Iowa's Javier Campos, Award-Winning Academic and Physician

The cozy corner office and scenic view of the University of Iowa campus faded into the background for a moment, and Javier Campos was suddenly back in his childhood home in Nogales, M�xico.

"It's a unique design," Campos said at the time. "Rather than taking patients from room to room, it all can be done in one operation room."In the late 1990s, Campos became chief of cardiac anesthesiology at Iowa. He is also vice chair of clinical affairs and was named executive medical director of operating rooms last year."I saw her suffering, and I said, 'Grandma, I believe I can made a difference. I'm going to be a doctor, to treat you and other people who are suffering.' She always said, 'My grandson is going to treat me as soon as he finishes medical school.' Unfortunately, she passed too soon."I don't think because of politics, all patients, including in Cuba, should have limited access to technology or scientific information. I think Cuba is one of the countries that need it most. I have Hispanic roots. I've worked in M�xico and the U.S. I can understand the problem better in Cuba.""I wanted to be a doctor, even then," he said.After earning undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Guadalajara, Campos accepted a fellowship from Mexico's prestigious National Heart Institute."It was a state-of-the-art facility with topnotch cardiologists from all over the world. That was my formation there," he said. "I looked at how the leaders worked and carried on their operations and carried on their departments.""When I started moving to clinica research, I said, 'Look, there are too many unanswered questions,' and I believe I can answer those questions. I started answering questions based on my hypotheses. After multiple publications in national and international journals, I started getting invited to state, national and international meetings. I started seeing there was a really good connection from Latino countries."Campos was born in Nogales, but his family, including eight brothers and sisters, moved to Arizona when he was in junior high. Campos continued to attend a public school in Nogales and at 14 told his family he wanted to become a cardiac anesthesiologist. His dream was to practice in Nogales. "There was only one cardiologist in Nogales and only two anesthesiologists. Nogales needed people," he said. "I never wanted to be anything but a doctor."As congenial as he is driven, Campos is a five-time recipient of the Teacher of the Year award at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) and Iowa and has been included on the list of Best Doctors in America five times. He's active in prestigious scientific societies, addresses international conventions frequently and is routinely published in elite international journals. In 2009, he was named executive director of the University of Iowa's operating rooms, another turn in his unusual journey from a Mexican border town to the American heartland."The first five years were basically devoted to teaching. Basically, I teach residents in the operating room. I like to teach people what I'm doing and exactly how we do it.In 1987, Campos visited Iowa, which was recruiting promising young minority talent. Only after receiving his airline tickets did he realize Iowa was located in the Midwest. "I had it confused with Idaho," he said. "In the beginning, it was a cultural shock. I started driving around and saw farms," he said. "But I came here because of the values placed on family. The heartland is where the values of the family and the food come from. And I like the patients - the best patients I've ever dealt with. If there's a surgery, there are 10-12 family members there.""I always focused on the scientific part," he added. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be an executive. This is a state-of-the art facility. This is the jewel of the Midwest."Campos has attended medical meetings in Europe, the Mideast and South America and developed a sophisticated understanding of health care systems in Latin American countries. In 1999, he was part of a delegation that traveled to Cuba for an international conference. The following year, he sent more than 150 volumes of mintcondition journals to Cuban anesthesiologists.In 1982, Campos accepted a position at UCLA. Though he planned to return to M�xico in two years, he stayed five years and never went home. His first months, however, were anything but easy. "I didn't speak English," he said. "I was sent to a course at UCLA for 10 weeks. It was the hardest course of my life. Every day, 7 a.m. until midnight, Saturday and Sunday included. I got frustrated. Didn't realize how hard it would be. But I persevered, and it paid off.""One thing that caught my attention right away at Iowa was the diversity program," he said. "Right away, I connected with many people from minority backgrounds. I saw they were doing very well as far as leadership positions."I'm a boy who came from Nogales who learned the hard way. I had dreams, but I never dreamed it would end up like this. I just wanted to make a difference."In April 2009, he oversaw the introduction of rooms that allow surgeons to conduct major and minimally invasive procedures. The process allows patients undergoing neurosurgery to return to their daily routines within days instead of weeks and even months.It was another one of those dreaded moments when his grandmother was doubled over in pain, her bones and joints swollen with crippling arthritis. Just 10 years old at the urne, Javier pulled out a plastic stethoscope that day to "treat" her.That wasn't an idle dream. Sitting at his desk in Iowa City, Campos, a professor of anesthesiology, is surrounded by photos, awards and mementos from a remarkable career."There is no way I'm going to stop what I'm doing," he said.Campos has come a long way from his boyhood days in M�xico when he hoped to heal his ailing grandmother.

"I'm a boy who came from Nogales who learned the hard way. I had dreams, but I never dreamed it would end up like this. I just wanted to make a difference."

Happier days; MAILBAG MAILBAG

ITWAS both sad and nostalgic to see the picture of the now redundant Stile Common School.

It was a perfect example of brilliant Victorian architecture, repeated all around the old Huddersfield Borough at places like Hillhouse, Mount Pleasant and Moldgreen, and showed the foresight of our old city fathers in building such wonderful centres of education over such a short period of time.* SAD SIGHT: But many will have vivid memories of better days at Stile Common SchoolAFH AlmondburyFine if you wrote all the correct answers down, but if you and your immediate neighbour got the same answer but both wrong you were accused of copying and had in turn to go out, be stood on his desk, and got a crack of the cane. Pupils who had to travel could bring their own sandwiches and these were eaten at lunchtime in the respective classrooms. A "brew" of either tea or cocoa could be left, usually in an OXO tin bearing the pupil's name on Caretaker Hoyle's doorstep on arrival in a morning, and dozens of pots of whatever beverage were laid out for collection at lunchtime.Let''s hope that some old student is writing of his fond memories of the new school in 80 years time.The school went on to become quite famous, and turned out some wonderful scholars and sportsmen, particularly during Mr Wally Heap's headship.Makes you wonder where all the money came from, because no corners were cut. All were built from hand dressed stone and quality timber, with sturdy desks and blackboards.CAPTION(S):

* SAD SIGHT: But many will have vivid memories of better days at Stile Common School

FIFTY top money saving tips for summer

AS the economy struggles and it seems there are cuts around every corner it's only natural for everybody to tighten their belts and think how they can make savings. But rather than harming the environment in many cases it really helps the green cause. Over-consumption and excess waste hurt the planet as much as our pockets.

9. Don''t fancy finishing a bottle of wine but reluctant to waste it (or worse, force yourself to drink it!)? Pour the leftover wine into an ice cube tray and put in the freezer. Then add a cube or two when you''re next cooking to add a bit of flavour to sauces, gravy, soups - and anything else you can think of.26. An empty freezer wastes money. When shopping buy up the bread products that are reduced to clear. This is an economic way of filling space in your freezer, cutting down on shopping bills and wasting less food.2. If you lose a button off an item of clothing keep hold of it and stitch it back on straight away - keep the John Lewis Value Sewing Kit (pounds 2) in your handbag or desk drawer. If the button is lost then head for a haberdashery - they may be able to match it.28. Soya mince is a lot cheaper than meat minces, a good source of protein and free of any disease or antibiotics. Health food shops and co-operatives typically have very reasonable bags of dried soya mince and chunks.19. Don''t forget you can insulate yourself too - wearing warm clothes and layers can reduce heating bills. 20. Trawl second-hand shops. You will soon work out where the better clothes are and can sometimes pick up new or nearly new items for a fraction of the normal price.30. A soon as dusk comes draw the curtains - your windows (even if they're double-glazed) are an energy leak point. This can save you around pounds 15 per year 31. When you're cooking use a lid on your pan - it dramatically cuts the energy used.18. You can buy special insulation sheets to put behind radiators to reflect the heat back into them. Cardboard wrapped in aluminium foil does this too.17. Tumble drying is very expensive - line drying is free. When outside drying is not possible consider whether you have radiators that could be used if on anyway - but this will increase the humidity in your house and may lead to damp if it''s not well ventilated.15. Switch off all your appliances at the wall before going to bed at night. Many electrical items continue to use electricity even while off if connected to an outlet. Do you really need to use the oven or microwave as a clock? A battery powered wall clock uses much less power. 16. Cut down your water usage by reducing the amount you use when you flush your loo. Some people suggest putting a brick in the cistern. But the new superloos from B&Q, including the Eco Loo To Go (pounds 89.99), cut water use by 35%. Plus the toilet seat is made from recycled plastic too.Here we list 50 thrifty tips that will help the environment as well as your wallet this summer...3. Plan your journey. There''s no surer way to waste fuel than to get lost. Use the internet to check the distances and time it should take. And think about the time you travel - don''t travel in the rush hour if you can avoid it.35. If you like the fabric in a garment, but not the shape, unpick the seams and make it into something else. A quick unpick (sold in pound shops or haberdashers) makes this really easy. 36. Switch off electric ovens, hotplates and irons a few minutes before you need to stop using them - they will stay hot for a long time. Heating devices use more power that anything else.33. Reuse old carrier bags as liners for small bins.29. Next time you get the vacuum cleaner out run the cleaner gently over the coils on the back of the fridge to remove the dust. The motor will run for shorter periods and save you cash.6. Don''t hire a skip for old furniture. The Furniture Re-use Network co-ordinates 400 organisations in the UK which collect a wide range of furniture and appliances to donate to people in need. Find out where you can donate your unwanted items at www.frn.org.uk 7. Drive slower. It can save lives and will also save you money. You use 30% more fuel driving at 70mph than 50mph 8. To help candles last longer pop them into the freezer for a few hours before you use them. Look out for locally-produced candles made from renewable sources such as vegetable or beeswax, rather than paraffin wax ones from the supermarket. Then relax and enjoy the romantic glow.tip 23 21. Water is the cheapest and healthiest thing you can drink. Don't bother with fancy bottled varieties, the tap will do, plus it's not been freighted around the world. Drinking lots of water does amazing things for your skin, lessening the need for expensive skincare products.4. If wool jumpers have lost their shape or gone bobbly beyond repair try making them into felt by machine washing them on a hot wash and use the felt to make cosy cushion covers, tea cosies or a nice hat, come winter.1. Check your tyre pressure. If your tyres are at the right pressure you''ll drive more smoothly and save fuel.* MOTH HAVE: See 12. Make your own preserves from any seasonal gluts of fruit and vegetables. Sterilise old jars or get some reusable Kilner Jars and jam jars from Lakeland (pounds 24.99 ref 13219 and pounds 5.99 ref 3818). Lift home-made jam, pickles and chutney out of the ordinary with preserving presentation packs (pounds 5.99, ref 12185). Once you've sealed in the goodness crown your jar with a pretty cover, then finish it off with the coordinating string and pretty tag-style label. They make lovely presents. 13. Farm shops or markets can be very economical - a sack of potatoes for a few pounds can be the basis for many meals for a couple of months.14. Find out just how much energy you waste with an electricity monitor. The OWL CM119 (pounds 34.95 from John Lewis) is wireless and easy to read, use and install. It also has an alarm which can sound when your electricity consumption exceeds a pre-set limit. The unit can also display the amount of greenhouse gases your power usage is generating, as well as ambient temperature and humidity in your home.Unlike plastic cartons milk bottles can be re-used. And you can now buy a whole range of grocery products from most delivery services - not just milk. 11. Roll citrus fruits back and forth on the kitchen table before squeezing it and you will get more juice. You also warm the lemon and yourself with the exercise.24. Cut down old, foil-lined juice and milk cartons to be used as seed planters in the greenhouse or garden 25. The plastic lids from a Pringles tub make good covers for cat/dog food tins.32. Always put a full load in your washing machine - small loads waste large amounts of energy.34. Aluminium can be recycled over and over again without any loss of quality, or wrap your sandwiches or picnic food with greaseproof paper, which you can compost afterwards. Store your packed lunch in a reusable Tupperware container or empty ice-cream tub. Reusable containers * See are also great for storing leftovers in the fridge or simply cover your food with a plate.23. Don't let moths destroy perfectly good clothes. If you don't like the smell of moth balls use cedar wood instead - it repels moths and smells great. To reinvigorate the aroma, lightly sand the wooden pieces. 30-Piece Cedar Wood Set (pounds 6.49, Ref 22267 Lakeland).22. Instead of using cream cleaners use a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda on a damp cloth - it works just as well.5. Make a draft excluder snake out of one leg of an old clean woolly pair of tights stuffed with old clean clothes. To give it a lovely scent add some dried lavender or dried herbs from the garden. It''ll stop drafts under doors and you can have lots of fun decorating it.27. Pass on children''s clothes which they have outgrown to other family members or friends whose children are younger.

35. If you like the fabric in a garment, but not the shape, unpick the seams and make it into something else. A quick unpick (sold in pound shops or haberdashers) makes this really easy. 36. Switch off electric ovens, hotplates and irons a few minutes before you need to stop using them - they will stay hot for a long time. Heating devices use more power that anything else.

Computer Desks

With computer usage so high in this age, we are seeing a need for appropriately designed modern furniture that best suits the needs and style of your home or office. But which computer desks are right you? With so many options to choose from, it could be a difficult question to answer. This article details the different types of computer desks, and factors to consider when purchasing one. After reading this article, making your decision as to which desk to purchase should be a simple and fun experience.

Desks for computers come in a variety of sizes and styles these days. There is a computer desks for every application, from large desks to decorate dedicated offices, to small corner computer desks, perfect for accessing recipes online in the kitchen, or paying bills in the corner of the bedroom. Whatever you need, there is a desk to fit. Because our lives change so often, with redecorating, repurposing, and even moving, it no longer makes sense to invest hundreds, even thousands of dollars in heavy, unmovable desks. Lightweight, assemble-it-yourself computer desks can fit any application, be easily moved to a new room for redecorating, and are inexpensive to replace if your needs or decor change.The style of your computer desks will have a lot to do with its price, particularly if the desk is made of wood, metal or a combination of materials. Solid wood computer desks will obviously be more expensive than those made from pressed wood or metal. Most home computer desks are purchased with the intent of placing them in a bedroom, family room, or a home office. Take into consideration the existing furniture in the room where the desk will be placed when making your purchase.Each of these styles of computer desks come in an array of sizes, finishes, designs and styles so it�s important to think of your personal preferences and tastes prior to desk shopping. Of course, you will also need to consider how the computer desks will coordinate with the room's decor.

Each of these styles of computer desks come in an array of sizes, finishes, designs and styles so it�s important to think of your personal preferences and tastes prior to desk shopping. Of course, you will also need to consider how the computer desks will coordinate with the room's decor.

Catholics lead in Vietnam AIDS ministries

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM * It takes 30 minutes from downtown by taxi through the motorbike-packed streets of this sprawling megacity to reach the Tieng Vong (Echo) Center. One eventually arrives at a Catholic church, walks to the rear, turns a corner, and there finds an opening to a parish center. Two rooms actually--one a waiting area where two dozen visibly ill men and women sit listlessly; the other, a patient care area with old filing cabinets along the wall, some desks, chairs, and on one side of the room, Nguyen Thi Vinh, a middle-aged, broad-faced woman with a direct manner and a remarkable capacity to live the corporal works of mercy.

This is grace on a shoestring.That makes the Echo Center--and Vinh's work--all the more necessary and remarkable. The center gets the name from an idea: echo, or give back. Vinh says the idea is to echo the gifts people have been given.The children at Mai Tam range in age from only weeks old to 18 years. Classes are offered to children after they reach their sixth birthday.Vinh was early to be working with HTV/AIDS patients. Six years after she began, the archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City, Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man, was approached by a government official who requested he designate a number of religious to work with HIV/AIDS patients. The government had found it difficult to find willing people. Also, having the Catholic church involved would add credibility to the government's efforts and even open doors a bit for international aid.It costs about $5,000 monthly to run the center, Tuyet Mai said with a grant coming from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, donations from private benefactors, and assistance from the Ho Chi Minh archdiocese.There are an estimated 300,000 people living in Vietnam today with the virus, according to those working with the patients. Official estimates are not quite as high. In truth, no one knows exactly. What those who work with these patients seem to agree on is that the virus is being spread mostly through drug use and needle-sharing, and, secondarily through human trafficking.Vinh cannot do much more. The needs are gargantuan and her resources modest. Day after day, six days a week, from eight to noon, she and her volunteer staff of fewer than a dozen see HTV/AIDS patients, most of them in the last months of their lives. The patients come from throughout the city and beyond, as far away as northern Vietnam.Vinh said she keeps careful records. Each month she compiles a list of the 100 poorest people who come to the center for medicine. These are the ones, she says, who get what amounts to pocket change, small amounts of assistance by most measures--except when you have almost nothing. Then a little help makes a big difference.Vinh and the rest of the staff work entirely without pay.It was in 1998, Vinh recalls, sitting at her desk during a break between seeing patients, that she heard a Redemp-torist priest in a sermon talk about the growing needs of those stricken by the HTV/AIDS virus. Many had been abandoned by their families and were living in the streets.Vinh says that her two biggest problems are keeping staff and maintaining funding. Her staff is young and there continues to be a turnover. Vinh and her daughter seem to be the mainstays. They operate through the donations of the pharmaceuticals, the assistance of some benefactors, and help from the parish, including rent-free rooms.The budget for running the center is roughly $18,000 annually--with all the money given out to neediest of the needy who receive food, transportation, and sometimes small holiday presents for the children.Man complied. He sent out word, asking the religious orders for help. In May 2004, the archdiocese formed Our Lady of Pentecost Community, composed of 15 religious from different male and female congregations. The center has cared for patients in the last stages of AIDS.The numbers continue to rise, but the rate of increase is slowing, offering a glimmer, of hope that this perilous epidemic is not completely out of control. There is an ongoing HIV/AIDS government education program, but misunderstanding and prejudice are still rampant.On this morning Vinh is attending to another woman. Vinh listens, comforts, counsels and eventually hands over a few pills aimed at easing pain, perhaps extending life. Maybe it's also to show someone cares.[Thomas C. Fox is NCR editor. His e-mail address is tfox@ncronline.org.]She and some friends went on a retreat where they put together some plans: They would contact hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and then search out people with the virus. Many of them were hiding, ashamed and abandoned, she explained. It was not easy at first.Across town, meanwhile, about the same time, another Catholic HIV/AIDS ministry was being formed. St. Paul de Chartres Sr. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai has been counting pills at the Mai Tarn House of Hope since its beginning some six years ago. The Mai Tam House of Hope cares for women living with the HIV virus along with their children and others, all, some 65 children, mostly carrying the virus, fill up the very active Mai Tam center, which occupies a nondescript, four-story, narrow concrete building and has no sign to identify its purpose.She and her staff receive some three dozen HIV/AIDS patients each morning at the center. In the afternoon, the staff goes out to attend to those too weak--or too fearful--to come to the center. They have been doing this for 13 years. Pharmaceutical companies have donated most of the medicines. The local parish priest, meanwhile, is also a physician who can prescribe medicine.Staff can tell who are "the poorest 100," Vinh said. "You can see by the clothes they wear, the transportation they use, and if they have, say, a mobile phone."On one of the desks in the patient room is a ledger in which the staff keeps careful notes about each person they see, the medicines they take, the needs they have, and assistance offered. Every cent is detailed, in handwritten script."Everything really is in God's hands," Vinh said. "God provides. God will continue to provide."The group spent months, years, at first, seeking out the needy In time, the parish gave them space for the center and eventually, as attitudes in society began to change, people began to come to the center. On the average day, some two- to three-dozen people show up seeking assistance.

[Thomas C. Fox is NCR editor. His e-mail address is tfox@ncronline.org.]

More and more catch classes with the Net

SALT LAKE CITY -- Trevor Hansen plops down in front of his small oak desk, flips open his silver laptop and starts emailing his classmate about a project due Monday.

Hansen is afraid that a number of employers may not view an online education the same as they do a traditional college experience. Other students like Jarom Moore of Orem say they don't like the format of online classes. And there are professors nationally and in Utah who refuse to teach classes online, calling them "inferior."Clift, who has taught college writing courses since the late 1980s in schools like Yale, Emerson and Payap University in Thailand, said online courses are part of the "dumming-down" of academia and that she saw more plagiarism happen when she taught her online class."I would just be starting my degree in the fall if it weren't an option," Hoyt said. "I am just glad this is available to people like me."Over the last several years, more and more students are taking the same route. More than 100,000 college students in Minnesota are now taking classes online. From 2005 to 2010, the number of Utah public college students taking classes online jumped by about 15,000, according to Utah System of Higher Education Data. And innovators like Henry J. Eyring, BYU-Idaho administrator, and Clayton M. Christensen, Harvard Business professor, authors of the new book, "The Innovative University: Changing the DNA of Higher Education from the Inside Out," say that to be competitive in the future, colleges need to embrace high-quality online courses.Salt Lake Community Colleges said the demand has been such that a few years ago the college decided that 25 percent of the classes would be online. As of 2010, they were No. 2 in the state in the number of students taking online classes.Continued online growth in Utah's public higher ed seems inevitable, though. Even Utah's 2020 Higher Ed plan -- to have 66 percent of 25- to 64-year-old Utahns with a post-secondary degree or certificate -- names online programs as one of a few ways to accomplish this. "Online learning is going to remain part of the future of education at all levels and will remain an important way higher education is delivered," said Gary Wixom, Assistant Commissioner for Academic Affairs for the Utah System of Higher Education."It's really convenient," Hansen says of finishing his bachelor's in finance degree online. "I don't really like going to class, and I wanted to work more."Yet schools across the country are finding ways to make online classes more interactive and are finding that many students prefer it.UVU's vice president of academic affairs, Ian Wilson, said he originally thought students were registering for online classes as a fall back, but over the years, he said, the online courses have often been the first sections to fill up. Students lives have gotten busier, he said, and about three-fourths of UVU students now work at least part-time so having more flexibility when it comes to taking classes has become more important. In the fall of 2010, nearly a third of all UVU students took at least one class online, said Mike Rigert, spokesman for the school.Yet universities like Southern Utah and Weber State say they are planning on meeting as a college soon to discuss what kind of growth they really want online courses to have.Yet Fowler believes online education will continue to grow because it allows anyone, anywhere to take college courses."All the joy of teaching and the deep importance of learning cannot happen very readily in an online environment," Clift said. "I think it is part of the demise of the academy, part of the crisis of higher education."This much growth in classes is quite extraordinary, said Bill Byrnes, associate provost for Southern Utah University. Normally a new class takes months to create and be considered and goes through lots of committees, he said. Next year, SUU will offer 117 classes online.Weber State University, which had the most public college students taking online courses in the state as of 2010 with over 7,150 enrolled, now offers two-hour professional development courses twice a month to help professors develop better online courses, said Gail Niklason, associate of continuing education at the university. They learn about incorporating video and other interactive tools. She said 90 full-time faculty members out of about 480 have been through the training over the last five years.Many organizations warn students to research their classes before taking them, especially if the university is online only. Several lawsuits have been filed over the last several months against for- profit colleges, which often have a big online base, over best practices and validity.There's a motocross poster on the wall, a snowboard in the corner and a framed picture of him pushing his niece on a swing on the top of his desk.BYU-Idaho launched a new online learning program late last month called Pathway, which is geared toward 18- to 30-year-olds who have not earned an associate's or bachelor's degree but are interested in doing so. Students are eased into the college experience with a light load of online classes the first year and a weekly study group with the other 15 to 20 students at their location, said Andy Cargal, spokesman for the university. There are currently about 22 sites around the nation where the Pathway Program is offered and two international locations. The university plans to expand the program by about 10 sites each year.Even though she said she would rather take classes in the classroom to get the interaction with professors and peers, she said it would have taken her twice as long to take in-class courses.In fact, colleges say the rapid online growth is fueled mostly by students.Elayne Clift, a writer, journalist and adjunct professor currently living in Vermont, said she taught an online class a couple years ago and vowed never to do it again.Lauren Fowler, professor at Weber State, has been teaching at least one online class a semester for the last several years. She said she usually chooses to teach a lower-level class online because she believes she interacts better with upper-level students face-to- face. But Fowler also would not recommend first-semester freshmen to take online courses because "they are already overwhelmed with how difficult college is," she said.Raj Nisankarao, president of the National Business Association, suggests that students look at the curriculum of the class and the type of class to make sure an online version would be an appropriate one. He said different businesses will look at online classes in different ways but many want students who have had extensive online experience and may look at online classes as a plus.Weber State said at least right now, it takes as much time, if not more time, out of the professor's day to teach an online course. Not only are the teachers often in constant contact with students, answering their questions and concerns, but they are also vigilantly adding more interactive tools to their classes.The 25-year-old Salt Lake City resident just got home from an eight-hour workday and will be leaving for a softball tournament in about an hour, but he has a little bit of time to work on his online class.April Hoyt, 31 and mother of four, is grateful for the opportunity she has had to get her education online. Hoyt is currently finishing up an online degree in communicative and deaf disorder at Utah State.EMAIL: slenz@desnews.comFowler suggests that there be an online preparedness quiz before signing up for an online class because she's had some students email her up to four weeks into the semester who haven't ordered the book yet and are just starting the class.

EMAIL: slenz@desnews.com

Tribute to a Titan

During many of the years that she edited this magazine, Betty Lou Amster wrote a monthly column signed "Bla." But blah could not have been further from the truth about Betty Lou. She was a Tennessee Williams character. Though not a natural beauty, she nevertheless made a significant physical impact. She wore hats long after doing so was fashionable, not only on the street, but at her desk, frequently stopping while out of the office to buy another. She smoked cigarettes - sometimes cigarillos - through a long silver cigarette holder. Her big corner office was always dark; she preferred to keep the lights off except for one dim lamp, and presided over editorial meetings in that office at an antique steamboat captain's table. Smoke swirled. So did the conversation.

Betty Lou left the C-J to work in advertising, and from advertising joined Louisville, then published by the Chamber of Commerce. She was the magazine's second editor, a classic of the genre, imperiously rejecting stories or designs from the art department with little more than a wave of her hand. She had good taste in writing and graphics, knew what she wanted, and usually got it. She also knew talent and how to woo it - freelancers like historian George Yater and former Courier writer Bill Woolsey (whom she ingeniously commissioned to write a monthly cooking column), along with photographers Bill Strode (who for most of her years as editor shot the covers) and John Nation (the backbone of the magazine for the last 30-plus years). It's also worth noting that since she retired, two of her proteges have served as editor, most recently Bruce Allar, and that the current senior editor, Jack Welch, began his work at the magazine during her reign. Not a bad recruiting record.When hired as editorial associate in 1980, I was told by my predecessor, Stewart Trisler, that I wouldn't be coddled. I was in so over my head, professionally, that I quaked over everything. A sideways glance from the boss was the worst. When I fessed up to that, Betty Lou purred, "Why I'm just a little pussycat." This was in the Landmark Building at Third and Liberty, which had once housed the Courier-Journal and Louisville Times. Earlier in her career she'd worked the crime beat for that paper, the first woman ever to do so.As if all of that weren't enough, one of her eyes didn't track (there were rumors that it was glass), and this otherwise fearless woman had a magnificent fear of thunderstorms. She knew when one was coming long before it arrived and, fast as a flash of lightning, was on her way home - in a taxi; Betty Lou never drove. She never had a license.In the '70s the now-defunct Old House restaurant was her luncheon habitat, where she dined and drank with the city's businessmen. (By the late '80s it had been replaced by the Galt House.) None of those guys likely downed more martinis than she did.In the years since her retirement we wrote one another from time to time, had lunch occasionally, and then lost touch almost entirely (in part because an ocean separated us). This past New Year's Day I called to let her know I was thinking of her. She broke the news that Junie had died a few weeks previously. Conversation was stilted. There were things I would have liked to have told her, thanks I would have liked to have given. But she was not a sentimentalist.Her husband Junie taught psychology at the University of Louisville. He also was straight out of a Tennessee Williams play - a beatnik with a goatee who wore sandals and was as laid-back as Betty Lou was intense. They were married for 60 years. When I knew them best, they lived in a huge apartment in the Mayflower on Ormsby Avenue, where dinner parties were as colorful as the hosts were. Betty Lou loved to entertain, and the guest list was always diverse - her French dressmaker, Junie's university colleagues, East End grandees, Old Louisville bohemians.

Betty Lou died at 86 on April 24 of this year. This magazine is her legacy.