CL interview: T.A.K.E Self Defense

Any young woman knows that self-defense is something important to know when going away to college. Learning how to protect yourself from predators can save your life in compromising situations.  Nine years ago, a vibrant college student Ali Kemp was murdered while working at her summer job.  Now, her memory lives on through the Ali Kemp Educational Foundation and its self defense program T.A.K.E, which is reaching women of all ages and helping to empower and educate them one step at a time. I recently interviewed Jill Leiker, Executive Director of The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation and Lead Instructor for T.A.K.E. Defense and asked her some questions about the organization and self defense.

Can you tell me a little bit about the background of T.A.K.E?

Alexandra Kemp (Ali to everyone who knew her) was a beautiful and caring nineteen-year-old girl who was murdered June 18, 2002, while working at a neighborhood pool in Johnson County, Kansas.  Ali represented the finest of her generation.  Ali was an honor student, both at Blue Valley North High School and at Kansas State University.  She excelled at sports, as a community volunteer, giving generously of her time and talents to many endeavors in her church, community, and at Kansas State University where she had just completed her freshman year as a member of Pi Phi Sorority. In her honor her parents Roger and Kathy Kemp founded The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation with its critically acclaimed self defense program T.A.K.E. Defense.

What is the main goal of T.A.K.E?

The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation’s T.A.K.E. Defense offers community programs and programs across the United States with a National University Tour.  The National Tour has been coast to coast from UCLA to Yale and border to border from UW Madison to Texas A&M.  From middle school girls to their grandmothers T.A.K.E. Defense empowers it’s participants with the knowledge of safety awareness, and if the unthinkable happens, simple easy techniques anyone can do to potentially get away from their assailant.  Through the generous donations of organizations, companies and individuals The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation offers these programs at low or no cost to its participants.  Since 2005 T.A.K.E. Defense has trained over 46,000 girls and women and believes it is just getting started.

How is the organization benefiting young women?

We are empowering women to believe in themselves and emphasizing there is not another person like them in the world, they are irreplaceable, unique and are loved.  We want them to take the time to train themselves in personal safety for themselves and for all of those who love them and care about them.  Our hardest job is to convince women this could happen to them.  It always happens to someone else.  The reality is there is no safe place.  That is not to scare women it is to educate them.  Mr. Kemp believes 99% of the world is good but the other 1% is out there and it can be dangerous.  We need to know what to do if we find ourselves in a compromising situation.

What can young women learn in a session?

The two hour program addresses awareness, boundary setting and combat skills.  We demonstrate skills and participants do hands on training to practice what is demonstrated.  Remember everyone can do these skills even the 90 year old women.  We take a serious subject and interject some fun to make the learning exciting and relevant.  Participants can immediately apply these skills to their everyday lives.

What is a typical class like?

I think I described above what the class is like but to add a typical class has about 100 women, although our largest single class to date had 1,001 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.  Women will leave the class with new skills and with a new outlook on the world around them.  Women have reported feeling more confident and more prepared along with having a greater self awareness.

What is the most important aspect of self defense that women need to know in order to protect themselves in dangerous situations?

We start with de-escalation techniques.  The last thing we want is for a women to find herself in a situation where she has to fight back, however, after we teach several de-escalation techniques we teach participants how to fight back with techniques anyone can do.  What to do if you are attacked from the front, attacked from behind and if you find yourself down on the ground.  Our oldest participant has been 90 years old so everyone can do these techniques!  Two simple things to know; are strength in numbers; avoid being alone and sound is your friend; if you find yourself in a bad situation make the loudest craziest noise you can to draw attention to the situation!

What are some of the self defense techniques taught at a class that women can use when placed in a compromising situation?

We teach personal awareness.  This is not just simple tips that we all know like; park under a well lit area and carry your keys in your hand.   We ask the hard question “What would you do if it happens right now?”  Crimes happen so fast.  No victim wakes up in the morning and says this is the day I am going to be attacked.  You never know when it will happen.  If you have never thought about it and have not rehearsed your options you will do what most victims of crime do and that is to simply freeze up.  Think of anything you have done well; you were trained, mentored and or you worked hard to succeed.  Self Defense is no different……..You have to be educated and you have to practice like you want to perform.  Education is power, be educated about your personal safety.

What are some other important things girls need to remember in order to protect themselves at all times from predators?

An attacker, in most cases, is reported later as looking like a “normal” person or a person that the victim has seen or knows.  A predator, attacker gains access to you, by fitting in.  People are not always who they appear to be.

How can someone contact the organization for a visit/ to attend a session?

info@takedefense.org

Go get empowered and learn more about self defense before you head back to school! And keep these tips in mind ALL the time!

Caitlin Fitzpatrick is an intern at College Lifestyles (TM) and just graduated with a journalism degree from SUNY Plattsburgh. She is a proud sister of Sigma Delta Tau and enjoys cooking and watching reality TV.

CL book review: A Stolen Life

As this summer comes to an end, enjoy your last days of free time and warm weather with an inspirational and captivating read.   I recently finished reading the book A Stolen Life, written by Jaycee Dugard. Dugard was kidnapped at age 11 by a convicted sexual predator and his wife. She was held captive in her kidnappers’ California backyard for almost two decades before getting rescued.  Throughout the years Jaycee learned to survive and adapt to her new life as a perpetual captor, but she always kept a piece of her true identity with her.

Dugard starts the book by going into the details of the day she was kidnapped and her first year of captivity. She lets her readers experience her fear first hand.  Reading the ordeal gives a glimpse into the terrifying nightmare of a kidnapping and sexual abuse.

She is forced to live in a tent in a backyard compound and comes to rely on her kidnapper for every necessity.  She gets pregnant twice by her kidnapper, but even with the horrible situation she keeps her hope for freedom alive.

Shockingly, many times her kidnapper’s parole officer came to the house to investigate and check on him, but never realized Dugard was in the backyard.  As time progressed and she got older, she is even allowed to show herself to the officer and is never questioned or recognized. While reading the book, it becomes clear how the local law enforcement failed.

After finally getting rescued, the book gets more hopeful and Dugard goes into depth about her life post-kidnapping.  She writes about her firsts, milestones and healing. She speaks about her hope for the future and her new life with her daughters.

This was one of the most interesting and inspirational books I have ever read.  This book will give you hope about any situation you are faced with.   Jaycee Dugard was able to survive her situation and recreate her life afterward, making sure her kidnapper didn’t steal anymore valuable time.

This is the perfect book to instill hope and renew your self-identity. So hit the nearest beach or park and start reading!

Caitlin Fitzpatrick is an intern at College Lifestyles (TM) and just graduated with a journalism degree from SUNY Plattsburgh. She is a proud sister of Sigma Delta Tau and enjoys cooking and watching reality TV.

Get a head start on your school year! Stay organized and smart the CL way!

Starting college is a fun and exciting new chapter in any fabulous coed’s life, but it can also be overwhelming.  All those new classes and hard professors are a big change from high school.  No matter how ready you are, it can still be easy to fall under the tide when it comes to the loads of work and assignments.  Here are some tips I have gathered that are the most useful when it comes to staying on top of your new college assignments.

Planner:

Writing everything down in a planner really helps, especially when you have a lot of assignments to keep track of.  In college, deadlines are important and missing a due date for an essay or homework assignment can ruin your grade for the entire semester.  Being specific and writing every detail down will help you in the long run.  I also like to keep track of my missed classes in my planner.  I write down my classes for the day in advance and then mark whether I attended, missed or if it was cancelled. Professors only let you miss a certain amount of classes before they deduct points off your average or even fail you for the semester, so this can come in handy.

Post it:

While in college, I would always find little reminders on post-its everywhere. On my printer, on my door, on my laptop- anywhere I knew I would see it eventually. If you have anything important you know you will need to see as soon as you wake up in the morning, write it on a sticky note and post it somewhere you always look.

Central calendar:

Most planners have a central calendar for each month inside, but it helps to have a large dry-erase calendar to post all of your big events or assignments on.  You can stick it on your wall and look at it every time you need to remind yourself of something in big black letters.

Study buddy:

Making friends in class can actually help you- if you organize a study group out of them! When in a group, you will find that someone might have the answer you’re looking for or a different perspective on a topic.  It’s a way to make friends and also help your grade!

On campus tutors:

Too many times, I overheard freshman and younger students saying how they had never even been to the on campus learning center.  Most colleges offer this service (which is included in your tuition) and it is something that can really help your grade.  Whether it’s help with your stats homework or someone to look over your big final essay before you hand it in, the services offered will only help you in the long run.  Where else can you get free fabulous tutoring?

Now use these tips and go take on college the smart and savvy way!

Caitlin Fitzpatrick is an intern at College Lifestyles (TM) and just graduated with a journalism degree from SUNY Plattsburgh. She is a proud sister of Sigma Delta Tau and enjoys cooking and watching reality TV.

CL’s guide to getting fabulous discounts with your college ID!

Being a college student can really break the bank.  Finding the best ways to save money is something every savvy college coed should know. These great discounts can help you save your cash so you can spend it on other important stuff- like that cute new dress you saw at Forever 21!

Movies:  Local movie theaters often give great discounts on movie tickets when showing your student ID. You can save up to 30% most times, so call your nearest theater and ask if they give student discounts before you go see the next hot summer flick! AMC and Regal Theaters rewards cards are another advantage to keep in mind.  You can earn free snacks or even free movie tickets if you’re a frequent user!

Travel: STA Travel offers cheap rates for students on flights and hotels. This can come in handy when traveling on vacations or even back home if you attend college far away from your hometown.  These travel discounts will have you planning your next spring break before fall semester even starts!

Student Advantage Card: Signing up for a Student Advantage Card can save you big bucks.  Having the card can get you discounts on books at Barnes and Nobles, items at Target and travel on Amtrak.

Computers: You can get up to 20% off on purchases from Dell when you’re a college student.  Keep that in mind when you buy your next computer!

Using these great tips will have you saving up your hard-earned cash in no time!

Caitlin Fitzpatrick is an intern at College Lifestyles (TM) and just graduated with a journalism degree from SUNY Plattsburgh. She is a proud sister of Sigma Delta Tau and enjoys cooking and watching reality TV.

CL’s guide to healthy chocolate chip cookies!

No matter if you’re a sweet tooth or not, everyone has at one point or another enjoyed a chocolate chip cookie.  Although delicious, eating cookies can pack on the pounds and ruin your plans of obtaining that perfect beach body this summer.  This is a healthy take on the classic favorite.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups of sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

¼ teaspoon of salt

¾ cup of butter, softened

¾ cup of firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla

¼ cup of hot water

½ cup of all bran cereal ( try Kellogs)

½ cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

1 package of semi-sweet chocolate morsels (about 1 cup)

1. Combine flour, salt and baking soda.
2. In large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Mix in hot water. Add bran cereal, flour mixture, walnuts and chocolate chips.  Mix until combined. Drop by teaspoon onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheets and cool on a wire rack.

These delicious cookies will satisfy your sweet tooth while keeping your body fabulous and healthy for the summer!

Caitlin Fitzpatrick is an intern at College Lifestyles (TM) and just graduated with a journalism degree from SUNY Plattsburgh. She is a proud sister of Sigma Delta Tau and enjoys cooking and watching reality TV.

Throw a CLassy graduation party!

Graduating college and joining the ‘real world’ is the perfect reason to throw a party! Grad parties should be kept fun and casual.  Create a fabulous event for your friends and family to come together and celebrate your accomplishments by following these tips for a classy and fun graduation party.

Decorations- Add some excitement to your party location by using your school colors on balloons, table cloths or linens.   The cake and the invitations can also have your school colors included in them so you can show your school spirit after you’re a proud graduate.  You can also create a theme for your party using your major or mascot.

Food- Buffet style or barbeque are the best styles for casual graduation parties.  You can combine your favorite summer foods and crowd-pleasing meals to keep everyone happy. Try classic barbeque chicken with gourmet hamburgers for a flavorful pizazz.  Summer salads are another great choice and can add a little color to your menu.  Make cute graduation themed cupcakes for a dessert other than cake.

Drinks- Keep it casual and fill a tub or cooler with ice, canned drinks and bottled water.  You can also make a themed specialty drink for the party where you can incorporate your school colors again.

Entertainment- To save money, use your ipod to play your favorite tunes during the party.  Make a playlist with songs that remind you of your college days or the songs you love this summer season. If you know a cool local band you can see if they’re available to play live music for your guests.

Whether it’s a small gathering with just close friends and family or a big blowout, these tips will make your party memorable, fun and classy! Enjoy yourself and cut loose at your fabulous event and then go take on the world!

Caitlin Fitzpatrick is an intern at College Lifestyles (TM) and just graduated with a journalism degree from SUNY Plattsburgh. She is a proud sister of Sigma Delta Tau and enjoys cooking and watching reality TV.

CL intern Caitlin Fitzpatrick-SUNY Plattsburgh

Name: Caitlin Fitzpatrick

School: State University of New York at Plattsburgh

Studies: Journalism

Year: Newly graduated this May!

Organization Involvement: Sigma Delta Tau

Position at CL: Nutrition/Lifestyle writer

What I plan to bring to CL this summer: Fun and helpful articles.

Why am I excited to be a CL intern: It’s such a fun and great experience! Everyone is so nice and it’s like a big sisterhood.

Career goals: I would love to work for a magazine or a newspaper someday as a writer or doing page design.  I have also always wanted to write a book.

A classy co-ed is……. A woman who always presents herself as sophisticated and smart in any situation and who represents herself and her organization to the best of her ability.

A FUN fact about me: I love working with rescued animals, especially cats. I have done a lot of work with the Humane Society helping to socialize stray cats.  I saved two fish (who are still happily swimming in their tank in my room) and I have three cats.

Caitlin Fitzpatrick is an intern at College Lifestyles (TM) and just graduated with a journalism degree from SUNY Plattsburgh. She is a proud sister of Sigma Delta Tau and likes cooking and watching reality TV.