OCR Text |
Show CEU's Norman Larsen to retire after 41 years by Miranda Odandahl staff writer There are few instructors at the College of Eastern Utah who can attest to aiding a student create a rocket and still maintain the integrity of a highly esteemed individual by their fellow staff. Norman Larsen, currently the dean of the science and technology division, is one of those select few. Larsen, who has been at CEU since fall 1 955, is retiring this spring. He began with aspirations to enter the employment force as an industrial chemist and tained bachelor's Balance before. He said he didn't think corporate offices would approve of such a thing, but if we were serious and wanted him to pursue it, he would. It took him a while to get around to asking but when he finally did, corporates response was, what a great idea. Why didn't you think of it a long time ago?" What is usually a one or two month ing the limited hours she was home, she stopped sleeping and eating to create more time with her family. Overtime her immune system became depleted from lack of sleep, too much stress and lack of substantial nutrition. With one illness after another, her doctor thought she must have a serious disorder. Parts of her body were sent to ivy league medical schools for study. She quipped that she always wanted to get into an ivy league school, so at least parts of her body made it. In the end, the doctors concluded that she needed more sleep. She knew she had to restore balance in her life, Fortunately, Kim Johnson, our cover story reporter and weekend anchor was feeling tom between earning a living and having a life. We were crying on each other's shoulders during our lunch break and discussed our need for change and our company . We formulated a plan whereas we would work part time. Our reporting schedules were the cause of most of our long hours so we thought that if we both stopped reporting and gave up a portion of our salaries, the company e could hire a reporter to fill the two part time reporter positions. When Smith and Johnson ran the plan by their boss, he sat in si lence and stared back at them. I dor't think anyone had ever made th? request process, stretched into a complicated ' and emotional six months as details were hammered out including a benefit package, vacation and sick leave. In the end, we had dotted the Is and crossed theTs and got what we wanted. The station got a new policy offering greater flexibility when it comes to how much time is spent at the office," she smiled. Its not easy being at home with your kids sometimes. At work there is immediate gratification for a job well done. With children sometimes the rewards are years down the road. But I know my life is more in balance." She discussed President Clinton's . signing the family leave act into law that was vetoed by previous administrators because of it being too costly and cumbersome to corporate America. The law insures women and men have the time they need to adjust to major life changing events such as having a baby. Even though it is considered by family health activists to be a great victory, the lime off is taken unpaid. Flexible work hours and the family - . full-tim- . iiiuaJEWC Greff Norstard ManaeerOwner discount to CEU students with their Activity Card. SOI E. Main f801J 637-528- 0 f both and master's degrees in (tmlinued from page 6) couldnt fit everything in her life dur- 10 at- Price UT Street 84501-270- 8 leave act can help us balance home and family and so do the changing roles of men and women. Smith's husband plays an active role in their children's lives. He cooks with a hammer, chisel and safety goggles. For someone who minored in chemistry, we have had way too many small explosions in our kitchen. She has a magnet on her refrigerator that helps keep her housework in perspective: cleaning your house while your children are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing. She admits to feeling like shes in a blizzard but maintaining harmony in the house is more important than shiny windows on a house. She went from shining glass to the glass ceiling, or at least breaking through it. Last year 97 percent of the senior managers in Fortune 1000 industrial corporations are white males. Workers tend to be clustered in industries on the basis of gender. Nearly 75 percent of working .women are employed ii service industries such as finance, insurance and real estate and the wholesale and retail trades. Two-thirof all poor adults are women and 80 percent of all working women make less than $20,000 per year. My advice to you is do what is right, ds don't compromise yourself, your values and dreams for a job. There arc always other jobs. And there is always lomormw. " I believe there is much hope in the future for working women. It comes from corporations and politician who arc placing a higher value on the health and happiness of their employees and American families. It comes from a new movement. This includes better conditions for not only women, but also men and children. And I believe that apathy is our greatest enemy. As long as we arc willing to take flight we will eventually reach ourdcstinations." chemistry. However, due to health concerns he entered the educational field instead. Larsen began his career at CEU in 1955 when the institution was still Carbon College and the high school was part of the establishment, a decision which he has never regretted. I went into education. As I look back now I dont think that I would have been happier in industry in any way than I have been as an educator. I think, for me, it has been a wonderful opportunity, he says. Larsens current position is division dean, in addition to this he has held the positions of science department head, faculty advisor for Homecoming, faculty advisor for the gun club CEU once had, he spent 14 years as a dorm parent at the old Aaron Jones dormitory, along with teaching a variety of classes. His primary teaching responsibility has been chemistry, although he has also taught math classes, some computer classes (spreadsheet and FORTRAN) and fly tying. In his endeavors during his retirement he plans on continuing teaching at CEU, however only par; time. His wife teaches health at Carbon High School and will continue to do so for the next two years. After that time they plan on doing some traveling and have discussed embarking upon an LDS mission together. He has several hobbies including hunting, fishing, gardening, photography and fly tying which will take up some of his time in retirement. A former student from the years of 1970-7- 2 remembers Larsen as a teacher who actually taught, he took the time to help me understand chemistry, which is no easy feat." I have had a lot of very good students, 1 dont know what kind of effect I had on them, in a positive sort of way but I know that I am pleased when they do well Larsen commented. Recently, he received an message from a former student. She was in a class of his in 1959 and is now a math instructor at a college in California. He remembers her, along with the students she made reference to in her message that were in her class. That was kind of fan, Larsen says It's interesting how things happen because of modem technology. Larsen fondly remembers several incidents during his years at CEU, but two he remembers as particularly interesting. When we moved into the science building, in room 123, they had a blackboard in there that because of my height, I could write on about the lower one third of it. I complained on a regular basis about that. One day some of my friends who were faculty and administrators knocked on the door and presented me with a pair of stilts!" He proceeded to put them on and walk around the room in them. A rather exciting occurence he remembers happened when he taught a student who was also enrolled in a machine shop class. The student actually made a stainless steel rocket. The student wanted to test fire his creation, so together they carefully researched the project to determine what was a ail suitable propellant for the launch, placed the rocket in a can (the machine gun can), surrounded it with sand and ignited the creation in a stationary test fire. This was in what is currently the EdNet room. I was surprised, that thing the propellant just literally took off...it was late afternoon and there was a green flame on the top of the ceiling. Some of the students even came over from the Milky Way to see what was happening!" he laughingly relates. I cant remember anytime when I didn't want to come to school. I still feel that way, I still enjoy teaching. Whether my students enjoy my teaching is another question, Larsen says. a V? w- if ivV n v;. v-- r v v : ' must work, together to establish a rewarding service experience; ;MnnU tune to completed out that students tA1pointed complain they don ' t have enough , v. " ; V ', service hours and they are often, apathetic to the challenge, of another; assignment to complete.-- On the other hand, faculty straggle, to escape;-- , T .'"L . - . . f' r traditional cuusroom work and fear the changes required toincoiporate service learning in their curriculumi. Regardless of setlks, triaJ work in , ; seryira; learning is praying io tw encouraging and will eyenttia 1 v success. Usman said tfaUstudents involved withserviceleamlng get hooked arid education-guidet seek opportunities for more d service expenencesj educational was event forstudents andl fc v.The service-learnin- g an worksjwp faculty who participated. Lismaii came equipped with handouts that offered f tips and service-learnin- g techniques for facility;' Information presented was t I thorough and provided a good starting background for service-learnigrowth on the College' of Eastern Utoh campus.' iff; ' is Involve-' ; the philosophy chair and director of the Community . Usman ment Center. He isoneof five faculty membenlnvolved in the beginning y project of regional service learning. Lisman serves as mentor coordinator for 4, tte American Association of CommunityCollege's Learn and ServeGrantv; V He is Uie ooeditcir ifor the New Directions Volume, Pivmoiing Cottimuniiyj . Renewal Through Civic liter acy and Service Learning, tind he is the author . of The Curricular Integration of Ethics " Bothworks were1 published in ltq ng , K The broadening of semcfeleanuog program! as methods of teaching are a integral to 'comnity'Mtiegeei & outcome antidrutaii Iw'tfiviceJMrniha |