Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / April 20, 2012, edition 1 / Page 5
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NEWS ^— What are your January 2013 plans? Consider J-Term April 20, 2012 By Haejin Song Staff Writer As you soak up the sun over summer break, do not ditch your thoughts about January term for next year. In 2013, the January term pilot, an optional three-week experience for Guilford students, will officially commence. As an innovative way for students to get more hands-on learning experience and delve into the areas they are passionate about, students can choose from a variety of activities for academic credit. 'The blessing and the curse of being a student at a small private liberal arts college is having so much on your plate," said Jack Zerbe, professor of theatre studies and director of study abroad. "It's very hard to get an in-depth experience on anything when you are spread so thin. The goal was for students to have an immersive experience that took them beyond traditional classroom learning." Students can choose from internships, group projects, community service activities, research projects and study abroad. Additionally, students can develop their own proposal for an independent project. "I'd be interested in what I can do with an internship outside of school, or maybe even being a volunteer," said Katie Myers, Early College student. "My main interest would be working with one of the professors to get a better feel (for) and to work on something specific, rather than take a general intro class." Junior Allison Semmler added, "I'm really excited that we're getting a J-Term. ... I hope it allows our classes to be more hands-on and break up the monotony of long semesters." Although there is a price — ranging from $600 to $6,000 — to take part in January term, there are a plethora of diverse and unique classes that students may not get to take otherwise; to name a few, there is an "App Development for iPhone and iPad" class and a "Cold Case Investigation" class, both on campus. Additionally, for students who are interested in taking a break from North Carolina, there are study abroad trips to places such as Fiji to observe and study sharks, or Oxford, England where legendary writers such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien once worked and lived. "Students who don't usually get to study abroad due to sports or other obligations will get a chance to have incredible abroad experiences," said Tim Leisman, junior and incoming Community Senate president. "I would love to study abroad for the J-Term but haven't decided yet. I may end up staying in Greensboro, taking a course at Guilford. I might like to study intensive Arabic for the three weeks." While some may be skeptical about the short length of J-Term to fully gain an in-depth experience, the January Term committee disagrees. "There is hard data and research that three-week experiences are almost as powerful as 12-15 week-long experiences," said Zerbe. "Any faculty members who had these at their schools are very powerful advocates for it. For instance, me. I had a winter term when I was an undergraduate and it was my favorite thing." As the J-Term plans are finalized, it will ultimately be up to the students to contemplate and decide on whether to take or not to take this path. J-TERM Types of Projects to be offered during J-Term: Internships - secure a sponsor and determine the number of credits. Independent Projects - work with a faculty sponsor to develop your own project Group Projects - Work with a group and a faculty sponsor to develop your own project, or take part in a faculty-initiated project Seminars - enroll in these faculty-proposed topics. Service Learning - work through either an internship or independent project Study Away - take one of the various domestic and international projects For more information, email jzerbe(^guilford.edu examweek Schedule MONDAY, 4/23 Quiet hours begin End of daytime classes TUESDAY, 4/24 Special Academic Events Day Last day of night classes WEDNESDAY, 4/25 Reading Day THURSDAY, 4/26 Exams begin MONDAY, 4/30 Exams end For full exam schedules, visit: http://www.guilford.edu/ blog/2011 /06/09/final-exam-schedule* spring-2012/ Faculty opposes Amendment One, CCE SGA delays in passing similar resolntion By Aaron Hall Staff Writer An expected proposal against Amendment One this week from the CCE Student Government Association would have created a solid wall of opposition among Guilford College faculty and student representatives. This possibility was delayed for the moment after last- minute opposition from some members of the CCE SGA. On April 11, the Guilford faculty joined Community Senate in passing a proposal opposing Amendment One to North Carolina's constitution, which would restrict legally recognized domestic partnerships to marriage between a man and a woman. The proposal's unanimous passage was greeted warmly by many faculty members as a sign of institutional solidarity on the issue. "I've never been so proud of the faculty," said Jack Zerbe, professor and theatre studies and director of study abroad, to the assembled faculty during a moment of silence following the meeting. "God bless you." According to Guilford College archivist Gwen Erickson, this is the first time the faculty has approved a resolution regarding a political or social issue; this includes earlier issues pertaining to race relations. "We were in agreement that we are making a statement that is not strictly political," said Associate Professor of Philosophy Lisa McLeod, who spearheaded the initiative. "This was about human rights and core values," said McLeod. "If you think about our core values here at Guilford College, then you have to understand there was no way we could support such an amendment." While the faculty contemplated an historic resolution, confusion reigned in the CCE SGA. According to Victor Lopez, incoming SGA vice president and three-year student representative, earlier meetings of the CCE government body produced what many perceived as a consensus on the issue. "With respect to the vote to join the traditional student body, it was both the impression of the current (outgoing president) and myself that the board was behind joining the traditional student governments from across the state, including our own student body, in opposing Amendment One (to) N.C.'s Constitution," Lopez said. The impression of consensus was strong enough to produce an April 1 press release announcing that the CCE's SGA had passed the proposal. The issue was revisited when Secretary Deborah Stephens mentioned that the CCE SGA had not come to consensus, and felt that there were SGA members who supported the amendment, effectively negating the proposal's passage. Stephens declined to comment. The turn of events surprised many SGA members, who thought that the process was completed. "It seemed clear to both the President (and) myself that the wording had been cleared by the dean and faculty adviser," said Lopez. While this is perhaps the result of a misunderstanding among members of the SGA, Lopez feels that the last- minute revelation of support for the amendment in the SGA signals a prejudice among members that until now remained unspoken. "I see this as a blatant attempt to complicate and convolute a matter, and allow someone's prejudices to come to the surface, showing us that where some representative CCE members are concerned, there are still those underlying fears and prejudices," Lopez said. "We talk a lot about the CCE/ traditional student divide from the perspective that the younger folks are just learning," Lopez added. "It seems some in CCE have a long way to go." According to Lopez, several of the dissenters remarked that they wanted to wait until after the election and take up the issue in the fall, making a pre-election statement pointless. "If this was just an issue of misunderstanding, and there weren't sinister connotations. I'd have been less disappointed in the antics being played," said Lopez. "I have little patience for those who say they represent the student body, but willfully, and potentially maliciously, practice behavior that lends itself to bigotry. Guilford is a place that promotes equality, not bigotry; not willful ignorance, but equality."
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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April 20, 2012, edition 1
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