Veteran's day
Drug dogs on campus
KCC student earns premier welding cerrtification
Student financial fid
ATP job coaching
Veteran's day
Editorial
On November 11, we honor our veterans for their unwavering service and sacrifice. We commemorate, acknowledge, and affirm the contributions made by our veterans to secure the liberties we continue to enjoy.
What originally started as Armistice Day, a day dedicated to the cause of world peace and to honor WWI Veterans, is now a day to honor the sacrifices and contributions of all veterans during peacetime or wartime.
The veterans of wars past served without question, doing so with courage and honor. They embody the attributes we yearn for as role models to exhibit the qualities that we can be proud of in this generation as well as the next -- a true commitment to freedom. They are also qualities that make this nation stand out as a beacon of freedom at a dark and dangerous time in our world. These men and women readily accept the responsibility of being our caretakers and defenders of freedom.
In the recent past, battles fought in Korea and Vietnam underlined the need for our troops to receive our unwavering support. Now, members of the armed forces from active, guard and reserve units are being asked to serve in conflicts abroad in Afghanistan, or Iraq, or to serve in our homeland. They are all fully deserving of our respect and gratitude and we must give them nothing less.
In America, we honor all veterans on this solemn day because despite the convulsive changes occasioned by war across the decades and centuries, there is one constant: the willingness of patriots in every generation to answer their country’s call to arms.
This Veterans Day resolve to remember. Check in on a neighbor’s family left behind, say thanks to the soldier sitting in the airport, or listen to veterans recount their stories. It’s still a day dedicated to remember the struggle for world peace and the men and women who try to fulfill that mission all around the globe. Troops go where they are sent. It is every U.S. citizen’s responsibility to make sure the cause is worth the cost and that their sacrifices are recognized and remembered.
Drug dogs on campus
Liz McCord
Editor-in-chief
Kellogg Community College is training two German shepherd dogs and two handlers from the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department to become certified canine teams. These two teams will be the first canine teams at the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department. KCC is the only community college in the area to provide training required for canine team certification.
The German shepherd dogs, Terck Medrsak, from Solvakia, and Apollo von der Pfeffergasse, from Germany, were imported and partially trained by the instructors for the course. Over a five week period, the dogs were trained in patrol work, detection work, tracking, building searches and property searches. After completing 200 hours of training, the dogs and their handlers will be evaluated using the standards of the National Association of Professional Canine Handlers (NAPCH) with the intent of becoming certified and starting their duties.
This is a new program created by the Criminal Justice Department and the RMTC Specialized training. Ron Ivey, Director of Law Enforcement Training, said, “This has been a valuable training experience for our community, providing KCC’s Police Academy students with career learning opportunities in track laying and searches.”
The handlers for the Kalamazoo County Sheriff Department attending the training are Sergeant Jim Sandlin and Deputy Phil Neuman.
The trainers for the course are retired Sergeant Warren Miller from the Michigan State Police, and Officer Chad Fickle from the Battle Creek Police Department. Sergeant Miller is certified as a Master Trainer under NAPCH and is also the former Canine Unit Commander for the Michigan StatePolice. Officer Fickle is a Trainer under NAPCH and is a current dog handler with the Battle Creek Police
| Left to Right: Deputy Phil Neuman with Appollo Von der Pfeffergasse and Serrgeant Jim Sandlin with Merdrsak | Photos courtesy of KCC Public Information and Marketing |
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Department in charge of the department’s training for the unit.
For more information, contact KCC’s Director of Law Enforcement Training, Ron Ivey, at (269) 965-3931 extension 2748.
KCC student earns premier welding certification
Liz McCord
Editor-in-Cheif
Larry Dorsey survived Hurricane Katrina by floating on a refrigerator door. Now he is making a new life for himself, in part with the education he is receiving at KCC.
Dorsey received notification on Wednesday, Sept. 30, that he passed the American Welding Society’s 6G Pipe Welding Certification. The national certification means that the Air Force veteran can make approximately $25 to $30 per hour inspecting and supervising welding projects.
The certification is rare, and opens up a broad range of employment opportunities.
Dorsey arrived in Battle Creek after surviving seven days of flooding from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. It was the day after his birthday when the flood waters started to rise. He thought, like all of the other times, the waters would subside.
Within two days, his food supply had diminished so he resorted to using a refrigerator door as a flotation device to find food for him and his neighbors. When he realized the waters were not receding, he decided it was time to leave.
| Larry Dorsey welding student | Photo courtesy of KCC Public Information and Marketing |
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After his rescue, he arrived in Battle Creek where he met Reba Harrington. She came out to Fort Custer to meet with him and the others from New Orleans. During their talks, Dorsey told Harrington that he didn’t have a way commute to and from work, so Harrington provided him with a vehicle.
However, after a knee replacement, Dorsey found himself without a job, so he decided to back to school for welding.
“I really like it,” Dorsey said about KCC’s Regional Manufacturing Technology Center and his welding classes. “If you come here to learn, they are willing to teach you.”
Dorsey’s next step is to find a job using his new certification. He hopes to stay in the Battle Creek area.
For additional information on KCC’s welding program, contact Doug Adams at (269) 965-4137.
Student financial aid
William Cook
Staff Writer
Applying for financial aid can be a sometimes tricky matter, and often a grueling process. KCC offers a wide variety of financial loan and aid opportunities, such as federal grants, federal loans, work study, and other forms of student assistance.
All students may apply for financial aid and can do this by going to filling out the FASFA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) worksheet. This worksheet is available at the Kellogg Community College Financial Aid Office, or you may file on the internet at www.fafsa.ed.gov/.
There are several things you will want to determine before filling out this application, so the earlier the better when filing for student aid.
The Department of Education outlines what conditions are necessary to receive a Pell Grant. To be eligible you must:
• Demonstrate financial need by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Be a U.S. citizen, U.S national or eligible non-citizen
• Have a valid Social Security Number
• Have a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) certificate OR demonstrate “ability to benefit” by passing an approved test
• Meet satisfactory academic proress
• Be enrolled in an eligible post-secondary school
• Be working toward a first undergraduate degree or teaching credential
• Certify that the funds will be used only for educational purposes
• Be registered with the Selective
Service if you are a male between the ages of 18 and 25.
However, Federal Pell Grants are consider “need-based” grants, and may not be awarded in certain circumstances. The U.S. Department of Education states “The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate and certain post baccalaureate students to promote access to postsecondary education. Students may use their grants at any one of approximately 5,400 participating postsecondary institutions. Grant amounts are dependent on: the student’s expected family contribution (EFC) (see below); the cost of attendance (as determined by the institution); the student’s enrollment status (full-time or part-time); and whether the student attends for a full academic year or less.”
Loans applications are available at KCC and you may choose to apply for either a subsidized or unsubsidized Federal Student Loan. The difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans is when the interest begins, so make your decision carefully.
There are also other opportunities, such as the Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver, which is “an act to provide free tuition for North American Indians in public, state, community, or public junior colleges, public colleges or universities, or federal tribally controlled community colleges.”
According to the FASFA Web site you must “Submit 2009-2010 FAFSA on the Web Applications by midnight Central Daylight time, June 30, 2010.”
Also, the amount of assistance you will receive is dependent on your enrollment status among many other fine print variables. So, make sure to thoroughly inquire with regard to your eligibility status.
Different schools will often have different processes, procedures, and requirements. Remember, these are federally funded grant and loan programs, so occasionally there is a ton of “red tape” to cut through. It can be frustrating and time consuming so get started early and bombard the financial aid workers with all your concerns and questions if necessary.
For more information contact the Kellogg Community College Financial Aid Office at (269) 965-3931 or you may send an email to finaid@kellogg.edu.
ATP job coaching
Courtney Grant
Guest Writer
Kellogg Community is offering a program to assist the Adult Training Program students in learning the skills they need to acquire before working in the “real world”.
The ATP students are 19-26 year olds, from the Doris Klaussen Developmental Center who have mild to severe developmental impairments and disabilities.
This program is managed by Amy Benn and Sheila Ritsema, teachers, and Deb Leahy, job coach, from the Doris Klaussen Developmental Center, who work with Donn Montgomery, a psychology teacher here at Kellogg.
A KCC student job coach works with one or two ATP students providing them training to help them perform tasks that meet society’s expectations. Students are taught communication and courteousy.
“The students from the Adult Training Program are really enjoying their new opportunity to work on the KCC campus and to meet new friends, the job coaches. They are benefiting from this post-high school job training in an environment with others their same age.KCC’s campus is our classroom right now.” said Sheila Ritsema, ATP teacher.
Deb Leahy an ATP job coach says, “It has been great to see the progress of the students socially and how they have become comfortable in their job environment. I have watched all of them grow and it has been a wonderful experience for all of us.”
The Students help out the campus in areas including the kitchen, theater, and in the classrooms wiping tables and white boards. Some of them even wash Bruin busses.
While accomplishing these tasks they may make mistakes. That is where job coaches step in. The job coaches help them remember what they are supposed to be doing and continue doing that task.
Their ability to accomplish a task is written down in their folder they have. The job coaches write the good, as well as the areas needed for improvement they saw that day.
Kayla Brott a KCC student job coach says, “Working with the kids and getting to know them and knowing that I am helping them learn the skills that they need so that they can get a job after they are done with school is the greatest reward.”
As Kayla says, helping the ATP students can be very satisfying, and being a job coach can make a difference in the ATP students’ lives, as well as in their own.
For more information, contact Donn Montgomery, by calling KCC and entering ext. 2227 or by emailing him at montgomeryd@kellogg.edu. You can also call ATP teachers Sheila Ritsema at 317-9656, or Amy Benn at 317-9889.