Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, October 6, 2004
RCC aide
gains EMT
recognition
Leslie Huntington,
coordinator of Rogue
Community College’s
Emergency Medical Tech-
nology program, has been
named recipient of the
2004 Gail Marsh Madsen
Award as EMS Educator
of the Year.
The annual recognition
is presented by the Oregon
Dept. of Human Services,
Emergency Medical Ser-
vices and Trauma Systems.
The award honors an
educator who excels as a
teacher or has made a sig-
nificant contribution to
emergency medical ser-
vices. Huntington received
the award Sept. 24 in Port-
land.
“Several years ago
when she chaired Oregon’s
EMT Consortium, the
word started getting out
about Leslie and RCC’s
program,” said Cheryl
Markwell, an associate
dean at Riverside Campus,
who nominated her.
“Agencies in other
parts of the state began
contacting us about getting
students into our pro-
gram,” said Markwell.
“She does an excellent job
in preparing EMT profes-
sionals.”
A 1992 graduate of
RCC’s Paramedic Pro-
gram, Huntington earned a
bachelor’s degree in inter-
disciplinary studies from
Southern Oregon Univer-
sity at Ashland. Prior to
joining the RCC faculty,
she worked as an EMT.
The longest word in
English is smiles,
because there’s a mile
between the first and
last letters.
Page 9
RCC enrollment on rise
LORNA BYRNE TOP STUDENTS - Lorna Byrne Middle School Students of the Month
(from left) Mason Roberts, Quayde Fisher, Margaret Ruiz, McKenzie Yeoman, Kayla
Smith, and Antonio Escalante. Also, McKenzie was recipient of the Illinois Valley
Masonic Lodge award. (Photo by Shane Welsh)
Pet therapy aid to ill, notes Lovejoy
By LOVEJOY HOSPICE
Pet therapy can enable
those who are ill to focus
more on their environment
rather than on themselves,
thus reducing anxiety and
increasing opportunities
for socialization.
Research has shown
that the human-animal
bond is a special one and
can have a dramatic effect
on lowing blood pressure
and increasing survival
rates from various ill-
nesses.
Pet visits may also
help to open a channel of
emotionally safe, non-
threatening communica-
tions between client, fam-
ily and the hospice worker
in order to build rapport
and release pent-up frustra-
tions and concerns.
Animals also have a
way of helping patients
reminisce about their past,
as most people have very
fond memories of a special
pet in their lives. Physical
contact and touch also are
important components of
the pet visit and can pro-
vide patients with a sense
of calm while facilitating
cognitive and motor skills.
In short, animals can
be therapeutic, providing
patients with comfort and a
sense of hope at a time in
their lives when they need
it most.
“Pet therapy dogs have
a very good temperament
and love people and love
to be with people,” said
Kathy Long. “All they
want to do is give love.
“There are five pet
therapy dogs at Lovejoy
Hospice including a
Schnauzer, a Golden Re-
triever and a Shih-Tzu.
Each is specially trained to
deal with people who are
ill and are struggling to
communicate.”
Lovejoy Hospice pro-
grams provide holistic end-
of-life care for people and
their families in Josephine
County, and parts of Jack-
son and Douglas counties.
Lovejoy makes avail-
able professional staff 24
hours a day to help main-
tain dignity and personal
choices while relieving
physical and emotional
pain.
Lovejoy also offers
support services to families
as they care for loved ones
and presents community
education programs for
health-care professionals
and the public.
River celebration goal for art ‘has been met’
After a six-year run,
the Illinois River
“Hathkapasuta” (gathering
at the river) came to an end
last summer.
Longtime coordinator,
Menno Krai, said that the
original mission has been
accomplished. The intent,
he said, was to bring to-
gether the community and
present its various artists.
Now, with the Second
Friday Art Walk in Down-
town Cave Junction, and
with other efforts of the
Illinois River Valley Arts
Council, the goal is met.
Fall term enrollment at
Rogue Community Col-
lege is showing nearly 12
percent growth from the
previous year.
At the end of the first
day of classes on Monday,
Sept. 27, a total of 5,527
students had registered at
RCC. Compared to the
same date last fall, when
4,948 students were en-
rolled, the college is ex-
periencing an 11.79 per-
cent rise.
Full-time equivalent
enrollment (FTE) is also
up, increasing 2.7 percent
from the same day last
year. FTE is a measure of
enrollment that converts
full- and part-time student
course loads to an equiva-
lent of full-time, approxi-
mately 15 classroom
hours.
Thus far, fall term
2004 FTE is 1,072.21, up
28.5 from fall term 2003’s
FTE of 1,043.71. These
numbers include credit and
noncredit classes.
Of the total FTE,
475.26 were based in Jose-
phine County, 490.36 from
Jackson County, and
106.59 represented
“distributed” or distance
learners enrolled in Web-
based or telecourses.
Several variables will
likely change final enroll-
ment figures. RCC contin-
ued to register students all
week, and on Friday, Oct.
1 students who had not
paid their tuition were
dropped for nonpayment.
College officials said
that the rising enrollment
figures reflect the need for
RCC to enlarge and im-
prove facilities in Jackson
County to meet growth.
“The good news is that
our classes are filling,”
said President Peter Ang-
stadt. “The downside is
that our facilities are being
stretched thin. At the rate
of growth the college is
experiencing, RCC must
expand its facilities if we
are to continue meeting the
needs of our community to
train workers and prepare
students,” he added.
RCC is asking voters
in Jackson County to ap-
prove a $24 million bond
levy on Nov. 2 for expan-
sion of facilities there.
IVHS School Menu -
SISKIYOU
COMMUNITY
HEALTH
CENTER
319 Caves
Hwy.
THURSDAY, OCT. 7
*Chicken sandwich,
cheeseburger, hamburger,
Turkey & cheese or ham &
cheese sandwich, chef,
Mandarin chicken or garden
salad, Hawaiian, cheese or
pepperoni pizza
FRIDAY, OCT. 8
*Chicken sandwich,
cheeseburger, hamburger,
turkey and cheese or Italian
sandwich or chef, Mandarin
chicken or chicken Caesar
salad, vegetarian, supreme or
sausage or pepperoni pizza
MONDAY, OCT. 11
*Chicken sandwich,
cheeseburger, hamburger,
turkey & cheese or ham &
cheese sandwich, chef, Man-
darin chicken or fiesta salad,
Vegetarian, sausage or
pepperoni pizza
TUESDAY, OCT. 12
*Chicken sandwich,
cheeseburger, hamburger,
turkey & cheese or roast beef
sandwich, chef, Mandarin
chicken or garden salad,
cheese supreme or
pepperoni pizza
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 13
*Chicken, cheeseburger,
hamburger, turkey & cheese
or veggie sandwich, chef,
Mandarin or antipasto salad,
sausage, supreme or
pepperoni pizza