The Diversifieds A publication of the EDRC at Grays Harbor College
Volume 2, Issue 4
Be Positive
I will be the person everyone loves The student a teacher won’t forget I’ll be outspoken in a crowd The person whom everyone has met I will not be shy Or keep anything to myself I will be compassionate And always there to help I will not be a face in the crowd I will let you know I’m here I will use my voice And I will not give into fear I am intelligent and beautiful And today is a beautiful day And if I do the best I can The rest will fall into place… By Micah Dillon, GHC Student
January 2010
Campus Happenings
MLK Day Jan. 18th—no classes Diversity Committee Movie Jan. 22nd—5:00‐7:00 PM Contact Jennifer Barber Choker Club Crab Feed Jan. 22nd—6:00‐8:00 PM Bottom Line Duo Jan. 24th—3:00‐5:00 PM Bishop Center $12 Adults, $10 Seniors, $7 Students, $5 Children
Guest Speaker Jan. 26th—1:00 PM Room 2250 Harriet Hall The Anti‐Vaccine Movement: A Deadly Manufactroversy Student Success Conference Jan. 27th—9:00 AM‐2:00 PM
Online Resources for more information about January Awareness Dates: Tu B’Shevat Australia Day MLK
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January is...
• Nat’l Poverty in America Awareness Month • Financial Wellness Month • International Wealth Mentality Month • National Mentoring Month • National Braille Literacy Month
Awareness Dates:
National No Tillage Week Religious Freedom Day World Religion Day Handwriting Analysis Week
1 4 6 10 13-16 16 17 17-23
Hunt for Happiness Week Martin Luther King Jr. Day No Name Calling Week Roe vs. Wade Day World Leprosy Week Holocaust Memorial Vietnam Peace Day Tu B’Shevat
17-23 18 20-24 22 25-31 27 27 30
New Year’s Day World Braille Day Epiphany (Christian) United Nation’s Day
http://www.chabad.org/ -
http://www.australiaday.org.au/experience/
- http://www.mlkonline.net/
Hunt for Happiness Week -
Secret Society of Happy People http://www.sohp.com/
World Braille Day - World Blind Union http://www.worldblindunion.org/en/ No Name Calling Week - www.nonamecallingweek.org World Leprosy Week - www.leprahealthinaction.org Religious Freedom Day - www.religiousfreedomday.com World Religion Day - www.worldreligionday.org
The Diversifieds are a publication of the EDRC of Grays Harbor College. The mission of the EDRC is to promote awareness, respect, and equitable treatment of the diverse individuals and groups that exist within our campus and surrounding communities. The EDRC is open to all! Please come visit us in the 200 building.
The Diversifieds
National Blood Donor Month By Becky McCullough
Australia Day January 26th
Tu B’Shevat
The first month of the year has been recognized as National Blood Donor Month since 1970. Assording to the American Association of Blood Banks, now known as AABB, in the United States every day, “approximately 39,000 units of blood are required in hospitals and emergency treatment facilities for patients with cancer and other diseases, for organ transplant recipients, and to help save the lives of accident victims.” In order to donate blood, you have to meet certain requirements. The most important is that you must be at least 17
Tu B’Shevat is celebrated on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat. It is also known as the New Year of Trees. “Tu” is not actually a word but the number 15, thus the 15th of Shevat. Customs: eating fruit; planting trees (or paying for planting them)
When you come to the land and you plant any tree, you shall treat its fruit as for-
bidden; for three years it will be forbidden and not eaten. In the fourth year, all of its fruit shall be sanctified to praise the L0RD. In the fifth year, you may eat its fruit. -Leviticus 19:23-25
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years old in order to give blood voluntarily, although some states do consent at 16 with written parental consent. You must be at least 110 pounds, you should be healthy meaning without infection, not on antibiotics, without a fever, and generally feeling well on day of donation. You may only donate if you have not given blood within 8 weeks. Blood has a shelf life of only 42 days, which means it constantly needs to be replenished. Donors can give blood every 56 days, or six times a year.
Cervical Cancer Awareness Month By Becky McCullough Cervical Cancer is the only cancer known to be exclusively caused by a common virus, the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Nearly 4,000 women in America die of cervical cancer every year. An estimated 11,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the United States during 2010. Recent research indicates that high-risk HPVs also cause some cases of cancers of the mouth, head, and neck in men and women. Other than persons practicing lifelong abstinence, most women, and men, acquire and HPV infection during their lifetimes. Fortunately, most HPV infections are benign and disappear spontaneously. Some, however, do not go
away and if persistent for many years, and even decades, may cause cancers. Early detection of these precancers can be effectively treated before they become cancer. Regular gynecological {ap tests detect most cell changes due to HPV long before they progress to cervical cancer. The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) founded in 1996, is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to serving women with, or at risk for, cervical cancer and HPV disease (www.nccconline.org).
Financial Wellness Month: What Does TANF Mean to You? Currently, there are at least 63 students on the Grays Harbor College Campus that are receiving Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF). TANF is a federal program that provides food assistance, medical, and a grant to families with low or no income. It also provides support services for parents entering college for Vocational Training. In light of Financial Wellness Month, we asked GHC students receiving TANF what it means to them. Here are their responses: TANF is...security. Even when things are crappy job wise, I know I’ve got something, even if it isn’t much. TANF lets me pay my bills and rent and work on getting on with my life, to bigger and better things. -Anonymous
Being a WorkFirst student means that I receive much-needed childcare for my two children while I am at school and work. This grant lets me focus more on school to get better grades rather than worrying about how to pay the bills. Being a single mom of two kids is hard enough, without the added pressure, and I am grateful for all the added help I receive. I work hard to let everyone know I am worth the investment. My kids will be able to be proud of their mom and will also have a great role model. - Kristina St. Louis Student responses continue on following page...
Volume 2, Issue 4
College on a Budget Being a college student is a difficult transition, no matter what background or life style you come from. Most students have rent to pay, books to buy, groceries, parking permits, gas, tuition, medications, school supplies...the list goes on and for most students there are also children to care for. Sounds tough right? Could you imagine balancing all those things on $453.00 a month?
A TANF grant is a government funded program for parents with low or no income, and it is what I happen to be referring to.On this program, budgeting and money management become crutial. Every dime, every nickel, and yes, every penny needs to be counted just to make it through the month. One of the many things I have learned being on this program myself, as both a student and a parent, is to use my re-
What does TANF mean to me? Fresh start, stepping stone, rock bottom, and humbling. These are the words I think of when asked, “What does TANF mean to me?” When I first came on TANF I thought I would be judged, treated less than and ridiculed. I quickly learned that this was a judgment I had; not reality. I was treated with respect, understanding and compassion. I was told I could use this program to gain a fresh start the right way. I was given life skills counseling, job placement counseling, resume help, and soon was given the option to go to college. A dream I never thought I would achieve. I kept asking, “What’s the catch for all this help?” “Nothing.” I was told, “Just continue work-
ing on improving your situation. Don’t stay stuck.” I quickly learned this program is set up for success as long as I quit judging my own situation and began excepting success and change as it was presented to me. I was given assistance with transportation, childcare, books, tuition, clothing, hygiene, diapers for my youngest, supplies for college and so much more. Yes, I was on a fixed income and had to live accordingly, as everyone on TANF quickly learns, but I soon learned my situation was temporary, as long as I kept working the program the way it was designed. TANF is my stepping stone, my fresh start, my rock bottom for a brighter future for me and my children. - Andrea Allen
I think that the most beneficial things that TANF has done for me is getting me on my feet, the help that I get with childcare, and medical benefits.
some of their stipulations were a little bit harsh and demanding, but from going through the process I have come to learn that they were just trying to simulate how life was when you are in the real world and that the world doesn’t give you breaks. It was a bit of a shock to me from going from being homeless to getting my first place and paying bills. TANF was a lifesaver.
Coming from living in a tent outside Safeway in Olympia, to having almost one year of rental history and good living conditions for not only myself but my daughter as well, it is a big relief to know that someone cares. I did not thing for the longest time that I would be able to make it and live on my own. After high school I moved out of my mom’s house and into a place with some friends of mine. Needless to say that situation did not work out and I was soon on my own, homeless and three months pregnant. Then I found TANF. At first I thought that
TANF has helped me on so many occasions when I was unable to help myself and that is a big relief that I know that whenever I need them they are there for me. Thank you for being able to help so many people at the drop of a hat and keep up the good work. - Jada Nielson
Applying for TANF was the best choice I made to change my life around to help get me back on my feet, and gave me the best opportunities to expand my knowledge and better my life. My advise to everyone out there who is on TANF, take advantage of every opportunity to better yourself, it is well worth it. So don’t wait to go to college if you really want to go, there is help and assistance out there for low-income families. Also, don’t settle for a job, go for a career. - Jessica Simpson
sources. Little things like signing up for grants, buying used books, using vouchers, using shopping lists, using coupons, etc., really make a difference. Grays Harbor College haws many programs for students that can make a difference. Your advisors and professors are here to help. So don’t be afraid to speak up and ask. - Micah Dillon TANF has made it possible for me to go to school and get out on my own. It is helping me get through a critical time in my life and makes it possible for me to care for my 2 year old son. I am grateful for this. TANF has made
When I first decided to shut down my business because of the economy and go on TANF, I had a lot of mixed feelings. At first I found it hard to keep a positive attitude with all the red tape, but after you get to know the people that run the program and become aware of all the help, it became easier. And now that I’m in my second quarter, I am really starting to believe that my dream of being a Park Ranger may be in my grasp. And with all the help at my disposal, it would only be my fault if I didn’t succeed with my goal of becoming a Park Ranger. - Steven Lower TANF means a lot to me. With being a student and a father comes very big responsibilities. Having TANF means that those responsibilities can be easy to accomplish. For example, having to feed and have shelter for my family is a big one. Without help from TANF I would not be able to fulfill these needs. Having TANF has helped me put food on the table, clothes on my wife’s, my son’s and my back. So to make this short, TANF is a great resource to have and I am very thankful for it. - William Crook Page 3
Recipes from Australia Aussie Rice Salad
Definition: a chronic, mildly infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, affecting the peripheral nervous system, skin, and nasal mucosa and variously characterized by ulcerations, tubercular nodules, and loss of sensation that sometimes leads to traumatic amputation of the anesthetized part.
3 cups jasmine rice, cooked ½ cup peas 1 onion, chopped 1 small can corn 1 red capsicum, diced some bacon flavoured bits ¼ cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Allspice 1 tablespoon fresh coriander Combine rice, vegetables and bacon bits. Mix soy sauce, mayonnaise, Allspice and coriander. Stir sauce under the rice mixture. For a great Australian
Leprosy (also called Hansen’s Disease)
Paella BBQ recipe visit
http://australiancuisine.tripod.com/herve.pdf
“Throughout its history, leprosy has been feared and misunderstood. For a long time leprosy was thought to be a hereditary disease, a curse, or a punishment from God. Before and even after the discovery of its biological cause, leprosy patients were stigmatized and shunned.For example, in Europe during the Middle Ages, leprosy sufferers had to wear special clothing, ring bells to warn others that they were close, and even walk on a particular side of the road, depending on the direction of the wind. Even in modern times, leprosy treatment has often occured in seperate hospitals and live-in colonies called leprosariums because of the stigma of the disease. Leprosy has been so prevalent in various areas as certain times throughout history that is has inspired art work and influenced other cultural practices.” http://www.stanford.edu/class/humbio103/ParaSites2005/ Leprosy/history.htm ————————————————————————————————————————The Leprosy Mission’s focus for this year’s World Leprosy Week is on Nepal. Visit their site to watch an informational video and find numerous materials and information to help celebrate this awareness event. The Leprosy Mission http://www.leprosymission.org.uk/resources/default.aspx
Deadline for submission in next month’s newsletter is Jan. 28
Calling All Writers! The Diversifieds are an extension of the GHC campus and our surrounding community. We would like to welcome and encourage students and staff to submit articles for publication in The Diversifieds. This is a monthly publication. Please contact Erin Frasier at efrasier@ghc.edu for next month’s topics and to submit articles, poems or artwork.
Equity & Diversity Resource Center 360-538-4247
DIVERSITY COMMITTEE Committee Chair: Brian Shook The Diversifieds Staff: Erin Frasier Beth Lavallee Becky McCullough
Room 219 1620 Edward P. Smith Drive Aberdeen, WA 98520 edrc@ghc.edu http://www.ghc.edu/edrc/brochure.pdf