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World Traveler Hometown Heart
B y D a n R eeve s , L i br a r i a n
A You might be surprised to learn that Brooke is
lways full of fresh smiles and
looks of triumph, Brooke
Easton can be found helping
students in the Learning Center
and in the classroom. As Learning
Center Coordinator, Brooke
manages the tutors and provides
an affable environment for students
to get assistance. Her smile is
contagious and Brooke is always
flexible in assisting her colleagues.
Brooke was inspired to pursue
a career in education by her
grandparents, who were both
teachers. Her role as an educator
began in Kurashiki, Japan as an
assistant English teacher at a
junior high school where she spent
three years. Brooke has traveled to
eighteen countries and also lived in
Spain, England, and Mexico.
A well-rounded educator,
Brooke has taught Foundations of
English for several quarters. She
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Winter
Trends Programs Learning
also an officiant, who recently married two of
her close friends.
is currently finishing up her thesis
for a Master of Arts in English as
a Second Language from Hamline
University with a focus on Adult
Learners. The current topic of her
thesis relates to metacognitive
reading strategies of adult learners.
She also holds a Bachelor of Arts
in International Relations from
William Jewell College, which is
located in Liberty, Missouri. Her
thirst for learning and teaching is
apparent in all she does. Brooke
can be seen throughout the quarter
providing open workshops related
to helping our students get to be
more successful.
When Brooke isn’t teaching,
writing, or studying, she vigorously
pursues her hobbies. These
VOLUME 2 issue 3
Development Events
include yoga, cooking, Japanese
calligraphy, and she has even
competed in several triathlons. You
might be surprised to learn that
Brooke is also an officiant, who
recently married two of her close
friends. She also enjoys traveling
Brooke Easton
Ema i l 6072
back to her hometown of Fairbury,
Nebraska to visit family and spoil Favor i te Foods
her niece. Sushi, Mexican hot chocolate, and
What Brooke likes most fried chicken, mashed potatoes &
about her job is the variety she gravy
encounters on a daily basis. While
Hobb i es
hectic at times, she gets to know
Yoga, cooking, reading, triathlons,
an assortment of students across
and Japanese calligraphy
all programs. She also travels
back-and-forth between the Main Favor i te Book
Campus and the Technology & My Antonia, Willa Cather
Design Center buildings. Brooke Currently Re adi ng
enjoys her job and it shows!  Cleopatra: A Life, Stacy Schiff
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sPOTLIGHT
Top Graphic Design Product Launches of 2010
B y J oh n M i n d i ol a III , M ult i med i a T ech n olo g i e s
G
raphic design is a field
that never stands still. New
graphic design software and tools
constantly emerge and improve,
allowing the field to progress
rapidly. Here are some of the best
software, devices, and gaming
product launches of 2010:
SOFTWARE | Adobe ® CS5
Adobe releases Adobe Creative
Suite ® 5. Its features are
astonishing, improving far beyond
Adobe InDesign ® CS4 and Adobe
InDesign CS3. Some of the most
hyped changes are InDesign’s
animation and media features,
Adobe Premiere Pro’s new
playback engine, AfterEffects’s new
Roto Brush, Adobe Photoshop’s
content-aware erasing and paint
brush enhancements, and the
introduction of Flash Catalyst.
Overall, Adobe seems to be
intentionally blurring the lines
between different software and
media. Many of the new features,
especially the now-native InDesign
to Adobe Flash workflow, attempt
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to give designers more tools to
push beyond their existing roles.
The best part about this latest
release? Adobe InDesign CS6
should only be a few months
away, and if it’s anything like this
release, it’s going to be a treat
for multimedia degree-seeking
students and graphic design
professionals alike.
DEVICES | Apple iPad®
The much-anticipated iPad was
released in April. More than 30,000
sold the weekend of its launch. Is
the device an innovative game-
changer or just a big iPod Touch ®?
Simply put, it’s good for what it’s
intended: web browsing, music,
pictures, books and games, but it’s
Adobe seems to be
blurring the lines
between media.
Learning Development
not a laptop replacement—at least
not yet. Best of all, of course, is the
sleek, handy nature of its design.
GAMING | Motion
DanceDance Revolution™ hit U.S.
arcades in 1999. A decade later, the
technology has moved to the living
room. Wii Fit™ was released May
19, 2008. PlayStation ® Move was
released in September; and Kinect™
for Xbox came out November 10.
These three consoles are now all
capable of motion-detection game
play. From straight-forward sports
to behavior-modification fitness
regimens, gaming seems to have
become a new animal. On the other
hand, while input method is now
different, goals and objectives
of gaming remain the same. By
adding the incentive of the gamer’s
physical fitness—either overtly
or subliminally—these video
games are entrenching themselves
even more deeply into our social
fabric. No matter the motivation,
many are quick to adopt the new
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VOLUME 2 issue 3
Events
gizmos because of the potential
end-results.
And now, gamers can start
even earlier: Fisher-Price ®’s
Smart Cycle Racer is designed
for children as young as three
years of age. Kinesthetic learning
is often a prized practice and
for many children with autism,
it’s an incredibly therapeutic,
demonstrating how gaming
experiences like Wii Fit may not just
be good for physical education, but
also for social education. 
Sources
“Apple iPad Review.” http://www.
engadget.com/2010/04/03/
apple-ipad-review/
“What’s New in Adobe Premiere Pro
CS5.” http://www.adobe.com/
products/premiere/whatsnew/
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 RAZZLE Winter

THE
VOLUME 2 issue 3

sPOTLIGHT Trends Programs Learning Development Events

Nursing Pinning Ceremony Brooklyn Park Campus

B y J od i Z a s trow , D e a n of Nur s i n g

T The nurse pinning ceremony has been around

he atmosphere is electric;
nursing students are dressed
in the traditional white nursing
uniform; family and friends are
gathered to celebrate their loved
ones completion of a part of their
lives and moving beyond to the
next step. This is a time wrapped in
nostalgia and tradition. The nurse
pinning ceremony has been around
for over 1,000 years and will
continue to be celebrated for many
years to come.
The nursing students enter the
ceremony led by their instructors
and are seated on display ready to
hear about their dreams coming
true. The speeches begin by a
speaker, a selected faculty and
selected student. It is now time for
the actual pinning and capping.
for over 1,000 years and will continue to be
celebrated for many years to come.
The significance of the pin
began as the symbol of the cross
and has since transformed into
the design that signifies the
school. The pin represents the
diploma handed out at graduation
ceremonies. Nursing in the past
wore the traditional white uniform
that also included the cap or hat.
Although the cap is not worn in
this modern age, it is still worn
at the ceremony. The pinning is
completed by faculty, family or
friends that are significant in the
students life and a major support
in their nursing education.
Once the pinning has been
completed, it is common practice
for each student to light their
individual candles representing one
of the most well-known nurses,
Florence Nightingale. This signifies
the “passing of the flame” from
Nightingale to each nurse. After
all of the flames are lighted, the
Florence Nightingale Pledge is
recited. The ceremony ends with Nurses Unite Steeped heavily
the new nurse entering into a in tradition, the nursing pinning
new stage of their life. Nurses ceremony provides a memorable event
commemorating nurses of past, present,
unite in this proud celebration
and future.
of the future. 

School of Nursing
Students % of College Spec i al i z at ions

1004 6 1 BS 3 AAS
C areer Are as
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Patient Care
Technician (PCT), Home Health Aide (HHA), Registered Nurse (RN)

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Mentoring as Lifelong Learning Developing Critical Thinking

B y Sho n a R a mch a n d a n i , D i ver s i ty Adv i s or

W Our faculty challenge

e know that students at
Rasmussen get a good
education, and we know that
because we work hard to track
metrics that can provide evidence
of this. They get exposure to
people who work in their fields in
the classroom, they go out and
do internships and externships,
they participate in intellectually
challenging and competitive events
and activities, and they become
all-round citizens by participating
in their communities through
volunteer work and student
organizations.
No wonder placement is at
90% and Rasmussen students are
easily accepted for employment
by prospective employers in their
fields. This is where lifelong learning
comes in. Rasmussen students don’t
just go to class and get intellectual
knowledge, they take what they
learn and they synthesize it into
tools they can use for the rest of
their lives.
One of the most compelling
examples of ‘Student Learning’ that
I have witnessed has been through
the recent introduction of the
Mentor Program. In this program,
new students who voluntarily sign
up to be paired with a mentor are
paired with a student with at least
a 2.0 GPA, who has also voluntarily
committed four hours per quarter
to spend building this relationship.
Both students are paired, wherever
possible, based on their program,
and then on other interests. The
uniqueness of this opportunity
is that students don’t learn from
employers, community members or
even faculty, but they actually have
the opportunity to learn the social,
non-academic tricks of success from
each other. It is very exciting to
see that the learning benefits are
mutual.
Our faculty challenge our
students to think outside the box as
they navigate and learn about their
Shona Ramchandani,
Diversity Advisor
our students to think
outside the box.
programs and their roles as future
employees. Our students then
return the favor by actually applying
their classroom learning to benefit
the mentoring relationship, and
thus, a new student.
Mentees have challenged their
mentors with questions that have
forced the mentors to delve a little
bit deeper into their programs,
future careers, even their attitude
toward their classes. And at the
same time, mentees are benefiting
by getting the “inside” scoop on
their programs, classes, and even
how to find out more information
about their future careers. They are
being challenged by our mentors
to take full advantage of their
Rasmussen experience, and to
become independent as they learn
to access the resources we offer
here. Often this process of learning
to access and use local resources
remains viable for our students long
after they have graduated.
The best part about this
program is that it helps to enhance
students’ academic skills by adding
social skills to their repertoire—
clear communication, good listening
skills, the aforementioned critical
thinking skills, and even leadership
skills. Because the relationship
extends beyond a short period and
actually extends out over an entire
quarter, it is also a relationship
that requires a great amount of
commitment and responsibility.
Our mentors already excel in
the classroom, and now they are
also excelling on the social level
by being leaders who represent
Rasmussen very well. It is a great
reward for those who are doing
well to be recommended by their
instructors as mentors (in fact, my
best mentors are those who come
with a stamp of recommendation
from one of you), and it is a
wonderful benefit for all of us as
they assist our new students in ways
that we often cannot. 

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The Race Facing Workshop A Review

B y Sho n a R a mch a n d a n i , D i ver s i ty Adv i s or

O Frank dialogues around race can help us to

n October 14, 2010, the
Brooklyn Park campus
hosted the St. Paul Foundation’s
better appreciate and live in harmony with E vent

Facing Race program, along

with Washington County & the
Diversity Discussion Group. The
training is titled “Facing Race—New
Conversations Around Race” and
is offered free to any organization
located in Minnesota. Participants
had an opportunity to delve deeper
into their backgrounds as they
began to identify how they learned
to interact with race, and what it
has meant in their lives.
A unique feature of this training
was that it involved the use of
some locally-produced videos that
allowed participants to analyze
the subtle race issues occurring at
a birthday party in the video. The
introduction in the video (from
St. Paul Foundation CEO Carleen
Rhodes and Phyllis Goff, a St.
Paul Foundation Board member)
discussed the impact of race on the
lives of ordinary Minnesotans, and
how having frank dialogues around
it can help us to better appreciate
each other.
and live in harmony with each
other. The videos also correspond
to questions available in a little
packet for each participant,
where participants were able to
personalize the experiences in the
videos with their personal stories.
Each participant sat at a table of
four other participants, whom they
got to know well over the course of
the three-hour training.
At Rasmussen College, we
speak about valuing the diverse
needs of learners. Often, one of
the most visible aspects of our
students’ diversity is their race.
It is important for faculty and
staff to feel comfortable having
open dialogues about this issue
when it comes up, and so this
workshop was very helpful in
providing structured questions and
conversation tips on how to have
a respectful conversation around
race. I would encourage faculty
members to seek out race trainings
as a great way not only to enhance
their own understanding of other
races, but to also provide tools to
use when conversations get heated
in the classroom around these and
other social issues.
Beyond the classroom, students
must also feel like they are entirely
understood and welcomed on
campus. Having this type of
frank conversation provides the
opportunity to better understand
where each individual is coming
from, and thus to understand
each other more fully than simply
staying away from so-called
‘politically incorrect’ terms.
In addition, once we begin to
understand how race affects our
students’ self-identities, and our
own, it also provides a doorway
through which we can begin to
understand the other dimensions
Facing Race—New Conversation
Around Race
Organ i z at ions
St. Paul Foundation’s Facing Race
program, along with Washington
County & the Diversity Discussion
Group
Loc at ion
Brooklyn Park Campus
Webs i tes
stpaulfoundation.org
facingrace.org
of their identities and how they
interact with each other.
Although race issues have been
in existence since race was socially
constructed to create the society
we live in today, they are still
affecting our students at school,
at work, and in their communities.
It is not our fault that this system
exists, but it is our responsibility to
read more

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Facing Race (continued)

learn about it and to work toward
eliminating the inequities this
and other artificially-constructed
social systems bring. It is our job
to provide them with tools not only
to be successful academically, but
also to learn how to navigate the
complex world out there, no matter
what moral, ethical and social
challenges it throws in their way.
Together, by continuously forcing
ourselves to expand our horizons
about diverse identities, we are
not only becoming better staff
and faculty, but are also helping
our students to grasp their full
potential and success. 

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Events Di ver s i t y Comm i t tee Monthly Theme: student he alth & wellness

Research Toolkit—Search Internet Marketing Evolution What Is Environmental Research Toolkit—Library

Strategies Date
Date Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 6pm
12pm
Audi ence
Thursday, January 27, 2011 Staff, students, and the community
7pm
Descr i p t ion
Audi ence
Learn from experts at Google,
Students JWT, and Market Motive. Industry
Descr i p t ion powerhouse professionals will
Tired of searching for hours, only explore the world of Internet
to come up empty handed? Learn marketing, its history, and where
how to use your thesis statement its future is headed, as well as
or assignment questions to find the skills you need to succeed as
just the right resources for your an Internet marketer, the wide
research project. variety of job opportunities, and
the importance of staying current
Onl i ne
with Internet marketing trends in
Thursday, January 27, 2011
today’s business world.
7pm via WIMBA
Onl i ne
Contact
www.Rasmussen.edu/
Brooke Easton
InternetMarketingEvolution
763-496-6072
brooke.easton@rasmussen.edu Contact
James Buum
763-496-6131
james.buum@rasmussen.edu
Sustainability? Databases
Date Date
Wednesday, February 2, 2011 Thursday, February 3, 2011
4–5pm 5:30pm
Audi ence Audi ence
Staff and students Students
Descr i p t ion Descr i p t ion
Learn from experts at Google, Library databases can help you
JWT, and Market Motive. Industry locate, evaluate, and cite your
powerhouse professionals will resources. This hands-on workshop
explore the world of Internet will give you tips and strategies for
marketing, its history, and where using these super charged research
its future is headed, as well as tools.
the skills you need to succeed as Contact
an Internet marketer, the wide Dan Reeves
variety of job opportunities, and
763-496-6071
the importance of staying current
dan.reeves@rasmussen.edu
with Internet marketing trends in
today’s business world.
Contact
Kari Nollendorfs
763-496-4565
kari.nollendorfs@rasmussen.edu

read more

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Events (continued)

Research Toolkit—Web
Resources
Date
Thursday, February 10, 2011
5:30pm

Audi ence
Students

Descr i p t ion
Using Websites for research
presents both opportunities and
challenges. Come to this hands-on
workshop to learn how to
effectively and efficiently navigate
the Web and how to evaluate Web
based resources.

Contact
Anne Deutsch
763-496-4570
anne.deutsch@rasmussen.edu

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