THE
Clarion
Letter to the readers.
See page 6
Volume 76, Issue 13
www.brevard.edu/clarion
SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935
Dec. 3, 2010
Marijuana to be discussed at debate tournament
By Ashley Fortune
President of Debate Society/YPA
“The United States should take significant
steps towards the legalization of cannabis” will
be the resolution for the ninth annual Brevard
College Debate Tournament. This event will
be hosted by Debate Society/Young Politicians
of America on Tuesday, Dec. 7 starting at 6:30
p.m. in the Reserve Dining Room of Myers
Dining Hall.
This year’s competitors will be sophomore
integrated studies major Elise Labus and senior
psychology major Brian Dale Burgess for the
Affirmative. Representing the negative will
be sophomore Melissa Sullebarger and senior
Integrated Studies major Cole Altizer
“I have had so much fun debating this issue
up to this point,” Altizer said. “I have won
some and lost some but it has really been a
great experience. I am looking forward to an
entertaining final debate.”
In this issue...
Campus News:
Flash Floods Threaten Brevard 2
BC Professor Featured in Exhibition .. 2
Campus Security Report 2
News:
Brevard Hosts Twilight Tour 3
BC IVIusic: Christmas Festival 3
Talent Needed for IVILK Celebration... 3
Sports:
Men's Basketball 4
Cross Country 4
Women's Basketball 5
Opinion:
These Hills: Cataloochee Valley 6
Arts & Life
Book Review: 'Decoded' by Jay-Z 7
Chef Boy-ar-Dave 7
Odds and Ends:
Your Horoscope 8
American Hero 8
Cartoon by Karam Boeshaar 8
The format will consist of a ten-minute
constructive for each team, three-minute cross
examinations and five-minute rebuttal periods.
Judging the competition will be Shelton Jones
and Joe McGuire, both attorneys, and the
Honorable Robert Cilley, Chief District Judge.
This year will also be the second year a skit
competition has been added to the evening’s
events. Three teams of Dr Scott Sheffield’s
BCE 111 students will be competing for awards
with skits they have prepared on religious and
ideological dogmatism related to a Monty
Python theme in some way. “They are all
completely irreverent and scathing in their
satirical approach, lampooning almost every
group that takes themselves too seriously,
and definitely are adults only entertainment in
terms of both subject matter and language,”
Sheffield said.
One of the skits, titled “A Chat Room with
God,” features various characters engaging
in chat-room banter with God. Another titled
“Queasy Speakeasy” features a fascinating
portrayal of A1 Capone and other characters
from the 1920s at a fashion show and speakeasy
in the basement of a church.
The third skit is titled “Brittany Epiphany”
and features pop-star Brittany Spears snorting
cocaine from a toilet seat and having visions
of meeting the prophet Mohammed, the genius
scientist Albert Einstein and Osama bin Laden.
“This year's groups have worked incredibly
hard on their skits and are really putting
themselves out there in so many ways,” Sheffield
said. “I am really proud of them for taking so
many chances and really letting themselves go
and getting into the Monty Python zaniness.”
Refreshments and snacks will be provided
by the Debate Society/YPA for all attendees
to enjoy.
For more information, e-mail fortunab@
brevard.edu.
Stress reduction techniques for finals
By Nina Willis
PHAT Contributor
Exam time is by its nature a stressful time,
but you can take steps to lessen some of the
ill effects.
First and foremost, stay organized. If you
spend an hour trying to locate the study guide
you lost two weeks ago, that’s one less hour to
study for an important exam.
If you’re not the most organized person in the
world try this: Buy a different color folder for
each class; place important notes and papers in
the folder and at the end of each day keep the
folder in a specific drawer or area on your desk
so that you have access to it at all times.
Study for the bigger exams ahead of time
(a few days or a week ahead of time), not the
day before. Cramming for a major exam is a
horrible way to end your semester Why spend
Thursday night hovering over a 75-page reading
assignment when you can spend it at Tacky
Christmas sweater parties. Study ahead of time
to cut down on stressful, and mostly useless,
cramming.
Schedule an hour or so out of the day to log
off Facebook, turn the cell phone off, and avoid
watching TV, so that you can really focus. It
helps to make a playlist of songs that keep you
motivated but don’t distract from the task at
hand—^try Pandora.
Don’t be afraid to ask the professor for
personal or group study time. Professors are
dying to hear you ask a question, especially for
something that you don’t comprehend at all.
They would rather spend 30 minutes explaining
a homework problem that you missed than give
you a “D” on an exam. Use the library, instead
of your room, for personal study time.
Try the AEC. There are literature and web
resources to help you with every academic
issue and easily accessible peer tutors in
various subjects. It’s a great place to meet with
professors and bigger study groups as well!
Take time out to not study too. Although finals
are here, there’s still no reason to fret over not
being able to study 24 hours a day.
Prepare for a test by: Getting enough
sleep, studying adequately—don’t overdo it
(over-studying and cramming have the same
diminishing effects).
Eat well—^no late night runs for fast food.
Try healthier brain foods like fish, leafy greens,
and fresh fruit! Stay focused. This means take a
break to fight off boredom by leaving your desk
for a walk to get coffee. Come back to study
when you feel ready. No one likes to study while
frustrated and tired.
Good luck to everyone from the Peer Health
Advocates Team.