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Issue 12.30 | Tuesday, July 24, 2012 TODAY'S FOCUS ELLIOTT
BRACK'S PERSPECTIVE FEEDBACK UPCOMING NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE IN
THE SPOTLIGHT RECOMMENDED GEORGIA
TIDBIT GWINNETT
CALENDAR TODAY'S
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TODAY'S
FOCUS LAWRENCEVILLE,
Ga., July 24, 2011 -- Gwinnett Ballet Theatre will hold open auditions
for acceptance into the School and Performance Division on Wednesday,
August 1, at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center Theater. GBT is seeking
students ages 7-18 who are interested in a professional training program.
He continues.
"We will also be identifying possible candidates for scholarships
or financial aid." GBT's existing students will be attending this
audition for placement purposes.
GBT produces
The Nutcracker at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center for three
weeks each December with orchestral accompaniment. It is also an Honor
Company with the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association, a part of Regional
Dance America. GBT is a non-profit organization with both the school and
the Pre-professional Performing Division holding a non-profit tax identity. ELLIOTT
BRACK JULY 24, 2012 -- There's a certain prejudice I'll admit to: I question most of the for-profit colleges. Now before the for-profit wonks jump all over me, let me tell you why.
Basically, most have low quality, charge extremely high tuitions, prey on the under-educated, and in recent years, have taken advantage of government funding in the case of people who are, or have been, in the military. In addition, most are not approved by the standard accrediting agencies. Think about it: America's great universities have served our country for years under the non-profit mantle, or either as a public-supported (state) center of learning. Now these for-profit schools have elbowed their way to present questionable offerings that do not serve our nation well. We are not talking about some far-off schools. Some of are located within Gwinnett, such as the University of Phoenix, and Ashworth College in Technology Park. Most boast accreditation, but even that is questionable. Ashworth, for instance, says it is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council, not your standard accrediting agency. But few of these for-profit schools are accredited by any regional agency, such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the agency overseeing most traditional Southern schools. That alone should give any potential enrollee pause. What are some of the drawbacks of for-profit colleges. Take note:
Many groups are getting upset over such practices, including Congress. For instance, Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, who spent three years investigating this area, is quoted: "The for-profit schools, because of their business model, target low income people, because the lower your income, the more Pell Grants you get and the more student loans you're eligible for. So it's in (the for-profit colleges') business interest to go after those poor students." He adds that for-profit college students take out more student loans, default more often, and have higher unemployment than students at traditional colleges. For-profit colleges have particularly focused on the military's active duty and veterans. Recently 20 state attorneys general got a court settlement from one marketing firm working in behalf of for-profit colleges. The firm, GIBill.com, was shut down after the firm steered people to "shoddy" for-profit colleges. These firms and the colleges have taken advantage of loopholes in the law to pad their pockets, with little regard for the day-to-day struggling students. The for-profit industry is wise, in employing multiple lobbyists. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois feels: "You get little or nothing done when you take on the for-profit schools, since they own every lobbyist in town." The eminent Nobel laureate and chief economist of the World Bank, Joseph Stiglitz, has written that for-profit colleges "exploit those at the bottom" of society and that they are "better at exploitation than at delivering a valuable education." Students at most for-profit colleges tend to wind up in debt, with no degree. Most all who graduates from these schools earns less than peers who went to traditional schools. That's why we're prejudiced against for-profit schools.
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UPCOMING Georgia
Gwinnett College (GGC) has released the schedule for its initial men's
soccer season says Head Coach Steve DeCou. The 2012 slate features 19
games, including nine home games on the GGC campus in Lawrenceville. DeCou's
squad is scheduled to play eight true road games around the southeast
this fall and will play twice in a tournament in Savannah, hosted by the
Savannah College of Art and Design. City of Duluth wins honor from municipal court judges The Duluth
Municipal Court has received a Special Recognition from the Council of
Municipal Court Judges. The award is presented to only one court or judge
annually, within the State of Georgia.
The City of Duluth and the Municipal Court were recognized for its Teen Driver Court program, through which almost 1,000 young drivers and parents or guardians have attended. The program involves family members in the program, thereby extending the breadth of the program. This is an ongoing program within the court. Institution
of the award came after a disproportionate high number of Duluth area
younger drivers were involved in road accidents. The Duluth Municipal
Court took on a proactive role in addressing reckless driving and other
infractions. The program offers younger offenders an important learning
experience. NOTABLE With rampant bullying in schools today, it is only fitting that this year's Self-Defense Workshop will be focusing on tough subjects such as teen-bullying, cyber-bullying, verbal and physical abuse, self-worth and confidence, texting and sexting and confronting conflict. The workshop is a free annual event sponsored by the Lilburn Women's Club. This program will be Tuesday, July 24 at 7 p.m. and will be hosted by House of Payne Personal Training at their Lilburn facility. Teens and their parents are encouraged to attend the free event, which will be led by TJ Alvarado, executive director of Blaze 4 Life, a local organization dedicated to strengthening communities by providing violence prevention education and promoting human trafficking awareness. Ms. Alvarado, who holds certifications to instruct in self-defense, rape prevention, violence prevention and self-esteem, will be able to explain how to deal with these challenging and ever-present subjects for both teens and parents. Before and after the workshop, other local safety-related organizations, including Safe Kids Gwinnett, SafetySmart Lilburn, Gwinnett United in Drug Education, Get Fit Kids, Young Life, Salem Baptist Church and others, will have information for parents and teens to discover violence-preventing resources in the Lilburn area. These resources will help children and their parents through the often-difficult teen years. House of Payne Personal Training is located at 4565 Lawrenceville Highway in Lilburn. For more information, call 678-641-9188 or visit House of Payne Personal Training's Web site, www.trainwithpayne.com. EMC Foundation grants $57,000 to Gwinnett-serving charities The Jackson EMC Foundation, a charity funded by the electric cooperative's members through their donations to the Operation Round Up program, has awarded grants totaling $57,000 to five agencies serving Gwinnett County residents. The grants include:
Since the Jackson EMC Foundation began in 2005, it has funded 653 grants to organizations and 235 grants to individuals, putting more than $6.7 million back into local communities. The Operation Round Up program allows participating electric cooperative's members to have their monthly electric bills rounded up to the next dollar amount. RECOMMENDED
GEORGIA
ENCYCLOPEDIA In the 1870s, after Reconstruction had ended, the location of Georgia's capital city again became a matter of debate. A constitutional convention met in Atlanta in 1877, and the question of Georgia's capitol was put before the body. The convention decided that the location of the capital should be kept out of the new Constitution, but it passed an ordinance declaring that, at the next general election, voters of the state would decide between Atlanta and Milledgeville. Soon a spirited competition developed between the two cities over which should be the site of the state capital. More than a million circulars concerning the Milledgeville-Atlanta battle were sent out in 1877, with nearly every Georgia newspaper taking a position on the issue.
On December 5, 1877, voters across Georgia reaffirmed Atlanta as the capital city of Georgia by a vote of 99,147 to 55,201. Two years later, in 1879, the legislature accepted Atlanta's proposal and selected the city hall as the site for the new capitol. Today, it seems unimaginable that Georgia would move its capital city again. Except for an unsuccessful effort by Macon boosters in 1919 to have that city designated the state capital, there have been no serious efforts to move the capital. Interestingly, however, there have been efforts to decentralize state government by moving some agencies or divisions to other locations in Georgia. For example, the Secretary of State has moved some of the functions of that office to Tifton and Macon. In 2003 the state archives moved to a new facility in Morrow. The Department of Natural Resources also has moved some of its offices to other cities. While decentralization may continue, most state government officials and agencies likely will remain in the state capital complex in Atlanta.
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TODAY'S QUOTE "Laziness has become the chief characteristic of journalism, displacing incompetence."
CANDIDATE
PROFILES For the 2012 primary
season, GwinnettForum asked all candidates facing primary opposition
in Gwinnett County to provide answers to a few questions. You can read
their answers below by clicking on the links. Candidates with no
primary opposition are not listed. Those with opposition in the General
Election will be asked questions, which we'll publish before the November
election. Look for endorsement:
PROFILE
KEY
2012 FEDERAL CANDIDATES U.S. Congress, District 4
U.S.
Congress, District 7
U.S.
Congress, District 10
2012
STATEWIDE CANDIDATES Georgia
Public Service Commission, District 3
Georgia
Public Service Commission, District 5
2012
STATE CANDIDATES Georgia
State Senate, District 9
Georgia State Senate, District 55
State
Representative, District 81
State
Representative, District 93
State
Representative, District 94
State
Representative, District 96
State
Representative, District 97
State
Representative, District 103
State
Representative, District 105
State Representative, District 114
2012 COUNTY CANDIDATES Gwinnett County Commission, District 1
Gwinnett County Commission, District 3
Probate Judge
NON-PARTISAN JUDGESHIPS Superior Court State Court MORE COPIES AVAILABLE
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IN THE COMING WEEK Creating Public Art: From Artist Application to Art Installation: 6:30 p.m., July 26, Suwanee City Hall. The talk will be presented by Ayokunle Odeleye, an artist and professor of Art at Kennesaw State University. Sponsored by ArtWorks! Gwinnett, a non-profit arts alliance serving Gwinnett County, in conjunction with the City of Suwanee and North Gwinnett Arts Association. Broadway in the Park in Suwanee: 7 p.m., July 27 and July 28, Town Center Park. Being performed will be Little Mermaid Jr. The event is free. Opening the night's activities will be an original one-act play, Filligan's Island, at 7 p.m. The event is part of the Suwanee Performing Arts series. (NEW) Punt, Pass and Kick competition: 2 p.m. July 28, Rhodes Jordan Park in Lawrenceville. This is sponsored by the Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation. Info: 770 822 8866. Small Business
Seminar: 5:30 p.m., July 30, Gwinnett Village Community Alliance,
5855 Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Norcross. Visitors will learn about starting
small businesses. For more information, contact Wesley Wilson, 770 449-6515,
or via email. Beyond Rosie, Women in World War II: Through July 31. This traveling museum is now on display at the Norcross Welcome and History Center. The museum is located at 169 Lawrenceville Street. MORE EEB PERSPECTIVE
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