When there’s a Fire Alarm…GET OUT

WARNING: SINCE THIS IS AN ARTICLE IN PROGRESS, NOT ALL INFORMATION HAS BEEN DOUBLE-CHECKED/VERIFIED.

On Monday, January 25, at 1:05 p.m., a fire alarm in the Social Hall rang, forcing the evacuation of 400 to 500 students and faculty out into the cold, making Monday even more miserable.  However, there was no fire, and thus, no real reason to evacuate.

Workers had inadvertently placed a ladder in the path of a beam detector, setting off an alarm, explained Joel Nayder, Assistant Manager of Campus Safety and Security, who summarized the alarm incident as “an accident.”

The fire department actually did not have to come out and does not have the call in their records.   The reason behind this is unclear but the fire alarm call may have been cancelled by the workers, Fire Chief James Eggert explained.

False fire alarms are actually a rare occurrence, Nayder explained.  There have been four to five alarms pulled without a fire since 2001, when he first started working at Dominican University.  There were 29 fire alarms in total last year, but only two or three significant fires since 2001.  Most of the 29 total fire alarms last year as well as the significant fires were related to maintenance or construction activity.

There are three types of detectors on campus: smoke detectors, heat detectors, and beam detectors, Nayder explained.  Smoke detectors, logically, detect the amount of smoke in an area.  Heat detectors measure the “rate of rise.”  The temperature of a fire can rise to about 200 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Beam detectors are the detectors used in the Dining Hall and the Social Hall because of their uneven ceilings. This is so that a smoke detector does not have to be placed in each square indentation in the ceiling which would cost more.  A beam detector shoots a light beam across an area; if it senses a disruption, an alarm will go off.

Students reported how often they hear the fire alarms go off.  Sophomore Alfredo Rodriguez said “I heard it once last year…well...last semester was very frequent….about one fire alarm per every two or three months…but I do hear about them going off from the residents.”  He said since he is a commuter, the disturbance the fire alarms usually cause him is “nothing, I’m usually not in class.”

“I heard one once this semester so far…then I want to say like three or four…so four or five so far this year” said Junior Dominic Schwab, who is a resident.   “I think I only left my room once or twice…I usually ignore them, especially if I hear them during the day” Schwab said.

Bloggy part:

I went to the River Forest fire station this afternoon after classes and interviewed Fire Chief James Eggert.  After an awkward first meeting where I forgot to explain myself, I explained what I was doing and he warmed up tremendously.  He seems to be a really great guy.  After I told him that I was an explorer at the Western Springs Fire Department, he even showed me around the station!

Anyways, Fire Chief James Eggert warns students who stay inside during fire alarms that fires can spread quickly.  He showed me a video of a room where a Christmas tree caught on fire and the room was taken over by the fire in less than a minute.  Eggert said he understands that it's cold outside sometimes and it's inconvenient to leave, but he said that students should at the very least get onto the first floor or go to another building.  You have to make SURE it's not a fire. Why risk your life?  Isn't it better to be inconvenienced and stay alive?    Eggert actually travels with a fire alarm, treating it as an extra life insurance.

Eggert and I ran into two other firefighters while he was showing me the way out and I was able to get a pretty good quote from one of them, a certain Lester Telkamp.

Seriously, I love firefighters, and not for the typical reason, though that's nice too :P

"When a dog bites a man, that is not news. But when a man bites a dog, that IS news."- Charles Dana, New York Sun editor

I just started my agonizing amount of reading due for homework, and already, my Inside Reporting textbook has proved 1/2way useful and entertaining.  Its setup is almost like one of those children's books about science where they have a bunch of pictures and individual textboxes on each page to explain different elements of each topic.

It's already given quite a few ideas as to how I can improve my own writing.

It's also inspired me to figure out what exactly is wrong with the Dominican Star newspaper and what can be done about it.

My high school paper just recently one a national award for its prowess at reporting the news and it's so much different than the Star. There's definitely more than one reason for the difference; one is obviously that the Dominican Star is a college newspaper.  However, there are key similarities that make me confused when considering how much room to grow the Star has compared to the supreme quality of the Lion.

1. Both journalists at my high school and journalists at my university write for the newspaper for similar reasons: to get something in their portfolio or on their resume, to fulfill class requirements; and for fun.

2. Both newspapers have a long legacy.  The Lion recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, and I believe the Star has been around for a very long time too.

3. Both newspapers are essentially student-run.  Professor John Jenks and Mr. Jason Scales both let students do the vast majority of the work.

4. I presume most of the writers for the Star have the same or more experience writing newspaper articles as students at my high school.

5. Both schools provide adequate funding for the newspapers, and both newspapers rely to a certain extent on advertising.

What, then, may lead to the difference between the newspapers' levels of success?  Is it my high school's newspaper requirement that all its writers complete the Journalistic Writing course before writing for the paper?  Or something else?  I may even ask Mr. Scales to review the Star to see where it could improve!

autobiography: the military

Drew asked me to write about my fascination with the US military, and I believe I can fulfill his request.  I hope to make this relatively interesting.

I'm one of 8 kids-5 brothers and 2 sisters, so while I was growing up, I was constantly around boys until middle school, when my youngest brother went to college.  I'm not really sure why, but I basically embodied a mixture of a crybaby and a tomboy.  I played with action figures instead of barbies, hung out with boys a LOT, and really didn't hang out with girls all that much.  I played with boys during recess until 3rd grade where I started feeling like that wasn't what I was supposed to be doing.  That's when I started reading a lot more instead of playing.  I think I read almost every one of those children's biography books, all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, most of the Billy and Blaze books, and well...i'll tell more about that some other time I guess.

My brothers were almost all involved in Boy Scouts to one degree or another; I believe some of them won the Eagle Award or whatever it's called.  We'd go to all those pancake breakfasts and spaghetti dinners where they would line up and have the flag ceremonies.   I bet that's where I started wanting to be a soldier.  I thought that being a soldier meant doing all those ceremonies and the salutes and all the stuff that I thought was really pretty special.

Three of my brothers went to Georgetown University in DC too, so we'd go see their graduations or maybe visit them a few times too.  Not only did we see this great, historic campus, but the city...well the city made me feel American even more.  Seeing all the monuments and the government buildings  instills this deep sense of American pride.  I haven't been back in several years, but I still think about it a lot, apparently, since I had a dream about the Air & Space Museum last night and the crazy idea that maybe each state capital should have a 3D-representation of the White House if people are no longer allowed to visit the White House itself. Anyway, I still remember the changing of the guard in front of the tomb of the unknown soldier....how everything was done so exactly and the guards' steps were perfect.

And then we'd always go to Cantigney for Father's Day.  They have this huge war museum there and a bunch of tanks on the grounds.  I always loved going there to climb on the tanks and explore the museum.

Looking back, I cringe a little at how much I enjoyed the prospects of going to war, especially since my brother went to a Vietnam War museum in Vietnam and described how different their perspective on the war is.  War is truly devastating.

might add more later, we'll see.

Recent addition

DONT CLICK ME!!!!
(kidding.)

Baby it's COLD outside......

So in case you haven't noticed, it's freezing outside.  The cold hits some of us harder than others though, since not all of us can afford heat, especially in our cars.  I'm glad I don't have to live outside in my car, but sheesh.  It's still freezing and my car's breaking and Angel doesn't have heat in his.

So I'm bundled up here on my couch after a long, boring day full of way too much Italian, and I just want to take a nap.  I'm getting frustrated with myself because it's about time I pick a major and I get so bored so easily.  I know it doesn't matter too much in the end what I major in as long as I'm willing to put significant effort into it, but sometimes I just wish my mind would gravitate towards something.

I'm actually finding the same thing with a bunch of my friends.  Not to say that it's their fault.  Honestly, I think it's mine.  I'm just having trouble keeping on the same page and staying out of fights to cause more dramatic intrigue.  I'm feeling rather lonely and out of touch with my friends, but hanging out with people isn't leading to happiness for me.  And I know that's not the point...the point is to be good to people and to help people and to be happy. But I'm just having trouble.  And maybe I don't have to get so hung up about it all.  But I'm the type of person who believes that if there's a problem, there's gotta be a way to fix it.  I gotta do it.  I gotta take charge of my life.

Baby, it's COLD outside......

Coolest Dad Ever?

American Dad makes food for son's lunch...handcrafting food for hours so it resembles cartoon characters and superheroes.

hey all

Just to answer the positive feedback for Sweets' article, I would like to announce that he has promised to write an article for the blog every few weeks.  Thank you for your support.

As for my next article, I'm sort of struggling to choose what to write about.  So maybe you would like to choose for me?

Possible Topics
More on my religious beliefs
Just got my wisdom teeth removed-what I expected, what it was really like
an article on Leno & Conan OBrien's fight
review of the introduction to Dante's Inferno
more about the purpose of the blog
my strange fascination with the US Military
a review of the film The Reader which I just saw this weekend while stuck on the couch
an interview with Laura Jay Volpe about her new website, TheChicagoNerd
or do you have a different suggestion?

The Recession Hits Even the Best Among Us

This entry comes from "Sweets", a recent college graduate from Dominican University who majored in History and American Studies because he loved America so much. Here's what he got in return.

“Hey, college boy! Go break down the load and get your shit in order.” Ah, the familiar instructions coming from my fellow co-worker never cease to make me smile. He is an interesting if not peculiar character - a former white supremacist and high school dropout with serious anger control issues who gets to work with sharp knives all day. My angry friend compliments my other associates: the ex-convict turned amateur internet poker star, the movie set worker who one day decided to leave sunny California and live in Chicago, the culinary arts graduate who is addicted to “having a good time” and me. You may be wondering how someone nicknamed college boy found himself working with such a strange group of people. Perhaps I could blame this Great Recession and it’s effects on the job market? It is true that businesses have cut their workforce substantially leaving millions underemployed or unemployed. YES! The recession feasted on my dreams and left me licking the plate for crumbs! But how do I explain the millions of my fellow citizens who have found great jobs during this recession? It must be something else. Maybe the politicians deserve to be held responsible for my predicament? After all, it was Congress, the state legislatures, and the Presidents who failed to heed the warnings of various economic agencies and analysts. Who can forget NAFTA, the tax incentives, and other policies which made American-based businesses move overseas to increase their profit margins? Yah-boo sucks to you, Joe American! Pedro in Honduras or Li in Chinacan do it cheaper and with less regulation! Those criminals in Congress tied the noose, stood me up, kicked the barrel, and left me to suffocate on my ambitions. However, is it fair to blame a group of people with the combined IQ of a comatose amoeba for simply creating the opportunity but not acting on the opportunity? At last! That leaves only those base bankers, brokers, and businesses diabolically dealing demise through derivatives and predatory lending. Why not place the blame at the feet of those directly responsible for our current economic disaster? Well, despite how vilified these bumbling blokes are portrayed in the media, it is not entirely their fault. Just like that respectable guy who visits Las Vegas only to leave 3 months later thousands of dollars in debt, married to a silicone leaking stripper named Fifi, and wearing a soiled suit, the people of Wall Street were living in the moment and needed someone to pull them back into reality. Too bad the government regulation agencies are monitored by our comatose amoeba better known as Congress. So who is to blame for my seemingly eternal residence in the Hell known to the world as the service industry? Last week the answer hit me harder than a brick being thrown by a rather portly Bavarian fellow wearing lederhosen. “College boy! What the hell are you doing? Your stupid ass needs to get in gear because you are just floating around like an idiot.” Just like that my belligerent co-worker opened my eyes to who is most to blame - me. Yes, I do have a college degree. Yes, I did graduate in the upper third of my class. Yes, I have volunteer hours and community service. In fact, I have a lot of the desirable traits many employers seek including the uncanny ability to present information in front of large groups without wetting myself from fear. My biggest problem is that I was too occupied in trying to live life that I forgot to be flexible and take what comes along. I’ve been holding onto this idea of what the good life, what living a life, is supposed to be and I’ve been blind to the reality. Maybe all those annoying bills, the crazy ex-girlfriends, the diets, and the beer - oh God the beer - are indications that I missed the bus on life and am now doomed to be stuck in the tortuous service industry where my soul will slowly rot away. I need to jumpstart my life with a new battery but where can I find it? Will I once again be too rigid in my quest to find that new spark that I will miss it when it is in front of my face? “Dammit college boy, stop staring into space and steak that fish for that customer.”

Throw it out or Frame it?: Creative Writing

I'd really like to incorporate creative writing in the blog or website, whatever it will be.  Perhaps we could have a section for creative writing written by people who would like feedback and constructive criticism on their writing and another section that another for people who are just getting started and only want people to see their writing.  What say you?  Would the second section be necessary?

Looking for a new title!

What do you think the title of the blog should be?  I just created a new mission statement which I feel is closer to what I desired the blog to resemble, but please feel free to shoot out any ideas you might have. :D

Make-a-Wish

As a follow-up to Dora's post, I'd like to expand its purpose.

Most of us have goals of some sort (and some of us have been pressured to make and complete them).  I think it might be a good idea to expand the purpose of the Make-a-Wish foundation (http://www.wish.org/) to a more local one: attempt to fulfill the wishes of students at Dominican as well as those of any people who read the blog.
Some of us have goals which will be rather easy to complete or wishes that won't be too hard to fulfill by others close to us, such as Dora's wish that someone would play a full game of Monopoly with her.  A new website with forum capabilities will soon be started, but until that time, we can just use the comment feature.

What say you?

Dora's strategy for a most-excellent adventure

When I was about 8 years-old, my life’s goals were:
1. Have a colonial dress so I could match my Felicity American Girl Doll
2. Go to Colonial Williamsburg
3. Go to the Redwood Forest
4. Go to Disney World
5. Get a cat

As the years passed by, the following goals were added to the list:
6. Travel to Pompeii
7. Become fluent in French
8. Learn to play guitar
9. Become a published author
10. Go on a cruise near Alaska
11. Go on a cruise near Antarctica
12. Pass Calculus BC (please dear God)
13. Visit all 7 continents
14. Go to a place where French is the official language
15. Go to Prince Edward Island
16. Finish all of Jane Austen’s novels
17. Go on a sightseeing train tour somewhere in the western United States
18. Finish a game of Monopoly, a game in which no one just gets bored, quits, and gives another player all of their stuff
19. See a show on Broadway

I’m happy to report that over the years I’ve accomplished some of these goals. 2, 4, 5, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 19 are definitely completed and while I’m hesitant to say that I’ve completed 7 and 8, great progress has been made.
And right now as I look over the remaining goals, they don’t seem totally unattainable. I probably have about 60 years in which to travel to wherever I like; surely I can fit the five continents I have left in somewhere.

Honestly, as I look over the list, the one goal that seems the farthest off is number 18. I’ve met people who have done all of the other things, but I have never met someone, to my knowledge, who has ever truly and completely finished a game of Monopoly. Sometimes simpler sounding goals are actually the impossible ones.


-Dora

Here's to you, Amy... :)

I have a friend at school who recently experienced a death in the family and needs ideas for a graphic design thesis.  So I'm going to ask you all to help me come up with some good ideas for her project.


If you ever experience something similar where you really need help from your peers, facebook me and I'll get it on the blog. Deal?

Change: helping solve problems


"a thesis is an exploration of some aspect of (fill in the subject) you are passionate about."

-Mitch, on http://www.underconsideration.com/speakup/archives/001933.html

Yes, it would be best if she could come up with her own idea immediately.  However, we can still help her through providing some ideas she can bounce off of and letting her post ideas she wants to bounce off us.  So bring on the creativity! :)


Some information about graphic design:
Graphic design is basically presentation and communication of an idea through art.
http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/guide-whatisgraphicdesign
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_design


Amy, here are some ideas from the internet I dug up.
http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-3303.html


Some guides to doing a thesis on graphic design:
http://web.utk.edu/~staples/Thesis/Vanderbyl_Thesis.pdf
http://thesisblog.com/dissertation-writing/the-key-to-crafting-a-graphic-design-thesis-statement/43