Student Newspaper: Cascades Insight
August 2007

Cascades Insight is published monthly by
Cascades Job Corps Center, Sedro-Woolley, Washington.
Managing Editor: Bob Cockburn
Typographer and Web Design: Kate Weisel

Cascades Insight is a monthly publication of Cascades Job Corps Center in Sedro-Woolley. All items for publication must be turned in to the Newspaper Mailbox in the Staff Lounge in the administration building by the 10th of every month. Letters to the Editor must be legible, double spaced, and signed by the writer with complete address and phone number. No letter will be published that is of a personal, libelous, or malicious nature. The writer's name may be deleted by request of writer and acceptance of the editor.

Please scroll down this page to read stories from this issue.

Center Director's Message

Last week we hosted a remarkable event on our center. Most of our students and staff attended a training experience called "Challenge Day". Three one-day sessions — with about 100 students and 25 staff members each day — were facilitated by Pam and Vinny, employees of the Challenge Day Company. It was a very intense and emotional learning experience.

Challenge Day clientele are mostly public schools across the nation, Canada and a few other nations. They have been around for about 20 years. Last year they were featured on an episode of the Oprah television show. They have a large list of positive testimonials from students, staff and administrators that have hosted Challenge Day events. It is a life-altering event.

Our main intention and hope was to help reduce the verbal harassment and bullying-type behaviors on our campus. Those behaviors tend to impede the learning process and make life miserable for students that are the targets of the abuse. We had started a "Healthy Workplace Initiative" a few months previous to hearing about the Challenge Day program. After some research, we decided that the Challenge Day training would be a perfect fit for our center and our initiative.

The training was very exiting. It started with a series of fun games to get us motivated. The ground rules and expectations were laid out, and everyone was expected to participate, listen, and share during the activities. We broke into family groups and discussed a variety of deep-probing questions and issues. There were lots of tears, support and hugs.

It is impossible to briefly describe Challenge Day. You must experience it. Our staff and students are very pleased with the results. By the end of the day we were all emotionally drained. We were uplifted and committed to support each other to the best of our abilities. The feeling of love, respect and caring was overpowering. We realized that we all had so much in common, and that our differences were minimal. It was an amazing spiritual happening, we are tremendously pleased with the results. I highly recommend it for all Job Corps centers.

Editor's Corner: Striving for Excellence

Students, staff and management all are working together. The proof is we are one of the top-rated Job Corps centers. Cascades Job Corps Center is being recognized as #5 in the nation for the past year! This can only be accomplished when everybody helps and encourages each other.

I have spent many years here at Cascades and recognize the efforts and dedication of the staff to help our students acquire the skills for a successful life.

Cascades has inspired a large group of young adults to set their goals and accomplish them. When they graduate they know they have earned their diploma, finished their training programs, and they are looking forward to meeting their next goal — getting a good job or continuing their education. Keep up all the good work and we will be #1 next year.

GED Recipients 6/15 to 7/15/07

• Brittany Dinger***, 6/19/07
• Daniel Weishaar**, 6/19/07
• Janette Bryant, 6/19/07
• Denny Collicott*, 6/19/07
• Adrien Beaver, 6/19/07
• Aimee Andrews***, 6/19/07
• Donald Feliciano, 6/19/07
• Grover Dale Summit, 6/20/07
• Alvin Beaver, 6/20/07
• Sean Riley*, 6/20/07
• Travis Mittelman**, 6/20/07
• Jon Ramlo, 6/25/07
• Woguyo Hill, 6/25/07
• Jamie Lengkeek, 6/26/07
• Winter Doore, 6/26/07
• Steven Hayes, 6/26/07

* Honors (2,500+)
** High Honors (2,700+)
*** High Honors With Distinction (3,000+)

Painter Certifications Earned

Students earning their Painter Level 1 Certificate are Alfredo M. Cheeseboro, Joseph A. Hendricks, Michael D. Troyer, and Mark E. Yorlang.

Mark E. Yorlang and Alfredo M. Cheeseboro.

Mike Troyer with his certificate.

Cascades Softball Tournament Champs

The Mariners were the first place champions of the recent softball tournament at Cascades. Back row from L to R: Joey McManus, Nate "Kansas" Denton, Jason Helsel, Amanuel Erickson, John Brady, and Brandon Green. Front row from L to R: Dustin Mathis, Jon Ramlo, Junior Yoshio, and Amber Burger.

Food Service: Keeping Everyone Well Fed at Cascades Job Corps Center

Food Service staff, L to R: Randy Walther (Food Service Manager), Catalina Diaz, Barbara Brock, Rey Dela Cruz, Anne Leopard, Sandy Winters, Sheri Granger, Elaine Jamieson. Not pictured: Eileen Sullivan, Donna Greenwell, Bobbi Welsh, Takako March.

Breakfast was great. You had a good lunch. Now you're hungry again after a long day in training, so what's for dinner? Cascades Food Service team prepares three meals a day, plus snacks and sack lunches, providing the fuel to keep everyone learning.

Each year Cascades Job Corps Center Food Service staff prepares thousands of meals for our students, averaging more than 1000 meals a day, not including the snacks that are available in the evening.

From July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007 Cascades served 63,541 Breakfasts, 105,710 Lunches, 75,292 Dinners, and 8,357 Sack Lunches.

Staff work hard to keep the meals interesting and nutritional while keeping in mind the types of foods students like. This is accomplished in part by having a Student Food Service Committee that meets once a month with Randy Walther (Food Service manager) to discuss the menu and what foods they would like to have or do not care for.

The Food Service staff also prepares sack lunches for students doing volunteer work. Clean up duties are a fact of life and follow every meal.

Students have input into many aspects of life at Job Corps, and learning to work with others on issues like what to eat helps them learn to reach consensus on topics of interest to all and to then work with staff to accomplish results. The food here consistently gets good marks from students and staff, as well as visitors to Cascades.

Students go through a main serving line for their meals. They can visit the self-serve beverage and salad stations, and there is usually a self-serve line for an alternative food choice. The dining room has two wings and students can sit wherever they like. The beverage self-serve station features healthy choices like milk and juice and water.

Poetry by New Students

If

If we all knew right from wrong,
every one around would get along.
Every one has a different identity,
all to go down in history.
If Angels have wings, then so do I.
If no one discriminates
there would be no hate.
If you walk a mile in that person's shoes,
maybe you wouldn't make assumptions
and they wouldn't want to give you punches.
If we all got along
nothing would be wrong.
You don't have the power like King Kong.
Who are you to judge?
"Mr. Perfect", I think not!
If we put our differences aside
and tried to put away our pride,
we could be friends in Sometime.
This is not a lie,
don't just let this pass you by.
You have the ability to NOT make someone cry.

Stereotypin'

I see these playas they watchin',
and I know they hatin'.
I see them stereotypin'.
I know they discriminatin'.
Why this world be waitin?
And the brothers be hatin'
All this racial diversity
got them lyin', debatin',
And the sistas be dyin'.
Maybe one day I'll see and we all gonna see
Why this world's hatin' on me.
And my vision one day
that all my brothers be free
from all the stereotypin'
Sometime I just feel like crying,
And I'll no longer see my brothers lying' and dyin'

Center-wide Creative Writing Contest

Tied for 3rd place were Phillip Bemke, Rachael Bartram and Sandy Alvarez. 1st and 2nd place winners were featured in July 2007 issue.

Racism Is A Powerful Word

Racism is upon the world, you can see it yourself
People notice it, but it seems that no one tells
To your body it is painless, but to your mind it's guilt
From joke playing to slavery, your words are still...
It began the Civil War, 1861 blood was spilled
Judged by skin color blacks were enslaved or sometimes killed.
They were sold like cattle, healthy ones to ill
To the sick ones their blood was spilled
And more and more spots would then filled.
As time rolls over
World War Two soldiers
Fighting for freedom wasn't over
From Martin Luther King to having a dream
He said a line that blacks and whites would be free
As far as today human trafficking is still leaking
More than 72 million slaves are still seeking
For freedom in every country
Racism is still speaking.

Stepping to the USA

Here I am heading to the U.S.A with my two Tias.
Wow, I can't believe it; my dreams are going to come true...
It's dark and scary, we are already in Guatemala heading to Mexico.
The whole way was horrible; there's things I couldn't even explain, if I were to try to tell you.
But here I am stepping to the United States...
Wow... I've been here for 20 hard years and,
I can still remember how I got here.
This place wasn't really what I expected...
Peace... there's no peace here, it's racism,
That's what I feel.
Here they are trying to kick us out,
But what are the hueros going to do without us in the fields, house cleaning and many more?
Really everyone is an immigrant in the U.S.A.
This land belongs to the Native Americans.
In history immigrants came here and made it their home
And killed for this land...
And killed if we didn't have the color white in our skin:
And it's still going on.
But in the gangs in these streets of United States,
Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and other races that have gangs,
Are killing each other for the color of their flag or skin or what gang you are in...
It doesn't matter what's on the outside
It matters what is inside us.
So here I am living every day on the streets of L.A.
And trying to make something better for the community...