Month: November 2015

IPFW Career Services Offers Job Interview Preparation Tips

Photo Credit: Kathleen Le

After graduating college, the newest challenge to take on is getting interviews and obtaining a job. Students at IPFW have sources on campus that are more personal than surfing the web. Career Services provides a number of outlets and services that are accessible to both students and alumni.

Once an interview has been set up with a company the first thing that should be done is research of company, according to Kayla Klimasko, a career counselor at IPFW Career Services.

“One of the big things that I think students especially need to work on is the research that they need to do on the company before going to the interview,” Klimasko said. “A lot of companies are going to ask you specific questions about why you want to work for that company or why you are interested in that specific position.”

By researching the company, you can find out what the company is looking for and if you would be a good fit, as well as if you would like to work there. It is important to look into the company’s values, expectations and the qualifications and duties that are required, Klimasko said. This way you will be able to be sure that your answers are relevant to the position, Klimasko said.

In addition to researching the company, you should also come up with some questions of your own to ask your interviewer. Klimasko recommends trying to tailor your questions to the company and position by using the research you have done on the company.

Another suggestion Kilmasko has is to do a practice interview with someone, which is a service that IPFW Career Services provides. Mock interviews are a good way to prepare and calm your nerves before an interview since it is in a nonjudgmental environment, Klimasko said.

“We are able to tailor the questions to a specific major or a specific position if we know ahead of time what it is that you are going to interview for.” Klimasko said.

Another reason for doing a mock interview is to monitor body language and personality. It is beneficial to have another person to tell you if you are fidgeting too much, slouching or answering the questions in a manner that doesn’t come across as genuine because of nervousness, Klimasko said.

“I think a big thing to remember is your personality is something that they are judging,” Klimasko said. “I think a lot of people get wrapped up in making sure they’re answering the questions properly, but they’re not always authentic in that answer.”

The last thing to consider before going to an interview is what you should bring with you to the interview and what to wear.

“In the career services basically I just did like a mock type of interview,” Brett Gauger, an IPFW student, said. “I dressed up, and I brought my résumé and a cover letter for the job interview that I took.”

“They do everything, just like it would be like [in] a regular interview,” Gauger said.

Career Services can check over résumés, Gauger said. They also give advice for how to dress for your interview.

Kilmasko said, “There’s a saying you may have heard of, dress for the job you want, not the job you have and its kind of cliché, but it is true. It is better to be over prepared in any situation than underprepared.”

By News , , , Leave a Comment

The Truth is Told of the Many Misconceptions of Gluten

Photo credit: Cody Neuenschwander

It has been roughly seven years since Jessica Grote heard the words “you need to go on a gluten-free diet.”

Grote, a senior a Concordia Lutheran High School, said her diagnosis was a difficult process. She said she had not been feeling great for a while and her doctor could not figure out why.

She was then instructed, by her doctor, to go on an “intense gluten diet.” Grote said this diet consisted of food with high wheat content. She ate foods like whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat noodles – if it had wheat – she ate it, she said.

During this diet, Grote said she experienced some of the most severe symptoms she had ever had.

At the peak of these symptoms, her doctor administered a blood test and then instructed her to go off gluten completely.

A few weeks after the intense diet, Grote’s symptoms subsided and she felt better than she ever had before.

Grote’s blood test came back showing results that showed gluten intolerances and was then diagnosed with gluten intolerance.

Grote was diagnosed in the fifth grade and has not consumed gluten since.

Issues regarding gluten and its affect on the body have been in the “hot seat” for a while, but there are many misconceptions regarding these issues.

What even is gluten? According to livescience.com, gluten is composed of two different proteins: gliadin and glutenin. These proteins are found in the wheat endosperm, a tissue produced in seeds that are ground out to make flour.

Sara Mathes, RDN, said there are two main categories to gluten issues: gluten intolerance, also known as celiac disease, and gluten sensitivity. She said one of the main misconceptions of people is that there is not a difference between gluten intolerance and gluten sensitivity.

The main difference between the two categories, gluten intolerance (celiac disease) and gluten sensitivity, is that those affected by celiac disease have a set of antibodies in their blood along with extreme intestinal damage.

In 2012, a group of researchers in Norway developed this standard that separates the two terms and defines each.

According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, 1 in 133 Americans has celiac disease.

The NFCA defines celiac disease as a genetic autoimmune disease. It affects the villi of the small intestine and prevents the proper absorption of nutrients.

According to the NFCA, 18 million Americans have gluten sensitivity.

The NFCA defines non-celiac gluten sensitivity as an innate immune response, much like an allergic reaction.

Mathes said another common misconception by people is that gluten is only found in wheat.

“Remember the acronym, B.R.O.W.,” Mathes said. “Barley, rye, oats, and wheat.”

Mathes said oats do not originally contain gluten, but many factories that produce oats have cross contamination with gluten products. Mathes said cross contamination is a huge problem for the individuals with celiac disease.

She said B.R.O.W. helps people with both celiac disease and gluten sensitivity because it is easy to remember. Upon being diagnosed with either celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, Mathes said she hands her patient a huge binder. Inside the binder is a detailed list of everything inedible for the affected patient.

“Instead of memorizing the specifics, B.R.O.W. makes it easy for people to be able to read ingredients and feel confident on whether or not they should consume a product,” Mathes said.

Mathes said the symptoms of both celiac disease and gluten sensitivity are quite similar. The symptoms include, but are not limited to, the following: bloating, gas, fatigue, diarrhea, constipation and joint pain.

She said most gluten sensitive individuals will notice peaks and pits of their symptoms, while those affected by celiac disease are in constant struggle with symptoms.

Mathes said there is a huge issue with cross contamination with gluten-free products and gluten products.

“Some people are so intolerant they cannot use the same toaster a person had once placed gluten-rich bread in,” Mathes said.

There are also many day-to-day products that contain gluten- it is not just food items.

“I am not going to be concerned with my toothpaste, my deodorant or my hairspray… I’m just not,” Deb Fulton, a sufferer of gluten sensitivity, said. “You have to draw the line somewhere.”

Fulton was diagnosed with gluten sensitivity five ago. She said she experienced issues with digestion but also a huge part of her symptoms dealt with her fatigue and joint pain.

She said she just did not feel well and was sick of not feeling well so she went to a doctor to figure out why.

When she was diagnosed with gluten sensitivity she said she started cutting gluten out, but knew it would be near impossible to go without it completely.

“If I am putting in 90% effort in cutting out gluten products then I think I am doing just fine,” Fulton said. “But, sometimes I find myself asking if the pizza really worth it.”

According to the NFCA, if a person feels like they may be experiencing issues with gluten the NFCA suggests seeing a doctor and not self-diagnosing. They said receiving professional help is the quickest way to start feeling better.

“Though I miss the fluffiness of breads and pastries, I would not change my new restricted diet for anything,” Grote said. “I feel better than ever!”

By News , , Leave a Comment

ISPGA to Host Food Drive on Campus

The Public Relations Committee for IPSGA Student Senate is kicking off their first food drive this year with the “Winter Giving Tree.”

The “Winter Giving Tree” will be held Nov. 30 through Dec. 23 at IPFW. All students are encouraged to donate canned items and non-perishable goods.

A goal of the food drive is to obtain around 200-300 pounds of food to donate to Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana.

“Since it’s the first year we are doing it, I really didn’t want to set the bar too high to see how things went, but hopefully in years to come we’ll continue to grow,” said Jessica Shoaff, Public Relations Committee Chair for IPSGA Student Senate.

When planning the food drive, the committee did not have a place in mind of where they wanted the donated items to go. IPFW has been affiliated with Community Harvest Food Bank in the past and getting in touch with the food bank was easy for Shoaff and the committee.

Community Harvest Food Bank recently was affiliated with “U Can Crush Hunger” food drive that had five colleges in northeast Indiana, IPFW, Saint Francis, Indiana Tech, Ivy Tech Community College Northeast and Huntington University in competition with one another to raise 100,000 pounds of food. IPSGA’s food drive will be held only on the campus of IPFW.

Another one of the goals of the food drive is to show off a side of the IPSGA that they are not known for.

“I know we are pretty business-like and rather than funding the clubs and organizations, I thought we’d show a different side of student senate,” said Shoaff.

In her first year as chair, Shoaff gave the committee a list of ideas to consider but the “Winter Giving Tree” was not on the list. After brainstorming during committee meetings they decided on a food drive.

The unique name of the “Winter Giving Tree” gave the committee an idea on how to advertise the food drive.

“I just got the funding from senate for the two-foot tall (Christmas) trees that will be placed around campus,” Shoaff said.

Along with the trees will be posters put up around campus that describe the food drive and where to donate.

The main tree of the food drive will be located outside the IPSGA office, Walb 225, to put the donated items.

Students who donate to the giving tree can swipe their student ID in the IPSGA office to be entered to win a free IPFW fleece. The number of fleece jackets that will be given away has not yet been determined according to Shoaff and the committee.

If the drive is successful, ISPGA plans to make this an annual food drive.

By News , , Leave a Comment

IPFW Hosts 2015 Diversity Showcase

Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne hosted its annual Diversity Showcase on Wednesday Nov. 4 in the universities’ Walb Union International Ballroom.

The event, which has been hosted by the university for over a decade, is meant to showcase the unique cultures and identities that can be found on the Fort Wayne campus.

“A lot of people think they know what diversity is, but this type of event gives a chance for students and the community to come out and see what this university really has to offer, there is something for everyone,” said the Kenneth Christmon, who is the associate vice chancellor for diversity and multicultural affairs at IPFW.

Christmon said that this year’s event was the largest of its kind with over 50 vendors that included departments from within the university as well as various student organizations.

Some of the vendors from the university included departments such as the College of Health and Human Services, the IPFW athletic department and the Office of Military Student Services.

Some of the student organizations involved with the event included the Black Collegian Caucus and Hispanos Unidos.

Gladys Calderon, a student at IPFW and a member of Hispanos Unidos, said the Diversity Showcase and other similar events do a great job to raise awareness for not only the organization she is involved with, but all of the other campus organizations as well.

“We do a lot on campus and even more within the community and just getting the word out really helps us out” said Calderon. Calderon said that on top of taking trips to Spanish speaking countries such as Peru, the group also volunteers within the local community.

One of the volunteer services Hispanos Unidos provides is interpreting for non-English speakers at local health clinics. Calderon says members of the group also help interpret during parent-teacher conferences for Fort Wayne Community Schools each year.

“It may not always seem like much but for a lot of families, it is,” said Calderon. “We are glad we can make an impact and this event helps make it possible to make more of an impact.”

Free food was also made available to students and community members that took part in the event. Visitors used a form that required them to visit multiple stations before they could take advantage of the food court. Food was catered by Los Portales, Panda Express, Zianos and Fort Wayne Coney Island.

Este Stoffel, a senior on the IPFW volleyball team, volunteered to serve food for the event. “I think the event is working the way it is supposed to,” said Stoffel. “I have seen a lot of new faces coming through the line and that’s what this event is meant to do, raise awareness.”

School officials said they plan to continue the event for many years to come.

By News , , Leave a Comment

Success at IPFW’s Third Annual Community Service Fair

IPFW hosted its third annual Community Service Fair on Tuesday from noon to 2 p.m. in the Walb Student Union Classic Ballroom as an effort to connect students and community members with local not-for-profit agencies.

Over 40 agencies were present at the Community Service Fair to offer students, staff and faculty members information about the various volunteer opportunities available within the community.

“Most of the agencies will take volunteers for different activities throughout the year and try to get them engaged throughout the community by volunteering and networking with the organizations they might be interested in working with now or in the future,” Casey Eisenreich, graduate assistant for the office of student life and leadership, said.

A wide variety of not-for-profit organizations and volunteer opportunities were available at the fair including Fort Wayne Habitat for Humanity, Literacy Alliance, American Red Cross, Big Brothers-Big Sisters, Junior Achievement and many others.

“A lot of students assume volunteer work means picking up a shovel or getting your hands dirty,” Eisenreich said. “This event allows students the opportunity to see all of the organizations that need volunteers for really diverse causes, and that there’s a fit for anyone who wants to make a difference.”

According to Eisenreich, the goals for this year’s Community Service Fair include connecting individuals with agencies they are interested in, creating awareness of the various volunteer opportunities and increasing the number of volunteers to support the not-for-profit organizations and each of their causes.

“I think all three of those goals have been met,” Kasey Price, assistant vice chancellor for student life and leadership, said. “Given that over 200 people attended the fair and were able to witness just how many opportunities there are to help the community.”

In addition to the multiple volunteer opportunities, the Community Service Fair offered free food and giveaways. The students were also able to earn a free lunch if they filled out their Community Service Fair passport by visiting 12 agency tables.

“As a Don to Don coach, I see this event bringing more community to the campus, along with the added benefit of allowing students to network with various organizations to make connections,” Hideto Tanimura, student employee for the student success and transition office, said. “It’s amazing what can sprout from just a simple hello.”

This year, the Community Service Fair was sponsored by the Office of Student Life and Leadership, the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, the Chancellor’s Council on Diversity and Career Services.

The Community Service fair is one of several events that occur during IPFW’s Diversity and Community Engagement Week, a week dedicated to promoting opportunities for community engagement and supporting IPFW’s diversity and beyond.

In addition to the Community Service Fair, IPFW will be hosting another community service event in the spring called The BIG Event. The BIG Event is a one-day service project where students, faculty, staff and alumni connect with the Fort Wayne community by volunteering a day of service for over 50 local not-for-profit agencies. This year The BIG Event will take place on April 16, 2016.

By News , Leave a Comment

John Kaufeld: The Perfect Storm of Talent

When walking into John Kaufeld’s office you will most likely see one of two things happening: he is working on the IPFW Chancellor’s newsletter, or working on a dozen other projects that are displayed on his computer screen.

His office is decorated with Star Wars themed Mr. Potato Head figures, Looney Toons mailing stamps, and other items that are not typically seen in someone’s office that works within a university’s head administration, and has the job title that Kaufled holds.

He reads the work he has done so far that day fact checking every little detail to make sure he has left nothing out or mistyped any key information. He fixes grammatical errors meticulously and quickly like his life depended on it.

He is the voice of IPFW. Almost everything and anything relating to news about the university goes through Kaufeld.

If anyone has a question regarding the school they are sent to talk to him, because he has all of the answers. He runs the university’s Twitter news account, creates newsletters regarding faculty achievements on campus and publishes content on his personal blogs.

John Kaufled’s experiences in life have all played a role in getting him to where he is today.

“I really enjoyed being a journalist. I liked the idea of writing,” Kaufeld said about what his interests were as a young man. “I wrote for every school newspaper at every school I was ever at, because I just found that fascinating.”

His interests in writing led to him becoming a best-selling author of the international book series “…For Dummies.” His books have sold almost 3 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 15 different languages.

His primary work focused on teaching people how to use computer software and programming. His books not only influenced readers in the U.S., but all around the world.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Ball State where he first found that he had an interest in computers. During his time in college, Kaufeld said, “At one point I had seven majors. I changed my major a lot, and I ended up falling in love with computers. I found that I really enjoyed system design.”

It was through his experience of being an IT manager and working with computers in the corporate world that he was able to write his books helping people understand computers easier because he wanted to understand how and why computers worked the way they did for people. A career in computers services had to end though as Kaufeld said that he felt that “burned out” by all of the work.

Though the stress of his corporate career began to get a little too overwhelming, there was another passion that Kaufeld could go to help relieve the stress. A passion that started long before everything else.

“I was an only child… so with board games I found that I had an easier time connecting with people my age. As I got older and became a parent, I found that there were moments I was having trouble connecting with my kids, and I learned that when we were playing those games we were connecting and communicating better,” said Kaufeld about what board games have meant to him throughout his life.

That passion for board games, especially foreign board games, led Kaufeld to own and run his gaming business in Fort Wayne and writing a column in the News Sentinel newspaper. Kaufeld describes his column on his LinkedIn page as, “…gives hope to frustrated, time-stressed dads. The Dad Game gives you hands-on advice about connecting with your kids by using board games as a tool, specifically European-style board games like The Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, and Carcassonne. (But not Monopoly. Never, ever Monopoly. Ew.)”

Among his work in business, communications and journalism, he also does speaking seminars on the side. He is currently doing work in a concept he refers to as, “imposter syndrome.” He speaks to college students about embracing their accomplishments and ideas rather than believe that no one will care or appreciate the work they are doing. His speaking engagements are something that he sees himself doing more of in the future.

His journey to IPFW began when Kaufeld was working as a communications manager at STAR Financial Bank. Before working at the university, a friend working at IPFW asked him to join her in the social media department. Soon, he became the social media manager of the school. While working for the university, he also became a student. He was able to earn a Masters of Arts from IPFW in 2013.

In 2014, he was introduced as IPFW’s new chief communications officer.

“John is a unique professional who brings a singular set of skills, insights, and experiences to our executive team,” said Chancellor Vicky Carwein in the university’s online news letter announcing Kaufeld’s new position. “Our ability to communicate with our partners, constituents, faculty, staff, and students is a key part of IPFW’s future. John’s expertise will help us continue to grow and develop in those areas.”

Dr. Dan Tamul, who is an assistant professor in IPFW’s Department of Communication, has worked with Kaufeld before. Tamul has brought him into his journalism classes as a practice interview subject that students can use to talk to and is familiar with Kaufeld’s work.

“The kind of position he occupies here, if he were at Purdue or one of those big universities, he would have a team of people helping him, but it’s just him,” said Tamul “I’m really glad that we hired him. He is the perfect storm of all the talents and skills to do that job really well. He’s all about IPFW.”

IPFW has a published author, business man, marketing strategist, computer wizard, journalist and professional speaker in one man. His office located in Kettler Hall is open to anyone who has questions that need answered. Kaufeld can provide help to any student seeking his experience, or anyone who just wants to play some board games.

By News , , Leave a Comment