Holy Smokes GUYS!!!! The semester is almost done – ONE MORE WEEK! Can you believe it? I can’t, it’s like a dream come true. But don’t celebrate yet – one more week is still filled with a lot of work…I know I still have one big massive paper due by next Friday (13 pages for the body alone – UGH!), but it is on something that totally fascinates me – Neuropsychology – so at least it’ll be interesting. I’ve been totally working day by day – getting assignments done as they’re due. Actually, a lot of my assignments at the end of this semester have been late, but…I figured that it was better late than never and sometimes there’s just nothing you can do about THAT. Three to four hours of sleep a night is just no good. I’m talking in code already, except aint nobody understanding. Ahhhhh, the 16th – one of my favorite days…not like I’ll actually get to relax that night though, our band is playing at the Decanter for a Christmas party – does that entail Christmas music? Hmmm, I better get on THAT! Yeah, right…like my Neuropsych paper will allow for some guitar practice. Oh well, you do what you can do, right?

Yeah, so…most of my papers have been turned in, the RESULTS FOR SHAPING MY HUSBAND TO WASH THE DISHES ARE IN! That’s right folks – it’s time to share. So, when we started the experiment – the baseline was 14% or Toby washed the dishes 1 day out of the week. By the end of this seven week Operant Conditioning Study, Toby increased his likelihood of washing dishes to 21%. Yeah…I know…not so hot, but HEY, it was an increase. He’s like the Rock of Gibralter, the Pillar of Hercules, unceasingly immovable. He wants something, he gets it…I want something, I cave…maybe I should take lessons…agh. I think too much.

Gotta go back to work – Hope your last weeks are better than mine, not like Shawna Shields – that turkey – in one of our classes she said that these last weeks were like a day at the spa – A DAY AT THE SPA? I don’t want to go to HER SPA! Oh no, no way Jose’ - I wouldn’t want to replay these past weeks EVER…but, then…I digress…and enroll for next semester. Hehehehehe…Guess what? I’ll get three more semesters of this – and if someone else doesn’t email me their desire to do the web blogging, ishlw@uaa.alaska.edu you’ll get at least one more semester of ME! I’m hoping to be a little more active on campus, though, so I can do what I intended to do with this position – and tell you all the cool things that are going on – oh, by the way – OPEN MIC. NIGHT – next FRIDAY – I saw Zack Daniels and Billy on the list – those guys are GOOD!!!!! Zack has some awesome originals – AWESOME! And Billy, well he just rocks – he’s from Caine’s Head (Nuson, W-2, and Pete) and just kicks butt on guitar – Amazing musician. AND WHITEY? Man, it sounds like there’s going to be a raging party on campus next Friday – which is rightfully so – last day of classes…then when you’re done here, we’ll be rockin at the Decanter…HA! Kinda far, but…they have rooms… ENOUGH – back to Neuropsychology…YAY!

Alright, I think I’m back on track – have been delegating in my brain all the assignments/research papers/finals due – working it one day at a time – UGH! So, I’m sorry if my blog has fallen to the side. So, I decided. That’s right – you guys got me for another year – yay…Actually, I am kinda excited, it means I can take more classes, HA! So, I won’t be graduating in the Spring ’06…oh well. I’ll get to hang with my Sonshine more and dive into the classes I’m taking, instead of treading water like I’m currently doing. Not too much in a panic, but it really is one day at a time. YIKES! So, I did get some emails – some people stopped me in the halls – to let me know that IT’S NOT WORTH THE STRESS – life is to be enjoyed, isn’t that what my first blogs were about – enjoying this life. Well, I’m gonna try.

Also, I was thinking about passing the blog torch on to a new student – getting someone else’s perspective on campus life. What do you guys think about that? It’s a five hour a week job, so if anyone is interested in sharing their juice with the world, email me – ishlw@uaa.alaska.edu– if there’s a demand for a new blogger, I’ll definitely step down, but…if not…then...well, I’ll stick around – now that I’m going to be taking only 12 credits – SWEET! When I started this job, I wanted to be active on campus, attending the various activities offered across KRC, then to relay it to all of you, but…with all the other stuffs I am doing, that fell into the river…but, next semester sounds promising. I should be more able to attend the campus activities more readily – HOPEFULLY. We’ll see.

What classes are you registered for? I have to drop some of the classes, I think I’m sticking to the killer Psychology classes that are being offered, and will drop the History and Anthro classes for now…to return next Spring, of course. They are core requirements…but how could I pass up some of these Psychology classes – Gender and Sex? SWEET! Dr. Landen let me know that it would be one of my favorite classes – I’ll inform you of the stuff I learn – if I’m still here blogging.

On another note - Lyndsay Townsend emailed me – from UAA. She had been attending KRC for a few years, but left us to finish her studies at UAA…ANYWAYS, in lieu to my conditioning assignment to get my husband to do the dishes, she suggested not to use negative reinforcement – she’s tried that on Brian…didn’t work. She said she had to ask him “EVERY SINGLE TIME!” and thought that she might try positive reinforcement now. She also suggested “not to worry about the dishes, it’s a lot easier that way.”

Well, that would be nice…but, what about the bugs that acquire when you don’t do the dishes? They are much harder to get rid of then the 20 minutes spent washing the dishes. It was really nice to hear from her…she asked how the research for that assignment was going and well, I have my presentation TODAY – finished it last night (started it yesterday). I still have one more picture to add (the picture of a clean counter with no dishes). It’s Toby’s day off, so he said he’d be doing them this morning… The results? Well, you’ll just have to wait till my next blog – HA! I can’t divulge the results until after…here he is pouting.

Being a Mom

It’s true – if you aren’t a parent, you have no idea what you’re getting into. Of course, it’s also true that once you are a parent, you still have no idea what you’re in. So, now I’m a mom – now what? Well, one thing that I’ve realized is this: It’s nothing I expected, yet more than anything I ever expected. I really got lucky with Pono and with Carol-Ann, they are constant joys to have around.

Now introducing the coolest guy in all creation – Isaac Pono Masayoshi Nagasako. This is the most current picture I have of him, hehehe…my boy – the can of SPAM. HA! In retrospect, I don’t think I would have named him with so many names – he answers to “Isaac,” “Pono,” “Masa,” “Yoshi,” “Sako-san,” and sometimes I just mix it all up calling him “Masayoshi Sakanako” or “YoshiMasa.” I mostly call him Pono (righteous) and his dad calls him Isaac (laughter).

It’s interesting to see how goofy a two-year-old can be. He wigs out on chocolate just like his mama and he obsessively (like his daddy) loves trucks – Hummers and Jeeps to be exact. At the age of about 15 months he expressed an ultimate interest in Hummers – and he would spot them before anyone else, announcing to the world in a high-screeched voice – “HUMMER – LOOK A HUMMER!!!!!” If we were in the car, his feet would jet out and his arms would raise-up high in the air with his middle finger (hey, it is the longest finger available) pointing to the vehicle as it drove by.

This is Carol-Ann Jeanne W, my newest “child.” She just turned 17 and is a blessing to our family. The one thing I’ve realized about having a teenager in the house is how important it is to listen to her and how important it is to be honest with her. I make mistakes all the time – aint nobody said there was one way to raise a child - but I am constantly being honest with her, learning and moving forward as a family and communicating with her. That’s all I can do. I just want to give her a healthy environment that she can grow in; a place that she can be comfortable being herself. We do let her have her independence, but that is because we trust her and have faith that she will make the right choices in her life. She has shown us this too. She reciprocates respect too. Which is something I never did.

So, living as mom is amazing. Sometimes I am soooo tired from school and work and music, then I come home and the house is a mess, and I know I have a boy to bathe and a family to feed. But, when I walk up those fur-covered stairs (our husky is adamantly an inside dog) and I see my son sitting on the couch saying, “come sit down mommy;” I melt… Having Carol-Ann is so nice too because she helps us out immensely. Especially with my full schedule, she has gone above and beyond daily chores. I don’t know what I’d do without her. She loves Pono a lot and it’s reflected in her interactions with him.

No matter what happens in my day, coming home to open arms erases all the other stuffs that made me so cranky. Sometimes I get frustrated with all the things I have to do to get Carol-Ann here or there, but having her in our life is much more than worth it. She reciprocates much more than I ever realized. It’s nice – and like I said, we got lucky!

So, being a mom is great. It is a lot of work, and I might have waited a few more years before having our son, at least until I had my bachelor’s degree. I do enjoy having both children in our lives – they complete our family and give us much more joy than we had before. Though, I don’t think we’ll be having another child anytime too soon. But, it is a little disturbing watching our two-year-old attempt to get the dog (Duke) to play cars.

What is a cool thing you’ve experienced as a parent, aunty/uncle, friend. Email me ishlw@uaa.alaska.edu– Aloha, Holly

NO MORE DIAPERS!!!

What a great thing it is…not due to my hard work and perspiration – though I TRIED – for months I tried to talk to our son, tried not to traumatize him (as Freud suggested), tried to reward him, tried not to shame him. I even worked out a few reinforcement schedules. In two days – TWO DAYS - my husband decides Pono was done with diapers. DONE! And…after the two days, he actually was. We have a half-naked 2 year-old boy running around the house, but he actually uses the toilet all on his own now. I’m very impressed. Toby (my husband) gets a reward for his work. I guess sometimes you gotta hit it head on! I’m glad SOMETHING WORKED!

On another note – I’m thinking – yes, 17 credits are too many for my life. Of course, I would say that right now because it’s all coming down to the end…I have so much to turn in – ugh! Is all this stress truly worth it? All this – leaving my family too long – is this worth it? I’m missing out on that cute little guy – who will be in pre-school next year – holy shmokers man! I’m thinking next semester might have to be broken up and I won’t be graduating in the Spring. What’s another semester at KRC gonna do for me? Definitely make my life a little less hectic – but…I’m soooooooooooo close! Should I do this one more semester – 17 credits and all I do in the community? Or should I pull back a little and not be so intense? What do you think? One more semester? Or…two-three more semesters? I’m frustrated…tired…pooped…and missing my family. What do you think? What would you do? ishlw@uaa.alaska.edu

Wal-Mart, huh?

Wal-Mart? Good for us? Huh? As I stepped into lovely Ms. Suzie Kendrick’s office the other day I couldn’t help but notice an article she had on her “to do” pile: “Wal-Mart Is Good for the Economy” by John Semmens. Now wait a minute, I know better than that, don't I? Turns out she got a copy from an instructor on campus. WOH! No way man!!! Off the top of my head, I know that Wal-Mart can’t be good for our economy, but…do I really know why? NO! So, this led me into what will be going on tonight – a free movie to help community members understand the implications of Wal-Mart in our community and in our society as a whole: Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price. The preview is for the premier week November 13th-19th and is said to be the largest grassroots mobilization in movie history with over 7,000 screenings planned this week in over 600 communities nationwide. The movie will be tonight at 7:30 at 225 Spruce St. in Kenai – I’ll be there – with pen and pad taking notes for ya’all… Hey…it’s the least I can do – I want to know why Wal-Mart is bad – it feels bad, but…what kind of a debate is that?

I read the article from the KRC instructor and the first thing I thought was “Who is John Semmens?” According to the article, he is an economist at the Laissez Faire Institute in Arizona. I went online and found that he was also involved with He sounds like an “expert,” hmmm…well, he says that people who rant about Wal-Mart don’t know anything about economics. The whole goal for a business is to accurately interpret consumer needs and efficiently serve them. Doesn’t Wal-Mart do this? I mean, low prices bring in more people. I don’t like to spend twice as much on items when I can purchase them at Wal-Mart at so little. He also says that Wal-Mart “runs the largest corporate cash-giving foundation in America.” WOW! Turns out that by early September, Wal-Mart donated nearly $4 million to more than 6,000 employees, $17 million in cash to emergency relief, and “2,500 trailer-loads of water and emergency supplies to its facilities in the affected areas.” They also donated items to the Red Cross shelters, Houston Astrodome, police departments and food for distribution to residents impacted by the hurricane. Surely all this generousness to the American people.

Well, what is one to do? It’s not like we can or should put regulations on this corporation – laws? Who wants more laws? UGH! Any ideas? I’ll see you in Kenai TONIGHT!!! ishlw@uaa.alaska.edu

Sandra Best is currently working on a Wal-Mart article for the next “Connections,” so look for that coming out in December. Also, there will be a First Friday Dialogue on campus, regarding Wal-Mart on December 2nd. If you have something to say or want to learn more, investigate – aint no one gonna lay it in your lap man…

November 7, 2005:

Hey, there’s a “MAN” on my fence! Some unkind soul graffiti-fied our fence – but…they put the word “MAN” on it…we are so confused. I tend to think about things a lot and realized that there was a man on our fence…it will be funny in a song, but not too many people will really know what it means. What’s really strange is that the footprints of the person who did this, are rather manly – bigger than my feet – and that’s big! So, not sure it was a kid…but, maybe. So, I’ve been wondering, “Why ‘MAN’?” If you have any ideas of why someone would write “man” on my fence…send it on over. It’s actually kind of funny…and I’m wondering if it has anything to do with the indecisiveness of the graffiti artist –maybe he was on the fence about something and had to display it for all to see? I told my husband we should add “boss” to the front of it…so all would know. Yeah…right. In some ways I’m kind of offended, why didn’t they put “WOMAN”? Anyways, that’s what’s going on with my brain – I should be studying – sheesh…procrastinators…it’s amazing we get anything done. Maybe I should get off the fence and just study already. Aloha, me

November 5, 2005:

Alright folks, aint nobody writin’! Are you guys too busy, as well?…or maybe this blog thing just shouldn’t be? This IS a place for you to post information too – it would be nice to get someone else’s perspective, other than my own – not that I’m asking you to write a whole bunch, but offer up your opinion sometimes, will ya? Sheesh, almost like I have to be controversial before I get any action in my inbox! And I can do that if that’s what it’ll take…

So, anyways…I thought it would be cool to write about research papers – since that’s what’s been on my mind as of late. I’m currently working on a few. Almost finished one on Toilet Training for my Child Development (Psy 245) class. Yes, I have a two year old who is not potty trained YET! After doing some research, I’ve decided to buy a book that looks like it’ll help. We have been trying – we’ve been using operant conditioning (rewarding him with stuff – it morphed from hugs and praise to stickers to Hot Wheels). I’m not sure that’s the right way to go, considering it’s still not working. I think he’s getting inundated with cars and isn’t too interested in getting them anymore…not sure what to do, hoping the book will help our own case study as well as my research paper/presentation for the class.

I’m also working on my Foundations of Psychology (Psy 412) class’ research paper – UGH – it’s a big one – I chose the History of Neuropsychology (or Biological Psychology). The chemical reactions that occur in our brain and allow us to feel everything we feel just fascinate me – enough to make me want to go into Pharmacology, but…I won’t. It’s interesting, but I’d rather help people without the drugs – they just cause more problems it seems. There’s another project due for this one and should be a fun assignment with a group – so me and my partner Tiffany Martin chose to write a song about the history of psychology…HA! Can’t wait to hear what happens…it should be funny, I mean come on – some of these guys have the coolest names (Tichener) with some of the funniest thoughts that follow (Freud?)

For my Learning and Cognition class (Psy 355), I chose to shape my Husband. HA! We’re using operant conditioning for this project. One behavior modification at a time…it doesn’t seem to be working very well. I’m attempting to get him to do the dishes more. Now that I’ve been recording his “progress,” I see that there is no progress at all. Maybe I need to raise the reward? Hmmmm, I’ve got to do something! It would be nice to get him to do the dishes more often. Dr. McIntyre said we didn’t have to succeed in our conditioning assignment, but it really would be nice.

I haven’t received the instructions for my Social Psychology class (Psy 375), so that one isn’t even on the list…nice. I know it’s there, though – lurking in the closet just waiting for me to tackle.

For Western Civilization I, we do book critiques – the book I started with was When God was a Woman. This was more of an Anthropological book, though too interesting to return (for a while). In contrast, I went all the way to the other side of the spectrum and chose The Oldest Dead White European Males. I thought that was kind of funny. Yikes!

What are you doing your research papers on and for what classes? I know there are some interesting things going on – just email me, I dare you – ishlw@uaa.alaska.edu.

November 1, 2005:

Open Mic. Night was another success, of course. Even though people keep forgetting to bring in the canned goods, but 20 cans were donated for the Food Bank. There was a great turn out, with too many artists to all get the chance to perform. I didn’t make it for the beginning of the show, but I did get to catch most of it. Laureen Maxwell’s ESL class did a few things – Pedro, as the masked crusader himself, cut-us-up with his humor – not to mention a few other things... He also sang and played guitar for us. Olga even gave us a dancing lesson with audience participation. We had a blast!

Chris Pepper was there busting out some of his originals! Local starlet Melissa Kay (Smith) came through the coaxing of her brother, Jason, who is a student here. He also played originals and covers with his sweety-pie – he’s in the local band Blank Slate Theory.

Steve Schoonmaker read some poetry too – can’t wait till he works on his book! If you get a chance to hear his words, do!

I’m not sure I’ll even make it till summer. Something’s got to give (hey, that’s the name of my newest song! Imagine that?) - I am on the brink of a melt down – and I know it won’t be pretty…so…if you don’t hear from me for a while…don’t come lookin for me…it may not be safe. Nah…I’m tired and frustrated, but only due to my choices – yes, we’ve talked about this…I know, I know…my choice to pursue music, blah-di-blah-di-blah-blah-blah…it’s all the same, guys…loading the plate too high when you think you’re really that hungry? Well, my tummy is starting to hurt, but the plate is slowly accumulating more food…wait…wait…what’s going on? HEY! I CAN’T EAT THAT MUCH FOOD! I’m hoping to catch up this weekend. I’ll get back to you on that…if anyone has some good techniques to share with us overloaded students – please email me at ishlw@uaa.alaska.edu . Aloha to you all, Holly

P.S. Did you check out the KPC Connection this month? Great articles…

October 26, 2005:

Choices

Every action we encounter deals with a choice. We have to make choices all day – whether to get up out of bed, or react to someone’s arrogance – we have a choice and we must also deal with the repercussions of the choice. Everything we do involves a choice. This has been very evident in my life right now. I made a choice to graduate in the Spring, now I must deal with the repercussions of my decision. I either have to drop some classes, or work harder…I choose the “work harder,” but…do my actions really show this? Maybe…I feel like I’m constantly busy doing all kinds of stuff, from homework to home-life to fulfilling my dreams.
Where are my true priorities – family first, but…do my actions show this, as well? My family seems to think I spend too much time working on my dreams – music. But, with so much going on in my life – music is where I de-stress, re-group, and enjoy living. I maintain that in fulfilling my dreams, I am working on my home-life (emotional stability), but…that really might not be the case. So, realistically, my priorities should be home-life, school, work, and then dreams? So, not only is choice a decision, but it is also an action (follow through) – one that follows with the initial decision that was made. Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate my day...I do know that something has to change, otherwise I will be dealing with the repercussions of poor grades. That doesn’t sound good at all.

Anyways, here are some choices for your weekend -

Don't forget to support the Psychology Club's bake sale on Wednesday and Thursday - YUM!

This Friday is Open Mic. Night at the college – bring some canned goods for the Food Bank. I should be there.

Also – Saturday, my band – SoMeTHiNG eLSe - is playing at the Decanter (Kasilof) for a Halloween party – I still haven’t put my costume together – I’m supposed to be Janis Joplin…any advice you can offer? (besides the bottle of whiskey – ha!) I have been choosing to work on my son-shine’s costume – he’s going to be a can of SPAM…

Steve Schoonmaker, KRC student and author, will be on my radio show, Local Expressions, on Sunday 1:30- 3 – 91.5 FM Kasilof (KWJG)…I heard his work at a campus Open Mic and really look forward to hearing some more – he promised a Halloween poem too.

Also - on Sunday the Wailin’ Jennys will be at the Peninsula Grace Auditorium on K-Beach at 7:30 pm – the KPC Multicultural Consortium is a part of this, so I’ll be there. If you haven’t heard these ladies’ voices – keep your ears open – I’ll have them playing tomorrow (Thursday) in the commons. Amazing!

October 25, 2005:

I received an email from a fellow KRC student – in regards to:

Hal Gage: Ice

On Sunday October 16th, I attended Hal Gage’s presentation of “Ice: A Personal Meditation”. I wasn’t able to attend his slide lecture, but did get to hear him talk a little about his “secret techniques”

I’m sure by now you have all visited the Gary L. Freeburg Gallery on your way to the KRC library to see Gage’s photography. These pictures were not merely “taken,” it seems that they were felt and the reflection of his passion for his work is bestowed upon his audience. His pictures move…

In the mid-90’s Gage applied for and was granted permission to enter into areas of Mt. McKinley and Denali that the public is off-limits to. Here, he was able to photograph secluded “scenery” that not many people have ever viewed. A lot of the pictures that are currently being exhibited on campus are of glacial crevasses and openings, some as little as 2-3 feet, just barely enough room to fit his camera. He explained in one of the pictures how he had to crawl through a tunnel to take the photograph.

Hal Gage is also a musician, I’m bummed I didn’t know that before I met him, I would have asked him to play a little for us. He has his own commercial photography, graphic design business in Anchorage, where he does a diverse range of photographic designs in various fashions from calendars to architectural photography. He also does workshops in Anchorage to teach people how to use Adobe Photoshop too – there are two workshops coming up in November if anyone is interested. Apparently that’s the program that he has used for over 16 years and has been teaching the classes for over 10 years. That’s great! An artist, who not only fills his time with many mediums, he also shares his knowledge with others who are interested in learning and at a great price (never have I heard of a full two-day workshop priced at $50). How altruistic!

If you would like more information on Hal Gage, you can always check out his website where you will find slid-shows for all his genres: www.halgage.com

Aloha to you all and email me if you attended any campus functions and would like to comment on them – MAHALO ishlw@uaa.alaska.edu

October 15, 2005:

You know you’ve been at KRC too long when

October 11, 2005:

HAVE YOU VOTED YET?

STUDENT HEALTH CLINIC? So, what are the options?

Have the clinic – and students taking 6 credits or more will have to pay $5 a credit for a “maximum” of $75 a semester…(which is where I will be). So, part-time students won’t get to use the facility. Some aspects that the clinic will cover are cures for the common cold (grocery store?), TB screening (huh?), Immunizations (when was the last time you got one of those?), Family Planning/Birth Control (Planned Parenthood?), Emergency Contraception (Planned Parenthood…), STD/HIV Screening (uhhhh…Planned Parenthood), Vision and hearing (I wonder what will be covered under this…), Hemoglobin and Blood Pressure… Alright, maybe I’m just not informed enough…but… what will this $5/credit increase give us? I know for myself that I won’t use the clinic, but… that doesn’t mean I disagree with having it…if there are students out there who REALLY need these things and need them to be here on campus…it’s not so bad to pay $75 for them…

According to the issue, “having the clinic will make the health insurance offered through UAA a much better proposition for KRC students…The health insurance costs $336 a semester or $896 a year (including the summer)” and the $100 deductible per injury/illness is waived IF the student goes to the student health clinic. So, there are things to consider…

WHAT DO YOU REALLY THINK? There are little pieces of paper all over the campus – just waiting for your vote! IF YOU DON’T WANT THIS…YOU NEED TO SPEAK UP, BECAUSE BY FRIDAY (hmmm, that’s really soon!) IT WILL BE PASSED TO HAVE THE CLINIC BY JANUARY (hmmmm, that’s really soon too…). WHAT DO YOU THINK? EMAIL ME – ishlw@uaa.alaska.edu - this affects every single one of you – all the students of KPC – Kenai River Campus – this affects YOU! VOTE ON IT ASAP!!! Otherwise you really will have no choice and it will either be another tuition increase – not to mention the 10% increase coming next semester too! Or you’ll miss out on a “great deal” if you need insurance coverage! The votes will be counted by TODAY – VOTE!

October 10, 2005:

The Make It Alaska Festival at the Sullivan Arena was awesome. There were a lot of crafts to choose from – as well as great music to listen to. We (Bryan Lazer, Darren Smith, Dale Thomas, and myself) rocked the stage – and had fun doing it, as always. Too bad we didn’t have any CDs to sell, but that’s on its way. Wait till you guys see our stickers and t-shirts, they are sooooo cool!

On a KPC note, I plan on attending one of Mr. Amundson’s Film Noir classes today, so expect some info from that. He invites anyone interested to join the class – it’s on Tuesday nights at 7-9:45, but the movie starts at 7:30…he thinks the class is in room 110, but I’ll get back to you on that. It should be easy enough to find if you really are interested, maybe I’ll see you there.

HOW DO YOU FEEL about the music that was being played in the Brockell building commons last year? The Multicultural Consortium has been dealing with this issue for a few years – and – we want to know if you enjoy the music. It should start up this week again, so we’ll test it out to see what you think. Please email me your comments and suggestions at:

ishlw@uaa.alaska.edu.

I do plan on changing the music every week. If there is some multicultural music that you would like to hear, you can always email me and I’ll see what I can do. Aloha to you all…

October 6, 2005:

I have to say that our KPC team ROCKED at the Soldotna Lion’s Club Bed Race on Saturday, October 1st. They obliterated all other teams – as the reigning champs once again – Jeremiah Jensen and Lance Hunt ran and pushed the “bed” while Katie Wells steered. It was also great to see that we had a lot of fans cheering our team on, as well as the other teams. There was more than just the bed race going on, the Lion’s Club provided hotdogs, soda, t-shirts for the little ones, and Halloween lantern-lights. KPC was also giving out cool stuffs, like pens, pencils, and frisbees. My son had a blast and totally scored. It is really cool that we participate in this event because this event helps our students pay for school tuition (that seems to constantly be on the rise). The Lion’s Club organizes this event in order to donate six $500 scholarships to college students (two of the scholarships come here for KRC students). What a cool thing!!!

I researched our financial aid system (by asking Carrie and checking out the binders at the financial aid office) to find out who else in our community shares with the college and found a fairly large list. Besides the Soldotna Lion’s Club, these are some of the local organizations that contribute scholarships for KRC students: Peninsula Art Guild, HEA, Soldotna Chamber of Commerce, Kenai River Sport’s Fishing Association, Credit Union 1, Phi Theta Kappa, Society of Petroleum Engineers – Instrumentation Society of America, Soroptomists, Kenai Rotary Club, Soldotna Rotary Club (only for graduating high-school students), BP, Alaska Peace Officers (also only for graduating high-school students), and numerous Native Corporations (there’s a whole binder full at the Financial Aid Office). That’s great that we have so many community based scholarships.

On that note, I wanted to tell you that I did go to www.fastweb.com – and when you go, make sure you have time – it took me about 10 minutes to enter in my info and approximately 3 hours to go through all the 43 scholarships I qualified for. I’m currently down to 13 specific scholarships that I I have saved so that I can work on the essays and apply for them. Basically, it’s going to be a long haul, but…I gotta do something – just like Dusty, there’s really no other way to get through this expensive expense. It is worth it and if I continue to apply, I’m bound to get something. Though…I continue to think about all this time I could have used to get some homework done. BUT, at least I know now what scholarships are available for me, and what I must do to apply for them. If you have any questions or comments or suggestions, please email me at ishlw@uaa.alaska.edu– until next time, Aloha

October 5, 2005
This posting is a list of some reminders –

- KRC Student Union is asking for donations for the Soldotna Lion’s Club scholarship program, if you are interested, contact Michael Rosser in the student union office.

- There will be a National Depression Screening Day on Thursday, October 6 (10 am – 7 pm) in the commons – this is a screening, not a diagnosis, and their will be a team of support for anyone interested. We live in Alaska (on this planet for that matter), folks –it’s a part of our lives.

- Also on Thursday – “First Thursday Events” in the Kenai-Soldotna communities will be going on – I know of two art-show openings going on – one at Already Used Books in Kenai for Marty Hapeman (around 4:30), and one at ArtWorks in Soldotna for Sue Caswell (around 6ish). Veronica’s Coffee House in Old Town Kenai has Keeley and Dave Boyle playing music around 6ish – if you’ve never heard these voices I suggest you check them out – Keeley is Dave’s daughter and has an amazing talent. Dave is from the rockin’ local band Ten Cent Zen. Also, there’s an Open Jam at Hooligan’s in Soldotna later that evening where you might get to hear Daniel Christian’s original tunes (in the picture) or maybe even Chris Pepper or me bustin’ it out. I went last week and had a blast – it’s getting a great following with some very talented artists sharing their juice!

- There will be a First Friday Dialogue this week in the commons at 7 pm.

- On Sunday, October 9 from 4 – 6:30 pm at the Christ Lutheran Church in Soldotna (near the Y), a “Mind-Body Fitness Fiesta” will be going on in lieu of our precious faculty member, Ann Marina’s, departure to Baton Rouge (and other areas affected by recent hurricanes). This gathering will consist of Tai Chi with Peter Malone, Yoga with Ann, a positive pep talk with Ray Zagorski, meditation, drumming, and food (potluck style). This is a sendoff for Ann and it would be great for us to support her in her volunteer endeavors.

I’m bummed I won’t make it to Ann’s healing fest, BUT – I will be singing at the Sullivan Arena this weekend – THAT’S RIGHT!!! I’m taking local rock-stars Jerry Chesshire (performs at 3pm) and Bryan Lazer (with Darren Smith and I on back-up at 4pm) up on Sunday to rock-out the “Make-It Alaska Festival” where over 300 Alaskan artisans will be sharing their talents with the public. Woh! This is going to be exciting!!!

October 4, 2005:

Guess it should be time to get another blog in, eh? I have a few in the works, but have some specific info I need to complete before I send it out, so you’ll have to wait for those. I did want to write and discuss the nature of human kind – HA! How’s that? That’s right – Hey, I am a Psychology major and tend to think about things a little too much. Like, MISCOMMUNICATIONS – UGH! People (namely myself) reacting to something so small, like a miscommunication, and turning it into a huge mentally anguishing dilemma – thank God my brain is the only one who really got to hear what I was thinking. Like one of my chorus’ states:

Aloha -

September 29, 2005:

Okay, so this blogging thing – well, been online checking out other college bloggers and…man, I’m old. They’re talking about going home - dude, I am home…talking about roommate mismatches – well, that would be my husband and children…but, I suppose I am the typical KPC Kenai River Campus student…I guess. HA! What those youngins’ will learn in their adventures in college…I’m ready to graduate already! SWEET! Well, I do have one more semester…probably another 17+ credits…it’ll be nice when I do grad, though – I think. I mean, I won’t be dependent on assignments and tests to hold me back from my journeys – I’ll be held back by a 9 to 5 position (hopefully). Unless I make it big and turn into a rock-star! That would be cool…unless I’d have to leave the Kenai – not too interested in doing THAT! I think I’ll stick to the 9 to 5 thing for a bit…you know, until that record producer spots me over the drunk hippies at the bar.

Okay, so…got my information from UAA saying they were contacted by the FAFSA (you gotta apply for it) – there were a whole bunch of BIG numbers with dollar signs on the papers – I was like – SWEET!!! We might have Christmas after all. I take it in to Financial Aid and I’m informed that the letter means they’re willing to give me loans for this amount – oh…loans…great…”you mean, no Pell Grant?” “No,” she says, “but here’s the book of scholarships and a website you can check out.” She was very helpful – but…it really wasn’t what I wanted to hear. The website is www.fastweb.com, by the way…a new one for me, so when I have time, I’ll be on it.

So, yet again, I am here, and not studying for a test I have…ugh! But, I will…I always do. I’ll be up all night tonight – then bright and early tomorrow – I’m sure you all know what it’s like – when coffee truly is your bestest friend! I especially like a good creamer…or…a RockStar – man, those are tastey!!! And do they ever just wake you right up! Nice for those long…boring…classes…not that I have any…hehehe. Anything is boring when you’re tired, well, unless it’s Tai Chi – then that’ll wake you up too. Speaking of which, I think I skipped my Tai Chi class today – swore it was cuz I had to study – but…I cleaned house instead. UGH! I think about how nice it WILL be when I’m makin’ the big bucks and have housekeepers (that’s right – plural) for that. HA! First things first – I gotta graduate – well, I gotta pass the classes. And…the test I have tomorrow is one of those Theno tests! WOH!! Actually, they’re not THAT bad! Smooch, smooch, smooch… I’m gonna have to work it somehow… Back to the books. Email me if you feel like adding stuff to this blog – I feel like it should be OUR blog – since it is on OUR website. Aloha and happy studying – if that’s even possible… until next time, ishlw@uaa.alaska.edu

September 27, 2005:

When will I REALLY study?

Running, running, running – do I even have time to study? Well, I should – or…am I filling up my time to avoid the inevitable – good God, I hope not…but…it’s very likely. We can only do what we do – right? Yeah, excuses, excuses – another job, another load of laundry, another sink completely full of dirty dishes, ohhh and the dirty diapers – yay! Life is great! Not too much today – I wanted to add a comment from one of your fellow students – if you’d like to comment on what he has to say – you know where to send it - :-) ishlw@uaa.alaska.edu and I do look forward to hearing from you. Another thing – did you guys see that position announcement in the Brockel entrance? Hard not to miss – it’s for the VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) position in the Learning Center as the Literacy Volunteer Outreach Coordinator. It is a full-time position where you get a monthly stipend, but I will tell you now that while I worked as an AmeriCorps (VISTA is a branch of the AmeriCorps Program), I acquired a mass amount of experience in the community. I will also say that this position that I had for 2 years gave me the foundation for successful community relations. Not only that, but it’s very enjoyable – I mean, come on – I was working in the Learning Center – they’re awesome in there! And think about your resume – federal agent (kinda) COORDINATOR – woh! Anyways, I just wanted to add that!!! It was a very meaningful position for me and my future – check it out!!! You won’t regret it!!!

On September 22, 2005, I received a student’s comments on the increase in tuition that’s occurring here at KRC.

Kenai Peninsula College has given almost ten years to me…or is it the other way around? I haven’t been steadily attending the fine classes offered at the KRC, but I have attended classes throughout many career fields. Way back in 1996, I began as an Engineering student, moved on into English, then took the leap into the Education department. And now…here I am through the governmental grace of a National Emergency Grant for Dislocated Fisherman. I am currently a Psychology major and in my final year. That’s right – it’s the final countdown. But, don’t think that I’m not a life-long student, I’ll probably be back for more.

So, ten years – wow! What have I learned in these courses? Uhhh, short-term memory loss (guess it’s a long-term memory loss now)… It isn’t so much what I learned from the courses I attended, it’s more of how these instructors have impacted my life and long term goals as a human being on this planet. The instructors here have influenced my life in many ways. Every instructor that I have had the pleasure of working with has been essential to my success.

I’ll never forget when Dr. Wartinbee showed up on campus – us “old timers” were like, who is this guy and why does he make his course so hard? We were in shock. Little did I know he was to impact my life the way he did - solely by example. He would talk about his life and reveal how he was a scuba-diving instructor, EMT, Restaurant and bar manager, pilot, and the list goes on-and-on…he was Super-Wartinbee. How did he fit all that stuff in his life and be here today to teach us Biology? Through his example, I realized that I too could do whatever I wanted to do (not in his class, but in life). And why not? This life is for living – why not do what I want to and fill it with adventures like Dr. Wartinbee does. I decided that from then on I would do what makes my heart sing. But, what really makes a heart sing? That’s what life’s about, right? Trying to find what makes your heart sing and set forward towards that. No doubt, I am grateful for Dr. Wartinbee’s influence.

Many other instructors at the KRC have impacted my life. Dr. Christian has helped me in ways she’ll never realize. As a freshman, I had a very hard time coming up with my own ideas. I wanted someone to tell me what to write about, tell me what they wanted so I could deliver, but not with her. I remember sitting in her office after she asked me a question about what I wanted to research and having the room echo silence. There she would be - staring at me – waiting – hoping I would answer soon – and…well…I did finally answer, but with much hesitation. Every course I attended from Dr. Christian brought me closer to finding out what I really like to do, what I want to know, and how I go about getting that knowledge. I appreciated that she had a plan for every class and it was laid out for any student interested in succeeding in the course.

I could go on-and-on about influences that I have had in my time here at the KRC; I will spare you. I do know that this school has brought me into myself: I know what I want to do and I’m willing to step up and do it. Isn’t that the goal of an education? To have people be “well-rounded” individuals. I am very grateful for KRC and for the amazing instructors that continue to influence students’ lives. If you have anything to add in regards to your experience at the KRC, email me at ishlw@uaa.alaska.edu .

I’m currently working on suggestions for “You know you’ve been at KRC too long when…” I look forward to hearing from you. Aloha!