With Finals quickly approaching, we need to recognize and be aware of how stress can hurt us. Here are a few signs of stress, and a few tips to help deal with stress.

STRESS

The time to relax is when you don’t have time.

Prolonged anxiety and stress can burn you out.

Signs of burnout include
· Working harder and accomplishing less
· Forgetfulness
· Increased irritability
· Increasing bouts of fatigue
· Sleep disorder
· Physical complaints

Ways of Managing Stress
· Exercise, eat right.
· Learn to say “no.” Don’t overextend yourself.
· Relax and get enough rest.
· Surround yourself with good, positive people.
· Develop a schedule.
· Avoid comparing yourself to others.
· Set reasonable goals.
· Avoid alcohol, drugs, smoking, and overeating.
· Find healthy ways to relive stress.
· Learn the power of positive thinking.

Welcome back from Spring Break!

Students from ILCC welcome Back! I hope everyone had a good spring break There is some good news that I would like to share with everyone. First of all we have approximately 6 weeks of school left. For some that means the end of their freshman year in college, for others it means they are graduating and moving on to bigger and greater things. What ever the case may be lets finish off a good year Strong with good grades and awesome GPA's! The other good news is, it is finally Spring. The snow is melting away and every day the temperature gets warmer. Say Adios Winter! There are many new things that come with Spring. Some ideas: support the ILCC softball and baseball teams, get involved with intramurals, give blood (Spencer Campus).

Have a good Day and remember don't give up and finish strong!

Thank you for serving our country

We have been very fortunate to have a HERO among us. Darla, who works at "The Dock", is a hero; she has been working at The Dock since preseason started for the Soccer Athletes. Darla has been helping to keep our students fed, and she will be leaving us in June to go to her new job serving our country. We have been very fortunate to have had her these past couple of months. Darla is very courageous for serving our country and making sure our country is free. Tomorrow March 12, we will be having a small going away get together at The Dock at 9am to thank her for all she has done for us. We thank you Darla for being a brave soldier....we will always keep you in our thoughts and prayers.

Just a quick reminder the Siouxland Blood Bank will be here on Wednesday February 3, 2010 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. They will be located in room 206.

There is a sign-up sheet at the front desk. It is not required you sign up, but it would be beneficial to know how many people are donating, and also will help eliminate wait times.

Remember, one pint of blood could save three lives.

Some frequently asked questions:

How long does it take to give blood?

The process for whole blood donation usually takes about an hour. The blood collection itself is usually about 10 minutes. The donation process includes registration, a brief medical screening, blood collection and refreshments.

How much blood is taken?

Whole blood and apheresis (platelet) donations are about one pint. One pint is roughly equal to one pound.

How often can I give?

You are eligible to donate whole blood every 56 days. Red blood cells are the oxygen carrying cells. They can take two weeks or longer to fully return to normal.

How much blood do I have in my body?

Woman have about ten pints, and men about 12 pints of blood in their bodies.

Is it safe to give blood?

Yes. Donating blood is 100% safe. You cannot get HIV or any other infectious disease from dontating blood.

How long until my blood is used?

All blood donations are processed and available for use between 24 and 48 hours. Whole blood is processed into components (red cells, platelets and plasma). After processing, the red cells can be stored for 42 days. Plasma can be frozen and stored for up to 12 months. Platelest (from whole blood or by apheresis) are stored for 5 days.

If you have any other questions, please check the Siouxland Blood Bank website at http://siouxlandbloodbank.org/index.asp or call 712-252-4208 or 800-798-4208.

Snow Days!

With the recent inclement weather ILCC campuses have been facing, it has been necessary for ILCC to close it's doors. Monday the entire day was declared unsafe for drivers with the wind creating limited visibility on the roads, and also a late start today at 10:00 AM. This extra time has maybe created some time for students to have a relaxing day, or to catch up on some tasks.

To keep updated on weather cancellations or to join the Iowa Lakes Alert System, click HERE.

Finals are here!

Be exited, the final week of school is finally here!!! Finals week started last Thursday, December 10. All of the students are stressing out about their grades, leaving little room for fun times; what they don't realize is that by doing so they are just increasing their stress. Put the books aside for a while and go have some fun; you will see that by doing so you will be more relaxed when its time to hit the books again. Good luck to everyone this week!!!!

Thankgiving Break is here....

Well, the break has arrived that most of the students have been really looking forward to! Thanksgiving BREAK! The students at the Spencer Campus have been chompin' at the bit to head home for the holidays. In fact, many of them got an early start. The break is well deserved by the students who can use this time to refresh their minds and come back to finish the last month of the semester strong.

Today, "The Dock" hosted a Thanksgiving Dinner full with all the trimmings. All students, staff and faculty were able to eat lunch for $2. It was a huge success! The Thanksgiving Dinner was also open to the public and believe me, the public took full advantage as well. I even saw a group of folks from a local radio station there...KICD. "The Dock" was such a success that people were actually waiting to get inside and eat. It was really exciting to see that many folks at "The Dock" Cafe.

Well, here's to everyone have a very happy Thanksgiving holiday break. I believe we all have so much to be thankful for during a very tough 2009!

Coach Farley