Bloomsburg's Feline Friends

 

With a door shutting behind you and another one opening to reveal a beautiful little lounge with dozens of feline friends awaiting. Welcome to the Cat Cafe. A fishy house with furry friends running around very indifferent to your existence. Upon walking in Deb, a pudgy, gray-haired white lady welcomes you to the Cat Cafe. A lovely lounge filled with comfy couches and, of course, cats of all variety. Everything you can sit on is covered in blankets to protect it from the cats but it also adds a great layer of comfort for anyone, cat or human, who sits on it. 

A brunette, about 5'6 woman walked in with a little girl who appeared to be her daughter. The daughter instantly gets to chase the cats around trying to pick them up and play with them. The mother instantly tells the daughter that she needs to be patient. She needs to wait for the cats to come to her. Deb informs the lady that you aren't allowed to pick up the cats in the main room and that the basement is closed. The lady spends the rest of her hour either relaxing in a blanketed chair covered in cat hair, or keeping her daughter in check so that she doesn't hurt, or get hurt by one of the kittens. Deb, however, is having a lovely conversation with Sue. 

    Sue is one of the four founders of the cat cafe: Sue, Hannah, Dianna, and Michelle. They all met while working at animal rescue in their younger days. Sue had eventually left the rescue to pursue other things, but nonetheless, they all stayed in touch. In 2019, the four women had decided that the town of Bloomsburg needed a place where you could go relax, socialize with kittens, and maybe even adopt them. A place open to anyone and everyone who wants to go. A Cat Cafe.

Cats in Bloom is a nonprofit organization that involves itself in the community in multiple different ways. They have just about 45 volunteers who help keep the business running like a well-oiled machine. These volunteers are in the business before and after hours to do things like, feed the cats, clean the litter boxes (occasionally dumping and scrubbing them),  clean up around the shop, give certain cats their medicine, and countless other priceless things to keep the business alive. 

All of the cats that you see at Cats in Bloom are foster cats. Meaning that the volunteers who work there take cats into their homes and raise them before they make it to the cat cafe. So many cats are in these foster homes because the business can only hold about 50 cats at its main location.

Before a cat can be admitted to Cats in Bloom it must be fully vetted (spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and test negative for FIV and FELV which are aids and leukemia). Some cats who test positive for FIV may still be admitted to Cats in bloom depending on age and how friendly they are.

By the time most cats make it to cats in bloom they're very friendly and comfortable with other pets as well. Most of the foster homes that they're raised in have many other cats and dogs too! Since the cats already know what its like to be with other pets, getting them accustomed to a new environment only take a few short days. The cats are introduced slowly, and once they're in they find a spot and just hover there. 

Cats in bloom receives multiple donations. Some from people who pass away and leave donations to them in their will. but others  that come from their Amazon and Chewy wish lists which can both be found at https://www.catsinbloom.org/donate. Every donation counts, and goes toward feeding a cat without a permanent home. 

There are three rooms at Cats in Bloom. The main room is filled with cats who used to be strays or just older cats and while they're all very friendly you're not allowed to pick them up due to their backgrounds, a basement, is filled with cats who were all fostered and are usually a little bit younger,  and a kitten room, filled with kittens. “So in the main room, they’re more adults. Some of them were strays, but were friendly enough to come here, but aren’t comfortable being held.”

You can feel free to pick up and pet any of the kittens in the kitten room and in the basement just don't be aggressive.

A Tropical Getaway - Brianna Freeman - Final

Locohana Tropical Grill, Beach Haven NJ

Sitting on the shores of Long Beach Island, New Jersey lies a vibrant teal building covered in tropical decorations enhancing the restaurant. At a closer glance there are metal planters overflowing with colorful flowers in shades in bright pink and green. Joyful conversations from various families and children screeching with laughter playing games fill the air as smooth reggae music plays from the overhead speakers. Approaching the window to order a wave of Caribbean spices comes through, giving customers a preview of what they are about to order. Locohana Tropical Grill has become a local hub for community engagement, exquisite dining, and bringing new experiences and flavors to Long Beach Island.

Tiki toss, corn hole, and picnic tables 

Locohana Tropical Grill, formerly called “Biggy’s Beach Grill”, is a small family owned restaurant on the shores of Long Beach Island, New Jersey right in the heart of Beach Haven. Cars zooming up and down the boulevard creating the bustling atmosphere of summer at the jersey shore. A long gray wooden deck lays below the order counter with pots of white flowers on the edges and string lights lay overhead that will later be beaming as the sunsets over the bay. Summer is peak time for business for all seasonal restaurants in Long Beach Island, so it is not unusual for lines of people to wrap around the restaurant, impatiently waiting to satisfy their cravings they have been waiting for all year long. Having only outdoor seating makes the restaurant highly interactive. Cornhole boards lay in the shell coated parking lot waiting to be played by families, hand painted tikis by the valued staff decorate the stumps in the parking lot, and a towering handcrafted tiki toss sits on the side as small children cry out in laughter trying to win. 

Logo

When looking around there is a definite influence of "island time". For description of the cuisine, "After traveling to various tropical places such as Xuma, Mexico, the Bahamas, etc. I wanted to pull inspiration from all the different kinds of food I have tried and bring a new kind of Caribbean fusion restaurant to Long Beach Island. "joyously declares owner Mike Dunkin as he reminisces on his travels. While there are four primary owners, the face of the main Locohana is Mike Dunkin. Mike is a Navy veteran who, since his time in the military, chose an entirely new path and risked it all on his vision. On sight you will see a tall white man with long dreadlocks and tattoos greeting every customer with outstanding service. He sets the bar high for the staff on the quality of customer encounters that should be given, expressing that “each customer should walk away feeling like they had an engaging, cheerful conversation.” 

Long Beach Island, NJ

What makes Locohana so unique is the quality of food, made to replicate flavors from exotic islands. Sitting on wooden benches about to take the first bite, the flowing wind from the ocean breeze blwos across customers faces as a distant scent of the salt air lingers and waves faintly crash in the background. The clientele is not exclusive to large touristing families, people of all ages come to Locohana for the magnificent meals and relaxing atmosphere, “even locals say they feel like they’re on vacation when dining at Locohana and they live here year round.” a local staff member expresses with glee.

Variety of some foods served at Locohana

On sight, the food has vibrant sauces cascading across them in a unique squiggle design accompanied by sides of yellow island-rice, Caribbean seasoned corn, and crisp salad. Each bite has a burst of flavor followed with a kick of spice. Dining at Locohana is more than a typical chain restaurant, leaving there as a customer you feel like you are a part of the "crazy family", which is what the restaurant name means, everyone is one happy crazy family coming together on one island. To find out more visit Locohana.

Tucci’s Tattoo Parlor & Skate Shop

Tattooing, Skating, and Baby Alligator: Inside Tucci's Tattoo & Skate Shop 

Outside View

    Fall is quickly approaching in Bloomsburg, all the leaves are falling and turning yellow on the sidewalks of Main Street. Walking down Main Street, a quirky shop is next to Capital Bar and Grill. A bold sign says "Tucci's Tattoo & Skate Shop", looking through a large window,  customers will see colorful purple and blue lights, with cobwebs, skulls, and a taxidermied wolf. There's a large neon sign that quickly flashes "Mystery tattoos get what you get..." and once that door is opened you're greeted by Halloween fully in swing, decorations of mini pumpkins and skulls, all welcoming the second you enter. 

    The shop gives off an edgy and mysterious vibe, with electric energy the second you walk in. Framed tattoo sketches, cultural artifacts, and Halloween masks, hung all over the walls alongside a massive printed copy of Van Gogh's Starry Night. As guests sit on one of the black couches in the waiting area they'll notice a large tank with a baby alligator inside it. It's an exotic and interesting pet to have at a tattoo parlor, but it adds to the edgy vibe. While you're lounging you can participate in receiving a mystery tattoo from the red 50-cent machine, it's a playful way to tease customers into getting a cool or ridiculous tattoo. The shop is owned by Tucci, otherwise known as Isaiah. Isaiah is one of the tattoo artists, he greets every customer in a quiet voice. Covered head to toe in tattoos and piercings, he is welcoming and not intimidating. Isaiah is well respected, his presence is known the second he walks in the door, and while he's a bit socially awkward he has a lot of respect from his employees. Another respected employee is Sarah, the shop's only piercer. Sarah is very loud with a warm and nurturing presence, she cares deeply for the baby alligator, and she's always chatting with Isaiah or Cody. 

Alligator Tank & The Walking Dead

"Can I hold the alligator while you do it?" she asked Cody with a grin, already walking towards the tank.

 

"If you don't move a lot" Cody replied. 

Cody is the other tattoo artist, and he's a big softie, with a bit of a country accent you can immediately tell he loves his job and enjoys tattooing. 

Inside the Life of Tucci's Shop

The journey to opening Tucci's Tattoo & Skate Shop was fueled with passion and love for Isaiah's talent. 

"This shop has been open at this location for about two months now, but we've been in Bloomsburg for two years." shared Isaiah. 

The addition of the skate part of the shop, came after Isaiah had met a friend and they shared a vision, "It was just an idea, and we made it happen." said Isaiah effortlessly. 

Isaiah is firm in his confidence as a tattoo artist, when asked if he's ever doubted his ability, his response was a chuckling "no." Though he remains humble about his success. 

"I was self-taught, studied for about three to four years, and now I've been doing this for over ten years," Isaiah said. 

Tucci's work schedule is just as intense, with his other artist Cody covering the 10 am-5 pm shift on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Isaiah comes every day and takes the 5 pm-10 pm shift. While Isaiah's nights are busy, he finds a lot of joy in his work and talent, especially when it comes to his customers. When asked what the most rewarding part of the job is he answered "Oh, the posting rewarding part is seeing everyone happy with what they get after it's done". His shop often draws the attention of young college students, who in his words love to get small dainty tattoos above their knees, behind the ear, and above the wrists and elbows. 

While every shop has its own stories and lore, Tucci's is one with fun stories and backgrounds. Isaiah recalls one of the craziest requests he's ever received "This one lady wanted a tiger above her... couch area", he said laughing and shaking his head. But while the unusual requests may keep things interesting all of Isaiah's inspiration truly comes from his brother, another tattoo artist. 

"My brother made me want to start," he says.

"But I think I overpowered him with my art because I've been doin' it a little longer now." 

Tucci's shop is always buzzing with noise whether it's from the tattoo/piercing guns, the music, or The Walking Dead playing on the TV, there's always something happening. Isaiah's team usually holds special events to keep all the energy alive. "We've got the Bloomsburg Fair coming up, and we do flash sales for every holiday," Isaiah explains. At the Bloomsburg fair, Tucci and his team have a tent where they do $10.00 tattoos every year. Now whether it's flash tattoos or spontaneous piercing deals, there's always something interesting happening at Tucci's. 

From Coach To Player

From Player To Coach

As you walk into the athletic field you instantly feel the hard turf beneath your feet and the crumb rubber molding around your shoes. You spot all the players on the Berwick Area High School team practicing movement, yet notice someone who looks a little too old to be on the team. That "too old" person is the coach of the soccer team, Coach Jose Umana. Jose has silky curls that adorn the top of his head. Adding to that he has dark brown coffee eyes that glisten when the sun is gleaming on them. They say the million dollar smile is hard to have, but Jose has it. He is often compared to Mario Lopez. Jose has a stocky build which is beneficial to his everyday life. Being a soccer coach is not all that he does, he works as a massage therapist at Oasis Bodyworks in downtown Berwick. Accomplishing all of his life  goals, engaged with his high school sweetheart, becoming a father of two children, and even becoming a homeowner in this economy, he realized he is missing one thing in his life, and that missing piece of the puzzle called life was soccer. He always had a passion for the game but he never thought that one day he would actually become a coach for the sport that has been with him for most of his life. "I grew up in the area, and grew up playing as a teenager, the passion for the sport drew me to coach. I want the sport to grow more in the area, especially being a father of two kids. I want to see where I can take it and hopefully my kids have a passion for the sport as I do," Jose remarked proudly.

Practice continued as normal, but Coach Jose decided to do something differently, he ran a big game between him and his other coaches against the players. The players began to chuckle to themselves saying "This match is gonna end quickly, you guys are past your prime," one player stated. All the coaches smiled as they knew what the players were in for. Instantly the practice game starts off hot with tons of trash talk peppered throughout the game. Each kick of the ball sounded like an explosion went right off next to you as how loud each kick was. The match continued as normal but midway Coach Jose switched off of the player mindset and went into the coaching mindset. Instead of capitalizing off each mistake the players make he tells them what they are doing wrong. That shows you what kind of coach Jose is. The match ends with a whopping score of 12-1 with the players getting a big win before their rivalry match. 

Moving towards the rivalry match against Hanover Area you walk into the stadium and instantly smell the stinging smell of Icy Hot being rubbed on each of the players legs before the big game. The sounds of soft whispers surround the field as each team is discussing their keys to victory for this game. Each player is ready to leave everything in that field for the love of the sport. Suddenly, a loud pitched whistle is heard from the middle of the field. The rivalry game between Berwick Area and Hanover Area has begun. The game started off hot, each player gunning for the ball at top speeds. As time went on the competitors were slowly boiling to their limit in being respectful. One wrong move and it will set off every player, coach, and spectator. As you know this is a rivalry game so it was expected that it was going to be set off, and it was. Number 5 from Hanover took a hard fall while trying to get control of the ball and BAM! Number 9 from Berwick Area bumped him so hard that Number 5 lost his footing on the turf and hit the dense fake earth that they were playing on. Instead of apologizing and offering his hand to help him off of the concrete like turf, he picked up the ball and threw it at Number 5 with such force it would seriously injure someone. The noise it created echoed throughout the field, For a brief couple of seconds it was silent, a calm before the storm. It has erupted into hysterics. Over all of the madness Number 9 has created, a whistle was blown, halftime is now upon us. 

In the background of the huddle a screaming match has begun in the crowds, "Ignore the crowd, ignore the players, we need to keep composure and focus to secure the win" Jose commented. The score as of that moment is 4-3 Berwick in the lead. Jose checks in with each player on how they are doing mentally and physically. Coaches usually care more about winning than the player, they seek the bragging rights, not Jose. It shows you what kind of a person he truly is. As halftime comes to an end Jose makes a call to keep   Number 9 benched. An argument erupted.

"What! Why are you benching me for it? That kid has been disrespecting me all quarter. I needed to teach him some respect." The crackly tone in his voice while yelling at his coach is not from puberty, but from the verge of tears. 

You know why I have to bench you. I understand why you did it, I used to be exactly like you and take nothing from nobody while out on this field. There is no need to be so rough on the field. I am sorry but you are going to be benched all next quarter." Jose sternly said.

His body language showed how serious he meant. Going from a big grin on his face no matter what the situation is, to a more irate look on his face, his arms were so tightly crossed in front of his chest, veins were popping out of his forearms. This is the angriest all of the players has seen him. Jose conveyed his message to his team without saying a word to them. The second quarter has begun and now this is where the hardest challenge awaits them.

Second quarter has started off with a bang. The coaches from Hanover were dead set on getting revenge on at least one of the players from Berwick. Players were rushing down midfield like a pack of water buffalos traveling down the Great Plains. Hanover was hellbent on injuring a player from Berwick. Sadly, while trying to break the defenders a competitor from Hanover struck the ball right into the nose of team captain Kevin Ayala, it landed perfectly. The ball connected to the bridge of his nose and blood was gushing down his nose like the elevator scene in The Shining. A timeout was called and Coach Jose rushed down the field as fast as he could to make sure his captain was okay.

"Mijo, are you okay, can you breathe?" Jose panickily said.

"I think so coach, it all happened so fast, I blink and the next second I have this shooting pain coming from my nose" Kevin said as gasping for air

"You are going to be okay, they are gonna go make sure you have not sustained a concussion." Jose stated firmly.

Still in timeout Jose rounded up the team and tried their best to control them before they do something they regret. "Guys look at the score it is 7-4 right now, instead of getting revenge physically, we can get revenge by winning the game" Jose excitedly said. In unison all of the players agreed to focus up and end this game as quickly as they can while not letting Hanover catch up. The game moves along normally until all the players see the time on the scoreboard. Two minutes are left on the clock. Each second ticking down brings more aggression from Hanover. From the stands parents from each side began to bicker with each other. Curse words are whizzing past all over the stands. One on goer says "What is the point of all this fighting, this is a high school soccer game" he chuckled. Focusing back on the field Berwick Area secures the win with a final score of 7-4. Each player from Berwick rushes over to Coach Jose to share the feeling of their hard fought win. While distracted two of the players grab the bright orange cooler and dump it on top of their coach celebrating like they won the Super Bowl. Jose belly laughs and shares the moment of joy with his family and his team. All of the players really admire and respect their coach. Through hardships they all know they can confide in him. Jose has impacted all of the lives of the players. From constant bickering and fighting from last year, Jose really shaped the foundation of the team and taught them how to work together as a team.

Jose stated many times before that he will continue working as a coach for Berwick Area. He wants to make a difference in his community. Roundly known in the community many people know his passion for his family and the sport he loves dearly. Jose wants to create a deep connection with the players he coaches. Jose gives life-changing advice to some of the kids on the team. A couple of players on that team have a rough home life and their only escape is playing soccer. Jose is such a caring person that he invites these kids to his home and they always have a seat at his dinner table. "Just last year I invited the whole team to my house to celebrate my birthday with my family. This team is my second family, I will do anything and everything for these kids." Jose proudly stated. Jose is a great mentor for his players and plays a very important role in all of their lives.

A Day in a College Swim Coach

 A Day in a College Swim Coach 

Wanting the best to join her coaching staff at Bloomsburg University, head coach Bridget Hilferty nabs Eric Usbeck as an assistant coach, and they now are beginning their second season together coaching the Bloomsburg Men and Women’s Swim Team. Although Bridget and Eric have only been working together for two years, both coaches are swim team alumni. Bridget was known for her distance freestyle, as she is ranked 5^th and 6^th in two events in the top 10 times from the Bloomsburg’s records. Eric specialized in breaststroke and is ranked 2^nd and 3^rd twice each in his events for the top 10 list. They both had a passion for swimming and were exulted to come back and coach Bloom.  Even though they did not graduate the same year, Bridget says she immediately knew from his perspective of swimming and coaching abilities that she wanted him to join her coaching staff. Although they have a lot of fun in and out of the office, they allowed an inside scoop of what their day-to-day life looks like as coaches of a college swim team, and their connection with the team.

To start off their morning, both coaches begin morning practice and figure out the sets they want do for that day. “Eric usually works with the sprint group, usually fast free as he is the sprint coach, and I usually go with the distance kids to give them a longer workout.” Bridget explains eagerly. Coach Bridget then says she catches up on her work until afternoon practices occur. Following afternoon practice, the strong smell of chlorine followed Coach Bridget into her office while she began to do some work. While answering emails and scheduling meets with other teams, Bridget had lots of visitors in and out of her office and jokingly commented that she never gets left alone; however, she loves how close she, the team, and other coaches from Bloomsburg are. Her office is a place where the kids can come to her about anything but is decorated with pigs as that is her favorite animal. She remarks about how she wants her office to be a place of relaxation, and a place the members can enjoy and catch up comfortably, so as you walk in, you notice colorful lighting and lots of fun pictures from past years. Coach Bridget gets some work done by going on her computer and monitor screens to recruit through SwimCloud. SwimCloud is a website designed to track every swimmer’s best time and meets they have previously competed in. This allows an easier recruiting process as she can just look up any swimmer’s name and everything comes up. She likes using this website to make her team the best of the best. Coach Bridget was once on the Bloomsburg team under previous head coach Stu Marvin. Along with being his swimmer, she also was Stu’s assistant coach for 10 years before taking over the role of head coach. Coach Bridget says she loves her job. As much as she enjoys every personality of each swimmer on the team, she expressed the difficulties of the emotion, different hats of being a coach, and trying to connect with 46 people of different backgrounds. Regardless, Bridget expressed that she loves her job, working with the team, and how unique each talent and year is.

With a similar experience, Coach Eric Usbeck also expressed how much he enjoys his job as well. He shared that to connect with the team, he teases them to expand their humor. He also discussed how one of his favorite parts of seeing the team every day is genuinely checking up on the members of the team, as he wants to be someone to lean on. With the chaotic atmosphere comes along some challenges when having the title of assistant coach for the team. Coach Eric Usbeck stated that one of the hardest parts is the scheduling and the fact that administratively it’s an avalanche of constant details. Coach Eric also jokingly talks about a challenge he faces every day at his job working with partner Bridget Hilferty. Along with scheduling and dealing with individuals, he is also in charge of recruiting. Coach Bridget has the final say after lots of discussions with Coach Eric, but Eric is the specific person who finds a swimmer that they are looking for. To be recruited from these coaches’ perspective, the first part is meeting their time standards, then initiating contact followed by phone calls or virtual meetings, and lastly coming back for an official visit to spend time with the team. These coaches do this to see the upcoming swimmer from not only a swimming perspective, but how they are as a person. Along with recruiting, scholarships they offer come in many forms, but the swim team has a budget accommodating up to two full scholarships on the women’s side and half of one for the men’s. “It can be difficult stepping into the hot, humid air of the pool deck every day to work but despite the sharp chlorine smell, I find a very positive energy and the smile on these kids’ faces every day makes it all truly worth it.” exclaims assistant coach, Eric Usbeck.

Both Bridget and Eric have many day-to-day tasks while fulfilling their jobs as coaches, but both stated how they could not ask for a better job. They sacrifice time away from their families to hold about five practices a day: two in the morning and three in the afternoon. These practices are the time where the coaches and team members bond daily. “Coach Bridget and Coach Eric truly go out of their way to make this team connected as possible in and out of the water,” team member Nick Zaffiro said with happy enthusiasm. With Coach Bridget and Coach Eric, they go beyond their roles of their job exemplifying a deep commitment to not only the swimming aspect but the connection of the team. They invest extra time while providing a supportive and positive environment- even if it is simply playing music to get a swimmer through the practice. The dedication of the coaching staff shapes this team to not only committing as better swimmers but well-rounded individuals.

 

The Wolf of High School

    When people contemplate a career in the business world, they often fantasize about big money, fancy cars, sprawling mansions, and "living large."  Many students choose this path as they select their future careers thanks to popular movies like, "The Wolf of Wall Street."  In the case of K.C., this world became even easier to imagine as she grew up the daughter of a successful New York City stockbroker.  Experiencing this extravagant lifestyle firsthand led her to follow in her father's footsteps and enter the exciting world of business.

    K.C. began her adult life with a degree in economics which lead to her first job in banking.  Looking for more excitement, she followed the advice of some colleagues and made a slight career change into the technology sector.  She explained, "I gained the knowledge and background required to work with government contracts partnering with exciting organizations like the FBI."  There, she performed tasks such as combing data bases to find information on persons of interest based off categories agencies would provide her.  She often compared fingerprints found on evidence with those of dangerous criminals in the system.  She loved this work and everything that came with it, including the excitement, teamwork, and constant unknowns each new day would bring.  Ultimately, this job also solved the most important mystery of them all, what to do with her future.  K.C. realized that all the fun and glamour of her childhood as well as that of her current career, while seemingly pulled straight out of a Hollywood movie, might not actually be the best path for her life anymore.  People might wonder what horrible event happened to her that made her realize this.  "There wasn't one," she uttered.  Her answer, was simply, "family."  She and her husband, expecting their first child, realized that her current work situation would not be ideal for raising a family.  Her husband needed to remain in a different state than where she currently worked due to his new job requirements, and her own career brought with it unpredictable hours, duties, and dangers.  At this moment, she made the tough decision to walk away from everything that she loved and basically start over again in a small town in Pennsylvania.

    K.C. now needed to get a new job to help support her growing family.  This left her with a tough decision, return to her original career in banking, or try something entirely new.  For her the choice was obvious, she enjoyed adventure, so she went back to school at none other than Bloomsburg University. This time, she earned a master's degree in education.  She then took certification tests that allowed her to teach many different subjects.  She started out working for a few different schools and organizations until she eventually ended up at a rural high school in the town where she and her family finally settled down.  It is here where this once contractor with the FBI began teaching classes in subjects such as home economics and cooking along with investing and accounting.  Some might wonder where the idea for this big of a career change originated.  It actually had been modeled for her during her childhood.  K.C. explained, "My mother provided a stable alternative to my father's often unpredictable career."  What did K.C.'s mother do, you ask?  She worked of course, as a high school business teacher.    

    For the past twenty years now, K.C., instead followed in her mother's footsteps, walking the metal locker-lined hallways of an aging high school.  Her business classroom, a medium sized computer lab, constructed entirely of white cinderblocks and blue tile floors shows the lack of character the building possesses.  It contains few windows with only a view of another wing of the building.  She now spends her days in this boring environment teaching the next generation of students enamored by all the glitz and glam that the business world offers.  As the school bell, a vibrating monotone device, dings multiple times a day through the speaker system in the school, students flock in herds from class to class, their conversations producing a roar not unlike that of the trading floor on Wall Street.  K.C.'s classroom location along one of the main hallways in the building guarantees that even during class, the occasional student passing by the door could draw the attention of everyone in the room.  However, when she teaches, her students only focus on her and what she says.  K.C., shy and reserved by nature, stands approximately five foot eight inches tall with dark hair, often styled in some sort of updo.  Her voice always shows her emotions while at the same time demonstrating her New York heritage.  Her attire, nothing more than business casual including gray pants, a light purple shirt, and a pair of sneakers, still manages to keep the attention of all the students that she teaches.  Her secret being the passion and sense of care that she feels for her students and their future success.

    K.C. does not simply teach her students by reading a PowerPoint slide located on the smart board on the front wall of her classroom, or by writing down information on the whiteboards that sandwich this electronic centerpiece, but rather by actively engaging students in the learning process by consistently posing questions and encouraging student participation, questions, and feedback.  No matter the subject of the class she teaches, or the number of students present, her goal does not change, help students find their paths in the world of business.  Particularly, she encourages students to take advantage of opportunities offered to them as she mentioned that she "was never really introduced to topics like accounting back in high school" and that if she would have been, her "career choices may have been a lot different" and she "may never have ended up here."  Although she wishes she experienced these opportunities in her youth, she does not feel like she missed out.  Everyday K.C. heads back to the school and does it all over again just because of the enjoyment it brings her to help students succeed.  This becomes evident when visiting her classroom where scenes such as one that happened during a lesson to a small group of Accounting 2 students about retirement plans sparked a question about how much they should try to contribute from their paychecks.  This discussion resulted in her smiling and utilizing both her teaching information and prior knowledge to happily and excitedly inform the students about what they should and shouldn't do.  K.C. not only loves this job for what she can do for the students, but also for what it allowed her to do for her family.  It allowed her to live with her husband, raise her son, and take care of her sick mother until her death.  She explained how in her previous job, "the government needs information when they need it, not when it is convenient" and this would not have allowed her "to be there for all of these moments and have all of the opportunities" that she enjoyed.

    Despite her love for this phase of her career K.C. still dreams and fantasizes about someday going back to her old life.  She even contemplates leaving her teaching career behind now that her child, an adult himself, does not need her constant support.  "In the end," she exclaims, "teaching and helping the next generation are great, but if you are not making enough to live, then is it really worth it when other jobs can give you that economic stability?"  This brings her right back to her business fantasy roots where the pursuit of money and excitement portrays what the world sees as success.  These thoughts again may fade, but they also might resurface and pull her back into her previous life, the one she originally dreamed of.

Pineknotter Brewing Company

 Kailin Beaver 

   Unless you are from Northumberland, Pennsylvania, you are probably thinking "what is a Pineknotter?" The history of Pineknotters are displayed in a wooden frame on the bar inside of Pineknotter Brewing Company. (figure 1) The text states, "Pine is a versatile evergreen Knot is a hard piece of wood, growing from a branch". Pineknotter became Northumberland's school symbol. Eventually the Northumberland Pineknotters merged with the Sunbury Owls and became the Shikellamy Braves, which is the current school symbol for Northumberland and Sunbury.

    Located at 254 Front St Northumberland, Pennsylvania is the barn-like brewery named Pineknotter Brewing Company. On the front side of the brewery, wooden tables and metal chairs are available for outside seating. To enter, a garage door with windows rolls up to lead into the brewery, and a door is to the right of it for another possible entry point. (figure 2) Inside the door to the right, a popcorn machine sits on a small shelf. The smell of the popping kernels just takes over the whole brewery. Beneath the popcorn machine, there are games such as: Connect 4, Life, Monopoly, Jenga, and more for customers to play. Continuing to the right, historic pictures of Northumberland line the white walls. High top and low top tables and chairs fill this smaller space. Upon stepping in the door, the "L" shaped bar is straight ahead. The ceiling and sides of the bar resemble a washboard. Hanging above, the lighting gives a warm, vintage feel. Lining the top of the walls behind the bar is glasses with the PBC Logo. A TV on the wall displays the drink menu, which includes the beers, cocktails, and wines being offered. To the left of the TV, apparel, ranging from tank tops to sweatshirts, with the Pineknotter Brewing Company logo are displayed on hangers. A chalkboard with the list of live music hangs at the other end of the bar. When coming directly through the garage door opening, there is more of the same square wood top tables, and chairs that are metal with maroon cushioned seats. Each table inside of PBC has a food menu and a QR code that goes to the drink menu.

    Since the menu is always changing, PBC uses the app called "Untappd". It shows the current menu items, and also has a place to leave reviews. The current beers on tap are: 1772 Pale Ale, Kia-bra Knotty Hazy IPA, Shake Your Tree Peach Milkshake IPA, Strawberry Blood Orange Hard Seltzer, Pina Colada Sour, Campfire S'mores Oatmeal Stout, Exchange Cream Ale, Irritable Blonde/Strawberry, Pale Wheat, and Wheatley Avenue with Peach and Pineapple. Specialty Cocktails at the moment are: Peach Mojito, Raspberry Whiskey Tea, Orange Old Fashioned, and Hidden Still Can Cocktail. The three wine options are Chardonnay, Niagara, and Concord. Derek, one of the owners, proudly expressed, "Since we have opened, the most popular has been the Pale Ale because it's always on tap. Besides that, our sours and IPAs are always a big hit."

    PBC opened on March 6 of 2020, just a few days before the start of the pandemic. The brewery is owned by two brothers, Brandon and Derek Fisher, and their father, Tread Fisher. The three of them along with other members of the family run the establishment. Tami Fisher, mom of Brandon and Derek, actually designed the tree from their logo. "Back then, we had a youth football team called the Pineknotters. She recreated it (the tree) a little bit based on the Northumberland Pineknotters High School logo", Derek explains.

    Pineknotter Brewing Company has different things going on every week. Every other Wednesday, a Trivia Night. Live entertainment is every Thursday and every Saturday. A few times a year, a Dog Night is held and "we make treats out of the grain we have", Derek remarks. PBC helps plan the Norry Block Party, an event held each year on the 200 Block of Front Street. It has food, drinks, live music, activities for kids, and it is once a year in September. Derek mentions,"Every year the Block Party is our busiest day. Saint Patricks Day would be the second." PBC has a Facebook Page that shows all of the upcoming events. 

    A special thing that Pineknotter Brewing does is called the Knot Head Club. It is a $100 lifetime membership. The customer must come in once per calendar year. Benefits of being in the Knot Head Club are is the cost of a 16 ounce beer in a 20 ounce glass, a free beer on their birthday, and 15% off of the PBC merch. "We have come to get a lot of new friends through the Knot Head Club", Derek exclaims. Knot Heads come in every day the brewery is open, and the staff has come to know each of them.

     "Hey how are you", Tami asked a Knot Head.

    "I'm pretty good, just had a long day at work", the Knot Head replied.

     Tami nodded and responded,"Oh I feel you there buddy. Hey how's your mom doing? I haven't seen her in so long." She had a look of concern on her face when speaking to him.

    "She's good, she just doesn't get out too often anymore", he answered.

    "I'm happy to hear she's doing well." Tami stated with a grin on her face then continued by saying, "You look just like her, you know."

    "Yeah I get that a lot," the Knot Head chuckled. Tami smiled and the two shared a sweet moment.

    Being family owned and family run is really an amazing aspect to the Pineknotter Brewing Company. Customers get to feel at home when coming into the brewery. Relationships are made between everyone when coming into Pineknotter Brewing Company. 

Toy Story Wonderland

    

    As the front door unlocks with the electric buzzing, a resident walks into a Toy Story wonderland. At the welcome desk sits Anna Sears with a smiling friendly face greeting everyone that walks by (Figure 1). The walls and desk are decorated with characters from Toy Story to make Lycoming Hall more welcoming. Each decoration is handmade out of

Figure 1

paper, paint, color pencils, and markers, ranging from characters and clouds being drawn and taped to the walls, to red, blue, and yellow paper monkeys hanging from the ceiling next to the welcome desk. Behind the welcome desk, a big bulletin board hangs on the wall showing who is on-call for the night and a small white-board right next to it with magnets showing who is in the building and who is not. 

    Anna Sears, a young college student wearing thin, long pink pajama pants, a tan, brown drawstring hoodie with the words Bloomsburg University designed on it, clear frame glasses, and a white beach shell necklace, has been a Resident Assistant (RA) for 1 year and is on her 2nd year. The job of an RA is to guide residents towards campus resources, support residents, work at the welcome desk, keep residents safe, make sure the building is clean and nothing hazardous is present, and to create a respectful warm living space. Anna always loved being able to express her creativity and having the freedom to do so, as well as helping other people. "I realized about two summers ago when I worked at the trio upward bound summer academy for the first time and got to see how my impact could change the lives of the kids I was working with," Anna recalled. 

    Anna giggled with just about every response she gave. As she would talk, she made sure to keep paying attention to all the residents walking in and out of the lobby and wishing them a good night or welcoming them back. The first year Anna was an RA, she was placed in Montour Hall. The environment in Montour was different than Lycoming. The staff consisted of only four people and the hall was co-ed. In Lycoming, there is nine people on staff and while the majority of the floor are co-ed, Anna works on an all-girls floor. In Montour, none of the residents participated in the programs that she was required to host but in Lycoming, the residents are highly involved. The residents in Montour were also a mix of different years while in Lycoming, the majority are freshmen. So, no matter how long she works as an RA, she is still learning every day, experiencing new things and helping people in ways she has not helped others before. 

    In addition to Anna Sears, is Alessia Eisloeffel who is a Core RA. The Core RA's job is to do all tasks of a normal RA, but more. She also does the scheduling for the normal RA's, deals with shift switches, and keeps track and inputs data for the programs that the RA's host. In a blue t-shirt, that has half a dandelion on it with the words Bloomsburg University underneath it, black sweatpants, with white crocs that have pink socks poking out the shoes, she walks across the lobby toward the Graduate Hall Directions (GHD) office (figure 2) to help a resident who is locked out of their room. 

figure 2

Alessia scans her ID to unlock the office door, uses her ID to scan the lock box open where she can get a key to open the resident's door (master card). She documents the name and room number of the resident and the time she took out the master card on a paper that is clipped onto a clipboard right next to the lock box. She explains how after 3 times of being locked out, they get an email sent out to them about how to prevent further lock outs and potentially having to talk to higher ups about how they can fix the issue if it keeps occurring. She walks to the elevator with the resident and heads to his room to let him back in. She uses the master card to scan open his door. 

              "Thank you so much!" exclaims the resident. 

               "You're welcome," she responds. 

    Alessia takes the elevator back down to the lobby and walks to the GHD office to return the master card. She writes down on the same paper what time she returned the master card. Rather than going back up the elevator to her room, she scans the door right next to the elevators for the first-floor dorms and walks to a small room with white ceiling panels, and cool toned light panels in the ceiling. The room consists of different colored couches, with brown patterned carpet floors, a black and grey coffee table, black office chairs with beige cushions, and two black tables pushed together to create one. This is known as the first-floor lounge (Figure 3), a place where residents can hangout, study, relax, and etc. Alessia sits down at the table and crosses her legs.

figure 3

"I wanted to be an RA to make residents feel safe and like comfortable in a new space. Growing up in a military house, I moved around a lot, so I didn't really have that safe place. Um but when I came to Bloomsburg, I got to know my RA and she kind of motivated me to apply for the job and I wanted to be that support to the new freshman. And now I'm here, two years in." 

    Alessia chuckled while telling her story. Her chuckling and pauses in the way she converses, strips her from being perceived as a superior. It makes her appear as a friendly face that you can go to whenever you have a problem or need comfort. While Alessia is sitting there with her leg crossed, she explains how she doesn't want to be seen as a higher up and be viewed as having power over people. She wants to be depicted on the same level as others and for it to be known that she is not her job. She is a student too and does not have all the answers but will be there to support residents. 

 

The Journey Of Dr. Oast

     On a busy day at the University of Bloomsburg stands Dr. Oast at the front of the room teaching history. "How can we know what actually happened in the past? Why it has happened? What is history anyway?" She makes students wonder why they even study history in the first place and why it is important to understand the nation's founding. But who is Dr. Oast? Let's find out together. Dr. Oast, a history professor at the University of Bloomsburg, has taught different levels of US history.  It's safe to say, she has been on a roll in her profession, and has built up quite the reputation around the campus and beyond. Her passion for history has been long and unbreakable. Going from being a student to becoming a history professor is not an easy path, bur Dr. Oast pushed on--not only to her own benefit but to the benefit of her students: students have always looked forward to her classes, especially since her style of teaching has been influential. Class should be fun, and she makes sure her students enjoy it.

    

              Figure 1. Dr. Oast teaching the Agricultural Revolution during the 2023 fall semester

    Dr. Oast's path to becoming a professor of history at Bloomsburg began with her passion for history in high school: she loved American and European history, and she decided to explore the professions examining these topics. "I initially got a job teaching high school for 2 years, and I learned that I really enjoyed teaching high school. But afterwards, I had gone back home to college for homecoming and ran into one of my professors and he asked me 'why don't you come to grad school and become a college professor.' His comment really gave me the confidence to believe I could do that. So, I applied and was accepted and went back and received a PhD in history." While applying for graduate school, she unfortunately had to narrow down her focus of study since only one was allowed. In the end she chose US History as her focus. Once she completed her degree, she took a job teaching at the Virginia Commonwealth University until 2009. During that year, she applied to become a history professor at Bloomsburg University. With 10 other applications well underway, her dream was well received after Bloomsburg hired her for the duty. "It made me feel that I'd won the lottery." she said gratefully. Ever since 2009, her teaching has always been exciting for students regardless of their majors or minors.

When deciding what field of history to teach and study, Dr. Oast, decided to explore US History, specifically Colonial America and the history of slavery. She discussed how some slaves were owned by institutions, rather than masters themselves. In fact, that subject is what she wrote her doctoral dissertation on which was about churches, schools, universities, and businesses in Virginia that owned slaves between 1680 - 1860. With that in mind, she has taught US history to 1877 at Bloomsburg. Another course that she offers in the Honors College program Reacting to the past: War and Peace in Early America." A typical class is relaxed, and interactive. Students engage deeply with each other in group discussions regarding challenging questions emanating from the historical record, questions that we must nonetheless reckon with.

Figure 2. Role cards used to assign students of their role

Reacting to the Past is especially relevant to these challenges. It entails re-creating such past historic events as the Jumonville incident. The class is well organized, and everyone is assigned their roles fairly. To familiarize the class, Dr. Oast, puts up pictures, quotes, and other samples of student work to energize the class and help everyone get a picture of what the class will be like for that day. Dr. Oast herself always comes to class excited and speaks in a relaxed, descriptive tone that's a mix of optimism, inspiration, and seriousness. Without her excitement, the recipe for an interesting, relaxing, and exciting class would be non-existent. 

    "Class can be difficult, but in the end, very rewarding," Dr. Oast said calmly. It's not easy being a professor, but finding ways to improve class is something that is very beneficial in the long run. However, for any professor, it's difficult to keep pace with all the innovations in learning and teaching--while teaching in ways that students find engaging. But Dr. Oast excels at engaging her students in ways that they typically describe as "fun." She tries to immerse students in often conflicted discussions about the historic significance and meaning of certain events in our history. For example, in Reacting to the Past, she came up with the "Perry Game," which challenges students to identify their own respective, varied perspectives on history based on quotes by historians of different persuasions. It's an exercise that culminates in an enriched view of perspective and history. She quietly achieves that grand aim every day in class, with a smile that she wears, especially when she's helping students figure out ways to complete assignments or get back on track if they are struggling.

Figures 3 & 4. Students in Reacting To The Past planning their posters and working together to draw and create them

    Unfortunately, she is one of the only remaining history professors at the University. And the sad fact is that more history professors are retiring. "I am really worried, that the department has been cut down to be so small," Dr. Oast said somberly. "We've lost a lot of areas of specialization that just a few years ago, students could take classes in and now there is nobody to teach them. On the other side, US History: 1877 - Present, is at stake since the professor, Dr. Ford, is retiring soon. Dr. Oast stated that "while she could technically teach the class, it's not her expertise." When Bloomsburg, Mansfield and Lockhaven combined, there were 4 retirements in 1 year. "It hasn't been the same since then," she said, "but we are trying to make the best of it." Since then, Dr. Oast has continued to teach history with retirement still off into the future. 

For now, you can find Dr. Oast either in her office, or at the front of the class, taking her time and getting it right. The study of history is vital for anyone who wants to understand the present and future. And there's no warmer, more welcoming guide to the pursuit of that study than this gift of a human being and teacher.