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



Line pattern: S1: 1,2,3,4 ; S2: 2,5,4,6 ; S3: 5,3,6,1

Creative Writing, 125 (Dreamcatcher Double Tetractys)

I

keep a

dreamcatcher

above my bed to

collect the bad dreams which bombard my head.

The sinew cobweb fortress stands guard deep

into the night.

Ensuring

all is

right.

Syllable poem: 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 10, 4, 3, 2, 1

Creative Writing, 125 (Life Tetractys)

Life

is a

fickle beast.

It can be cruel,

but it’s always worth the experience.

Syllable poem: 1, 2, 3, 4, 10.

Creative Writing, 125 (Kickstarter - Beach)

My friends convinced me to drink a little at PAX East while writing this; consequently, it’s awful. Don't judge me.

A cool wind blows from the water, catching wisps of flame to dissipate into the night sky.  Light spills from the pit, lighting the faces of the young people grouped around the fire.  The party is beginning to wind down, couples are pairing off to find more secluded areas.  Moonlight creates a romantic ambience for lover’s embrace.

“I don’t think we should be doing this!” exclaimed Emily as Zach held her hand in his, leading her away from the group.  Her protests were half-hearted, the flush in her cheeks betraying her state of intoxication, a smile touching her lips as her feet follow the path he directs.

“It’ll be fine, we’re just going to have a little fun,” the boy cajoled, intertwining his fingers with hers, his other hand ghosting across her cheek. Her blush deepens as her eyes cast to the side, blurred vision made her take a double take.  Eyes widen in surprise, her body stiffens and the boy becomes worried.

“If you don’t want to we don’t have to do anything,” he relents, attempting to regain her attention.  She refuses to acknowledge him, her eyes unmoving as her face transitions from confusion to fear, her mouth opens to release a scream as the boy turns to view the bloated bodied poking through the brush.  The scent of rotting flesh breaks through their senses, confirming their suspicions.  Zach lets out a yelp and drags the frozen Emily from the area back to the safety of the fireside.

English, 113 (Short Story Essay - Paradox of the Prodigal Son)

The Paradox of the Prodigal Son

‘“Jesus continued: “There was a man with two sons”’ (New International Version, Luke 15.11).  He continued; he didn’t begin, and he didn’t conclude.  The tale of The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a confusing one when taken out of the context of the Gospel of Luke from the New Testament.  A fool of a son returns to a father playing favorites and a party is held.  Such a synopsis doesn’t seem to make for a good story, but the piece has inspired artists from Rembrandt to Iron Maiden with its message.  The Parable of the Prodigal Son can be interpreted from each of the three main characters’ perspectives to end in contrasting conclusions by the reader; to repent their mistakes, to give forgiveness, and to not envy others.

Creative Writing, 125 (Star Wars Diamonte)

Anakin

Naive,    Innocent

Loves,        Lives,       Cries

Force,    Lightsabre,    Son,    Daughter

Fights,  Conquers,  Controls

 Powerful,   Corrupted

Vader

Creative Writing, 125 (Monsters Cinquain)

Monsters.

Creeping under

the stairs. Hiding beneath

my bed. Too afraid to come out into

the light.

Creative Writing, 125 (Boyfriend Cinquain)

Boyfriend.

Boyfriend. He could be

my boyfriend. Never let

him go. I'd never be alone.

Swaggie.

Sup.

Creative Writing, 125 (Slam Poetry)

What do you do when the words refuse

to amuse your demands to expand from the bland?

When you yearn to earn a passing grade,

but the words fail to come to your aide?

When no inspiration for the gestation and

creation of intertwined beauty comes to mind?

When your brain lacks the restraint not to be

swayed by the simplest vein of distraction?

What do you do?

You give in.

Creative Writing, 125 (Doctor Who Cinquain)

Create a poem for something unusual in front of you. A watercolour painting I made for an art class of the Tardis from Doctor Who.  Honestly, I used actual quotes from a scene and lined them in a cinquain since they fit so well.

Don’t blink.

Don’t look away.

They’re fast. Faster than you

can believe. If you blink, you’re dead.

Good luck.

Creative Writing, 125 (Cowboy Brawl)

Pick words at random and add them to the poem (stool, spar, caterpillar, ink, moustache, wine):

Sprawled upon a stool,

casually draped across the bar,

he motions for another,

as smoke swirls from his cigar.

Spurred steps break the silence,

the wooden boards begin to whine.

Itching for a spar, he bellows,

“Turn and face me, you swine!”

Caterpillar moustache chuckles,

as the man finishes his drink.

“Son, that’s a mighty fine offer,

but your post ain’t worth the ink.”

Not one to be made a fool,

the hot headed youth went for his gun.

In a blink, the job was done,

“I wish you hadn’t done that, Son.”