Josh Dockum
Staff Reporter

Nearly every person has a story to tell. CEO club member and entrepreneurship student teacher Erica Cristiane Ozorio Pereira Berte is one of those people.

"Erica is very insightful, intelligent and is a big asset to the CEO club," Tim Putnam, CEO club adviser, said.

Berte, who was born and raised in Brazil, now resides in Lake Mills with her husband who works at Fleetguard as a controller.

Berte started her education at Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil and received a B.A. in business administration.

After graduating from there, she enrolled at the Regional University of Blumenau in Brazil with a B.A. in accounting. She then came back to Federal University of Santa Catarina to get her M.S. in business administration.

Right now, Berte is working on her Ph.D in business administration.

She did additional work at the University of Sao Paulo, but is currently finishing her degree at the University of Iowa.

Besides going to school, Berte has also done her share of work.

She's been an auditor at Ernst and Young (1993 Ð 1997), a business consultant for Commercial and Industrial Association of Palhoca (1998) and a business plan strategist at the University of Sao Paulo Incubator (2003).

She also has teaching experience in universities' graduate and undergraduate programs (1997 Ð 2003).

Some of the classes she has taught include entrepreneurship classes, business management courses, leadership techniques, organization systems and methods, ethics in sales, consumer behavior and many more.

With all of her teaching experience, Berte has also led many training sessions for companies, small business associations, government agencies and given lectures to workshops and individual development plans.

In Berte's spare time she said she likes to play sports, read and go to theater shows and performances.

"I really like water sports like swimming, diving and windsurfing. I use to live on an island in the Atlantic in south Brazil, where I had the opportunity to practice these sports," Berte said. "Here in the USA, I started skiing, which is new for me, but I really like it."

Weather has also been an adjustment for Berte.

"In Brazil we don't have snow," Berte said. "It was also the first time I played golf. I'm still trying to get used to golf. Golf is a very selective sport in Brazil."

She also said she likes to travel and is interested in different cultures.

"I've been in several countries in Europe, South America, North America and I wish to visit more," Berte said.

Berte has also enjoyed traveling throughout the United States.

"I've been in different places in the USA." Berte said. "Chicago and Washington were remarkable for me. I used to watch these cities in movies all the time, being there was really exciting for me. The museums in Washington are very interesting, especially because I could see Van Gogh pictures. I love him."

Berte also said the weather in Iowa and Brazil is very different.

"When it's winter here it's summer down there, plus our winters are around 60 degrees, and there's not snow at all," Berte said.

Visiting this country has also afforded Berte the opportunity to see many forms of entertainment and meet new people.

"Living in the U.S.A I've had the opportunity to see Elton John, Alanis Morissette, Cirque du Soleil and others that don't come to Brazil," Berte said. "In Lake Mills, I enjoy the Garden Club. It's a great way for me to meet people and learn about U.S.A. plants."

Steve Madsen
For the Logos

NIACC science instructors Craig Zoellner and Jason Friday not only share common interests in the subjects they teach, the department they're in and even the office they use, but they also share an undying love for hunting.

Friday has hunted since he picked it up with some friends back in high school, while Zoellner said he has hunted most of his life.

"I first started hunting with my dad which involved duck hunting when I was four and pheasant at the age of five," Zoellner said.

With the Iowa pheasant season recently opened, both were excited to hit their favorite spots.

"I enjoy hunting with my father-in-law on his farms," Friday said.

"There are fewer hunters, therefore there are more birds."

Zoellner said he has the same idea in mind when he hunts public land in northwest Iowa.

"There will always be lots of birds in the public hunting if you hunt it early enough in the season," Zoellner said.

Both Friday and Zoellner hunt with dogs.

Friday has two pointing Vislas that he said he loves to work with, while Zoellner is a firm believer in his three labs that he hunts with.

With the high pheasant counts for this year, it appears that hunters even without dogs could have good luck. The DNR has said that the numbers are excellent, and many local farmers have reported that they have never seen so many birds in this area.

Friday and Zoellner are both resourceful with the pheasants they shoot.

Each of them has many different recipes for their hunted prey, and when they have enough packed away in the freezer, they said they share their game with friends.

Even though they feel that Iowa is second in pheasant hunting only to South Dakota, they each have other animals that they hunt. "Ducks, geese and deer are a few others I hunt," Zoellner said. "I even do my fair share of trapping."

Friday said he enjoys hunting geese and occasionally deer, yet said that his favorite game is pheasant.

One interesting fact about Friday is that he plans to hunt off of his bike this season.

He rides his bike virtually everywhere, and he said that and gas prices have motivated him to consider a new style of hunting where he'll use his bike.

"With the way these gas prices are, I'd be crazy not to," Friday said.

One might wonder how he'll incorporate his dogs into all of this.

Friday has that covered with a bike pull-behind trailer that he will set his dogs' kennels on to pull while he rides.

Zoellner can only laugh when he hears his fellow instructor talk about his interesting plans.

He, on the other hand, said he would much rather prefer the comfort of his vehicle with his dogs, bright and early on those cold winter mornings.

Yet, even with all that these two characters have in common, the one thing that they have never done is hunt together.

Josh Dockum
Staff Reporter

Nearly every teacher has certain traits that students appreciate, and with his spunk and ambition, Greg Lauer, accounting program leader / instructor is no exception.

People that know Lauer the best would describe him as a knowledgeable, intelligent, a funny guy that is a joy to talk to and one that loves teaching students.

Faculty members have acknowledged Lauer by honoring him with the NIACC Excellent Teaching Award.

"I felt humbled, I felt honored, and it was a tremendous honor, I was totally shocked," Lauer said.

Students enjoy his classes and former students have honored him by nominating him three times for, "Who's Who Among American Teachers."

"Everyone has the potential to learn and I basically look at my job to facilitate that learning, and I'm there to make it grow in some shape and form," Lauer said in describing his teaching philosophy. "In the classroom you're facilitating the learning, providing encouragement and some of the tools to help students reach their full potential."

Lauer, born and raised in Mason City, still resides in Mason City with his five-year old Pembrooke Welch Corgi, Oliver.

"Oliver loves people, when someone comes to visit he thinks they're there to see him," Lauer said. "He basically runs the place."

Lauer started his education at NIACC and received his A.A.

After two years at NIACC, Lauer went to school at Upper Iowa University and received his B.A. in accounting. Lauer then went to Iowa State University, where he received his master's degree.

Prior to coming to NIACC in 1999, Lauer has done his share of work.

He worked as a public accountant for seven years; director of finance for Hospice of North Iowa, taught as an adjunct instructor at NIACC for ten years and taught as a business teacher in accounting and income tax courses.

On top of his duties as an instructor, Lauer is also involved in the Teachers of Accounting at TwoÐYear Colleges national board, and as an enrolled agent licensed to practice before the Internal Revenue Service.

"With all of my job experience, NIACC is the best place to work," Lauer said. "It is a supportive institution and is just a great environment to work in. NIACC is highly respected, it provides a good education and it's an awesome opportunity for students to get an education. I'm glad that I'm part of it."

Colleague Gary Christiansen said he feels Lauer does an outstanding job.

"Lauer is always available to assist students when they need help and always encourages students to come see him," Christiansen. "He's the most prepared teacher for his classes that I know; he's highly organized and always has candy."

Lauer said he loves his job and students can tell by the enjoyment he derives by teaching.

"Everyday is a new day. I find it exciting to be with the students and to facilitate learning to them," Lauer said. "It's always memorable when a student grasps and understands the material, enjoys the class. Students who keep in contact with you is great. There are so many enjoyable moments of teaching, they're all special to me in different ways."

Josh Dockum
Staff Reporter

Students at NIACC who have had a crazy, white haired guy that wears glasses and sweaters and likes to make jokes, are probably familiar with economics teacher Fred McCurnin.

People who know him would describe him as nutty, innovated, and crazy.

Students enjoy his classes and say McCurnin is a crazy teacher, but is an intelligent teacher that brings a lot of excitement to his classes.

McCurnin said he feels that one of his biggest challenges as an instructor is the student's own preparation for his course.

"The number of students who come to college with a high school diploma, but without a high school education, is a big problem," McCurnin said. "They don't have the basic skills to do well in my course."

McCurnin said he prizes his own education.

"The one thing I stress to a student is that getting a college education is very important. It stems from the fact that I am who I am because of my education," McCurnin said.

McCurnin, born in Des Moines, IA, but raised in South Dakota, resides in Mason City with his wife Jeannie, who also teaches at NIACC.

McCurnin and his wife raised four children: Ollie, a math and english teacher in Portland, OR, Carrie, a NIACC graduate and homemaker in Austin, TX, Michael, a contractor who builds log homes in Colorado and Ryan, a NIACC student, who runs cross country for the Trojans.

McCurnin said before he went to college he did various jobs that included working on dam construction on the Missouri River, working as an auto mechanic in New Orleans, driving a truck, being an assistant store manager for Goodyear, and spending two years in the Army as a demolition specialist.

After McCurnin got out of the Army, he went to college on the GI Bill.

McCurnin said he started his education at Augustana College (Sioux Falls, SD) and received his B.A. in business administration.

After attending Augustana, he received his M.A. in economics from the University of South Dakota. The University of North Dakota State was next on McCurnin's list where he worked on an M.S. in political science.

When McCurnin moved to Iowa, his master's degree in political science was interrupted.

Prior to coming to NIACC in 1990, McCurnin taught at North Dakota State College of Science.

"I left North Dakota State College of Science because of financial difficulties in the state," McCurnin said. "I read in the Chronicle of Higher Education that NIACC had an opening and NIACC had a reputation of being a great community college, and I was fortunate to be offered a position here."

In comparing his earlier jobs to his teaching jobs, McCurnin said he enjoys teaching more.

"I try anecdotes from my past jobs to relate a textbook theory and content to real world events," McCurnin said. "Those jobs made me appreciate teaching as a profession, as compared to other occupations that I consider real work. When you find something you really like to do, it's just not work anymore."

McCurnin has developed a philosophy for teaching that includes:

• Attention: The student and teacher have to have each other's attention or nothing will be done.
  
  
• Goals: The student's goals are most important; the teacher's goals are important, but secondary.
  
  
• Expectations: Both the student and the teacher must have high expectations; they both have to believe they can do it.
  
  
• Time on task: Both the student and the teacher have to show up, or nothing gets done and that means more than just coming to class.
  
  
• Persistence: If it doesn't work the first time, figure out why, fix the difficulties and try again. Never, never, ever give up.

Fellow colleague Lee Weber had this to say about McCurnin. "Fred's a good story-teller and relates to something you know and you spend a lot of time in his classes," Weber said. "He's big into running, we have good talks and I enjoy listening to his input about things. Fred's a big asset to the NIACC community."

McCurnin said he enjoys teaching and it shows when students take his class and when he tells one of his jokes. His actions also show his upbeat attitude toward students.

"I love being around young, smart, energetic students in college," McCurnin said. "I enjoy everything about teaching students. Who can ask for a better life than to be around these young people."