friday takeout
August 28, 2020
CUPPA JOE | straight up news.
Calmar Communications instructor, Keith Lesmeister, pens essay describing his journey to help his hometown of Cedar Rapids after the derecho hit ... Decorah Newspapers
Certified Nurse Aide program opens door to healthcare career for student, Jeremiah DeMoss ... feature
WalletHub higher education research evaluation places NICC at fifth place in Iowa, top-third of all community colleges nationally ... KOEL-AM radio link
WEEKLY FEATURE | good to know.
Business Helpline at NICC Helping Hundreds of Local Companies During COVID-19
COVID-19 has created exceptional challenges for our businesses, whose work contributes to the economic vitality of their communities and northeast Iowa. Since March 26, in partnership with Greater Dubuque Development Corporation, East Central Governmental Association and the Small Business Development Center, Northeast Iowa Community College has led a team of advisors who counsel business leaders on safe at work practices, how to apply for local financial and services support, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and how to navigate workforce issues. To date, 656 businesses have contacted the Business Helpline.
Thank you to everyone at the College who works tirelessly for our business partners!
WELLNESS 360 | be well.
Self-Care Tips and Inspiration
by Flannery Cerbin-Bohach, Wellness and Life Stage Program Manager
Self-Care Tip of the Week:
Hand sanitizers are flying off shelves these days, but it’s important to remember a few things about these products. Proper hand washing with warm water and soap is still the "A standard" for good hygiene. Look for hand sanitizers that contain 60 percent alcohol or more (typically listed as ethyl alcohol). Adults should apply hand sanitizer for young children because it’s dangerous if ingested. Never use alcohol-based sanitizers over an open flame.
Inspiration of the Week:
All around us there are countless lessons from nature/Mother Earth. Mother Earth has been screaming at us for decades that “we” (the collective) are not being great stewards, but she has seemed to sharply increase her decibels this year ... wildfires, a pandemic, hurricane-force winds and rapid ice melt. Other calls are more subtle and continue to swirl around us in the background. Some researchers have stopped to listen and found something quite remarkable: a nearly two-decade-long study from ornithologists suggests that veeries (small brown birds, photo at right) can predict how severe the hurricane/tropical storm season will be months in advance. These little wonders breed and nest in the northeastern U.S., enduring what all birds do, including predators and foul weather. Veeries will continue to breed and nest until they sense it’s time to migrate to the Amazon rainforest. Researchers have piles of data indicating that veeries’ breeding seasons have been longer during years with relatively mild hurricane seasons and that they cut their nesting short during harsher years. (...to avoid flying into massive storms!)
Continue to keep your ears and eyes open to Mother Earth’s calls, folks!
Recipe of the Week:
This is a good marinara recipe if you’re seeking a home for garden veggies. You can freeze the extra for a night you’re in a pinch for dinner. I made some this past weekend with our tomatoes, onions, garlic and a mixture of herbs. I blanched the tomatoes, but that’s not hard! To blanch- boil a big pot of water, drop your whole tomatoes into the pot and wait about 2-3 minutes until you see the skins starting to peel off. Use a slotted spoon to “go fishing” for the tomatoes, putting them into a large bowl of ice cold water. Wait until they cool down a bit in here and you can simply peel the skins right off.
BIG FISH | be amazed.
Mariann Fant
Communications Instructor | Calmar
What is your astrological sign and your birthday? Has anything unusual, funny, amazing or inspiring ever happened because of your astrological sign?
My birthday is Nov. 13 so my astrological sign is Scorpio. The most unusual thing with my birthday is that I turned thirteen on Friday the 13th. In the past couple of years, I have learned more about astrology and birth charts and no matter if it’s “real” or not, I appreciate astrology for helping me get to know myself better!
What is your favorite movie of all time? (in a particular genre, if it’s easier to answer. e.g., comedy, drama, horror, sci fi.)
The Princess Bride! I first watched it in seventh grade and have loved it ever since. I’ve read the book and the book about the screenplay. I don’t even know how many times I’ve seen it!
If you could start all over again, what would be your career choice?
While I love teaching, sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I had pursued art as a career! I miss throwing on the wheel and I still do some pencil portraits here and there.
Give your colleagues a suggestion: what are 1, 2, or 3 of your favorite smart phone apps?
GeniusScan: This app turns your phone into a document scanner. It works well on regular documents and photos and allows you to convert them into whatever file type you need (.pdf, .jpeg, etc.), and allows you to email them or upload them to Google Drive right from the app. There is a free version, but I ended up using it so much that I just got the pro version for the extra perks!
MarcoPolo: This app is like a combination of Facetime and Snapchat but is not social media! The app connects directly through your phone number and you can send live videos to others with the app and it automatically records them and makes them available for the other person to watch at their leisure. You can also make groups! This is great for me because I sometimes have a different schedule than my friends and family, so I can’t always talk on the phone; but I also hate texting because it feels impersonal. This lets me video them asynchronously!
If you could replace all the grass in the world with something else, what would it be?
Food! It would be amazing if all the lawns in the world were transformed into gardens with food for humans or meadows/local foliage for bees and living ecosystems. Most grass/lawns devour precious resources only to become deserts of nutrients and life; plus, gardens/meadows would be just as pretty!
If you have input on a upcoming feature, Big Fish, something to celebrate or a suggestion, email us at news@nicc.edu!