Ivy Tech PARA/LEGS Day at Purdue Women's Soccer

Okay, technically this is not an official thing. Purdue women's soccer team doesn't even know we're coming. But we are, and you--PARA/LEGS students and alumni!--are invited to join us.

You see, the Litigation class (LEGS 202), is working on a case for this semester that involves a young woman who was injured during a soccer game. So the class voted to attend the soccer game for research. Since we're attending it as part of our research for the case, it is law-related.

You know what that means: Engagement Points!

Yes, this is the weirdest engagement point opportunity ever. Come sit in the stands on a Sunday afternoon, watch the Purdue women take on Northwestern, and (if you're in one of my classes), get up to 20 engagement points. (For the 20 points to apply, we'll need to persuade at least one of the LEGS 101 students to attend.) Even if you're not seeking points, it'll be a good time. Join us.

Purdue women's soccer games are free this season, so there's no cost. They do have a concession stand with traditional stadium food (hot dogs, nachos, etc.) as well as beer and wine.

The game starts at 1:00 p.m. Get directions to Folk Field, home of Purdue soccer, here.

An Embarrassment of Riches

Two more jobs were passed on to me today. Both are part-time, both are for Legal Aid. One is paralegal-ish, but the other is purely fundraising. I'm putting both job descriptions below. If you are interested in either job, send your resume and cover letter to

Mandy McIlwain

Executive Director

Legal Aid Corp. of Tippecanoe County

212 N. 5th St. Lafayette, IN 47901

O: (765) 742-1068

Office Assistant

Legal Aid is looking for an enthusiastic, personable, and reliable office assistant. Duties would include:

1. Customer service - answer phones and greet walk-ins. Direct clients to the proper person or another agency if we are not able to assist. Assist clients with applications. Qualify applications and set appointments.

2. Attorney assistance - pull attorney case files, file confidential documents, make copies, utilize online filing systems, e-file legal documents, maintain attorney calendars, draft and sent letters, draft basic legal documents for attorney review.

3. Recordkeeping - take payments for court cases, record applications and demographics, record attorney billable hours, maintain inventory of office supplies.

4. Cleaning duties - daily and weekly cleaning duties including sweeping, mopping, dusting, emptying waste baskets

5. Training - assist with training student interns and volunteers

Applicant must have proficient skills in Microsoft office programs and be able to type quickly and efficiently.

Starting pay is $8/hour, but has the potential to increase to $9/hour after 6 months. Hours of Legal Aid are 8:00-4:00pm Monday-Friday. This position requires a minimum of 20 hours, but will not exceed 30 hours in a week.  We are a small office, therefore applicant must be available during business hours if coverage is needed. 

Director of Development

SUMMARY:
The Director of Development is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing all of Legal Aid's fundraising including, the major gifts program, annual fund, planned giving, special events and capital campaigns. The Director works closely with the Executive Director and the Board of Directors in all development and fund raising endeavors.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must embrace the mission of providing legal services to low-income individuals
• Strong interpersonal and writing skills.
• Have knowledge and experience in fund raising techniques, particularly major gift fundraising.
• Possess the skills to work with and motivate staff, board members and other volunteers.
• Have the desire to get out of the office and build external relationships.
• Be a "self-starter" and goal driven to initiate donor visits and fundraising calls.
• Be organized and exhibit follow through on tasks and goals.
• Display a positive attitude, show concern for people and community, demonstrate presence, self-confidence, common sense and good listening ability.
• A bachelor's degree, or five years of development experience.

ACTUAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Meet prospective donors and supporters on a continual basis to establish effective communications with them.
2. Grow a major gifts program including identification, cultivation and solicitation of major donors.
3. Oversee grant seeking including research, proposal writing, and reporting requirements.
4. Build the planned giving program with a focus on deferred gifts such as bequest expectancies.
5. Direct the annual fund program, including mailings and annual fundraising drives.
6. Direct capital campaigns and other major fundraising drives.
7. Coordinate fund raising special events.
8. Oversee prospect research.
9. Work closely with the Executive Director and Board of Directors.
10. Make public appearances/accept speaking engagements to share information about Legal Aid with the community.
11. Attend Board Development Committee meetings.
12. Implement and oversee fundraising database and tracking systems.
13. Supervise and collaborate with other fundraising volunteers.
14. Oversee creation of publications to support fund raising activities.
15. Maintain gift recognition programs.
16. Demonstrate professional conduct at all times.
17. Perform other related duties as requested.

SALARY/BENEFITS:
$18/hour - 20 hours/week

Welcome to the Fall Semester 2017!

Yes, classes are just barely underway, but there's already a lot happening. I'll send out a more detailed email and blog post in a week or two, but here are a couple of things you need to know now:

1. Involvement Fair, September 5 & 6: We need people to staff our booth at the involvement fair. The fair runs from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. both days. (No evening shift this year.) Working at the involvement fair for at least 1 hour is worth 10 engagement points, for those of you seeking engagement points. If you're interested, contact Hannah Isenberg, president of the Legal Society, at ivytechlegalsociety@gmail.com. Hannah promises to read your emails. 

2. Legal Society Meeting, September 5: Mark your calendars. The first meeting of the Legal Society is set for 5 p.m. on Tuesday, September 5. The location is still to be determined.

Jobs, jobs, jobs

You know, this could just turn into a job board if I'm not careful. Ironically, Ivy Tech has supposedly amassed all the jobs data for the state, and publishes it on its website. (Yeah, don't ask me where. I just see these things at faculty meetings.) Anyway, they have come up with a statistic of something like 100 job openings per year, statewide, for paralegals.

My fellow chairs and I have complained that the statement is misleadingly small. Ivy Tech gets its statistics from totaling the want ads on job placement sites; paralegals are generally sought via word of mouth.

But no one listens to us. Except you. Bless you.

Your reward? Yet another job opening. They're backing up, people. Start recruiting your literate friends and neighbors. Throw a "Law & Order" party and hand out brochures to everyone who shows up. Whatever.

Back to the job opening. A law firm in Lafayette is looking for a runner. This is not a paralegal position, but is a good way to meet lawyers and make a good impression while you're in school. (The making a good impression part is really key, here. Your networking success is only as good as your social skills.) Anyway, the firm is looking for someone full-time, but in a world in which all is negotiable (don't I always tell you that?), I asked whether they would consider breaking the job into 2 part-time jobs, and they said they would.

Interested? Let me know!

Wilkommen!

It appears that France is still on summer vacation, but their neighbors to the north, Germany, are weighing in. Greetings! Here are this past week's stats:

United States	23
Germany	15
Portugal	2
Brazil	1
Russia	1

France, where have you gone?

I haven't published these statistics in a bit, so maybe France was feeling disheartened for not getting a shout-out. But here's a breakdown of which countries people have logged in from over the past week. Why do so many Russians find this blog interesting?

Russia	44
Brazil	41
United States	25
South Korea	6
Mexico	6
Ukraine	5
Germany	3
Ireland	3
Ecuador	2
Thailand	2

ANOTHER Great (Full-time) Job Opportunity

Okay, this is a position at a bank, and not, strictly speaking, a paralegal sort of job. But it does involve working with trusts and legal documents.

More importantly? The bank SPECIFICALLY asked for someone from here with a paralegal degree because we (collectively) were recommended by a local attorney!!!! You guys just keep making me proud!

The salary range is $14.91 - 19.88 per hour to start. It tops out at $24.85 hourly. I believe it is being posted on HireIvy, but also feel free to contact me if you are interested.

Absolutely Awash in Interesting Job Opportunities!

And this is why you should stay in contact with this blog after you graduate.....

First, the Tippecanoe County Public Defender's Office is looking to fill a couple of part-time positions. They stress that these are permanent positions, not just for a semester, so they're hoping to hire someone long-term-ish. For lawyers, long term usually implies 2 or more years, so if that fits into your plans for at least the next 2 years, check out their listing on the Tippecanoe County website.

Second, Pam might work in Milwaukee, but her firm also has an office in Indianapolis--and it's looking to hire an experienced paralegal. Are you--or do you know--someone who fits the bill? In the interests of full disclosure--and also to just hammer home a point I like to make--if you are hired as the result of an internal referral (in other words, via networking), the person who referred you (Pam) gets a bonus. That's her firm's policy. Make her take you out to lunch.

Litigation Project Manager (Paralegal)
The Indianapolis headquarters of the nation’s largest transportation law firm with offices
located in major cities throughout the United States has an opening for a full-time
Litigation Project Manager to assist the Firm’s growing class-action defense practice.
The candidate will work under the supervision of senior class-action litigators that
helm the practice to provide case-management services for the many pending matters
the Firm is handling. Those services will include (among others): (1) tracking and updating
internal case dockets; (2) preparing and updating internal Firm reports; (3) monitoring
case budgets; (4) drafting correspondence, routine discovery requests and responses,
and non-substantive pleadings; (5) coordinating the use of technology platforms to make
the practice more efficient; and (6) preparing for and participating in regular practicelevel
and case-specific strategy sessions. A qualified candidate will also have the ability
to professionally and promptly interact with clients and other firm personnel, and safeguard
the confidentiality of client information. Strong organizational skills are a must.
The position’s responsibilities will also require the ability to operate Microsoft Office
applications and current case-management technologies. Finally, qualified candidates
must be motivated and accountable, with excellent communication skills, good organizational
and time management skills, and a team-player attitude.
Education and Certification
 Formal legal training resulting, at a minimum, in a Certificate of Completion
of Paralegal Course of Study from an accredited college or university,
or Associate or Bachelor Degree from an accredited college or university;

 8 or more years’ experience in a law firm (or comparable experience in an
in-house position) performing paralegal and project-management duties;
 Familiarity with complex litigation (i.e., class actions, MDL, mass torts).
Duties and primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to
 Communicate with lawyers in class-action practice to facilitate completion
of litigation updates along with communication regarding case status
and deadlines
 Coordinate with clients to obtain electronically-stored information (“ESI”)
along with intake of ESI and other discovery documents into the Firm’s
litigation technology applications
 Assist with drafting of correspondence, routine discovery requests and responses,
litigation hold documents, case intake forms, and non-substantive
pleadings
 Responsibility for coordinating administrative aspects of discovery process
in cases with secretarial staff, including deposition notices, scheduling
of court reporters, payment of court reporter invoices, ingesting deposition
transcripts into Firm’s technology applications, and assembly of exhibit
binders 
 Provide assistance to other Firm employees as needed to maximize use of
Firm’s document management system, document review software, and legal
docketing/calendaring software in the class action practice group
 Preparation of correspondence, legal documents and routine pleadings;
 Complete daily billing time records in an accurate and timely manner;
 Adhere to strict confidentiality standards (keeps confidential all information
concerning firm matters and clients);
 Assist with other duties as appropriate;
 Perform other duties, responsibilities and special projects as assigned.
Success Factors
Personal characteristics that will contribute to success in this position are a strong
work ethic and personal integrity; a strong a high degree of attention to detail; ability to
effectively work in a team environment; ability to maintain confidential information;
creativity and initiative; ability to multi-task and remain calm under pressure; and ability
to be flexible.
Resumes with previous law firm experience will be considered first. Compensation for
this position will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. Send resume
and cover letter to hr@scopelitis.com. An Equal Opportunity Employer. 

All-around Good Career--and Life!--Advice

I rarely agree 100 percent with an article on career or life advice, so when I do, it's worth passing along, right?

http://abovethelaw.com/2017/06/7-more-lessons-about-lawyering-and-life/

Another job opening--actually looking for a paralegal

Now and then I post job openings that don't have Paralegal or Legal Assistant in the title, but where the employer is looking for that exact same skill set. Here's another excellent example. Know any experienced paralegals who would be interested?

Position:  Adult Protective Services Program Director

Location:  Lafayette, IN

Job Id:  501

# of Openings:  1

POSITION:                     APS Services Program Director DEPARTMENT:             Prosecuting Attorney SALARY:                        $49,652.00 annually   ESSENTIAL DUTIES:    Supervises assigned personnel, including interviewing applicants, making hiring recommendations and decisions, making work assignments, recommending personnel actions, evaluating staff performance, providing training, including training as required by statute,  and maintaining discipline.  Oversees division operations, including analyzing staff workload, reviewing position documentation, determining changes in staff responsibilities, reviewing salaries, recommending personnel actions, and administering personnel programs.  Performs division public relations duties, including building relationships with various agencies, seeking improvements in communication and accessibility between program and community, preparing press releases, and making public presentations as requested.  Conducts regular and ongoing community awareness events.  Develops and maintains cooperative intra and inter-agency working relationships.  Investigates allegations of neglect, exploitation, and battery of endangered adults, including obtaining information by questioning clients and/or their family, friends, neighbors, law enforcement, and others.  Receives and evaluates requests for service from community and determines appropriateness of opening a case according to IC 12-10-32.  Operates motor vehicle to and from related locations.  Interprets legal and medical documents in relation to individual cases.  Documents all activities performed in relation to cases and maintains appropriate files.  Regularly reads and uses GIS to locate clients’ homes and other official business locations.  Performs home visits to clients in 8 county program areas, including inspecting for unsanitary conditions and health risks such as presence of animal or human waste, rodents, insects, and/or trash. Performs initial and ongoing assessment of clients.  Refers citizens to various social service agencies.  Periodically meets with staff and Prosecutor to discuss organizational developments, employee evaluations, and client cases.  Prepares tentative budget proposals for review by Prosecutor.  Communicates and coordinates services and investigations with social service agencies, physicians, law enforcement, other  professionals, and family members.  Assists other agencies with criminal and civil investigations.  Answers telephone and provides customer service, including directing/transferring to appropriate individual or department, or providing information and assistance as appropriate. Determines and recommends if emergency or court intervention is needed for specific situations. Refers citizens and/or clients to various social service agencies.  Acts as liaison between program and prosecutors, police, and/or general citizens filing a complaint against program.  Regularly communicates with victims of abuse, neglect, self-neglect, and exploitation. Compiles program statistics and relays to State APS Director and Prosecutors in 8 county service areas.  Updates state APS system and informs State Director on local statistics. Reviews professional publications and regularly participates in related organizations. Periodically delivers public presentations on program issues.  Periodically testifies in court as required.  Performs related duties as assigned.                 JOB REQUIREMENTS:   High school diploma/GED and 5 years experience in criminal justice, social work, and/or other related field. Must be at least 21 years of age.  Ability to meet all Department hiring and retention requirements, including passage of a background/criminal investigation and maintain current standing as an Adult Protective Services Case Investigator, including attending state conferences annually.  Working knowledge of and ability to read and interpret Indiana legal codes/law and medical documents to determine effect on individual cases and respond accordingly.  Working knowledge of criminal justice system and applicable state codes.  Working knowledge of available social and emergency service providers and ability to evaluate individual cases and make appropriate referrals.  Working knowledge of standard English grammar, spelling and punctuation, and ability to prepare various documents as assigned, perform public speaking presentations, maintain accurate records, and perform arithmetic calculations.  Working knowledge of various computer programs, such as state APS system and Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.  Ability to supervise assigned personnel, including interviewing applicants, making hiring recommendations and decisions, making work assignments, recommending personnel actions, evaluating staff performance, providing training, and maintaining discipline.  Ability to oversee division operations, including analyzing staff workload, reviewing position documentation, determining changes in staff responsibilities, reviewing salaries, recommending personnel actions, and administering personnel programs.  Ability to comply with all employer and department policies and work rules, including, but not limited to, attendance, safety, drug-free workplace, and personal conduct.  Ability to properly operate various office equipment, including computer, typewriter, calculator, camera, video, cell phone, and audio recorder.  Ability to read and use GIS and/or directions.  Ability to maintain current information on applicable agencies in eight county areas and throughout State of Indiana.  Ability to work alone and with others in a team environment with minimum supervision, often under time pressure.  Ability to work rapidly for long periods, work on several tasks at the same time, and complete assignments effectively amidst frequent distractions and interruptions.  Ability to adapt to changing situations on a regular basis and maintain a professional demeanor at all times.  Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing with co-workers, other County departments, Area IV Council on Aging, hospitals, courts, nursing and mental health facilities, doctors, social and legal service agencies, police, prosecutors, and the public, including being sensitive to professional ethics, gender, cultural diversities, and disabilities.  Ability to assess situations and make decisions while in field visiting clients and working with other agencies.  Ability to work with potentially irate or hostile persons, including ability to ensure protection of self and others.  Ability to apply knowledge of people and/or locations, including conducting home visits and other face-to-face interactions with clients.  Ability to provide public access to or maintain confidentiality of Department information and records according to state regulations.  Ability to observe similarities and differences in data, compile, analyze, and evaluate data, and make determinations based on data analyses.  Ability to understand, memorize, retain, and carry out written or oral instruction and present findings in oral or written form.  Ability to occasionally work extended, evening, and/or weekend hours, and regularly travel out of town for training or conferences, sometimes overnight.  Ability to regularly serve on 24-hour call on a rotation basis and respond swiftly, rationally, and decisively in emergency situations.  Ability to respond to emergencies on 24-hour basis.  Ability to testify in court proceedings as required.  Possession of a valid driver's license and demonstrated safe driving record.    APPLY BY:       Until Filled            APPLY AT:       https://www.myisolved.com/

A Day at the Beach

When you think of the Netherlands, you naturally think of ... beaches.

Okay, me neither. But it turns out they have them, and they're lovely, although admittedly not consistently warm.

Yesterday, the other Americans and most of our hosts headed up to the island of Schmiermannikoog (sp?), one of several islands belonging to the Netherlands. There is no bridge. You have to take a ferry across, and no cars are allowed except to permanent residents. (Sort of like Mackinaw Island, if you're familiar with that.) We landed and rented bicycles, and then took off, first through a little village (permanent population around 800). But most of the island is farmland, nature preserves, and beaches.

It's about 1 km, our hosts estimated, across the beach from here to that thin sliver of North Sea you can see in the distance. 

It was nice to have a day to just spend biking, relaxing, and lying on a beach. It's been an exhausting couple of weeks, and the constant presence of crowds of people has sort of been eating at me, so this came in just the nick of time. 

And now I can say I've been to the North Sea.

These little piggies went to the North Sea.

Wednesday: Refugees in the Netherlands

Yes, yes, I've fallen behind on my blog posts, but I'm back now.

Wednesday we met with the director of Bed Bad Brood (Bed, Bath, Bread), a privately funded refugee resettlement center. Private charities, or not-for-profits don't seem to be as common in the Netherlands (just my impression here--no data), probably because government services tend to be more all-encompassing than ours. But a Christian group formed BBB in reaction to what it believed to be inappropriate or ineffective methods used by the government to deal with refugees.

It was very interesting to hear someone in the Netherlands criticize the government for not being helpful. As a general rule here, it appears that government benefits are generous and--as far as the locals are concerned--administered pretty fairly. But the government's approach to refugees, as described by BBB, can be harsh. For example, refugees who have not been granted asylum or permanent residence may not earn any money.

I didn't say they couldn't get a job. They can't, of course. But they may not engage in even the most basic entrepreneurship. We toured a refugee center complete with a parking lot for bikes. The bikes weren't as nice as the ones many natives ride, but still. The director pointed out with pride that the police periodically sweep their parking lot in a search for stolen bikes, and so far have only found one. (In that case, the refugee was found to have unwittingly purchased a stolen bike, but had not stolen it himself.) Some refugees repair discarded bikes to make them usable again. I asked whether a refugee could sell a bike that he/she had repaired. The answer was no: they may not earn any money.

BBB provides new refugees with a small allowance (30 Euros per week), and a room in the shelter. It also offers classes in Dutch language and culture, as well as some basic job training. Residents are assigned chores in the shelter "so they get in the habit of working."

The shelter for newly arrived refugees who had no status was basic. It was a repurposed roadside motel. Three to four singles share a room, and families will have a room to themselves. There is a shared kitchen, shared bathrooms, and a shared laundry room.

Refugees who are farther along in the Dutch system--who have passed background checks and whatnot--are entitled to a small stipend from the Dutch government (but still may not earn money beyond that). BBB has a separate shelter for them--in a repurposed river cruise ship. That was actually pretty nice, albeit a little cramped. Same deal--shared facilities. The refugees there cooked us a delicious Moroccan lunch. It felt sort of wrong, having them provide me with food, but the director explained that it is a point of pride for many of them. Also, they would be insulted if we didn't have seconds, so we did. (Twist my arm.)

Refugees who have been granted permanent resident status are housed at BBB's repurposed flight school. (They certainly are creative when it comes to finding living spaces.) These refugees may work for money if they can find jobs. They stay at the former flight school until they can find and afford other housing. The director said that was actually the toughest group to work with because they tended to be impatient to be out on their own. This group provided us with an afternoon snack.

I was very impressed with all three shelters, as well as the group's overall philosophy. Apparently they have been featured by Reuters, the European news group, for their good work. (The official name of the group is INLIA, in case you're interested in reading more about it.)

What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?

Yesterday my compatriots and I were treated to a tour of the School of Maritime and Energy. Students at this school are either learning about solar panels and electrical systems (Energy) or about sailing ships. Big ships, not sailboats.

The school, which is in the nearby town of Delfzijl, is right on the harbor.

The school of maritime (above) and Delfzijl Harbor.

We spent most of our time in the maritime side, as that was something the Americans (from Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, and Fresno, CA) were totally unfamiliar with.

Students in maritime study welding and metal working, since if something breaks on a ship at sea, you can't just run out to the nearest Menard's. They have a variety of engines in one room that they practice taking apart and putting back together to become proficient in engine repairs. Here's one of them:

The school also has several ship simulators that allow students to practice various real-life scenarios. Most are just 2-3 large screens above a panel of controls, but they have one with 360-degree screens that feels very real. We stood in that one as some students tried to bring their ship in to Sydney harbor.

Greetings from Sydney!

The students were doing quite well until the instructor suddenly changed the size of the ship and kicked up a storm. (The storm seemed fair, since that can happen, but ships do not just change size randomly--correct me if I'm wrong, Dave--so that just seemed like a dirty trick.) Ultimately we crashed into that bridge next to the opera house. Bummer, but it was easily the most exciting boat ride I've ever had.

Students in maritime, like all students (as far as I can tell), must do internships. One student told us that he was to spend 5 months on a freighter for his internship, but due to a series of misfortunes, the ship ended up being at sea for 6 months. Also, while at sea, students have to complete papers and other projects and submit them online. And they must be proficient in English, since everything on a ship is labelled in English and that is the language used internationally to communicate with harbors and other ships. The curriculum includes swimming, rowing, and water rescue as well. The maritime students we met were the most enthusiastic about their chosen school/profession, and it was easy to see why.

I have seen sheep used in place of lawn mowers at several businesses here. Here are a couple of harbor sheep taking a break to watch us walk out to the water rescue platform.

The View from the Martini Hotel

A/K/A Hafid Rashidi

They actually put me to work today!

As I said earlier, everyone in the Netherlands must get a diploma or certificate of some sort after high school. So today I worked with the secretarial program at Noorderpoort. Secretaries must be able to speak and understand English. Today, as part of their final exams, each secretarial student was required to take a phone call from someone speaking English and write an accurate note about it. Speaking to someone on a phone is difficult; speaking to a stranger speaking another language is very difficult. There is no body language to assist in communication.

I was given a script and a list of names and phone numbers, and, working with an adjunct instructor named Joop ("Yoop"), we called students. They were all in the middle of another test when their phones rang. They were required to answer using the company name, and ask us to hold. This was done in Dutch, so Joop would tell me whether it had been done right. Then they had to leave the room where the other test was being administered, and listen to me tell them that my name was Hafid Rashidi, and I was calling in sick. Could they please cancel an appointment I had later that day, and fill in the paperwork for my sick day?

You could tell they were nervous, especially at the start of each call. But all of them rose to the occasion, and we all had fun with it.

I moved to new digs today. I am now residing at the Martini Hotel--named for the saint, not the drink. It's very nice and I'm on the top floor in the center of the city. I took pictures of my view, but they're not loading. I'll add them when they do.

Until tomorrow--

More touristy stuff

I had no plans today, by design. It seemed like a good day to just recharge. I did get in another run, just to really, really prove that all things are possible. (Sorry. Bit of an inside joke.)

Anyway, I went back to the cathedral for church again--and this time I got there early enough to find a decent seat and meet someone else in the congregation. The woman who sat next to me teaches at the medical school at the U of Groningen. She was pleasant and fascinating, and after the service, she took me for a grand tour of the church--and grand is definitely the word.

Here, for example, is the organ:

The organ was built by some famous European organ-builder and the church hosts an international organ competition in August, with competitors from France, Russia, Japan, and elsewhere.

The "old part" of the church dates from somewhere around the year 1000. It was built as a Catholic church, and sometime in the 1500s, when the Netherlands became Protestant, the church did as well. The old part of the church is much smaller. Most of what I saw today was built in the 1400s or 1500s, as I understand it. In any event, at some point in history, people were occasionally buried under churches. If you look closely at the floor of the medium-old part of the church, you can see bumps, where the outline of the grave is and the epitaph is chisled into the floor. Most of the epitaphs are unreadable.

We even made our way up a really dark, narrow, steep spiral staircase so we could get a view of the church from up high.

The only other thing I photographed today was the BarBQ Boat. As you can see, this is essentially a giant inner tube with a motor and a grill located in the center. I have not been on this, but it seems like a great way to tour the canals.

Being a tourist, generally

I am the first person to complain about people who travel to another country and then seek out things from home. Traveling should be about experiencing another culture. Yes.

But sometimes, when you're feeling a little bit overwhelmed, it helps to seek out a little piece of home.

So yes, this morning I headed for the local Starbucks. I wanted to eat breakfast outside of the house, and--in all fairness--the Starbucks was the only thing open at that hour. But also, let's take a look inside a Dutch Starbucks:

So, it wasn't a totally American experience, either.

After breakfast, the other Americans and our hosts headed to Boulange, an old fortified village on the Dutch side of the German border. This is the second historical village I've been to here. When we think of a historical village, we think of one preserved or recreated, with employees going about their historical-period-correct business in costume. Not so here. People are living in Boulange (and the other village). The locals are allowed to drive their cars on the streets. It's an odd mash-up.

Here's a look across the rooftops from the village wall.

And here's a look towards Germany (20 km away) from the same wall.

After lunch in Boulange, we headed for Germany. What with the EU "one big, happy Europe" philosophy, crossing the German border is as exciting as driving into Illinois. But we did notice that there were some subtle changes in architecture immediately upon reaching the German side. In the Netherlands, everything is made from bricks, except very modern steel-and-glass sorts of things. This corner of Germany also favors brick, certainly, but mixes in a little variety--plaster (I guess), for example.

A picture from the German town of Leer will give you a good idea of what I mean:

So what is there to do in a small German town on a Saturday afternoon? Sure, you can walk along the waterfront

but why not enjoy some good German kuchen (cake)? Leer seems to be full of bakeries. I had the rhabarberkuchen (rhubarb cake). And tea. Because that was what the locals do. (See how I brought it back to my original topic?)

Crime and Punishment, Dutch Style

Today I got a close-up look at the Dutch penal system. No pictures today. I spent the day in restricted areas, and phones were not allowed.

First, what we would call a hospital for the criminally insane. This sounded, um, unpleasant. I couldn't have been more wrong. It's a very clean, modern facility. We were guided around by one of the psychologists--a native of South Carolina! Almost everyone in the Netherlands speaks English, but the conversation goes smoother if I'm speaking to a native English speaker, and I had a lot of questions.

Not guilty by reason of insanity is not an option here. Either you did it, or you didn't do it. But if you did it, and your crime was attributable at least in part to mental illness, and if your crime was violent and punishable by at least 4 years in prison, you might wind up at that hospital. If a criminal is sentenced to the hospital, the sentence is, technically, indefinite. There is a review after 2 years to see if he/she (at this hospital, he) is a danger to society, and every 1-2 years thereafter. The average stay had crept up to 9 years several years ago, but under pressure from the government, they had brought it down to around 6 or 7.

Patients are segregated by diagnosis. Initially, they're kept from the other prisoners until they're diagnosed and stabilized. Then they're gradually socialized with other members of their ward.

Patients have a range of activities to choose from. Music, art, and sport therapy are available, as well as psychotherapy. Patient artwork hangs on the halls. Patient-tended gardens and small animals fill one of the yards. There's a wood shop where patients can learn woodworking skills, and a metal shop where they do some impressive work. People can order custom made wooden or metal objects--picnic tables, barbecue grills, wall hangings.

On the whole, they're miles ahead of us when it comes to addressing mental illness humanely. And effectively, quite often.

But what about jail? First, they don't have jails for short-term stays and prisons for long-term stays like we do. They just have jail. Or prison. Since if does both jobs, they use the terms interchangeably. It holds people who are there for 2 days and people who are there for life (which, the administrator told me, means until you die in the Netherlands. This was a "normal" security jail, which meant that everyone was let out of their cells at some hour--8 a.m.?--and expected back in their cells at a set time in the evening. In between they had work detail, recreation time and a range of organized or open activities. Again, lovely gardens and yards. Rec rooms with pool tables, ping-pong tables, TVs, tables and chairs. Oh! And each rec room has a kitchen where the inmates can do their own cooking. Someone was cooking something that smelled fantastic in the one we went through.

Cells are small and somewhat cramped, marked by the efficient use of space the Dutch are (or should be) famous for. Most are singles, although they have a few double cells--but right now, the prison population is down, and so only people who wish to be together (brothers, cousins) are put in the doubles.

We looked in the chapel, but (it being Friday) the Muslims were using it, and we didn't want to disturb them. But one of them saw us and waved us in. The imam spoke no English, but one member of the group was happy to translate. Their prayers were done, and now they were enjoying a cup of coffee and discussing life a little. The chapel is used by all religious groups, and leaders of various religions are available to meet with any inmate upon request. (The chapel had a pipe organ in one corner. You know I'm going to love that.)

The chief administrator of the jail, who served as our guide, knew all of the inmates (about 250) by sight, and most of them by name. They addressed her fondly when we came by. We (she and I) discussed how much could be accomplished by teaching this particular population social skills and job skills, and addressing their mental illness issues.

Again, a very humane system. I'd be interested in seeing their recidivism rates, and how they compare to ours.

Getting to Know Groningen Better

I started today with a tour of the Groningen government services building. The contrast between our two countries is very interesting when it comes to the government. We are a federal system with multiple layers of government. Passports? That's a federal service. Driver's licenses? That would be a state service. How about if you want to challenge your property tax assessment? That would be a county service.

Not in the Netherlands. There is just the government, a single entity. So today I visited the building where you could get a passport or a driver's license, apply for welfare or unemployment, or challenge your property tax assessment or your parking tickets.

Seriously. Three years of law school, and it never dawned on me to challenge parking tickets.

The building is beautiful. It's made of 100 percent sustainable materials and as energy efficient as they can make it. And since it's Dutch, there are plants and flowers crammed into every conceivable space. Here's the cafeteria:

We're not outside. The roof is all glass. As you can see, so are many of the walls. What's a person to do when surrounded by so much glass? Well, if the person is Dutch, the obvious answer is design a machine to clean the windows.

That's it, lurking behind the plants on the 3rd floor. They run it at night.

After lunch with their college CEO, we were treated to a guided tour of the historical part of the city. Groningen was first mentioned around the year 1100. By the 15- or 1600s, it was a walled city with a moat. The walls are long gone, but the canals remain. So streets within the old walled part are prefaced with the word Oud (old), but once they cross the canal, they are prefaced by Nieuwe (new), even though they're probably 500 years or more in age.

Groningen is home to a university

with a law school. I even met one of the law students. She was running for the student senate and handing out campaign literature as we happened by. Here's the school of law and languages:

By the way, the silvery sculpture in the foreground represents the professors pouring out their knowledge for their students. I noted to one of my fellow visiting professors that most of it appears to be puddling on the ground.

There is also a palace:

It has a shade garden, where genteel ladies of an earlier era could get some fresh air without worrying that the sun might darken their skin:

We capped off our tour with a stop at a local bar for a beer. Prost! (Cheers!)

Sportsdag (Sports Day)

After several days that have been mentally exhausting, but not necessarily physically exhausting, I decided to get up early and go for a jog. (Yes, it turns out that is not impossible after all. 😀) Today was probably not the day to do that, but so it goes.

I went to Estrelita's college, Noordepoort, this morning, but wound up in the teacher's lounge talking about America's political and educational systems with professors as they wandered in. I have learned much about the Dutch political system. Here, when you are 12 years old, you take a test. The results of that test, together with the recommendations of your teachers, determines your educational track from then on. Academically gifted students, level 4 (I believe), take a more academic track through high school and have the option to go to the university or to a junior college like Noordepoort. The law students here are mostly level 4, with some level 3. On the other end of the spectrum are level 1 students, who receive a general education, appropriate to their abilities, in high school, followed by vocational training. (Noordepoort has programs for all 4 levels.) School is comparatively inexpensive, but every program is not open to every student.

It's all about tradeoffs. Always.

Back to sportsdag. The weather today in Groningen was "incredibly hot," (82 degrees Fahrenheit) and one of Estrelita's neighbors offered to escort me, by bike, to a nearby lake. So I got to ride a bike like a real Dutch person, although not as aggressively, perhaps.

If my calculations are correct, we went about 20 miles. The wonderful thing about Dutch topography is that it's flat--even flatter than Indiana's. Still, the Dutch have no obvious preconceived notions about personal space, and that can be a little nerve-jangling for Americans. We biked along the Nordwillem Canal, saw houseboats (some nicer than others) and rowers, and just enjoyed some scenery. We spoke to the sluice-watcher. This is a job in the Netherlands, although I'm not sure why. The gentleman who does it is friendly enough, but the job seems to involve sitting on a chair in the shade and waiting for boats to come by so that he can open the gates between the canal and the lake. (Why are there gates between the canal and the lake? No one was sure, but they thought it might have something to do with thwarting invasive species.) We talked to him for 15 minutes. No boats came by.

Windmills? Heck, yes, we saw windmills!

Unfortunately, the windmill was closed, so we couldn't go in. But it was a lovely day--and a lovely setting--for a bike ride, and it didn't hurt me at all to get some extra exercise in.

Storks? Yes, we saw storks. The Dutch build stork stands to hold nests.

Why do they build stork stands? "We love storks." They are associated with fertility and they are, apparently, just cool.

Dinner! For dinner, we joined Estrelita's sister-in-law and her husband, and were joined by a Latvian woman who works as the principal of a school for special-needs children, also visiting for 2 weeks. That was an interesting conversation. And wonderful, "genuine Dutch" food. People are the same all over--and yet, very individualistic. Dieta (the sis-in-law) was chock-full of interesting stories of her travels through Russia and eastern Europe, of bribing people with chocolate and nice clothing ("not bribing; making friends!"), of hitching rides on freight ships, and how to negotiate a good price for dinner at restaurants in eastern Europe, including Latvia.

All in all, a good day. See you tomorrow!