1. Mod 6 Issue 6 2016
INDEPENDENCE
UNIVERSITY
JOURNALISM CLUB
PROUDLY PRESENTS THE
EDITION OF OUR

2. Mod 6 Issue 6 2016
Article Title Author Page’s
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Dos & Don’ts of Graduation
Summer Sizzle and Celebrate Summer
Graphic Reflection Through Time
Summer Solstice 2016
Getting Involed by Supporting Our Homeless Veterans -
June 2016
The Advantage and Disadvantage of a Medical
Coding Career
Chelsea Hicks
Independence University
Dianna L. James
Billy Hager
Dianna L. James
Brandi Selph
3-4
4
5-6
7-8
9-11
13-14
Health Care

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The time is fast approaching! Our graduation ceremony for those who have graduated or will graduate
between June 2015 and August 2016 is on June 25th
. If you are eligible to walk, you would have received
several emails in reference to this. Now, in preparation for this exciting and momentous occasion, I have a
few tips that will help make it a day to remember!
Tips for Grads:
 Dress appropriately. Although most of your outfit will not be seen under your gown during the
ceremony, it is likely you will be removing it at some point during the day. Therefore, it is best to
wear professional dress, as well as comfortable shoes (however, leave the flip-flops and tennis shoes
at home).
 Leave your personal belongings with your family. You will be doing a lot of walking around and
changing seats during the rehearsal and the graduation ceremony. There is no guarantee you will find
your purse again if you leave it under your chair. It is suggested you leave your personal belongings
with a trusted family member or friend. If you have something you must keep with you, wear clothing
with at least one pocket to hold these items.
 Eat before you arrive. While there will be some snacks available to graduates, there will be three
hours between when you arrive and when the ceremony begins. Then the ceremony is another almost
two hours. If you don’t eat right before you get to the graduation venue, you will be very hungry, and
likely irritable, by the time your name is called.
Tips for Guests:
 Arrive early. The doors will open promptly at noon. We suggest you have your friends and family
arrive as early as possible to ensure they find a good place to sit and are all settled by the time the
ceremony begins.
 Be aware of your surroundings. Everyone wants the best shot of their graduate; however please
ask your guests to be respectful and courteous to those around them. They should be careful not to
stand in anyone’s way. We will have both a professional photographer and several freelance
photographers in attendance. There will be no shortage of great pictures of each graduate!
 Keep the loud noises to a minimum. Graduation is an exciting time! When your family hears
your name, they will want to scream and shout! That is totally acceptable. However, the screaming
and shouting will need to stop in time for the next name to be read so that all of the graduates’ names
are audible.
The graduation ceremony for Independence University is always a fun and exciting event. However,
following these few guidelines will help everyone have a positive experience!
The Dos and Don’ts of Graduation
By ~ Chelsea Hicks ~ Associate Director of Student Services

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The journey started in November 2014 with writing articles, and editing. It was March 2015 that
preflight came into the picture. Training began with another student in the graphic
design program and we used different programs because business students do not
have access to the same programs as graphic design students utilize, however,
the layout process was similar. In the beginning there was only one
newsletter that was assigned for me to layout in Microsoft Publisher.
That April my mother had passed away and I had to drive to
Wisconsin for her funeral. The person helping me was more
involved in the newsletter that he/ she was doing than to help me
with the layout. I ask Kim to come to assist with the process, most of all
with graphics, because she too is a graphic design student. When I
returned from Wisconsin I discovered that all four newsletters
were assigned to me. I really needed Kim then and ask if she would
continue the process and she accepted. Therefore, the one-time
collaboration on Skype turned into a month after month preflight and great
friendship. Kim would create the graphics and I did layout and she
would offer suggestions with the layout.
This is a graphic memory of our process of all the laughs, frustration and most of all fun that Kim and I had
during our time doing preflight.
Graphic Reflection Through Time
By ~ Dianna L. James ~ MBA
Continued on next page

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Then we come to the April edition of the newsletter, and the fun continued. Kim continued
to amaze me with more of her talented graphic designs.
The March issue of the newsletter was a lot of fun with all the great graphics that Kim turned out. Addition-
ally, we discovered that I do have a vivid imagination.

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You may be wondering “What is this guy talking about?” or “What is a solstice?” and that is perfectly
okay. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to grab that cool beverage and get comfy before I
turn up the heat and shine some light on this subject…
We know that the Earth orbits our nearest star, the Sun, in an elliptical orbit. While doing so, the Earth rotates
on its axis also, which is not 90 degrees straight up and down but tilted to one side by 23 ½ degrees. With
Earth orbiting around the Sun, we get our four seasons, and I don’t mean basketball, baseball, construction,
and football. Now that we have that out of the way, here is another twist: The Earth also wobbles on its axis
while rotating. This “wobble” is called “precession” and it is vital to life on Earth. If Earth did not have a
precession, one of the hemispheres would be forever colder due to less or no light and/or heat energy from the
Sun.
Here is just a little recap: Earth orbits the Sun, spins on its axis, which is 23 ½ degrees off vertical, and
wobbles. This is why and how our solstices happen. A solstice happens only twice a year, in June (summer)
and in December (winter). In June, the solstice is the longest amount of time the Sun is in the sky in the
Northern Hemisphere (people north of the equator) while the December solstice is the shortest amount of time
the Sun is in the sky. Also on these dates, due to the Earth’s tilt, the Sun appears directly overhead, at noon, at
23 degrees 30 seconds North latitude (Tropic of Cancer) and 23 degrees 30 seconds South latitude (Tropic of
Capricorn). Remember, lines of latitude are parallel to the equator and are imaginary lines. In the Southern
Hemisphere, or people south of the equator, these solstice dates would be opposite, as in, summer occurs in
December and winter in June.
Now that you are probably scratching your head and wondering how this is important, let’s dive into a bit of
history and lore about solstices. One of the most famous man-made monuments is devoted partially to the
solstices, and that would be Stonehenge, in England. There is a popular theory that the builders of Stonehenge
used the markers to adjust their calendars so they could plan their crops for the year. This would go hand in
hand with other ancient cultures that knew of astronomical events and calendars also. The Chinese and the
Gauls celebrated the summer solstice, as it was a sign for fertility. “In North America, some Native American
tribes held ritual dances to honor the Sun” (Traditions and Holidays Around the June Solstice, 2016). So as
you can see, from adjusting calendars to planting crops to worship, solstices have played a key role throughout
history.
Summer Solstice 2016
By ~ Billy Hager ~ Computer Science
Continued on next page

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Here are some facts about the summer solstice from TimeandDate.com:
 “It’s both a summer and winter solstice” (summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the
southern hemisphere)
 “It’s the first of the year” by calendar date of course.
 “The Sun seems to stand still” The sun doesn’t stand still actually but it does stop climbing
higher in the sky for that moment, then begins sinking lower in the sky until the winter solstice
where it pauses for that moment and begins climbing back up again…it’s an elevation thing.
 “It occurs at the same time” It is true that no matter where you are in the world, the solstices
happen directly at noon on the day that the Sun reaches its maximum or minimum elevation in
the sky (Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn respectively)
 “It can be June 20, 21, or 22” This all has to do with time. How far off our calendar is to the
solar calendar and leap years and the whole ball of wax that will be discussed in a later paper.
 “The Arctic Circle has 24 hours of sunlight” Since the Sun is at its highest elevation north, it
appears above the horizon for that period of time. Now there are a few days before summer
solstice where “Polar Light” is visible but that is due to refraction of light rays, again, another
topic for another paper.
References
Traditions and Holidays Around the June Solstice. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.timeanddate.com/
calendar/june-solstice-customs.html
Pictures provided by www.scijinks.jpl.nasa.gov/solstice

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This is a growing issue in the United States and everyone needs to help reduce this issue. I have met many
veterans that are homeless at the VA in Memphis, Tennessee. It is sad, there is only home veterans home
for the homeless in the Eastern part of the Tennessee and it is located in Memphis. So as you read this see if
there is an event in your location coming up and if not contact someone on the list and see if they have
someone you can contact to get involved with sponsoring an event in your area. Our veterans need you!
Homeless Veterans
Upcoming Events
Conferences
The events below are directly related to homelessness, Veterans' issues or have specific tracks or sessions
exploring these topics. Please contact event organizers directly for more information or to register to attend.
Stand Downs
Stand Downs are typically one-to three-day events providing supplies and services to homeless Veterans, such
as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings and VA Social Security benefits counseling. Veterans can also
receive referrals to other assistance such as health care, housing solutions, employment, substance use
treatment and mental health counseling. They are collaborative events, coordinated between local VA Medical
Centers, other government agencies and community-based homeless service providers.
Below are the scheduled stand downs for 2016. This list is updated often so check back regularly (http://
www.va.gov/homeless/events.asp). To volunteer for or participate in an upcoming stand down in your area,
contact the Point of Contact (POC).
Dates Event Name Location
June 1 – 3, 2016
National Coali-
tion for Homeless
Veterans: 2016
HCHV Annual
Conference Washington, DC
June 12 – 14,
2016
Council for Af-
fordable and Ru-
ral Housing 2016
Annual Meeting
& Legislative
Conference Arlington, VA
June 24 – 25,
2016
USCM Work-
force Develop-
ment Council
(WDC) Indianapolis, IN
June 25 – 28,
2016
2016 Volunteers
of America Na-
tional Conference Rosemont, IL
July 26 – 28,
2016
2016 National
Conference on
Ending Home-
lessness Washington, DC
Getting Involved by Supporting Our Homeless Veterans for June 2016
Contributed by Dianna L. James ~ MBA
Continued on next page

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Dates Location VA Primary POC Alternate POC
June 4, 2016 Goshen, IN
Steven Prater | (260) 426-5431,
x72620 Daniel Reed | (574) 295-0105, x218
Steven.Prater2@va.gov Dreed@gotoworkone.com
June 7, 2016 Traverse City, MI
Amanda Briggs | (989) 497-2500,
x15711 Julie Garver | (989) 497-2500, x15732
Amanda.Briggs@va.gov Julie.Garver@va.gov
June 9, 2016 Shiawassee County, MI
Travis Vanderlist | (989) 497-2500,
x11966 Cheryl Lucas | (989) 497-2500, x11686
Travis.Vanderlist@va.gov Cheryl.Lucas@va.gov
June 10 - 11, 2016 Chicago, IL
Jeanne Douglas | (708) 457-8805 Don Donahue | (708) 202-8387, x24952
Jean.Douglas@va.gov Donald.Donahue@va.gov
June 10, 2016 Cincinnati, OH
Christie Watson | (513) 977-6823 Emily Hunt | (513) 977-6811
Christie.Watson@va.gov Emily.Hunt2@va.gov
June 10, 2016 Grand Rapids, MI
Meghan Fugitt | (616) 356-1746 Kim Arne | (616) 356-1746
Meghan.Fugitt@va.gov Kimberly.Arne@va.gov
June 10, 2016 Kalispell, MT
Shad Barrows | (406) 874-5617 Carolyn Collins | (406) 253-7156
Shad.Barrows@va.gov mustangkarowin@yahoo.com
June 10, 2016 Tucson, AZ
T.J. Rizzuti | (520) 792-1450, x4164 Jodi Frederick | (520) 792-1450, x6586
Anthony.Rizzuti@va.gov Diana.Frederick@va.gov
June 17, 2016 Flint, MI
Melton Harvey | (989) 497-2500,
x11685 Cheryl Lucas | (989) 497-2500, x11686
Melton.Harvey@va.gov Cheryl.Lucas@va.gov
June 17 - 18, 2016 Klamath Falls, OR
Heather Jenard | (541) 826-2111,
x3924 Tammi Deforrest | (541) 331-9975
Heather.Jenard@va.gov tdeforrest@veteransenrichmentcenter.org
June 17, 2016 Worcester, MA
Kate Nye | (413) 584-4040 Jim Seney | (413) 584-4040
Kate.Nye@va.gov James.Seney@va.gov
June 18, 2016 Los Angeles, CA
Michael Johnson | (310) 478-3711,
x42537 Lauren Trosclair Duncan | (310) 445-9945
Michael.Johnson33fc51@va.gov lauren.trosclairdunc@redcross.org
Continues on next page

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Source: Va.gov. (2015). Homeless Veterans. Retrieved from http://www.va.gov/homeless/events.asp
Dates Location VA Primary POC Alternate POC
June 23, 2016 Los Angeles, CA
Michael Johnson | (310) 478-3711,
x42537 Lance Asamura | (310) 781-0606
Michael.Johnson33fc51@va.gov LAsamura@dmh.lacounty.gov
June 24, 2016 Bend, OR
Tasha Sloan | (971) 200-0351 Tory Flory | (541) 383-2793
Tasha.Sloan1@va.gov tory.flory@covo-us.org
June 29, 2016 Buffalo, NY
Sean Lindstrom | (716) 862-8885 Alicia Sholtz | (716) 862-8885
Sean.Lindstrom@va.gov Alicia.Sholtz@va.gov

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At some point in every person’s life, finding a job becomes essential. When looking to start a new career it
is always a good idea to first look into the requirements for that career and then into the advantages and
disadvantages for that particular career. Medical coding is one career that is in very high demand, and it can
be a lucrative one with a starting hourly wage of about $15.00 to a high end wage of about $26.00 an hour
(Payscale.com, 2016). Medical coding is the translation of a patient’s diagnosis, procedures performed,
medical services rendered, and equipment and supplies used into an international medical alphanumeric code
that is used to properly bill the patient and/or their insurance carrier, and is also used as further documentation
of the patient’s health status. However, as with any career, it has both advantages and disadvantages and
making it the career for you will all depend on your attitude about it.
Some advantages of a medical coding career are that it is a growing field, there is an opportunity to work from
home, you can specialize in one area and there is room for advancement (Medicalcodingcareerguide.com,
2012). With this list of advantages, it is hard to see any type of down side to this career. The medical coding
market is expected to gain about 40,000 jobs within the next six to seven years, that is about a 21% increase in
jobs for this field by 2020 (Medicalbillingandcoding.org, 2016). There is also an opportunity to work from
home, so stay-at-home parents can continue to be there for their families and people with disabilities can work
in the comfort of their own environments. However, not all employers will allow this, so if this is an option
that you are looking for, you might have to do research before starting your job search. You can choose to
specialize in the area of health care that you find most interesting, this may help to keep your job fresh and
exciting (Medicalcodingcareerguide.com, 2012). There are also advancement opportunities for medical
coders, especially for those who obtain a college degree. One could expect to be able to move into a
management position if the opportunity presented itself and your skills are up to par.
As good as this sounds, just like any other job medical coding does have disadvantages. Though it is a
relatively short list there is one thing that is hard to ignore, breaking into the medical coding industry can be
quite difficult to do and it can take time as well as patience. Most employers want medical coders who have
experience so getting a college education can help some in this department. Also, getting an entry-level job to
start with and moving your way up can help you to gain experience as well as the extra knowledge that it may
take to land the job that you are seeking (Medicalcodingcareerguide.com, 2012). Another disadvantage (or
advantage, depending on how you look at it) is that you may have to relocate if you have trouble finding a
medical coding position close to your hometown. This could happen is you live in a rural part of your state but
on the up side there are medical coding all over the country so if there is a town or city that you really love,
now would be the time to looking into living there.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Medical Coding Career
By ~ Brandi Selph ~ Medical Specialties
Continued on next page.
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To become a medical coder, one does not have to be certified but most employers do prefer it. Having and
education is also not a requirement but is again preferred, not only by the employer but by the certification
agencies as well. You can gain your certification through several agencies. However, there are two agencies
that are used more often, the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and American Health
Information Management Association (AHIMA) (Medicalbillingandcoding.org, 2016). There are
recommendations and requirements that both organizations make to obtain your certification, and one
drawback to becoming certified medical coder is the initial up front cost which can range from about $299 to
about $350. Nevertheless, this is a relatively small price to pay to have such a rewarding job.
References
Medical Billing and Coding Certification. (2016). Working in the industry. Retrieved from http://
www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/working-in-mbac/
Medical Coding Career Guide. (2012). Advantages to medical coding chapter 2. Retrieved from http://
www.medicalcodingcareerguide.com/chaptertwo/
Medical Coding Career Guide. (2012). Disadvantages to medical coding chapter 2. Retrieved from http://
www.medicalcodingcareerguide.com/chaptertwo/disadvantages.html
PayScale. (2016). Certified professional coder (CPC) in Atlanta, Georgia salary. Retrieved from http://
www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Certified_Professional_Coder_(CPC)/Hourly_Rate/14109d31/
Atlanta-GA
My father gave me
the greatest gift
anyone could give
another person, he
believed in me.
Jim Valvano

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Sir Fin School Mascot contributed by Kim Curry.
Cover Page Background—Kim Curry
Edition Title: Clipping Mask—Kim Curry
Special Thanks to Kim Curry for the creation of the miscellaneous graphics within.
Special Thanks
Advisor/Editor: Whitney King
Preflight Team: Dianna L. James
Kim Curry
Memorial Day
Retrieved from: http://www.imgion.com/