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A Tribute to Veterans
The MBA Insider blog brings us a story fitting for Veterans Day and honoring those who have served in the military.
First-year Executive MBA students Peter Stokes and Jan Boyd felt inspired to give back to military veterans and convinced their companies–Dell Computers and San Antonio news station KENS 5–to work together. Both companies already had existing military appreciation initiatives, and Stokes and Boyd created a plan to combine efforts.
MBA Insider interviewed Boyd about how the collaboration:
What exactly have you and Peter been working on together?
We put together and executed a marketing plan for a big Dell initiative he led using my media distribution platforms (web, mobile, social media, CBS TV broadcast affiliate) in the San Antonio area. The first discussion happened during a Friday night accounting study session in the lobby of the AT&T Center. He mentioned a Dell project he is especially passionate about—it involves giving dozens of Dell computers to those with an active military e-mail address. I told him I thought that was great! Then I pulled out my phone to show him a section on our website, , and he thought that was great.
How did this idea come about?
Our conversation progressed from, “Wow, that’s cool!” to “You know, 18 percent of the San Antonio population is connected in some way to the military” to “A debit on an asset account means we’ve added money, right?” (that would be Jan) to “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could somehow combine efforts?” The next week after a flurry of e-mails and a conference call with our respective, and slightly confused staffs, we were pretty much set. We navigated our respective bureaucracies and managed to create a month-long Dell Military Appreciation promotional campaign on the Heroes page as well as across the website and mobile apps, on TV spots, through social media, and an appearance by Peter’s boss, Mel Parker, on our morning talk show.
Read more details about the campaign on the MBA Insider blog.
And a sincere “Thank you” to all the former and current members of the military for your service.
Abilene colleges still active during Thanksgiving holiday
While Thanksgiving may mean time off and turkey for some, others associated with Abilene’s three four-year universities don’t get the same break.
Some, like the police departments on Abilene Christian University and Hardin-Simmons University, stay on through the holiday, serving and protecting those who remain and others.
“While the campus is generally closed for extended holiday breaks, the ACU Police Department never closes,” said Police Chief Jimmy Ellison. “As a 24/7 operation, ACUPD is always on duty and has officers on patrol and available for response to calls on campus and on the neighborhoods around campus.”
Ellison said the ACU police department works closely with other departments, including Facilities Management and Residence Life, to ensure that services are still provided to the few students who remain on campus during breaks.
“Like all police departments, we may be able to reduce staffing somewhat during breaks due to fewer calls for service coming in, but we are never able to actually close down,” he said.
A similar fate awaits Hardin-Simmons’ police officers, said Frank Loza, chief of police.
“The campus police will work their normal shifts during the Thanksgiving holidays.” said Loza, who noted that maintenance crews also will be on campus, along with basketball teams and “several international students.”
HSU maintenance crews will be working at 10 tonight to clean the gym for basketball practices and again on Friday and Saturday to get ready for games.
Both men’s and women’s teams will stay in town, said campus spokeswoman Janlyn Thaxton.
“Also we’ll have a crew on board at 8 a.m. Friday and again on Saturday to clean the public areas and the bathrooms of all of the dorms,” she said.
ACU will host members of its basketball teams, the only ones who typically compete during the holidays, said Jared Mosely, director of athletics.
“We usually are able to give them a couple of days off to go home and spend with family,” he said. “They almost always have to report back before students are due back because of competition and practice schedules.”
The only employees working on McMurry University’s campus will be security personnel, said spokesman Gary Ellison, though maintenance and housekeeping remain “on call” in case they’re needed.
But McMurry’s War Hawks, both football and basketball players, will remain on campus during the break. The university has arranged for them to have meals at local restaurants, Ellison said.
The football team will leave town Friday morning for a scheduled playoff game in Belton, he said.
“This is the first time since 1980 we’ve been in the playoffs,” Ellison noted.
The War Hawks, currently 9-2, will be playing a 12th game for the first time in school history, according to Reporter-News files.
What to Take With You to the Hospital
What to Take With You to the Hospital 
No one wants to have to go to the hospital emergency room, but if you do, there are things you need to have with you and things you should leave at home
The need to visit an emergency room can be a sudden event, in the case of an accident, and you will have to grab some important things to take with you. It is good to have prepared a list of important items that you might need. Even if you have some time, when you are sick with an illness, you will want to be ready.
First, take along some identification and your insurance card. It is important for the hospital to be able properly identify you. It will help speed registration, and if you have had prior visits, they can accurately pull your previous records. This will greatly help in treatment.
You should have a list of important phone numbers, including your work number, family contacts (next of kin) and how to get hold of your neighbors, if necessary. Other important numbers are clergy or other friends that you will want to contact if you need a ride or have to stay an extended period and need to arrange care for family members or pets.
Hospitals do have phones, but having your personal cell phone, with the numbers preloaded into the address book will save time and effort.
You should have a listing of all doctors you are seeing, with their accurate name and address. The hospital may want to send any records they develop of your stay, such as lab tests or x-rays, to your doctors. Having the correct name and address will help ensure that your records go to the right doctor. There are a lot of Smiths and Patels in medicine.
Have a list of all medications you are taking, particularly prescription meds, and be sure to include the dosage. The hospital may need to give you different drugs and it is important that they do not conflict with what you are already taking.
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Bring along some credit cards to pay the co-payment and deductible, and some cash and coins for vending machines, as there may be a long wait. Don’t bring along too much that you would be overly concerned about losing it, because things happen.
Try to limit the items you take with you to the emergency room or hospital. Excessive jewelry, a huge purse or large amount of cash are going to be burden and may get lost. Any personal items you can get by without for a few days would be better off at home. Remember, you may be moved from unit to unit as your health improves, and you may also change rooms a number of times. The worst time for losing items is during a move.
If you have to take personal items such as wheelchairs or oxygen tanks, label them with your name and address, so they can be returned if lost. If you are moved, try to remember what you brought with you, and alert the nurses. Hospitals lose dentures and other personal things too often.
A visit to a hospital can be stressful. Planning ahead with a list of items that you will need will help prepare you and reduce the some of the anxiety, so can concentrate on getting healthy again.
Gurome’s Quant Blog Series – Geometry: Coordinate Geometry Q71
Hello Everyone,
Here is the next problem solving question on “Geometry: Coordinate Geometry”. Happy solving!
If the lines 5y + 9x = -8 and py + 9x = 3 are parallel, then p is:
(A) -9
(B) -5
(C) 5
(D) 9
(E) 15
Ahmed explains how he got Band 7 in IELTS
You may remember Ahmed Saber as one of the winners in the IELTS results competition in October. Ahmed prepared for his exam using the book Target Band 7 and submitting essays to our writing correction team. When we asked him what else he thinks is important in IELTS preparation, heres what he said: 
Thanks a lot for choosing me the winner of last month’s competition. I feel proud indeed. Now Id like to give some advice about what helped me to get a high band score. Your blog is doing a great job in helping all those who are preparing for the IELTS exam.
My advice:
Personally, I practice English speaking with my son Omar and my daughter Roa (who can speak English very well), as well as my wife.
I hope future IELTS test takers will benefit from these tips.
Game On!
Did you play games at your Library yesterday? It was National Gaming Day!
The Young Adults Services department of our library invited all ages teens, kids, adults, and families to visit the Library and celebrate National Gaming Day. In addition to their regular Saturday morning All Ages Chess Club, they had a wide variety of board games available all day and offered video gaming on the XBOX Kinect in the afternoon. It was obvious that the dozens of kids, teens, and adults enjoyed the opportunity to play together.
National Gaming Day is always the second Saturday of November, so next years event will take place on November 10, 2012. Mark your calendars now!
Click here for more information about National Gaming Day @ your library. And let us know how YOU celebrated at YOUR library!