Get to the Point 1

Get to the Point Perry Point, MD

Volume XVII October, 2011

An NCCC Atlantic Region Publication– by Moose 2

Get to the Point 2

Faces of the Week

Inside this Issue:

Freeze 1

Budget

Gourm-“A”

Awards Banquet

Graduation

Crafts!

Ruminations

2

3

4

6

7

8

9

Welcome to Get to the Point, the Atlantic Region weekly newsletter!

This edition was created and submitted by Moose 2! Thank you Moose 2!!!

Alumni Spotlight 5

Announcements 10

Get to the Point 3

Freeze 1: Minot North Dakota Disaster Composite Team

Freeze 1 had a WONDERFUL time in Minot helping to run a Red Cross Disas-ter shelter. We were split up into day, evening, and night shift and helped with serving food, welcoming new clients, hanging out with the ―clients,‖ especially the kids, and the any odd jobs needed to run the shelter smoothly.

We made wonderful friends and as mush as we touched their lives they touched ours! Our shelter manager, Amy, told us the first day that we could not leave until we cried and she was spot on! Nobody wanted us to leave nor did we want to leave when our final call came. There were 130+ people living in the shelter still when we left and had been dis-placed since the flood in June.

The day we left 11 people were finally given a FEMA trailer and the rest were waiting for their phone call. The shelter was going to be closing on the 13th and everyone had to move into the hotels. Freeze 1 had a really special time there creating forts, carving pumpkins, and making bracelets with the kids.

Get to the Point 4

Budget Gourm-“A”

Cheddar, Corn, and Potato Chowder

8 tbsp Butter

3 Yellow Onions Chopped

3 tbsp Flour

96 ounces Vegetable Broth

10-12 cups Yellow Corn

2 cups Milk

4-5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2-3 Bell Peppers (optional)

3 sticks Celery

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chopped Parsley (Garnish)

In a large Pan melt butter over medium heat and sauté peppers and onions until tender. Mix in flour coating onion and peppers.

In large pot, bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat, add pota-toes and simmer until tender. Slightly mash potatoes in soup, and then stir in the onions and peppers as well as corn, celery, and milk.

Cook another ten minutes, remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish, if desired.

Marinara Sauce

1/4 cup Olive Oil

4-6 Garlic Cloves, minced

3 lbs Plum Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (apprx 4 cups)

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1/3 cup Snipped Fresh Basil

In a 3 quart sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic: cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until sauce is thick-ened and chunky, stirring occa-sionally. Stir in basil. Simmer for 5 minutes or more. If de-sired, adjust seasonings to taste.

Get to the Point 5

Alumni Spotlight -Megan Wills Class 17 Denver, CO

1. What was one of your most memorable experiences in AmeriCorps?

My favorite experience was shuffle round, 3rd round, in Boulder

CO, because I got to rank the projects available and I got my

number one choice. Everyone wanted to be there and was super

excited about the project. It was almost like a vacation round,

new team, new leader and meet new people. The jobs were actu-

ally a lot of not so desirable tasks, but the group over powered it

with all the chatting and laughter. We also were outside work-

ing during the beautiful spring season of Colorado.

2. What advice would you give incoming TLs and

Corps members?

TL: Its going to be the hardest job you ever had….but

best job you've ever had. I’ve never worked so hard and

been so stressed out, but looking back I don't think

about the horrible days... I just laugh at them and the

good days way over power the bad days. CMs: You can’t get through the year without giving it

your all. Your experience is what you make it! The job might not be that fun or not that cool.. but

look at the big picture.. its helping more people somewhere and more than you probably think.

3. Describe the Denver campus and experience?

We share a campus with other students, eat from a cafeteria with a

beautiful view of the mountains, share a dorm with a roommate,

TLs get their own room, we have cargo vehicles during travel for

our tools and red bags. I loved the fact that we were in a major city

with good public transportation. There was a lot to do on off time

and a train to the ski slopes. One of my favorite parts the Denver

campus offers is the lottery to pick what team and project you get

3rd round.

4. Have you found your experience in NCCC helpful in your life today?

ABSOLUTLEY!!! I would consider myself much more productive and things that I wouldn’t have

done before, I'll do now. Its weird stuff like emptying the dishwasher cause I know my mom

doesn’t have time and I just do more stuff on my off time as well as stuff for myself. I don’t have

to rely on dad to fix things for me because I can fix things better on my own. AmeriCorps forces

you to learn how to work with people of all kinds of personalizes and work ethics and when it

may seem tough, its all good in the end.

Get to the Point 6

Class 17 Awards Banquet, AmeriCorps NCCC Atlantic Region

Please RSVP for your guests or have them RSVP as soon as possible no later than

Nov 1 to SMcKenzie@cns.gov or 202 528 3755. There is a cost per person for guests

only. The location and cost per guest will be announced in Nov.

Awards Banquet Ceremony, Wednesday, November 16, 2011,

Starts at 6:00 p.m. Location and cost per guest will be announced in

November

Get to the Point 7

Thursday, November 17, 2011

10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Chesapeake Arts Center

194 Hammonds Lane

Brooklyn Park, Maryland 21225

Class 17 Graduation Ceremony AmeriCorps NCCC Atlantic Region

Directions to the Chesapeake Arts Center

Chesapeake Arts Center is located at:

194 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park, MD 21225.

Located in Northern Anne Arundel County, just inside the Baltimore Beltway, near the

Baltimore City line and Ritchie Highway (Route 2).For more information call 410-636-

6597.

From Annapolis and Points South

Take 95, 295, or I-97 North to I-695 East towards Dundalk/Key Bridge. Take exit 3A bearing to your

right and join Route 2 North (aka Ritchie Highway), and turn left at the first traffic light onto Ham-

monds Lane. CAC is 200 yards on the right hand side.

From North of Baltimore

Take I-95 South to I-895 South (Harbor Tunnel Thruway) to exit 7 Brooklyn (Rt. 2 / Potee St.)

Potee St. becomes Rt. 2. Continue for approximately 2 miles and turn right onto Hammonds Lane. CAC

is 200 yards on the right hand side.

From Baltimore City

Take Hanover Street South over the Hanover Street bridge. Hanover Street becomes Rt. 2. Follow Rt.

2 to Hammonds Lane. Turn right onto Hammonds Lane. CAC is 200 yards on the right hand side.

From Howard County

Take Rt. 100 East to I-295 North to I-695 East towards Glen Burnie to Exit 3A (Rt. 2 North) Join Rt. 2,

and turn left at the first traffic light onto Hammonds Lane. CAC is 200 yards on the right hand side.

As you enter the parking lot from Hammonds Lane, you will pass the Hammonds Lane Theatre on the

left

Get to the Point 8

HOW TO make a Basic Square Knot Hemp

Bracelet By: Melissa Kleppinger

One 90 inch piece of 1mm hemp for knotting cords

One 30 inch piece of 1mm hemp for base strands

Optional - Beads

Materials

Begin by folding the hemp in half and tying an overhand knot. Leave a half-inch loop just large

enough for your finishing overhand knots to go through.

The tan inside cords are the base strands. The red and blue outside cords are the knotting cords. Place

the blue knotting cord over the two tan base strands and under the red knotting cord. Then weave

the red knotting cord under the two tan base strands and up through the loop you formed with

the blue knotting cord. Tighten your half knot by pulling on the knotting cords. Place the red

knotting cord under the two tan base strands and over the blue knotting cord. Weave the blue

knotting cord over the two tan base strands and down through the loop you formed with the red

knotting cord. Tighten your square knot. Place the blue knotting cord over the two tan base

strands and under the red knotting cord. Then weave the red knotting cord under the two tan

base strands and up through the loop you formed with the blue knotting cord. Tighten your half

knot by pulling on the knotting cords. Place the red knotting cord under the two tan base strands

and over the blue knotting cord. Weave the blue knotting cord over the two tan base strands and

down through the loop you formed with the red knotting cord. Tighten your square knot.

This is a series of hemp square knots. You may tie your square knots tighter than mine, if so you may

want to start with longer pieces of hemp for your bracelet.

To finish your square knot hemp bracelet tie an overhand knot and see how it fits into the half-inch

loop you made. If it's too small just tie another overhand knot on top of the first one. When your finish-

ing knot is big enough trim the excess hemp cords.

Instructions

Get to the Point 9

Rod’s Ruminations—The Year in Review: Music

As we near the end of the year, I wanted to take this opportunity to share a few of my fa-

vorite songs from 2011 with you:

―Black and Yellow”- Wiz Khalifa: There is no way you can convince me that this song is

about anything other than bees. I applaud Mr. Khalifa for bringing this pressing issue to

the national forefront. Killer bees are taking over this country, people. Sure, the extra

honey will be nice…but think of all the picnics that are going to be ruined! Also, in case

you were curious, Wiz’s real name is Cameron Thomas and he is from North Dakota (not

Pittsburgh). Do you still think he’s cool now?

―Only Girl (In the World)”- Rihanna: This is by far the truest song of the year. Hon-

estly, with the number of singles she releases, and the number of tracks she is featured

on, sometimes I think Rihanna really is the only girl in the world. If you listen to 20 con-

secutive songs on a pop radio station, she is somehow involved with at least 12 of them.

This country is soon going to start suffering from Rihanna-fatigue.

“The Lazy Song”- Bruno Mars: What kind of message are we sending here Bruno (real

name: Pete Hernandez)? Basically what we have here is a manifesto from the perspective

of some guy who not only lazy, but also delusional. In the song, Pete (I refuse to call him

Bruno) insists that he is going to sit around and do nothing with his life and yet somehow

get the girl. Now, I’m not a guy who pretends to know exactly what girls want all the time,

but I will bet you what they’re not clamoring after is a guy who sits around in his Snuggie

staring at a fan refusing to so much as pick up his phone. Get a job sir!

―Good Life”- One Republic; “Moves Like Jagger”- Maroon 5; and ―Pumped Up

Kicks‖- Foster the People: The reason I grouped this three songs into one entry is because

they are a testament to how lethargic the music industry has gotten. Case in point: all of

these songs (plus the aforementioned ―Lazy Song‖) have long sections where there is no

singing, only whistling! What we have here is a group of songwriters who are too busy

counting their money or hosting reality shows (Adam Levine) to actually finish their

songs. They get one about 75% done and then it’s just, ―Well boys, I’m grabbing brunch

with Ryan Seacrest and I’ve got to go…so why don’t we just whistle the rest of the song?‖

Get to the Point 10

AmeriProm will take place on Thursday, November 10th in

the VA Gymnasium at 7pm. Come hang out, dance, and

have fun with your favorite zombie, mummy, and other

creatures of the night.

Class 17 Prom

Announcements

Winter Uniforms—all Members should continue to follow uni-form policy as we enter the winter months. There should not be any mixing of personal and NCCC winter uniform gear.

New Facebook Page—Facebook.com/NCCCAtlanticRegion—

visit our new Facebook page! Our Facebook page is the best place for you to stay up

to date on what’s happening at Perry Point after you graduate. On this page– we will

post information about where our teams are located and special event information!

Plus you can see pictures of your team and all the future teams.

The URL is facebook.com/NCCCAtlanticRegion—like us!

Get to the Point 11

Shout Outs

B15— All Members should wear full proper winter weather uniforms which means the outer layer of clothing should be NCCC uniform, NCCC hats, etc.– no mixing of uniforms and personal gear.

Raven 1—Are we done yet? I’m

feeling the need for Green Team time.

And Bradley Lehman, I’m coming for

you!

Raven 3—Raven 3 has about 3 more weeks left working with Academy of

Success After School’s Program. We spend our days getting bruised and battered by children 5 years old to 13 years old. When we are not breaking up fights or bringing kids to “time out”, we spend our time tutoring them, playing organized sports, doing arts n’ crafts, and most im-portantly we try to instill values that they may have not been taught or may not think are of much importance. Raven 6 -Now that’s what I call a free

standing tower, high five to D’angle Paul and

Court-nay-nay! P.S. Can some please fill

Griff in on the meaning of “Free standing”-

R6

Buffalo 3—B3! has become one with the mold, for better or worse....mostly worse.:)

Buffalo 5—Goodbye Maine…hello New York!!!

Buffalo 6—B6 is looking forward to Vermont this week!!! We might not

come back.

Buffalo 7- Hey! B7 here!

No one will see

this!