S tudent Poetry...........pg. 13 Seussville......pg. 6

Transcription

S tudent Poetry...........pg. 13 Seussville......pg. 6
Page 1 - Section A, The Mercury News, April 2012
April 2012
Spring Break Extended!
Details on page 1!
S t u d e n t
Poetry...........pg. 13
Seussville......pg. 6
APRIL
Page 2 - Section A, The Mercury News, April 2012
SECTION A
College For a Day...page 4
Seussville................ page 6
Nursing Building....page 8
Cowan’s Corner....page 10
Nursing apps.........page 12
SECTION B
FOOLS
All classes will meet on-time in their regular meeting-rooms.
We apologize to anyone gullible enough to have skipped their first class, and hope
that this reminds them of the old adage “don’t always believe what you read.”
Poetry...............page 13-21
Ecuador.................page 22
by: DAWSON LYNCH
Advisory Board
Faculty Advisor
Lowell Jaeger
Graphic Design Advisor
Sally Johnson
Libby Faculty Advisor
Jan Meadows
Board Members:
Carole Bergen
Rob Breeding
Sharon Nau
Leslie Rogers
Jim Soular
Campus Calendar
SPRING BREAK IS COMING
UP AT THE END OF
MARCH! GET OUT YOUR
SHORTS & SANDALS FOR
THE BALMY 40-DEGREE
WEATHER THAT IS
COMING!
Spring Break is over. Please
stand, be silent, and remember
that fact for a moment before you
go any further into this paper. For,
though it is gone now, it will not
be forgotten. Now all there is to
look forward to is the end of the
semester which, though joyous in
its own right, is also preceded by that murderous beast known as “finals”.
Prepare yourself, for they are coming sooner than you would expect.
With that warning out of the way, please enjoy this issue of the Mercury
News. Poetry submissions from students start on page 14, and there is a
bevy of other articles for your reading pleasure. So please sit back and
enjoy the experience of learning about the happenings of the college, or
sit further back and read one of the poems in this issue. In either case,
thank you for picking up this issue of the Mercury News.
Mercury News Contact Information
Mercury Phone: 756-3917
Email: [email protected]
Submit ads or articles to:
[email protected]
Deadline: 15th of the month
Address: Flathead Valley
Community College
ATTN: Mercury News
777 Grandview Drive
Kalispell, MT 59901
Mercury Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Dawson Lynch
Assistant Editors
Madeline Bjork
Carla Schmidt
Staff Reporters
Janelle Ackerman
Richard Barry
Maddy Bjork
Hannah Brinton
Ashley Crevier
Heather Fraley
Cynthia Geer
Tamara Gilham Nathanial Gilham
Eve Holthausen
Chris Jellison
Samantha Malmstrom
Shelby Mock
Cailey Renee
Ruth Rickenbacher
Cori Sandler
Heath Sieler
Gena Smith
Staff Photographer:
Dan Hafferman
Contributors
Annie Beall
Sabine Brigette
George Cowan
Dakota Hopkins
Sharon Randolph
Aspen Rose
Anna Shanks
Jo Swanson
Khord Thompson
Serra Valentine
Disclaimer:
Mercury News in no way
endorses or guarantees
the products, services
or viewpoints of our
advertisers.
Page 3 - Section A, The Mercury News, April 2012
LCC CAMPUS
What Will The Work-study Students Of
FVCC Library Be Doing Over Spring Break?
by JANELLE ACKERMAN
As a college student, when
Spring Break is on the horizon,
and you are in the middle of mid
terms… do you suddenly begin to
feel surrounded by books, that your
life is controlled by books, that
you dream about books, that you
have, in fact, become a book? It
was with great curiosity that I went
to our college library and asked
the five extraordinary work-study
students, who willingly spend the
majority of their day encircled by
books, what they were planning
to do over the much-anticipated
Spring
Break.
Amazingly,
not one of them said read!
Cailey Anderson: Writing papers and
housesitting.
Tawnie Heger: I am going to visit my
mom and kids.
What’s With The
Weather?
by Sammy Malmstrom
Spring is almost here. Yet there
has still been snow. About a
month ago, there was one day in
particular where it was just about
everything, and I wondered what
the forecast was. It was already
windy, and looked dreary outside
with the dark clouds looming
above Libby. Five minutes later,
the sun would make a brief
appearance while it as still cloudy
on both sides of the sky. Minutes
later, it would start raining, and the
sun would go away. Then it would
turn sunny, followed by hail. The
cycle would keep repeating with
it being sunny, to rainy, to hail,
to snow. I couldn’t understand it.
This last week the weather was
actually pretty sunny and mild
temperature wise. I could drive
around town with the windows
down in my car and not be cold.
After a few hours, it then got
dark, and started raining. With
the weather being in flux, I was
starting to wonder on if it was
bi-polar, and just couldn’t make
up it’s mind (as if it really does,
but still). It reminded me of
how spring was in Washington.
I remember one day when I
Tonya Eagle Speaker: Just rest up! Take
time out with my kids and grandkids.
Joy Pattengale: I will kick off spring
break by watching “October Baby”,
and then catching up around the house!
Bailey Malecha: Not going to school
or studying!
Weather in Kalispell
was driving down the freeway
with my mom. It started off in a
torrential downpour, and I could
barely see out the windshield.
Moments later, it stopped, and
became sunny. Then it would
randomly start down pouring
again. I learned to keep a hoodie
with me because the weather
would always seem to change.
Being over 500 miles away from
where I grew up, doesn’t change
how weird the weather can get.
When it’s sunny, I wish the
temperature was warmer. I wish
that summer was here already. It’s
almost spring, and I just want to
skip it and enjoy the summer sun,
and I know I’m not the only one. I
can’t wait for the days when I can
go to the lake and go swimming,
and attempt to tan (my skin likes
to burn more than tan it seems).
However, we can’t fast forward
time, and we can’t go back either,
no matter how much we want to.
Pretty soon, summer will be here,
then it will be gone before we
know it, and snow will arrive. Just
have to deal with whatever weather
we get, and enjoy it as best we can.
Page 4 - Section A, The Mercury News, April 2012
College for a Day
By: RUTH RICKENBACHER
FVCC held its annual College
for a Day event on Tuesday March
6. Beth Romain, coordinator of
Student Admissions and Running
Start put together a plethora
of college courses designed to
showcase what FVCC has to
offer students, to show what they
can expect at collegiate level,
and to explore what they will be
majoring in. There were a total
of 738 valley wide high school
students and 162 chaperones &
tour guides that participated in
classes given by volunteers from
the FVCC faculty and Staff that
pertained to degrees in Business,
Communication & Art, Literature
& Art, Social Science, Professional
Health, Health & Related Services,
OT, Outdoor Science & Education,
Engineering, Theatre and Career
Exploration.The
atmosphere
was very professional with touches
of inspiration for the students to
digest. When asked at the end of
the day what she thought of The
event Bridge Academy student,
Krysta Boggess replied that “it
was a good experience that helped
me to look beyond what I thought
I wanted to get a degree in.”
Book Drive Held For Local Business
Professionals Of America
by Janelle Ackerman
FVCC’s Local Business Professionals of America held their
annual book drive March 19 and
March 20 in Blake Hall. Proceeds
from the sale of the books donated
from our college library will help
the BPA go to the National Leadership Conference in Chicago
this April. At the book drive, one
could fill a box full of books for
only $10, or grab a handful for
$5.00. Or, if you only grabbed one
or a few, they simply asked for a
donation.
“BPA is trying to raise money
to go the national competition
in Chicago. We need everyone’s
support in getting our name out
into the community. The books are
flying out of here, and we appreciate the overwhelming response!”
stated Keith McAtee.
Patty Appleby & Merry
Elerick-Buying Books
At Bargain Prices!
Carrie Burnham, Mileah Roberts,
Jennifer Rodgers, and Rebecca Kuehne
Explored Careers
Bigfork highschoolers Jake Gembala
Micheal Hornbuckle, and David Toman
hang with new friend Tyler Anderson
from Laser
College volunteer, Star Benesh
listening in on poetry reading
College student Tazia Ramone with her
group
Tommy Ann Clark &
Keith McAtee -BPA
BookPushers.
Page 5 - Section A, The Mercury News, April 2012
FVCC Art Club Sale
by Ruth Rickenbacher
On March 14-16, the FVCC
Art Club students held the annual
Spring Art Sale. A beautiful
selection of their works were
showcased and sold in the Arts
and Technology building foyer.
Various artists were on hand to
discuss their pieces, the type
of media they use, and what
their future plans as an artist
entailed. Also included were
pieces created by the faculty as
well. “My jewelry is made from
recycled copper, and because I
do this it cuts down on the waste
stream at the landfill.” explained
Raku pottery and jewelry artist
Nathaniel Gilham. Eva Butterfield
on the other hand found her
passion in life through Jewelry
making and yearns to make
unique emotion based piece work,
and then sell them online so she
may stay in our lovely Flathead
Valley. The sale also included
works by Paula Engle, (who
digs her own clay in Whitefish,)
Amy Kuehler, Kameron Barge,
Jessica Kuchynka, Emily Mohler,
and others. Art instructors also
included their pieces as well.
David Smith had some wonderful
ceramic vessels, art and bowls. Looking for a gift? You can still
be purchase works of art through
the individual FVCC artists.
All proceeds go to the FVCC
Art Club and the contributing
artists.
Questions?
Contact
David Smith at 756-3993.
FVCC art student, Nathaniel Gilham,
standing with his crafted pottery and
jewelery
Earth Matters Week of Events
by Ruth Rickenbacher
Earth Awareness Week begins on April 16 and will run through
April 21. The Renewable Resource Education Club will be hosting
workshops; and movies during the school weed then ending with a family based fun carnival! All activities are free and open to the public and
FVCC students throughout the week.
• Monday April 16: Clean the College Walk. Meet in Blake Hall
Foyer at 9 am, and 11 am for a “spring” cleaning of the FVCC
outside campus in honor of Earth Day. Necklace made by FVCC art student
• Tuesday 17: Movie streaming in the AT main lobby by theatre
throughout the day.
• Wednesday 18: Chemical Free Cleaners Workshop: Tazia Ramone and her volunteers will show how to make cheap and
affordable cleaners that won’t harm your body. BH 140, 1112:30PM
• Thursday 19: Reuse for plastic bags workshop- Crocheting into
reusable tote. Join Melinda Ratchye in BH 140 from 11-1PM.
• Friday 20:Chemical Free Skin Care workshop (make your own
skin care products: Kimberly DeVries BH 140, 11-12:30
FVCC art student, Paula Engle
• Saturday 21: Earth Matters Family Carnival Games, Art, poetry,
Trivia, information, workshops, nature walk, prizes music and
food. From 10-3PM, located in AT 139 and outside (weather
permitting.)
The first Earth Day began on April 22, 1972 when mostly college
students wanted to change and bring attention to the environmental
needs in their communities. Because of this the Clean Air Act and
other environmental clean ups were created. Join us to celebrate this
wonderful day.
FVCC art students manning the tables
Pottery made by FVCC art student
Page 6 - Section A, The Mercury News, April 2012
SEUSSVILLE
Oh The Thinks You Can Think Up!
by MADELINE BJORK
To celebrate the coming of Dr.
Seuss’ birthday, FVCC students
and staff hosted the 13th annual
Seussville University on March
1, 2012. Second graders from all
over the valley, including Russell
Elementary, St. Matthews, Cayuse
Prairie and more, flooded into the
AT building into the wonderful
world of Dr. Seuss to experience
the story of “The 500 Hats of
Bartholomew Cubbins” in a whole
new way. Seussville consists of
four stations focused around the
subjects of Math, Art, Reading,
and Music/Dance, each lead by
students and staff. However,
leaders are not the only characters,
what Seusville could be complete
without the Cat in the Hat, Thing
1 and Thing 2 and of course, the
Grinch. Throughout the day these
characters slipped in and out of
the stations stirring up giggles
and excitement from the students.
At the reading station the
children were read The 500 hats of
Bartholomew Cubbins where they
learned the safety of helmets and
other safety etiquette. Next came
the math station where students
created geometric patterns with
some of Bartholomews’ hats. After
this station students harnessed their
pent up energy on arts and crafts
creating their very own unique hats
with stickers, glitter, and perhaps
too much fabric paint. Finally the
students were shuffled into the
lecture hall by the Cat in the Hat
himself where they sang and danced
to Mr. Brown and his many many
sounds at the Music/Dance station.
Dr. Seuss’ legacy and talent for
inspiring the minds of children was
very much present on campus. Not
a single child went without a giggle,
a smile or a Seuss like moment of
brilliance that day. Congratulations
to Carson Booth, director of
Campus Corp, the students and
staff who made it all possible and
this years University. For any
students interested in creating next
years festivities start planning
now and get your information to
the Service Learning office today!
“Think left and think right
and think low and think high.
Oh, the thinks you can think
up if only you try! -Dr. Seuss
Page 7 - Section A, The Mercury News, April 2012
Mont-Trivia: Montana movies? Some pussycats – and
a few dogs!
by Jo Swanson
.
Have a yen for Clint or
John (I or II) or Jimmy?
THUNDERBOLT AND
LIGHTFOOT
1974.
Clint
Eastwood,
Jeff
Bridges.
Adventure.
Filmed around Great Falls.
THE MAN WHO SHOT
LIBERTY VALANCE
1962. John Wayne, Jimmy
Stewart. Based on Dorothy
Johnson of Whitefish story. Good
one. It’s now part of the highly
esteemed National Film Registry.
BROKEN ARROW
1996. John Travolta. Directed
John Wood. Adventures. Partly
filmed near Lewistown. Action!
Need to feel “the burn”?
RED SKIES OVER
MONTANA
1952. A true classic. Richard
Widmark.
Filmed
Missoula.
Based Mann Gulch Fire near
Helena. Montana burns! Classic.
Hungry for a “horse opera”?
A MAN CALLED HORSE
1970. Starring Richard Harris.
Based
Dorothy
Johnson
of
Whitefish
story.
Good.
THE WAY WEST
LONESOME DOVE
1967. A.B. Guthrie novel (he
4-part miniseries. 1989. Robert coined the phrase “The Big
Duvall, Tommie Lee Jones. Sky”). Kirk Douglas, Sally Field.
Filmed Bozeman, Billings, Butte. Larry McMurtry novels. Good. SHANE
Won seven Emmy TV awards. 1953. True film classic. Not filmed
in Montana. Screenplay by Guthrie.
TOM HORN
Alan Ladd. TRUE CLASSIC!
1980.
Screenplay
Tom
McGuane.
Starring
Steve
McQueen. Based on true story
Need a few good belly
laughs?
A
rarity
somehow
or
other,
Montana films often
don’t
lighten
up!
LITTLE BIG MAN
1970. Dustin Hoffman can’t be
beaten. A revisionist western.
Directed
by
Arthur
Penn.
RANCHO DELUXE
1975. Filmed Livingston area,
Tom McGuane novel. More
cynical than funny. Jeff Bridges
in an early major role, along with
Sam Waterston play Mutt’n Jeff.
HOLY MATRIMONY
1994. It’s “Witness” (Harrison
Ford film), but with Hutterites, not
Amish. Set near Great Falls. Early
Patricia Arquette, Joseph GordonLevitt’s first role. Directed Leonard
Nimoy, no SPOCKing Around!
Want a side of history with that?
FAR AND AWAY
1992. Nicole Kidman and Tom
Cruise. Ron Howard dir. Filmed
Billings area. Some call it dreary.
HEARTLAND
1979. Montana-made. Filmed
Grass Range, Lewistown. Conchata
Ferrell and Rip Torn. Excellent.
Plenty of time? Can’t
resist a BOMB by any
other name? Try these!
HEAVEN’S GATE
1980 epic disaster. Filmed Glacier
Park. Jeff Bridges, Mickey
Rourke, etc. But so-o-o long!
MISSOURI BREAKS
1976. Filmed at the Breaks.
Screenplay
Tom
McGuane.
Brando,
Nicholson.
Etc.
And, finally, for a touch of
class, along with a classic?
BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE
SUNDANCE KID
1969. Classic Robert Redford/
Paul Newman tale based on gang
that pulled last train robbery
at Wagner, near Malta, MT,
before scramming
for South
America. It’s a perfect ending!
Want
to
finish
that box of tissues?
ALWAYS
1989l. Steven Spielberg directed
Richard Dreyfuss and Holly
Hunter. Forest fires and ghosts:
how can a viewer lose! Partly
filmed in Glacier National Park.
A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT
1992. Brat Pitt in his second
major film role. Directed by
Robert Redford. Filmed in
Livingston/Bozeman. The mighty
Blackfoot River near Missoula
was too polluted for filming.
This film brought 4.5 million
visitors to Montana with five
years of its release. Not bad!
THE HORSE WHISPERER
1998. Directed/starring Robert
Redford,
Scarlett
Johansson.
Filmed
partly
eastern
MT.
WHAT DREAMS MAY COME
1998. Stars Robin Williams.
Watch
for
the
surrealistic
impressionistic
wildflower
Afterlife scenes based on imagery
shot at Glacier National Park.
Would make Monet turn green!
THE STONE BOY
1984. Starring Robert Duvall
and Glenn Close. Filmed near
Cascade. Sad and stark. If
you’re depressed, don’t do it!
THE SLAUGHTER RULE
2002. Ryan Gosling, David Morse.
MT-made. Filmed Great Falls area.
Page 8 - Section A, The Mercury News, April 2012
AND THE POLITICIAN
SAID, “NOW,
TRUTHFULLY….”
by: EVE HOLTHAUSEN
by GEORGE COWAN
Your college quest is a charge
at truth. That people can attain
truth is noble and beneficial, but
beware for should you see truth you
will see logic. And with it comes
seriousness. Pygmalion strove to
define true beauty, and as a result
found misery. I don’t have that
problem.
I searched previously. I found
truth in three letters: A, N, and D.
The conjunction “and” means tied
to, attached to, or in addition; so we
have husband and wife, crime and
punishment, (No, this is not a string)
and love and marriage. This logic
passes into mathematics with 2 and
2 is 4. The logic fails when “and” is
used without its power and meaning
of TIED AND JOINED. Let us try
to understand.
I don’t mean try and understand.
If I try, it doesn’t mean success. If
I will understand, I need not try; I
need only understand. It all rests on
the conjoiner “and.” Thus, appears
the crux of the essay, and something
I have battled unsuccessfully for
some years.
I read and hear often, “Try and
come, try and get it, try and do
it,” with examples ad nauseum.
Logic deigns that the learned, the
college educated, would use “and”
correctly. Such a silly assumption
drives me crazy, and some time ago
I threw logic from my life to save
my sanity.
But rather than give the
impression this essay is about me, I
use my self as a single illustration of
the many possibilities of frustration
that can exist. To continue then:
I’ll live in your world. I’ll be
seen as eccentric in my laughter,
dress and demeanor. It’s sanity
ruling, really. Were I to attempt to
change everyone and never see or
hear “and” misused I would fail
miserably. However, acceptance
Ta k i n g t h e M y s t e r y O u t o f M a t h
leads to another Hell. The English
faculties around the world no doubt
have fought mightily for years to
teach their students that there exists
no such word as (well, I won’t print
it here) and that the only proper use
is two words: all right. Then I go to
the store and even though I can write
the proper use on the whiteboard
once the general public in scanning
the shelves to buy Idaho potatoes
sees the improper use stacked up
and spelled incorrectly dozens of
times! Truth has little chance in this
instance.
Although it would seem that Truth
has been consciously attacked in
this particular case, we don’t assign
a conspiracy theory here. Such
ideas have arisen in other matters
of truth (UFOs, global warming,
luck, etc.) but have been ignored
by the populace for some time. But
truth has been attacked and without
it we have no progression and the
world once truthfully flat became
round and the center of the universe
changed from us to somewhere else.
Our perception at the time gives us
our frustration.
The quest for truth must continue
and will do so under the auspices of
education. That a certain amount
of disappointment in the world
comes with it needs be accepted
as necessary, so pick your own
problem. Run past modern research
and grab the truth, hold it in your
heart and soul as well as your texts
and mind, and guard it well that you
may pass it on to the next generation
that will advance it again. It matters
not that we reach the ultimate truth,
just that we support what we have
as far as we’ve gone.
Still having trouble with Math
090, 095, or College Algebra?
Need a bit of guidance with your
Chemistry homework? Struggling
with Probability and Statistics?
You need not stress any longer
because help is available. The
FVCC Math Lab, in the Learning
Resource Center (Room 148), is
available to all students for free
assistance in math or chemistry
coursework.
Roger Brewer (lead man for
math know-how) and his sidekicks Shannon Hoge and Vanessa
Botts are available as your out-ofthe-classroom teachers on a dropin basis. They will provide you
with:
•
a location for one-on-one
tutoring in math concepts,
problems, and homework
assistance
•
computer access to online
homework assignments
•
assistance with basic chemistry concepts and problems
•
individual or group study
•
test preparation and review
•
instruction on using the
Math Calculator
Regular hours are Monday
through Friday 8am to 5:30pm and
Saturday from 10am to 5pm. New
to the math lab are Tuesday Math
Labs; instruction on specific problem areas in math.
Don’t wait until you are so far
behind that it is impossible to catch
up with the rest of the class. Don’t
wait until the day before that quiz,
test, or final to troubleshoot your
calculating skills. Stop by now to
LRC 148 or contact Roger Brewer
at 756-3892 for more information
on tutoring and/or Tuesday Lab
topics.
MYTHMASTER
We look on ourselves as the most educated beings
in history, but if we would listen to the individual
voices in the wilderness we might advance faster!
Born in 276 B.C. Eratosthenes , the Greek, later
calculated the circumference of the Earth, that
is, he stated it was round. Someone else, in 270
B.C. propounded that the planets revolve around
the sun! Those silly Greeks had such wild ideas.
Page 9 - Section A, The Mercury News, April 2012
HOW TO:
Campus Calendar
by SERRA VALENTINE
The major you choose will dictate
the classes you take, the degree you
are conferred, the jobs you will
be offered, the graduate school
you transfer to, and…the income
potential you will demand in the
future – consequently, this will be
one of the most important decisions
of your academic life.
.Christian
Student
Ministries 11:00am to 1:00pm: Intramural
meets every Wednesday at 1:00pm Trivia will take place in the BH foyer.
in LRC 135 for a Bible Study.
3:00pm: The Monthly Student
The monthly Student Activity Activity
Planning
Meeting
Planning Meeting will take will be held in Blake Hall 140.
place Wednesday, April 4 at Student organization advisors
3:00pm in Blake Hall 140. and members are encouraged
to attend. This will be the last
The FVCC Reading Group will be meeting for spring semester 2012.
discussing Hotel on the Corner of
Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford on T h u r s d a y ,
April
5
Wednesday, April 11 at 6:30pm. For
more information, please contact 8:00pm to 10:00pm: Intramural
Sharon Randolph at ext. 3981. Dodgeball will take place at
Everyone is welcome to join us! Stillwater
Christian
School.
DECIDE ON A MAJOR IF
YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY
There are many important factors
in determining your major. You
know, like; what your parents want,
how easy the classes are, and if that
cute guy/gal you like is taking that
track! But all kidding aside - while
these factors can be important, and
have assisted students over the
years, you should put more weight
into deciding factors such as; your
aptitude for a subject, your own
personal desires, and your future
goals.
Some of you have a solid idea
of what your aspirations are and
have the road mapped out step by
step. However, for those of you
who aren’t quite as clear – consider
using the variety of classes you’re
‘required’ to take for any AA/AS
or BA/BS transfer curricula to see
what peaks your interest.
to this field of study. Look into the
demographics of the specific career
and see how that fits into your ‘life’
plan. If you find the subject matter
to be exciting, the jobs related to
be right up your ally, and sufficient
income potential, with future
opportunities imbedded… well,
you just might have found your
niche.
Don’t be afraid to change your
major if you find your heart craving
a particular career. There is nothing
wrong with changing horses in the
middle of the stream. If you are into
a field of study and you find your
heart is just not into ‘engineering’
anymore – then now’s the time to
change your mind – not after 20
years of a career that bores you to
tears.
Be sure to run all class choices
by your academic counselor to
make sure you’re completing the
graduation or transfer requirements
for whichever direction you end
up choosing. Remember, this is
your life, your college education
and your future. Follow your inner
dreams! We have well trained
academic counselors on campus to
assist you in reaching them.
In order to graduate with your
degree, you will be choosing
‘core’ classes in a multitude of
categories such as; humanities,
communications, social and/or
natural sciences, and fine arts. Pay
attention to how you feel in these
classes and how well you do. You
may be surprised… one of them
could lead you to craving a career
in; language translating, newspaper
reporting, forensic psychology,
If you have any request or
business, nursing, or forestry!
comments for HOW TO feel free to
email me at
If the subject matter in a specific
class feels ‘good’ to you, delve in a [email protected]
little deeper and take another related
class. Examine the careers attached
The Flathead County Health
Department will be having an
information table on Wednesday,
April 4 from 11:00am to
1:00pm in the Blake Hall
foyer. Be sure to stop by!
Friday:
Monday:
*Petitions are available in BH
160 for the Student Government
Elections for school year 2012/13.
Openings include President, VicePresident, Business Manager,
Secretary, Activities Director, and
three Sophomore Senator positions.
FVCC students must have already
completed 9 credits, be currently
taking 9 credits, and have an
overall GPA of at least 2.5.
Petitions are due Thursday, April
12 at 3:00pm and elections will
take place Wednesday, April 18.
April
2
12:00 to 1:00pm: Intramural Ping
Pong will take place in AT 139.
8:00pm to 10:00pm: Intramural
Basketball will be available at
Stillwater
Christian
School.
Tu e s d a y :
April
3
12:00 to 1:00pm: A Student
Government
Information
Table will be taking place
in the Blake Hall foyer.
April
6
11:00am:
The
Walking
Program for a 45 minute walk
weather
permitting.
Meet
at
the
BH
foyer
pole.
*Christian Student Ministries will
2:30pm: The Chess Club will have a discussion group titled
be meeting in the Eagle’s Nest. Communication or Confrontation.
Which tends to typify your
3:00pm:
Intramural
Flag relationships? Do you tend to
Football will be held at communicate or wind up in
Northridge Park in Kalispell. confrontation? Find some simple
life principles which can assist your
life. This will take place in LRC 135
We d n e s d a y :
April
4 for one hour on Tuesdays starting
April 10th for possibly two to three
7:00am: A Student Government weeks at 9:00am. Any questions,
Meeting will be taking place in Blake call Sharon Randolph at ext. 3981.
Hall 140. Everyone is welcome.
Page 10 - Section A, The Mercury News, April 2012
An Interview with President Karas:
Nursing Bulding
by CORI SANDLER
Last year our school received
a $4 million dollar donation from
the Broussard family to build a
new building. This building will
be the new home of our current
nursing and health program. After
last month’s interview with Chuck
Jensen, I wanted to ask President
Jane Karas a few questions.
She had some great things to
say about the building and was
genuinely excited for the direction
this will take our school.
When asked what she thought
this new building addition could
mean for our school, President
Karas said, “I think it means
great things for our students and
our campus. We’ll have a health
clinic to provide health care for
students right here on campus.
This building will be equipped
with additional space for studying,
plus a new computer lab.”
The total cost of this building is
5.75 million dollars. The Broussard
donation left FVCC with about a
million dollars left to come up with.
Through donations from students,
staff, faculty, and the community,
an additional $650,000 dollars has
been raised. President Karas is
confident the remaining $350,000
will be met by May of 2012.
Groundbreaking is set for June
of this year, with the projected
completion date of March 2013.
The Broussard family, who
is responsible for the biggest
donation
FVCC
has
ever
received, contributed to our
campus to honor Rebecca Chaney
Broussard, also a nurse, for whom
the building will be named.
Are Your Relationships Good for You?
by: EVE HOLTHAUSEN
We all have relationships; with our
parents, siblings, aunts/uncles, friends,
lovers, spouses, teachers, counselors,
and bosses - to name a few. But, are
these relationships good for us? A
good relationship makes us happier
and healthier in our day-to-day lives.
On the flip side, bad relationships
make us tense, edgy and leave us
depleted of energy. These extremes
can be easy to recognize for the most
part.
But, what about those relationships
which seem to flip-flop from
absolutely magnificent to the worst
experience in your lives? In an
attempt to help you decipher here are
some things to consider.
Ever hear of evolutionary
psychology?
Empirical evidence
has provided answers to what the
most important individual trait
preferences are in order to maintain
good, healthy relationships. There
are many questions you may need
to ask concerning that “gray-area”
relationship. Here are the Big 5:
1 . S u r g e n c y, D o m i n a n c e ,
Extraversion: Who will climb the
social hierarchies ladder?
2. Agreeableness: Whom can I
trust for cooperation, devotion and
loyalty?
3. Conscientiousness: Who will
work hard, be dependle and accrue
resources over time?
4. Openness, Intellectance: Who
can I trust for good selfless advice?
5. Neuroticism: Who will be a
drain on my resouces, dump their
problems on me, monopolize my
time, and fail to cope with adversity?
If you’re contemplating a love
relationship, add the following 2
questions to the above:
1. Physical Attractiveness: Who is
of good health and fertility?
2. Physical Prowess: Who has the
ability to protect you from danger?
As the evolutionary changes of time
have progressed, it has been shown
that the above personality traits have
withstood the test of time as useful
tools to keep the species alive. Think
of your relationships and put each one
to the test. If that relationship passes,
you should be having an enjoyable
life. If it fails - ditch it and move on
because you deserve better.
April
April at
at the
the Sportsman
Sportsman
SPRING SPORTSWEAR & OUTERWE AR • SHOES
BASEBALL • FOLF • BIKES • KAYAKS • CAMPING
Sp ring
GRINDER
Sportsman employee,
Savannah, navigating
her way through the
Glacier Challenge
Bike Sale
4/4-17
Whitefish • 862-3111
Mountain Mall
Daily 9-8; Sunday 10-6
Kalispell • 755-6484
Hutton Ranch Plaza
Daily 9-9; Sunday 10-6
www.sportsmanskihaus.com
Page 11 - Section A, The Mercury News, April 2012
Sex Trafficking and Slavery:
“Do You
Know
Lacy?”
by: EVE HOLTHAUSEN
FVCC’s Phi Theta
Kappa is proud to be cosponsoring an important
event on the FVCC
campus Thursday, April
26, 2012.
Soroptimist
International
of Kalispell, the Flathead
Abolotionist Movement, Shared
Hope International and Phi Theta
Kappa have combined forces in
a joint effort to raise awareness
in Montana of the ever-growing
need to prevent and eradicate sex
trafficking and slavery.
The
National
Trafficking
Victims Protection Act defines
domestic minor sex trafficking
as the “recruitment, harboring,
transportation,
provision
or
obtaining of a person for the
purpose of a commercial sex act,”
where the person is a US citizen
or lawful permanent resident
under the age of 18 years.
Shared Hope International will
bring its national training seminar
“Do You Know Lacy?” to FVCC
on Thursday, April 26, 2012.
This one-day training seminar
will
focus
on
increasing
knowledge about domestic minor
sex trafficking and teaching
strategies to combat, prevent and
handle cases in Montana.
Training tracks will be
tailored to individual’s specific
roles whether involved in law
enforcement, social service, or
simply a concerned community
member. This event is open to all
members of the FVCC community
and Montana residents.
For
event
registration
information, log onto the Shared
Hope International website at
sharedhope.org.
To speak to someone about
the event, please contact Yarus
at 751-2175 or by emailing to
[email protected].
Phi Theta Kappa is asking for
volunteers to assist in the training
seminar. If you would like to
volunteer, please email Janaya
Okerlund, PTK Staff Advisor, at
[email protected].
Page 12 - Section A, The Mercury News, April 2012
P ractical Nur si ng Appl ic a tio n s a n d
R equ ireme nt s— Are Yo u R e a d y ?
Students who’ve been working
hard to complete prerequisite
requirement courses for FVCC’s
practical nursing program have
their calendars marked for April
27th as the application due date.
The deadline is fast approaching.
Applicants for the LPN
program have increased each
year.
This is an evolving
program with a large checklist
of requirements ranging from
job experience to GPA, and
confusion sometimes arises as
students share information. This
semester, it seems there has been
some confusion regarding math
requirements for the program.
In an email, I asked advisor
Karrie Bolivar to help clarify:
Q:
Which math class is
required for applicants to the
LPN program at FVCC? Some
people are saying Math 121,
College Algebra, is required,
while others insist that Math 115,
Linear Math and Probability, is
the class to take.
A: M121 College Algebra is
the required prerequisite – that
has always been the case. We
have accepted substitutions
including M115 Probability and
Linear Math. It does say in the
application that “You must have
PRIOR written approval from
the Nursing Program Director
for course substitutions.” You
will need to see the program
assistant, Cathy Fabel, in SAT
172 to draft the letter requesting
substitution of M115 for M121.
This has been the practice
Help the FVCC Campus Chapter Habitat for
Humanity Build a Better Community
and has not changed. If the
substitution is approved, you
will want to include a copy of
your approval letter in your
application.
Pre-nursing
students
are
sometimes undecided as to
which nursing program, the local
LPN program at FVCC with
a bridge option to RN, or the
MSU nursing school, best suits
their goals. MSU pre-nursing
students are required to take
M115 as a pre-requisite course
to Statistics. Because Statistics
is not a requirement for LPN
students at FVCC, M115 has
been an acceptable substitute,
but, as Boliver reminds,
permission must be granted.
FVCC follows the Model
Curriculum for 2 Year Nursing
programs approved by the Board
of Regents. State-wide nursing
programs that follow this
curriculum are in the process of
requesting permission to accept
M115 as an alternate preorequisite for Math.
Pay heed, as nursing programs
state-wide and other medical
training
programs
require
College
Algebra
(M121)
and do not accept M115 as a
substitute. So, if you might be
applying to other programs, pay
close attention to pre-requisite
requirements.
Good luck!
Laira Fonner, for the Mercury
Flathead Valley Community College Habitat for Humanity
announces its Third Annual Shed Build/Raffle Fundraiser
Are you interested in earning service learning hours,
helping with the shed build, selling or purchasing raffle
tickets, or volunteer opportunities with Habitat for Humanity?
FVCC Habitat for Humanity is recruiting skilled and non-skilled
volunteers to help construct an 8’ x 12’ shed for its “Second Annual Shed
Build” behind the FVCC Occupational Trades Building on Monday, April
16 & Wednesday, April 18 from 9am to 4pm. Lunch will be provided.
Interested students can volunteer for all or part of the day.
Raffle tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20 and can be
purchased at the FVCC Bookstore and the Habitat for
Humanity ReStore located at 215 West Idaho in Kalispell.
Tickets can be purchased until May 30 with the drawing to be held on June
1, 2012. Proceeds will benefit the Flathead Valley Habitat for Humanity
in providing a safe and affordable housing for those who are in need.
If you would like more information or to sign up as a volunteer,
please stop by the Service Learning Office in Blake Hall 155 or
contact Carson Booth at 756-3372 or Krista Roberts at 559-901-5891.
FVCC
Student
Poetry
& Writing Submissions
Page 13 - Section B, The Mercury News, April 2012
The Mercury News received dozens of poetry submissions from students and staff members in March interested in getting their work published in the
paper. The editing staff of the newspaper was blown away by the quality of these submissions and there were numerous arguments as to which would
be included in the paper and which would be kept out simply for space requirements. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to all those who submitted their
work to us, and our congratulations to those whose work is printed in the next few pages. We wish all of you the best of luck in whatever fields you
are pursuing and encourage you to keep writing.
Format of poems was kept as close to the original as possible, including the respective titles. In some cases poems were split into 2 columns in the
interest of conserving space. These breaks were put at the end of stanzas so as to avoid as much interruption of the poem’s rhythm as was possible.
Ghosts Among Us
by Jennie Taylor
“In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment.”
Charles Darwin
There is a girl that walks among us, as if she were a ghost. She quietly slips to her classes and then slips off campus to return to work and
mother hood. Many have seen her, even spoken to her, but none knows her story until now.
She grew up in a small town with her father and three other siblings. Her dad finished high school, her mother, middle school and her sisters
would follow suit. Compared to her sisters, she looked like a failure. They got great grades and barely lifted a page to study while she spent hours
and hours at a time in the books only to receive a “D” as her reward. She struggled so horribly at school, but she never gave up. Her family often
pushed her off as inadequate and dumb; in conversation, she would ask questions to better understand, and all she got in return was “Never mind, you
wouldn’t understand. It’s way over your head”. She kept on perusing answers in her spare time, desperate to learn, to know, and to understand.
Her father, being a single dad raising four children by himself while working a full time job, did the best he could, but money was not something that family had a lot of. His first wife (the mother of the girls) spent close to ten years in prison, and the mother of the boy would soon follow,
so child support was not something the father seen too often, and the boy’s mom never paid the bills, leaving the father with a shocking amount of
bad debt, lots of collections and, soon, bankruptcy. College funds were not something that he could afford, and he found way to receive help to get
his girls college funds. It became up to the children to find a way to college if they chose to go.
She spent her preteen and teen years not only bullied in school, but also being told by others that she would never make it anywhere but to
dead end jobs with no more than minimum wage for pay. They made bets that all three of the girls would end up pregnant before they graduated high
school because that is just what happens to kids who grow up under those circumstances. However, she was determined to defy the odds they have
set against her.
Her sisters graduated as honor roll students, and one married and had children right out of high school; the other just had children before
graduating high school. She, too, married right out of high school, but waited before having children. She decided to give college a try and filled out
the FAFSA forms. She passed every class but math, so she quickly dropped out. She then waited a year before giving it another go because she was
scared of failure. After a year, she picked up where she left off, and she has been at it ever since, working hard to earn her associate’s degree. She is
determined and is not giving up until she has completed her four year degree.
If it were really true as Darwin’s quote suggests that the fittest survive, then this student would not have made it this far in life. She would
most likely be in prison or worse; however, she made it beyond everyone’s expectations of her because she did not just adapt to what others told her
she was or would become. She rose above their judgment and predictions of her.
This is her quote: “Do not become what others think you are. Rise above it, and you will succeed!”
Note: The subject of this piece specified that she would prefer to remain anonymous
Page 14 - Section B, The Mercury News, April 2012
Restless
Once in a Dark Room...
by: Colin Beveridge
by: Cori Sandler
Thoughts of spring make me restless
once in a dark room I thought I met you. i knew it was you because you
smelled like something that tasted familiar. and all my memories of us that
hadn’t happened were locked in that one moment. as i exhaled into the room’s
blackness, i found myself reaching for you. and when my hands found their
place on your skin i realized what beauty meant.
It is said “where you invest you love
You invest you life”
No longer trying to be reckless
There is much to think of
My brain asking for management of this strife
Between where I’ve been and where I’m going
Spring bringing my life a new chapter
There was a tug in this place that was the core of me. and you were at the
center. And all of me was everywhere and you were in all of the in between
places. And the fit was extraordinary. And I thought for one moment this is
what perfection looks like. Here. In the dark. Where the eyes of my heart peer
deep into your soul, and meet you in the place of your longings.
A gentle touch means the world when the whole heart is in it.
Faded Glory
by: ELIZABETH MOONEN
March Haiku
Going back to my home state
On this journey back
There is much to capture
My path made straight
Showing me the things I lack
Knowing where I’ve been I follow more then the wind that is blowing
With strings cut
by: MELISSA BROWN CLARK
The puppet molds
Swans followed their necks
Lying in the corner
landing in a muddy lake,
Syringes, sticks, and bottle lids
ravenous feasting.
Littered across the flooring
Posters, paints, and stucco frames
What lies behind sheds a light
On what lies ahead
The lamp unto my feet
And the light of the past together shine bright
I could stop here or turn around but instead
These ropes that bind me won’t stand the heat
Grace the walls with old stories
Wildly blowing wind
roars across the woods and fields,
Ripped and stained they still hang
Staring into the corner
Where with strings cut
The puppet molds
Fading from its glory
Thoughts of spring make me restless
“Poetry is the opening and closing of a door,
leaving those who look through to guess
about what is seen during the moment.”
-Carl Sandburg, Pulitzer prize-winning American poet, biographer, and folk musician.
frenzied ravens fly.
Page 15 - Section B, The Mercury News, April 2012
iShattered
by: JESSICA POE
I was running as fast as I could
Hoping to get out of the freezing cold
I was doing what anyone would
As wind, snow and rain
Blew hard against me
and felt like needles in my face
Just a few more strides
I was nearly there
But something wasn’t right
It was missing from my pocket
I checked for my precious iPhone
Immediately, I thought I had lost it
I looked to my left and then to my right
Hoping my eye would catch it
But I was let down when it was out of sight
I took a few more steps, scanning
And there it was lying on the ground
Face down, the Mac Apple showing
When it slipped from my possession
it slid across the ice
how could I let this happen?
I kneeled down to pick it up
Praying the poor thing was okay
And the outcome wasn’t too rough
But I turned it over in the palm of my hand
And I saw the shattered screen
as my reflection stared back at me
Mother and Me
Five Below
by: SAMANTHA CROWLEY
by: NEAL BROWN
I sat alone by the water,
Walking
With my pale toes
meditation,
before
gently grazing the small waves.
Above me, the clouds swarmed the
dawn,
before
sun, squeezing the blueness from the skies.
Mother Nature was sitting beside me,
breakfast.
rubbing my back with calm fingers.
I could hear her melody.
Listen!
Her cool breath waved through my hair
and pulled me into her arms.
NO THREAT
by: MELISSA CLARK
These
frozen
paths
of
leaves.
While sweeping snow from the patio
I could feel a presence.
step
Silhouetted against the coming dawn,
a coyote watched and waited
close to the patio.
As the light grew stronger,
he meandered on,
knowing this sweeper
was no threat.
after
step
on
cornflakes
The poet is a liar who always
speaks the truth.
-Jean Cocteau, French playwright, poet, painter, filmmaker and novelist.
Page 16 - Section B, The Mercury News, April 2012
The Affair
Inception of the Befallen
by: AUSTON SCHWARZ
by: CARLA SCHMIDT
Forever lost in the brink of edging madness
He trembles after the ride is over.
Only to be brought upon by sorrow and sadness.
The power she makes him feel between his legs is unbelievable.
Why do these things happen you ask?
His body quivers at the thought of the next ride.
For manifestation is but a paltry task.
She purrs while in action.
Understanding is only half of the faulty war,
She is long, lean, and perfectly polished.
But I wish to know the other half that I need implore.
She makes him feel young and alive.
Unless the answer is brought upon by one’s own mind,
When on the street, everybody stops and stares.
It will be impossible to breach the reliquaries maligned.
She can fulfill every man’s fantasy-
Forever lost in the clustered darkness of insanity,
The thrill of a lifetime.
All we really do is just replace the thoughts randomly.
Every time he thinks about her,
He feels light headed.
Pain burdening the mind instead of the head
And when he walks,
That screams of insanity where only madness treads.
His feet barely touch the ground.
Corruption extorts the mind to the pinnacle of infinite terror.
She demands respect,
Human will is powerless unless heralded by the bearer.
He gladly pays.
Why is the mind so fragile, even to its own ambition?
She brings security and confidence.
If it was meant to hold such prowess, only dying of fallen volition.
He secretly calls her pet names.
Unfathomable and untraceable thoughts
At the end of the day,
Riddle the mind with superlative shocks.
He goes home to his wife
Memories that were nay seen before
And acts like his day was just like any other.
Return and retreat forever more.
Nothing can compare to the love between
A man and his harley.
He who draws noble delight from sentiments
of poetry is a true poet, though he has never
written a line in all his life.
-”George Sand”, female French novelist & poet
Page 17 - Section B, The Mercury News, April 2012
CAVEDWELLER
Ah, spelunking again?
Sitting down, knees drawn against your chest,
What draws you to the cave this time?
your head rests against your jeans,
The deepening shadows of the day?
and their smell reminds you
A test of courage?
of laundry soap,
Or, is this simply the last place to look
life outside this endless night.
after such a heart-crushing search?
But you are here now . . .
But, why go past the stony threshhold
Cavedweller.
where the slivered shaft shines
just so far, and then no farther?
Surely there is no need to enter this place.
To its close and suffocating dark,
no human eye can adjust.
Do you scrunch your neck
to avoid the ageless, spear-headed
stalactites?
Do you feel the hush of the tomb,
its tapered walls so tightly hewn?
Your memory of light refracted is already gone.
There’s no way of knowing where the opening,
if one ever really existed,
lies.
How long will you remain in this cave?
Relinquishing the power of your eyes,
your ears attune to the sounds of self:
water dripping,
the scuddle of who-knows-what.
Creatures of darkness conjure up
nape-of-the-neck, tingling images.
Eyeless worms and sleek-webbed wings . . .
You feel the pressure of their presence.
How best to cope—leaning against the cold, dank wall?
Or, without support,
in the middle of it all?
It couldn’t be any darker than this —
in the absence of light.
Because you’re such a thinker--and, in fact,
this is why you’ve come--you think:
absence of light = no light, dark;
absence of food = no food, hunger, starvation;
absence of fear = no fear, peace;
absence of God = . . . no God.
No God? (Perhaps it does get darker
even than in the absence of light . . . )
Your human eyes cannot adjust
to this dark possibility.
No one’s can.
But . . . Thank the Stars!
Sanctified in these catacombs,
you are now truly a cavedweller,
and need no prismed light to know
what lies beneath this shroud.
For, what would require such a cerement,
such a winding-sheet of protection,
if not the charged and constant,
Constellations of Creation?
by ROBIN GRAHAM
Page 18 - Section B, The Mercury News, April 2012
Lighthouse
Wrong-
by: CHERISE STIVERS
by: CORI SANDLER
The ocean,
A perfect blend of
you crossed my mind again today.
Calm mirrors reflecting the sky,
An exhilarating breath of warm air,
the place that ships me back to you.
I sit on the edge of contemplation,
to wait, praying my weak heart
rids of this heavy burden,
paused my breath,
the way you used to.
Heard “our song”
one of the many, I had assigned,
or escape to a freedom yet to be discovered.
to something. Like the way you looked-
My heart set sail a few years ago,
At me - or off in the distance –
seeking the unknown,
but knowing only the
presence of some existence
lies within the stretch of vast horizon.
Each morning I pick the familiar
or at your hand.
A song for everything, so no talent was wasted.
Not theirs anyway. The singer - who must have loved
you too, to know how deep my pain was when I finally
handful of daisies,
yellow and white,
accepted, your heart loved, not me.
individually plucking the petals
one by one,
relying on the very last to tell me,
He loves you.
When night falls,
I heard a song, and I sang loud, the words familiar
like you were. And I pretend I remember them all.
Singing louder when I’m certain the words are right.
my heart calls out to you like
a lighthouse beacon,
searching.
Finding nothing but the remains
of my shattered heart.
Mostly I’m wrong –
a deep sigh, a sad smile. I was wrong about you too.
Page 19 - Section B, The Mercury News, April 2012
by: AUSTON SCHWARZ
I make a solemn promise
And as it melts your heart with compliments
That we will find our future together.
And reinforces your soul with confidence,
As it devotes its whole being to you
Through all and naught,
It will rise with the sun
Who cries solar tears
After competing against your beauty
Its only hope
And losing.
Is for a chance.
It will ebb with the ocean
A chance at enveloping you in silky sensation
As it rages with torrents of maelstroms,
And elating you valorously in the worst situations.
Obeying your dazzling charm
A chance to hold your hand
And the moon’s no longer.
And feel the pure essence that leeches through your skin.
A chance to taste your luscious lips
It will grow on with the earth
And otherworldly greatness.
As wilderness runs rampant
From the disarray caused
Unlock yourself
By your gorgeous allure.
So that we can find a future together.
Our future.
It will fall from the heavens
As the gods bow
In sheer jealousy
Of your divinity.
“Poets have been mysteriously
silent on the subject of cheese.”
-GK Chesterton, an English philospher, poet, and essayist
famous for absurd sayings, when asked what topics poets
should address in their writings.
Page 20 - Section B, The Mercury News, April 2012
Twist of the Wind by: NEAL BROWN
She said,
“You don’t choose who ODE TO THE FLY
To a Seashell
by: SAMANTHA CROWLEY
Who carved your curves,
your delves and parallels,
delicate and refined,
surviving the sea’s waves
you love.”
and monsters?
That just rolled me.
Poseidon’s oasis has molded me,
roughly, softly,
I had thought that I
and washed me into the sand.
chose
Within my body
to love her.
I hold sounds and
whispers of secrets of the
Did I not?
unknown.
So silently
I said,
I wait for the next wave
“Is this what it means
to wash upon me
to be, meant to be?
and guide me on my next
adventure.
She said,
“You’ll figure it out.”
“When power leads man towards arrogance,
poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power
narrows the area of man’s concern, poetry reminds
him of the richness and diversity of existence.
When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.”
-John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States
by: ROBIN LARRICK GRAHAM
Would that I felt pity by thy
tortured limb dismantled.
A more temperate soul than I
would more sweetly thou have
handled.
Oh, that I would balk at thy
slain figure on the sill.
The spiraled coil of the
magazine’s whack,
a true lady’s heart would chill.
Alack, that I gloat upon thy
satisfactory demise,
proves my lamentable nature
towards the poor creature I
despise.
While You’re There and I’m Here
by: JESS POE
You left us not in agony but in pride
While you’ll be over there
I pray God is on your side
You’ll be that single star
when I look up in the dark sky
that outshines all the rest by far
When I hear my favorite songs
the ones we sang together
I’ll be hearing your voice sing along
When the seasons change
you’ll be the bright sun
the only thing that stays the same
While you’re there and I’m here
Everything I do
I’ll simply pretend you’re near
Page 21 - Section B, The Mercury News, April 2012
Memory Lane
Fading
By Cynthia M. Geer
Smoke rising, cigarette barely pinched
Between your fingers.
Outstretched slivers
You smirk, believing you are
Of light
Some kind of hero,
Crawled in while
Bigger than the mountains.
You were asleep.
Bragging of the one answer
You question half correct
Your nightly routine,
As you watch jeopardy.
The bar, the bar stool,
Every night the same show.
The same stink on your breath.
Every night the same show.
The truck tires
As you pet the cat with a
Applauding on the gravel.
Slow sliding hint of affection,
The night without its sharp edges
I become transfixed,
Always your comfort.
As I count the strokes.
Your suspenders snap into place,
The limitless sound of the
Slippers scuff lazily like sandpaper scouring
time.
Waves crashing against the rocks,
You walk three blocks north
And return with the usual;
Gives comfort to my
Impatience of your time.
Three tall cans of cheap beer
And a pack of generic cigarettes.
Anything more than two
Stop signs overwhelms you.
I sit with my skirt hiked up
Just a little higher,
I softly clear my throat.
Then again a little louder.
454
by: John Doe
A rumble that shakes the seat
Not caused by loud music,
but a roaring and beat
hundreds of horses straining
the petal & metal meet
You sit in your chair oblivious
the Squeal & the Scream
To anything except your own satisfaction.
burnt rubber & the street
Lets Go!
by: SHELBY MOCK
I remember when I was four and I
got my tongue stuck to iced metal one winter
when I attempted to lick off the frost;
days when dad and I would race to
eat popsicles for 50 cents as a bet;
my first attempt to ride my two wheel
bike like a big girl on my birthday
when I fell down and scraped up my face.
I don’t like remembering the day
I thought my dad died because of a horse accident;
the day I had to move from my home and away
from all of my friends;
my first day of second grade where I was
the only new kid in my grade.
I remember getting my ears pierced
on my twelfth birthday;
going to my first school dance in a skirt
where I danced with everyone;
wearing a dress longer than me
for my eighth grade graduation
complete with white tennis shoes.
I don’t like remembering the day I was the
butt of every joke at school;
I don’t like how I was never athletic even
when I tried to be;
I didn’t like my first day of high school.
I remember the year a danced in high school
and was awarded a letter;
riding my horse after having the satisfaction
of training him myself;
having a high school sweetheart.
I don’t like remembering the day he left
for the air force boot camp;
I was known as the book worm;
I didn’t like my high school graduation.
I have a photo album in my head and my heart.
Thick and thin and good and bad play their part.
I am who I am; for at times I can
sleep like a lion and roar like a lamb.
My memories will get me into tomorrow as
I follow the never ending walk;
This is my life, this is my time.
Page 22 - Section B, The Mercury News, April 2012
FVCC Students Study in the South Pacific
Galapagos, schools of tropical fish surrounded us while our guide,
Caesar, excitedly dove down and pointed out various creatures such as
stingrays, sea urchin, and other unique sea life that existed abundantly all
around us.
After being greeted by a giant sea turtle, a Galapagos Penguin swam
two feet underneath me and perched on a rock near where we were all
swimming.
After that, an extremely playful sea lion found us and acted very excited
to have found some new friends to show off his tricks to, and this was
demonstrated as he performed flips and spins as he moved from person to
person. I never could have imagined a more exciting classroom!
Sea Lion off the coast of Floreana Island in the Galapagos.
Have you ever wanted to snorkel in the ocean with playful sea lions and
penguins?
This is exactly the kind of experience that is offered with the study
abroad programs that FVCC Offers.
While we were snorkeling off the coast of Floreana Island, in the
Travelling to South America was an amazing experience that gave a
glimpse into the human experience and landscapes that exist beyond our
borders. It is easy to forget that the “American way” that we see and
experience every day is only a very small fraction of the human culture
that exists on this planet. I encourage students to take every opportunity
that life presents; so much beauty exists on this planet, and I would hate
anyone to pass it by!
P. Austin Turner
Hey there, everyone! I wanted to take a moment to tell you about something incredible that our wonderful FVCC has to offer. It is called the Study
Abroad program.
I have been on two of the trips that this college has sponsored. I went on the first trip to London, UK, during spring break last year, and also on the
most recent trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos, which took place over winter break.
Both trips were absolutely incredible. The trip to London was like a fairy tale opening up before my eyes.
The trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos was a real adventure. If you have ever wanted to travel through the rainforest, hike daily, see animals that
look like they are from prehistoric times, and snorkel, to name a few activities, then, this is the trip for you. Each day was brand new and exciting.
The food was delicious! The guides we met were knowledgeable and very helpful and made the trip absolutely fantastic. Mick, along with any other
staff members who are involved in the trip, do an excellent job setting up everything and planning to ensure things flow as smoothly as possible. This
makes traveling very easy for students because all we need is meet the deadlines, make the classes, and make sure we have passports.
For anyone who has the desire to travel and experience other cultures, food, language, then, the Study Abroad program is perfect for you! If you
have any questions about Study Abroad or other trips currently planned, contact Mick Stemborski at [email protected] or (406)-756-3945. I
sincerely hope that readers can find the means to go on any of these trips the college sponsors. They truly are life changing and absolutely incredible
experiences.
Lori Church
One example of how we grew together on this trip can be stated in an
adventurous river crossing we attempted. We saw this really rustic
structure that kind of resembled a footbridge. It crossed a side channel of
the mighty Napo River.
We had no choice; this bridge was the only way our group had to get to
this day’s destination, the largest tree in this part of the River and the
Mondaña community. Three lengths of rain slickened bamboo wrapped
with vines formed the base; branches cut and secured with vines formed
the sides. A swinging bridge!
We eyed this crossing cautiously. Robert, our Mondaña guide warned,
“Only one can cross at a time. The swinging bridge is not strong enough
to hold more.”
Gulp. “Any volunteers to go first?”
Quickly, Robert , the guide, traversed first , leaving the FVCC travelers
stranded on the other side. Nice trick. No way we’re staying back here
by ourselves in this unknown jungle. Didn’t he say jaguars have been
seen in this part of the rain forest? One by one, we attempted the perilous crossing. A quick slip, a slight stumble, a broken vine would send us
tumbling over the side into the muddy Napo River, with fear of hungry
Caimans lurking below. The fearless went first, the agile next, and then
the cautious. Soon, the
wiser older travelers
crossed, and finally,
the rear guard made
the pass.
Page 23 - Section B, The Mercury News, April 2012
With each successful
crossing, a large cheer,
a Montana whoop,
welcomed the wide
eyed hikers to the other side. We could feel Lori Church crossing a bamboo bridge
in
the
Aazon
rainforest
of
Ecuadoor.
it. Our group was becoming more unified;
the feeling of camaraderie, the sense of concern, the joy of success filled
our spirits. That sense of community was one of the things that made
this FVCC Study Abroad trip so worthwhile and special. This group of
travelers of different backgrounds and ages was coming together.
We were learning just as much about ourselves and becoming a team as
we were about the wonders of Ecuador and the amazing Amazon rainforest.
Mark Maskill
Ecuador travel group enjoying our first sunset at Yachana Lodge. Back row: Tabetha French. Middle row left to right: Judy Territo, Liz Moonen, Mick Stemborski, Austin Turner, Nathan
Gilham, Christina Relyeam, Paige Maskill, Corey Anderson, Judy Maseman. Bottom row left to right: Mark Maskill, Chuck Territo, Nikki Olsen, Sarah Winchell, and Cindy Freeman.
Photo by Lori Church
I would recommend taking one of the trips at FVCC to anybody.
It doesn’t just take a student on a trip to some beautiful far-off place he
or she has never seen before, but also lets a student find out if he or she
can handle being out of the country on one’s own away from family,
friends, and the normal support group.
It makes a student stretch his or her limits farther and see how far he or
she can go.
It is a wonderful experience and teaches the person who goes on one of
these trips something new and wonderful.
Elizabeth Moonen
Page 24 - Section B, The Mercury News, April 2012