Browsing Through the Bite-Size Bookstore

             Walking through the town of Bloomsburg you will come across a little store with green awnings called The Cloak and Dragon Bookstore. Anyone passing it would not look twice because who goes to bookstores to buy paperback books anymore? Barely anyone. Little bookstores suffer today because grocery stores and other general stores sell books and also more people buy online books so no one really wants to buy an old fashioned paperback. However, if you step inside the quaint store, you will find books that other places do not carry varying in many genres. The smell of rich coffee brewing on the counter and the smell of books will draw passersby in. The sound of pages turning and happy small talk will make people curious. The Cloak and Dragon Bookstore happens to be the only bookstore around for approximately 30 miles, so why not peek in to see what they have to offer?

Working in a bookstore requires someone who likes books, communicating with other people, and knows a lot about books. Pam Sriharsha fits that description very well. Mrs. Sriharsha with her blonde hair and all brown matching outfit loves to talk about anything and everything. She loves talking to customers and speaks to everyone in a very kind manner. Pam started living in Bloomsburg 28 years ago but only started working at the bookstore last year. Her and her husband both love books and own a room full of them. Before she started working at the bookstore, her and her husband would shop in The Cloak and Dragon Bookstore. Her husband told Pam that she should ask the owner, Sharon, to see if she needed any help. Sharon let her help out at the bookstore and then the two started working together. Sharon was working on getting another degree for her career so she let Pam work there more often and also let her become the co-owner of the store. Pam does the bookstore on the side while she works at a real-estate agency and has had that job for about four years. Mrs. Sriharsha loves the bookstore and welcomes everyone to come in and stop by.

As customers step inside the store, the smell of coffee hits them like a truck-pure deliciousness. Fantasy, romance, fiction, suspense and many more genres of books sit tightly inside bookshelves around the room. Spinning racks with books on it and other miscellaneous objects sit around the room to show off other things than just books.  A huge green counter resides on the side of the store with the drinks and snacks. Coffee pots and tea cups rest alongside little snacks like cookies, chips, and other beverages.The store also carries little paraphernalia around the room customers can buy like jewelry, soaps, shoes, lotions, and candy. The whole interior looks somewhat of a clutter but none the less, it still looks fine. With each turn of the head the walls change colors ranging from green to blue to purple. Little wooden tables sit around the store with wooden chairs so customers can plop down and read used books. An old bench and rocking chair are also there along with couches to make the room feel comfy. In a corner of the store a children’s section awaits with little desks and chairs for the younger ones to enjoy as well. On the way by the food and drinks, a green and purple dragon on the wall holds up a sign that has the menu and everything the store has to consume.

Inside the bookstore

Pam’s day varies on how much business the bookstore gets that day. Saturdays and Mondays tend to get pretty busy but businesses with other books cause the small store to drop in sales. Even if customers come in or not, Pam still does a lot of errands around the bookstore. As soon as Pam opens the doors and flips to the open sign, she becomes a busy bee. Making coffee constantly and restocking the food becomes a daily routine for Pam. Coffee gets bought almost every time a customer comes in so Pam never lets it get low. Roaming around the room checking the books and making sure everything on the shelves looks tidy needs taken care of as often as the other errands. Pam does little things while she waits for customers arrive. Lately, the days at the bookstore have been getting slower. “Lots of businesses have left here,” Pam states. “And bookstores have to be a gift shop; it is the only way to make it.” When a customer comes in, Pam becomes alert and puts on her best smile. 

"Hello lovey, how are you today? Do you need help with anything?" Inquires Pam. 

“Just browsing; I love little stores like this.” replies the customer, looking around at every little thing in the store. 

As the customer browses, Pam goes back to tidying up the place or answering phone calls. A delivery man comes in and drops off some soaps or lotion that she ordered about a week ago and restocks them. More customers comes in and order coffee or snacks so she pours the coffee for them and rings them up. Sometimes, a customer looks around or picks up a book or two, but then leaves empty handed. College students come in and buy books sometimes and get a ten percent discount since they bought from there. However, Pam might get rid of that discount. “Students steal the bookstore's open signs!” Exclaims an annoyed Pam. “I even bought one last Saturday and I made the mistake of not taking it inside that night and the next morning it was ripped off!”  Even though some students steal the signs, a lot of decent students come in and buy things from the bookstore. Students show up at random times during the week to see if a literature book can be rented for a class or just to find a book for pleasure reading.  

 Menu with snacks and beverages on the counter

           As the day goes on, less customers stop by. Occasionally someone wants to buy a book or needs help finding something so Pam assists them in any way possible. Her bubbly personality makes the customer feel comfortable and makes it easier to start small talk. When Pam rings up everything a customer buys, she chitchats with them and always smiles. She tells them to have a good day and then they walk away happily with their purchase. When no customers show up for a long time Pam closes early. Today's market causes not a lot of people to come in anymore. Surprisingly, Sharon and Pam have come to the conclusion that they want to sell the bookstore and put up a for sale paper in their store about three months ago. Business gets tough and sometimes people got to move on to something else. Pam feels sad about the situation but still keeps a positive attitude and a grin on her face every day. Customers still come in and purchase items which makes profit not that horrible. The bookstore may look run down but inside people can find just about any book and great coffee. So next time, if you happen to take a stroll through Bloomsburg, make it a point to stop by the bookstore. It will help the business out a lot and perhaps there will be an amazing book or two that no other store carries.  

"Have a Chip"

If you think that the process of producing potato chips seems simplistic, think again. Very few steps actually happen to create the chip, but there are more intriguing and explorative levels of the operation. The machinery needed to produce the chips seem very complex. The programs needed to run these machines are very expensive and full of information that allow the machines to run smoothly. Many different factories throughout the world and each one provides their own specialty to the product being produced, but all have the same intentions. Produce the most amount of product, while spending the least amount of money in the production cost, and collecting the highest amount of profit.



(Figure 1)

UTZ Quality Foods Incorporated occupies a small town deemed with the nickname “Snack Capital” of Hanover, Pennsylvania. The company only produces, the east coast known flavorful chips, in the Hanover area. The company looks overwhelming when gazed upon from the outside and even larger when inside. The building takes up the corner, as well as most of the straight away sidewalk, of High Street and Kindig Lane. The giant company logo is off to the left incorporating the company’s colors in the supportive columns (figure 1).The base of the building lit up with the multiple flowers and bushes, as well as newly laid mulch. When over to the right a parking lot holds hundreds of trucks waiting to be sent off. The heavy double doors, needed to get into the factory, sparkle with freshly cleaned glass. On the interior of the building, pictures of the hard working employees fill the walls and many signs with the mission that UTZ tries to pursue. The walls seem plain but are filled with bulletin boards with important papers about the work week.

 

The very spacious factory provides a mixture of smells that range from the fresh potatoes to the warm peanut oil being used for frying some of the chips. The floors seem spotless and always being cleaned, the slight hissing sound from the machines and the clunks of gears grinding fill the air with sounds. An employee filling up every machine, gazing at the potatoes down the conveyer belt making sure to pick out any imperfections. Also wandering employees that do not get assigned a particular job, sweep the floor and clean off the machines to keep the place as clean as possible.



(figure 2)

I was provided with the special opportunity to converse and take a factory tour with a well-known veteran of the company. David Kemper the aging, yet youthful looking older man sporting uniform he wears every day. The same hunter green shirt with the UTZ logo on the left corner and the similar green color pants combination that he has worn every day for the past thirty six years (see figure 2). He wears a larger pair of glasses that take up a good amount of space around his eyes. Dave started me off by telling me that the temperature will not get any cooler and showed me the thermometer that peaked at a scorching one hundred and twenty eight degrees. The heat didn’t seem to alter any of the worker’s tactics, it seemed as though they have gotten used to the temperature and find a way to work through it. Dave started this job right out of high school and said he “met the love of my life and we decided to move on our own.” It is a necessity to have a job when pursuing another chapter in his life, and Dave boated about the money by saying “This place gave and still gives great money.”

 

 

Many people think that the chip making process involves only machines and robots, but the reality of it is that a rather large amount of care that goes into it. “The fact that I helped in the process of making the chips that I see on the shelves of stores and shops everywhere,” Dave pronounces as his favorite part of the job. The employees really do care about the product that they put out on the market and don’t want to disappoint the customer, so they do their part in handling the chips with great care. There has to be an able bodied human to do the job that Dave does, it requires the body to stand for hours and consequences arise if any employee is caught sitting on their shift. You need to be able to run a simple control panel and be able to troubleshoot anything that goes wrong with the machine. Dave has the headline of a trimmer and he trims out all the rotten and green spots on the potatoes that pass through his line. He jokingly utters “Without me the chips would be rotten looking and green.” Dave only does the trimming since particular titles that each employee entails. Some of the workers, like the temporary workers and the college students in the summer, that do a little bit of everything. Mostly, three to four people that have the same title and they take turns switching between breaks and working on the line. “I’ve been doing this job for thirty six years and I’m not planning on changing anything in these last winding years that I have with this job,” Dave remarked when asked if he would ever change his position or chose a different career.

The need for chips blows the minds of many. The line that Dave works on averages five thousand loads a day. Each load is stocked with one hundred and twenty pounds of potatoes. His line alone seals fifteen thousand bags a day, and with ten lines, the demand for chips throughout the east coast is aerial. The number of shipped products would be even higher if there were no hiccups in the machinery and no rotten potatoes. Dave jokingly told me that “some days I throw more away then I sent through.” Roughly seven hundred to a thousand bad potatoes get thrown out each day and Dave said that it depended on what type of potatoes come through from the trucks. Twenty five truck loads full of potatoes that come in each day and the potatoes get divided into sections in the basement of the factory. Half of the fresh potatoes are used during the day shift and the other half are used for the night shift. The extra storage potatoes stay stored in the dark rooms that the company has and used for the rest of the day when the fresh potatoes run out. These potatoes in the dark rooms are stored in the same week as they get used, the oldest potatoes used range between two and three days old.



(figure 3)

As we were finishing the tour, I noticed the spot where I was before I got to meet with Dave. In the catwalk tour gallery above the workers and isolated from the actions that take place on the factory floor. The faces of the little children, amazed with the complexity of the machines and process of the chips, made me wonder if I looked at the process the same when I was gazing over the factory floor (see figure 3). Dave and I passed the last line of fresh chips and he noticed me looking at the chips. Still steaming, from the fryer, Dave took a handful of chips off the conveyer belt and admiring the fried potato perfection he blurted out, “have a chip.” The piping hot chip burned the roof of my mouth and my reaction allowed Dave to sarcastically smirked “hey, they are still pretty hot.”

 

The Pathway is Clear: Treating Mental Illness Among Senior Citizens



     Along highway 61, just west of the smoldering, underground fires of Centralia, rests the heart of Pennsylvania's coal country, and within it, the sleepy town of Shamokin.  Once a prosperous mining town, what remains today is little more than a sad reminder of past grandeur.  Coal-covered hillsides, defunct mining operations, dilapidated houses, empty storefronts, and abandoned warehouses overwhelm the landscape.  Hidden away on the outskirts of town one pleasant deviation from this sad scenery can be found.  Navigating up a short, winding, blacktop road a sign appears, reading Geisinger-Shamokin Area Community Hospital. The massive, red-bricked structure rises above the surrounding dirt, dust, and ash like an exotic symbol of hope.  As if, representing the multiple generations of care that have been provided here, the structure is divided into two unique sections. The historic older section stretches along the back two thirds of the property, flanked by a lush wooded hillside.  The new section, behind the lawn, can be easily distinguished by its contemporary architecture and helicopter pad.  Through the main entrance and up three flights of stairs, in a secluded part of the older construction, two massive oak doors are posted, “Inpatient Gero-Psychiatry Unit.”

    
     A button on the wall reads “Secure area, please ring bell for assistance.”  The bell rings and a delicate, feminine voice flows from the intercom, “Just a moment.”  An audible click followed immediately by a low buzzing noise emanate from the locking mechanism of the doors.  It slowly opens to reveal a soft spoken, thirty-something, brunette with sky blue eyes. “Hi, I’m Jess, welcome to Pathways.” 

     
     After eleven years of experience as a registered nurse, Jess is no stranger to elderly care environments.  Jess recalls, “After working five years as a nursing assistant at Mountain View Manor, a local nursing home, I decided to become a registered nurse.  I wanted to further my education while also providing a better life for my family.”  After graduating and spending some time in other areas of nursing, something occurred to her.  She realized a career in Behavioral Health was her calling and that she possessed a valuable talent for elderly care.  She found an opening within the In-Patient Geriatric Psychiatry Unit of Shamokin Hospital, otherwise known as Pathways, took the job, and has been caring for its patients ever since.  Now one of the senior nurses within the unit, Jess feels, “You must be compassionate and have the ability to make quick decisions for the care and welfare of your patients.”
 

     Inside the facility, a cacophony of laughter, singing, moaning and muted crying fills the entryway.  Along the green and white tile-floored hallway, slipper-clad feet and rolling wheelchairs moved randomly between the walls, tiled in matte sage green ceramic.  Making her way around the chest-high, L-shaped nurses station counter, Jess reviews the notes about the patients from the previous shift.  The odd aromatic combination of bacon, toast, vinegar, and slightest hint of urine are present in the air.  Seemingly oblivious to the smell, Jess steals a quick sip of coffee and, with a sense of urgency, heads down the long hall to help with breakfast.  Starting with the patients that have special physical needs, Jess ensures that the patients are dressed and ready to make their way to the dining room.  With only four tables pressed against the outer walls of the room, the patients have no difficulty taking a seat or navigating their wheelchairs amidst the other tables.  While eating, most seem to enjoy conversing with staff or peers, but for some, food isn’t the only thing on their mind.
 

     Gesturing for Jess to come over, a freckled, bald man appearing in his seventies comments quietly, “Wow, look at those eyes, you’re a knock out.”   

     “Oh, well aren’t you sweet? Thank you.” Jess replied, in a soft, caring voice.

     “Are you married?” asked the man, forty years her senior. 

     “Ye....” Jess attempts. 

     Anticipating the dreaded response, he interrupts, “I don’t see no ring…” 

     Giggling, Jess attempts to changes the subject,  “We’re not allowed to wear jewelry.  You’d like my husband, though. He’s a good man and an Irishman like you.” she claims, hoping for a reprieve.

     Recognizing her sincerity he retorts, “He's one lucky fella. Let me know if you have any single friends though, huh?  I’m looking for a lady between thirty-five and forty."  Gently moving his fingers back and forth, he waves and turns back toward his meal.

     “I’ll see what I can do, sir.”  She gently pats his shoulder and walks toward the food cart at the end of the room.  While at the cart, out of earshot, she touches her forehead and shakes her head back and forth, "... and that's one of the innocent ones.  Though most are harmless, at times, some of the men can be quite disrespectful."
 

     With staff present and the meal underway, Jess heads departs for to the morning Treatment Team meeting.  She addresses the team, comprised of a psychiatrist, program director, operations manager, activities therapist, and herself.  She updates them on the events of the previous twenty-four hours.  All the decisions regarding each patient's plan of care are made in this meeting and Jess incorporates the changes into each patient’s paper care plan.  Upon conclusion of the meeting the previously placid unit bursts into action.  Like a scene from National Geographic, the staff exits the conference room and fan out like so many bees leaving the hive.  Doctors, nurses, program staff, and housekeepers make their way about the unit.  Highly regimented and beautifully orchestrated, each individual has a purpose, and each goes about it dutifully.  Returning to her computer at the nurse’s station to transfer notes, Jess downs several large gulps of her coffee.  Annotating the changes in medication and goals within the patient care plans, she raises her cup and facetiously declares, “As a nurse, this is a necessity!  This is breakfast and lunch.”  Grabbing a laptop computer, she heads to the room closest to the unit entrance, greets the patient, has a seat and begins her evaluation.
 

     Patient after patient, Jess evaluates and documents on each patient's mood and behavior.  Following a mental acuity assessment on the patient in the last room, she stands up, exchanges pleasantries and excuses herself as she steps out into the hallway. Rapidly documenting the patient’s behavioral status, her petite hand comes to an abrupt stop. Placing her pen in her up-swept hair, she leans against the wall,  “Honestly, it’s a little sad sometimes…” Gazing at the ceiling she continues to speak. “Like last week... I had a patient, an elderly woman...” Jess pauses, clearly upset by the remembered event.  “She had advanced dementia.  She would pace the halls, frantically screaming, crying out names, and checking all the rooms.”  Jess interrupts herself to explain. “See in her mind, it was decades earlier and she was desperately trying to find her children who were supposed to be home in bed.  But in reality, her children were grown with children of their own.”  Jess quickly turns her head away, self-conscious of her sad, glistening eyes.  Clearing her throat, she begins making her way back to the front.  “It's not all bad though... a lot of good comes from what we do here.”
 

     Following lunch preparation and service, the day passed quickly.  After hours consisting of patient assessments, admissions, discharges, insurance reviews, and patient group activities, only one task remained undone.  She makes the day’s final trek to the nurse’s station with a patient at her side.  Having discharged hundreds of patients, she makes quick work of the forms and procedures.  The discharge process now complete, Jess reverently delivers the patient into the caring hands of her family.  She proudly escorts the reunited family to the entrance, as the massive doors close, she turns and proudly proclaims, “See, that’s what this place is all about.” Returning to her desk, preparing the notes for her relief, she expounds, “Sometimes a person isn’t able to function within the community or nursing facility due to behaviors associated with dementia or other mental illness.  Family members may not even initially recognize changes in their family member until it has become severe. Through proper treatment and medication adjustments, we are able to give our patients a much better quality of life. That’s what I love the most about this job.”
 

     Due to an unprecedented growth rate among aging Americans, the issue of elderly care has never been more relevant than it is today.  The elderly care infrastructure is buckling under the pressure of a cresting Baby Boomer population.  An alarming number of older citizens are battling dementia, depression, and other mental illnesses, and often trying to do it alone.  We, as a nation, must find a way to combat this issue.  There's no simple solution to this problem, but our community leaders, charitable organizations, and government agencies are working tirelessly in an effort to affect change.  Although national progress on this issue appears slow moving, surprisingly, small-town America seems poised to attack this crisis head-on.  Such is the case in central Pennsylvania, where facilities like Pathways, have key roles in the future of geriatric treatment and elderly care.  It is extremely heartening to know, with the aid of an extraordinary staff, one local facility stands prepared meet the challenges ahead. 

Next Level Boxing Team

           Have you ever wondered what it would be like to own your own gym? It all seems so overwhelming, running a business and managing the time and money. Men and women around the world wish to own a business, or own a gym at that matter. Working out is an activity many love to do to stay in shape. My father, George Goodman owns a gym in Allentown called Results Training Facility, and it has been open since June of 2008. The gym offers personal training and boxing lessons. If someone wishes to compete in tournaments and travel, he/she may join the boxing team. The team goes by the name of Next Level Boxing Team, and it is registered to the USA Amateur Boxing Association. Right now, there are nineteen members who are all in novice or open class according to the number of fights they have had. Members of the team range from ages thirteen to twenty-four. There are usually one to two tournaments a month in which the fighters compete. My father loves running both aspects of the gym, but he has so much passion for the boxing program. 



George is to the far right with the yellow shirt, and the rest are competitive fighters from the gym.

        George is thirty-five years old, a little under six foot, muscular build, and a fade buzz cut, like a marine. My father pushed to be the best competitive  wrestler throughout his younger life. After eleven years of wrestling at the national level, George got into boxing for about three years. Unfortunately, my father had to stop fighting because he needed two back surgeries, so that is why he got into coaching. Anyone can easily tell George is proud of his fighters, as the gym wall is lined with shelves that hold trophies and metals from all of the tournaments. The boxing room of the facility is a rather large room, with the walls painted tan and blue. On the left wall are flags of different countries which represent the nationalities of the various fighters such as USA, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Africa, and the Dominican Republic. The flags add various color to the room, showing off each fighter’s pride. Right above the doorway is a sign that says “GUNS DOWN, GLOVES UP.” There are numerous grey lockers in the back, and in the center of the room is a boxing ring where all of the fighters spar each other. The ring was a gift from coach Luis, a fellow boxing coach and long time friend of George. Luis gave the ring to My Dad when he retired and closed his gym. Since the ring had so much use over the years, there are blood stains on the matt and on the ropes, some of the ropes are becoming loose, and there is a little rip on the back left corner matt. The boxers say they love it because it has history, and they all grew up training in it. The kids all grew up having close to nothing, so the gym acted as a sanctuary for them; many still describe the gym as a "home away from home." Coach George strongly remarks, “living in Allentown, these kids all have to deal with drugs, guns, gangs, and money problems. I hate seeing them have no goals in life, so they all somehow get involved with illegal activities. My gym gives them a place to get their energy out, and keep them off the streets. At the end of the day, that is the most rewarding feeling as an owner, and as a coach.”

              My Dad loves what he does for a living and he is proud of each fighter individually, and the team as a whole. Next Level Boxing Team continues to make progress in the boxing scene, as one member just won the national title for the 132 pound weight class, at only fifteen years old. The national champion's name is Elijah Pintabone and he has been a member of the team for three years. Eli is half African American and half Italian with a stocky type build. He always wears a gold uniform when he competes, because it was his mom’s favorite color, and she had passed away five years prior. Elijah became a fighter when his mom lost her battle with cancer. He said he wanted to be a fighter because his mom always knew he loved boxing and she knew he had a gift for fighting. Naturally, he wanted to make his Mom proud and live out both of their dreams. Eli and Coach George had a long talk the night after he won his national fight; it was a conversation that proved the bond between a fighter and coach is unbreakable.

           “I did my best out there; you prepared me more than I could ask for… this is a blessing, and tonight’s win was for you. Everything you have ever done for me is just way more than I could ask for coach.”
           “Eli, I taught you what you needed to know, but you put all the work in. I didn't do those five A.M. runs or sparring sessions, you did. You came to workout two times a day, all I had to do was wake up and tell you what to do.  It was all you out there tonight, no lie. You earned that win son, you don’t have anyone to thank but yourself. I’m proud of you, take tomorrow off, but I better see you back in here on Monday though.”
           “Of course, you know I aint ever miss no days coach. I will be here before you get here, just watch.”
           “Yeah I know, just remember, stay on weight for next Friday’s match. Weigh-ins are in Philly at 11:30 in the morning.”

Elijah Pintabone, National Champion for his weight class at 132 lbs.

  The close knit relationship between a coach and his fighter is amazing to see and all of the competitive fighters have a close relationship with each other as well, like a brotherhood. The joke of the gym is that when you join the team, you join a family forever. My father said that the hardest part of his job is when “the kids don’t show up for training camp within two weeks of their fight. Boxing is a sport that requires dedication and discipline. Unless a close family member died or your house burnt down, you should have no reason not to show up… it is unacceptable. I hate it when I put so much time into training someone and they don’t show up for training because they ‘slept in.’ If you wanna be the best, you gotta do what your opponents not doing.”

           Another fighter, Rasheed Johnson is twenty-two years old, African American, 6’2” and has known my father for thirteen years. He has actually lived with my family for three years previously when he was going through problems with his family from Philly. Coach George and Rasheed have an amazing relationship that continues out of the gym. Rasheed comments, “George, is more than a coach. He is the Pops I never had, and I couldn’t ask for a better role model. He is the only dude that never gave up on me, and it means the world to me. I am truly blessed to have him in my life. Coach was put on this earth for a reason, and his reason was to help people like me. He is a good man, and I love him.”
          Beyond the love and family feel of the atmosphere, there is much more to owning a gym than many people think. It takes time, effort, money, and dedication. Operating a boxing team requires hours of paperwork, many meetings around the tri-state area, and a set of mandatory tests to receive a coaching license. Next Level Boxing Team is a way for George to do what he loves; keep kids off the streets and build relationships with all ages around the community. The fighters look up to their coach, and it is easy to see by the amount of respect they give him. My father claims. "I would not change my job for the world. I do my job for a reason, and its because I love what I do. If you aren't happy when you wake up to start work, then you should find a new job. Even though everyone thanks me for changing their lives in a positive way, they are all actually changing my life. I love them all and will always have their backs. In simple terms, its just one big family." At the end of the day there is no better feeling than helping out the ones you care about the most. Be sure to thank your sports coach or the workers at your local gym next time you get the chance, they go through so much hard work to help the community.

 

             

 

 

Nurse Ortiz

  

Pembroke road, where my cousin was

born and raised

“Poverty Is Not A Hindrance To Success” is what eighteen year old Humberto Ortiz heard on the radio as he walked down the poor, filthy streets of Pembroke, Bethlehem. This is where Humberto lived his entire life until he graduated from high school. During this time he utilized every opportunity he could throughout these four years including studying every day and playing baseball in his free time. Although his academic marks did not reflect his true potential, his motivation and ambition drove him to change his life in school and his surroundings. The poverty that surrounded him was at its peak during the early 2000’s in South Side Bethlehem in a borough Humberto lived in. Growing up without a father, his mother provided support for two parents which contributed to Humberto's motivation to earn a high GPA and 2200 SAT score.  At a young age, his 10 siblings, including him learned the value of hard work and the importance of self dependence. Humberto had the positive mind set to get out of his hometown and become someone important in life. He had such a strong desire to help his family out of the projects and live a more stable life. His goals consisted of becoming a Nurse anesthetist, and to pursue that education at Columbia University. 

Ranked Top 20 University In The World

After being accepted, the University gave him a full scholarship, including most of his academics and some partial financial aid. Throughout college, he was told many times by professors and peers that he wouldn't make it but this only pushed him to try harder. With Columbia being one of the top medical schools, Humberto wanted to prove he could succeed among the best. He had such a motivational drive of just excelling through the hurdles of work he faced in college and all the people who doubted him along the way. After five stressful years of schooling, he graduated from Columbia University with a 3.98 GPA and a degree in Registered Nursing and was ready to obtain his graduate degree in anesthesia. 

From growing up in the small city of Bethlehem, he yearned for adventure and new experiences. The University of Central Florida was the perfect place for him to continue his education and live freely. During his two years in Florida, Humberto had various opportunities that allowed him to work and get away from his studies, but still made him strive for what he wanted. After two harsh years of grad school, he graduated with a degree in Anesthesia. As soon as he achieved this milestone, he made his way back to Pennsylvania and began his practice of being a Nurse Anesthetist. As a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist), his daily work routine consists of monitoring and comforting every patient. As part of his daily routine, he is required to dress in professional attire underneath his scrubs. Being used to hand-me-downs and thrifting, this new attire was an enormous change for him. 

He is normally in the operating room helping the Anesthesiologist conduct the anesthesia right before the doctors do their part in the surgery. His job is to monitor, place the tubes and air paths needed for any surgeries followed by prepping the table with the right amount of anesthesia for the patient. Luckily, as a CRNA you have apt down time because of the wait of the surgery. Once the surgery is finished,

Nurse anesthetists performing surgery

Humberto goes back and assists the Doctor with his/her remaining needs. After work, he can proudly return home to his beloved wife, Monica and two beautiful daughters Mariya and Sofia. Returning home after a hard day of work is an enjoyment for him because he would always think back to when he was a little kid. Home wasn't always the warmest place, so for him to return home to a loving family is a great joy for him. When he was younger, financial issues prevented him from having a stable home life, so having a permanent home to provide for his family was his biggest accomplishment.  He is reminded everyday of how far he has come in his life, and realizes how everything that he has gone through influenced his current success. A lot of people along the way doubted him, but it is truly inspiring to see and hear the motivation Humberto had and continues to demonstrate in order to achieve his current accomplishments.

Nurse but more like hero

              To most children when you ask who their hero is they’ll name either their mom, dad or both. My mom, Nicole Rooney is one my biggest role models and certainly my hero in life. Nicole is one of six children and grew up most of her life in Philadelphia, Pa. She is 5’4” has blonde hair, brown eyes and most of the time has a great big smile on her face. She started what people call their “real” life earlier than most. At age 15 she found out she was pregnant and was having a baby girl, that just so happens to be me. She struggled with this being as the simple fact that she was extremely young and didn’t know what to expect. After I was born her and my dad got married, saved 30,000 and bought their very own house. For most her life she worked at a pizzeria as a manager and then at the Crowne Plaza hotel as a house keeping manager. As her life continued on throughout the years she had 4 more children 3 boys and 1 girl, Scott Keith, Ryan and Chloe.

              When starting out her life so young she wasn’t able to go to college. She had to make do with what she had and the opportunities that she was presented with. One day she decided that wasn’t enough for her and she continued onto college at the age of 24. She attended Bucks County Community College Nursing school where she completed school part time and received her associate’s degree in nursing as an RN. She now works at Aria Bucks Hospital in Langhorne, Pa, Holy Redeemer Hospital and St. Mary’s Trauma center as an Emergency Room RN and a nursing supervisor. 

"Emergency Room Entrance"

         Her day begins every day by getting up, getting ready and being out the door by 6:15-6:30 am to stop get a warm Dunkin Donuts hot coffee with extra cream very light sugar and arriving at work by 7 am sharp. Pulling up to Aria Bucks Hospital is a tall gray building with bright teal lettering spelling out Aria Health. While parking in a spot labeled ER personnel she gets out of the car and makes her way through two big glass doors. A huge sign with big red letters reads Emergency over top.

"One of the beds in the Emergency Room with all of its equipment ready
to use when necessary"

As she walks in, to the left is the nursing station in the center and surrounding it is 24 beds full of patients. At the Nurses station there are many nurses on computers writing reports, pulling up x-ray photos, patient records and much more. In the surrounding area are the rooms in which are separated by curtains and contain tons of equipment including needles, IV’s, alcohol pads, braces splints and much more. You can hear all of the monitors beeping, people talking and TV screens playing. As you walk around you can see many people standing around, patients, family members, doctors and other personnel. EMT’s are continuously rushing patients back in need of immediate medical assistance as everyone gets up gathers around and starts doing what they can to save the person or get them help depending on how extreme the case may be.

Every day she attends work it’s a whole new experience for her. She gets to help people of all age, gender, race, etc. Every person is different and so are their reasoning for coming into the ER so it creates a wide variety of learning experience for her. She says “The only time my job is boring is when I have no patients to care for.” She tells me how much she likes to help people and she enjoys seeing and learning new ways to care for them. “My favorite part of working in the Emergency Room is seeing something new every day. I enjoy the different atmosphere every time I come in and the gory, gross situations I get to see.”

Nicole stated that she has seen almost everything whether it be cuts, broken bones, gunshot wounds, brains, drug addicts, car accident victims and the list goes on. The one thing she had the chance to do which she has never done before in her life was help deliver a baby, stabilize the baby and the mother and send them off to a hospital able to take care of them properly. It was a life changing experience for her because she was never trained how to deal with that situation since her hospital doesn’t have a maternity ward. It was so different than what she is used to and she is surprised at the fact that she ever even got the chance to do that but the ambulance had brought the mother to the closest hospital possible. “It was cool but I’m not certified as a maternity nurse so it made me nervous and wasn’t sure what to expect when it happened. I’m used to trauma victims because that is what my hospital specializes in.” As a nurse though you are required by law to help someone in need if you are physically capable of doing so and they permit you consent, so it’s more of an obligation for them to do so.

Everyone thinks being a nurse is like being a school nurse. People perceive them to be the pretty doctor’s assistant when they’re so much more than that. Some people think the doctors do all the work when in all reality the nurses do a lot more than they receive credit for. Nurses do all the labor and processing of a patient where doctor’s check off and tell them overall what is wrong with them and why. I don’t think nurses are recognized enough for what they do and should be more appreciated than they are. My mom saves lives every day of her life, she helps people with their conditions and nourishes them back to health. It may seem like nurses don’t do a lot but you should go watch one for the day and then make a judgment based on what they are made to do and deal with throughout their long 12 or even 16 hour shifts.

My mom is my hero and a hero to all of her patients she has treated over the years. She makes sure they have what they need and they're as comfortable as they could be while being treated for. She has succeeded with everything she has ever done in her life and she truly is an inspiration to everyone surrounding her. Her colleagues admire her for the leadership role she takes on each day at work. As her day is coming to an end and she starts to wrap up her shift the next shift nurse appears. When the next nurse comes to take over she sits down at her computer gives an in depth analysis of what she has done all day with each patient and which patients are being admitted and which ones are being released. She tells the next nurse each bed number, what they are here for and how they’ve been helped thus far. She then packs up her bags, grabs her jacket says good bye to all of her friends and faculty members and ventures home to her family. After a long day at work she finally gets to eat dinner with her family, relax and sleep before shengets up and starts the routine all over again.  

 

 

 

 

Eat Fresh

What's the immediate restaurant that comes to mind when you want a delicious and affordable sub to eat? Of course, the answer of Subway. Walking into the Scranton Commons at Bloomsburg University, the signature smell of Subway aroma leaks upstairs to the entrance. As a person walks down the steps, the huge "Subway" sign hangs from the ceiling suspended by two chains. Also, the aroma gets stronger and stronger till the point where it's so enticing people jump in at the end of the line eager to get their hands on a delicious, mouth-watering sub. Students all look focused and gaze at the menu, eagerly awaiting for a turn to start their own magnificent creation.

The tan walls along with red, green, and tan tiles on the floor make this subway more Italian-looking than most. This specific establishment of Subway marks a relatively new one. 15-20 people wait patiently in line while the roar of the Commons continues just right above Subway. Included in the noisiness, contains the communication between the customer and employee working their way through the creation of the sub. Constant talking back and forth and seeing the employee quick to action. Posters hang on the walls, and a board full of different subs go across up above where the employees work. Organized in categories based on their price. 6-inch subs range from $3-$4, regular foot long subs priced around $5, and signature foot longs vary from $6-$7. Also, The choice of  "flatizzas", soup and salads all included. Advertisements about party subs and other items also pop up throughout the board.

Customers have 6 different kinds of
bread to select from.

Victor, an employee at subway, has started his shift at 11 o'clock. Or otherwise known as the start of the daily "lunch rush". Victor has no time to hesitate and starts to work immediately. A total of 4 employees work in a shift, 3 in the assembly line to quicken the process of sub-making, like a well oiled machine. The other lone worker prepares fresh bread and helps out when needed. What a customer doesn't see will be the preparation of the bread.  This requires rolling the dough into strips and baking it in the oven located in the back of the Subway to make warm fluffy bread. Every worker wears a green polo and a black hat with Subway marked across the front of it. The assembly line contains three different parts to sub-making. One that proposes, "What bread would you like?". The customer responds and the employee grabs the type of bread and slices the middle of it to open it up. Also, the same person applies the main meat and cheese on the sub. Then finally he or she asks if the sub shall be toasted. They put the sub in the toasting machine or slide it to the next employee and help the next customer in line. Next, will be the employee who questions, "What veggies would you like?" The customer selects the perfect combination of vegetables and spreads to top off their perfect sub. The employee then wraps the sub in paper and tapes it up. Lastly, someone rings you up at the register. This employee tells the customer, "Would you like chips or cookie and a drink with your sub?" Then they add up the total amount due. All of this happening before them, students wait patiently for the line to keep moving and most of them keep watching the workers make people's subs. Listening to the repeated questions.Victors and his fellow employees have been required to ask these questions because they want to ensure that a person had complete control in what they want for their sub. Each question will be based on which part of the line the employee will be working at. A customer might not know how Subway prepares fresh bread, meat, lettuce, and all the other fixings people can imagine before every day starts. The meat and cheese stay fresh while stored in the refrigerator, Also, the cut up veggies store go into the fridge as well. Victor and his co-workers must be reponsible in keeping these things cooled and fresh. This means every day everything upholds freshness. Hence the slogan, "Eat Fresh".

All vegetables are cut up fresh every
day before served to customers.

When it's the customer time to finally choose what he or she wants, their answers come out quick and confident. Customers tend to lean over and glare down through the glass, looking at what can possibly be in their sub. As the sub slides down the assembly line, so do the customers. Never looking away for a second. Finally, the sub making finishes and one very happy customer walks away with their own masterpiece that they will enjoy greatly.

The employees and Victor, listen to everything that the customers says and does it to the best of their ability. Employees have a sense of sleight of hand and move their hands superbly quick. Victor expresses how working requires little room for error when busy and can make the job stressful. Employees can't mess up and they have to move quickly. After finishing a sub, another one sneaks right behind that one. This repetitiveness and fast-paced style of making subs can lead to employees getting annoyed and mad at each other. Whether an employee moves slow, or works fast and sloppy, Victor reiterates while thinking of his own experiences of tension during work. In order to lessen stress and arguments, new employees require the training that Subway provides. Victor went in on a non-busy hour and focused on what a veteran employee was doing at each step of the sub-making process. This training ensured Victor in having the skills required to be a Subway employee. This also helps when Subway's busy and enables the employees to work fast and efficient.

Under all these circumstances, Subway employees like Victor require attributes such as being cooperative and being a good listener, and let the customer be in control. Victor enjoys working at Subway, for the most part. Even after some of those hectic "lunch rushes" and everything in between. Thus people should respect the fact they work fast and efficient during which they take commands from strangers. Also, doing it with kindness and a smile on their faces.

Lisa

Lisa Anne Deuel Cosentine

"How would I describe myself? Smelly, old and fat. But for the purposes of your class, determined, loyal and purposeful." Lisa says with her medium length brown hair and light blue eyes that pop off of her pale freckled face; the way she carries herself with such purpose and determination, shows the kind of woman she is. Lisa is very committed to the things she does whether she enjoys them or not, and the last thing she would ever want to do is let anyone down, or break a single promise. Whether it be an obstacle she has to overcome, her work, or her ambition to succeed in everything.

A few years back things become real for Lisa. She was told she needed to have heart surgery due to a heart ablation. "At first I didn't know how to react, thoughts of how it would effect my family, and my work filled my mind."
"What about your work and family worried you the most"
"Well my family and work coincide because if I can't work it would effect my family." She remarked. "I knew it was going to make things difficult for me, but I was being dramatic, I knew I had to get it over with."

Having the surgery made things very difficult for Lisa, with having to take pills every day, and wearing a heart monitor because it is required for certain times. Her family was very concerned for her and helped her out as much as they possibly could. "I knew my mother and father would be there when I woke up to take me home, I had that to look forward to." Lisa added in. Although it is a bump in the road, Lisa doesn't let it get in the way of her determination or her drive.

"What else would I be if I weren't a super model?" Being as though she a business analyst specializing in documentation, you could see why a sense of humor is needed. "Working on a computer all day long and answering rude phone calls from angry clients all day, it's good to find the humor in what I do." The very small cubicle that only contained a small desk, a spinning chair and a desktop make for a very gloomy place to work. The only sound to be heard were the clicking of keys and the very dim voices of the men and women working around you. The light of the room came from a window that faced the building near by, not the best view but it gives off plenty of natural light which is enough to brighten such a dim corner or work space.

Lisa's title as a Thirty-One director

Lisa also has a side job that includes sales and making profit through parties. This job is called Thirty-One. Thirty-One involves the sale of imprinted or non-imprinted bags. This includes bags such as make up bags, rolling totes, utility totes, etc. This job also includes traveling to places such as Texas for conference meetings. "Traveling is my favorite part of the job, along with all of the different kinds of people I meet." Lisa has a goal that she has to meet to win prizes that include, vacation, money, prizes, things like that. Just last year Lisa won a trip to Punta Cana for being top in her sales. This year she is headed to Cancun to stay at an entirely paid for resort with her husband. "Growing up I was so afraid to talk to people, and now that's all either of my jobs consist of. And amongst any job that I've had, I couldn't be happier that I joined Thirty-One" Lisa has worked through 3 levels of sales to become as successful with Thirty-One as she is, and it can only go up from there.

Now, Lisa didn't grow up wishing she would become a business analyst or a saleswomen, she had other dreams and plans for herself. One of which, being her love of art, she wanted to be an artist. She wanted to be an artist not only because of her talent but because for the very first time her father began to notice her. Living in a house with four brothers and being the only sister, her father's approval was very important to her. Lisa loved to draw anything from nature to animals to the people around her. She attended one year of art school after graduating from high school, but ended up dropping out because of her belief that she was not as good as everyone else. "It was that insecurity that kept me from doing what I loved, although I don't regret giving it up." Lisa remarked. "A lot of good things came out of me going to school for art, I met a lot of interesting people and learned a lot about myself. The main thing I learned was that I was not put on this earth to be an
art major. Also that I did not enjoy trying people naked for an assignment, but that is a whole different topic."

Lisa believes that through commitment and hard work you can accomplish just about anything. She takes what gets in life and embraces it to the fullest whether it be an obstacle she has to overcome, her work, or her ambition to succeed in all that she does. Lisa believes it is important to love what you do and to make the best out of everything life throws at her and so she went on to say "So I guess to answer my own question (what would I be if I wasn't a supermodel?) I guess I would choose this"

"The Best In Delco"- Jimmy DelRaso

                                                                   “The Best In Delco”

Bruce Bley begins to toss large dough
in order to make a pizza.

            Have you ever wondered what it takes to make a small time business into a successful, township landmark? Coco’s Pizzeria and Pub in Aston, Pennsylvania is just that business. The reason for its success can be mostly contributed to the owner, Bruce Bley who has been working in the pizza industry for 27 years. His energy and charismatic personality can be shown by his persistence to always please the customers, while his leadership and teachings help develop his employees into more effective workers. Bruce has been owner of not just one of the Coco’s pizza shops, but a one point two of them simultaneously. In 1990, he became owner of the Brookhaven Coco’s and then eight years later became the owner of the local hot spot Coco’s in Aston. He ran both pizzerias until 2005, and because of the success Aston’s location was receiving, he had to relinquish ownership of the shop in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania.

            Entering Coco’s Aston, you receive an assortment of aromas ranging from the hot and delicious pizzas to the tasty cheesesteaks. Following the various smells, the sounds of the pizzeria include families and friends enjoying their time at the restaurant, but mainly to hard working employees working in the open kitchen area. When ordering to go you will definitely witness the employees shuffling around one another as they travel from station to station trying to complete orders as quickly and efficiently as possible. Following that you will hear one of the multiple phones ring before an employee answers with, “Hello, this is Coco’s in Aston how can I help you?” As you observe the hectic kitchen area you will take notice of the grill, fryers, and pizza ovens off to the right of the kitchen, and opposite of those cooking station would be the wrap station, where sandwiches are wrapped up for to go orders, the hoagie, salad, and freezer area, and finally the main focal point of the kitchen, the pizza table.

Bruce places a pizza into the oven after putting all
the ingredients on to the pizza.

            Whether you eat in, order to go, or over the telephone for pick or delivery, don’t be surprised when looking at the various food options. When choosing you may notice that the prices may seem a little unreasonable for certain items, but that is only because of the customer and market demand for the food choice, as well as the cross use of the ingredients used for that item. However with that being said, you cannot go wrong with choosing any item on the menu because they are all mouth wateringly delicious. If you decide that you would like to indulge in a famous Coco’s pizza, then there are thirty-five different options ranging from the traditional plain pizza all the way to a Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger Pizza, which includes bacon, meatballs, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, and lastly pizza sauce. On the other hand, if you would like to choose something other then pizza, the list goes on from stromboli’s, various salads, steak sandwiches, hoagies, and even thirteen different burger choices. There are also multiple side orders, including chicken fingers, fries, fried shrimp, and more to choose from if you only want a quick bite to eat.

            The slow times at Coco’s are few and far between. On an annual basis, the slowest time of the year would come during the first two weeks in August because at that time, the summer sporting activities have ended and the fall sporting activities have not yet begun. For this reason, the majority of the customers, which are families go on vacation and won’t be ordering for those two weeks. As for the busy times, they are promising and very hectic. The absolute busiest time of the year is leading up to the holiday seasons. For this reason, Friday nights are especially busy. Cooks bump into one another completing orders by dropping food into the fryer, chopping steaks on the grill, and tossing dough in the air to make the pizza’s or stromboli’s. The kitchen in the pizza shop isn’t mainly male based because the female staff or “phone girls” as they are called are busy answering the phones and refilling the empty workstations on a typical Friday night.

            The location of Coco’s is positive for business, but can also contributes to the negative aspect of business. The positive aspect in terms of location is that it’s located right off of Dutton Mill road, which is a main road going through Aston. As for the negative contribution to business, the limited parking is a major factor for customers. To help slightly solve this problem, Bruce offers out special offers or coupons, as well as inviting people to special events that occur over the weekend. He also makes sure that his business is actively involved in the community with sponsorship for the local sports teams and offering discounts to the schools around the area.

Bruce pulls out Coco's famous Sicilian Pizza
from the oven. The Sicilian Pizza is
a square shaped pizza.

            A typical day inside the kitchen starts with the opening or setting up of the kitchen. This process includes turning on the pizza ovens and soup tables, setting up the pizza tables and hoagie station, and draining the fryers. The doors open at eleven, but there may be tickets already for customers who decided to preordered their meals from Coco's online services. These orders are mainly for businesses and can be rather large at times. Lunchtime at Coco’s is a bit rather because it can be rather busy or remain at a steady pace, but since there are only up to four people working in the kitchen at a time, then they need to prepare themselves to multi-task on a regular basis. While completing orders efficiently, the cooks must also do prep work for the dinnertime rush. Prep work consists of making the different sauces for the chicken wings, cooking up the different pizza toppings on the grill, cutting up produce for the hoagies and salads, and more. Dinnertime sneaks up quickly as there are no breaks taken in the kitchen. Depending on the day, dinner can start early or late and goes well into the evening. Cleaning of the kitchen begins around 9:30 or 10:00 and can be quite vigorous. Cleaning requires just the opposite of what it takes to set up the store. A big difference though is the time that it takes to clean the store because when setting up the store, the employees do not have to cook at the same time, but when cleaning up they do. Closing time comes around eleven o’clock from Sunday to Thursday and twelve o’clock on Friday and Saturday. However, the closing employee’s aren’t able to leave at exactly closing time because more than likely they are still finishing up the cleaning process before leaving for the night.

Manage Connor McGuire
is making various sandwiches
during the busy "lunch rush"

Manager Steve Schmucker
attempts to complete
numerous orders.

       For those of us who get lost in the idea of the pressures and stress that it takes to take a business from the bottom to the top, Bruce provides valuable knowledge. First and for most, he mentions that for him the most stressful part is the dedication that you must have when owning your own business. This stress also incorporates being reliable on those who could be considered unreliable. In terms of working on an everyday schedule when running your own business, he highly suggests it simply because when you’re at work, it takes the pressure off the employees of having to handle everything. Since being an owner is stressful enough, you will always have to place people in charge to take a managerial role. In Bruce’s case, Eric Keeth, Steve Schmucker, and Connor McGuire take on that role because in his eyes the exemplify the qualities of being trust worthy, dependable, inspire the younger staff, and most importantly committed. Finally when hiring new employees always pitch the dedication aspect of the job, but for him he says to those employees, “Work here for the challenging aspect of working at a busy and fast paced restaurant, because there are definitely easier ways to make money.”

Bruce prepares a small pepperoni
before placing it into the oven to cook.

            The atmosphere surrounding Coco’s can be very positive with all the families enjoying there meals and all of the different people sitting at the bar, chanting at the television. It does not matter the time or day, experiencing a meal at this famous pizza place is a must. Leaving with a full stomach and smile from ear to ear is always the expectation for the Coco's employees. When walking out the door, always remember the hard work of these employees and the positive feed back from the customers is why Coco’s in Aston is “The Best in Delco!”