Center News

Cascades Job Corps Center publishes Cascades Insight, a monthly newspaper for students, parents, elected officials, and community partners.

June/July 2009 Cascades News

(Excerpted from the Cascades Insight newspaper)

What Is Tolerance?

by Kathy Howell, Center Director

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, to be tolerant is to recognize and respect the rights, beliefs, or practices of others. Two synonyms for tolerant are broad-minded or open-minded.

How many of us can honestly say that we are broad-minded or open-minded? Are we really tolerant of others? For some of us, we may have spent years being less than tolerant of others. We listened to our parents, grandparents, long-time friends, or educators. These people have helped each of us to establish our tolerance for others. By watching and listening we may have decided, for example, that we really don't like people who talk with food in their mouth or people who grind their teeth.

Are we really not tolerant of others, or have we perhaps heard so many times that "I hate people like that," that we just follow in their footsteps and mimic their feelings? Can you really explain why you dislike people who talk with food in their mouths? I know that for me, I heard my mom say it so many times that I just claimed that I did not like it either.

When you do some self-reflection, does it really matter if they talk with hunks of bread floating around in their mouth? Am I really listening to them, or have I judged them because I saw the bread on their tongue?

For me, I challenge myself to look beyond the bread and really listen. If I had listened to my mom about this, I would have missed out on some lasting friendships with amazing individuals over the past years. I have learned that I cannot always judge people on the basis of what other people have taught me to look for. I am sure that each of us if we took the time might realize that we need to see others for who they really are, not for what others have taught us to see.

As C. Everett Koop, a former Surgeon General has stated: "The American ideal is not that we all agree with each other, or even like each other, every minute of the day. It is rather that we will respect each other's rights, especially the right to be different, and that, at the end of the day, we will understand that we are one people, one country, and one community, and that our well-being is inextricably bound up with the well-being of each and every one of our fellow citizens."

Cascades Participated in Multi-Casualty Incident Drill

On May 4, 2009, at 7 AM, a "mock" earthquake occurred at Cascades. The simulation posed was that Evergreen Dorm building had partially collapsed. The Sedro-Woolley Fire Department, along with fire departments from surrounding areas, showed up to practice what to do in the event of a real emergency.

Cascade Job Corps Center's Health and Wellness department set up a trauma unit in the cafeteria. They were assisted by the students and instructor from the Medical Assisting trade. This trauma unit treated 18 of the "victims" who were then loaded on a bus and mocked a transport to a local hospital. The others were taken to triage site on the lawn where their injuries were assessed. Some victims were put into ambulances and also mocked a trip to the hospital.

All the students involved have received volunteer service hours for their work. This was also a requirement for our center to practice an evacuation drill.

Success: What Is It?

by Sean Prouty, Counselor

Being clear about what success is must be the first step to achieving success. So far, the best definition I have come across is: "Success is the completion of anything intended." In other words, success is finishing what you planned to do.

The above definition of success shines a light on failure and success. Make a plan and follow it and you will have succeeded. Make a plan and do not follow it and you will have failed. This gives a yardstick for judging every day of our lives. We can say at the end of the day, "I have failed" or "I have succeeded." This may seem very obvious, but it is amazing that only about 85% of the human race ends up doing what they intended.

Having asked many people over the years what they think of when they consider the definition of success, some of the answers were: "Success is making loads of money." Another said that success is, "Achieving your goals." Some one else said that success is, "Fulfilling your potential." An interesting answer was that success is "Making others jealous."

I believe there is a clear connection between success and goals, and that people with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them.

Others feel that success is just a few simple disciplines practiced daily. The power of daily discipline is huge. Because the discipline is practiced daily the effect is cumulative. The good practice is carried out 365 times a year with, perhaps, a few lapses.

If you do this, the practice cannot fail to have tremendous influence. Once the discipline becomes a daily habit, it can be forgotten about until the rewards start coming in.

The practice of daily disciplines alone can change our lives totally. Another benefit of daily disciplines is that they quickly create habits and habits create character.

A great quote by Jim Ryun, the American athlete, is as follows:

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."

It has been said that "success breeds success". This is in part true because with every success you develop more confidence to overcome what may not seem possible without having past success in difficult situations. So set your goals high and give it your best everyday. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Cascades Wellness Program

The Cascades Job Corps Center offers help in several areas to assist you in developing your own personal wellness program. A physical examination upon entry includes: health and vision screening, dental examination, height and weight, laboratory testing, STD screening, and TB testing. Flu vaccinations are offered each year. Smoking cessation classes are offered if you wish to quit smoking, and weight loss and fitness counseling are available.

Trainee Employee Assistance Program (TEAP)

The TEAP program helps you if:

You think you have an alcohol or drug problem.

You think you have "significant others" who have an alcohol or drug problem.
You believe your own alcohol or other drug use puts you at risk of difficulty in achieving your goals.

Students Reflect on TEAP

Being in Job Corps makes it easy to not use drugs or alcohol. It's easy, because those of us who care about our future know that taking that first drink or that first hit of dope is not an option. But dealing with the cravings and the peer pressure is what can make your stable sobriety crumble quickly and ever so fast.

That's where TEAP steps in. For those of us dealing with the everyday pressures, it is a place to escape to. It's a place where everyone is welcomed, but only the honest people survive. There are people there who actually care, who are actually willing to listen to you, and not turn around and tell the entire Job Corps center what you said.

TEAP, if you give it a chance and are sincere about finding another way of living, will incredibly change your life.

June Assembly Features Group Music-making

On Thursday, June 4, Cascades Job Corps Center (CJCC) Wellness Committee members (in conjunction with United General Hospital) sponsored a team-building workshop featuring Kenya Marsala, a nationally recognized international corporate and youth development trainer and motivational speaker. Mr. Marsala, who hails from Sedonia, Arizona, is one of six recognized North American Drum Cafe facilitators, or one of six individuals in the country who train by coordinating message with drum rhythms.

Student Government Sponsored Dance

Job Corps staff and students wore island wear during June's Student Government sponsored Polynesian Dance. What better way to challenge June's fickle weather than hold a dance outdoors? And yet, that's exactly what the Student Government Association did. Throwing caution to the wind, under threatening skies and one minor shower, the "Night at the Tropics" themed dance was a huge success. One staff member was overheard stating, "This is the best organized dance SGA has ever put on!" Music, limbo, food, soda, and tons of camaraderie, a "Night at the Tropics" was a night to hold on to, a night to enjoy, and a night to remember.

Play Day During July Break

Each summer, Cascades Job Corps Center sets aside an afternoon to celebrate the exceptional efforts of our students as well as provide an opportunity for staff to mingle, share a barbeque, and participate in a number of exciting activities.

Under the direction of Recreation Supervisor, Mike Griffith, Play Day is a multi-faceted event that has something for everyone combining elements of sport, recreation, arts and crafts, and downtime that appeal to both the athlete and artist.

This year's most recent event was no exception as Griffith literally ran out of fingers ticking off the days numerous events, "We had popcorn for all, a staff-student pool tournament, frisbee, soccer, volleyball, a climbing wall, Extreme Air, and a caricature artist." Pausing to catch his breath, he continued, "We also had a closest-to-the-hole golf tournament, Hawaiian shaved ice, a guy who performed magic tricks and made balloon animals, basketball in the gym, an artist who applied temporary "henna" tattoos - which was very popular, cotton candy, and big-time bingo."

Griffith added that recreation assistants Tyler Cline, Rob Melcher, Valdez Lakien, and Jeff Lewis played significant roles in keeping the student body on task and safely entertained during a warm summer afternoon.

Adding to the day's packed agenda, CJCC's Student Government sponsored a talent show featuring a number of Cascade's most highly talented singers, musicians, and surprisingly, a skateboarder; all of whom did their best to catch the discriminating eye of an attentive judging panel.

At the end of a spirited contest, Chaylene Zeiler took first place for her rendition of a country classic, Aron Gurunlian placed second for some adventurous skateboarding, and Trevor Antilla finished third, singing a piece of music he composed.

Speaking for the judges, Programs Director Jen Logan said, "It was tough to pick a winner." She continued, "There's a lot of talented students on this center."

The Student-Staff Connections Committee contributed an old-fashioned carnival fishing booth where students tossed a line in hopes of landing a prize. The booth was a bit of subterfuge to get students interested in the multitude of clubs available on center.

In addition to their prizes, successful anglers were handed a pamphlet that identified the various clubs on center. The booth was designed and built by Grady Baker's facilities students.

It was an afternoon of fun, music, and food, and served as a super segue to Summer Break.

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Page last updated: Thursday, August 27, 2009