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WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM NEWS January term caleniar appravatf r-r4SEris!sr«ese«r: w I’tW.HWl . SUMMARY OF THEkTERM By Case]) Morgan Staff Writer Guilford College is going to have a winter term. A revised calendar for the winter term, commonly referred to as the January term or J-term, received faculty approval at the October faculty meeting. A pilot program will take place in the January of 2013 and will consist of optional intensive three-week projects for students, led by faculty members. "We're taking a look and being intentional about what we're preparing students for," said Jack Zerbe, chair of the Special Term Ad Hoc Committee, director of study abroad, and professor of theatre studies. "The world has changed so much, and the centers of power have shifted in the last five, six years. How do we ensure that our courses are preparing students to be global citizens in a very new world?" The answer, according to Zerbe, includes a January term. The J-term at Guilford will include many opportunities for non-traditional learning experiences, including study abroad trips, independent and group projects, internships, service learning, and possibly some seminars, according to Zerbe.. "Say a student wants to explore film studies," Zerbe said. "They can either take a course during the school year or have a hands-on project during the January term. I can get you in to see the V.P. of Lionsgate. I know people at Fox, and I know the guy who's the executive producer on 'Glee.' Let's put this together — let's do this. That's the sort of stuff you can't do (right now)." "The term sounds like a great way for people to experience something different and to learn in a more hands-on way," said sophomore Jordan Adams. "Especially if credits are being earned, I'm sure students will take advantage of the opportunity." Assistant Professor of Physics Don Smith is cautiously optimistic about the special term. Smith attended M.I.T. as a graduate student and saw the January term there as successful. "I'm excited about the possibilities," Smith said. "I've seen how a January term can be used effectively. The chance to have a block of time to work on one thing, instead of trying to balance four classes and committees and everything else is exciting. ... There's so much one could do with that. "To have three weeks with some students to work on the telescope would be great. During the semester, students have all their classes and there's no time to work on a project. I have a long list of things that need to get done with the telescope, and it would be a great learning opportunity for my students." There are reservations, however, about the enormity of the organization that must be undertaken, as well as the strain it will put on faculty. "It takes time and a lot of work," Zerbe said. "It's the reason why we want a January term — so the students aren't spread too thin — but at the same time we don't want to spread the faculty too thin either. It's going to be really tricky to figure out how we're going to be doing this." Adams said that he is concerned over its cost and whether or not it will be covered by scholarships and tuition assistance. Smith believes that there are significant hurdles to cross: how this will come together, how many faculty members will participate, how professors will be compensated and how the term will impact Early College and fast-track courses. The goal, according to Zerbe, is to have by the end of this semester a definition of what the content will be, what sort of credits will be allocated and what the procedure will be for proposing a project. The calendar has been approved, but there must be a great deal of planning and preparation in order to see this through. "We're gonna walk into this gently, rather than dive right in," Zerbe said. "As we learn, we'll grow it... and grow it and grow it." JANUARY 2013 The pilot for the fiew termjjegins. JANUARY 3-24 New January Term JANUARY 28 Spring Classes Begin SPRING BREAK will occur a week laten ithan usual . SPRING SEMESTER will end a week later than usual MAY l8 wmmencement (i week; later than usual) t FALL SEMESTER wilrDegm a week later to make fall and spring semesters even in length Graphic by Joy Damon/Source; Jeff Favolise HOMELESSNESS Community Senate Update Stuff we did Pizza party! Also we talked about new ideas for the bus dilemma and Social Honor Code. So many things! Lake! Safety! Assault! Buses! Social Honor Code! Clovers and Balloons! Stuff we're doing Stuff we're gonna do Hear from Jeff Favolise on: SLRR Disability Resources, & Guilford Shares Have an idea, input, or fantastic story from Guilford life? Contact senate(gguilford.edu Full Senate meets at 7 p.m. in Boren on Wednesdays Stuff you wanna see done By Yahya Alazrak Community Senate President / Clerk Local organizations work to end homelessness Continued from page I working to end homelessness in Guilford County. They are taking part in a 10-year plan to end homelessness. The plan was implemented on June 4,2007, according to their website. According to Partners Ending Homelessness, Guilford County has cut homelessness rates in half since 2007. "'We're going to operate in honesty and integrity in everything we do," said Darryl Kosciak, executive director of Partners Ending Homelessness. However, when viewing homelessness from a local perspective, the issue can appear much more severe. "With the worsening of the economic situation, the numbers of homeless folks have increased, and what haven't increased in relation to that are the services available to these people," said Gibson. Indeed, funds for homeless shelters continue to be cut, a residual impact of the deteriorating economy. "Homelessness is worse than it was three years ago, and many have lost the sense of urgency," said Liz Seymour, executive director of the IRC. "The current poverty rate is just seen as the new normal." "We operate by raising money from the public, said Clyde Fitzgerald, executive director of Second Harvest Food Bank. "In the economic situation that we find ourselves, it's been much more difficult because foundations and individuals have been so hard hit." Second Harvest Food Bank provides food to those in need in an effort to combat the growing issues of hunger and food insecurity. According to Second Harvest Food Bank, someone who is food insecure is defined as not knowing where their next meal will come from. In Guilford County, 19.2 percent of residents are food insecure, 39 percent of whom are unable to qualify for federal aid based on income. Additionally, one out of every three people suffering from food insecurity in Guilford County is a child under the age of 18. "Guilford County was rated fourth-worst in the country for food insecurity among all individuals," said Fitzgerald. "During this period of economic recession, the people that we serve are the first to get hit and the last to benefit from any recovery." Fitzgerald points to education as a contributing factor. "There is a multi-generational education deficit in North Carolina," said Fitzgerald. "According to the U.S. Department of Education, 14 percent of adults (nationally) do not have a high school degree or G.E.D. equivalent. Based on North Carolina government numbers, that number jumps to 30 percent. Furthermore, among adults in this state who need food assistance, this number jumps to 41 percent, nearly triple the national average. There is something to ascertain from the myriad of voices shattering the shell around this issue: homelessness is not all about numbers or ratios. It is about capable people pushed to the outskirts of society. "I think one of the big issues is getting along with the community," said one homeless man at the IRC. "Homeless people are here and we don't have anywhere to go. You can only sweep under the rug so long before you start to see the hump." The necessity of community acceptance seems to be a driving factor in the pursuit of a solution to this problem. "One thing I have not seen change is human resilience," said Seymour. "The best part of how people respond has not changed." Organizations are not blind to the problem of homelessness and are eager to raise awareness in the greater Greensboro community. On Oct. 23, Greensboro Urban Ministry held its thirty-first annual Crop Hunger Walk. In the past, the walk has raised over $200,000 and donated over $53,000 to the Potter's House Community Kitchen. The Crop Walk website provides statistics about hunger worldwide, but simply reading statistics does not solve the problems that we all see firsthand. "What all of this data points to is that the problem of hunger as well as homelessness is persistent, pervasive, serious, and ... growing," said Fitzgerald. "Only^about 10 percent of the problem is highly visible. The bigger problem is the other 90 percent, the middle America now caught in this economic morass, who are in a position' they've never been in before, who need help that they've never needed before."
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