Dr. Sam delves into his 'Dreams of Wolves' Saturday at 2 p.m. at The Griffin

Is there a gene for compassion? Or is it learned–developed by a series of experiences as we grow up?

It seems likely that both nature and nurture come into play.

David Sam’s new book is semi-autobiographical poetry

Germanna Community College President David Sam’s “Memories in Clay, Dreams of Wolves” is an honest and powerful book that provides a compelling window into the development of the heart and mind of a man who has devoted his life to helping those unlucky through no fault of their own.

“Die when I may,” Abraham Lincoln wrote to a friend, “I want it said of me by those who know me best that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower when I thought a flower would grow.”

“Memories in Clay, Dreams of Wolves” gathers poetry about a boyhood and adult life lived in conversation with nature. Sam describes a life shaped by his youth in Pennsylvania and Michigan and his journey by thumb through the Pacific Northwest.

“The are semi-autobiographical–which means I allow myself to lie if it makes for a better poem,” Sam quips.

Profits from the sale of the book go to the Germanna Community College Educational Foundation.

 Sam has a reading and signing set for 2 p.m.-4 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 15 at The Griffin Book Shop and Coffee Bar at 723 Caroline St. in downtown Fredericksburg. The book is available on Amazon.com, at The Griffin and at the Germanna Book Store.

BIO

Sam was born and spent his childhood in McKeesport, Penn., a coal and steel suburb of Pittsburgh. His home at the end of 36th Street abutted a woods, and the games he played on that street and the time he spent in those woods all influenced his poetry as well as his sense of the holistic ecology of all things. His neighborhood was filled with immigrants and children of immigrants, and his grandparents themselves came from Poland and Syria.

In 1961, the family moved with his father’s factory to Belleville, Mich., a far suburb of Detroit. Small town life near a lake and the rural farm fields and woods within a short walk along the railroad tracks often appear in the imagery and biography of his verse.

A first-generation college student and graduate of Eastern Michigan University and Michigan State University, Sam has taught creative writing, English literature, and composition at EMU, Marygrove College, Oakland Community College, and Pensacola State College. He was partner/manager of Gondolier Music & Electronics from 1972-1985 in Belleville before moving into higher education as an administrator.

He and his his wife Linda live in Culpeper, still within sight of the eastern mountain chain. They have two children, Michelle and Ryan, and three grandchildren.

As Culpeper drops pounds, GCC gains support for its nursing program

When Culpeper's Drop It! The Healthy Living and Weight Loss Challenge 2013 wrapped up Thursday it had produced a total of over $300,000 in donations to Germanna's Nursing and Health Technologies programs since the annual event began in 2010, according to GCC Educational Foundation Director Mike Catell.

Joe and Linda Daniel and the Culpeper Regional Health System have donated funds toward Germanna’s nursing and health programs since the beginning.

Joe Daniel is president at Culpeper Wood Preservers and a member of the GCC Educational Foundation Board. The couple donates $20 to Germanna for each pound lost. This year's total of 2,502 pounds lost works out to a $50,040 donation. CRHS donates $30 a pound to health care programs. Some of that $30 has gone to Germanna in the past. No announcement has been made about that yet for this year.

During a press conference at Powell Wellness Center, Joe Daniel explained why he and his wife Linda donated $20 to Germanna's Nursing and Health Technologies program for approximately 12,000 pounds lost through Drop It! over the years. "The goal of this program is to improve the health of the whole community," Joe Daniel said. "The other thing is education. ... "You talk to any hospital executive or administrator and they'll tell you nurses are the lifeblood of their hospitals… It’s a great partnership. The bottom line is it’s about health, education and jobs.”

The program, Daniel noted, has enabled Germanna: “to expand its nursing program—to double the number of folks who are getting nursing or nursing-related education. And this has a huge, long-run impact on the community. Let’s say we graduated 50 people today. What’s the average age? Thirty. So they have 30, 35 years to work. That’s 1,500 work years. Multiply that by the number of patients they’re going to see--many tens of thousands of people are impacted by that educational experience. And next year we’re going to do the same thing. And the next the same time.”

He said there’s no way to measure the long-term impact. .

“When you do the return on investment, “ he said. “When you see the work people are going to have-- the improvement in health, the improvement in their lives, I’ll tell you what, I’m happy to invest in it and I think it’s one of the best investments Linda and I have ever made.”

Linda Daniel said: "I worked in the health profession for almost 40 years. I think health is so essential to keeping your whole mental outlook and your emotional outlook as well as your physical well being and we all want to get older and better and stay healthy and the best way to do it is to move and keep involved in a program like this." Germanna President David A. Sam said the college is grateful.

“We want to thank the Daniels for their long term support for Germanna in many ways, especially the nursing program and health care programs,” Dr. Sam said. “Thanks in large part to them, Germanna now graduates two RN classes a year in December and in May.

“The support you give us is instrumental in terms of scholarships,” Dr. Sam said. He said the Daniels’ generosity has made it possible to buy equipment, including high-tech human simulators used in Germanna’s Virtual Hospital.

“We also deeply appreciate the long partnership with Culpeper Regional Hospital and Culpeper Regional Health Care System.They provide clinical instruction, clinical sites. They’ve contributed $1 milllion over the years to our programs.” .

How Germanna is making a difference--by Prof. Lisa Murphy and Adjunct Prof. Russell Carter

In today's Free Lance-Star, Prof. Lisa Murphy and Adjunct Prof. Russell Carter explain how Germanna is making a difference for its students, their families, local businesses and our communities.

These programs train students, including many career-changers, for new jobs in growing fields such as health care and cyber security. This strengthens the local economy by helping to close the "skills gap." The Virginia Employment Commission recently reported that in our area 3,000 jobs were unfilled because companies could not find qualified employees. When a person gains the skills to do one of those jobs, that is a success for the worker, the employer, and the community--with or without a degree...

The dedicated faculty, staff, and administrators of Virginia's community colleges live in the communities we serve. We see our students not only in classes but at our places of worship, at our children's schools, and at the grocery store. They are our friends and neighbors. These relationships keep us motivated to improve our services to better meet their needs. You can't replace that with an online class from a for-profit corporation.

Lisa Murphy, a professor of mathematics, co-chairs the engineering department at Germanna Community College. Russell Carter, a retired businessman, is an adjunct professor of history and English at GCC.

June 1 is the deadline to apply for Germanna Educational Foundation Scholarships. Applying is as easy as pushing a button.

June 1 is the deadline for applications for GCC Educational Foundation scholarships for the 2012-13 academic year.

Applying is as easy as clicking a button.

Go to the Germanna Community College home page and click on the “Educational Foundation” button, then “Scholarships” and click “Apply for Scholarships.” After completing the on-line application, students will be considered automatically for all of the GCC Educational Foundation’s scholarships.

Applicants do not need to apply separately for specific scholarships, although they can specify a preference if they wish. Scholarship award decisions will be announced beginning in early July. For more information about the GCC Educational Foundation’s scholarship program, call (540) 423-9060 or write Scholarships@Germanna.edu

Each year more than 200 GCC students are awarded over $200,000 in scholarships by the GCC Educational Foundation. Applications and all supporting materials must be submitted to the Foundation by June 1.

Most, but not all of the scholarships are based on financial need and require that a FAFSA (financial aid form) be sent to the GCC Financial Aid Office.