**** Producer's Note: The following is a general transcript of LCC Connect's weekly radio program. Contents include but may not be limited to podcasts, program imaging, announcements, and PSAs. More detailed and accurate transcripts of the podcast episodes featured in this broadcast can be found at LCCconnect.com or by following the links provided in the show notes of this episode. ****

Welcome to the Star Zone. I'm Patti Spagniello. From resource fairs geared towards our students to arts and entertainment aimed to connect with our community. Lansing Community College hosts many events throughout the year. And the Star Zone gives you a rundown on what's on the way, where it's happening, and how you can get into the zone at lcc. Welcome to the Star Zone. I'm Patti Spagnolo, your host. Today we are talking about Big Steam. My guests are Kirsten Wright. Kirsten is an MSU graduate. She studied environmental geoscience and geology, worked in environmental remediation to clean up contaminated sites in Michigan and around the US and now she teaches at LCC in the geology program. My second guest is Luanne Cuthbert. Luanne teaches biology and physical science at LCC and has been with the college for 47 plus years. She has worked on the Science Olympiad, Steam Fest, and now Big Steam. Thank you both for joining the show today.

Hi, Patty.

Thank you. Hi, Patty.

Hi. Okay, first question. Why the name Big Steam? What does that mean?

It comes from an event that we've had for many, many years, which is Steam Fest that happens in November every year. And now instead of gearing it towards K through 6 students, which is what Steam Fest does now we're setting up an event for 7th through 12th grade students. We're going to amp it up and have lots of math and science activities for the larger students.

Great. So when I was going through this and I always get confused, I'm involved in all of these external groups, but it started out as stem, everything was stem. So can you kind of talk a little bit why we went to Steam?

Sure. I think for what I know for originally, yeah, they wanted a big emphasis on behavior, basically what they called the hard sciences, perhaps the science, the technology, engineering and math. And it did kind of come also out of the new, relatively new objectives that K12 has. And then art wanted to get on and it made sense because arts is big. It's arts, humanities, all of those kinds of things were basically getting left behind. So the egg came in and it's been a ton of fun having those people join our group.

Awesome. And I think from also what I was reading that bringing the arts in was supposed to help with some of the soft skills because sometimes when we focus only on the math, you know, the sciences, we lose that human touch maybe.

Exactly. And making it, I mean, science, I think is a lot of fun, but it makes it more fun when you throw the arts into it.

Awesome. Okay, so your event is called Big Steam and when and where.

Big Steam is going to happen on Saturday, February 21st. And activities will be open from 11am until 1pm and it's going to be held across the Arts and Sciences building, throughout the building on LCC's main campus.

So is this kind of like the old Olympiad? Are you going to be dropping eggs from the stairwells?

We actually tried in l elementary olympiad way back 30, whatever years ago, but it was competitive and we wanted to lose that part because that Olympiad is extremely competitive. We wanted to lose that and wanted to emphasize the fun part and the learning and the curiosity part. So who knows? They might be dropping eggs. I hope not. But they won't be competing. They'll be cooperating, and they'll be exploring instead.

Nice. Okay, so what is your audience?

Our audience is 7th through 12th graders and their families. So they'll come in, they'll pick activities and walk into a room, and they'll find some fun interactive things. Some things such as shark dissection, Rocks that glow. We're going to have physics demonstrations, all kinds of things.

What's a physics demonstration for people like me who aren't so sciencey?

Well, I'm looking to see who's doing that. It's probably going be explosive.

Oh, my goodness. Okay.

Or maybe not, but it'll be wow. Kinds of stuff.

Nice. Okay, so who is sponsoring this event for you, or is it strictly an LCC event, or how does that work?

It started with LCC and our science and math department, but LAFQ is one of our big sponsors, and they stepped into Steam Fest in November, and then they are sponsoring Big Steam in February.

Are you getting this out to the elementary school? You're looking at middle school, high school. Are they aware that this is going on?

We are trying to spread the word. Sometimes it's challenging. We can contact the administrators of the junior high and high schools, but we need to reach, like, the teachers and the families. And so some of that's coming through our faculty. And we'll try to run through all kinds of channels.

So when you say families, I'm thinking people would bring their younger kids, too. So I might have a seventh grader, but I've got a third grader as well.

Science adapts and math adapts. So then especially when the parents are present or they have an adult with them, a third grader absolutely could interact with our activities. We speak to the whole family.

We get older kids for Steam Fest. No problem with younger kids for Big Steam.

Okay, awesome. Is there food involved? Are we feeding Folks or cookies or something.

We're gonna have prizes at pretty much every activity. Some of those prizes will be some fruits or some snacks. Some of those prizes will be other takeaways. We're not necessarily feeding them, but they will have some things to take home.

Nice. Okay, so what kind of impact does this have? Big Steam, just in general, what does it have kind of impact on the community.

I was going to say, because we've done Steam Fest for so long, people will stop me and say, hey, when is it? And I got to bring the grandkids or whatever. So they look forward to it. Students watch for it now. And so our hope is that these kids will say it's a pretty cool place. Maybe you want to come back and go to school there.

Right. What are some of the, like the job outlook? First of all, what program would they get involved in at LCC if they are interested? What are some things program wise, like, hey, I want to be a geologist or I want to be a physicist. What are things that they would be doing with this?

LCC is a great place to start. So if they like science but don't know anything more than that, we have programs that are designed for students to dig into that and explore. And then they might be able to find a career job right out of LCC or steer into a four year university out of those programs and reaching these 7th through 12th graders, when they have some interests, they might know that they like science, they might know that they like living things. And there's hundreds of careers out of those. It's a great time to explore. And LCC is a great place to do that exploration.

And we serve, I think half of our department serves health careers as well. So we can entice them perhaps into some of those fields.

That is a really good point. I didn't think about that. If you're going into a healthcare field, you need the sciences and the physics. And even as I was hearing you talk, Kirsten, I was thinking about, we are obviously a pretty good transfer school. I have to say that, full disclosure, I run the transfer center. But that is great that a student would maybe be here to explore. But they're also earning credits and in most cases those credits do transfer. So especially in the sciences and the math and stuff. So they would be on a really good track for that. So you mentioned a couple of positions. What are things then that people. I'm here at Big Steam and I'm thinking, okay, I'm gonna send my kid to, you know, to lcc. What occupation like could they do. I know you're. You did some contamination cleaning up, so that had to be a pretty big deal.

Yeah, I did a lot of work. We have a conservation and sustainability program here at LCC and that can steer people into careers cleaning up contamination, which our jobs are available in Michigan. Those jobs often include an international element. Then we also have a drone program, a lot of that geospatial, like understanding mapping and being able to put things where they are. Those are skills that can go into a lot of industries. Construction, architecture, the remediation as well, and.

City planning, all of those kinds of things.

Yeah.

This is going to sound like a weird question, but what about like even a well driller needs to know what's going on below the surface, you know what I mean?

Yep, absolutely. Wow.

Okay.

So it does touch many areas, I guess is what I'm. Things that you wouldn't even think about, you know, because I know with drones. They're using drones now to fight fires.

They are, yeah.

So it's pretty. It's just growing fields, I guess, agriculture too. Oh, right.

To see where do you need fertilizer? And then the drones can spread the fertilizer. So amazing what's going to happen with that technology.

That is incredible. What should students do today who are interested in those fields? Obviously we just rattled off quite a few things. A student might go, oh my gosh, I didn't realize that. Now I'm going to get into agriculture and drones and all that. What should they do today? If I'm a seventh grader or an eighth grader, what should I be doing?

I would say come to Big Steam. You'll have opportunity to do some interactive stuff, exposure to our faculty, and you can start conversations. A lot of times those conversations can be, what is it like to take these classes? How much academics do I need? What degrees do I need? What is it like to work? Even within environmental remediation, I had opportunities to work in field work. Those are long days, but if you love to be outside, it's great. You can also do office work. Those kind of conversations are fantastic to have at this event.

And then in the meantime, because they may still have five years of lower education, they can take the science classes. Don't settle for senior math, take pre calculus as a senior, or just prepare themselves for what it is they're going to have to do when they get here. And I want to say, and take the SAT seriously. So you can start where you really should be.

You know, that's so interesting. And I guess I think about it including the parents is such an important piece of that because students will take the easy class to get through so they have a lot of free time or whatever's going on there instead of really thinking about it as their preparation for their big step in life as in choosing a career, choosing what you're going to, you know, what degree you're going to get and where you're going to go and that type of stuff. So yeah, I think that's really important. It's really a neat thing that you've made it a family affair instead of just students being bussed in from whatever high school during the weekday. So did I hear correctly? Pretty much all your department is gonna be there in different stations.

We're gonna have a lot of faculty from a lot of different areas, plus we're gonna have student volunteers. So there's opportunity to interact with some of our current LCC students as well.

I think that's great because students then feel welcomed and then it resonates when they wanna come back. They feel like they already know people, you know, that's such a big thing. So what else would you wanna say about this event or. Or what other things go on at LCC for the K12 realm or the 7 through 12 realm?

We were just talking this morning about the Wilson Talent center coming in. We have that event out at West Campus. We're planning on at least seven of us being there for when the high school kids come in for exploration. We try to be present whenever possible. We have several of the faculty members that are coming to help us out do events at the schools. So we have quite a few of our high school advantage courses. So we're trying to get our professors people visible. Students will know they're not scary, they're people. And we have a very active department as far as going out and meeting with potential students.

I think that makes a big difference. Again, resonating with the students and their families. And so people feel comfortable being here in our spaces and learning. Did you ask anything else, Kirsten, about your event?

One thing that I would like to add is that for information about the event and you can pre register if you just go to LCC EDU BigSTEM that will take you to that registration page. If you don't have opportunity to register or forget, please still come. You don't have to be registered. Just show up.

Awesome. And the building will be open.

Absolutely.

Arts and science.

Okay.

We're talking about the Arts and science building on LCC's main campus. Awesome. Well, I'd like to thank my guests Kirsten and Luann today and invite you all to check out the big STEAM event happening on Saturday, February 21st. Thanks everyone and I wish you well. Thanks for joining us here on the Star Zone. For more information on this episode, visit lccconnect.org you can also find a complete list of Lansing Community College events by visiting LCC.edu calendar. Until next time, thanks for getting into the Zone.

Examining the issues and topics that affect our lives from the local level to the world stage. Listen to the programs of LCC connect anytime@lccconnect.org.

LCC Connect Voices vibes Vision Lansing Community College Performing Arts presents the HAP and Dance professional company performing live with the LCC Jazz Band. This special concert features the 20 plus member jazz band playing classic big band standards while dancers perform original choreography set to the live music. Now in its third year, the concert takes place February 20th and 21st at 7pm in the Dart Auditorium. Admission is free. For more information, visit LCC.edushowinfo hey there.

This is Dedalien and I want to invite you to join me for a show called behind the Connection. It dives into what's happening behind the scenes here at LCC Connect, also provides you early introductions to new podcasts, some of the Connect initiatives that we are putting forth, and of course, insights into the concept of building the Voices, Vibes and vision of LCC Connect. Find out more about it at our website. It's lccconnect.org.

Have you had to choose between picking up a prescription or buying groceries, paying your utility bill or insulating your attic?

You're not alone.

Every day, people across Michigan are faced with choices. Michigan Community Action is a network of agencies helping people achieve greater financial and personal independence through programs such as weatherization, food distribution, utility assistance and Head Start Preschools. The program, supported by Michigan Community Action, benefit people all over the state. Maybe you've just lost your job and are having trouble making ends meet, or maybe you're retired and Social Security isn't enough. Whatever your situation, we may be able to help. Visit MichiganCommunityAction.org or call 855-mi-action to find out more. Helping People Changing Lives Sponsored by Michigan Community Action and Michigan Broadcasters, the LCC Arts and Sciences Division will welcome seventh.

And eighth graders to the Downtown Campus for the first ever Big Steam event.

On Saturday, February 21st. The event is an opportunity for middle.

And high school students to explore STEAM programs and career fields with exciting hands on activities and experiences. Those interested in the big steam event on February 21st. Can learn more at LCC.edu, bigsteam, else.

Connect, voices, Vibes, Vision. Washington Square. On air is the Audiotown Square for the Washington Square Review. Lansing Community College's literary journal. Writers, readers, scholars, publishing professionals, citizens of the world, gather here and chat about all things writing.

Hey there.

This is Melissa Ford Lucken. I'm here today with Rich Glennon, whose poem Neptune is in our Summer 24 issue. Hey, Rich, how you doing?

Hey, Melissa. Thanks for having me.

Sure thing. Tell us about your poem. How did you come to write it?

Well, I'm not really too sure, really. When I think of the poems that I write, I often go back to thinking about what I was reading at the time. I feel like. I feel like I'm sort of like a pretty impressionable person. So whatever I'm, like, reading at the time, that will really, like, inform my writing at the time. Like, when I was younger, like in my 20s and my late teens and 20s, I was really into Bukowski. I was reading everything Bukowski. And so my writing was, like, very much like Bukowski. And then, you know, I got older and I'd read more like Billy Collins and George Bill Garrett and K. Ryan as of late. And I felt like my writings were kind of like, I would still hold on to, like, my previous Bukowski in phase, and then just kind of like pepper into whatever I'm reading at the moment. So I guess I hear people talk about that sort of thing, and I think that's sort of like how you develop your own voice. It's just kind of like an. It could be like an amalgamation of things you read and what inspires you and everything. So at that time, I think I might have been reading Jericho Brown. And although I wouldn't say it was like, kind of like in his style, I think, because I think I read. I finished reading his book. I forgot the name of it. It's the. The one he won the. The Pulitzer for, but I think it was slightly inspired by that, but some time had passed in between, so it doesn't. It didn't come off. So. Jericho Brownie. It was more. More me, you know, not to say all the poems aren't me, but. Yeah, that's sort of like, I guess, like, how it came with, like, the structure and just like, kind of like maybe like what was inspiring me at the time, but I'm not exactly too sure. I remember the first line. Just like, if I was a planet, I would be Neptune. When I wrote it. To me, it Felt like almost like a writing exercise thing. Like something you would read in like a How to read poetry book. Like pretend you are a planet and then go from there, you know.

You just invented that writing exercise, huh? You just invented that writing exercise.

Yeah, yeah. I guess at the time I was like, oh, this kind of sounds, you know, preschooly or something like that. I don't think I really had much to write about at the time. So I just kind of like just rolled with it. And then for whatever reason, it just brought me back to just sort of feeling like, you know, a bit like ostracized or like lonely during my grade school era.

Yeah. One of the things I was thinking about when you were talking about the influences is it reminded me of how little kids learn to talk. Right. So it makes sense that as writers, we learn to write by surrounding ourselves with voices and then pulling from those voices and being inspired from them. Because that's the same way that kids learn to talk. They're surrounded by voices and they pull inspiration from. From that.

No, yeah, you're exactly right. Because I try to read every day. I feel like as someone who wants to be like a writer, like a full time writer, I have to eat, I have to have something that I'm always like digesting. If I go like a few days without reading anything, sometimes I'll sit down to write a poem and I'm like, oh my God, what's what? How do you write a poem? What does a poem look like? I need someone to like. I need to like look at a poem. Like look at either one of my own poems or just look at like other, other poems like K. Ryan or Collins or something, and just remind myself, like, how to, to put it in your terms, like, to remember how to speak, like, like a poet.

What is it about poems in particular that appeals to you?

Well, I write poems and also write short stories. And sometimes when I sit down to write, I'll think, because I give myself like an hour to write every day. I would like to dedicate more time, but life is such that I can't really fit more than that. And as it is, I had to. I don't, I don't why I don't write on the weekends anymore because that's more set aside for kids and stuff. So. So Monday through Friday I write an hour a day and sometimes I'll just sit down to write and I'll think, oh, well, this is, this is a good short story idea. Or it could be a story idea, but I'm like Just the idea of writing an entire story, even though it's a short story, it just seems so daunting. My short stories don't go, like, they're don't go past 2,000 words. They're very short, you know? And when I write poems, it's more like. It's kind of like playing. It's kind of like just, like, sort of like goofing off, you know? Even though, like, people say, like, it's harder to write a poem because you got to pick just the right word, just the right order. You know, this. There's so few. It's so concise that you have to be, like, exact with everything. But I like doing that, and it just. It doesn't feel like work. So I guess, to answer your question, it's because I'm lazy.

Do you ever start working on a poem and then find that it really does need to be a short story instead?

Yeah. Yeah.

And then are you disappointed because you're like, oh, now I have to.

Well, the antidote to that is to just say, no, it's a narrative poem, okay? And it's gonna have lines that stretch halfway across the page and. And be okay with it not being great because it should have been a story. No. But, yeah, there are times where I will catch myself, and I'll be like, no, this. There's. There's more to this. I can't fit it inside of, like, a poem form, you know? And I don't really like to write, like, epic poems, like long poems, or even, like, narrative poems, even though I have written them before. Like, if they stay poems, it's because I was too lazy, change them into short stories. But, yeah, there are times. Yeah, that will. And there are times where I was writing a short story, and that kind of made me think of a poem again.

It's.

And that's usually if I'm just describing something or a scene or something. And a lot of times in my stories, I feel like there is some poetry in there, the way I do it. At least I try how I describe things and everything.

Cool.

I wanted to back up to Charles Wachowski, because I know you wrote on him in college. Tell us a little bit about that. And why did he click with you?

So, yeah, so I said I was very impressionable. And I first discovered Bukowski because my freshman year English teacher, Professor Robert Beauvais. I guess I'll have to send this to him since I mentioned it to him. He introduced me to it. He introduced us to the shoelace, which I Absolutely loved. And I thought that it was so simple up, you know, at the same time, I think I was taking like a Victoria Victorian era poetry class. And I mean that was just like, that was painful. Like, I really don't like reading anything. I tried and I really just don't like reading like anything that's like, you know. Okay, I get it. You're a genius. Okay. You're smart. All right. You know, I feel like if you were more of a genius, maybe you could say in a simpler way so everyone can understand it. Like I only reading basically anything before, like the 1900s, like 1920s. And I just got so sick of like reading like, you know, Wordsworth and all these guys. And to hear Bukowski, I was like, oh, that's great. And then you start going to like his personality, which we all know, you know, like just basically like alcoholic. And he's always has like many varying relationships with women. And you know, you just be outrageous and you just be on stage and just downing bottles of wine and fighting with the audience. And at the time I was 19 and even though it was, it is illegal, I was drinking at that point and I thought, wow, this guy is fantastic. Oh, not to mention he was also found success later in life. And I didn't have a father growing up. My grandfather was like my father figure. So I feel like I kind of was more attached to him because he was like an older guy and he dressed like my grandfather. He always wore like slacks and a button down shirt and a bunch of crap in his, in his shirt pocket. And I was like, I want to be like this guy. So I started, I was like, he's saying he seems easy enough to emulate. So I just became, I just became like this Bukowski. It's sort of like I was like just, I was drinking at night and I was saying it's okay to drink every night.

Yeah, that part's the easy part. Just.

Yeah, no, yeah. So I was writing though. I, I, that's the hard part. Yeah. I don't know if I was writing anything good, but I was writing, I was getting published and I was like, this is, this is great. This is working. I'm gonna be like Bukowski.

Was there a point when you realized that maybe you weren't actually going to be like that?

Oh, yeah, yeah. But it took, it took a lot of self abuse to, to realize that. I got sober when I was 20, 28, so it took more or less than a decade to figure it out. But yeah, but yeah, so anyway, you know So I was writing. I was reading everything that he. That he. That he wrote. And as an English major, you have to write a thesis your senior year. And I asked Professor Beauvais if he would help me with that. And I was reading him anyway. I loved reading him. It wasn't. It was like a labor of love. And I wrote. I forgot how many pages it was. I think, was he at 20 or 30 or 40? I really don't remember, but it came out, like, just, like, so easily because it was. I just held it so near and dear to my heart. In fact, I also. You. You had the option to come up with, like, an independent course, I think they called it, where you would go to your professor and say, I want to read this type of. This author or study this certain topic, and if they approved it, then you could do it. And so I took a course on Bukowski with that same professor.

And was this in Hofstra?

No, no, Hofstra is my. Was my grad school. This is at St. Francis College.

Oh, okay.

In Brooklyn Heights.

Okay.

Yeah.

So thinking back, did you have a. And you might not remember the answer to this, but your thesis, like, your main point, like, what were you talking about?

I don't think it was anything specifically. I think it was just like the. Just like the. The metaphors he used, you know, different motifs that always came up. I think I might have spoken about how his poetry had more like a form, like more structure, or was a little more like. I guess more akin to, like, how the beats were at that time. Yeah, more like maybe hidden meanings and a little more cryptic. And then how it just kind of, like, lost, like, a lot of that form and a lot of that, like, mysticism. It was, like, much more straightforward and blunt over time. Yeah, I think I focused on that. It's been a while.

Did you have any thoughts about why that happened? Why the change?

I don't know.

Maybe.

Maybe he just got older and was like, I'm just gonna speak the truth, man. I'm just gonna. This is. I'm done with just, you know, sugar coating it. Maybe it was the booze that was affecting his writing. You know, maybe some muscles in his brain got a little soft and he just didn't have the. The flowery language to. To wrap up his words into. I'm not really too sure. I wish I could ask him.

Yeah. Thinking about what we were talking about earlier is the influences makes me wonder if his own influences changed, you know? Like, we were talking about how, as a writer, you surround yourself with different kinds of work, and you pull inspiration from that. And if his own pool of inspiration changed over time, his writing perhaps would have also changed partly as a consequence of that.

Yeah, maybe.

Maybe. I will say though, that he. Yeah, he did mention a lot of different writers. John. John Fonte comes to mind. Dostoevsky comes to mind. Some other guys. Most of the riders he mentioned he hated.

It's always good to know what you don't like as well as what you do like.

Yeah.

Another thing I wanted to ask you about was an internship you did with some musician interviews. And maybe you could tell us a little bit about that.

Sure, yeah. So I got that internship at St. Francis College. The two author. These two authors, journalists, they came in and they were basically looking for an intern to help them transcribe musician interviews so they could compile an oral history of heavy metal, which became Louder than Hell. And yeah, I. I applied. I remember I interviewed in some coffee shop in, in Brooklyn and it was. It was great. I mean, basically my job was listening to. Listening to these, these artists. It was kind of challenging, I'm not going to lie. Because a lot of times they were either currently inebriated or they had been inebriated for most of their life and now they were older and it was like really. I had to listen to like, the interview when like 2 times slower speed. I don't know how you would say that, but it was like the slowest speed possible. And still I would get like a bunch of like, words wrong, you know, And I remember just like having all these transcriptions peppered with unintelligible in parentheses, you know, with a time stamp next to. Was rough, but it was, it was great. It was great. It was Katherine Terman and John Weiderhorn. I don't know if you heard of them, but they, they have a lot of like, different articles and stuff. And Catherine Terman actually used to do a. A radio show with Alice Cooper. I don't know if that's still going on or not. It was great. I actually, I was working at that job at the same time I was working at a pizzeria while I was going to school. So it was a lot going on and I really. I didn't have any. Take time. It was really. It was a stressful period of life, of my life. But so I wound up like, I was like, well, this is a unpaid internship. And although it was like, cool and it was. Felt like it was good on my resume and I was meeting a lot of cool people about. Yeah, I Met like, Rob Halford, and my mind's going blank. A bunch of other people. I was like, well, that's. It's unpaid, though, and I'm getting paid at the pizzeria. So I was like. I told him like, you know, it was. I guess, I think they asked me for six months and was going on like, nine months or so. And I was like, I. I count if I could dedicate time to it. But, you know, I kind of. I kind of regret that decision. I feel like I should have since I wanted to be a writer, maybe just like, staying in a job under the realm of writing might have been the wiser decision and just, you know.

Practical issues do, though, you know, have an impact on our lives. Bill paying, it's a thing.

Yeah.

At the same time, I did live at home. I. I didn't have, like, you know, crazy bills. I wasn't married yet. I have kids yet. You know, like, looking back, I was like, oh, yeah. I could have just, like, you know, done stuff around the house, like, you know, did chores and to make a living because, you know, just scrounge off my parents, get a little chore chart.

Yeah. Cut the lawn, get paid.

Yeah.

When you were listening to the transcripts, was there anything that you pulled from that that influenced your own creativity or your creative process? Like, when you were listening to the transcripts, aside from writing down these unintelligible words, what. What did you pull from it? What. What kind of clicked with you?

I don't know if anything clicked for me, per se, from what the musicians were saying. Yeah. At that time, like I said, I was, you know, I was in my, my early 20s. I was, you know, drinking and, and stuff. And so I was like, oh, well, these guys, they did it too, you know, so no reason to stray from the path, I guess. I'll. I'll be okay, you know, that there's, there's successes, you know, just keep, just keep. As long as you keep on with your craft, you'll be all right. But what did stick with me was seeing Catherine and John work. They really, they worked so hard on it. And that's sort of just like when you see someone working hard on something that they love to do, it's like, it's, it's. It's infectious, you know, sort of like, you know, if you ever watched, like, you know, Apollo 13 and you see, like, these, like, crazy, like, intelligent people doing, like, things like, you know, in the space station, in the shuttle, and they're just like, these, like, geniuses doing what they love. It's like, it's. It's motivating to apply that to what you like to do.

For sure. So it sounds like that's probably something that stuck with you, understanding, you know, hard work and doing what you love and the combination of the two things.

Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

Yeah. Because you were saying that you write for an hour a day, and that's. That may not seem like a lot, but consistently an hour a day, even five days a week. That's. That's kind of a lot, actually, you know.

Yeah. Sometimes it feels like it.

On those days when it does feel like it, what. How do you just keep at it?

Oh, just brute force. Yeah. I don't know. I just.

I think that's it. I think that's the only answer.

Yeah. Yeah. I just. I just keep doing it. Sometimes what I'll do is when I first sit down, I'll. I'll journal a little bit. I don't save my. My journal entries or anything, but I just. I open up a fresh page and I just type about what I'm thinking, what's bothering me, what I'm happy about, what I have to do. You know, sometimes I'll just be talking about what I have to do later on the day because I always write, like, that's like my first day, first thing in the morning. What I do, like, while my brain is still working, I can't write later on, which is. Reminds me of, like with Toni Morrison. Said, like, she always wrote she got up early before the kids woke up, and she would write like, you know, five to seven or whatever, and while her brain still worked. And not to compare myself to Toni Morrison, but exactly what I do, I wake up before the kids get up, and so I have the house to myself for a little. For a little while. But yeah, a lot of times, like, I'll write these journal. I'll write these journal entries, and sometimes something will come out of there, because when I'm writing, sometimes I just can't help to use a turn of phrase or something or it sounds come out and be like, oh, okay, that's. Maybe that could be something, you know, and then I'll move that paragraph down to the bottom of the page and. And start writing something. Or I'll just. Hopefully I'll. I have a poem that's in progress. I didn't finish the day. The day before. And then I'll just. I'll work on that a little bit.

Sounds great. Do you usually have coffee, tea, water, a beverage? What do you got.

Oh, yeah. Coffee. Yeah. Yeah. I don't do the Bukowski thing anymore. I have a cup of. Cup of black coffee. My nicotine pouches. I got my. My vitamins.

All right, that's a. That's a good assortment.

For the most part. Clean living.

Nice. All right. If people want to follow you online, where can they find you?

It's Rich Glennon. R I C H G G L I N N E N on Instagram and on Tumblr.

And do you post the same thing on both of them?

I do, yeah.

Okay.

Yeah. And I don't know if anybody attends the Nuyorican Open Mic. I also attend that most. Most Thursdays. Depends.

And where.

That's like a poetry cafe in Manhattan.

Okay, awesome. Well, thanks a lot for stopping by and chatting with us.

My pleasure. I'm surprised how fast this went.

Thanks for stopping by the audio Town square of the Washington Square Review. Until next time, this has been Washington Square on air from Lansing Community College. To find out more about a writers community and literary journal, visit lcc. Edu wsl Writing is messy, but do it anyway.

Connecting you with lansing community college, this is lcc connect. Lcc connect, voices, vibes, vision.

Lansing Community College Performing Arts presents the Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon by Don Zelaidis. The fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm are turned on their heads in this fast paced, rollicking ride as two narrators and several actors attempt to combine all 209 stories, ranging from classics like Snow White and Cinderella to more obscure stories. A wild freeform comedy with lots of audience participation and madcap fun. Featured at LCC's Black Box Theater February 20th through the 22nd and February 27th and 28th. Recommended for ages 11 and up. All performances are free to attend. Visit lcc.edu showinfo for showtime information.

Hi, I'm Lisa Alexander and I host a show called who's that Star?

On LCC Connect.

This show is all about an inside look at the LCC community where you get a chance to meet our faculty and staff, plus learn about their passion projects at work and at home. You can catch who's at Star here on LCC Connect or listen anytime@lccconnect.org I didn't want to talk. She just sat with me. That was all I really needed. We got back and of course we went to different cities. One day he called me out of the blue and it's comforting to know that I always encountered him to have my back.

We hadn't talked for a while and then she texted me and we went for a walk.

She called me from time to time. I really didn't think I needed any help. I was away from my family during the holidays and a friend invited me to their house for dinner. Really meant a lot. He knew I was having a rough week so he asked me to go fishing with him.

My friend knew that I didn't want to go out, so she brought me dinner instead.

It took me from being really depressed to feeling like somebody cared to give me some hope.

Just that one text Be there. Your call, your presence, your words, your support. Be there and help save a life. Learn more about preventing suicide@VeteransCrisisLine.net.

The Adult Enrichment Program offers community members the opportunity.

To discover the art and skill of.

Creative welding and metalwork. Those who are brand new to welding.

Or have years of experience can create.

Their own projects, from sculptures and wall art to functional metal pieces. This class, taught by LCC Welding faculty, is open to all skill levels. Visit lcc edu keeplearning for more information.

LCC Connect Voices, Vibes, Vision Conversations with Kate is like a conversation with your friend, hairstylist or therapist where we will talk about music, life stories and everything in between, with interviews and guests sprinkled in. As an LCC student, it's an honor and I love bringing a friend fresh perspective to the podcast menu on LCC Connect. I am your host, Kate. Let's get into this episode, Cotton Headed Ninny Muggins. It's time to get festive. What did that make you think of? If you were thinking Buddy the Elf, you're right. This episode is all about bringing out your inner Buddy the Elf. Welcome back to Conversations with Kate and I am your hostess. And today we're gonna be going through the sparkles, the syrup, the snow angels, and everything that will help you bring back and bring to light your inner Buddy the Elf. Whether you're already knee deep in tinsel or still trying to find your holiday spirit, this is the episode that is your permission slip to turn up the joy, drop the perfection, and show up like Buddy, unapologetically festive and full of magic. Because, let's be honest, the world can feel a little heavy at times. We need joy. We need that big, silly, contagious kind of happiness that everyone makes everyone feel like. It's okay to smile. It's okay to laugh too loud. It's okay to sing. So grab your hot cocoa, peppermint mocha, hot coffee, maybe a candy cane or two, and let's talk about how to unleash your inner Buddy the Elf. What Buddy the Elf energy really means. So what does it actually mean to have Buddy the Elf energy? It's not just about yellow tights and guzzling maple syrup, but if that's your thing, more power to ya. Buddy energy is about leading with joy. It's about seeing magic in the mundane, like the lights on a coffee shop window or the sound of wrapping paper crinkling, which is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. I don't know about you, but wrapping is one of my favorites. It's about believing in small gestures. A smile, a compliment, a cup of hot cocoa, that holiday drink that you like. Whether it's coffee, cocoa, or tea, we tone ourselves down so we don't seem too much. But guess what? Buddy is too much in the best possible way. And the world needs that energy. So here's your first challenge this week. Notice one small, magical thing in your everyday routine. Maybe it's how your morning coffee smells or the way the sunlight hits your window. Just pause, notice it, and smile. That's Buddy energy. Turning ordinary moments into holiday magic. Buddy doesn't wait for Christmas Eve. Neither do I. He creates Christmas magic every single day of the year. So let's talk about how you can do the same thing even without needing a North Pole zip code. Start small. Make your mornings cozier. Add cinnamon to your coffee. Do this every single day myself. Light a candle that smells like sugar cookies. Or like mine, I have a perfect Christmas smell, which is winter frosted cranberry and fresh balsam from Bath and Body Works. Or playing your favorite holiday playlist while you get ready for the day. You can even turn errands into cute little adventures. Call your grocery store, trip a reindeer snack run, or wear a Santa hat while you shop. I do this regularly, actually. And my personal favorite. Give Buddy level compliments. Tell someone you have the best smile I've ever seen. You smell like cinnamon and joy. It's silly, it's unexpected, and it instantly lightens the mood. No matter what, every single time, someone will always smile when you do that. When we infuse ordinary moments with just a smidge of fun, it changes everything. You start to see the joy that doesn't need a special occasion. You can make it happen anytime, anywhere, and with anyone. The power of spreading cheer. Buddy said it best. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing very loud for all to hear. Now, you don't have to do that, even though I do. And my daughter definitely rolls her eyes at me regularly. And, I mean, this happens all Year long. Not just during my buddy the elf months. And yes, months. Because in my house, my buddy the elf comes out full fledged on Black Friday. We put up the Christmas tree decorations and we make sugar cookies. So, yeah, she kind of rolls those pretty little peepers at me. So again, sing, watch a video. We always watch, actually, Elf. That's our first thing. And we usually have cookies. We usually have Christmas themed snacks. That's another way that you can spread cheer. Joy is contagious, like, literally. And that is one of the reasons why I am so peppy every day and even more so during the holidays. Because happiness and joy is contagious. You can walk into a room and have a smile on your face. When you smile or laugh, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin. And the people around you get a hit of those feel good chemicals too. Because science behind it, we do have an electrical field that beams out from us. So if you're doing those things, it's gonna get passed along to people that are within that radius of you. So when you choose joy, you're not just helping yourself. You're actually helping and uplifting everybody around you. Some easy ways to spread cheer that I would recommend that you do. Send a random text of appreciation. Drop off a coffee for a friend or a family member or any loved one. Compliment a stranger. I do this all the time, not just during the holidays. Volunteer for a cause that matters to you. And that can be as simple as volunteering at your children's school, volunteering at a food bank, whatever your favorite cause is. Spreading cheer doesn't mean ignoring hard feelings or pretending life is perfect. It means choosing light anyway. It's being kind even when you're tired and hopeful, even when life is messy. And yes, that is literally one of my flagship things in life. When people see the demeanor that I have, that's it right there. It's being kind even when you're tired and being hopeful even when things are messy. That's where the real magic of buddy energy comes from. It's grounded in joy. It's kindness with a little bit of sparkle. Now, I'm going to give you permission to play. In bringing out your inner Buddy the elf, Buddy reminds us that play isn't childish. It's actually sacred. And I agree. Like, I completely agree with that. So I want to ask you, when was the last time you did something purely for fun? No goal, no productivity, just fun. As adults, we forget how to play. We think we're supposed to be serious all the time, unfortunately. And Joy starts to feel like a luxury. But joy is not a luxury. It's fuel. So let's take a note from Buddy. Make snow angels. Bake cookies, even if you burn them. Watch Elf while you're eating syrup covered spaghetti if you dare. I mean, you don't have to if that's not your thing. Or just do something silly that makes you giggle. Dance in your kitchen, build a pillow fort. Wear reindeer ears to the store. The more we play, the more we reconnect with our inner child, to creativity and to connection and genuine happiness. Some of the things that my daughter and I do to invite in the Buddy the Elf energy like I talked about, if you know me, you know me well, and this is no surprise. But if you don't know me, as soon as September 1st hits in the year, my inner Buddy the Elf steps out of the closet. And I mean that BY like, okay, September 1st is when we put out the fall decorations. So out come all of the fall decorations around the house. The plugins from Bath and Body Works, Leaves and Autumn get plugged into the house. And you know, the Buddy the Elf is like, just got the little pinky toe out at that point. And then comes October 1st, Buddy the Elf kind of creeps out a little bit more. And I put out the Halloween decorations and add those in. And then November 1st, we put away all the Halloween decorations and we bring out Thanksgiving things to add to the already fall decorations that are out there. There's pumpkins on the front porch, which that's another thing that my daughter and I do to make the holidays special and to bring that Buddy the Elf element to our fall. Every year we go to Young's Orchard for their frozen slushies and their cinnamon donuts. And then we go to Pregitzer's to get our pumpkins. And I'm just gonna share a little quick story with you. This year, for the first time, we went on a Saturday afternoon after I got out of work. And boy, oh boy, it was busy. So FYI, if you're gonna go and do pumpkins and cider on a Saturday afternoon, be prepared for it to be busy. It was still just as fun. We love it. It's tradition. We've been doing it since very little. And I did happen to get quite a few pumpkins. I picked out ginormous one and Autumn picked out a few of the other sized ones. And we do have a little collection on our front porch. And then, of course, comes Thanksgiving, it's always a big deal, no matter what. Even if it's just me and Autumn at the house. We always go to her grandparents house. Wonderful fact about that. I don't have to cook. I just have to show up with a smile and my Buddy the Elf energy and Tupperware. And then of course that very next day comes. Dun dun, my Buddy the Elf energy gets to break out in full force. And we clean up all the fall decorations, put them away for the rest of the year and put up the tree, put up all the lights and plug in all of the smells. Like I said before, my perfect Christmas smell wise is from Bath and Body Works. And if you want to try it, that's cool, please, by all means, give it a go. Go in there and smell it first. It's the winter frosted cranberry and fresh balsam. All three of those scents together. Whether it's plugins or candles or room sprays, it's the perfect Christmas smell. And again, we also make sugar cookies every single year. I and then it just progresses throughout the season. I have cute little outfits to wear during the holiday season. T shirts, socks. I actually have a Buddy the Elf outfit which is it's just a T shirt with Buddy the Elf on it and socks with Buddy the Elf on it. And then I usually wear my Santa hat to work. Fast forward to the week of Christmas and this is really where the inner Buddy the Elf energy comes out. And at work at my salon, we always do kind of like a spirit week like you do in high school for a spirit week of homecoming. And we have a theme for each day of the week leading up to Christmas where it's like wear silly hats or wear Christmas PJs, that type of thing. And then we have our Friendsmas where we have a hot cocoa bar, we have deals on services, deals on gift cards, deals on products. And we also have and by we, I mean my salon owner, Katie. She is chef's kiss about putting Tencel in for people. So if you would like to come and see me in all of my Buddy the Elf energy glory, please keep an eye on addispaleslie's Facebook page around December. And we will put up our information about our friends. Ms. Because it is joyful and wonderful and we love to see everybody's smiley faces out there. And we're gonna go ahead and wrap everything up. And I have a little Buddy the Elf challenge for you. All right, my festive friends, here's your holiday homework this week. Do one thing that makes you smile uncontrollably. It doesn't have to be big. Just something that feels silly, warm, joyful. Something that your inner child would totally approve of. Remember, you don't need permission to be joyful or happy or silly. You don't need to earn for fun or earn your fun. You just have to show up with heart. Buddy didn't wait for the moment to be perfect. He just brought that magic out and made the moment magical. So this season, add a little bit more sparkle, a little bit more syrup. If that's your thing. You don't have to more silliness. Definitely do that. Please be the reason someone smiles today. And if anyone calls you too much, just tell them you're spreading Christmas cheer the only way that you know how. The Buddy the Elf way. Until next time, stay sparkly, stay kind, and remember, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Thanks for listening to this episode of Conversations with Kate. You can find more information on LCC Connect site as well as all social platforms, Facebook, Instagram, yes, TikTok as well. Big Love.

This is wlnc lansing. You're listening to lcc connect, a weekly program that features the voices, vibes and vision of lansing community college. To find out more about lcc connect programs or to listen on demand, visit us@lccconnect.org lcc connect, voices, vibes, vision.