On November 19, the Department of College Relations at Lourdes was recognized for their outstanding work at the 2008 Crystal Awards, presented by the Association for Women in Communications Toledo Chapter. Lourdes received the following four Crystal awards and six Merit awards:

Crystal Awards

                        Public Relations Campaign - Discover Your Place

                        Helene Sheets - project manager

                        Carla Leow - designer

                        Carla Woodell - designer

                        Mary Arquette, Heather Hoffman, Liz Boltz - contributors

                        Marketing Firm - Thread Information Design

                        Television ad (Arts & Sciences), non-profit

                        Helene Sheets - project manager

                        Mary Arquette - contributor

                        Thread Information Design - marketing firm

                        50th Anniversary Blade supplement

                        Helene Sheets - editor, writer

                        Heather Hoffman - writer

                        Mary Arquette - project manager

                        Aileen Meyer - contributor

                        Blade - producer

                        Luminations

                        Carla Leow - designer

                        Kelly Dilworth - manager

                        Mary Arquette - director of project

                        Aileen Meyer - contributor

                        Marketing Firm - Thread Information Design
 

Merit Awards

           
                        Lourdes Viewbook

                        Carla Leow - designer

                        Helene Sheets - director

                        Amy Mergen - client

                        A Community Moving Forward documentary

                        Helene Sheets - content manager

                        Mary Arquette - director of project

                        WGTE - production company

                        Lourdesworld.com

                        Liz Boltz - project manager, designer

                        Helene Sheets - director

                        Thread Information Design - marketing firm

                        AtLourdes magazine

                        Carla Leow - designer

                        Helene Sheets - editor

                        Mary Arquette - director of project

                        Heather Hoffman - contributor

                        50th Anniversary Annual Report

                        Carla Leow - designer

                        Helene Sheets - editor

                        Mary Arquette - project director

                        Aileen Meyer, Jennifer Dykes – contributors

                        Center for Professional Studies Open House

                        Krystle King (marketing intern, business student) - project manager

                        Helene Sheets - director

                        Heather Hoffman, Carla Woodell - contributors
                        School of Professional Studies faculty and staff – client

Thursday, November 20, 2008 4:08:22 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [0] | 

Are you taking control of your future, preparing for the “what if’s”? As I read about the economic woes of the Toledo area and beyond, I stop to wonder if we are equipped to enter the job market of the future.  Are we putting too much emphasis on building skills for jobs that exist today, but may not five or ten years from now?  Should we instead be developing talents and skills that are transferrable to many fields rather than training for a specific job?

                Because we cannot peer into a crystal ball and see the future, are there things we can be doing now to prepare for the future?  What are the skills that will stand the test of time and prepare us for careers that have not even been developed yet?  It seems logical that communication skills will still be needed, using some kind of language to convey ideas.  We may not communicate via phones or written letters that are mailed, however.  With the advent of fax machines and email, perhaps we will no longer have a need for postal delivery persons.  I would also propose that critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, understanding basic mathematical concepts, a fundamental ability to use a computer, a grasp of scientific concepts, and a general curiosity are valuable assets that would serve a person in a number of fields.  These are also the very same skills developed in a liberal arts education.

                We read about the need for alternative fuels, renewable resource development, new uses for recyclable materials, the green movement, new computer capabilities, medical breakthroughs, and other strategies to prepare for the future and improve life as we know it.  Preparing students in college to be adaptable, flexible and life-long learners seems more important than ever.  The tools developed through a liberal arts education, as well as understanding how to behave in a confident and professional manner are vital to becoming a sought-after employee.                 

                I am just posing these ideas as some food for thought.  Careers are not stationary and stable. Are you prepared?

Thursday, November 20, 2008 1:40:20 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [0] | 

The CEO's of Ford, GM, and Chrysler, are going to Congress with their hats in their hands begging for a bailout.  They each appeared before the Senate Committee on Tuesday asking for 25 billion dollars in emergency loans to avert layoffs and plant closings. GM CEO Rick Wagoner warned that the failure of the U.S. auto industry could lead to a loss of three million jobs within the first year and it would ripple throughout communities around the country.  And in my opinion he is exactly right.  It's a lot more than just Detroit, if the big three fall, the U.S. economy is in for a catastrophic collapse.  Think about, we are talking about millions of jobs.   This isn't just going to affect people in the automotive, it will effect just about everyone and everything you can think of.  If these people lose their jobs, obviously they won't be paying their house or car payments so that will hurt the banking industry, they won't be shopping so that will hurt the retail industry, they won't be traveling or going out to eat so that will hurt the hospitality industry, and it goes on and on.  It's going to kill me to say this (being from Michigan and driving a Ford Mustang that I absolutely love so much I wouldn't drive anything else), but Ford, GM, and Chrysler?  You are getting exactly what you deserve.  Now before you jump all over me, let me tell you why I think this. 

1.)  America is no longer interested in your 12 mile per gallon SUV's.  It sure took them long enough, but people are finally starting to get it.  None of us have forgot this summer when gas was almost $5 a gallon.  And as much as we hate to think about it, those days will come again.

2.)  What about the hybrids?  What about battery operated cars?  What about 40 mile a gallon cars?  For years and years automakers fought against improving fuel efficiency cars.  And now you say they are in the pipeline for 2020?  Sorry, but America needed them yesterday.

3.)  How about the biggest one,  good old pure greed.  Does anyone realize that the GM CEO (Rick Wagoner) earns almost 9 million a year.  Some of the union workers earn $30-$40 a hour PLUS benefits.  Have you ever seen the pension and health benefits retirees get?  It would make you sick.  How many of you know someone that works at GM working 7 days a week, 12 hours a day making money hand over fist in overtime just because they can.  They all have cabins, motor homes, big expensive trucks, boats, etc.  For God sakes the GM plant near my hometown is CLOSED for the opening day of deer season!  And the UAW has demanded more and more every year or they strike.  So as much as we want to blame all of this on the CEO's, don't think the UAW doesn't have blood on their hands too.

4.)  Speaking of blood on their hands, let's not act like Bill Clinton is clean.  Please.

5.)  And what makes me the most angry about all of this, is that the CEO's of the big three were all warned years and years ago that they could not keep going on like this.  They were warned that they were going to run out of money if they didn't make changes.  And NOTHING happened.  They acted like they were untouchable and gave all themselves raises.  So like I said before, they are getting exactly what they deserved.

The sad thing about all this, the people it's going to hurt is not the people who made the decisions that led to the big three demise.  It's going to be your middle class family that will have declare bankruptcy because they can't afford their house.  It's not going to be Rick Wagoner who makes 9 million year.  I personally think, him along with Chrysler and Ford CEO's should be held criminally responsible, but that's another rant for another day.  I really think that if GM, Chrysler and Ford get the bailout they are asking for, you can kiss the automotive industry goodbye.  They need to restructure and get rid of management and have a concrete plan in place to turn things around which none of them seem to have.  They need a turnaround-not a check.  So if Congress does grant this bailout, I hope it comes with a big red stop sign and a lot of strings attached.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 3:39:56 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [0] | 

Fans of Robert Fulgham’s best-selling book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten will enjoy the Lourdes College Drama Society’s performance of Uh-Oh, Here Comes Christmas on Friday, December 5 and Saturday, December 6.

Uh-Oh, Here Comes Christmas is a series of dramatic vignettes based on Fulgham’s short stories that take a funny, warm-hearted and poignant look at the struggle to find the holiday spirit. The show is a refreshing alternative to A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker.

The Drama Society performances will be held in the Ebeid Student Center located in the lower level of McAlear Hall at 7 p.m. General admission is $5 per person. For more information, contact Keith Ramsdell, Drama Society Advisor, at 419-517-8881.

Author Robert Fulghum has published seven best-selling books with more than 16 million copies of his various works in print and published in 27 languages in 103 countries. Fulghum has also performed in two television adaptations of his work for PBS and was nominated for a Grammy for a spoken word production of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 3:34:03 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [0] | 

The New Lourdes.edu

• To help make information easier to find, information on the new site will be categorized into related sections instead of lengthy menus.
  
• The new homepage design features a more dynamic look and feel, and will allow us to highlight more information about upcoming events.
  
• Most of our web pages will still be located in the same area, with the addition of a few new ones.
  
• A sitemap will be available to assist users who have trouble locating a specific page.  

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 3:33:37 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [0] | 

Lourdes is pleased to announce that through a new partnership with the Toledo Diocesan Catholic Schools, teachers within the Diocese will be able to enroll in the College’s P-12 Reading Endorsement Certificate Program at up to an 80% reduced tuition rate.

For more details about this new program offer, please check the December LourdesNews.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 3:26:18 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [0] | 

This winter, the Lourdes Appold Planetarium presents Season of Light, an elegant and sophisticated program about the coldest and darkest of seasons and a time in which the warmest and brightest celebrations of the year often occur. Season of Light is narrated by Noah Adams, NPR's National Desk Senior Correspondent.

Seasons of Light shows at 7:30 p.m. on:
December 6

December 13
December 20  

Shows at the Appold Planetarium are limited to 50 and often sell out. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for children under 12 and for Lourdes College students presenting their student ID.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 3:30:49 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [0] | 

As you may have seen around campus or in your email, a generous donor offered to pay for Lourdes College students who were interested in attending the Foundation for Life Charity Benefit Reception. I saw the flyers around campus and with a few friends decided to attend. The evening was very well attended and the room was full of people from all over the area.

According to their website, Foundation for Life is a Toledo-based non-denominational educational organization dedicated to promoting the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. The issues that this group focuses on are abortion, infanticide and euthanasia.

Jill Stanek was the keynote speaker for the evening and upon her arrival at the podium she instantly had the audience captivated by her story. Jill worked as a registered nurse at Christ Hospital in one of Chicago's suburbs. During her time there she came to realize that the doctors were abandoning born-alive aborted babies in rooms to die without any medical care. Her story was quite interesting as she gave examples of babies, who might have been given a diagnosis of some sort of debilitating disease, who were born-alive only to be left for dead. At times the diagnosis was wrong and the infant was completely healthy, not that it should really matter. The babies were often delivered early, usually in the second or third trimester, by inducing labor. Once the baby was born they received no medical treatment and at times were left in soiled linen rooms to die. When Jill realized this was happening she began to speak out and was eventually fired from her position at the hospital. Later she became a key witness in many national debates regarding the issue of born-alive abortions, including both the Born Alive Infant Protection Act and Partial-Birth Abortion Ban. The evening was heart wrenching to say the least, the speaker captivating and her message grabbed at my heart. I was completely overwhelmed by the number of people who attended, they expected over 500. There were many schools that were represented by their students and the amount of young people who attended was astonishing.

I would personally like to thank they donor who so generously offered us tickets and I can say I walked away from the evening with a new knowledge of what has happened in our world and what continues to happen to all those who are innocent.

Sunday, November 16, 2008 8:47:13 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [1] | 

It's that time of year again.

A trapping buddy sent me a copy of an article up in Oregon. It caused me to pause and think abit about Ohio and Michigan hunters and trappers. Whats amazing is that these people want to stop the harvesting of a renewable resource, that is well regulated. These same people would promote violence against a human being to "save" a rat. I can only imagine that these same types of people that are against hunting and trapping are for the killing of unborn children and in Oregon physican assisted suicide - because its about choice, right?

Schumacher Furs, Portland, OR
Schumacher furs lock glued and spray painted 'If your conscience doesn't keep you up at night - we will.' 
Animals in the wild should be able to live free and not be caught, drown in traps, and have their populations destroyed. Those that profit from this industry must be held accountable and stopped. Enough protests. Gregg and Linda, close down or we'll close you down ourselves."
 
So, I ask the sportsmen and women of Lourdes College is it not obvious that in their comments that these people do not have any compassion towards people or their lives? Their comments show nothing but hate, a need to commit crimes and destroy people. Their blatant disregard towards people and need to commit crimes is what drives them. They're not acting in the interest of animals, their nothing but criminals!!
It doesn't matter if you hunt, trap, fish or not, these people will touch your lives in one way or another. If you truly believe that our wildlife needs to be maintained in a responsible manner through conservation, than we need to come together. Stand up for what you believe in; don't expect others to speak for you any longer. Join one of the many outdoors clubs we have in Ohio/Michigan. Educate yourself on the dangers the anti's represent. Educate others of those dangers too. I could tell you what these people tell your kids to do, or how they promote acts of crime, injure or kill people, but I wont. See it for yourself. Visit their websites, take some time to read for yourself what they are really trying to accomplish. To put all this bluntly its time us Ohio and Michiganders stood shoulder to shoulder against the anti's. Our kid's future of hunting trapping and fishing is at risk if we don't.

Well, I'm off to put some metal cuffs on a few BG coyotes.

Sunday, November 16, 2008 5:45:40 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [2] | 

In recognition of World AIDS Day and the NAMES Project Foundation, Lourdes College has planned the following:

AIDS Memorial Quilt panel display
Available for viewing on December 1, 2 and 3

Noon to 8 p.m.

Ebeid Student Center

Presentation on HIV / AIDS
With guest speakers from AIDS Resource Center Ohio

Monday, December 1

4 p.m. 

Ebeid Student Center

Both items are free and open to the public. For more information contact Joyce Litten, Chair of the Department of Social Work, at 419-824-3708 or email jlitten@lourdes.edu.

This is the sixth year that Lourdes has participated in the NAMES Project. The AIDS Memorial Quilt:

• Includes approximately 46,000 panels 
• Lists 91,000 names
• Representing only 17.5% of those who have died from AIDS in U.S.
• Has a total length end to end of 52 miles
• Has a total weight of 54 tons

The AIDS Resource Center of Northwest Ohio provides comprehensive assistance to those living with HIV and AIDS and in addition offers education, a resource library and speaker’s bureau to the public. For more information, visit http://www.arcohio.org/.

Friday, November 14, 2008 2:47:42 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [5] |