches. In 1945, the diameter went down to 6 inches, which he believed to be a significant size reduction. However, Flugaur admits that he had not foreseen the format of a record to change to a compact disk (CD), nor did he predict that the diameter could decrease to a mere 120 mm in diameter.
Flugaur emphasized the undesirable aspect of the record’s inconveniently large size. Aside from this drawback, Flugaur admits, operating the actual record player was even less convenient.
“We had a wind up,” he explains. “The volume was controlled by opening and closing shutters.”
Personally, I find the size of a CD to be an irritation; hence, I cannot wrap my mind around the idea of dealing with the size of a record. However, my irritation of the CD is rational. Since downloading music into an MP3 is more time-worthy and normal for me, lugging around a CD in a large CD player seems irrational to me.
Combined with the inconvenient large size of the record and the difficulties of operating an actual record player, Flugaur admits that discovering variations of music was difficult during his generation. He recalls that the only means of finding new artists or music was either by hearing them on the radio, or by going to the “dime stores” and “music stores.” Though still unfamiliar with how to actually use current software, Flugaur is fascinated how easy it is for one to find a variety of artists. Radio stations (including online stations), billboard advertisements, and commercials are just the beginning, Flugaur admits. He looks forward to better understanding how to use iTunes or LimeWire so he can better “discover” musical artists the same way I do.
When radios became affordable, Flugaur’s father was “one of the first” to purchase one. Flugaur admits that his first radio was difficult to operate due to the “many dials,” space-consuming size, unclear stations, and having to replace the radio’s “tubes.” However, there were benefits to the old fashioned radios.
“My older brother could get stations from other countries,” says Flugaur.
The family’s second radio was more convenient (though sadly unable to catch stations oversees). Flugaur recalls the clearer stations being the most memorable benefit of replacing their radio.
What Flugaur admires most about today’s radio is that the parts of radios are not usually replaced and station clearness is rarely an inconvenience or an issue. If a part of a radio does need to be replaced, the whole set is usually thrown out and a new radio is brought in due to the cheapness of today’s radios, which Flugaur enjoys because he has gotten the opportunity to try out several different styles of radio sets. Station clearness is not usually an issue, especially since the update into satellite radio (i.e. XM Radio).
Honestly, station clearness and radio efficiency does not even come to my mind when I think of the radio. The only thing I worry about when tuning into a radio station is whether the station is on a commercial break or not.
Flugaur was not able to attain a television set when it was first introduced to the market due to the expensiveness and their house’s inability to “catch television stations.” After the price of the television lowered significantly and television technology improved, the Flugaur family bought a second-hand Sylvania for $50. However, shortly after, they were able to update to a color television.
“A week (after we bought the Sylvania), the older children and I went bowling,” says Flugaur. “I won a color TV by getting a strike.”
Attaining a television has never raised a red flag in my mind. In fact, there are six televisions in the house I live in (an equal distribution of three TVs in the basement and three in the upstairs). To me, TV’s are everywhere. The only people I know who don’t have a TV are people who make an effort not to own a TV.
Today, Flugaur realizes that his family was somewhat ripped off when purchasing their second-hand television. Although, like others from his generation, he believe he received a better “bang-for-his-buck” when purchasing movie tickets.
In 2008, the average matinee movie viewing costs about four dollars, which includes previews, a movie, and sometimes a short cartoon before the movie (if the movie is child-orientated). Flugaur recalls that, when he was young, matinees were only $0.10 cents and included both a film and a feature film.
For me, I am glad that today’s movies only have previews and the actual movie. Usually I have to plan to see a movie, making it barely fit into my schedule. This also contrasts with my grandpa’s movie-going experience. In his day, he explains, going to view a movie was an all-day experience, not an event one “squeezes” into their schedule.
The entertainment industry has drastically changed for Flugaur. More benefits than drawbacks have occurred in sound recording, radio, television, and movies have. Flugaur believes that neither generation is better than the other. Simply, one generation builds off the other, and someday, another generation is going to look back at the current generation in astonishment.

Feature Article (1st Draft)

Imagine this: being a full-time student striving to achieve a degree, attempting to academically challenge oneself, holding a job/jobs and leadership positions in Student-Life organizations, and assisting on student-oriented committees. Impractical? Impossible? Insane? Upholding all these responsibilities was a day-to-day task for David Blanchard, a former student at Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) Cambridge Campus.
Blanchard’s résumé of academic and extra-circular activities is both bulky and brilliant: both chapter president and VP of the Minn-Wi-Kota region in Phi Theta Kappa, participant in the Honor’s Program, involvement with Student Government, an active member of the Student Life Committee, a volunteer for various ARCC committees ranging from the building dedication committee to the hiring committee. Also, while participating in these activities, Blanchard was enrolled as a full-time student and held three jobs.
Though maintaining these responsibilities was hectic, Blanchard kept his eyes on the silver lining.
“Everything that I did made me all the stronger,” he explains. “I think that all of the activities I was involved in (at any level) made me a better student, friend, leader, citizen and person as a whole.”
Aside from the personal gratification Blanchard felt from being active at the ARCC, his hard work was well appreciated and rewarded
“While at the Cambridge campus I received a number of foundation scholarships and a great list of service hours, references and recommendation letters,” says Blanchard. “(Letters of Recommendation) mean much more, but don't always pay the tuition statement.”
Blanchard’s ambition not only earned him scholarships at the ARCC, but also helped him in achieving a substantial transfer scholarship at the college he currently attends: St. Cloud State University (SCSU). Presently, Blanchard is working towards his teaching license for Elementary Education K-8th grade with a science cognate which will enable him to be a science teacher or general education classroom teacher.
Although Blanchard admits that he is not currently involved in Student Life activities at SCSU, he keeps himself preoccupied. With a full-course load, three jobs (Sales Floor Team Member at Pamida, Retail Data Collection Associate at The Nielsen Company, and a Student Manager at the SCSU Computer Store), and a 45 minute commute to and from school, his free-time is crunched. However, Blanchard adds that he plans to become more active in SCSU activities ASAP.
“I know what many of you may be thinking right now: "boy... this guy just keeps going," but the fact of the matter is… everyone needs motivation. The due date, the incentive at the end of the class, the discount on car insurance, and the feeling of a job well done are just a few forms of motivation that many students have and use. What motivates me is my family -past, present and future-, my friends -including the professors I am close with- and my love for education. Everyone needs to have some form of motivation. Once you find yours, keep the light alive and let that motivator propel you to your highest dreams. I have, and will continue to do so.”

Brazz Tree

The musical compositions of Mazz Swift (violin and vox) and Brad Hammonds’s (acoustic guitar) “Brazz Tree” recently visited Anoka-Ramsey Community College Cambridge Campus.
“Brazz Tree” cannot be categorized into a specific genre. The band’s intent is to combine the elements of various elements of various classifications of music such as “Rock” or “Folk” to create music the band refers to as “Music NWAR.”
For more information about this band, visit the following sites:

• http://www.brazztree.com/
• http://www.myspace.com/brazztree



Sources:

"Biography." Brazz Tree. Brazz Tree. 14 Apr. 2008 .

Brands (Column)

From a young age, my parents exemplified how to maintain a cheap and practical lifestyle. We snuck food into the theater rather than buying the over-priced candy at the concession stands, dad only allowed us to buy new shoes when we had decent coupons, and no matter how much us kids whined, mom refused to buy is the generic clothes: it either had to be on sale, thrift store, or hand-me-downs from siblings and cousins.
Though we did live cheaply, we did not ignore practicality. Sketchers aren’t the cheaper shoes, but we purchase them because we usually outgrow them rather than out-wear them. We bought (and still buy) Columbia jackets because of their durability (we haven’t had to throw one out yet) and because of the company’s generosity (if the zipper on a jacket breaks, you send them the coat and they will repair it, free of charge). We realizes that the cheapest deal isn’t always the best deal, but either is the most expensive deal.
Because I was constantly in the “cheap and practical” mindset, brand names didn’t matter. Material durability and price were (and still are) the first thing I check. Whether the item is from Old Navy or Family Pathways, it doesn’t matter; if it fits, if it’s cheap, if it’ll last, it works for me.
There are times that it is necessary to purchase an item that is expensive, such as an ink cartridge for the printer. Before I would go out and buy a cartridge, I would ask around. What store sells cartridges the cheapest? Where do you buy yours? How long do they last? Even after asking around, I would learn from experience. Perhaps OfficeMax sells cartridges cheap, but if the cartridge doesn’t last long, I have to try another place. Eventually, I find a decent price range and an efficient product (Cartridge World).
Since then, my father has been promoted and the family income has increased. However, our spending habits have not changed.
“The average American family overspends and is in debt,” comments Mary Curtis, my mother. “We aren’t in debt; we live within our means and actually save our money.”
In our family, brand-names are of no importance; efficiency and practicality dominates our decisions.




Sources:

Curtis, Mary. Personal interview. 25 March. 2008.

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