Jim Adduci on CCSJ Athletics and More!

Take a moment to meet Jim Adduci, Vice President for Mission Advancement and Development at Calumet College of St. Joseph. I asked Jim to talk on camera about his long and illustrious history with CCSJ. Jim has been involved with the college as a student, faculty member and administrator for over 40 proud years. He was instrumental in launching the CCSJ Athletics program in 1999 and more recently in providing the vision necessary to construct a new athletics/community center on the CCSJ campus. (CW)



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Keta's Contemplations

I recently took the opportunity to interview Naketa Washington, who has just started her career at Calumet College this past fall. She is an accounting major, member of the track team, and a work study here in the admissions and financial aid office. I took some time to hear about her experience thus far in the CCSJ family, learn about her goals for the future, and listen to her advice for those who might follow in her footsteps. “Keta” as we all like to call her, provides a valuable insight into life at CCSJ from her own very unique perspective. We are very proud to have her here and look forward to her continued successes. Enjoy!

What are some of the factors you considered when choosing a college?

The athletic program and location were both very important factors to me. I wanted a college where I could take my academics and athletics seriously, not just a party school. A couple of the other schools I looked at were Ohio State and Tennessee University. In the end Calumet College allowed me to pursue my academic and athletic goals, while staying close to my family as well.


What was your initial point of contact with Calumet College and your first impression?

The head track coach Don Reed came to our school; he was really different from the other recruiters. He seemed super excited all the time, he just jumped out of the box. It made me really want to be a part of the program because of his passion.

Did you find the financial aid process difficult to understand? How were you able to navigate through it?

I didn’t think I would end up owing very much with the athletic scholarship and my family’s income. I did take out a small loan for some books, but my tuition was covered. At first I was a little disappointed there wasn’t on campus housing offered, but in some ways, I like the responsibility of paying for things on my own and having my place off campus. My first impression of the financial aid office staff was that they looked nice. I was expecting them to be a little mean or at least very direct and straight to the point, but at CCSJ financial aid they really seemed to care and take time with me.

At Calumet College the Staff and Faculty refer to ourselves here as the Calumet College Family, have you experienced this feeling during your time here?

The first time I really experienced this was when the financial aid and admissions office took the time and effort to try to surprise me for my birthday. At first I was disappointed that I hadn’t even got a happy birthday, but then I saw a decorated cake go by out of the corner of my eye. They all took the time to make me feel special. That evening Coach Stamper and a couple of the track guys took me out to dinner for my birthday as well. It was an awesome day and I felt people really cared.
I also feel this family effect through being a part of the track team. I’ve never had a big brother. Now I feel that the guys on the team really treat me as a sister; they are so respectful and know what to say and do to make me feel comfortable.

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Running to Valhalla, Jogging at Wihala

Your first image of Northwest Indiana is probably not that of a long sandy beach with a view of the Chicago skyline. It's more likely associated with BP Amoco, U.S. Steel or one of the other foundations of the local economy that dominate the news of the region. As a refugee from the north side of Chicago, the leafy college town of Iowa City, Iowa, and the frozen tundra of St. Paul Minnesota (just a few of my "hometowns"), I was thrilled to find out about Whihala Beach, located in Whiting, just minutes from the CCSJ campus, when I moved to Hammond several years ago.


To get to Whihala, you just drive down Whiting's main street, 119th, heading east. You'll jog left a bit and go over the trains tracks and there you are. Maybe you've already seen the video of the jet skiers at Whihala on the CCSJ Video Showcase web page. If not, check it out. I've also seen windsurfers, fishermen, boaters, swimmers, sunbathers, strollers and sandcastle artists at Whihala. My favorite activity at Whihala is a good brisk jog, and the best time to do this is early spring or late fall when the beach is mainly deserted and it's just me and the gulls and the distant promise of downtown Chicago. My jogging route usually takes me from the entrance of the beach to the terminus, where the colossal Horseshoe casino begins. The 20-30 minutes of my typical jog is the time period in which all problems vanish and I find clarity in the universe.

A few years ago I found myself jogging Whihala on New Years Eve Day. The temperature had risen to an eerie 50 degrees or so. I was nearly alone on the beach, contemplating the year to come, as I made my way along the barren beach. By the end of my run, I decided that the coming year was going to be a particularly good one. Right now, I couldn't tell you if that year was particularly good or not. That's not the point, really. It was simply the moment of peace that the soothing strip of sand and the endless expanse of blue provided by Lake Michigan at Whihala Beach that mattered.

CW


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Meet Victor Lozano

I was able to find CCSJ Junior from East Chicago Victor Lozano studying for one of his exams today in the Study Buddy cafeteria. I wanted to see how his finals were going as well as what his overall experience has been like here at CCSJ.

Victor said, “What drew me to Cal College were the small class sizes and the one-on-one personal help from the teachers”.
When I asked him what he liked about CCSJ he replied, “Everything! There is not one thing I don’t like. Everything is very organized here and the students as well as the staff are great”.

I then asked him what his biggest challenge has been while at CCSJ. Victor said, “Definitely statistics class! I am majoring in Business Management and had to take the class this year. It was really challenging, but I got through it”.

Before we parted, I asked Victor how his finals were going and he said, “Finals are good. I didn’t have a final in every class because some finals were just the last test of the semester. But I did have one presentation in my public relations class. I had to create my own business. The presentation went well!” Victor stated that the business he created was a wedding planning business. This is something he is really interested in doing after graduation.

Well that’s all for now. I hope you enjoy the long break and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We’ll see you next year.


Crystal Chocholek

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Ten About Hammond

CCSJ is located in Hammond, Indiana though our mailing address is in neighboring Whiting. Huh? Just go with it. In any case, I thought I'd share with you:

Ten Things You May Not Know about Hammond, Indiana

1) Home to a world class golf course: Lost Marsh
2) One of the oldest cities in Lake County - founded in 1847
3) Named for George Hammond who built a slaughterhouse here
4) Located just two miles from the Chicago border
5) Has a marina on Lake Michigan
6) Second most populous city in Lake county with 83,000 residents
7) The Hammond Pros was one of the country's first professional football teams
8) Newly renovated Horshoe Casino doubled in size to 100,000 square feet
9) Has a stop on the Chicago - South Bend South Shore train line
10) Home to Calumet College of St Joseph since our move from East Chicago in 1976

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FA Haiku #2

The Sky's Not Falling


Gift aid so they say
Does not drop down from the sky
File FAFSA online

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Espressos, Lattes, and Cappuccinos! Oh My!

As the Assistant Director of Admissions, I don’t sit in an office all day looking over applications and calling prospective students. I also go out on high school visits, college fairs, and to community events. When you spend as much time on the road as I do, you need a little pick me up (get your mind out of the gutter). For me, it’s coffee. I don’t drink it as much, but when I do, I go for the specialty coffees, your espressos, lattes, and cappuccinos.

As the Assistant Director of Admissions, I don’t sit in an office all day looking over applications and calling prospective students. I also go out on high school visits, college fairs, and to community events. When you spend as much time on the road as I do, you need a little pick me up (get your mind out of the gutter). For me, it’s coffee. I don’t drink it as much, but when I do, I go for the specialty coffees, your espressos, lattes, and cappuccinos.
I decided to compile a short list of places that I stop at when I need that little pick me up (quit laughing). Here is the list:

Starbucks: I get their Carmel Macchiato with skim milk. It tastes great, but it’s pricey. When I have extra cash, I’ll splurge and go to Starbucks.

Dunkin Donuts: I love their Carmel Latte. It’s reasonably priced, except in Chicago. Unfortunately, not all Dunkin Donuts are the same and each one makes them differently. Can’t they all just make them the same so I don’t have to repeat myself four times at 7:00 A.M. when I’m heading to a college fair the day after the CCSJ sporting event?

The coffee shop at the Portage Travel Plaza: I can’t remember the name of this place because I very rarely get out that way. But when I do, I always stop and get their Mocha Carmel Latte. It’s priced right and tastes great.

Granted, these are only my opinions and you may have your own favorite places to get coffee. Wherever you go, that one cup, or more for some of you, will help you get through the day.

Now, I wish there was a Tim Horton’s nearby. Looks like I’m road tripping to Toledo, Ohio.

P.S. Ryan Sexson, you still owe me a cup of coffee from last basketball season for that Judson game.

Becky Leevey
Assisstant Director of Admissions


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Beyond the Border

My first job in admissions included recruitment at Hispanic-majority high schools in Chicago. As a Spanish speaker, it helped that I could answer questions for the parents of the students that attended these schools. There were more Hispanics in Chicago than I ever would have imagined.

The prototypical Hispanic-majority high school, in my estimation, was Juarez, located in the heart of of the Pilsen neighborhood on Chicago's lower West side. The Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods, located between 18th and 26th streets on the north/south axis and Ashland and Pulaski east/west have the greatest concentration of Hispanics in Chicago. Burned in my memory are the massive murals that tower in the patio section of the first floor of Juarez high school. The murals depicted scenes of Mexican history and culture.

Since I no longer live and work in the city of Chicago, I hadn't visited Pilsen in a while. Reminiscing on my many visits to Juarez and its incredible murals, I was reminded that there is an outstanding cultural center in Pilsen where you can explore Mexico's proud muralist history and its other artistic wonders: the National Museum of Mexican Art located at 1852 W. 19th Street, not far from Juarez High School. I stopped by the NMMA last weekend and impressed by its artistic offerings. Founded in 1987, the museum has hosted visits by Mexican presidents, Carlos Salinas de Gortari and Vicente Fox, and by such noted Mexican writers as Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes and Sandra Cisneros. The NMMA expanded to 48,000 square feet in 2001 and houses some 6,000 works of art in the form of textiles, paintings and sculpture, photography and folk art. Special exhibitions on display when I visited included a series of works highlighting the Mexican Day of the Dead ceremonies; a series of paintings by the Mexican painter, Juan Carlos Macias, on the theme of "miracles and saints;" and a fascinating collection of photographs by Pedro Meyer of the scenes from the Mexican Revolution.

A key aspect of pursuing a bachelor degree is expanding your cultural horizons and getting beyond the tired ethnic stereotypes with which you are bombarded through popular culture. A trip to the National Museum of Mexican Art will go a long way towards gaining a greater appreciation of Mexican culture. I highly recommend it.

CW

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A Loan With You

A lot has been written lately about the difficulty that students are having in getting student loans. While this may be the case in certain circumstances, the issue has been confused beyond belief by a combination of journalists looking for catchy headlines and a consuming public already baffled by the vagaries of the financial aid process. My theory is that any issue having to deal with finance causes the reading public to turn off so quickly that they are seldom apt to dig for the truth. It just gets too complicated.

The biggest misconception regarding the availability of student loans is that the changes in the private loan market are somehow impacting the guaranteed Federal Stafford Loan process. Any student, enrolled at least half-time who is a citizen or eligible non-citizen and who is not in default of a previous Stafford loan or above the aggregate limits is eligible for student loans. Yes there are banks who have pulled out of the Stafford loan process. However, there are still hundreds of different lenders who are actively participating in the Stafford Loan process. Also, more colleges and universities are switching to the Federal Direct Lending system in which the loan funds come directly from the government.

It is true that in the non-federally regulated private student loan market that lenders are, as in other lending arenas, tightening their restrictions on credit worthiness and other aspects of the loan process. This will most greatly impact financially needy students who are enrolled at higher tuition private colleges. However, many of these students may still have the opportunity to obtain Federal PLUS loans, which are borrowed by the parent. If the parent does not pass a credit check for the PLUS loan, the student is then eligible for additional Unsubsidized Stafford Loan funds.

Simple isn't it? Financial matters rarely are, but you can help yourself by gathering information for financing college early. Stop by the CCSJ Office of Financial Aid and we'll walk you through the process in detail. Be aggressive, let us help you!

CW



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Seth Waves

The first time I came to Calumet College it was to interview for a position in Financial Aid. I have to admit that that first experience was a bit nerve racking. Along with an onslaught of questions I was hit with the realization that I didn’t know much about college life outside of being a student.

Although the life of Financial Aid Counselor can, at times, be very hectic I have grown to the college in my first few months.

The great advantage of being a student or staff member at Calumet College is that you can have close relationships with all of the staff. I love that each department is not closed off to other departments. Other colleges that I’ve attended have been notorious for being at war with different departments. It’s not like that here. There is an intimate feeling about this place and you can see that in the relationships we all keep.

I’ve had lunch on a number of occasions with different staff members outside of my department, got the walking tour of the hidden gems of CCSJ (Black Box Theatre, super secret top floor “don’t tell”), and have seen the new athletic building being built from the ground up.

Even though I have been pretty busy in financial aid I feel in tune to what is going on around campus and would not and have not hesitated to take a break to learn about other areas.

From my experience I can tell that Calumet College is a place that is hard working, dedicated, and more than anything there is a sense of comfort. The people that make this place exist are definitely part of the reason why in my first few months I have felt at home.

My hope is that CCSJ will continue to be a place in the coming years for me to further my skills. I am sure that I will see many of you with your financial aid concerns and if not maybe I will see you in the class room as well.

Be well and go crimson wave!

Seth Frank
Financial Aid Counselor


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Haiku U.

Haiku is an ancient form of poetry of Japanese origin consisting of three metrical phrases of 5-7-5 syllables. While poetry is more typically associated with nature and human emotion, there is no reason why financial aid cannot be expressed in verse. Thus, below is the first in a series in what we in ADFA are calling "financial aid haikus." (CW)

PIN Dropping

Filing the FAFSA

Not as hard as you might think

Remember your PIN

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Get to the Finish Line!

In these tough economic times, as an adult student, a college education is becoming increasingly important in order to currently maintain employment or to make a career change due to the loss of employment. But, with the priorities of raising a family, working, or searching for new employment, college may not be seen as a viable option at the present time. However, you can still raise your family, work, and be able to attend college.

Depending on your current schedule, there are day, evening, and weekend classes available to work around your schedule. Our adult students enjoy the evening and weekend classes because they are convenient for them to attend since they are one day a week. In addition, our adult students take advantage of the free child care that is available. Children must be at least 3 years old in order to attend child care.
Financially, you may think that that college is a quest that is unattainable due to cost. However, you can afford to attend college. Financial aid is available to students by filling out the FAFSA form. By not filling out the FAFSA form, you are missing out on receiving financial aid from the State of Indiana and the U.S. Government.
Get started on the right path to getting your college degree by attending the CCSJ Adult Student Enrollment Day on December 4. This day is designed so that you can complete the enrollment process in one day. Hope to see you there!

Becky Leevey
Admissions Counselor


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Run For Your Money

Does it seem that your paycheck has legs of its own? Sometimes it can feel as though it has vanished in the blink of an eye with nothing tangible to show for it. One of the most important tools to gain mastery of your finances is to know where it is going in the first place. Save all your receipts for the next month, throw them in a shoebox and then tally them up into categories. Different color high-lighters can add some fun to this project.

Housing, transportation (including car payment), food, entertainment, medical, charity/gifts, pets, technology/communication, late-night pizza orders, are some to start with. Make up your own categories that are meaningful to you or use these as a base. You may be surprised by the results. Spending on food is one of the most commonly underestimated categories, those subway runs can add up to a surprising chunk of your earnings. So empowered with your new knowledge, is this how you want to be spending your hard-earned dollars? Stay tuned for more on how to take back your paycheck.



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Crystal Eyes Whiting

For those of you who know nothing about me besides being an Admissions Counselor here at CCSJ, I thought I would let you in on a few things. I grew up in Whiting and lived here for 23 years until I decided to move to Hammond. Whiting is a smaller town with a population of a little over 5,000. Some people think that there is nothing to do around Whiting, but I can honestly say that the town of Whiting is really a great place to live! We have Wihala Beach right down the street, which is a fun spot in the summer to swim, go boating, jetskiing, and get an awesome tan! You can even see the Chicago skyline and the fireworks from Navy Pier on those hot summer nights from the beach. We also have the new and improved Horseshoe Casino right next to the beach. If you’re not a gambler, it’s okay. The Horseshoe offers a great buffet as well as Jack Binion’s Steakhouse. They also have a brand new Venue, where many concerts and comedy shows are held each week. Some of the most recent performers that came to the Venue were the Smashing Pumpkins and Alicia Keys.

As for 119th Street, this is the place to be. There are many shops and restaurants all along what people from Whiting call the “1-1-9”. My two favorite places to eat are Grillers, which is a great place for burgers and wraps, and Sunrise Restaurant where they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Besides eating and shopping along 119th Street, Whiting knows how to put on a good party! What other town knows how to celebrate like we do? Two of the greatest events held in Whiting is our 4th of July Parade and fireworks and the Pierogi Fest. I look forward to this every year! People from all over come to our little town of Whiting just to get a taste of this experience. For those of you who haven’t been, I’m going to say no more. I guess you will just have to find out for yourself what all the hype is during the month of July. Until next time….

Crystal Chocholek
Admissions Counselor
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Writer's Blog - Welcome to our World

Change happens. Blogs are suddenly everywhere – somewhere between 37 – 100 million of them according to Google. But this is not just another blog. This will be your home for a continuing conversation on Calumet College of St. Joseph campus updates, CCSJ admissions and financial aid information, interviews with CCSJ students, and other features (we’re even talking about doing financial aid haikus!) designed to give you, the prospective student, a great idea of why CCSJ is a leader in higher education in the Calumet region of Northwest Indiana and South Chicago. I encourage you to respond to the blog entries with your own comments. We can cover any topics of concern to you that will give you a better picture of what is it like to be a CCSJ student. I have invited the Admissions-Financial Aid staff to submit entries in this blog. If all goes well, current CCSJ students will also be published here. Hang on for the ride – it should be a good time.

Chuck Walz
Director of Admissions and Financial Aid
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