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Career & Technical Education Month Today’s Youth = Tomorrow’s Leaders

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

2 • Wednesday, February 26, 2014 Skills/DECA

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Lamar Democrat, Lamar, MO

Making memories through SkillsUSA Courtesy Corps

By Johnna CatoSchwan

Last summer I had the amazing opportunity to go to participate in the Courtesy Corps at Kansas City for the SkillsUSA NLSC. It was honestly one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

The National Courtesy Corps is the elite group of high school and post high school students, as well as advisors and chaperones who are selected to repre-

sent their state delegation.

These people are basically the workers that make nationals happen.

We did everything from papering tables to watching over contests, even supervising over competitions. Not to mention getting to working with some of the biggest people in almost every technical area. Last year I was lucky enough to meet Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs while there. Since we helped set up contests

and made sure everything was ready for opening day, we arrived a few days before the contests actually started.

In the Courtesy Corps alone I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the USA. The farthest group of people came from New Mexico. Most of the people working at CC were from Missouri and as it turns out lived not far from us. Getting to spend day and night with these people for over a week, I

Underappreciated organization

By Anna Andrews

Whenever you become a junior in high school you get the option to take a three hour class at the Lamar Career and Technical Center. Last year I decided that I wanted to do exactly that and so I chose to become a part of the welding program. Whenever you choose to take a three hour class, also recognized as a trade skill, you also get the option to become a member of the Skills USA organization.

It’s extremely easy to join and once you do you won’t regret it because once you pay a membership fee of around $8 and take a trade class you will now become eligible to compete in trade skill competitions within your trade along with many other competitions with other technical school students.

This year I am a senior from the Lamar High School and also the current Skills USA president.

This will be my second year in Skills USA and

if this year is as great as last year was then I wish I’d be in high school for one more year. What we do in Skills USA consists of a variety of things. For example, last year I competed in the Quiz Bowl competition with a group of my peers, we also had students compete in extemporaneous speaking, job demo, etc. This year the Graphic Design Class has a Vinyl team where they make signs and other vinyl products, Welding has a Fabrication Team of four people to go and weld in competition, Welding along with Machine Tool can also send individual students to competition to practice said trade, also you can take a written test for your trade skill about your trade.

Once you compete in district competitions and you place first, second or third, you get to move on to state competition in Jefferson City. Last year the quiz bowl team I was on made it all the way to state along with several other

individuals from LCTC. We took a bus to Jefferson City, which wasn’t as bad as it sounds, and stayed overnight at a hotel. Unfortunately, to move on to Nationals you have to win first in your event. Another way you can attend nationals is by volunteering as a laborer through Courtesy Corps. You get to go for about two weeks out of your summer and help out.

Skills USA is an amazing organization you can really enjoy and be proud about being involved in. What I believe sets this organization aside from the others is the variety of things you can actually do while be-

got to make friends for a lifetime. I still talk to a lot of these people almost every day. I will see many of them this year at state for SkillsUSA. We stayed a Park University, a small college just the size for all of us CC people to stay in. When we weren’t working at Bartle Hall, we had some free time to just hang out on campus. You could even walk downtown during your free time if you chose to, where there was an ice

ing a member. You aren’t restricted to specifics.

Everyone is polite and it really is an amazing way to meet new people and make a bunch of new friends. The one thing I hope to accomplish as president of SkillsUSA this year is to really spread the word about the organization and get more involved with the general public. The SkillsUSA organization is not very well known in town and therefore might even be considered underappreciated.

I have confidence that at the end of this year that will change.

cream shop, a pizza place, along with a few art shops that were very unique.

One of my favorite memories from CC was my birthday. My mom, with the help of our sponsors, ordered my friends and I some cupcakes from a Kansas City known bakery. These cupcakes where huge! Nobody could eat a whole one completely by themselves, including the guys.

Another memory of mine is during one of the contest days. One of the people in our group got

lost and my roommate Vanessa and I had to go running around Bartle Hall to find them. We went down the wrong set of escalators and tried to run back up them with no success.

Would I do this again?

In a heartbeat! I loved getting to go so much. I am currently planning on returning. I’m just waiting until the time comes to sign up for it. I cannot think of any better way to spend a week of my summer than up there with all those amazing people.

The DECA experience at Lamar Career & Technical Center

By Kenna Roland

in. This year I was elected president of our chapter and I enjoy being the leader of such a great club.

My most memorable experience from DECA was when I got the honor to go to Anaheim, Calif. with two of my good friends and my marketing teacher.

We attended the DECA International Competi-

I am so glad to be enrolled in the Marketing II class at the Lamar Career and Technical Center; it is my favorite class of the day.

This is my second year in marketing and my favorite part is being a member of DECA. DECA is a business club that only marketing students can be see DECA, page 3

Lamar Democrat, Lamar, MO

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3 Experiences

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 •

My experiences in the business and marketing programs at LCTC Marketing and business are both amazing classes to take. I have learned many things in both Marketing and Accounting.

In Accounting the biggest thing I have learned

is that if you do not enter a number correctly in any economic situation, then it all goes wrong. In Marketing I have learned the processes that businesses use to run effectively. As someone who is interested in becoming a business

tion Conference and I had the opportunity to attend DECA workshops, listen to speakers and experience Disneyland, Calif. adventures and Universal Studios.

I attended the Leadership Academy while at the conference. I made many new DECA friends, learned how to be a better leader for both the Lamar Career and Technical Center and in the business world and I came back home with new ideas for our DECA chapter. The

International DECA experience got me fired up and ready for the 2013-2014 year. We have 46 DECA members and are about to compete at the district level, hopefully many more students will get the opportunity to make it to the International DECA Conference and experience everything the club has to offer.

I have learned so much through the marketing class at the Lamar Career and Technical Center. Everything is useful knowl-

By Carlene Correira

DECA, continued from page 2

owner, this will help better my future by giving me the essentials and understandings that are needed in running a business.

Marketing has also taught me how to go into an interview with the appropriate attire and the

edge I will use in the real business world. DECA has inspired me to major in Marketing when I go to college. The opportunities this class and organization have given me such as touring the Harley Davidson building, job shadowing and interviewing businessmen and women, listening to prominent speakers at conferences and learning more everyday about marketing, have all helped shape my future plans.

type of information necessary for the interview.

Marketing teaches you what all goes into running a business and how the business should treat you with regard to the products and price.

Accounting teaches you what goes into a business as well. Accounting does this by showing you the monetary aspect of it.

Without accounting, businesses would be in a con-

stant state of debt because they would not have a clue about how much money they had to pay for the employees, supplies and any other expenses that they come across.

Without the knowledge that the business and marketing program at Lamar Career and Technical Center allows me to retain, I would not know how much about the effort and hard work that busi-

nesses put into trying to meet our needs and wants for the products and services that we receive.

I would strongly advise anyone that is interested or that maybe interested in the business and marketing program to look into it because it will change your view on what you think of businesses and how effective they run. I strongly encourage people to consider this program.

By Dylan Inman

are awesome and treat me amazingly. I am helping to remodel the rooms in the hotel, which puts my carpentry experience to work. What do I do? I clock in and find the room we are working on. Depending on where we’re at on the room, I start tearing apart the room to get ready to paint. Then I prime all the walls and paint the ceiling. The next day we spray the walls with texture and after we paint the walls all the same color but the bed wall, which is a little darker color. The next day we do touch ups and put the carpet boarder back around the wall. After that we start cleaning the room up and putting new

lamps and furniture in and then we start on the next room.

It usually takes about two to three weeks to get everything done in a room. We have finished five to seven rooms since I started working there in January. There are two or three rooms left on the first floor and then we will be done with remodeling for this year. They remodel every year and that’s why they are ranked first in the world. Lonnie Frieden takes care of that hotel and makes sure every customer walks away happy and has a good night.

One big thing I learned in carpentry that has helped me in my internship is to focus, take your time and concentrate on what you are doing. There are many times I have to step back, think about what I am doing, take a couple deep breathes and make sure I am getting the room done correctly.

It is a great experience and I would recommend teens that want a career in carpentry to definitely do it.

Internship of a lifetime

I am a student at Lamar Career and Technical Center. I have been in carpentry program the last two years. At the end of the first semester of my senior year I was told I could do an internship at the Super 8 Hotel in place of my morning classes second semester.

Of course I took that offer. Who wouldn’t want to take it, instead of going to school you get to work in the morning and get paid for it?

I work from 7 or 8 until 11 in the morning, Monday through Saturday. It isn’t many hours, but the work is great and the people I work with

4 • Wednesday, February 26, 2014 graphic design

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Why Graphic Design?

By Josie Kaderly

Venturing out in a new program

By Ashton Kirkpatrick

The three seniors in Graphic Design this year are the first students to take Graphic Design at Lamar Career and Technical Center. I am very happy to say I am one of those three.

Since I started this program back in 2012, there have been many improvements. We started with 20 new Mac computers and a regular printer like all the others in Lamar High School and LCTC. Between Christmas of 2012 and the beginning of 2013, we got a large format printer for printing large projects like posters and banners.

During my second year we have had the most improvements and upgrades. Graphic Design upgraded to a larger room, where we now have more desks and a larger area to work. We also got new cushioned chairs with changeable height. These chairs really help because I am short and my computer and keyboard

were up too high last year. Graphic Design also got a new printer and a vinyl cutter, which I love.

Now that we have a vinyl cutter we can create our own posters and banners, which is a lot more hands on than creating something on the computer and clicking print. With vinyl, putting together a poster involves measuring to make sure you have placed your text in the right spot and it is like a puzzle to figure out how all the pieces fit together.

Graphic Design offers so much; anyone who likes to look at those billboards on the highway or magazines should take a look at this class because this is where all of that is created. I would definitely encourage the sophomores and freshmen to look into Graphic Design. Even the middle school students can start looking into some LCTC class they would like to take. I promise you, you won’t regret taking any LCTC class.

Lamar Democrat, Lamar, MO

Choosing Graphic Design was actually a tough choice. Sophomore year I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and I didn’t think I would figure it out soon.

One day all of the sophomores went to the library and Mrs. Stewart explained a little bit about the LCTC classes and how they work. Graphic Design was the only one that interested me, so I stayed and learned more about it and signed up for sophomore tours.

During the tour the students showed us how to use some of the tools they actually use in the class.

Dalton Cox, a senior in Graphic Design, showed me some of the projects they did and he kept talking to me about it afterwards. He’s the reason I was considering signing up for the class.

I didn’t get the chance to talk to my parents about it and sign up in time, so I gave up on doing it.

Mrs. Worsley asked me if I was still interested, even though it was after the last day to sign up, and I said yes. Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Stewart were fine with me turning my form in a few days late though, so I went ahead and applied.

I wasn’t so sure that I would like having a three hour class, but it actually makes my schedule perfect. I get my harder classes out of the way, then lunch, then Graphic Design. I really like how easygoing the LCTC teachers are. I’ve learned so much about basic designing, which I think every stu-

dent in the high school needs to know. I’ve always been creative and now I have a way to express it that I can use to make a living someday. We also have learned how to use the fancy computers and printers and all sorts of fun equipment.

I encourage anyone who is creative to consider signing up for this class.

Lamar Democrat, Lamar, MO

www.lamardemocrat.com

5 Health occupations Wednesday, February 26, 2014 •

A first year student’s My experience as a Health Occupations student perspective on Health Occupations

By Shawnee DeBeouf As a first year health occupations student at Lamar Career and Technical Center you get a lot more experience with the medical field of study than you would in a regular high school class. Starting off in your first year you do a lot of out of the book terminology over the course of a year to prepare you to be a second year student.

Lamar Career and Technical Center has helped

me with furthering my education. Being a part of this class has defined so many parts of the health care field that I had no knowledge of before. This program has given me specific options to pick from in the medical field.

Health Occupations class is easy if you try, the students enrolled work hard and are determined. It is a very advanced study for students in high school.

By COLTIN MCDONALD take care of people as well as interact with them, As a second year student keep them positive and at LCTC in the health help them maintain their occupations class I have own personal health. This learned all the basics and program has helped me fundamentals of most in a number of different health careers. During ways, like it has helped my time as a second year me make up my mind to we have learned a lot of go and pursue a degree in medical terms plus we this type of career field. have gotten to start our It has also helped me get clinicals for our Certified into the type of job setNurse Assistant - which is ting, in which I would like a very exciting part of this to work; as in when we program. go do our clinicals at the I have learned so much nursing home I’m getting from this program and to experience working in a have gotten exactly what facility helping people. In I wanted to get out of it. the future I would like to In my time here at LCTC work in a hospital.

I have been able to help In the LCTC programs

you can get some sort of certification and then when you go off to college you will be able to get a decent paying job while in college, which is

a huge, plus to all of us. I found LCTC to have been an amazing place these last few years and am extremely grateful that I was accepted to be part of it.

cal Terminology it will not only help you on your medical term skills, but also give you college credit hours to certain colleges.

This is good because those are hours you won’t have to retake when you attend college after high school.

For any of you that are interested in the medical field, medical terminology is very important. Looking back on it, it does take a lot of memorization, but if you set your mind to it that will make your year easier and not as stressful.

Your second year of attending Health Occupations at Lamar Career and Technical Center, you will be going over safety precautions the first semester and then be working on your CNA your second semester. For anyone who wants to be a nurse or in the medical field at all, this is an excellent start

to your future! Working in the nursing home gives you a feel of what being a nurse will be like and if this occupation is really for you.

What I have learned from attending Health Occupations is that the nursing field is for me. It takes a lot of care and compassion for the residents to be able to do a job like this.

I think coming here was a great opportunity. This will impact my career because I plan on working as a CNA while attending college. I will later major in Radiography to become a Radiation Therapist.

Working as a CNA helps me get a feel of how well I do with residents and see how well I really am working at a health care facility. If you’re looking into nursing, this is a great opportunity for a jump start to your future!

A start to your future!

By Tori Campbell

Lamar Career and Technical Center will start you Your first year of attend- out by doing Medical Tering Health Occupations at minology. By doing Medi-

6 • Wednesday, February 26, 2014 Machine Tool Technology

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Lamar Democrat, Lamar, MO

What is Machine Tool Technology?

By Kim Williams

At Lamar Career and Technical Center, there are a lot of hands-on classes available for students to take. One of those classes is Machine Tool Technology.

Machine Tool Technology is taught by Leland Smith. In Machine Tool, students can take anything you can think of and put it on a print and build it.

They work on many projects including creating tools. Many community members bring in parts for students to repair. For

instance, another instructor brought in a spear to be put on the back of his truck and a student brought in a shaft from the PTO stand to be fixed.

Some of the tools that are made by Machine Tool students are a wrench and a hammer.

Ryan Luthi was asked what made him interested in Machine Tool and he said, “Sophomore year, when we did the tours of LCTC was when I became interested in Machine Tool. Looking at the machines, everyone seemed friendly and I

knew I would use it more than any other class. That’s what made me interested.”

“You can get a good job from this class,” said Luthi. Ryan currently has a job because of the Machine Tool class. He has made a lot of friends in the class as well. He seems to really enjoy it. “I do enjoy Machine Tool. I get to work independently. I enjoy getting to work with my hands,” Ryan stated.

The sophomores have the chance to tour the Lamar Career and Technical Center soon and some of them may already be in-

terested in Machine Tool.

Ryan was asked what he would say to an interested student to try to encourage them to enroll in Machine Tool. “You are

on your own. The class is very independent. I like to be independent and work on my own. Mr. Smith and other students are around if you need it, but

you are mainly on your own,” Ryan said. The class seemed like it was a good class to join. It sounds like you will have a lot of fun there.

rience I would gain from being in this class.

First year students build projects to familiarize themselves with the different machines in our shop, while second year students work on projects that are brought into the shop, or they can choose projects from machining books that we have in our classroom. Most of the time the outside projects

are from local farmers that need a part of their equipment repaired; so we gain experience by problem solving. We decide what needs to be done, in what steps it needs to be done and what tools and machines are needed.

This class has helped me decide a career path and has given me the tools to start this career right out of high school. Though

I could start right out of school I will still continue my education and attain a degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology at a school still undecided.

Some students might come into this class thinking that it’s an easy shop class, but in reality it’s a class where you need to be a quick thinker, a good problem solver and learn how to convert decimals

to fractions and vice versa. We work with various metals, plastic and wood.

Our class has a low number of students, so Mr. Smith can work one-onone with all of us very often.

This class has helped prepare me for the world of work by giving me a good combination of hands on work mixed with informative lessons.

Preparing for the world of work

By Trent Morgan Joining the Machine Tool Technology class has helped me in many ways.

I initially joined this class because I thought it was a great opportunity to work with hands-on projects. I knew I would be able to bring in parts from our family farm that need to be repaired. What I didn’t realize was all of the expe-

Lamar Democrat, Lamar, MO

www.lamardemocrat.com

What a first year auto student has to say

By Mickenzy McCarter Haven Clemons is a first year student in the Auto Mechanics program at Lamar Career and Technical Center. Throughout the week students do a little bit of bookwork, learning various techniques and then they get to go out into the shop and work on cars belonging to people in the community. Haven has learned various skills such as engine performance, how to diagnose a vehicle, how to balance and rotate tires, how to

perform alignments, how to turn rotors, electric, performing LOF (lube, oil, filter). He has been able to become certified in oil changing through this program.

After high school Haven plans on going into the military and he said, “You never know when the things you have learned in auto will come in handy. No matter where you go in life it is good to know about your vehicle and how to fix any problems that may arise.”

Furthermore, the knowl-

edge gained learning how things work in Auto Mechanics can be applied to everyday life and one can build upon that knowledge and use it in a business aspect overseeing the mechanic field.

I asked Haven if he could give some advice to underclassmen considering Auto Mechanics what his advice would be and he said, “The skills learned in Auto Mechanics are great skills to have. It can save you a lot of money by having this knowledge and training. If you want to go into the auto mechanics field you can make good money. There is also always going to be something different to work on. If for some reason you decide to go down a different career path, you will always have the skills you learn in auto to fall back on. The best part of this skill is there will always be a job out there for you.”

7 Auto Mechanics

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 •

What does an auto mechanics student learn?

By Mercedee Sangster As a student ambassador I interviewed a student in Auto Mechanics.

Georgette Brubaker is a junior at Golden City High School. In her first year in the Auto Mechanics program she said she has learned a

lot. She has learned about electric circuits, how to do an alignment on a vehicle, perform a Lube, Oil and Filter Service (LOF) and is training to be ASE certified (Automotive Service Excellence).

Georgette’s future plans are to become an Automotive Technician. She wants to be able to help her father work on his trucks. She said that this program has impacted her tremendously because she has learned a lot to help her have a bigger field to

work in.

Georgette’s advice to any student that is considering coming to LCTC for the Auto Mechanics in the future is that “this is not a place to just come to get out of a few hours at your home high school.”

In this program you actually work on real peoples vehicles. Being here is like being in an apprenticeship because you learn and work on cars. After two years you are able to become certified as long as you pass the test.

8 • Wednesday, February 26, 2014 Auto/LCTC Family

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Lamar Democrat, Lamar, MO

Auto students apply electronics skills Students in the Auto Mechanics classes at Lamar Career and Technical Center recently completed electronics projects. All projects were judged and ranked. Those projects ranking first, second and third places received prizes donated by Bumperto-Bumper and O’Reilly’s Auto Parts.

The instructions for the project were simple, complete a circuit. The students were allowed to research different types of circuits and could be as elaborate as they chose on their projects. Most of the projects completed a

circuit from a switch to a light of some sort. Some of the projects then utilized dimmer switches, blinkers or the students combined the switches to show headlights, tail lights, brake lights and the like.

More elaborate projects included the use of a horn, windshield wiper motors, working turn signals and buzzers.

The students showed creativity and ingenuity as they developed their projects. One of the projects was built in the shape of a car with a moving brake pedal while another was built to simulate the lights

AM class winners are, right to left, Georgette PM class winners are, right to left, Haven ClemBrubaker, third place; Kayla Spurlock, second ons, third place; Riley Williams, second place and Tristan Stilabower, first place. place and Cody Short, first place. and systems of a school bus. Students spent many hours designing and preparing the projects. When asked about the project, one student said, “This is

what I did the entire time we were out for snow days in January. All I did was work on this.”

Students receiving prizes were as follows: AM

Class Winners – Cody Short, Greenfield, first place; Kayla Spurlock, Dadeville, second place and Georgette Brubaker, Golden City, third place.

PM Class Winners - Tristen Stilabower, Lamar, first place; Riley Williams, Lamar, second place and Haven Clemons, Lamar, third place.

Our Future Leaders

Lamar Career and Technical Center’s family includes: Health Occupations, green; Graphic Design, blue; Carpentry, red; Machine Tool Technology, dark grey; Welding, light grey; and Auto Mechanics, black.

Lamar Democrat, Lamar, MO

www.lamardemocrat.com

9 Legislative Day

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 •

Jacob Rice at Legislative Day for Career and Tony Morgan at Legislative Day for Career and Representatives of FFA at Legislative Day were, Technical Centers held in Jefferson City.

Technical Centers held in Jefferson City. left to right, Tony Morgan, advisor Scott Nolting and Karsen Hull.

Legislative Day for Career and Technical Centers was held in Jefferson City.

Pictured are, left to right, Anna Andrews, Jacob Rice, Johnna Cato-Schwan, Jimmy Keutzer, Tony Morgan, Karsen Hull, Gabriel Grijalva and Missouri State Representative Mike Kelley.

Legislative Day students outside of the state capitol were, left to right, Left to right, advisor Steve Shields, Johnna Cato-Schwan, Jacob Rice, JimAnna Andrews, Tony Morgan, Jacob Rice, Jimmy Keutzer, Gabriel Grijalva, my Keutzer, Gabriel Grijalva and Anna Andrews, represented SkillsUSA at Karsen Hull and Johnna Cato-Schwan.

Legislative Day for Career and Technical Centers.

10 • Wednesday, February 26, 2014 Welding

Learning to weld

By Colton Divine

As a first year welding student at Lamar Career and Technical Center I have faced many experiences.

Mr. Seela, the welding instructor, treats the shop and classroom like a job. I feel like that gives not only me, but all the other students a feel for what the real world work force will be like. You get to experience all sorts and types of things ranging from different processes of welding and different positions to tools you never dreamed of as well as all the different types of rod to use for a certain types of processes.

In my first and halfway through my second semester of welding I have learned lots of skills I had never dreamed of doing. I have been introduced to SMAW, which is the correct terminology for the process most known as “stick” welding, and to GMAW, which is also known as Mig welding, as well as Flux Core welding, also known as FCAW. I have just started Tig welding which is also known by the name of GTAW. I have gotten to run our hydraulic ironworker, which cuts sheets of metal and also punches holes in sheets of metal. I find it very interesting. I have also run the torch to cut metal many times. I have also run the plasma cutter, which is like the torch but cuts much finer and cleaner. I have also run the track torch that can cut thicker metal, which is too big to cut with the hand torch.

The best advice I could give an incoming first year welding student or any other LCTC student that has been accepted into a three-hour program would be to come into the year and classroom with an open mind. Be open to try new things and learn new things.

Be teachable is probably the biggest thing you could do. Be ready to work and get your hands dirty.

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Lamar Democrat, Lamar, MO

What do first year welding students learn?

By Cody Davis As a junior or (first year) in the LCTC welding program, you will learn how to first operate a torch correctly. Once you have learned that you will then move on to shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) with E7018 flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead plate. Once you have mastered them you will then be moved on to E7018 fillet, you will do flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead. By this time some of the first year students will learn how to Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), which is referred to as Mig. You will go through the same type of welds as you do with GMAW as SMAW. Once you are good at Mig you will go back

to stick using E7018 on groove welds. Then you will learn to weld with E6010 and do all the types of welds you did before.

Towards the end of the year you will learn how Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW).

This welding program has helped me become a better welder. I have learned how to weld properly and do many different kinds of welds that I have never done before and that are going to help me achieve more in my welding career in the future. I have learned how to SMAW, GMAW and I’m in the process of learning how to GTAW. I have enjoyed every minute of this program.

I am looking forward to learning a lot more later this year and next year.

From the perspective of a second year welding student

By Jordan Grover

As a second year student in the welding program at Lamar Career and Technical Center, I’ve found there are many advantages to getting a jumpstart on your career.

One of the many advantages is that being in the welding program gives me the opportunity to get everyday hands on experience in the shop, as well as the technical part out of the books.

We have a great welding instructor who teaches us the welding trade. He, like most others, comes from the field he is teaching. Mr. Seela, the welding instructor, has had many years out in the field so he is a great fit to teach us everything there is to know.

There is also an organization that everyone who gets accepted to Lamar Career and Technical Center becomes a part of.

The group is SkillsUSA. It is a great organization to be a part of. We have opportunities to be a part of teams or individual events to compete at a district and state level. Students don’t have to compete in the physical part of it, but there is a written test to take where a student can qualify to compete with others at the district level.

The staff at the Lamar Career and Technical Center is also very helpful as well; everyone from the secre-

tary up front to the director of the LCTC. The counselor, Mrs. Stewart, helps get you on track as a senior as to which collage or technical school you would like to attend after high school. The English teacher, Mrs. Chadd, helps us earn an English credit by doing writing that applies directly to the field of study you are taking. In welding we do papers that pertain strictly to the program. It keeps you from doing Shakespeare and poetry. Lastly, we have the director, Dr. Pattison, who provides events around the school for fun or to help programs raise money for new equipment.

If you are really interested in the welding program I can tell you first hand this is the place to be! There is great equipment we have access to including stick welders, TIG welders, MIG welders with which you can become a skilled welder. We get to learn on other equipment also. We’ve learned how to weld and cut with a torch and with the newest addition this year, a plasma cutter, which runs off a computer.

To finish off our year we get to become certified as a welder with any kind of

welding process we may choose to test in.

In the welding field certification is a great kick start to a good career. So if you are thinking about welding or anything they offer here at LCTC, I can tell you as my second year here that it is a great way to go!

Lamar Democrat, Lamar, MO

11 Welding

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Wednesday, February 26, 2014 •

The things I know now that I didn’t know then

By Anna Andrews

I am currently a second year welding student from Lamar High School attending the Lamar Career and Technical Center and I can’t even begin to recount all the things I’ve learned by being part of the welding program.

When I started the program I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.

My original plans were to make a backup career out of the knowledge I obtained from taking the class. Little did I know the amount I would actually learn in welding didn’t always have to do with welding itself. By

saying this I mean that along with learning all the weld processes and how to weld on different metals effectively, I’ve also learned that attendance, attitude and work ethic mean everything when it comes to getting a job.

In class if we didn’t show up and do our work with a decent mindset then we would lose points for the day and therefore our grade would drop, sometimes drastically.

Welding has also inadvertently taught me that to get things done sometimes you have to compromise but at the same time be fastidious with your work. I’ve always had an understanding on hard work and that it was very important. For example, always show up to your job all day every day, don’t be late, do what you’re supposed to and

stay on task. However, I’ve never actually had to experience it until I took this class.

Without a doubt this is a definite learning experience that has made me confident about entering the work force. Before I started the welding class at LCTC, I never really had any desire to become

a welder. It was always an in case of emergency option for me. Now instead of having an “I won’t do it unless I have to” mindset, I have more of an “it’s not nearly as bad as it looks” mindset. For me there is nothing more achieving than being able to work hard for what you get while also getting results.

My best experiences yet courteous. The inBy Mark Sutton structors are willing to Welding II help at any time and they Stockton High School have experience in the fields in which they teach My best experiences which makes for a great here at Lamar Career learning environment for & Technical Center are all students. Also, there many to say the least. are several contests to go Such as the amazing to through LCTC such as teachers and staff that the fall leadership where are always professional, you can get a leadership pin for answering questions about SkillsUSA, as well as other contests that directly relate to the field of study.

In welding we have several contests, where we

may earn scholarships or welding supplies such as welding hoods, welders, torches and grinders. One thing I really enjoy about this school is everything you do is hands on learning and gets you ready to join the work force. This year I have gained $750 in scholarships, last year I gained $1400 in scholarship money by competing in welding competitions.

The English program here is very well put together. The assignments are directly related to your class and you write

about what you have been working on in class. There is no poetry or Shakespeare that you have to read; yet you’ll receive your English 4 credit.

Students will not have to enroll in an English class their senior year because the English at LCTC will transfer to their home high school.

Also the people I have met at this school have been good because they all have had the same interests as I have. We help out one another with class work and welding in the shop. Students can also leave LCTC with certifications that will help us to get great jobs. But the best thing about this school is all the experience that I have gained from being a welder here is second to none. There are all memorable experiences that I have had at LCTC and we hope you will join this school.

12 • Wednesday, February 26, 2014 Woodworking/Carpentry

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Lamar Democrat, Lamar, MO

Got skills?

I love woodworking!

I don’t know about you but all the knowledge I‘ve gained at LCTC is just tremendous. At first, before I came to LCTC, I was thinking about my future and on what I wanted to do after high school around my sophomore year. I wanted to see how my home high school would prepare me on being a civil engineer/ architect. Eventually I was introduced to LCTC, which offered several programs to my home high school. What appealed to me were drafting and carpentry, which related to what I wanted to pursue as a career.

I had three choices I could make that would decide my last two years of high school, drafting, carpentry or to get out as much career related classes/stuff from my home high school. On regards of making my decision, I didn’t want to sit in class all day reading a book or doing homework or studying. I don’t mind doing bookwork, but I would always prefer hands-on work over bookwork anytime of the day.

That led me to two choices, drafting or carpentry.

When I went to the sophomore experience tour at LCTC, they had me go to two different sessions to experience in which class I would be more interested. I first went to drafting which seemed pretty fun. I was introduced to Mr. Shields and how the class would be a mixture of drawing and designing blueprints and a little bit of woodworking. I was im-

My love for woodworking began as freshman, when I took industrial-tech. Though we only made small projects such as a bootjack, paper-towel holder, bread board, etc., it helped me realize that I really like being out in the woodshop, so I came back the next year for Woods I. Although it was a bit harder compared to freshman year it helped me learn to be more confident and independent on my own projects. I didn’t really know what to make since all we ever made was small stuff, so I fell underneath the wings of my good friend, Jacob Russell. He made a blanket chest out of walnut,

By Ricardo Grijalva

pressed by the fancy tools that would be used in that program and all the cool, extravagant furniture I would be able to make.

Yes, I was fairly impressed on what I could learn there but it didn‘t fully convince me.

When I began the second session I was introduced to Mr. McCall and the rest of his Carpentry clan. Miraculously I was the only student in the second session that went to Carpentry, so I was introduced to a lot more materials and curricula. Then of course they wanted to test my skills to see if I could hammer a nail. I was capable of doing so. I felt pretty proud of nailing two wall T’s with the help of the clan and how everybody was so observant around me. It was fun though and after that session was over I realized that I was more passionate and more determined on having hands on experience with bigger objects, than with small delicate furniture.

Also teamwork was a major factor that I noticed in Carpentry. Everybody worked together and I liked that. I personally perform better in group projects than individually.

I don’t know why exactly, but I believe it’s probably because when people are depending on me, that pressure pushes me to strive for more and to do my very best.

I grew up helping my dad build small sheds, doghouses, barns, pig barns, etc. A bit of everything I would say. I had a bigger background in carpentry than in woodworking, so

By Jacob Rice

I said, “why not build on top of that?” Eventually I chose carpentry.

I honestly have learned so much from Carpentry that it’s amazing how much more you learn when you are studying something that is actually relevant to what you want to pursue in the future, than Romeo and Juliet or some other

which helped me decide that that’s what I wanted to make but out of oak.

Then next year I wanted to make a dresser, turns out Jacob Russell wanted to make the same thing.

We helped each other out my first two years but now that he’s gone I am making my two nightstands independently.

Throughout the years my experiences of furniture making have improved.

Not only is my wood skill advanced, my skills of measurements and drafting have improved. Before we can start working on our project we have to draw a blueprint of it. I had to make sure that all the parts would fit correctly and that all the measurements add up in order to have a successful project. In my future I

weird thing. I have learned to effectively communicate with other people in performing tasks in the field.

Also how to build walls, a foundation, stair stringers, layout rafters, install floor joists, install vinyl siding and fascia, measure out measurements at different see SKILLS, page 15

plan to become a successful mechanical engineer. I believe the knowledge that I learned in this program will help me achieve my dream.

Every day that I go to the wood shop I feel at home, like I’m in my comfort zone. It’s always been a fun class for me and it never disappoints me. My teacher is a great man and he knows more than just a thing or two about what he teaches. I’ve learned so many things from him and his classes. Between the fun and the hard work that was put into every project, this class, by far, is my favorite.

Lamar Democrat, Lamar, MO

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13 Carpentry

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 •

Three important skills to learn in Carpentry

By Nick Guerrero

I have learned many skills in the Carpentry program here at Lamar Career and Technical Center. Most of which I will use later in life and my future career.

There are three, which are most important. These are math, rough framing and concrete work.

Math not only applies to my career, but in my life in general. We use math every day. We may not think we do, but we do;

for example, when getting money or figuring taxes.

In carpentry math is in my opinion the most important skill to know because without math you can’t even start to build a house. You have to figure the dimensions of where the house will go and you have to find the measurements for almost everything in the site plans.

Rough framing is also important to know for Carpentry. You need to know how to do this so

that you don’t mess up the walls or flooring. It is good to know this skill for future employment in this line of work. Most employers will offer on the job training for this skill, but there are always those who don’t. Rough framing is building the basic part of the house; for example, the walls, floor and ceiling. If you plan to build your own house, this skill will definitely help you.

Concrete work can be hard, but when I learned how to do it and saw what the finished product looked like, I liked doing concrete work. This is also

strenuous work for anyone. If taught right, this can also be helpful in finding future employment in the construction field. I will warn anyone thinking about this field of work that it can be dangerous.

These three skills are in my opinion the most important to carpentry work.

Like I said earlier math is everywhere you can’t escape it. I have learned and am fairly good in these three skills. I have learned from my teachers here at Lamar Career and Technical Center about these three skills and feel confi- me well enough to succeed in my life. I thank every dent that they have taught not only in my career, but one of them!

Carpentry class opens doors to a better future

By Ben Emery ing an Apprenticeship Carpentry II School in Springfield for Greenfield High School the next four years after I graduate. It will be great Our class this year is go- for me because I will not ing twice as better than have to get a job while I last year for the seniors. am in school because I’ll We have learned a lot be getting paid to learn. I more and we are working think in the future whoa lot faster than we did ever takes this class will last year. I have learned so be able to go to any carmuch and plan on attend- pentry school they want

or even get a great job in the real world. We have worked so hard this year that we will be able to do great things in our future.

We all have earned our OSHA 10 cards and will receive more achievements in the future.

At the beginning of each year we attend a SkillsUSA meeting at Mis-

souri Southern in Joplin to learn what SkillsUSA is all about. This year Mr. Sheat has all of the students doing our own jobs at the job site. The seniors have been able to help the juniors in our class whenever they have questions or just need help. Overall this class is great!

14 • Wednesday, February 26, 2014 AG

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Cultivating The one hour experience my career and my future

By Tony Morgan

In Ag, Mr. Nolting teaches us many valuable skills that we students will need in our future for our careers that we want to pursue.

One of the three lessons I have learned in Ag class is learning how to keep records. This is an extremely important skill to have. We need to manage how we spend, save, figure bills and pay checks. We practice this thru our record book. In our record book we record all of the expenditures and income that we have had in our FFA career.

Learning how to construct useful items out of metal is another important skill I have learned in Ag. In Ag construction I was taught how to operate different types of welders, grinders, torches and a plasma cutter. Learning how to measure correctly and the steps it takes to put together a project is a challenge but with these challenges I have also learned how to manage my time wisely. With these skills I have learned in Ag construction, I have learned the basics of mechanics and will take this with me back to my family farm so I can fix implements and other equipment without having to pay someone to do it for me.

In Ag business and Ag construction, I have learned that one of the most important skills to have is the skill to have the patience and the right attitude to work and get along with others. No matter what career I pursue I will have to work with people and those people might not always be the easiest to get along with. No matter whom it is I work with, I will need to work as a team.

If I am ever a manager I will need to treat the people that work for me fairly.

These are three of the many important things that I have learned in Mr. Nolting’s Ag class.

organization to join, agriculture has the opBy Jimmy Keutzer to join FFA. To me where SkillsUBeing in Wood and Ag for the last four portunity SA is, as in its namesake, more about skills years has really made a huge difference in my than anything else, FFA is about all about life. The skills that I have learned from FFA leadership. Leadership an essential skill and SkillsUSA will stick with me for a life- needed in life and FFAis does a wonderful time. If I had not taken these classes, my life job of giving you the set of skills need would have drastically been changed. Not to achieve leadership. Ag is in allyou reality only have I been able to meet new people competition class. You spend your time ina and make new friends, but I have been able class doing bookwork and work sheets and to be involved in many experiences that will watching Ag videos and preparing for the stick with me for the rest of my life. From competitions. In March we start going to SkillsUSA practices or FFA compe- our competitions. Competitition to officer interviews and state compe- tions are the peak of the FFA titions there are so many experiences that I experience. It is where you meet was exposed to. It is really amazing the op- new people and all of the expeportunities that are presented. happen. I have had the Wood Working has been a passion of mine riences opportunity of meeting some for many years. So going into Woods fresh- amazing people in my time men year was an obvious choice for me. I with FFA. Through went in expecting that we would go over the tions I have learned thecompetivalue of machines and make our way out to the shop studying for tests with the FFA in little of no time and start on projects im- knowledge team, taking time to mediately. Instead, we learned how to read evaluate and study thing with and draw blue prints, the modern styles and meats evaluations, and I have wants of the wood industry and basic metal become a better businessmen working, before we even began to take the and salesmen through the Sales safety tests over the shop machines. These team. Leadership skills have hard skills are what stay with people for the been gained through the offices rest of their lives. Not only do they make peo- I have held in FFA, from startple who come out of Woods more hirable, ing at the position of chapter but also more knowledgeable. Going in the historian and working my way second year you expect to again go straight to the shop. But again we spent the first quarter in the class room learning the different style of wood working; from French Cabriolet to Early Colonial FARM BUREAU and then onto the INSURANCE different type of www.mofbinsurance.com wood and learning about fiber saturation point, quarter and half sawn Call me for details lumber and many more of the scientific aspects of wood. Just the first two years provided so much handson-experience and knowledge that it is unbelievable.

Where most of the LCTC classes have the SkillsUSA

Lamar Democrat, Lamar, MO

up to chapter co-vice president. Having these offices has helped me become a better leader and grow in more ways than one.

The skill and experiences I have gained in my three one hour LCTC classes will stick with me for the rest of my life. These aren’t skill that you can inherit, but rather something to study. Without these skills I wouldn’t be who I am today. I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to have the “One Hour Experience” through LCTC.

Lamar Democrat, Lamar, MO

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How has FFA impacted my life?

By Riley Phipps

How has FFA impacted my life? Well honestly I really wasn’t a part of any type of club till FFA. Before FFA, school was just

school. You came at 8 a.m., did what you had to then left at 3 p.m. My freshman year was completely overwhelming. I came in not knowing anyone or even what I wanted to do. The

first day I came into my Ag. Class, I knew this is what I needed to do.

I have experienced many different places and people. Going to the National FFA Convention you get

culture includes things like business, marketing, biology, forestry, wildlife and landscaping and so much more. FFA has helped to strengthen these sectors of agriculture by sponsoring Supervised Agricultural Experiences in these fields and more.

As an example of what FFA has done for me, I was able to attend the 2014 Missouri’s Governors Conference on Agriculture in January. I was one out of 30 juniors in Missouri that was invited from the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Through my hard work in FFA it made it possible for me to achieve this honor.

Missouri’s Governor Nixon stated at the confer-

ence that Agriculture is Missouri’s number one industry and highlighted the many career opportunities for youth in agriculture.

Leadership opportunities in the FFA are abundant. If you want to get involved in making yourself a better person, FFA has many leadership opportunities including being a local, area, or state officer and helping out with our community service activities. Being in the FFA gives you a sense of pride. You are a part of a student organization that helps our community, our state and our nation. This organization has given me several valuable lessons and many friends throughout the years. I understand its importance in my life and for the rest of the world.

FFA gives you a sense of pride

By TONY MORGAN

As an FFA member and officer myself, I know about the importance of FFA. When I think of FFA I think of leaders, responsibility, determined students, creativity, team work, so many great things that everyone in life needs! FFA agriculture is so important because of its very name. "Future Farmers of America". FFA teaches people that farming and agriculture are important acceptable jobs that need to be done. Without future farmers, where would our food come from? FFA has evolved with agriculture to include many areas in farming. Agri-

MFA GRAIN

417-682-5593 | 800-359-8422 Lamar, MO

15 FFA

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 •

to meet students from every state in America. The students in FFA are not just country people. They come from many types of ethnicities. After coming home from the convention I have tried to attend every FFA meeting, competition, BBQ and even just hang out with other FFA students.

Not only has FFA shaped me as a person, it has pushed me to do

more than I ever thought I would do. Lamar FFA is a family not just a club. If you are nervous or scared the other students will help you through it. We treat each other like we would our brothers and sisters. We fight; we laugh and sometimes even cry together.

Even the FFA Alumni are still proud of what they did in FFA. When they see us young men and women

working hard to achieve something we can be proud of, you can just see the glow of pride on their faces. When it comes to our blue jackets, they are like our symbol. Our blue jackets are not something to mess with either. Just go to one of our National FFA conventions and see those thousands of blue jackets and you will know we love what we are a part of.

By Karsen Jean Hull

holds values and a respect that you can’t just receive, but that you have to earn.

Our FFA is like a family.

We know what’s expected of us, and what’s right or wrong. We push each other to make everyone better. We hold everyone accountable. If you slip up, know that someone is probably going to be there to tell you, you did wrong, but they will also be there to pick you back up and help you with whatever you need. With a group behind you that you know will be there to help whenever you need it; it makes life just that much easier knowing you always have someone to help.

The impact on my life

that FFA has had is tremendous. Coming up as a freshman and seeing the leadership and what it takes to be an officer in FFA makes you want to strive to be that. To be someone that younger kids can look up to, or even your peers around you. To be someone that can admit when they’ve made a mistake, but go back and fix it also. To be someone that will respect everyone and always be there to lend a hand. Sometimes meeting deadlines or trying to better your scores can be difficult and stressful.

But when it’s time to put up our blue jackets we all wish we could start again and relive our FFA days.

angles and pitches, use and troubleshoot some power tools that are used on the field and many other things that I would do at work.

Now from the classroom I have evaluated on how important it is to be in a safe work environment.

Safety is always first. I’ve also learned how im-

worker, to have a good work ethic, to be prepared, to always show up to work or anything else related, 15 minutes early. You need to be willing to learn new things and to always have a positive attitude, even in your worst days. Last but not least, yes, to always do your best.

FFA is more than a club How has FFA impacted my life? FFA is not only a club that you join in school, or just something to join because you are in Ag classes. FFA is something that you join to push yourself to be better than the last time, to beat yourself, to improve your score with every speech, every contest and every assignment. Being in FFA you create new friendships, many memories and take with you lots of knowledge that will help you through life. Being an FFA member you are more than just a student at Lamar High School; you are also an FFA member, which up-

Skills, continued from page 12 portant it is to be a good