Check out this weeks StyleSpotter! Page 2 January 22, 2014 VOLUME 29 NO.2 Visit online at www.collegiannews.com
THE OFFICIAL VOICE OF THE STUDENTS SINCE 1987
The Importance of GPC
Alum Speaks About How GPC Helped His Career
Former DeKalb Community College Student Jerry S. Wilson Photo Courtesy of Jerry S. Wilson
By Victoria Song Collegian Staff
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rom all the colleges in Georgia, Jerry S.Wilson chose to attend DeKalb Community College, now known as Georgia Perimeter College. “I chose DeKalb because I could accrue transferable cred-
its from an accredited college,” said Wilson. GPC has more than 20,000 students, and they, like Wilson, can find that the first semester can be stressful. “When I first arrived at DeKalb Community College it felt a bit overwhelming due to the size and challenging curriculum,” Wilson said. “However, I quickly found my place in the classroom,on the swim team,and around campus.” Attending a two-year college like GPC often comes with unwelcoming judgments by society, according to Wilson. “The 'stigma' is a result of people misunderstanding the incredible value of colleges like GPC. I am proud to say I was and still am a GPC alumnus,” Wilson explains. “Many people do not understand the importance of two-year colleges in the education system. GPC is one of the largest colleges in the state of Georgia, and offers a wide range of degrees.” Wilson graduated from GPC with an Associate of Arts degree in
Liberal Arts. “My parents attended college, however neither graduated. So, it was their hope and desire that their three children would achieve Bachelor level degrees. As the eldest child, I was determined to achieve this goal,” said Wilson. After earning his bachelors's in economics from the Univer-
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the best team of people possible. My No.1 Leadership Agenda Item is PEOPLE,” said Wilson. Currently, Wilson is the founder of JSW Consulting, LLC, and co-author of the book “Managing Brand YOU.” “People have a passion that makes them unique. Rather than trying to copy someone else, 'Managing Brand You' helps readers stand out by being true to themselves,” Wilson says. Wilson is living proof that a twoyear college system is important for students. Graduating from GPC eventually led him to his success today. “My advice to current GPC students is to simply do your very best in whatever you choose to do. I would encourage anyone to build broad skills with areas of personal focus in order to compete in a global marketplace,” Wilson advises.
The “stigma” is a result of people misunderstanding the incredible value of colleges like GPC. sity of Georgia and a masters in Marketing from Mercer University, Wilson began working for Ford, Volkswagen, and Coca-Cola. At The Coca-Cola Company, Wilson became the Senior Vice President of Global Chief Customer and Commercial Officer. “Along the way, I learned that the key to any business challenge is attracting, including, and inspiring
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Clarkston SGA President Salwa Ahmed Has Big Plans For This Semester By Sabatani Shetu Staff Writer
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he C: What are some goals for SGA at your campus this semester? Ahmed: Our goal has always been to improve communication, increase awareness of the opportunities and resources available at this campus, bring our peers closer to their community, and make sure that students enjoy their experience here. Besides those goals, for this particular semester, we want to bring SGA to the forefront and open it up to students. Because our term is almost up, it’s important to us that students see how the awesome experiences they’ve had here can be continued by someone else and that if there are problems they want to see resolved, they can join and work towards it. The C: What else do you hope to accomplish? Ahmed: If nothing else, we hope to have given the student
SGA Clarkston President Salwa Ahmed Photo Courtesy of Salwa Ahmed
body the ability to see that a handful of students — just like them — can create a positive change for their peers. It might not happen in a semester or a year, but sometimes, taking a step is all that is really needed. If it’s not SGA or another leadership organization, we want to have given students the
confidence to go after another club, organization, or opportunity and grab it with the thought that it can happen for them. The C: What specifically (that you know of now) can students hope to expect this semester? Ahmed: Lots and lots of events. Events we’ve had before that are bigger and better, and events we haven’t had before. There is much more to come but you’ll have to wait and see. The C: What events do you have planned? Ahmed: We have a long list of events planned for the semester. One of our more popular events is the Open Mic, which students can sign up for in advance, and it’s an event for practically anyone who wants to showcase a talent of theirs. You can sing, rap, read poetry, dance — whatever. In the past, students have really enjoyed it, and because of that, they can certainly expect it to happen a bit more often.
The C: Has anything changed from last semester? (What's new? What will be different, any budget changes...etc) Ahmed: Budget meetings are coming up soon, so if there are students interested in hearing or seeing what goes on with that process, they need to keep an eye out! We have familiar and new faces within SGA, and we intend to roll out more events this semester than there were in the Fall. The C: When are elections for the new school year? (2014-2015) Ahmed: They are usually around February/March, so very soon. Once the dates have been confirmed, they will be made available to all students, so those who are interested will know soon enough. The C: Is there anything else you'd like to let students know for this semester? Ahmed: First, we hope everyone is ready for the semester.
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Around the Perimeter 3
Opinion The C Poetry
Student Reacts to Board of Regents Smoking Ban
Campus News
4
The Soapbox
Clarkston Club Rush
Sports
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Softball Coaches Ready For Season Spring 2014 Softball Calender
Features
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The Facts About GPC's DegreeWorks Program Designers Wanted! Contributors Wanted