Grand Theatre Hosts Annual ‘Backstage’ Concerts

Fans of and newcomers to the Backstage Concert Series at Salt Lake Community College’s Grand Theatre will be thrilled with the two acts that make up the 2018 series.

Back by popular demand, Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin returns to the Grand stage Jan. 4-6, 7:30 p.m. each evening, in her new concert, “Think About It...” Audience members will enjoy a night of music meant to make them laugh, cry, ponder and wonder as Dee-Dee takes them on a journey of jazz, rhythm and blues and soul.

Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin rehearsing for a previous Backstage appearance at The Grand.

To close out the Backstage Concert Series, the acoustic group Lark & Spur present their popular concert, “An Evening in Paris,” Jan. 12-13, 7:30 p.m. each night. The acoustic sextet, along with award-winning ballroom dancers Casey and Kayci Treu, evoke the sound, look and atmosphere of mid-20^th century Paris cabarets and dance halls.

Tickets are $20 and are available at 801-957-3322 or at www.GrandTheatreCompany.com.

Breathe Easy: SLCC Starts Respiratory Program

Imagine breathing through a straw. Try as you might, you can’t get enough oxygen. For those with respiratory problems, this kind of struggle is all too real, but trained respiratory therapists can help.

They provide hands-on care and treatment to patients with respiratory problems, which are often made worse by winter pollution in the Salt Lake Valley. Consequently, respiratory therapists are in great demand in Utah.

Enter Salt Lake Community College, with its new respiratory therapy training. The School of Health Sciences with support from Intermountain Health Care, the University of Utah Health Care and Mountain Star’s St. Mark’s has designed an AAS degree in Respiratory Therapy. These partner facilities, as well as others, will serve as the locale for required clinical hours. The first students start in January. The program’s creation was funded with $200,000 from the Utah State Board of Regents.

“The combination of the inversion and aging baby boomers created a perfect storm for Utah,” says George Schwoegler, coordinator of the new program and Health Sciences Professor. “There is a huge demand for respiratory therapists in local hospitals.”

Jordan Campus is hosting the program with classes held in the evenings and clinical work at night and on weekends. “We’re looking for students who need to work Monday through Friday to take care of their families, but still want to continue their education,” Schwoegler says.

“There are currently no respiratory programs within the state that do this.” The student cost is $13,000, significantly less than comparable programs elsewhere, he says.

After completing the program and accomplishing 800 hours of hands on clinical training, students take a National Board of Respiratory Care exam for state and national certification, allowing them to work as respiratory therapists in hospitals or other clinical settings. “We are preparing all of our students to score high and to get the national certification,” Schwoegler says.

Student-Athletes Inspire, Educate Children

Know Greater Heroes

Empowering the Hero Within

   A thletes from Salt Lake Community College’s seven sports visit schools throughout the fall and spring semesters as part of the Know Greater Heroes program at the College. With each visit, the students sing, dance with the audience, perform skits and talk about proper nutrition and exercise habits and the importance of making good decisions in life, including with education.

The Heroes program, which is a nonprofit organization with multiple sponsors, was developed to “serve, build and empower communities throughout the world.” The ultimate vision of the organization is to positively affect the lives of all elementary school children, their families and the college student-athletes who serve them.

The Know Greater Heroes Leadership program at SLCC is an academic class presented to all student-athletes. The students are involved in a hands-on leadership training course for 12 weeks prior to sharing their knowledge through a high-energy, action-packed educational elementary school assembly. Paul Marble and Derek Waddops lead the students through about 30 school assemblies each year.

Derek Waddops (left) and Paul Marble

For more information about Know Greater Heroes, click here.

The photos below are from a visit to Redwood Elementary School.

New Nurses Celebrate With Pinning Ceremony

Salt Lake Community College's Nursing Division honored its newest class of graduating nurses with a pinning ceremony at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus.

The SLCC Nursing Program offers students a comprehensive, affordable, high quality education taught by expert health care providers with advanced degrees. Access to state-of-the-art equipment and hands-on experience in a variety of clinical settings teaches students the science of healing and the art of compassion. SLCC's experienced, knowledgeable faculty and staff share their expertise with students and prepare them to succeed in the diverse, dynamic field of nursing.

SLCC's program offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing, which enables participants to apply for and take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). The NCLEX is needed to become a Registered Nurse. SLCC also offers an Advanced Placement Program for License Practical/Vocational Nurses returning for an AAS degree.

As part of training, the College’s Healing Arts Lab provides opportunities to practice patient care safely, using proper equipment without fear of real life consequences. This unique, state-of-the-art center specializes in interactive learning through the use of life-like scenarios, computerized manikins, and hands-on, practical learning to simulate hospital, clinical, and long-term care settings.

For more information about SLCC's degrees and programs in nursing, click here.

Below are images from the pinning ceremony.

Chef Aloia, Student Whip Up Winter Stew on Ch. 4

Preparing Winter Vegetable Stew, on Good Things Utah

SLCC Culinary Arts student David Chen (l-r), host Reagan Leadbetter and Chef Franco Aloia

Staff at Ch. 4's Good Things Utah raved as the savory smells of stew filled the air in the studio for a segment with Salt Lake Community College Culinary Institute's Chef Franco Aloia and student David Chen. Aloia and host Reagan Leadbetter discussed the ingredients for a recipe called Winter Vegetable Stew while Chen demonstrated deft knife skills while slicing up the veggies. Below is the recipe and images from the appearance on Ch. 4, along with a few cooking tips. Click here for a link to the full segment on Good Things Utah.

Winter Vegetable Stew

YIELD: 12 Servings/3 Quarts

           

2 quarts           Vegetable broth

½ pound          Parsnip, oblique cut

½ pound          Rutabaga, medium dice

½ pound          Turnip, medium dice

½ pound          Carrot, oblique cut

1                      Butternut Squash, large dice

1                      Purple Cauliflower, ¾” florets

1 pound           Red Potatoes, large dice

½ pound          Yellow Onion, small dice

6 cloves          Garlic, minced

14 ounces       Tomatoes, whole, peeled canned

3 sprigs           Thyme

2                      Bay Leaves

1 Tablespoon  Paprika

8 ounces         Crème Fraiche

3 ounces         Vegetable Oil

½ ounce          Chives, chopped

                        Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions

1.    Wash vegetables in fresh cold water and set aside to air dry.

2.    Peel carrots, parsnips and butternut squash. Reserve.

3.    Cut vegetables: butternut squash (large dice ¾”), red potatoes (large dice ¾”), rutabaga (medium dice ½”), turnip (medium dice ½”), carrot (oblique), parsnip (oblique), purple cauliflower (¾” florets), yellow onion (small dice ½”), garlic (mince), tomatoes (chop into small pieces) & chives (slice thin *set aside for garnish).

4.    In large (4 quart) stock pot over medium heat add oil and sauté onion until it is translucent then add garlic.

5.    Immediately add tomatoes and stir in remaining vegetables.

6.    Season with salt and pepper and add vegetable broth (room temperature) just until vegetables in pot are covered with liquid while remaining on medium heat.

7.    Stir in paprika, add aromatics (thyme and bay leaf) and cover with lid while remaining on medium heat.

8.    Cook until liquid in pot comes up to a gentle simmer.

9.    Skim foam after 10 minutes of gentle simmering.

10.  Continue to cook for another 30-40 minutes until vegetables are fork tender aka “al dente”.

11.  Pull out thyme sprigs and bay leaves then, taste stew and adjust seasoning if needed.

12.  Portion into bowl. Garnish with crème fraiche and chives.

13.  Serve steaming hot with sourdough baguette.

Tip #1: Knife skills and safety

While using a chef’s knife, with your cutting hand, grip the knife by choking up on the handle, keeping the thumb and index finger gripping the top of the blade. You will be using the weight of the knife, its sharpness and your arm strength to make your cuts. With your helping hand, curl your fingertips under, bunch them together and use your knuckles to grip the ingredient for the safest method. Make your cuts using a rocking motion that starts toward the tip of the blade and works backward, raising up each time to start a new cut. If you are chopping, know that there are several methods depending on the ingredient you’re preparing.

*For amputees or those with use of only one hand, look for specialized cutting boards that hold the items you’re cutting while gripping the knife with your remaining or viable hand.

Tip #2: Your goal: same-sized cuts

Whether it’s meat or a dense fruit or vegetable, you will want to try and make all of your cutting produce pieces that are the same size. It’s important because you need all of those cuts cooked evenly and thoroughly. If you’re off a little, that’s okay. But cutting up ingredients that are noticeably quite different can lead to undercooked or overcooked pieces.

Tip #3: Soup? Stew? What should I call it?

Soups are served hot or cold and can be clear or thick and can be based from bouillon (broth with ingredients) or consume, which contains only clarified broth. Other soups can contain a thickening agent, labeling them a puree, bisque, cream or veloutes. So, when it comes to stew, it is basically a soup, but with a lot less liquid or broth, and it tends to be an ingredient-intensive soup with a lot more chunks and bites. And if you want to throw chowder into the semantic mix, then know that it’s considered a stew that is thickened with cream or milk. Clear as cream, right?