UMC Students Complete Project for Kairos House
A group of students enrolled in the Agricultural Systems Management (ASM) degree program at the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) recently donated their time and skills to a service learning project for the Kairos House, a local halfway house for boys and girls sponsored by Lutheran Social Services. (Kairos means "moment of opportunity" in Greek.)
Originally, the project was to involve students in the construction of a garage, but ASM program manager Paul Aakre found that a bit too expansive of a project. Instead, Aakre worked with Pam Holsinger-Fuchs, director of student activities and service learning at UMC, and Lynn Kotrba, manager of the Kairos House, to propose that his students complete the concrete work for the garage project.
Because of a very late arrival of spring in Crookston this year, the work had to be put off to the point where the some students could not take part due to deadlines for papers and final exams. Aakre put the word out for volunteers, and students in his class ASM 3002 “Agricultural Power Systems” accepted the challenge.
According to Aakre, one of the first students to volunteer was Adam Sletton, an ASM major from Beresford, South Dakota. Then Vance Jirava of Ogema stepped up, and then others until the group reached nearly a dozen. The others were Delane Anderson of Wheaton, MN; Jason Bennefield of Gary, MN; Brandon Smilonich of Detroit Lakes; Andrew Holle of New Salem, ND; Jennifer Johnson of Grand Forks, ND; Jarvis Keney of Cavalier, ND; Brandon Gornowicz of Warren, MN; Nick Paulsrud of Shelly, MN; Jaime Goodyke of Crookston; Jacob Cournia of Crookston; and John Starkovich of Virginia, MN.
The group spent two evenings preparing, leveling 40 yards of fill, and putting up the forms for the 32 by 28 foot garage floor. The floor would require 15.5 yards of concrete to complete.
On Tuesday, May 1, the students checked out the weather radar via the Internet on their laptop computers. It appeared that the skies would remain clear, so the group made a move to start pouring at 9:15 a.m. They finished at 11:30 a.m.
Then Aakre enlisted the expert help of two students who had previously completed the course ASM 1034 “Ag Facilities Maintenance and Safety.” With the help of Brandon Smilonich, an ASM major from Pequot Lakes, MN, and Steve Waling, an animal industries management student from Grygla, MN, the finishing process began with bull floats, hand trowels, and a power trowel. The final finish pass was completed about 7 p.m. that same day, and then the floor was sealed.
“It was certainly a professional job completed by students who knew what they were doing,” commented Paul Aakre, advisor for the group. “The best part is that we saved the Kairos House about $1000 in labor expenses, and the students gained the experience of completing a concrete project. It was truly a win-win situation.”
For more information about the Agricultural Systems Management program, visit the website www.umcrookston.edu/academics/ASM.
Posted 05/03/2001
Contact: Andrew Svec,
218-281-8435