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 

January 2010 Volume 2, Issue 4

The Diversifieds

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:

New Year’s Day 1 World Braille Day 4 Epiphany (Christian) 6 United Nation’s Day 10 National No Tillage Week 13-16 Religious Freedom Day 16 World Religion Day 17 Handwriting Analysis Week 17-23

Hunt for Happiness Week 17-23 Martin Luther King Jr. Day 18 No Name Calling Week 20-24 Roe vs. Wade Day 22 World Leprosy Week 25-31 Holocaust Memorial 27 Vietnam Peace Day 27 Tu B’Shevat 30

The Diversifieds are a publication of the EDRC of Grays Harbor College. The mission of the EDRC is to promote awareness, re-spect, and equitable treatment of the di-verse individuals and groups that exist within our campus and surrounding com-munities. The EDRC is open to all! Please come visit us in the 200 building.

A publication of the EDRC at Grays Harbor College

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

Online Resources for more information about January Awareness Dates:

Tu B’Shevat - http://www.chabad.org/

Australia Day - http://www.australiaday.org.au/experience/

MLK - 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

Page 2

The Diversifieds

The first month of the year has been rec-ognized 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 treat-ment 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

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 antibiot-ics, without a fever, and generally feeling well on day of donation. You may only do-nate 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 re-plenished. Donors can give blood every 56 days, or six times a year.

National Blood Donor Month By Becky McCullough

Australia Day January 26th

Tu B’Shevat

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; plant-ing trees (or paying for plant-ing 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 sanc-tified to praise the L0RD. In the fifth year, you may

eat its fruit.

-Leviticus 19:23-25

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 pro-vides food assistance, medical, and a grant to families with low or no income. It also provides support services for parents en-tering 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 re-ceive 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 eve-ryone 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...

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 spon-taneously. 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 serv-ing women with, or at risk for, cervical cancer and HPV disease (www.nccc-online.org).

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month By Becky McCullough

Being a college student is a difficult transi-tion, no matter what background or life style you come from. Most students have rent to pay, books to buy, groceries, park-ing 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 pro-gram 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-

sources. Little things like signing up for grants, buying used books, using vouch-ers, using shopping lists, using coupons, etc., really make a difference. Grays Harbor College haws many pro-grams for students that can make a differ-ence. Your advisors and professors are here to help. So don’t be afraid to speak up and ask. - Micah Dillon

College on a Budget

Page 3

Volume 2, Issue 4

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.

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 situa-tion 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

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 compas-sion. I was told I could use this program to gain a fresh start the right way. I was given life skills counseling, job placement coun-seling, 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 col-lege 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

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 feel-ings. 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 quar-ter, 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 be-coming 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 re-source to have and I am very thankful for it. - William Crook

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.

TANF has helped me on so many occa-sions 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

Committee Chair: Brian Shook

The Diversifieds Staff:

Erin Frasier Beth Lavallee

Becky McCullough

DIVERSITY COMMITTEE

Equity & Diversity Resource Center

360-538-4247

Room 219

1620 Edward P. Smith Drive

Aberdeen, WA 98520

edrc@ghc.edu

http://www.ghc.edu/edrc/brochure.pdf

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 sub-mit articles, poems or artwork.

Recipes from Australia

Deadline for submission in next month’s newsletter is Jan. 28

Aussie Rice Salad

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, mayon-naise, Allspice and coriander. Stir sauce under the rice mixture.

For a great Australian Paella BBQ recipe visit

http://australiancuisine.tripod.com/herve.pdf

Leprosy (also called Hansen’s Disease)

Definition: a chronic, mildly infectious disease caused by Myco-bacterium 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.

“Throughout its history, leprosy has been feared and misunder-stood. For a long time leprosy was thought to be a hereditary dis-ease, a curse, or a punishment from God. Before and even after the discovery of its biological cause, leprosy patients were stigma-tized 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