V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 2

S P R I N G 2 0 1 4

Honoring Our VeteransHonoring Our Veterans Ethics Essay ContestEthics Essay Contest

A Day to be RememberedA Day to be Remembered

Warner Robins Nature Center & Warner Robins Nature Center & Botanical GardenBotanical Garden

Awards & ScholarshipsAwards & Scholarships Shiloh Cemetery: Remembering Shiloh Cemetery: Remembering

and Honoring the Pastand Honoring the Past

Student Health Fair

Pictures pg. 9

INSIDE:

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Contributing Students

Amber Bittle

Shirley Breeze Brandon Highbaugh

Valarie Jimenez

Contributing Faculty & Staff

Kelly Bozarth Ana Ciuffetelli Kara Jensen Brandi Jones Paul McCord Shirley Siegel Dianne Wilcox

Ben White

STUDENT NEWSLETTER

Contents

Warner Robins Nature Center & Botanical Garden 3 Awards & Scholarships 4-5 GMC-WR Ethics Essay Contest: Legalize Marijuana? 6-7 A Day to Be Remembered 8 GMC-WR Student Health Fair 9 GMC-WR in the Community 10 Remembering and Honoring the Past 10 Honoring Our Veterans 11 Important Dates 12

A call for writers and photographers for the Fall 2014 issue:

The Newsletter needs articles and pictures of campus

events for Spring, Summer, and Fall I. If you are interested, contact Ms. Ciuffetelli

(aciuffetelli@gmc.cc.ga.us) or Ms. Jensen (kjensen@gmc.cc.ga.us)

Writers and Photographers

WANTED

G MC Warner Robins is pleased to be a part of a new, collaborative project to develop a community Nature Center and Botanical Garden in Warner Robins in

order to provide quality environmental education in our community. Many cities have nature centers or botanical gardens and we feel there is a need for this in our community. There are three groups involved in this collaboration: Keep Warner Robins Beautiful (KWRB), Georgia Military College (GMC-WR) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI is providing access to land with 2 large greenhouses and a classroom, the city of Warner Robins is providing access to a parcel of land for nature trails and GMC is providing maintenance and upkeep of the greenhouses, land, trails, gardens, tanks, animal exhibits and classroom. The goal of the nature center is to provide a nature experience and environmental education to GMC students through field studies along with allowing members of the community to obtain this experience as well. NAMI will use facilities for horticulture therapy and classroom for life skills instruction. For GMC-Warner Robins, the Nature Center will provide further greenhouse space, wooded acreage and garden space for biology classes and for biology majors to conduct their required research. There are also plans for the Nature Center to assist with the development of a neighborhood garden. A low income housing authority neighborhood is located next to the nature trails. The housing authority recently received a grant from Mercer University to establish an orchard and garden. The Nature Center plans to partner with the housing authority to help maintain and train neighborhood residents on growing fruits and vegetables. Many business and community leaders, as well as individual community members have been involved in establishing and developing the Nature Center. A number of donations and in kind services have been provided from these organizations and local citizens. Our community is clearly excited and

eager to see this project succeed. If you are interested in being a part of that excitement and supporting our community contact: Ben White at bwhite@gmc.cc.ga.us or Brandi Jones at bjones@gmc.cc.ga.us . The Nature Center will be the venue for Earth Fest which is an annual, family friendly, free event promoting nature experience and environmental education. Various environmental, wildlife and gardening organizations will be on hand to provide many exciting exhibits and educational information. This event will be May 3rd from 10 am-4 pm. All members of GMC Warner Robins and the community are welcome to attend.

Warner Robins Nature Center & Botanical Garden BY BRANDI JONES AND BEN WHITE

EARTH FEST Saturday May 3, 2014

10AM-4PM At the Warner Robins Nature Center & Botanical Garden

Ferguson Park, Elberta Road

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Congratulations to the following students for being nominated to “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges” 2013-2014:

Shirley Breeze Cassandra Canfield Michael Cooper De-Andre Gamble Andrea Hill

Donna Jackson

AwardS & Scholarships

Keith Lambert

Evander Banks

Will McNeil Christina Micola von Fürstenrecht

Brandi Parker-Padilla

LaQuinta Pierre-Respicio

Justin Poff Amy Roebuck Elexis Sharpe Emily Thompson Roxana Truman Travis Worley

Not pictured: Sean Bailey, Jonathan Barrie, Randy Barzey, Samantha Batchelor, Leisure Elder, Tracy Gonzalez, Ashley Holliday, Janell Holloway, Danielle Hudson, Gerald Jackson,

Anthony Jennings, Donald Johnson, Robyn Kelly, Valerie Lockhart-Jackson, Geraldine Lovell,

Katie Luttrell, Carol Mack, Karen Mullens, Aaron Newton, Denise Ratliff, Sherri Seaman

Johnston, Regina Sotak, Nicholas Suges, Bethany Watson, and David Wittenberg

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Travis Worley and Katie Luttrell Mr. & Ms. GMC-WR Scholarship, 2014

De-Andre Gamble Director’s Scholarship, Winter 2014

Angela Molton Georgia Power Scholarship, Winter 2014

Shirley Breeze Phi Theta Kappa Essay Award

Courtney McPhail

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Distinguished Order of the

Servant-Leader (for 100+ Hours of Community

Service)

Ashelynne-Kate Chadwick Andrew Stillman

A merican government is the basis of civilized society

over the land and rules with the understanding that

its people are allowed the freedom of choice. Citizens

of America should have the right to choose how to receive

medication if it is a healthy and effective method. Marijuana, the

term for the dried leaves, flowers, or stems of the cannabis plant,

has been found to be safe in treating illnesses by the U.S. Food

and Drug Administration (Medical Marijuana). Knowing that, it is

hard to comprehend why such a medicine would be illegal in

more than half of America while alcohol and cigarettes are

permitted despite their continuing to harm citizens. Perhaps that

has to do with the fact that alcohol sponsors numerous sporting

and entertainment events and that the government earns

approximately 7,545 million dollars in taxes from tobacco

products annually (Federal Excise Taxes). If harmful tobacco

products and alcoholic beverages are partially legal based on the

tax profits for the government, marijuana should be legalized for

its medicinal benefits.

Earth’s natural resources, such as various fruits, plants

and water, that can be used as food, shelter or medicine should

be accessible to the people and not withheld by the government.

The pros of medicinal marijuana outweigh the cons of tobacco

products and alcoholic beverages by far. Alcohol is the cause of

100,000 deaths by car accidents, homicides, and liver problems

in the United States per year (Introduction to Alcohol). The

Introduction to Alcohol article states that alcohol can be

considered a drug, even when taken in small amounts. Alcohol

can affect a person’s state of mind and actions. Similarly,

tobacco products cause an astounding number of deaths and are

expected to kill about 10 million people around the world per year

within the next thirty years (Abedian). Medical Marijuana states

that cannabis causes “distorted perceptions,” however it has yet

to be proven that it causes lung cancer. The pros and cons of

marijuana in comparison to those of tobacco products cannot

conclude why the government has yet to legalize the distribution

of medicinal cannabis.

Despite the cons of tobacco products and alcoholic

beverages, they are still legal based on the tax benefits for the

government. On that note, there is no reason marijuana should

not be legalized for its medicinal contributions to the people.

BY VALARIE JIMENEZ

Legalize Marijuana? GMC-WR Ethics Essay Contest

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7 Marijuana is a natural herb that can be grown and the

government would not be able to profit from taxation of this

product as much as they do from tobacco and alcohol. Marijuana

has been used in many cases to ease vomiting and nausea, help

anorexic patients, and even decrease the number of seizures in

epileptics (Medicinal Marijuana). Based on the facts stated in

Medical Marijuana, it can be said that it is immoral for such a

natural beneficial resource to be kept from the people.. If

marijuana is illegal for profitable reasons over health reasons,

the government is in the wrong. By making it difficult to receive a

medication that could very well help them, while alcohol and

cigarettes could not, American law makers are only hurting their

own people.

Works Cited

Abedian, Iraj. "Tobacco Use Is a Serious Problem Worldwide." Tobacco and Smoking. Ed. Karen F. Balkin. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "address to the International Conference on Sustainable Structure for Better Health." 2000. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 16 Aug. 2013.

"Federal Excise Taxes Collected on Tobacco Products in 2007 -

ILLUSTRATION BY GGS CREATIVE RESOURCES...." Gale Encyclopedia of American Law. Ed. Donna Batten. 3rd ed. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 15 Aug. 2013.

"Introduction to Alcohol: Teen Decisions." Alcohol. Ed. William

Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2001. Teen Decisions. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 15 Aug. 2013.

"Medical Marijuana." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection.

Detroit: Gale, 2012.Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 15 Aug. 2013.

This article was the 2013 Fall I winner of the GMC-WR Ethics Essay Contest. Hosted quarterly, the Ethics Essay Contest is open to all enrolled GMC-WR students, and

awards $500 in total prize money.

A Day to be Remembered

BY BRANDON HIGHBAUGH GMC-WR’s S.T.E.M² (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math & Medicine) club set out on an exciting three-course adventure on a chilly mid-November Friday morning. This day would be a great one. As an appetizer, students bore witness to an IMAX showing of “Hidden Universe”, a breath-taking voyage of sight and sound into the deepest parts of space. The film highlighted that detailed photographs of Mars can now be taken of rocks less than a foot wide, providing detailed images of its surface as technological leaps lend more insight into the universe. Also, images of galaxies can be captured far beyond previous technological limitations. Discoveries are made on a daily basis from massive telescopes that rest high atop desert mountains in South America.

The main course of the student’s trip consisted of a two hour tour of the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. The central hub of Fernbank is home to a monolithic, three-story tall dinosaur skeleton. Various historical and scientific discoveries can be explored on each level of the museum. From mind-bending illusions to fossilized remains of many ancient creatures of Georgia, the Fernbank offers a veritable plethora of interesting information. As it should be, dessert was the tastiest. Lunch at Miss Mack’s Tea Room, a historical dining establishment in the heart of Atlanta, was quite the delicious undertaking, and a perfect end to their trip. Miss Mack’s embodies southern home cooking, with hospitality the south is famous for. S.T.E.M² worked hard to fund this trip, through a raffle and soup sale. Thanks are due, in large part, to the courtesy of GMC-WR professors and students for their support in these activities. The S.T.E.M² club learned a lot about the scientific history of Georgia, and will take these memories with them on their various journeys. It was truly a day to be remembered.

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For more pictures, check out our Facebook page!

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GMC-WR in the Community

Students Evander Banks and De-Andre Gamble drop off toy donations to the Cherished Children Day Care Center.

Remembering and Honoring the Past BY AMBER BITTLE

F or the second time this school year, a group of community volunteers and students from Georgia Military College spent

a Saturday afternoon cleaning and maintaining Shiloh Cemetery in Byron, Georgia. By coming together, the volunteers will bring this forgotten cemetery back to life. Mr. and Mrs. Bohnstedt, a family who lives adjacent to the cemetery, came to support the project and thanked the students and faculty for cleaning a piece of land very dear to their hearts. First established in 1831, this unique cemetery has over one hundred and fifty unmarked graves due to the loss of the original wooden crosses during a forest fire. The cemetery also contains graves of soldiers ranging from the Civil War to World War II making the cemetery an important piece of history that should be cherished and maintained. GMC students used chainsaws to cut down the larger bushes while other students helped clear away the overgrown vegetation from the seven acres. Students also picked up trash from trespassing teenagers who used the cemetery for illegal recreational activity. The saddest job involved replacing the overturned tombstones from recent cases of vandalism. With time, this rewarding and fulfilling experience will hopefully deter any future cases of vandalism while also preserving a special piece of Georgia’s history. I challenge every student on the GMC Warner Robins campus to volunteer for the next cleanup, so they too can be a part of this special project.

T he red, white and blue wreath hangs securely on the wooden easel with its matching silk ribbon. The flowered laurel

safeguards the American flags and presents the nature of its occurrence on this special day. It honors and thanks those who previously served and currently serve the United States in military service. This past Veteran’s day, November 11th, 2013, the GMC-WR Veteran’s Club presented a tribute to all Veterans past and present. The homage included representation for all branches of military services with a special emphasis on a service member from Georgia who is currently being held as a Prisoner of War. Our thoughts and prayers are with this service member and his family. The Veteran’s Club thanks all veterans in giving their all in service to our country. May God Bless all veterans and God Bless America!

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Honoring our Veterans BY SHIRLEY BREEZE

Photos by Shirley Breeze: (Left) GMC-WR Veteran’s Club member Ricardo Hale adjusts an Air Force hat on the Veteran’s Day 2013 Veteran’s Club tribute table. The presentation honors

all military veterans for their commitment and service to the United States of America. (Middle) Tribute to current Prisoner of

War from Georgia. (Right) Veteran’s Club advisor Mr. Mark Pierce and club member Ricardo Hale present the Veteran’s Day

display to GMC-Warner Robins students and faculty.

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Spring 2014: Early Registration: Feb. 3 – Feb. 27

New Student Registration: Mar. 18-21 Classes Begin and End: Mar. 22—May 25

Spring Break: Mar. 31—Apr. 6

Summer 2014: Early Registration: Apr. 21 – May 15

New Student Registration: May 28-30 Classes Begin and End: June 2 – July 20

Graduation: Saturday, June 14

Fall I 2014: Early Registration: June 16 – July 10

New Student Registration: July 29 – Aug. 1 Classes Begin and End: Aug. 2 – Sep. 28

GMC-Warner Robins is on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, where we

share important dates and reminders on a daily basis, and special events as information

becomes available. Find us online, and feel free to join the conversation!

facebook.com/gmcwarnerrobins twitter.com/gmcwarnerrobins

instagram.com/gmcwarnerrobins

801 Duke Avenue Warner Robins, GA 31093

gmcwarnerrobins.com