First Poll Story

Hannah Schott
Nov. 18, 2009
Building projects poll

Students can see that parts of Anoka-Ramsey Community College's Coon Rapids campus are under construction. The new Visual Arts Center, which the college started building in the fall of 2008, is located beside a parking lot at the northwest end of the campus.
Next to the Visual Arts Center is the 40-year-old Fine Arts building, which is scheduled to undergo renovation in the spring of 2010.
In August of 2010, the college plans to begin constructing a 30,000 sq. ft. Bioscience and Allied Health addition, which will be located on the south side of the campus.
These improved or new facilities will change how students learn at Anoka-Ramsey. However, many students are not informed about the building projects.
Of the 30 students polled, 67 percent said they do not know anything about the building projects, and 27 percent said they have some knowledge. Only 6 percent said they feel very informed about the building construction at Anoka-Ramsey.
The majority of students who do not know anything about the building projects are first semester students 20 years old or older. Although they are not informed about the building projects, 60 percent of them said they think the building projects are somewhat important.
Most of the students with some knowledge about the building projects called them very important. The percentage of first semester students to students who had attended the college for one to two years was equal.
Of the 30 students polled, 53 percent think the building projects are somewhat important, while 43 percent said the building projects are very important.
Most of the students polled were 20 years old or younger, while 20 percent were 21 to 30 years old and 23 percent were 31 years old or older.
The director of public relations, Mary Jacobson, said that Anoka-Ramsey has been trying to put more information on the college's Web site. Jacobson said, "The college also has different student groups like the student government and the advisory committee were these things are talked about quite a bit."
Michael Seymour, the administration director, said: "If we push information out on people so they are aware of things, they complain that we are spamming them. And then if we don't inform them, students show up on surveys as knowing nothing." Seymour said that it would be nice for students to know about the building projects, but it is not vital for students to know.

Britain apologizes to relocated kids

Britain is apologizing to impoverished British children shipped to colonies overseas by child migrant programs. About 150,000 children were sent to America, Australia, Canada and other British colonies between 1618 and 1967. Britain relocated the children to prevent them from becoming inconveniences to the British state. Sandra Anker was 6 years old when Britain sent her to Australia in 1950. She said: "We've suffered all our lives. For the government of England to say 'sorry' to us, it makes it right - even if it's late, it's better than not at all."

Source: Britain's taken kids get a long-overdue 'sorry' by Jill Lawless of the Associated Press
11/16/09 Star Tribune print edition

Stormy weather in Omaha, Neb.

My family drove to Omaha, Neb., last May to attend my cousin's wedding. Passing through Iowa was boring, so we took pictures of the landscape to amuse ourselves. Whenever we saw wind turbines, we tried to photograph them. Photographing them was hard sometimes because we were moving so fast and they were so tall, but we managed to get some good pictures. We had really nice weather through most of our trip, but a storm developed after we passed Des Moises. Thankfully, it wasn't a severe thunderstorm. We encountered more stormy weather after we got to Omaha. I was a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding, and the day before the wedding I went to a nail spa with the rest of the girls in my cousin's wedding. The television in the spa was broadcasting tornado warnings while I was having my toenails painted, which was somewhat disturbing. I am not sure if a tornado touched down around Omaha or not, but I never heard of any damage. The wedding went well, and we headed back to Minnesota. We took more pictures of wind turbines on the way home.

Indian housing project renewal

A housing construction proposal by the American Indian Community Development Corp. has been renewed after a three-year delay. The proposal, which involves buying land in south Minneapolis from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn-DOT), was postponed because of the I-35W bridge collapse and the economy's unfavorable condition. The proposal will be discussed at a public hearing in Hennepin County this week. The corporation's CEO, Mike Goze, said, "Our goal is to provide safe, affordable housing that will provide a way for people to access other areas of their life."

Source: Indian housing project back on docket by Kevin Duchschere
11/9/09 Star Tribune print edition

Halloween Costumes

I am not much of an authority on Halloween costumes, because the last time I really had fun during Halloween was the 2004 holiday when I had a party with my friends. My friend Chad and I had tried for years to get a party together, but no one ever came. Our previous attempts at parties had been held in his backyard, where it was always cold and dark on Halloween. In 2004, we decided to try a different strategy. We decided to hold the party in my basement and offer food, games and prizes! Our new strategy worked and we had lots of fun. I don't think I dressed up as anything; I was too busy decorating the whole basement.

Gail Peterson Story

Hannah Schott
Nov. 2, 2009
Peterson story

Tight deadlines can cause headaches, but Gail Peterson said she gains a sense of accomplishment after deadlines are met. Peterson, who works at the Human Resources office of Anoka-Ramsey Community College's Coon Rapids campus, is responsible for arranging the college faculty's salary transactions, insurance coverage and retirement benefits.
Peterson has deadlines for processing payroll transactions every two weeks. When a deadline arrives, I have accomplished something and finished something, said Peterson, and I know people are going to be paid.
"I have that sense of satisfaction when certain deadlines have been met," Peterson added.
Tight deadlines restrict when Peterson can take time off work. I really do not have the freedom to be able to use vacation time when I want to, she commented, and I think my job would be tough for somebody who was married and had a family. "I'm single and I don't have any kids, so it isn't quite so bad for me," she said.
The busiest times of the year for Peterson are directly before the fall, spring and summer semesters, when she sets up the faculty in the personnel payroll system. Peterson said her job, which has varying workloads during the year that climax before semesters, gives her both times of challenge and times to relax.
Peterson began her job three and a half years ago during a rush before the fall semester. Her first day was frustrating, she said, because her co-workers in the Human Resources office were so busy.
No one really had time to show me anything or tell me anything, Peterson explained.
Peterson was not familiar with the computer system used at Anoka-Ramsey, which was one of the reasons she wanted to work at the college.
I knew I would be learning this particular personnel payroll database, and I really wanted to learn it, Peterson said. "I knew that it would be really challenging," she added.
Peterson said she also wanted to work at Anoka-Ramsey because she worked at a college before and knows that college employees have a commitment to their jobs.
They really care about doing a good job for the students, she commented.
The faculty are interesting people to work with, according to Peterson. "They all have their different areas that they know a lot about," she said.
Peterson said she knows that the faculty do not have time to worry about their pay, insurance and retirement, and is happy that the faculty can come to her if they have concerns.
After they talk to me, they do not have to worry anymore and can focus on the duties they have to perform, Peterson said.
Peterson said her job at Anoka-Ramsey has changed since she began working there. She has gained two more co-workers, which has lightened her workload and made her duties more specific.
My job also changed after I made it through the steep learning curve, Peterson added. "I'm more comfortable in my job and not as stressed out by the deadlines because I'm better able to judge the amount of work and how long it's really going to take to get it done," she said.
Peterson recommended math, computer and communications classes to students looking for a job in a Human Resources office.

Scientists Decode Pig DNA

Newly decoded domestic pig DNA may aid in the development of new medicines for humans and pigs, scientists revealed today. "The pig is the ideal animal to look at lifestyle and health issues in the United States," said biomedical science professor Larry Schook, who led the pig DNA research team. Pigs and humans have comparable biogenetic configurations, and research on pigs has proved helpful in the study of human medical conditions.

Source: Scientists decode DNA of pig- man's best friend for research by Karen Hawkins of the Associated Press
11/2/09 Star Tribune print edition