School + Drugs = ...

This is NOT a True Representation of Drake!!

2009-11-12T18:08:00.006-06:00

MEMORANDUM

To: Drake University Campus Community
From: David Maxwell, President
Date: 11/11/2009
RE: Alcohol Poisoning Incident

Drake University's response to recent allegations of hazing in connection with severe alcohol poisoning reflects the University's deep concern for the safety and well being of our students.

The University immediately began investigating the incident in which a first-year Drake student was rushed to the hospital early Sunday morning for alcohol poisoning after his mother notified University officials that he had been drinking as part of an alleged hazing ritual.

The student, a new member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, was severely incapacitated and in dangerous condition after his blood-alcohol level reached .50 during a gathering of fraternity members at 1311 33rd St.

Fortunately, the student is recovering and was released from the hospital on Monday. He plans to return to his classes later this week.

Des Moines police yesterday charged two students with hazing as a serious misdemeanor in connection with the incident. They received citations and were released on their own recognizance before appearing in court.

Drake Dean of Students Sentwali Bakari notified the president of Phi Delta Theta on Monday that his office was investigating the fraternity for possible violation of Drake’s Alcohol and Hazing Policies, which are part of the Code of Student Conduct. The investigation is continuing, and appropriate action will be taken by the University on the basis of the investigation’s findings.

University officials contacted officers and alumni advisers of the Drake chapter of Phi Delta Theta and the fraternity's national headquarters. The fraternity has suspended three members in connection with this incident. In addition, the fraternity has canceled social activities and educational sessions with new members until further notice.

Phi Delta Theta officials released a statement Monday night that said the fraternity has a no-hazing policy in force for all of its alumni and collegiate chapters.

Today, the Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity released a statement expressing concern for the student who suffered alcohol poisoning and promised a thorough investigation. "After our investigation is complete, the chapter and all individuals involved will be held accountable for their actions," Executive Vice President Bob Biggs said in the statement.

The student's family also has released a statement to the local news media, which concludes with this comment:

We hope this tragedy can raise the awareness of the role of alcohol in fraternity initiations. We want Nate's experience to provide a catalyst that allows students to become more educated about the power and destructiveness of alcohol.

The Dean of Students Office is continuing its investigation. All University non-academic misconduct disciplinary proceedings are separate, apart and independent from any criminal proceedings that may or may not be ongoing.

Is It Just Me?

2009-11-09T20:52:00.003-06:00

Is it just me or...

Have there been a lot more shootings going on lately?

Has the weather been crazy (snow in October and 70s in November)?

Have there been more stories about plane incidents?

Does everyone, age 5 or age 40, have a cellphone nowadays?

Are music videos and movies more racy?

Are drivers getting worse?

Are colleges getting more unbearably expensive?

Are pressures on individuals to be great and look good increasing?

Is the amount of depressed or mentally unstable individuals increasing?

Does the sun make everyone happy?

Where Can Drake Students Go?

2009-11-05T23:15:00.002-06:00

Drake is committed to offering you a wide range of study abroad options for interim, summer, semester, and full-year programs throughout the world.

Though not every site has options appropriate for every student, possibilities include:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, The Balkans, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Northern Ireland, Panama, Poland, Russia, Samoa, Scotland, Senegal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Southern Cone, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Vietnam and Wales

Could you Believe?

2009-11-02T18:12:00.003-06:00

Pharmacy work can present some suprises.

For one, I get these little old ladies that come into the store to pick up their prescriptions. While they're at it, they get other stuff, too. Logical. But what is it with the little old ladies that buy an 12 pack of Keystone light three times a week?! The poor girl doesn't even look strong enough to carry it for crying out loud. "That looks a little heavy for you, do you got it?" "Yeah, I got it. It gets a lot lighter when you're drinking it." Alcoholic eighty year old.

The other day, a script came in for prenatal vitamins for a 15 year-old girl. It is true that kids are having sex and getting pregnant younger and younger these days. But, on the script, the doctor wrote "Patient needs chewable tablets" - Yes, some companies make chewable prenatal vitamins... Maybe the doctor and parents should have thought ahead and gotten the girl chewable birth control pills.

Another day, a teenage boy came into the pharmacy with what looked like a swollen and inflamed right ear lobe. The boy was picking up antibiotics. As I asked the boy if he had any questions about the medication, he asked how long will it take for the infection on his self-pierced ear lobe would heal. After I explained a little bit more about the medication, the boy started to leave with his friend by his side and said, "Tonight I are piercing the other ear!".....REALLY?

The Season of GREAT Days!

2009-10-29T20:06:00.002-05:00

Happy October Birthdays!!!! (since mine is in October)

Happy Halloween!!

Time to Think About Rotations

2009-10-26T19:58:00.002-05:00

Starting in May, as a sixth year pharmacy student, I get to complete 8 rotations at which I will be practicing different pharmacy skills. Each rotation is 6 weeks long and each site offers something a little different. There are certain requirements for that I have to fulfill. For example I have to do at least two rotations with a faculty advisor, one rotation in a hospital, one rotation in a clinic, and so on. I am getting excited because I actually get some hands on experience and get to LEARN a whole lot; however, I am EXTREMELY nervous as well because rotations won't be cheap nor will they be easy. I feel like I do not know enough. Either way, the rotations are coming and I have to put in my preferences in a few weeks. We do not get to choose per say, but we get to put in our preferences and see what happens from there.

These are some of the Rotations that I am currently thinking about for next year:

Faculty Site
Iowa Methodist Med Ctr. Internal Medicine-Wall, 1200 Pleasant - Des Moines -h
Broadlawns Medical Center-Psych, 1801 Hickman Road - Des Moines -h
Blank Children's Hospital Pediatrics - Bell, 1200 Pleasant - Des Moines -h
VA Cntrl IA Hlth Care System-DM Div.-CC/Surg, Pharmacy 119 - Des Moines

Acute Care
Iowa Methodist Med Ctr. Internal Medicine-Wall, 1200 Pleasant - Des Moines - h
Mercy Hosp Med Ctr - Maki Internal Medicine, 1111 6th Avenue - Des Moines - h
Regional Medical Center-Manchester, 709 W. Main Street - Manchester -h
Waterloo Covenant Medical Center Pharmacy, 3421 W 9th Street - Waterloo - h

Ambulatory Care
Kerr Drug Health Care Center, 275 McDowell Street - Asheville
Mansmith Pharmacy, 3204 1st Street - Emmetsburg –h
PharmMD Solutions, LLC, 216 Centerview Dr., Suite 390 - Brentwood(TN) - H

Hospital
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Pharmacy Department - Park Ridge
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, Pharmacy Department - La Crosse
Christian Hospital, Pharmacy Department - St. Louis
Missouri Baptist Medical Center, Pharmacy Department - St. Louis

Community
Mansmith Pharmacy, 3204 1st Street - Emmetsburg
Methodist Plaza Pharmacy, 1212 Pleasant Street - Des Moines
Missouri Baptist Medical Center, Pharmacy Department - St. Louis
Osco Drug #3422, 122 North Vail Street - Arlington Heights
Target Pharmacy-Urbandale, 11148 Plum Drive - Urbandale

Diverse Site
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Pharmacy Department - Park Ridge
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, Pharmacy Department - La Crosse
Broadlawns Medical Center-Psych, 1801 Hickman Road - Des Moines
VA Cntrl IA Hlth Care System-DM Div.-CC/Surg, Pharmacy 119 - Des Moines
Community Support Advocates, 333 SW 9th Street, Suite C - Des Moines

Specialty Care
Keefer's Pharmacy, 5 West Prospect Avenue - Mt. Prospect - h
Diamond In-Patient Headache Unit, 2900 North Lakeshore Drive - Chicago -h
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Pharmacy, 251 E. Huron - Chicago
Cherokee Mental Health Institute, Pharmacy Department - Cherokee
CarePlus Pharmacy, 32 North Euclid Avenue - St. Louis
Missouri Baptist Medical Center-Nutrition, Pharmacy Department - St. Louis

Non Patient Care Site
Lundbeck Inc., Four Parkway North - Deerfield - h
Iowa Pharmacy Association, 8515 Douglas, Suite 16 - Des Moines
Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, One Takeda Parkway - Deerfield
National Association of Chain Drug Stores, 413 North Lee St. - Alexandria
Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Co., PO Box 370 - Algona
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fisher Lane - Rockville

Most Everyone Could Use One of These!

2009-10-22T21:23:00.001-05:00

Georgetown student advertises for a personal assistant
The successful applicant will do laundry, gas up the car and handle other 'everyday tasks' for busy sophomore

By Jenna Johnson
Thursday, October 22, 2009

Georgetown University sophomore Charley Cooper is busy. He has a full load of classes, hours of homework and a part-time job at a financial services company. He's also worried about an illness in the family. And then there are all the other time-consuming aspects of college.

The solution? A personal assistant.

Cooper, 19, logged on to the university's student employment Web site last week and posted an ad for someone to tackle "some of my everyday tasks," such as organizing his closet, dropping him off and picking him up from work, scheduling haircuts, putting gas in the car and taking it in for service, managing his electronic accounts and doing laundry (although the assistant will be paid only for the time spent loading, unloading and folding clothes, not the entire laundry cycle).

The successful applicant can expect to work three to seven hours a week and make $10 to $12 an hour, although "on occasion it will be possible to work additional hours and/or receive bonuses at my discretion." Preference will be given to Georgetown undergraduates, Cooper says in the listing, and the assistant can spread his or her tasks throughout the day.

"As my PA you will receive an email once a day by 9:00 am with a task list for that day and a time estimate for each task," Cooper wrote in the job listing, which was first reported by the student newsmagazine, Georgetown Voice. "Important tasks will be bolded on the list and must be done that day (even though everything on the list should theoretically be finished on a daily basis). At the end of the day you will send me an email telling me what tasks are incomplete or that all tasks have been completed."

Could this be a publicity stunt? Cooper said in a Facebook message to a reporter that he is completely serious and has heard from several interested students, in addition to a few prank applicants. A university spokesman confirmed that Cooper is a student and has posted the job listing.

Cooper would answer questions only through messages sent to his Facebook account, which features a photo of a man in a striped polo shirt holding a champagne flute. He provided only brief details about himself, his family and his job: He grew up in Bethesda and graduated from the Landon School, a private boys school, in 2008. He lives in the dorms and hasn't declared a major but is planning to double-major in finance and management, perhaps with a minor in Spanish. His Linked-In profile says he is considering jobs in finance, entertainment or both. In the spring, he got a part-time job in the D.C. offices of a financial services company that he didn't want to identify, where he works as an assistant and manages a team of interns.

Cooper said he decided to post the help-wanted ad after a family member had a cancer diagnosis and began to make arrangements for treatment at Georgetown University Hospital. Cooper says he hopes to start interviews in a few days, after the craziness of midterms has passed. "I know that if I didn't already have a job, I would definitely be interested in a job that pays 10 to 12 dollars per hour and is flexible in terms of hours," he said.

The Georgetown Voice posted the listing on its blog Friday under the headline, "Georgetown sophomore seeks personal assistant, takes premature self-importance to whole new level." Soon, dozens of derogatory comments popped up accusing Cooper of furthering the stereotype that Georgetown is filled with wealthy kids who can't do anything for themselves.

"Everybody probably knows who he is now," said Sarah Murphy, 19, a sophomore English major who heard about the job listing from friends. "People are not happy. They think he's just ridiculous and full of himself."

But other students were more understanding. "Listen, I think if there's a market for it, and someone wants to do it, all the more power to him," said Corey Sherman, 20, a junior international politics major who has two jobs. "Maybe he just wants the personal touch -- knowing the human being folding his underwear." (Earlier in the week, a Georgetown junior posted a similar job listing, according to the Georgetown Heckler, a campus humor blog. The student did not respond to an e-mail Thursday and it could not be determined whether the listing was a parody.)

Although the posting created buzz, outsourcing dull duties is not a new thing at Georgetown or other universities. Some students pay to have their group houses or apartments cleaned, or contract with Soapy Joe's, a company that will pick up dirty laundry from the dorms and return it clean and folded within days.

Still, springing for a personal assistant is "definitely out of the ordinary," said Bonnie Low-Kramen, the longtime personal assistant to actress Olympia Dukakis. Low-Kramen teaches workshops to aspiring celebrity personal assistants and wrote a book titled "Be the Ultimate Assistant."

"Whenever someone gets wealthy or famous, things can fall through the cracks," she said. "There's no chance someone like Scarlett Johansson or Angelina Jolie end up on all of those covers without a team of people."

But college students are rarely mature enough to handle the responsibility of managing a personal assistant, said Low-Kramen, whose son is a senior at the University of Maryland (and does not have a personal assistant).

"There's a benefit to learning to do things on your own," she said. "I know -- college is stressful, there's a lot to do. But the pressures are still nowhere near needing a personal assistant."

What's Going On at Drake?

2009-10-19T21:49:00.003-05:00

An Email was sent to all students and Faculty on Thursday morning. It read:

Suspicious backpack outside Howard Hall found to contain a toy gun

At approximately 8:02 a.m. today, a Drake University staff member called Campus Security after finding a suspicious unattended backpack on the exterior south landing of Howard Hall. A cryptic but nonthreatening note attached to the backpack contained the cell phone number of a Drake student.

Campus Security immediately responded and called the Des Moines Police Department, which sent the bomb squad.

While Campus Security officers kept people away from the backpack, members of the bomb squad took an x-ray of it. The x-ray showed what appeared to be a handgun.

Members of the bomb squad attached a rope to the backpack and dragged it away from the building and onto the lawn. There, they opened the backpack and found it contained a toy metal cap gun, a toy dinosaur and Twinkies.

The investigation is continuing as Campus Security and the Des Moines police question the student whose phone number was attached to the backpack.

A sweep of all other Drake buildings found no unattended backpacks or other suspicious items.

End Email

Should I laugh or be scared?

My Week...

2009-10-16T00:16:00.002-05:00

You're NOT Welcome

2009-10-08T19:20:00.004-05:00

Certain people in life just make you feel bad as a person. I have a hard time with these people because I mistakenly take everything personally. It is hard for me to just brush off people's criticism yet it is easy to oversee people's compliments.

As usual, the pharmacy was packed with patients at the post work rush. All the patients there are there for different reasons and in different moods. Some extremely rushed while some very sick and others worried about what is going to happen to their health. We were filling dozens of prescriptions while offering dozens of flu shots. I never get to sit down at work or relax and that day, I was running around helping patients inside the pharmacy. As I turned to attend to patients in the drive thru, a very angry stare met my greeting. The patient was VERY upset and started yelling at me about having to wait ten minutes (which was a bit of an exaggeration) to be acknowledged and served. I was very apologetic and got her medications rung up as quickly as I could so to keep her satisfied. Well that was not enough for her. As I asked her to verify her address (as we have to to make sure we are giving the right prescription to the right person), she once again yelled at me that she has not moved and she thinks I am waisting her time by asking her silly questions. She just kept telling me how long she had to wait and how rude we all were for making her wait and asking her stupid questions. Once again I was very apologetic and tried to make her less angry by asking her if she had questions or if there was anything I could do to help her visit. Of course she just kept yelling and drove off upset.

This situation made me feel about 2 feet tall. I know this situation was not something I could really control so I felt that this women was out of line in her complaints and accusations. I had been working my butt off trying to make all the patients comfortable. All of the patients were in the same situation/wait time as her. I did not favor anyone in the situation and yet she felt she had to yell at me, personally, about how rude and inconsiderate I was. I need to bite my tongue so not to raise my voice with her and take her blame. I took all her yelling and apologized (for something I did not need to apologize for) yet she was still ungrateful.

After the women drove off I wanted to quit on the spot. These situations and people really make me question the field I am getting into, my competence and my personal nature. To these people, I say, You are NOT Welcome, because you make me want to quit even trying to be a kind individual.

Before you blow up at people, remember how you will make the other person feel in doing so! The age old question....how would you feel if you were the other person?

My Love/Hate Relationship

2009-10-04T20:47:00.004-05:00

I LOVE my computer because it connects me to the world and all of my work has to be done on the computer. Plus my life is pretty much attached to and copied onto the computer.

I HATE my computer because I do not know it well enough and sometimes it just decides to delete documents that I have been working on for 2 hours! GRRRRR!

Excuse Me...What is This?

2009-10-01T21:16:00.002-05:00

People never cease to surprise me. This is especially relevant when working in a customer service position.

It was a typical Tuesday night at work. The pharmacist and I were trying to get things in order to prepare the pharmacy to close in about 30minutes. A women drives up in the drive through. She begins to ring the bell to get our attention (as if we did not know she drove up). She continues to ring the bell, like many others do, as if their fingers are permanently fixed to the button. I approach the window and ask her what I can do to help her. I was waiting for her to give me the name on a prescription we might have ready for her or request a refill on an old script.

Instead she pulls out a huge contraption from her passenger seat and yells out, "What is this thing?" It is dark outside at this time and all I can see her holding is some large white coffee maker looking machine. She goes on, "I got it for free from someone and I did not know how to use it. Can you tell me what it is and how to use it?"

I ask, "Ms. Could you please bring that closer to your window?" So she does. I realize what it is and reply, "Ms. that is a humidifier to moisturize the air. You need to fill it with water, plug it in and turn it on."

She then mentions, "I was thinking that, but wanted to make sure. I know that pharmacists are good with these kinds of things so I brought it in."

As the woman left happy that she could use this machine and satisfied with my help, I thought, why would someone bring a humidifier to a pharmacy to be identified? Why not a home goods store or large retailer? I guess it did not really matter. I wanted to laugh because of how silly it seemed but at the same time I felt honored that the woman had thought of the pharmacy as the first source of reference. She brought her question to the pharmacy first which showed trust and confidence in the profession.

Pharmacists are there to answer questions and help relay information, so I guess if we aren't being utilized for drug information we might as well be helping out with appliances or humidifiers.

Working with "Dummies"

2009-09-28T17:53:00.001-05:00

My nerves almost got the better of me during my first real patient case. The dummies may not have had blood flowing through them but they had a pulse, human reactions and real problems. This was the first time I was faced with a patient that was not just on paper. The excitement of working with other students as part of a medical team eased my anxiety. The experience taught me a great deal about the importance of team work in the medical setting, helped me to understand my own competencies and realize the areas of study that I still needed to work on.

The simulation felt real as the patient was lifelike, the problems were realistic and the environment set as any other clinical setting. The experience of working with other student as a medical team was encouraging. It was inspiring to see how each student took part in the simulation with a serious focus and a similar objective, to learn as much as he or she could. The brief moments that we all talked before the simulation were enough to make us comfortable with one another and realize the importance of cooperation as medical professionals. After some quite murmurs or blank stares the team quickly understood that clear communication was the only way we would all get through the case. At various points throughout the simulation, students relied on one another for help, guidance and support. For example, the team leader relied on people not only to follow his requests but he looked to each team member for suggestions. When working with many individuals in a high stress situation, it becomes incredibly obvious how much more effective many minds are then one. If one student had a question, another one would give the answer or help find it out. The superior team interaction was almost effortless which was crucial to the success of our simulation.

Before starting the experience, I did not fear working with a team of professionals, instead I was nervous that I would be the least competent or would in some way let my team down. The experience changed my perceptions slightly because no one student had to know all the answers, hence the reason for the TEAMS. I did not feel extremely confident in my ability to remember dosages for such medicines as morphine or Zofran; however, I knew where to look them up and that was good enough for the team. I assisted in ways I never thought I would when I suggested administering fluids for the patient, whose blood pressure was dropping drastically, or when I had to help hold the patient up so to protect him from aspirating to death. The experience taught me competence does not just mean how much information someone can remember but competence is the ability to problem solve effectively.

The simulation allowed me the opportunity to see what areas of study I still needed to work on. Memorizing every drug and every dose may work for some but as I learned through our debriefing session, practicing the judgment of when to give or not give a drug is just as important as knowing about the medication itself. I feel comfortable in my abilities to reference materials but I believe that I still need to work on medication recognition (brand and generic) based on indications as well as defending the use of one medication over another.

Overall the simulation provided a tremendous learning experience that I look forward to again next semester. It demonstrated how critical communication and team work are when providing comprehensive health care. The situation brought to light some of the strengths and weaknesses to focus on as I continue my education.

We Fear What We Do Not Know

2009-09-24T21:52:00.000-05:00

What are my options?

2009-09-19T20:41:00.001-05:00

Career Option Profiles

What's in a name?

2009-09-17T20:49:00.004-05:00

Dorothy/ d(o)-ro-thy is pronounced DOR-a-thee.

It is of Greek origin, and its meaning is "gift of God". Theodora is its synonym. Literary: the heroine of FrankBaum's "The Wonderful World of Oz", published in 1900. Writers Dorothy Parker, Dorothy Sayers; actresses Dorothy Gish, Dorothy Lamour.

The name Dorothy has nearly forty one different variations including: Dasha, Dasya, Dodie, Dody, Doe, Doll, Dolley, Dolli, Dollie, Dolly, Doortje, Dora, Doretta, Dori, Dorika, Dorinda, Dorit, Dorita, Doritha, Dorlisa, Doro, Doronit, Dorota, Dorotea, Dorotha, Dorothea, Dorothee, Dortha, Dorrit,Dorthea, Dorthy, Dory, Dosha, Dosya, Dot, Dottey, Dottie, Dotty, Tea and Thea.

The name Dorothy is also very important in Christianity including being the name of two saints in Christianity. There were two saints and virgin martyrs in Christianity. Ther name is found used widely in fiction as well including Dorothy Catalonia an anime character created by Gundam Wing. Dorothy was also the name of a goldfish owned by Elmo in the program Sesame Street.

Some Information I Found For My Paper

2009-09-12T22:15:00.002-05:00

I am writing a paper about how "Wheaties" creates customer value through marketing. I found some interesting information about how it started and some of the beginnings of the company.

A consumer may never guess that their bowl of cereal was created by a physician whose bran gruel spilled onto a hot stove and sizzled into a crisp flake. This mistake flake is exactly what led the Washburn Crosby Mill Company in 1921 to test over 36 varieties of wheat and hold a company naming contest in order to develop Wheaties cereal. In 1928, the Crosby mill was joined by other mills to become General Mills Incorporated, a growing foods producer. Currently, General Mills is known for its brands such as Betty Crocker, Pilsbury, Hamburger Helper, Yoplait, Green Giant, Bisquick and Gardetto’s as well as its ownership of restaurants such as Red Lobster and Olive Garden. General Mills is also one of the top three cereal producers in the world with Wheaties being its first cereal product.

The Wheaties product started out with a bang in 1926 when the world’s first singing radio commercial debuted the Wheaties Quartet. The product become a national sensation in 1933 as it began its sponsorship of baseball broadcasts and athletes on its boxes leading to its sponsorship of the first televised commercial sports broadcast in 1939. One of the broadcast stations included WHO in Des Moines, Iowa with Ronald Reagan as broadcaster.

No I do Not Have a Boyfriend

2009-09-10T21:29:00.003-05:00

No I do not have a boyfriend and no I do not plan becoming a nun. It seems like once you hit your 20s everyone expects you to either be in a relationship, actively seeking one out or committed to celibacy for the rest of your life.

Whether it is at work, at school, with relatives and sometimes total strangers, after 20 years old the question of "whose your boyfriend (girlfriend/mate/partner)?" always comes up.

I do not mind the question but the reaction to my response is what makes me want to laugh or cry. Currently I respond with, "Don't have one".

People then either ask "why not?", "your not looking?" or "can I hook you up with my son?"

These questions either make me want to cry because no I have not met the one, angry that I have to always be looking or with someone to be considered normal, or laugh because I do not want a blind date with your son. It is especially funny when someone rants about how disgusting, irresponsible and unmotivated their kids are and then ask if I would like to be hooked up with their kid. Oh yeah, after that glorious description of them?

I know I will continue to get the question until I find someone and then I will still get the question until I am married. So maybe I just need to make up a good story to tell people in the mean time.

If it sounds like Fire and smells like Fire and looks like Fire...

2009-09-05T20:38:00.003-05:00

I went to bed early last night in hopes that I would get up refreshed and get to work early so I could leave early. I am usually a very light sleeper and just do not sleep well in general, so I was excited that I was going to get some peaceful rest.

Around 4am, I started to hear this loud beeping noise. I thought it might just be a dream, but it kept going even as I woke up. I then thought that it might be one of my neighbors (since I live in a building of 4 apartments) alarms set really loud. After about 15min I realized that no alarm would be that loud and would be going on for so long.

So I got out of bed...against my better judgement and will.

In a half daze I stare out the window and think that maybe the beeping is coming from the Walgreens next door. I would not put it past my neighborhood (ghetto-like) that someone tried to break into the store. As I walked into another room, I realized it could not be coming from outside because the sound got louder or softer depending on where in the apartment I went.

Then I realized that my apartment smelled weird. I smelled burnt toast. The smell got worse when in certain areas of the apartment. All of a sudden, my heart started to race. I ran around my apartment checking every outlet, every radiator, every power jack, scared to death that there might be a fire.

Thank goodness....nothing, or at least not in my apartment unit.

So I open the back door to my porch and the beeping is louder and the smell is worse. They had just painted the porch so I thought maybe something had caught fire....No, nothing.

I go out through my front door with my cell phone and the beeping gets even louder. I realize the lights in the apartment below me are all on but the blinds in every window are closed as well as every window is closed. I hear the TV on so I knock on the door. No answer. Knock another few times, still no answer.

I am getting REALLY worried at this point.

I was not sure if I should just mind my own business and go back upstairs or do something about this. I figured if I ignored it, I would not be able to sleep and I could not imagine my belongings going up in flames.

I called Drake security, since they police the area around my apartment. I tell them about the noise and smell. Within 5min two of the security cars show up. The guys get out and start asking questions while pounding over and over on the door to the apartment below me. Final a disheveled girl opens the door and out pours a NASTY cloud of smoke. The girl seems confused (and probably drunk) and cannot explain what the noise or smoke is so the security men enter her apartment and find a pan burning on her stove. She finally explains that she fell asleep a few hours ago and forgot her cooking. The apartment is FULL of smoke and smells HORRIBLE.

How could she have slept through this all??????

The security has to call the fire department. Two fire trucks show up with about 8 firemen. They have to check out the apartment building and try to air out her apartment with a gigantic fan....does not really help with the smell. After some more questioning, I go back to me apartment around 5:30am.

My apartment smells DISGUSTING at this point as I try to go back to sleep....no success. So my attempt to get some sleep...FAILED!

I guess now I have an interesting story to tell. But... how do you get the smell of burning toast out of an apartment???

Congratulations to...

2009-09-03T23:07:00.002-05:00

One of my best friends growing up, throughout high school and up until now just got engaged.

Congratulations Laura and Andrew!

I am excited for both of them! I do think it could be anymore special than being the maid of honor to witness the happiness of two friends starting their lives together. Thank you for making me apart of your lives!

Any Ideas?

2009-08-29T20:14:00.002-05:00

For my business class I need to identify a company that made a successful launch of gained market strength during a period of economic downturn (recession). It can either be current or from previous recessions. I am trying to think of goods or a company that fits this description.

Any ideas?

I am trying to make a get-well gift for a very ill friend in the hospital. I am trying to make a bouquet of comics. I do not know what to use as the stems for the comics. I was thinking maybe straws but I would like them to look green like a flower stem.

Any ideas?

I would love to win the lottery.

Any ideas?

The Iowa State Fair Is One of the Best ...

2009-08-23T19:47:00.003-05:00

Get to stand next to a 2000 lbs. BULL

Get to milk a cow

Get to see Iowa's biggest PIG at 1800 lbs.

Get to see mullets, city folk, hicks, cowboys, entertainers and farm animals all coexist in the same place

Can eat anything fried including deep fried twinkies, fried pineapple, fried ice cream, fried potatoes, fried snickers, fried oreos, fried....

Can eat almost anything on a stick including pork chops, pickles, shrimp, deep friend foods (double wammy), salad, ice cream, chocolate cake, key lime pie,...

Can see some great performers from the state of Iowa in their annual talent search such as cloggers, callers, singers, dancers, instrumentalists

Can catch some great singers in concert such as Journey, Kelly Clarkson, Matt Nathienson, Eric Hutchison, etc.

Ride some amazing carnival rides, get wet on water rides, bungy jump, ride a potatoe sack down a huge slide, ride a tractor, etc

See some unique showcases including biggest vegetable, weirdest vegetable grown, prettiest flower, best photograph, best bean bag player, farthest lawn chair throw, best cattle call, keep your imagination open

See a life-size cow made out of butter

Know it will be back every year!

School Pride

2009-08-23T19:41:00.003-05:00

LET'S GO BULLDOGS!!

Good luck to all new Drake Bulldogs and returning Bulldogs as we start a new semester this week!!

Welcome to the DOGPOUND!

I Know...I am a Dork!

2009-08-20T20:30:00.002-05:00

Last week while I was at home for my week off from work, I was not looking forward to the start of school this semester. After 8 semesters of college and a summer that went by in about 2 blinks, I was dreading the beginning of classes.

This week my mood has changed. With attending a college retreat, finding out about my experience sites and getting more information about my classes I have started to become more optimistic and excited for next week! Only dorks get excited about the start of another school year, especially the start of the FIFTH year, so I guess that I am a SUPER dork. I am not excited about the coursework but more excited to be back into the college life groove with all the students around campus and the aura of school life in the air.

GOOD LUCK to every student starting another school year!!

College Freshman Lists

2009-08-15T21:25:00.002-05:00

Some lists I thought of from experience that may help out college students particullarly freshman starting school in the next few weeks.

Top Ten Things College Students Forget to Bring:

Alarm Clock - One that really wakes you up
Printer and printer cables - You can only mooch off your friend's printer for so long
Hangers - Since your bedroom is also your living room, the floor is no longer acceptable storage
Quarters - Yes, you have to clean your own clothes
Extra Underwear - For when you realize you are out of quaters
Umbrella - Although class is inside, you have to walk outside to get there
Power strip/extension cord - Inevitably there will only be one outlet in the room and it will be on the opposite side of all of your electronics
Social Security Card and Official Documents - So you can get that campus job at the library
A Picture of the Family - You say you won't miss them but you will once your realize how little your job at the library pays and how expensive your books are
Headphones/earplugs - Not to tune your parents out anymore, instead you have your roomates abnoxious friends

Top Ten Things College Students Should Not Bring:

Half of what you packed - Do not pack everything you own, you will be sharing a 10 x 10 room
Live Animals - They are not easy to hide in a 10 x 10 room and your unwashed clothes will not cover up their disgusting odors
Your $20,000 Stereo - Anything of value will get trashed
Your Grandmother's Irreplacable Diamond Ring - If you like it, the girl next door will love it

Frivolous Kitchen Stuff - You will most likely blow a fuse trying to use a blender in your room

A Car - You will have to park it about two miles from your dorm and driving next door to class is not as fun as walking with your friends

Old Yearbooks or Diaries - College is a place to make new friends and become yourself, not dwell on the past

Big Furniture - Remember it is only a 10 x 10 room for two

Your mom's homemade fish dish - Your floor will thank you for the odorless air they can breathe

The 500 Count Ramen Noodle - It may be cheap but in no way is it apart of the food pyramid