SHORT WRITING SAMPLES

Petunias are a beloved fan favorite for their fragrant aroma and bright colors. Best of all, they are easy to grow as long as you follow a few general rules.

1. Petunias prefer full sun – so keep them by a window or in an outdoor garden bed that gets plenty of sunlight during the day.
2. Petunias need well-drained soil at a mid-moisture level, but beware of standing water or soggy soil. Watering once per week should work perfectly.
3. An ideal fertilization schedule for these petite petals is balanced fertilization after the final frost of the year and flowering fertilization every couple of weeks after.

Do you love petunias for the diversity of their colors? Do you want to set up a diverse outdoor garden bed where your petunias can take center stage, but you don’t want to spend the time planning which plants to include? Our flower garden packages are ideal for novice to expert gardeners interested in enhancing the biodiversity of their flower gardens but wanting to save time researching how to partner different plants. We offer a variety of options depending on your color palette goals and what types of animals and insects you would like to attract (or dispel). All packages are optimized to have something in your garden blooming in every season and include guides on the care instructions for the featured plants. This Friday, get 15% off any online flower package purchase that includes petunias by using the code PESKYPOLLY15 at checkout.

Human Resources conducted a pilot study to determine how the transition to remote work over the past two years has impacted mental health of staff and faculty at our university. This pilot study involved a 12-question self-report questionnaire on productivity and mental health after transitioning to remote work. There were 20 total participants with the following breakdown: 10 Staff, 10 Faculty, 10 Male, 10 Female, 8 working remotely less than 1 year, 12 working remotely 1+ years, five 20-30 years old, eight 30-40 years old, six 40-50 years old, and one over 50 years old. There were no statistically significant differences in productivity or mental health measures based on gender, role, age, or time spent working remotely.

Sign Up for Mandatory Annual Chemical Safety Training

Nobody wants cancer. But it’s the second leading cause of death in the U.S. and the total number of incidence is expected to increase by 49% by 2050 compared to 2015 incidence, according to the CDC. Several of the carcinogens associated with occupational exposure tracked by the CDC can be found in our warehouses; which means YOU HAVE A HIGH RISK JOB. Luckily, carcinogen exposure and disparate cancer risk can be easily reduced or eliminated.

“How can I keep myself safe?”

Good news! There’s a reason we require annual chemical safety training and certification – and it is that time of year once again. See Shelly in the H.R. office or email her to select a Morning, Lunch, or Evening training slot for next week. Each training slot will include a complimentary meal and overtime, as appropriate, will be paid.

During your training, you will receive in-depth information regarding what hazardous substances are found in our warehouse and how they should be stored, shipped, and handled. It is important to note, all hazardous materials must be properly labelled . Below are the 9 primary hazard pictograms identified by OSHA with a brief description of what hazard they pose. If you ever see a red diamond on a product label, that is a sign to take a moment, examine what hazards it poses, and determine how you should handle it to ensure the safety of yourself, your coworkers, and our customers.

If you are ever uncertain about the proper storage or handling procedures for a hazardous product — Material Handling and Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all hazardous materials are available via links on the product listing in the inventory database. Paper copies are also available in the Warehouse Management Office, at the Warehouse Pickup Counter, and in the Safety Managers Office. Our most hazardous products have laminated MSDS attached to the shelving by their bin locations.

Balour stood in awe of the luminous dancing lights piercing the sky above Pegoushi Temple. They had made it their mission to explore every nook and cranny of the planet Flourin. In all of their travels, they kept meticulous records of the shape and curvature of the land — its elevations and its declines. They made a model of the world and realized it was shaped like a head. This phenomena fascinated the adventurer and drew their attention here — to a holy temple to an evil god.

In the year 1343 DP, the year Balour sat on the roof of the temple admiring the sky, Pegoushi temple was the homebase of a fringe cult known as the Hymnbrewers. They told tales of other planets and other planes. They said Flourin was the decaying head of a dying god that floated in something they called ‘The Everything’ — a place where all planes of existence met and any being could exist for eternity, never needing to eat or drink or even breathe. They built the temple for Ukataisha, a lesser god who had a child with the decaying god-planet. According to the Hymnbrewers, Ukataisha trapped their child on Flourin and sectioned off the planet from the rest of The Everything to ensure their child could never take over their holy domain. The fact that everyone else was trapped, too, well that was just collateral damage.

Balour believed the Hymnbrewers. As they traveled to tell tales of their travels, they also whispered of the possibility that everyone on Flourin was in the striking zone of a godly power struggle. The once-fringe cultish beliefs became mainstream. Adventurers and academics alike began work to pierce through the veil surrounding Flourin to communicate with the worlds beyond. There were high hopes and deep disappointments, but no luck for a millennium.

Long after the death of Balour, one individual succeeded. Grip-helm, a renowned wizard and professor at Rockwater University. Using potent wyxic poison to bring himself to the brink of death and a collection of rare gems from the depths of the planet to fuel a teleportation ritual, he was able to project his very soul beyond the barrier. What he found was another projection, from a wizard from one of those other planets of legend; a wizard who was trying to find a way in through the barrier. 

These two wizards’ projections floated together in the great nothing and everything that lay beyond Flourin: two kindred souls with an insatiable hunger for knowledge. They talked. They laughed. They collaborated. Soon, they developed schematics for a device that could, theoretically, open a hole in the barrier around Flourin just long enough for a ship to enter, load up, and leave again. It would have to be built inside the barrier, at its weakest point. The foreign wizard promised to return with a ship at a specific time to gather a select group of adventurers from Flourin and take them to explore the realms beyond.  

Grip-helm brought these plans to the governing bodies of both his university and city. This would be a historic expedition. It would need to be a small group of the finest Flourin had to offer. They needed sages, they needed diplomats, and they needed security. You are among those that answer the call. Who will you be?