News Cut on Campus: Vermilion Community College

I talked to Jeff Swanson, who grew up on a farm near Des Moines, went on to become a Lutheran pastor for a few decades, and then decided his calling is to the woods and the prairie. I'll be writing about him later today.

11:55 a.m. -- I've been doing more interviewing than blogging, but I'll be posting profiles later. I just met a young man from Nebraska who's living everyone's dream. He's in an outdoor leadership program and will have a career working, for example, for Outward Bound, or teaching sea kayaking or any number of things that pop up as answers when most of us say, "if I had to do it all over again."

Then there's the man from Australia who came to Ely to play basketball. Ely? Who knew?

12:13 p.m. - - A few weeks ago here, we kicked around positions that are 'recession-proof.' I think I've identified one. Kristian Gaasland of Hibbing is studying to be in the water treatment plant industry. His story later.