Get to the Point Issue 15 Volume XVIIrevised

8/6/2019 Get to the Point Issue 15 Volume XVIIrevised

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Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 15!

Get to the Point: The NCCC News

An NCCC Atlantic Region Publication, Perry Point, MDJune 20-26 2011 Volume XVII Issue 15



Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 15! 2

Inside Issue 15:

I’m a member of the National Civilian

Community Corps, an AmeriCorps

program. N-triple-C members are 18 to

24 years old and spend 13 months

getting things done for America while

developing their own leadership skills.

We serve on teams to help communities prepare for and respond to disasters,

build homes, and help the environment.

Strengthen communitiesand develop leaders throughdirect, team-based national

and community service

Featured on the Cover- Upper left clockwise: Center: The Members of Moose 2 (Moose Deuce)

P2 Update

Trainer’s Two Cents

Alumni Spotlight

3

6

4 – 5

Photo Contest

9

7Rod’s Ruminations

8

Be a Team Leader!

10

BUFFALO 1 SHOUT OUT: Lauryn, nice find on your Ameriprom dress! Now it’s my turn! Aubrey

We love you too Steffi! Aubrey & Lauryn. LeeAnn, we love working with you and your team, however Megan will

always be the #1 TL in Buffalo 1’s eyes! –Aubrey . To the Point, we can’t wait to get back to you! – Michael

Big Shout Out to Steffi…don’t’ know much about history…don’t know much biology, don’t know much about

science book… -Robert Cuff To the Arnold Arboretum, if I had time to find the right tree… -R.C.

Shout out to Leslie for being an original ‘g – R.C.

BUFFALO 3 SHOUT OUT:

MAAAAAAAAAAAAAARLEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

B3B3B3B3B3B3B3B3B3B3B3B3B3B3B3B3B3B3

-Love, Lia and B3

PS, Andrew had more messages for you, but I will not writethem.

Above: AmeriCorps NCCC Atlantic Region Member of team Buffalo 5 — William Dalencour, gets a friendly push from the First Lady, Michelle

Obama during the 2000th KaBOOM! Playground build in Washington D.C. on June 15, 2011

AmeriGourmet

11

Ameri-Countdown

12

All Corps Day

About NCCC




Phoenix 2: Legendary

By: Sean Smith, Samantha Saladino, Preston SharpeIn the beginning the world was cast from the fires of the cosmos, and from the land Phoenix two rose above all. In this new

Ameriworld habitats were preserved and strengthened by the flames of their wings. The healing fires touched near 1,000 acres in the firstthree weeks, and the sponsoring gods were pleased. With a mighty hammer and skilled hands a viewing platform was demolished and re-

stored to even higher glory so others could cherish the land. They led in celebration and appreciation to the creatures of air and water andtook part in brining man, woman and child to bear witness to that which is most beautiful around them.

Phoenix 2‟s round can only be described with one word: legendary. Their very existence in the Virginian lower country caused justunder 1,000 acres to ignite with joy in just three weeks. Each burn had a different yet equally important purpose such as increasing

biodiversity, preventing mega fires, and saving the homes of Woody’s nearly extinct cousin the red cockaded woodpeck-er. They worked with several amazing burn crews through The Nature Conservancy, The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recrea-tion, and Blackwater.

The team had many amazing experiences during these burns. Logan got a „big vine thing‟ stuck on him, Beth turned into a black bear, and Preston got an offensive red sunburn on the back of his neck. Sam taught the team about the benefits of taking the mobile attack airborne, Eileen united all of the bananas of the world, while Wiley discovered his inner photographer. Zac learned that he is part monkey

while trying to find the best cell service in the gypsy village…at the top of trees. Sean created and collected enough sweat to fill the 3000 acreLake Drummond, and Brooke shared her Midwest gypsy magic with the team. Isaac discovered that the drip torch has other practical pur-poses.

Throughout the round the team was guided by the wise and venerable ways of Steve „Papa Bear‟ Hubner. He imparted many thingsupon the team including direction. He needed only to point one finger of his massive paw and the team would follow in search of the nextfire opportunity – gypsy village in tow.

When the team could not find fire, they found other work worthy of their legendary status. They set up, worked at, and took down a birding festival sponsored by the Great Dismal Swamp. Needless to say, many owl pellets were dissected and no faces left without a smileand some face paint. They also taught the youth of America the glory of catching catfish at a Youth Fishing day. Largest catch of the day

you ask? A whopping 9 lb 14 oz by a young gentleman on his very first day of fishing. The team also planted 1,000 nativelong leaf pines and laid 11 lines of irrigation with the Department of Forestry and ol’ Grandpa Billy J.

Phoenix 2 was spoiled for two weeks on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. They were demolishing and rebuilding an overlook at thenearby Fish and Wildlife Refuge, and were being put up in a luxurious cabin in Kiptopeke State Park. Long story short: there was a nearby

beach where many team members were assaulted by crabs, some team members went fishing with hot dogs, and other team members built afort in the living room…a massive girl vs boy pillow fight ensued with minor casualties. The team also had a s ignificant impact on Virginia‟s

wildlife population. They successfully saved over 10 woodland creatures from fire‟s harm and removed over 200 ticks from their beingsthereby preventing them from ever harming another nature lover again. It‟s safe to say that many generations to come will proclaim the leg-end of AmeriCorps Phoenix 2 Class XVII. They will speak of their accomplishments as nothing short of spectacular and their bond of friend-ship an unbreakable force.


Buffalo 5 did a lot of interesting things this week: we dug some post holes,

painted some signs, built some benches. Oh yeah, we also met Michelle

Obama. NBD.


Shout out to FS1: it won’t be long now. B & H Benson — Hope your teeth (or lack t here of) are getting better!

Alabama family – I miss ya’ll and cant wait to see yall!!-Fee




Alumni Spotlight: Stephanie Miller

SPLINTER 1 :Quote(s) of the week:

“Take a left at the dead end.” followed soon by “

Hey look, its the same barn, for the third time--

except this time it has a pony!”

MOOSE 1: Melissa on M2- Don’t be such a Hufflepuff and counter attack already! Get on my

level! WIN WIN Slytherin! -Stephanie. Almost time for break!!! And yes… transition is break. Seeya at the point suckas – Mike. Megan- mish ew 2wo bo0.cant wait to reunite... lost interest in oat-

meal. Its bananas and peanut butter, all day, everyday .And M6 you need to bring Karla back home.

Our house just lost all its spice. Mirls- ALL I do is win! See you soon.

MOOSE 2: Mega Deuce…disengage

Brooke and Phoenix 2: keep trucking…but watch out for those fences! Nolan and Splinter 1: Go hard, and re-

member to pee often and pee clear!

Stephanie Miller, served as a Corps Member in Class XVI at the Atlantic Region. Miller served

as a Corps Member on Badger 7 and also was selected and served on a Composite

Team working with Saint Bernard Project in New Orleans in Class XVI. Miller is

currently working in Atlanta, Georgia working as a study abroad advisor at Kennesaw State

University.

How did you find out about AmeriCorps NCCC?I first heard of AmeriCorps on 9/11/2008, when Barack Obama and John McCain were having a televiseddiscussion about civic duty. They both mentioned AmeriCorps several times, and I didn‟t know what it

was. I looked it up, saw immediately that NCCC was the one for me, and applied!

What was the best part of your year?This is a really tough question, as every project was so different and they are hard tocompare. I did construction and clean-up in New Orleans, maintenance at a camp in Virginia, demolition at a school in Baltimore, and even went door-to-door in New Jersey teaching community members about mosquitoes! If I have to pick only one, Ithink my time working with Habitat for Humanity in Portland, Maine, was my favoritetime of the year. I loved doing construction, I got to work alongside my teammates, we had a wonderful boss, and we were in Mainein the FALL. Definitely the most beautiful place I‟ve ever seen. There was a “gang” of wild turkeys that roamed the property aroundour house, and on the most amazing camping trip ever, we saw a moose! I don’t think anything can beat my experiencethere because of the skills I learned, the people I met and the beauty I saw.

What are your current plans?I spent the first few months after NCCC graduation spending time with family in Ohio and applying for jobs. The job search paid off,as I now work in the Study Abroad Office at Kennesaw State University in the Greater Atlanta area. Because of my own amazing study abroad experiences, I‟m really happy to be in a position where I can help othercollege students do the same thing. The move from Ohio to Georgia wasn‟t that hard, either, because it was just like anotheradventure in AmeriCorps. After I was hired for the position, I was told that I stood out from the almost 300 other resumes submitted because of my experience in AmeriCorps. Your wonderful support staff back at the Point is speaking

(Continued on page 5)

Class XVI Badger 5 (Miller, second from right, bottom)




MOOSE 3:Kudos to everyone for kicking butt this round! Its

AmeriTap time you guys! (see Moose 3 for details) – Sunshine B2 we

are going to miss working in the warehouse with you.

MOOSE 4: Moose 4 wants to give it up to griff and his team for driving uhauls around dc

in their previous round… that is no easy task.

Miller with her team Badger 5 Class XVI

the truth when they tell you AmeriCorps will look great on a resume! I was also happy to discover that one of the student assistantsin our office recently applied to AmeriCorps NCCC because she was inspired by my own experience. Maybe at this time next yearone of you will be her Team Leader!

Do you have any advice for Class 17? My recommendation is to do everything you can to learn more about the communities in which you’re living; it

will make the project much more meaningful to you. (With this recommendation comes a lighthearted suggestion - this is very random, but has anyone ever heard of or done any geocaching? It‟s something I wish I would have known more about last year, as my time in AmeriCorps would have presented some great opportunities to do it. It‟s basi-cally treasure hunting! Check out geocaching.com before you go on your next project and see whatgeocaches might be in your area. It‟s a lot of fun and a great way to see more of your community.) I’ve seen what you’ve been doing for us down here in the South, and we all appreciate you suffering through the heat for the sake of others. Enjoy the rest of your year, and keep up the good work!

Thank you Stephanie Miller for your service!!

Connect & Network with Alumni (even while in the program), there are opportunitiessuch as networking, chapter involvement, job postings, trainings, etc…

Connect: www.americorpsalums.org

Follow them on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/americorpsalums

Follow on Twitter:http://twitter.com/#!/americorpsalums

http://geocaching.com/

http://www.americorpsalums.org/


http://www.facebook.com/americorpsalums


http://twitter.com/#!/americorpsalums





http://geocaching.com/




R AVEN 1: RaOose 17 is getting down and dirty while making houses mold-free, one house at a time. A homeowner from Barre

treated us to a free dinner on Saturday night and even the mayor came by to show his gratit ude for our hard work.

Greetings to All,

Wishing you the absolute best as you all are continuing the legacy of service of AmeriCorps NCCC. I am very proud of you. June 29th marks the day of for Mid-Year training which will be held at Cecil County Community College (CCCC) this year. The training for this day will include Resume Building and Interviewing Skills, Volunteer Management, and Lead-ership in Active Citizenship. After the training, the ACE College Credit testing will be offered. Therefore, those who areinterested in taking the test will remain on the campus of CCCC. I will provide you with all the materials that you willneed.

I provided the study guides for the tests last transition, Melissa Jabat AmeriMailed study guides to each team thisround, and when you return if you need another copy, please see Melissa Jabat. I am encouraging EVERYONE to takethe ACE test. Trust me, it is passable. There are two tests (3 credits each) that are offered to corps members: ServiceLearning and Diversity in Service.For Team Leaders, the tests offered are Service Learning, Diversity in Service, and Supervisory Skills.

If you have any questions about anything, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 410 642 2411 x6936. I look forward toseeing you all soon. Be safe and Have Fun.

The Trainer’s Two Cents By: Assistant Program Director for Training, Carlyn E. Payton

MOOSE 7 : Since Raoose 17 is in Burlington, VT now, one might say

we are going to get quite BURLY while working here!




Some of you may have heard of something called “The X Prize.” This is basically a series of public competitions thatencourages scientific innovation. For example, one of these prizes went to the first group to successfully build a private

space craft. They won and got $10 million for this feat. There is an X Prize sponsored by Google that will award $20 millionto the first builder of a private moon rover, and another backed by Progressive Insurance that gives $10 million to the

makers of a production capable car that can get 100 miles per gallon. I love this idea. The X Prize is capitalism at its best. Apparently actual car companies aren’t smart enough to design fuel efficient cars. So let’s give some crack pot inventor

(who has inhaled a few too many hydrocarbon fumes in his poorly ventilated garage over the years) 10 million bucks to do itinstead. Take that Detroit! As you can see, this whole scenario also allows me to take a shot at the State of Michigan…which I

am always in favor of. But I digress… So, I am excited to formally announce my own X Prize. To design this, I decided tofocus not on a huge scientific endeavor or a perilous issue facing humanity, but on an issue that really aggravates me. The

Rod Swain X Prize will be awarded to the first person who can successfully invent a tasty cheese popcorn that doesn’t leaveorange residue all over your fingers. First Prize: 19 dollars. But seriously, don’t you hate that feeling? It’s to the point now

where I am pouring cheese popcorn into cups and eating it with a spoon to avoid this side effect. But that practice leaves mefeeling weirdly emasculated…so no more! The challenge has been issued. Do work!

***Next week I will be doing a “Corps Member Mail Bag” Edition of Rod’s Ruminations. This is your chance to have your voice heard and have burning

questions answered. Please email any questions to [email protected] by Monday, June 27.***

FREEDOM 1: Freedom 1Shout Out: Freedom 1 has completed around 19 miles thus far…you should be jealous…because our feet are not! We sleep in canvas tents and have strange encounters with dumdedum foxes, blue octopuses and occasionally

the Spice Girls. Thank you to all those who have made our experience that much more enriching by feeding us trad itional meals and lett ing us shoot off your muskets. Shoutouts- To Raven 5: Are you okay? With love, C hompers To Buffalo 2: Bentonius misses

all of his Amazons. And, seriously, not my letter. To Moose 5: What do you call a guy with no arms or legs in a Revolutionar y War costume? David PS: My hair is looking better To Raven 4: Miss you like candy, The bunch of hipsters you are. A disc in the

night. Love, Dan Stan Revolution To Buffalo 6: Enjoy the rest of Bama lovin’. Love ya’ll, Skalicky My MN sista Nicole…dontcha know I miss yo face. Woodchuck awaits us!

Rod’s Ruminations— Random Things I Think About

Buffalo 7

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]




R AVEN 6: Shout out to FS 1! We will reunite soon and we

will rise to the occasion! – Mia. Shout out to Moose 6! Hope you

guys had a great time over your break! Shout out to Logan, Sean,Zac and all of Phoenix 2! Can’t wait to see you all again! – Dania

and Mia

R AVEN 7 : Raven 7 loves a parade. So much that we were asked by the Mayor to walk with him in the Juneteenth Parade. We didn’t even need a

float as Hamdog and Sofa danced while t he crowd cheered their names and clapped boisterously at t he performance. We are also preparing for a

week-long celebration as Jay plans another wings and p izza night; Oswaldo has invited us for a cook-out dinner; a nd Dave (not Super-Dave, but theother Dave. You know the Dave that rides the Bobcat? Yeah, that Dave) has a celebration planned for us the night before we leave. Life is good here

in Buffalo, especially if you are a Raven. We will miss it but we miss you all too and we are excited for break.

Photo Contest Announcement

Submit your photos for the campus photo contest! Add them to your Team Picasa Account!




Want to be a Team Leader?This Could Be You!

Applications close August 1st Those selected start January 2012

R AVEN 2: See you next week Nathan! -Alexa. Glad

to have Alexa back, and we’re ready for an exciting

week in Port Deposit!!

R AVEN 3: Erin… Raven 3 cannot wait till

you reunite with us at the end of the week. Keep

it real until then!

R AVEN 4: Shoutout to my dogs back home! See you in a week or so. – Owen (As a side-

note, I think everyone should be aware that these dogs are actually dogs/ K9s… not to be con-

fused with dawgs who are often o f the human species -Amelia) To our marching friend. Hi, Dan

Stan Revolution. With black nike s hoes Thunder One, I MISS YOU OH SO MUCH!!!! – Aja Weravens are excited to have our Phoenix back!!




AmeriGourmet: The Cooking Corner This week we are in the AmeriKitchen with Laura Mack CRSTL

Ingredients (serving size 6)

1 (8 ounce) package dry pasta1/4 cup margarine1 envelope dry vegetable soup mix1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour1 1/2 cups milk 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to10 minutes or until al dente; drain. In a saucepan melt margarine. Blendsoup mix with flour and milk and add to skillet; stir. Bring to a boil. Reduceheat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in cheese. Toss with cooked pasta.

Pasta Primavera

150Days UntilGraduation

12Days Until

Summer Break

7Days UntilTransition

5Days Until

Return to thePoint

AmeriCount Down




All Corps Day- July 12th:

Perry Point, MD

Food & Fun!




AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, Atlantic Region CampusMailing Address: PO Box 27, Perry Point, MD 21902 Office: 410 642 2411 ext. 6850 Fax: 410 642 1888

AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) is a full -time, team-based, residential program for men and women age 18 –24. Members areassigned to one of five campuses, located in Denver, Colorado; Sacramento, California; Perry Point, Maryland; Vicksburg, Mississippi; and Vinton,Iowa. The mission of AmeriCorps NCCC is to strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national and community service.

In partnership with non-profits—secular and faith based, local municipalities, state governments, federal government, national or state parks, Indian Tribesand schools members – service members complete service projects throughout the region they are assigned. Drawn from the successful models of theCivilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s and the U.S. military, AmeriCorps NCCC is built on the belief that civic responsibility is an inherent duty of all

citizens and that national service programs work effectively with local communities to address pressing needs.

Documents

Get to the Point Issue 15 Volume XVIIrevised