Check Out the Photo of the Week! Page 2 March 26, 2014 VOLUME 29 NO.6 Visit online at www.collegiannews.com
THE OFFICIAL VOICE OF THE STUDENTS SINCE 1987
University System of Georgia Tobacco Free
Around the Perimeter Campus News
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Campus Club Spotlight: Newton's Earth Club Connecting Military Service with Education GPC Deans Join Twitter Make Your Mark on the MAP
Features
Illustration by Cornelius Brewster
Georgia Board of Regents Reach Decision to Ban all Tobacco Products on all their Properties By Jonique Keys Collegian Staff eginning Oct. 1 Georgia Public Universities and Colleges will have a no-tobacco policy in place for all property owned by the University System of Georgia (USG). The Board of Regents (BOR) reached a decision March 19 that all employees, students, contractors, subcontractors and visitors must comply. However, this ban adds to some of the universities who already have a no-smoking policy in place. According to the USG press release the Vice Chancellor of Human Resources said, “Our aim with this policy is to preserve and
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improve the health, comfort and environment of employees and any persons occupying USG facilities." GPC currently has specific distances for smoking away from its buildings and also designated areas, but now the entire campus come Oct. 1 will be smoke free. According to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, nationally, there are more than 1,100 colleges and universities with smoke-free campuses and 811 of those ban all tobacco products. GPC student Andrew Myers said the ban makes him feel “naked.” “With this change, I will struggle a little more with stress,” said Myers. Smoking contributes to 480,000
deaths each year in the United States, including 42,000 deaths from secondhand smoke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is now the law, so no matter how unfair it may seem, it must be followed. GPC students Leslie Johnson and Ashleigh Austin said that the ban didn’t affect them at all. In fact they didn’t care. Those who violate the ban will be punished under the student code of conduct and visitors will be asked to leave. “It’s a real hindrance for people who smoke,” said GPC student Jarrell McKenna. “We aren’t hurting anyone, it doesn’t bother people that much anyways. There is no
point.” Sorry all tobacco users, this means it will now be illegal to smoke anywhere on campus starting Oct.1. To view the entire USG press release visit http://www.usg.edu/ news/release/board_of_regents_ adopts_tobacco_smoke_free_campus_policy or scan the code below.
Fall 2014 Applications Coming Soon
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Google Employee Visits GPC Inside GPC's SGA
Sports
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High Hopes for Women's Basketball Sports Briefs Soapbox: How were your Midterms?
Opinion Ask Sloane: Superstitions Grammar and Punctuation Corner No Time for Workout Time
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COLLEGIANNEWS.COM
Photo of the
March 26, 2014
Week
Aissatou Bah places face paint on Karen Bennett in preparation for the African American students photoshoot on March 21.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
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lasses have passed the midpoint and are getting ready for finals. I hope everyone is confident that they will finish off the semester in great spirits. I would like to thank those who contributed to this edition for all your hard work and to those who worked behind the scenes. Congratualtions to Justin Beaudrot, Associate Editor on submitting the "photo of the week." This edition is filled with great articles from your peers, and I hope you read them all. The Collegian has two more editions this semester and will be accepting applications for Fall 2014 soon. If you have any questions about the paper please email or stop by one of our offices. As always to you the reader, I thank you for picking up an edition of your student newspaper
EDITOR IN CHIEF Troi Charity EXECUTIVE EDITOR Perry Standridge ASSOCIATE EDITOR Justin Beaudrot SPORTS EDITOR Hope Dickson
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and hope that within its pages you find something that will help you in your personal and academic life. You can reach us gpc.collegian@gmail.com
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Decatur events provided by the Decatur Earth Club
4/1 4/14
CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR Open CAMPUS PHOTO EDITOR Billy Esselburn Hana Bekele
Editor-in-Chief
Documents due for Summer 2014 Midpoint for Second Half Classes Decatur Crafting and Upcycling Event. 10 a.m - 1 p.m. In front of Gym in C building.
Troi Charity
MANAGING EDITORS Victoria Song Farhin Lilywala Sri Rajasekaran
Photo by Justin Beaudrot
4/15
Decatur Plant Sale. 10 a.m - 1 p.m. In front of Gym in C building. Decatur Ulrike Lahaise presents: Plan B: Earth 2. 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
CollegianNews.com COPY EDITOR Kimberly Hung
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Orientation - Online Campus
4 / 2 5 - Orientation - Clarkston 5/21 Campus The C
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DISCLAIMER The Collegian is the student newspaper of Georgia Perimeter College, and is a designated public forum for students, faculty and staff to share their opinions. Comments and views expressed herein are those of the individual writers, and not those of the college or the Collegian as a whole. We strongly encourage students to submit articles and artwork for publication. Single copies are free. More than three copies per person are $.50 each. Editors reserve the right to edit for grammar, space, appropriateness and length. Not all submissions will be published. To speak with a staff member, please call 678-891-3380 or e-mail us at gpc.collegian@gmail.com.
STAFF
March 26, 2014
COLLEGIANNEWS.COM
Campus News Campus Club Spotlight:
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Newton's Earth Club
By Sri Rajasekaran Collegian Staff arth Club at Newton campus was founded by GPC Faculty Mary Beth Davidson and Dr. Sallie Paschal in 2012. "I was first introduced to the Newton Campus Earth Club last semester, when Dr. Paschal asked her Calculus students to help in the organic garden and with litter pickup. It's wonderful to be around people who genuinely care not only about the school itself, but about the world it resides in," said GPC student and Earth Cub member Sara Jean Lane. “Our mission is threefold: involve students, stay organic, and give the harvest to the local food bank,” said Dr. Paschal. A plethora of recycling activities within the campus in an aim to keep the campus clean is an important part of the Earth Club. The activities of the Earth Club extend beyond the GPC premises to adopting roads for litter pick-up.
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The club cares for the stretch of interstate 20 that includes the Newton Country exits through a massive litter pick up every academic year. The Earth Club team also executes every year the “Rivers Alive” mission in the fall, MLK Service Day in January, and the “Great American Clean Up” in March. The grand thematic celebration of the Earth week and the conduct of Earth Day Celebration Fair are other records of the Earth Club. If you want more information about the club contact Dr. Sallie Paschal at sarah.paschal@gpc.edu or visit their Facebook page “GPC Earth Club – Newton.”
Visit the club's Facebook page for more information on events and activities!
Connecting Military Service and Education By Justin Beaudrot Collegian Staff ith over 700 student veterans in the state attending GPC using VA benefits, the Military Outreach Center (MOC) staff work tirelessly to provide student veterans the resources they need. "Georgia Perimeter College honors its military and veteran men and women returning to pursue their educational goals at GPC,” said Director of Military Outreach at GPC Mark Eister. “The Military Outreach Center is there to assist each student veteran with the support and resources to help them achieve academic success." Providing learning support, counseling, scholarships and camaraderie, the MOC is based at Clarkston campus. Tables or booths are available at every campus offering information and fellow student-veteran conversation. The Green Zone training program created by Eister equips staff and faculty members with the knowledge to provide student veterans the guidance they may require across a variety of issues. NaTascha Nichols, biology major and Army Reservist, first came to know the MOC via contact with Eister. Nichols currently helps her peers through counseling and assisting the MOC with outreach responsibilities. Aside from general help with school-related affairs, GPC’s
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MOC provides a space for veterans to meet for homework, study groups, or to simply hang out. Nick Arnold, chemistry major and Air Force retiree, said the MOC helped him transition from military life to college life. Now, Arnold excels in his education at GPC and tutors students at the Learning and Tutoring Center at Clarkston. The MOC also offers a number of added benefits including counseling, disability guidance, MVP (Mentoring Veteran’s Program), scholarships, job placement assistance, transferring, and class placement (registering). "My experience with the MOC has been exceptional,” said GPC student Lorretta Arrington. “The faculty, facility, and friendly atmosphere make it worth every visit. The staff goes above and beyond their daily duties to accommodate the student-veterans, and I appreciate their willingness to work hard for us each and every day." The Student Veteran Association (SVA) is currently working to develop a veterans' scholarship dedicated to Specialist Jamaal Addison. SPC Jamaal Addison was a former GPC student who was the first Georgian killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The SVA meets every Friday at 10 a.m. in CH-1300 at GPC’s MOC offices to discuss various issues concerning the student-veteran population. The staff there can be reached at (678) 891-3025.
Newton's Earth Club members seek to learn more about what they can do to help the environment. Photo by Sri Rajasekaran
GPC Deans Join Twitter By Perry Standridge Collegian Staff oday social media has connected everyone around the world. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter users are growing by the numbers. On Twitter, people can tweet about anything to their followers in 140 characters or less. This social media has become very popular, even so that the Deans on Clarkston campus at GPC have started a Twitter account to communicate with the student body on campus. Matthew Robison, Dean of Student Services and Marla Calico, the Academic Dean for Clarkston have both started a Twitter account. Robison hopes that this is
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the start of something new. “We’re just trying to do the best we can to communicate and get the information that we feel that students need to know,” said Robison. It’s another way that the administration can be in touch with the students and to have a better relationship with the student body, and that the students can connect with the institution. “We want to be seen as the administrator that is approachable to the student body, that’s open to listening to the student body, and just wanting that one on one… where we can connect to the students,” said Robison. A major way that this Twitter account can benefit the students, on Clarkston campus, is to be in-
formed about what is going on the campus. To follow the deans on twitter search @gpc_clk_deans.
Scan the code to visit the deans' Twitter page for more GPC updates.
Make Your Mark on the MAP By Kimberly Hung Collegian Staff entors for Academic Progress (MAP) began in 2012 as a college project through Phi Theta Kappa. Over the years, Tyre Johnson-King, senior vice president of the PTK Dunwoody chapter, has taken the idea of MAP and developed it into a program. MAP is a program that offers students peer guidance in developing effective study habits. Johnson-King’s inspiration in creating this program stems from his high school experience. He re-
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calls longing for a mentor to guide him through academic challenges. He has crafted MAP to give students an opportunity to find a student mentor. “We’re not tutoring. We’re mentoring,” said Johnson-King. With MAP, students have access to mentors and other students who may excel at a subject area that is personally difficult. Students who struggle finding motivation to excel as a student also have the opportunity to be inspired by a student mentor. When asked how this program may help students, GPC Dunwoody student Elizabeth Car-
roll expressed, “It helps students get acclimated to college life and can give them more confidence in their classes.” Carroll believes that MAP should especially be of interest to freshman and other students who are just starting the transition into college. Students who would like assistance developing a study plan, seeking a student tutor, or would like for his/her study habits to be evaluated by a student mentor, are welcome to contact MAP via email at DunMAPad@gpc.edu. The mentors request that students briefly state his/her name and personal academic challenges.
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Features
March 26, 2014
Google Employee Visits GPC Photo by Victoria Song
Google employee Rebecca Colett speaks with students on Dunwoody campus.
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Victoria Song Collegian Staff
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ith today’s economy, finding a job as a college student has become a full time career in itself. On March 17, the Communications Club at the Dunwoody campus hosted a special event entitled, “Google a Success. How to Enhance your Online Brand,” to help students succeed in a competitive workforce. “The purpose of the Communications Club is to assist students with the processes of communicating by hosting informative events and training,” said Tracey Thomas, President of the Communications Club. Guest speaker Rebecca Colett from Google came to inform and help GPC students on how to use social media platforms to gain access to internships and jobs. Colett is a social media strategy specialist and works with Google to ensure companies like Target, Ann Taylor and Macy’s are on top of Google searches. To her credibility, Colett never went on Google’s career site to fill out an online application. The hiring manger came to Colett to hire her on the spot based on her social media profile.
“83 percent of companies successfully hire candidates through social networking sites and the percentage is only increasing,” said Colett. Out of the many social networking sites, Colett explained how most hiring managers would look toward LinkedIn first to fill positions. “On LinkedIn, your summary and experience is extremely important because you have a few seconds to get recruiters interested in hiring you. For your summary, you should write your 30 second elevator speech of what you have done and what you want to do,” advises Colett. The second most popular social media site used to recruit employees is Facebook. Colett understands how everyone has a Facebook profile, but she advises students to carefully maintain a good standing account. “Make sure to keep up with Facebook’s privacy settings. Untag photos of yourself that you wouldn’t want your parents to see and don’t upload questionable photos,” said Colett. As a hiring manager, herself, Colett assures GPC students that employers will look through every photo on an applicant’s social me-
dia page. “In the workforce, colleagues spend a lot of time together and eventually we become a second family,” said Colett. “Which is why employers will look through your social media accounts to make sure your personality will fit within the company.” The advancement of the Internet is truly revolutionizing the work force today. Facebook started out, as casual way to communicate with close friends and now it has become a unconventional resume. “I didn’t know hiring managers looked so seriously into our Social Media pages. Now I have to look through all my photos and delete the questionable ones,” said Dunwoody student, Olivia Song. Right now the job market is becoming very competitive which is why students must use unconventional ways of finding jobs. “Be creative and expand your network but most importantly, use your connections,” said Colett.
March 26, 2014
COLLEGIANNEWS.COM
Inside GPC's SGA Tammara Greene Staff Writer
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very college appoints a group of individuals to support and delegate the needs of the students attending. The Student Government Association (SGA) is the student body's first-hand advocate. The SGA is also related to student life; they provide support, information and assistance for the entire campus. SGA is also referred to as the voice of the students. Their responsibilities consist of managing student activity funds, advertising activities, the Jaguar Activity Group ( JAG) program, college courts and assisting with campus programming. Jolene Key is the JAG chief programmer for the 2013-2014 year. Jaguar Activity Group ( JAG), stems from SGA. This group focuses on educational, social and healthy movements for the campus. Key states that the main events for the remainder of the spring semester are Homecoming 2014 preparation and the Spring Fling. Key says the Spring Fling has recently been changed to Jag Fest saying, “We want to focus on making the JAG Fest the best we can. We will have activities like laser tag, and this year we want to have a Luau.” Fun events for the students are just a small portion of what the SGA does. They also try to support the surrounding communities by introducing new programs, working with public safety to better the streets and provide Alumni the opportunity to stay involved within the school. Court Justice Ebbie Willocks is using his influence to engage alumni in how important donating to the school is. Willocks is an intern with the GPC Annual Giving Foundation. He is currently representing the Clarkston and Decatur campuses. “The goal for the organization is to increase giving from the alumni of the last decade," said Willocks. He wants to spark their experi-
ence of GPC and the opportunity it has given past students so that present and future students can properly attain their degrees. “For some, the state covers less than half of what’s needed for college," said Willocks. "With donations students have the ability to continue their education and equip themselves with the tools necessary to achieve excellence.” Clarkston SGA is also working with public safety to add crosswalk signs for the high school and college students so that the streets are safe for pedestrians, sponsoring Spirit Day for the seniors at Clarkston High School who are potential students, and Senator Jade Gibbs is planning for the upcoming fall semester by introducing several committees to benefit students. Gibbs says that The Student Service Advisory committee and the Learning Support Advisory committee are important saying, “They support students who are having trouble in certain areas of study and resolve problems by talking with people who have been in the same position.” Key also talks about student involvement on campus. Key admits that placing changes with the marketing materials have increased the morale of not only the staff, but also the student body. “Adding color and catchy quotes to the flyers grab the attention of the students.” There are benefits to becoming a SGA committee member and also a JAG member. “Not only are there stipend jobs, but it is also a great experience, a place to study and a chance to get involved with the school," said Key. "We encourage individuals to come and bring new ideas so that things can consistently improve. We are the bridge to the Dean and college leaders for the students.” Clarkston SGA meetings are held on Fridays at 10 a.m in the CN 2240 building.
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TRANSFER TUESDAY - EVERY TUESDAY, 10:00 A.m. AmAzing things hAppen when you go west – to the University of West Georgia. Join us for Transfer Tuesday and explore life out West. You’ll tour campus and meet current students and be given the opportunity to meet with an admissions representative about the application process, financial aid, housing, and more. Register online at westga.edu/transfertuesday.
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COLLEGIANNEWS.COM
March 26, 2014
Sports
High Hopes for Women's Basketball By Hope Dickson Collegian Staff
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PC Jaguars are getting ahead of the game for next season and the Women’s Basketball Team has tryouts lined up for March 29. Head Coach of the Women’s team at GPC for 16 years, James Waldon, is enthusiastic for what potential prospects might add to next season’s team, and hoping that with these tryouts he can get the players he needs to reclaim the Jaguars place at the top of the league. Every year, coaches try to find replacements to fill in the positions that are lost, and next season the Women’s Basketball team is looking to add six to seven players. “My primary focus is to find several guards that can affect the outcome of the game in a positive way,” said Waldon. “I also need players that have high motive, competitiveness and passion for the game.” The recruitment process starts early for most sports because coaches want to get a head start on training and conditioning their players for the next season. Since recruitment starts now, summer workouts are right around the corner. Starting at the end of May through June with a break in July, the Jaguars are sure to get in the practices they By Kamille Penn
Sports Briefs
Staff Writer
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Background Photo by Hope Dickson
Softball The Jaguars played a double header against Pitt Community College on March 11 with a score of 2-1 (1 p.m.) and 4-3 (3 p.m.). On March 13, the Jaguars played another double header against West Georgia Tech College, beating them 4-1 and 8-0. The Spring Break wins brought the Jaguars Softball record to 11-12. Tennis On March 18, both the Women’s
Soapbox Q: How were your midterms?
need to win Championships next year. “A friend once summed up my feelings about the recruitment and off season training process,” said Waldon. “We can’t win championships in the off season, but we can certainly lose it.” Coaches are looking at players that add something to the team, so when it comes to tryouts, they tend to be somewhat intense. The tryouts alone have players put into real game like situations, so the coaches can see their level of competitiveness and if players aren’t up to key then they don’t make the final cut. The tryouts are open to any future, transfers, or current GPC students; however, other factors come into play when eliminating the choices of players trying out. “I get recommendations from other coaches, look at their GPA, how many years they’ve played, if the player can pass conference, etc.,” according to Coach Waldon. “These factors don’t come into play until I start to look to add players to the roster. In the past, I had success in landing good players, and these factors give me a chance to look at them up close.” Tryouts are scheduled for March 29, at 10 a. m. at the Decatur campus. If you are interested in trying out for the Women’s Basketball team for next season, contact Coach Waldon at james.waldon@gpc.edu. and Men’s teams beat Middle Georgia 8-1. The win brought the Women’s record to 5-1 and the Men’s 5-0. Baseball On March 9, the Jaguars defeated East Georgia College, winning 116. The Jaguars later played 4 games against Middle Georgia College during Spring Break. The Jaguars won 11-3 on March 11 and 8-6 on the March 14. On March 15, the Jaguars won 7-6 and then later lost 7-6. The Jaguars came back and beat West Georgia Tech College on March 19 with a win 9-8. Great job Jaguars!
Photos by Hana Bekele
#GPCsoapbox
Name: Elbert Ivory Major: Business Campus: Clarkston
Name: Britnney Pugh Major: Psychology Campus: Clarkston
Name: Sarah Mohamed Major: Psychology Campus: Clarkston
" It sucked, I didn't put forth the effort I should have done. Especially the snow storm that affected all of us."
"Since I only had one it met my expectations."
"They went as well as I'd thought it would be."
Name: Sabrina Jamil Major: Communications and Marketing Campus: Clarkston "They weren't as horrible."
Name: James Mixon Major: Music Campus: Clarkston "I didn't have any midterms."
March 26, 2014
COLLEGIANNEWS.COM
Opinion
Ask
e n a Slo
Black Cats, Mirrors, And Ladders, Oh My! By Ashleigh Boswell Staff Writer
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id you know that saying “Bless you” to someone once they have sneezed is a form of superstition? Well, according to list25.com, saying bless you is a gesture of politeness. However, in the early years some believed that the soul escapes the body during a sneeze and the heart stops momentarily. Bless you was a way of welcoming the person back to life. Wow! Superstition is defined as a belief in the supernatural and that one action leads to the cause of another such as: astrology, witchcraft, omens etc. So how does luck and superstition impact you in your everyday life? Bad luck and good luck lives within all of us, as in, not opening the umbrella in a house or a building; which is considered bad luck, stating that bad luck is “raining on you.” Walking under a ladder for instance, if someone is on top, they will drop their toolbox on your head. Or good ones like finding a four-leaf clover is supposed to bring you good fortune. What about the phrase, “If you find a penny pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck.” The all-time favorite, “knock on wood,” is considered protection, if you say something negative or a wrongful statement about some-
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one or something, sort of like a redeemer. All of these events are a continuous act of superstition that influences us today. Most people don’t believe in superstitions and think it’s all just a bogus act done by people to make an excuse for bad things happening to them. However, there are some that are made to be true. Don’t talk on the phone while it is thundering and lightning. This is true, whereas the landline phones were proven to be struck by lightning, even causing a few deaths behind it. I do remember my grandmother always enforcing that we should “never use the phone while the world was talking.” I myself believe in a little bit of the superstition, not splitting the pole. I literally feel slight anxiety until I circle the pole once more going the opposite way as I did before. Silly? I know. Thing is, we all have a small portion of belief in us no matter how we use it or if we don’t want to admit to it. Who knows some of it might turn out to be very useful someday.
No Time for Workout Time By Rodrigo Guerrero Contributor
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orning workouts are not possible with GPC’s current gyms' hours of operation. Colleges such as Georgia State, West Georgia, and Kennesaw State have gyms that remain open from 7 a.m. to midnight, while GPC's gym is from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. I asked some students around campus to see how they feel about this. “Gyms should at least open at eight in the morning,” said GPC student Nick Harrison. The U.S. childhood obesity rate has dropped over 40 percent in the past decade. With America gain-
ing momentum, we run into everyday challenges such as this one. Having to pay for a gym twice does not really sound appeal to the average college student. “I am paying tuition for a gym that I never get a chance to use,” said GPC Student Dorenell Howell. Hearing all the negative responses this help me gain the willpower to find out, “Why does the gym open so late?” When doing some research on why the gym opens so late I had found that gym classes are held from eight to twelve on a daily basis. This is one huge factor that makes the gym open at very late time. In the morning times when I have visited the gym I always see a
Grammar & Punctuation Corner By Kimberly Hung Collegian Staff
They’re/Their/ There
They’re: contraction for they are They’re getting excited for graduation. Who knows where they’re headed next. Their: possessive pronoun something they have Let’s hope everyone did well on their midterms. This was their idea. There: adverb indicates a place or direction She went there for an art show last week. They’re studying hard for their exams over there.
class doing something. Whether it be shooting hoops on the court or lifting weights in the weight room. Even though the gym itself opens up late there is things you can do without it being physically open. A few workout machinery that the gym offers can still be accessible. Machinery like the treadmill, the incline and pull up bar offer great workouts. Going for a few laps around the track would not only burn those extra calories but also build up your confidence. Banning together as a student body to unite as one can seem like a very daunting challenge but the with the will power, nothing is impossible.
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Elegant Staffing is hiring On Call Waiters, Bartenders & Cooks to work in Hotels and Country Clubs. Pay rate $10 per hour. Please email resume to job@elegantstaffing.net NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY (We will train)
April 7 -Fun Day Monday Laser Tag 1- 4 p.m. Newton Lawn
April 8 - Talent Tuesday Music Festical w/ Live Acts & Cookout 2:30 - 5 p.m. Newton Lawn
April 9 - Wet & Wild Wednesday Foam Party 1-4 p.m. Newton Lawn
April 10 - Throwback Thursday Arcade Day 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Newton 2N 1000 Lobby Throwback Theater: "The Breakfast Club" 5-7 p.m. Newton 2N 1000 Lobby