Journalism, 110 (Fitness and Recreation In-depth Article)

Corporate and continuing education at CPCC is inviting students to take their minds off the mundane with new fitness and recreation classes this summer.  They will add six new classes to the 16 existing courses, Crystalle Cutter, program developer for CCE fitness and recreation said.

Yoga guru Ranjit Deora will be teaching Laughter Yoga at CPCC for the first time this summer on May 22 and July 17.  Laughter Yoga is a unique and innovative technique that blends ancient Yoga practices with the science of laughter to teach people ways and means of joyful living, according to the CPCC schedule builder website.

“It’s an exercise to strengthen and stretch yourself internally,” Cutter said, “teaching you to see the lighter side of life.”

The department also offers fusion classes such as PiYo, which combines the slow and calming aspects of yoga mixed with the fast pace of pilates, Cutter said.  The six-session course begins 3 June.

“A deep breath can help you reach a stretch you’ve never reached before,” Cutter said.

Another fusion class that combines cardio with strength training for a full body workout is Pump Up the Cardio.   “You get the best of both worlds and a complete overall workout, which is the best way to work out,” Cutter said.

Journalism, 110 (Golf Classes Sidebar)

CPCC corporate and continuing education is offering a new fitness and recreation golf course hoping the community will sign up this summer, Crystalle Cutter, program developer for CCE fitness and recreation said.

“Play Like a Golf Pro,” with PGA golf professional Jason Rockhold, is intended for those who already have a strong base in golf techniques and have an intention of competing on a pro level, Cutter said.

Participants will work on sharpening techniques, focus and pre-shot routine techniques, and short game mastery under the instruction of a PGA professional, according to the CPCC schedule builder website.

Advanced players are preferred with a handicap of 18 or less.  Classes for beginners and intermediate players are also offered this summer, according to the CPCC schedule builder website.

“How we get there is slightly different for everyone due to flexibility, strength, and balance, ”Jason Rockhold, Class “A” member of the PGA of America, said according to the PGA junior league website.

Other classes offered include Golf for Beginners, The Mental Game of Golf, and Women are Golfers Too.  Classes cover physical and psychological aspects of the game, according to the CPCC schedule builder website.

The advance classes will be held at the Charles T. Myers Golf Course, 7817 Harrisburg Road, which features a 9 hole learning course, imaging center, and practice range, Cutter said.  The six-week course begins June 5.

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Journalism, 110 (CPCC Bond Interview with Melissa Vrana)

CPCC recently received $280 million in bond funding, said Melissa Vrana, associate dean of Art, Communication, Hospitality education, and performance facilities.

“This is the largest bond in the history of the college,” Vrana added.  The college will use the bond to increase campus size by 45 percent via construction and renovations over the next five to six years.

The construction committee allotted for a new Advanced Technologies center off Charlottetowne Avenue next to the current Levine building at Central Campus.  Tentative plans include eventual renovations to the Kratt and Terrell buildings while also creating a permanent location for a true college’s student union, Vrana said.

CPCC is currently at an all time high for student enrollment, making expansion and classroom renovations a high priority. “More students means more teachers, which means more cost,” Vrana added.

The majority of funding comes from the state. To help keep tuition costs down, the state allocates $3700 for each student who meets the Full Time Equivalency of 12 credit hours, Vrana said.

Cost efficiency is a priority for the college. Lights and computers alone cost $1 million annually, Vrana said.

Community colleges can incur higher running costs due to longer hours and being open all year unlike four year colleges, she explained.

Journalism, 110 (Bea Thompson Spotlight)

Charlotte has grown from juvenile roots of prejudice into a modern tapestry with a myriad of cultures coloring the skyline, along with the people who stand by it.  This change is fostered by the strength and determination of those who believed in a better future for the Queen City.

Bea Thompson, 59, a Charlotte native, lived through the social changes of the Civil Rights Era.  She made Charlotte her family and dedicated her life to the community.  “Ultimately, I gotta’ sleep with me,” she explained.  

Desegregation led to her being the only black student at her school in seventh grade. An older student, her angel, deterred bullies from picking on his “Georgia Brown” her first year. “He helped me to understand over the years; don’t always judge everybody on one or two people,” she said.

Soon after, her family was forced out of their home in the Third Ward via urban renewal.  “We came home from school one day and there was a note on every door,” she said. “They didn’t care where we moved or how we moved, but you got 30 days to move. Bulldozers will be coming.”

A realtor convinced the family to move into Yarbrough Park, a white neighborhood. “They comin’,” she quoted, “you better sell now. You’re not going to get anything for your house.”  Known as ‘block busting’, realtors had the practice of convincing white families to sell their homes, claiming their properties would lose value if minorities moved into an area.

Thompson also saw her first burning cross in that neighborhood. “We saw this light in the sky and thought it was the sun going down,” she said.  The cross was burning on the front lawn of a Native American family.  The son was dating a white girl at South Mecklenburg High School.

“I watched that man sit on his front porch all night with a shotgun across his legs and a pistol in his hand, weeping,” she recalled.

This moment instilled in her a fear of what may happen and a drive to improve her community.  “He looks like them. What are they going to do to us?” she asked.

Creative Writing, 125 (Summer Ride Pantoum)

As a cool wind rushes past my face

Face upturned toward the sun

I wipe the sweat from my brow

My cheeks red with exertion

Face upturned toward the sun

Squinting to see through the light

My cheeks red with exertion

A smile blossoms across my lips

Squinting to see through the light

I wipe the sweat from my brow

A smile blossoms across my lips

As a cool wind rushes past my face



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