John Cook shared his recent trip to Cambodia with members and guests of the Kentland Rotary Club at the regular Monday, November 14th.  John and his wife traveled to Siem Reap to learn the history and enjoy the beauty of the historic places in Cambodia.  John shared that the people were friendly and enough English was spoken to make travel possible without an interpreter.  They did have a tour guide for portions of the trip.  One of the highlights was the temple Angkor Wat. The temple is one of the largest monuments to religion ever built and was constructed in the first half of the 12th Century and is well preserved.   There is a moat around the temple that is almost 100 yards wide.   Another highlight was the visit to Tonle Sap Lake. It is the largest fresh water lake in South East Asia and its area changes depending on the monsoon and dry season. During raining season from June to October, it has an area of 10,000 square Kilometers and it shrinks to 3,000 square kilometers during the dry season.  Chong Khneas is a floating village on the lake.  The buildings are anchored and rise and fall with the level of the lake. 

Mr. Cook also shared that Cambodia was part of the Khmer empire and evolved through the years with a series of changes that made it a French Colony from mid 1860 until 1953.  It was an area of turmoil until the mid 1990’s.  This period included the Vietnam War and genocide by the Khmer Rouge and the Pol Pot regime as portrayed in the movie “The Killing Fields”.  The government today is stable and John indicated it is a very safe place to travel.

 

 

Jessica Chapman, Coordinator for Center for Indiana Partnerships at St. Joseph’s College shared information regarding internships that are being provided for St. Joe students.  The project is funded by a Lilly Endowment Grant and provides opportunities for students to gain 120 hours of experience in the area of their interest.   Social service groups, law offices, art facilities, and financial offices are just some of the internships that have been completed.   Students are given a project of task to complete during the internship that may used to expand the social media exposure, graphics, or bring new technology to the host.  There is no cost to the host and the student receives a $500 stipend from the Lilly Grant for their efforts.   Internships can be completed on a flexible schedule and may even be completed during the summer while the student is living off campus at their home.  Many of the internships have been located near the St. Joe campus while others have been in Fort Wayne, Muncie, Indianapolis and other locations. Ms. Chapman encouraged Rotary members with opportunities for internships to contact her at the Student Development Office, Halleck Student Center, and PO Box 910 Rensselaer or by phone at 219-866-6116.   Ms. Chapman was the guest of Candace Armstrong. 

In other Rotary business Darrel Fredrickson, Rotary President inducted Jennifer Whaley as the Kentland Rotary Clubs newest member.  Jennifer received a certificate of membership and a Welcome to Rotary packet.   The Club also donated $1,000.00 to the Kentland Covenant Federated Food Pantry for their growing need for resources.  The Kentland Rotary Club Annual Meeting will be held on December 6, 2011 at Hazelden Country Club.  New officers will be elected to take office in July of 2012 and any revision to the Clubs Constitution and By-laws will be made.  Image