The Spirit of Giving: 10 Simple Things Anyone Can Do

1. Adopt a soldier: Gather together basic toiletries, personal items, magazines, and packaged, non-perishable snack items into a care package and send it to a U.S. soldier serving on active duty. Organizations like Adopt A US Soldier will connect deployed soldiers with supportive citizens. Adopt A US Soldier also provides suggestions on what to send and how to send care packages overseas. 2. Collect and donate used clothing: Organize a used clothing donation drive at your work. Contact a local shelter in your area to make the donation or make an appointment for the Salvation Army or Goodwill to pick up the donations. 3. Create a Volunteer Project for Children: Utilize a birthday party to organize a volunteer project with the children attending the party. Turn the festivities into a card-making event for critically-ill children from a local hospital. Set up a creative station with stickers, colored markers, and construction paper to help bring out the Picasso in every party-goer. 4. Make a donation in someone’s name: Instead of a traditional gift, make a charitable donation in a friend’s name or buy a charitable gift card from Charity Gift Certificates that permits the recipient to apply the donation toward a charity of their choosing by redeeming it online. 5. Dog Walking: Volunteer at a local animal shelter as a dog walker. The dogs in these shelters are often confined in their cages throughout most of the day and the minimal activity can cause unnecessary health complications. Daily walking can help keep the dogs fit, healthy, and adoptable. 6. Cuddle Babies: Volunteer at a local hospital or orphanage as a baby cuddler. If newborns and infants are separated from their mothers early in life, the child may not receive adequate human contact to begin developing social interaction skills. Through touch, baby cuddlers can help these children to develop into loving and caring adults. 7. Write the Life Story of an Elder: Today’s elderly lived through the 20th century, a century that included the Great Depression, WWII, the moon landing, Vietnam, the Civil Rights Movements, the sexual revolution, the rise and fall of Communism, and the internet. With so much living, the elderly have precious life stories that ultimately get forgotten. Take a few hours to preserve these stories and valuable life lessons by connecting with parents and grandparents and creating a written account, a scrapbook, or a blog for family members to cherish for many years to come. 8. Throw a Neighborhood Party: Throwing a party has more to offer than just a whole lot of fun. By organizing a neighborhood gathering, members of the block become more connected and, in turn, create a reliable network within the community. In addition, children who feel protected in their neighborhood will have people to turn to in an emergency. Maybe one of the neighbors will volunteer to be a McGruff Safe House, a safe place for kids to go when they need immediate protection. 9. Make a Baby Supply Kit: Newborns in Need delivers donated baby items to sick and needy babies and their families in the U.S. From diapers to warm sleepers, these donations help to keep babies in need healthy and warm throughout the year. 10. Shovel Snow: Help the elderly members of your community by offering to shovel the snow from their driveways and walkways. Every snowfall, seniors suffer from heart attacks caused by overexertion or bodily injury brought on by lifting heavy shovels or slipping on icy walkways. Look around the neighborhood and offer a little muscle and elbow grease to those who need it this winter season. Back to the Top

School of Business Introduces Entrepreneurship Specialization within the MBA Degree

California Southern University’s School of Business announces the offering of a new specialization in the Masters in Business Administration (MBA) Program: Entrepreneurship. This specialization blends the programs graduate management training with interesting and relevant Entrepreneurship courses for a comprehensive education in this field. The Entrepreneurship courses will be available to interested MBA students beginning January 1, 2010. Entrepreneurship courses include: ENT 6500 Entrepreneurship ENT 6501 Entrepreneurial Financing & Venture Capital Management ENT 6502 Business Plans for New Ventures ENT 6506 Family Business Management ENT 6507 Managing Growth of a Small Business ENT 6508 Using a Web Presence to Grow Your Business ENT 6510 Entrepreneurship: Capstone Project Back to the Top

Law Corner - From the Desk of Dean Ellen Sampong, J.D.: Reflection on the First Amendment

The few and the brave craft a religious liberty policy

The first amendment of the US Constitution indicates that there must be separation of church and state. This means that public schools still maintain the right to pray or learn about religion as long as there is a secular purpose, does not advance or inhibit religion, and there is no excessive entanglement between church and state.

But here comes the clincher: it is incredibly difficult to pray or learn about religion while separating church and state. As a result most school districts have tossed those rights to eliminate the possibility of being sued.

Well, welcome to Spencer School Officials, in Iowa, to whom I would say “the few and the brave.” In September 2009, Spencer school officials felt it was time to lead public schools in crafting a religious liberty policy. The policy would allow the school to (1) offer an elective in The Bible in History and Literature and Critic of Darwinism, a scientific approach; and (2) permit students to pray, discuss their faith and hand out religious materials. The Bible in History and Literature would involve studying the bible as a text and the Critic of Darwinism, a scientific approach would involve the critique of Darwinism. In addition, students would be allowed to give religious graduation speeches.

However, many interfaith, non religious advocates, and members of the Americans United for Separation of Church and State have complained about the policy. For fear of being sued, Spencer school officials have suspended the policy but have indicated that they will go back to the table and work on it. (Yes they are indeed brave!)

My thoughts:

1. Can the bible be used simply as an instructional text without conflict? How can one teach the bible without teaching the principles of Christianity…..?

2. How does a religious graduation speech benefit students who are not from that religion?

3. Distribution of flyers and religious matters could prove dangerous if the flyers start attacking other groups such as gays and lesbians, etc.

Bar News: The February General Bar Exam is around the corner. Students anticipating taking the February General Bar should be studying diligently and preparing! There are many commercial Bar Review Prep Courses out there to help in the preparation. Please contact your Academic Advisor for advice or suggestions on Prep Courses in your area.

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Distinguished Scholar’s Lecture Series - Diane Yapko & Dr. Michael Yapko

Diane Yapko, M.A.
DATE/TIME: Saturday, February 20, 2010 - 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PST


LOCATION: 3 ways to learn and earn CEUs:

Dr. Michael Yapko
www.yapko.com
DATE/TIME: Saturday, February 20, 2010 - 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. PST

LOCATION: 3 ways to learn and earn CEUs:

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Join the PsyD and MA Case Management MegaConferences Every Tuesday

The University is excited to announce the Case Management MegaConference. This is an exceptional opportunity for our PsyD and MA students who are currently enrolled in the practicum to interact with one another, share their clinical experiences, and have an open dialogue with fellow learners and the Director of Clinical Training. The MegaConference is offered every Tuesday from 2:00 -3:00 p.m. Pacific Time. To participate in the Tuesday MegaConferences, please contact your Academic Advisor for details.

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Psychologists and Social Workers Needed for National and Overseas Opportunities

The U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) is seeking Masters and Doctorate level Civilian Behavioral Health Professionals for national and overseas opportunities. Psychologists and Social Workers will provide assessment and counseling in the treatment of substance abuse, co-occurring disorders and suicide risk assessment associated with PTSD for active duty military and family members. To find out additional details about recruitment, relocation bonus, and benefits visit the U.S. Army MEDCELL website and send resumes to Jennifer.Loy@usarmy.mil. Additional resources for these positions can also be found on the militaryconnection.com website.

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