Four Surprising Health Benefits of Donating Blood

A student and volunteer, Cody Gotchall is an active member of the community through his participation in nonprofit programs. Since 2012, Cody Gotchall has donated blood to the American Red Cross.

According to the American Red Cross, someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds. Donating blood could save these peoples’ lives. However, the benefits of donating blood are not limited to blood recipients only. Donors also benefit from donating blood.

1. Reduced risk of iron overload and its resulting conditions. Excess absorption of iron in the body, whether because of genetics, alcoholism, or anemia, increases the risk of health conditions like hemochromatosis. Also, the excess iron is usually stored in organs like the heart and liver, increasing the risk of cardiovascular and liver issues. Donating blood reduces iron overload. 

2. Reduced risk of cancer. Research shows that donating blood at least once every year reduces the risk of cancer. This is because iron accelerates free radical damage in the body that may result in cancer. Reducing iron reserves through blood donation reduces the likelihood of liver, colon, lung, and esophagus cancers. 

3. Stimulates blood cell production. Donating blood stimulates the body to produce new blood cells for good overall health. 

4. Free medical check-up. The blood donation process involves a trip to the doctor and access to medical tests which can reveal potential health problems.

Reasons to Try Boating

Cody Gotchall studied STEM subjects at Oregon State University. He also studied accounting at the Linn Benton Community College. When free, Cody Gotchall enjoys boating.

Boating can be very rewarding and stress-relieving. A boating experience targets the mental processes that can increase one’s ability to focus and concentrate. Aside from its effects on health, boating also promotes bonding. Although boating alone is possible, going with a group brings greater satisfaction. Doing things together, such as racing, cruising, or anchoring, encourages stronger relationships. Sailing may offer significant opportunities to build a team.

Boating teaches craftsmanship. When sailing, there may be instances when something needs to be fixed or improved on a boat that must be personally done. For this reason, a boater must be able to learn basic fixes and improvements, such as fixing a leaked plug, repainting, or changing the engine oil.

Boating develops skills and confidence. Sailing requires decision-making, sometimes quickly. Although not life-threatening, a boater must be alert, quick, and confident in unexpected situations, such as when strong winds or waves arise. He or she must practice their skills and be confident while staying calm and relaxed to handle the situation.

Recreational Programs of the Arc of Benton County

An Oregon resident, Cody Gotchall studied STEM courses at Oregon State University. He then took accounting through the iLearn program of Linn Benton Community College. Also focused on volunteer efforts, Cody Gotchall acts as a self-advocacy representative for the Arc of Benton County.

The Arc of Benton County advocates that every person with an intellectual or development disability deserves to be treated with respect, dignity, equality, and security. The Arc also believes that intellectual and developmental disabilities do not define an individual. Instead, their strengths, abilities, and values must be highlighted. Furthermore, it has created programs for engagement in visual arts, literary arts, performing arts, and other social opportunities.

For more than six decades, the Arc has developed recreational programs that focus on the arts. One program involves learning and developing painting skills while building friendships in class. Completed artworks are then displayed for sale in art shows, wherein artists get to keep 80 percent of the proceeds. 

Another program welcomes ArtFocus students to showcase their skills in poetry reading through businesses such as Imagine Coffee. Still another program invites students who are interested in performing. After regular practices, the DramaSquad performs annually at the Majestic Theater in Corvallis. Finally, the Lego Team encourages building relationships by expressing ideas with others with a shared interest in Legos.

How to Introduce a New Dog to a Home with an Established Dog

Undergraduate Cody Gotchall spends much of his time studying and volunteering with local causes. Cody Gotchall has expressed his interest and experience in dog training to his volunteer work with animal rescue centers. 

People who are interested in adopting or fostering a pet can contact an animal rescue organization to see if any animals are in need of a home. However, the following precautions should be taken if a dog is to be introduced into a home with other dogs:

1. Have a play-date. Established submissive dogs are generally more tolerant of newcomers than dogs with dominant personalities. Either way, before owners bring a new dog home, the two animals should meet on neutral territory. Many rescue centers or breeders will help arrange pre-adoption meetings in a dog-safe location.

2. Use scent. Dogs closely associate familiar smells with security and safety. To make the transition easier for both dogs, owners should give the established dog a towel infused with the scent of the new animal so the dog can get accustomed to the new dog’s scent. The same should be done for the newcomer. 

3. Feed the dogs separately. Dogs can be possessive over food, which may lead to aggression toward a new member of the household. Initially, the dogs should be fed in separate areas. During the transition period, treats should be dispensed only when the dogs are apart.

Season Six of Madam Secretary Remains Unknown

Oregon resident Cody Gotchall, a life-long math enthusiast, is pursuing a degree in accounting. In his free time, Cody Gotchall enjoys playing cribbage and watching television dramas, including the series Madam Secretary. 

Starring actress Tea Leoni as fictional United States Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord, the intriguing political drama has aired on the CBS network since 2014. While the series is now in syndication, CBS has yet to announce if Madam Secretary will return for the 2019-2020 season. 

The show’s behind-the-scenes depiction of international diplomacy and political life has been popular with viewers. Madam Secretary has featured a host of famous cameos, including guest appearances by former Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell, and Madeleine Albright. 

An average of 14 million people tuned in every week during the show's first season. However, audience numbers dropped about 10 percent between season four and season five. As a result, fans must wait to see if the series will be renewed for next year.

Ways to Improve Mental Math Skills

A college student in Oregon, Cody Gotchall has interests in accounting and math. Cody Gotchall also enjoys crunching numbers and playing cribbage with his family.

Being good at mental math sounds more difficult than it is. Here are a few ways to improve mental math skills:

- Play more games. Games like chess require basic calculation skills. Effective chess players must look ahead several moves to figure out which possible next move is best. As you play more often, your ability to make calculations based on future moves improves.

- Simplify the numbers. When doing math in your head, simplify the numbers to make them more manageable. For example, adding 493 and 880 in your head is difficult. But if you simply round 493 to 500, add 880 to get 1,380, then subtract the 7 that was added when you rounded up, you’ll get the final answer of 1,373.

- Learn multiplication tricks. For example, when a number is multiplied by 5, the answer ends in either 0 or 5. Another trick: multiplying by 12 is the same as multiplying by 10, then adding the number multiplied by 2. For instance, 12 times 6 is the same as 10 times 6 plus 2 times 6.

Balancing Humility and Confidence

College student Cody Gotchall is enrolled in an online learning program in accounting. Dedicated to helping others, he has volunteered with numerous organizations over the years. Cody Gotchall is particularly passionate about advocacy for disabled individuals and recognizes the challenge of balancing humility and confidence when performing such work.

Finding the right balance between these traits is an essential skill. Confidence refers to a feeling that comes from appreciation of one’s own qualities or abilities, but it requires self-awareness. Too much confidence often leads to arrogance. Conversely, while humility involves having a modest view of one’s importance, it can turn into self-deprecation if not properly managed.

To find a balance between the two, people must figure out where they stand in both areas. If they are overconfident, they likely express minimal interest in learning about others, and treat waiters and other service workers differently than they would a colleague. They can correct the issue by acknowledging when they don’t know something, sharing their mistakes, and seeking different viewpoints.

People with too much humility often shy away from actions like starting salary negotiations with their bosses. Further, they often have a list of things they wish they had said or done. To boost their confidence, these individuals can practice confident body language, such as frequent eye contact. Beyond that, they can learn to accept compliments, take risks, and let go of failures.

How Service Dogs and Therapy Dogs Differ

Cody Gotchall, an Oregon college student enrolled in e-learning courses in pursuit of an accounting degree, advocates for people with autism and traumatic brain injuries. This diagnosis has sparked his interest in volunteer opportunities related to people with disabilities. In addition, Cody Gotchall has begun looking into the capabilities of service dogs for people with autism.

Although many people believe service dogs and therapy dogs are the same, there is a big difference between the two when it comes to their training, capabilities, and protections in the United States.

Service dogs typically receive more training and have more legal protections. These animals help individuals perform tasks they would otherwise struggle to complete on their own. Most service dogs are large enough to control their owner when wearing a harness; however, they also need to be small enough that a person can easily control them. The most popular breeds for service dogs are Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, and German shepherds.

Service dogs are allowed by the Americans with Disabilities Act to enter public places where other dogs are not allowed. This includes public transportation, public restaurants, and stores. To denote they are service animals, these dogs often are required to wear a special vest that prohibits petting and signifies they are service animals.

Conversely, therapy dogs are tasked with providing physiological and psychological support. They frequently visit group homes, daycares, schools, and rehabilitation centers to give people with disabilities and other individuals the support they need.

Since therapy dogs have fewer responsibilities, they can be trained by virtually anyone as long as the trainer meets standards for registration and certification. They also can be of varying sizes and breeds, though they are expected to be very easy-going and friendly, as they interact with multiple people per day.

Collegiate Baseball Ranks Oregon State 7th for 2019

Oregon resident Cody Gotchall has studied at higher educational institutions throughout the state, including Oregon State University (OSU). Cody Gotchall maintains an interest in OSU sports and has followed the university’s baseball team for several years.

In December 2018, Collegiate Baseball released its predictive rankings for the top 40 college baseball teams for the 2019 season. According to the publication, the OSU Beavers ranked seventh after winning the NCAA championship this past season. This marks the fourth consecutive year, and the sixth time in the past seven, that OSU has ranked in Collegiate Baseball’s top 10. Other institutions in the ranking include Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Stanford, and Louisiana State.

Collegiate Baseball also released its predictive All-American teams around the same time. Two players from the Beavers baseball team, Kevin Abel and Adley Rutschman, made the list. A junior, Rutschman batted .408 in 2018, with nine home runs and 22 doubles. Meanwhile, Abel was the only freshman in the country to strike out more than 100 batters.

The publication also named pitchers Jake Mulholland and Bryce Fehmel to the third and second teams, respectively. Altogether, OSU had four players named to Collegiate Baseball’s All-American teams, the most of any team in the US.

Will Elementary Season 7 Finally Take Place in London?

Oregon native Cody Gotchall is an online accounting student and an active volunteer in the community. During his free time, Cody Gotchall enjoys watching TV series such as Elementary, an American series adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s character Sherlock Holmes.

Over the years, Elementary has gained much-deserved popularity for its refreshing but equally intriguing and exciting take on the central characters’ dynamics and the plot-twisting investigations set in contemporary New York City. As the sixth season ended with both Sherlock and Watson back at Baker Street in London, rumors have risen that the show has finally sent its main characters where they truly belong and off to new adventures.

According to showrunner Rob Doherty, moving the characters to England at the end of the season was primarily due to Sherlock Holmes confessing to murder to protect Joan Watson who was the prime suspect at the time. While there is no finality to the decision of leaving New York permanently, both Sherlock and Joan cannot return without first being acquitted for the murder charge. For now, the characters will find themselves solving mysteries in the streets of London as they face new challenges, both in their personal and professional lives.

Important Reminders Before Making a Blood Donation

An Oregon resident, Cody Gotchall is a student of accounting at the Chemeketa Community College. Cody Gotchall has always been an active and passionate volunteer for several nonprofit organizations including the American Red Cross, where he has donated blood since 2012.

The American Red Cross (ARC) is one of the largest humanitarian organizations that provides emergency assistance, disaster preparedness, and disaster relief in the United States. One of its essential services is blood donation, which supplies approximately half of the donated blood in the country. For new or existing donors, the American Red Cross sets important guidelines that must be met before making a blood donation.

Donors must be in good health condition. ARC will determine donors’ health status by conducting a general health check and learning about their health history. ARC can only accept donors who weigh at least 110 pounds. Moreover, donors must be at least 17 years old. However, some states allow 16-year-old donors as long as they have parental consent.

Teaching Math through Games

Undergraduate Cody Gotchall is pursuing a degree in accounting from Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon. Cody Gotchall has a long-standing love of math, sparked in part by learning the card game cribbage from his father as a child. 

Playing cards and board games are two fun, engaging ways for parents to practice basic math concepts with their children. Some ideas using popular game pieces are described below.

Blackjack - This addition game uses ordinary playing cards and can be played by two to four people. The goal is to draw cards that come the closest to adding up to 21 without going over. In this game, face cards are worth 10, while aces can symbolize 1 or 11, depending on when they are drawn.

Mastermind - Usually played in pairs, one player makes a four-piece pattern containing a combination of six possible colors. The other player attempts to recreate the pattern. After each attempt, the first player uses white and black pieces to show if any of the pieces are in the correct color, in the correct order, or both. This guessing game teaches important logic concepts such as deductive reasoning, pattern recognition, and experimentation.

Rummikub - The goal of Rummikub is to organize tiles numbered from 1-13 into sequential sets. During each player’s first turn, his or her set must add up to 30 or higher. If this isn’t possible, the player must collect tiles from the pool. The round ends when one player can place all of his or her remaining tiles into one set.

Great Organizations Serving People with Special Needs

Former Linn-Benton Community College student Cody Gotchall studies through the eLearn program at Chemeketa Community College. When he’s not busy with schoolwork, Cody Gotchall volunteers with nonprofit organizations that support people with special needs.

Several organizations provide services and programs to people with special needs. Below are a few examples:

Easterseals
A 90-year-old charity, Easter Seals provides high-quality services and resources to adults and children with special needs and disabilities. These are made available on an individualized basis and are designed to help each person overcome the obstacles they face on their way to reaching their goals.

Parents Helping Parents
Since 1976, Parents Helping Parents (PHP) has been providing community services, support groups, and crisis support to families of children with special needs. The agency works with families of children of all backgrounds and ages who require special services to due everything from illness and accidents to mental health issues and learning disabilities.

Allies, Inc.
Dedicated to giving people with special needs the same opportunities and experiences as those without, Allies, Inc. offers programs from music to farming. In addition to recreational programs available through the organization, Allies, Inc. helps members with the housing and healthcare they need to be independent.

How is Cribbage Played?

Cody Gotchall is a student at Chemeketa Community College and a former accounting student at Linn-Benton Community College. His father taught him cribbage in an effort to spark an interest in math, and since then, Cody Gotchall has enjoyed the continuity and pattern recognition needed to win a cribbage match.

Cribbage is usually played by two, using a deck of 52 cards and a cribbage board consisting of several parallel lines and holes. These holes hold different pegs and help players keep score. Individuals without a cribbage board also can keep score using a pencil and paper.

To begin a match, players each cut a shuffled deck and take turns drawing a card. The person with a lowest card is the game’s first dealer and must distribute six face-down cards to each player. Players discard two cards from their hand, sending the cards to the “crib.” This serves as an extra hand that is scored by the dealer. However, the cards in the crib are not used until the other hands have been played.

From there, an opponent lays one of their four cards face up and states the numerical value of the card. Aces count as one and all royal cards count as 10. After this, the dealer lays a card face-up and announces the total of the cards. Each player continues this until no one can place a card without the total of the pile going over 31. 

At this point, the player who placed the last card pegs one point for piles under 31 and two points for piles at 31. Additional points can be earned depending on whether the player created a specific total, such as 15, when the cards in the pile are added together. Play then continues in this way with the player who made the last move serving as the dealer for the next round.

Players move their peg one hole for each point they earn until one person scores 121 points. The player with 121 points then “pegs out,” which means they won the game.

What to Expect When You Donate Blood for the First Time

A graduate of Oregon's Crescent Valley High School, Cody Gotchall is pursuing a degree in business at Chemeketa Community College. Since he was in high school, Cody Gotchall has donated blood to the American Red Cross.

As much as potential donors might want to support a great cause, not everyone is eligible to give blood. Donors must be at least 17 years old in most states, although some states allow 16-year-olds to donate with parental consent.

Blood donors must also be in good general health and weigh at least 110 pounds. To improve hemoglobin levels in advance of a blood donation, donors are encouraged to eat a well-balanced diet with foods high in vitamin C and rich in iron, such as red meat, fish, and spinach.

Upon arriving at a blood donor clinic, individuals are asked to sign in, present identification, read required information, undergo a general health check, and answer some private interview questions. The blood donation process takes less than 30 minutes, after which donors are given a snack and a drink in a 15-minute resting period. Blood donors need to wait at least 56 days before they donate again.

Longtime Oregon State Head Coach Pat Casey Announces Retirement

An accounting major at Chemeketa Community College, Cody Gotchall previously studied at Oregon State University (OSU). A passionate baseball fan, Cody Gotchall enjoys watching OSU Beavers games and is a fan of former head coach Pat Casey.

After winning back-to-back College World Series titles in 2006 and 2007, Casey won his third championship with OSU this past summer to conclude his 24-year career with the team. Casey, who announced his retirement in September, led the Beavers to five conference championships and 12 NCAA tournament appearances while posting a career record of 900-458-6. 

This past season, Casey's team won 55 of 68 games en route to sweeping the regional and super regional rounds. Ultimately, the Beavers defeated Arkansas in the best-of-three College World Series finals. 

In an emotional press conference, Casey attributed his retirement to the fact that he's unsure if he could continue giving the same effort that he expects of his players. Despite no longer serving as the team's coach, Casey will continue to work at OSU as a senior associate athletic director. In honor of Casey and his accomplishments, the newly installed right-field deck at Goss Stadium will be named Casey's Corner.

OSU Beavers' Luke Heimlich Enjoying Impressive 2018 Season

A lifelong Oregon resident, Cody Gotchall is interested in studying STEM subjects and has attended Linn-Benton Community College and Oregon State University (OSU). While he no longer attends OSU, Cody Gotchall has been a passionate fan of the school's baseball team for more than a decade. 

The OSU Beavers were the top-ranked college baseball team in the country as of March 26, according to D1Baseball.com, and a major reason for the team's success was the play of pitcher Luke Heimlich. A native of Puyallup, Washington, Heimlich earned his fifth career Pac-12 Player of the Week for the week ending March 26 after picking up his fifth win of the year in OSU's 16-1 victory over Washington earlier in the week. In that game, Heimlich struck out a career-high 13 batters while allowing only one run and four hits through 7.33 innings. 

Following that game, the senior ranked first in wins (5) and strikeouts (44) among all Pac-12 pitchers. He also ranked sixth in opposing batting average (.191) and earned run average (2.01). Other pitchers nominated for the award included Juan Aguilera of Arizona, Matt Ladrech of California, and Kris Bubic of Stanford, while OSU's Adley Rutschman was nominated for Player of the Week.

2018 OSU Beavers Baseball - A Chance at Redemption

A former student at Oregon State University (OSU), Cody Gotchall has supported the school’s athletic teams for many years. Cody Gotchall particularly enjoys following the OSU Beavers baseball team.

The 2018 OSU baseball team held the No. 2 ranking in five preseason polls, with 2017 College World Series winner Florida ranked just ahead of it. OSU’s 2017 season was one of the best in college baseball history, with two 23-game winning streaks and a 31-1 record at home, but losses late in the season kept the Beavers from claiming the elusive No. 1 spot. 

OSU’s 2018 season got off to a good start in the early-season tournaments. During both the Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic and the Spring Training College Baseball Challenge, the Beavers went undefeated against New Mexico, Cal Poly, Gonzaga, Nebraska, and Ohio State. This strong early opening should give OSU plenty of momentum as it continues its quest for a College World Series title in June.

Tips for Barbecuing Great Pork Ribs

Cody Gotchall studies at Linn-Benton Community College, which is located in Albany, Oregon. One of Cody Gotchall’s favorite foods is barbecued pork ribs.

When grilling barbecued pork ribs, the first step is to select a high-quality cut of meat. Experts recommend spare ribs or baby back ribs, preferably of a heritage breed. These tend to be juicy and flavorful, unlike supermarket specimens bred for leanness.

Some choose to remove the membrane that grows on the ribs, but keeping it on will help the cut to stay moist. Applying a yellow mustard rub and leaving it to sit in the refrigerator for one to 24 hours helps tenderize the meat and retain the flavor of the dry rub mixture. 

You can buy a pre-made dry rub, though many people prefer to make their own because you can choose the spices that you want to taste. Many find that paprika adds not only color, but flavor, and sugar creates a caramelization that enhances the final effect.

The cooking should take place over low heat. Approximately 10 to 15 minutes before the ribs are ready, you should add any sauce. Adding sauce too early can cause ribs to blacken and prevent full cooking of the ribs.

Ribs are done when their internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Some cooks, however, prefer to follow visual cues, such as the meat pulling away from the bone by no more than an inch or the bending of the slab when you lift it with a pair of tongs.

Blood Processing and Testing at the Red Cross

Cody Gotchall graduated from Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, Oregon, as a member of the National Honor Society. Involved with his community, Cody Gotchall has donated blood to the American Red Cross since 2012.

The American Red Cross accepts blood donations from generous volunteers for the benefit of patients who need blood and blood products. After the blood is collected, the Red Cross sends it for processing and testing. First, the blood is labeled and scanned into a computer database, then it is spun through a centrifuge to separate it into the transfusable components of plasma, red cells, and platelets. Both the red cells and the platelets are leuko-reduced.

Simultaneously, the blood is tested at one of the three Red Cross National Testing Laboratories to determine the blood type and the presence of any infectious diseases, while single donor platelets undergo testing for bacteria. If any of the test results are positive, the blood is disposed of, and the donor notified. This information is kept confidential unless the law specifies disclosure for public safety reasons.