gwinnettdailypost.com
Friends, fans add color to column I was tickled pink at all the responses I got to my column about my color conundrum three decades ago when fashionable homes were lavished with orange, gold and black while baby furniture was drenched in turquoise and lime green. My friend Linda responded that we must have bought the same house and then lamented, in regard to my getting a lime green and turquoise cellphone so it would stand out, that she chose a hot pink phone for the same reason and then bought a black cover for it, thus defeating the whole purpose of her original choice. Jeanne Pescitelli shared that back then she had to deal with shag carpet in gold and green, red and black, and blue and purple. OK, but just to put things into perspective, this was a carry over from a time when men wore dusty rose leisure suits and women (yes, including me) wore white lipstick. Then my college roommate had to email to say she wasn’t the least bit surprised I was freaked out by these clashing colors because I’m the only person she’s ever known who had her dorm room painted to match her eye shadow. OK. So that’s the story that circulated around campus, but there’s more to it than that. As she remembered it, “The next year was going to be its last year as a dorm and anyone who was willing to live there for sophomore year was offered the incentive of choosing paint colors.” OK, I can’t say I remember that part, but it does sound like something the government would do. Anyway, the painter told me I could choose pink,
Merger ups ante for dual enrollment students
It’s that time of year again — time for me to write about dual enrollment. I always choose early spring, of course, because that’s when rising high school seniors and their parents need to be thinking seriously about getting a head start on college by taking classes at a local campus. It’s also the time of Susan year when, if students Larson are considering dual enrollment, they should be blue, green or yellow. taking the SAT (if they I asked if I could have haven’t already) and getolive green. He asked if ting in their application he could see a sample of materials. what I wanted and all I For those who don’t had on hand was my olive know what I’m talking eye shadow, which was about, dual enrollment the only color I wore back is a program that allows then. He said I reminded qualified high school him of his favorite niece seniors (and sometimes and that sounded like some juniors) to take college off the wall thing she’d classes. Those classes say. He smeared a bit of count toward their high my eye shadow on a piece school graduation, but of paper and matched it they also translate into perfectly. In a three story college credit hours that dorm, my room was the students can take with only one painted “to match them wherever they go. my eye shadow.” Nice For example, a 12thurban legend, but it only grader who took English lasted until the next year when the dorm was torn down and replaced by a new structure where all rooms were painted pea Elementary school green. Your government Monday dollars at work. Crispy chicken sandwich, Anyway, back to that hot diggity dog, vegetarian horrible orange, gold burger, pinwheels, PBJ’wich, and black shag carpet. baked beans, farm fresh It actually turned out to produce Tuesday be a blessing in disguise. Big daddy’s pizza; black Since we hated it so much, bean empanadas; deli fresh with raising three boys, we really didn’t care what subs; PBJ’wich; mellow yellow corn; farm fresh produce happened to it so we had Wednesday one less thing to stress out Mozzarella sticks; oven over. roasted chicken; vegetarian Actually, it was kind of burger; signature salads; convenient how all that PBJ’wich; roasted zucchini; Georgia red clay off the farm fresh produce Thursday kids’ shoes just blended Seasoned baked wings; right in. Susan Larson is a writer old world lasagna; lasagna marinara; deli fresh subs; from Lilburn. Email her at susanlarson79@gmail. PBJ’wich; local green beans; farm fresh produce com.
R U O Y E T NOMINA NOW! S E T I R O V FA
Nominate your favorite places, businesses, and attractions in Gwinnett.
gwinnettdailypost.com
FOOD & FUN Arts Venue ITP • Arts Venue OTP Barbeque • Beer Growler Breakfast/Brunch • Burger Chinese • Coffee Shop Dessert/Bakery • Family Friendly Happy Hour • Mexican Pizza • Italian • ITP Restaurant Seafood • Southern Cooking Sports Bar • Steak • Sushi • Wine/Spirits
Karate • Music Lessons Nearby Attractions/Fun Field Trip Vacation Destination
FOR CARS Auto Dealership • Auto Repair Car Wash
FOR PETS Doggie Daycare Grooming • Veterinarian
FOR HOME Antique Store • Apartment Community Consignment Store Flower Shop • Homebuilder Home Services • Landscaping Firm Interior Design • Maid Service • Realtor
GWINNETT LIFE Aquatic Center • Daycare Downtown • College Festival • Gwinnett Sports Team Hotel • Mall • Movie Theater Museum • Park/Outdoor Space Private School • Public School Wedding Venue
FAMILY FUN Dance Lessons • Golf Course
SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2015 • 7C
FEEL GOOD Chiropractor • Dentist Orthodontist Pediatrician • Pediatric Dentist Physical Therapist • Salon/Spa Senior Living • Sports Medicine Urgent Care • Workout
Rob Jenkins Composition I and PreCalculus at the college would receive credit for senior-level language arts and math on his or her high school transcript — but that student would also receive college credit for those courses and therefore not have to take them again as a “freshman.” Some dual enrollment students just take a class or two, but some attend college full-time, earning up to a year or more of credit while still technically in high school. And the state covers most of the costs, although students will probably be on the hook for books and some fees.
Even so, dual enrollment might just be one of the greatest bargains in the history of education. If you can get an entire year of college out of the way for a few hundred dollars, instead of several thousand — well, why wouldn’t you? Unfortunately, a lot of local high school students (and their parents) still aren’t aware they can take college courses at Georgia Gwinnett College or Georgia Perimeter College. In some cases, that’s because their high schools don’t want them to know. But whether your school promotes it or not, once you’ve learned about dual enrollment, you have a right to look into it and see if it’s for you. Both GGC and GPC have excellent, thriving dual enrollment programs (because the word IS getting out, whether the high schools want it to or not). But the impending merger between GPC and Geor-
gia State University, which I talked about in last week’s column, is a game-changer. Assuming all goes as expected, high school students who take dual enrollment classes on a GPC campus in 2015 — 2016 will have the opportunity to become fullfledged GSU students in the fall of 2016 — right there on the same campus, if they choose. And those who start dual enrollment classes on a Perimeter campus in the fall of 2016 will actually be attending Georgia State at that point. That seems like a powerful incentive for rising juniors and seniors in the north and east metro area to seriously consider dual enrollment. Rob Jenkins is a local freelance writer and a professor at Georgia Perimeter College. The views expressed here are his own and not necessarily those of his employer. Email Rob at rjenkinsgdp@yahoo.com.
SCHOOL LUNCH MENU Friday Pancakes and sausage; poppin’ shrimp poppers; yogurt basket; pinwheels; PBJ’wich; hashbrown sticks; farm fresh produce Middle school Monday Stuffed crust pizza, fiesta burrito, vegetarian burger, wrap n’ roll wraps, signature salads, PBJ’wich, farm fresh produce Tuesday Spicy chicken sammie; calzone dippers; vegetarian burger; deli fresh subs; signature salads; PBJ’wich; farm fresh produce Wednesday Oven breaded chicken; mini corn dogs; cheese quesadilla; homestyle sammies;
signature salads; PBJ’wich; farm fresh produce Thursday Tex-mex nachos; country style steak sammie; mexi bean pizza; wrap n’ roll wraps; signature salads; PBJ’wich; farm fresh produce Friday Chicken & waffles; catch of the day; yogurt muffin basket; deli fresh subs; signature salads; PBJ’wich; farm fresh produce High school Monday Seasoned wings, big daddy’s pizza, country style steak sammie, vegetarian burger, homestyle sammie, signature salad, calzone dippers
Tuesday Chicken tenders; big daddy’s pizza; Gwinnett’s best burger; empanadas; deli fresh subs; signature salad; fiesta burrito Wednesday Oven roasted chicken; stuffed crust pizza; ultimate hot dog bar; vegetarian burger; wrap n’ roll wraps; signature salad; quesadilla pizza Thursday Speciality flatbreads, big daddy’s pizza; Asian wings; cheesy grilled cheese, deli fresh subs; signature salad; Asian rice bowl Friday Brunch 4 lunch; big daddy’s pizza; seafood basket; black bean burger; homestyle sammie; signature salad; cuban sub
Beaver Ridge Elementary teacher Jose Tijerina, left, gives chess lessons to students in the after-school chess club. (Staff Photo: Keith Farner)
•From Page 1C don’t discuss chess books or complex moves, Tijerina said. They explain how the pieces move and talk about simple tactics. “You can really tell the ones who work at it and practice outside of the club,” he said. “It’s just them taking a liking to it to become better.” Chess also helps kids deal with Attention Deficit Disorder, Ragsdale said, because it forces them to think about offense, defense and what’s happening in each quadrant of the board. He recalled one kid who tapped his leg nonstop, but controlled it when playing chess because his brain was occupied. The student’s teacher was amazed. “That kid has been in a jam, and worked his way out of it without getting upset,” Ragsdale said. They’re also encouraged to display sportsmanship, which means to shake hands before and after a match, and to be humble
Chess
Beaver Ridge Elementary chess club members Aidan Coll and Martin Olvera, left side, play against Henry Li and Abigail Vega. (Staff Photo: Keith Farner)
in victory and gracious in defeat. Ragsdale also challenges students to never give up, and work for a draw. As an example, he recalls losing to his grandfather some 3,000 times, but when he finally won, he celebrated like no other. Some players have been members of the club for two years and shown a commitment to the club, including fourth-grader Jovan Jones and fifth-grader
Alan Mercado. Jones said he enjoys playing against different opponents because they use different strategies and techniques. “Chess is a thinking game,” Jones said. “I think chess is better than an outside sport. It makes you think. It gives you new skills, new ways to think.” Added Mercado, “I, like most people, like winning, of course, but also spending time with my friends.”