I resolve to take advantage of my NOW and student e-mail accounts. – One of the great things about Northern is the NOW account. Here, is a treasure chest full of information. With your NOW account, you can access your transcripts, midterm grades, final grades, financial aid information, and holds on your account whenever you want. And that’s not all Northern offers you. When you register, you also get your very own e-mail account, which you get to keep even after you graduate. Sure I just told you to stay offline, but now I’m telling you to get online!

I resolve to get 7 hours of sleep on school nights. – Don’t offend your professor by dozing off in your 8:30 AM class, and don’t risk the safety of yourself and other drivers by hitting the roads early in the morning while in a sleepy daze. Get to bed early on school nights, and wake up feeling refreshed, alert, and ready to take on your full day of classes. The benefits of sleep are numerous…Basically, you’ll be healthier – physically & mentally.

I resolve to get involved on-campus. – Don’t be shy – participate! Whether it is a blood drive, a canned food drive, WVNCC’s Relay for Life team, or an on-campus party (Christmas party, Mardi Gras, BBQ) – join in! Also consider joining important school organizations, such as student senate and PTK. You’ll have fun, and feel good about yourself and the cause you are supporting.

I resolve to speak up in class. – Having been a student myself, I know how backward students can be about speaking up in class, but honestly, class participating and offering input can be one of the most worthwhile decisions you can make in college. Whether it is asking a question concerning that especially tough algebra equation, or whether it is participating in that thought-provoking discussion in psychology class, speak up and prepare to reap the benefits and watch the doors open for you.

It’s a new year, and a new semester at Northern. Regardless of how your last semester went, there’s a fresh, clean slate available for you. Put into your education what you are expecting to get out of it. Take responsibility for your actions and hold yourself accountable. Besides that, take advantage of what Northern offers! Explore your NOW account and make a point to login to your e-mail account daily. Consider the academic success center for tutoring help, and seek out the resources the library offers when you are tackling that especially tough research project. The tools are there; it’s up to you to decide if and how you will use them.

Reasons for poor grades are plenty.  Perhaps you did not take your courses as seriously as you should have - perhaps you partied too much, skipped class too many times, or you daydreamed too often during class.  The reasons are these and so many more, but the solutions are simple and few. 

Worry when it is reasonable – Worry can make you sick, and sometimes it is unreasonable to be worrying.  What’s done is done, and once final grades have been posted, there is really no way to turn back.  Instead of thinking over the “what ifs,” instead think on what you can change next time around…Too often we focus on our failures instead of our successes.  Take what you can from this experience…You are better prepared for next time around; you know what to expect if you need to take the class over.

Retake a course – Sometimes retaking a course is inevitable.  Many degrees require you to make a certain grade in degree-related courses to receive your diploma and graduate.  Find out these sort of requirements from your advisor or counselor. 

Scholarship Issues – Find out how your grades will affect your scholarship standing.  Whether or not you receive your scholarship the next semester, usually depends on certain aspects of your academic standing – such as GPA.  For instance, when I was a student, Promise required for me to have an overall yearly GPA of 3.0 or higher, or a B average.  Once again, contact your advisor, school counselor, or WV’s Promise Scholarship offices (Google WV Promise to figure out important info such as e-mail addresses & phone #s) regarding the qualifications of retaining the Promise Scholarship.

And keep the following in mind: Many scholarships will not cover the same course twice…Find out how this affects you.  You might find it beneficial to retake a failed course during the summer, so you can stay on track.

Course Help & Tutoring – All students could benefit tremendously from Northern’s Academic Success Center.  The excuses for not receiving help are many, but none of them are worthwhile excuses.  Whether you need serious help, or you are just wanting to brush up or review a course, the academic success center is there.  Before reaching the point of failure in a course, do yourself a favor and visit the tutoring center.  And even if it is the end of the semester and it is too late to turn a grade around, don’t make the same mistake twice…look into the tutoring center for the following semesters.

So the Pilgrims decided to leave Holland travel to the New World. The trip would be financed by a group of English investors, the Merchant Adventurers. The Pilgrims would be given passage and supplies in exchange for working off their debts for the next 7 years.

On September 6th of 1620 the Pilgrims set sail for the New World on the Mayflower, which carried the 44 Pilgrims, who referred to themselves as “Saints,” and 66 others, whom the Pilgrims referred to as the “Strangers.”

The trip was cold, damp, and took over 2 months. Because of the danger of fire on the wooden ship, the food had to be eaten cold. Many passengers became sick, and one died by the time land was sighted on November 10th.

After land was sighted a meeting was held between the “Saints” and the “Strangers,” whom had had many disagreements throughout the lengthy trip. An agreement was worked out, called the Mayflower Compact. This agreement guaranteed equality and unified the “Saints” and the “Strangers,” now referring to the entire group wholly as the Pilgrims.

The Pilgrims had first sighted land off Cape Cod but did not settle till they arrived at Plymouth, dubbed by Captain John Smith in 1614. The land offered great living with a large brook for fishing but the Pilgrims worried about possible attack by local Native Americans. The Patuxets were a peaceful group though and did not prove to be a threat.

The first winter was especially rough for the Pilgrims. The snow, sleet, and cold disrupted the Pilgrims’ construction of their settlement. March brought a respite from the devastation but many had died during the long winter. Of the 110 Pilgrims and crew who left England, less than 50 survived the first winter.

On March 16th of 1621 an Indian brave walked onto the Pilgrims’ settlement. The Pilgrims were frightened until the Indian called out “Welcome” in English. Samoset was an Abnaki Indian who had learned English from the captains of fishing boats that had sailed off the coast. After staying the night Samoset left the next day but soon returned with another Indian named Squanto. Squanto, who spoke better English than Samoset, told the Pilgrims of his voyages across the ocean and his visits to Spain and England, where he had English.

Squanto’s importance to the Pilgrims was life-saving. The Pilgrims learned from Squanto how to tap the maple trees for sap, which plants were poisonous, and which were medicinal. Squanto also taught the Pilgrims how to plant Indian corn, along with other crops.

The harvest in October was a celebratory one. The Pilgrims found themselves with enough food to last the winter along with success in having built homes in the wilderness. Pilgrim Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native Americans. Squanto and the other Indians were invited to joing them in their celebration. Massasoit, the chief Native American, along with 90 braves, came to the celebration which lasted for 3 days. The group layed games, ran races, and marched and played drums. The Indians demonstrated their bow and arrow skills, while the Pilgrims demonstrated their skills with the musket.

Not every year after was as successful as that first year, and the 3rd year was especially hot and dry with the crops dying in the fields. Governor Bradford ordered a day of fasting and prayer, and soon thereafter, the rain came. To celebrate, November 29th of that year was proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving.

An annual celebration of thanksgiving continued through the years, and a day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress. In 1817 New York had established Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom; many other states followed suit in the 19th century. Eventually, in 1863, President Lincoln appointed a national day of thanksgiving.

~ This description of the first Thanksgiving was found at http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/pilgrims.htm A transcription of the Mayflower can be found at http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/PrimarySources/MayflowerCompact.php

Have a happy & healthy Thanksgiving; be sure to take the time to say thanks for your many blessings, both big and small.

VETERAN’S DAY 

11.11.11

 *“Freedom is never free.” -Author Unknown *

* “How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” -Maya Angelou *

* “When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?” -George Canning *

* “Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.” -G.K. Chesterton *

* “This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” -Elmer Davis *

* “But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand they wrought for, Is their monument to-day, and for aye.” -Thomas Dunn English *

* “I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot.” -Gary Hart *

* “Lord, bid war’s trumpet cease; Fold the whole earth in peace.” -Oliver Wendell Holmes *

* “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” -John Fitzgerald Kennedy *

* “The most persistent sound which reverberates through men’s history is the beating of war drums.” -Arthur Koestler *

* “I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, ‘Mother, what was war?’” -Eve Merriam *

* “Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul.” -Michel de Montaigne *

* “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” -Jose Narosky *

* “We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” -Cynthia Ozick *

* “The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war.” -Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit *

* * * * *

Veteran’s Day was this past Friday – November, 11, 2011.  Did you think of the day and what it means to you?  When it comes to Veteran’s Day, so many of us think of a day off from work – perhaps the three day weekend -, or we think of Veteran’s Day sales at our favorite stores.  Veteran’s Day means so much more than that though; Veteran’s Day is a day dedicated to those who are willing to make – or have made – the ultimate sacrifice.  All of those who have fought or are still fighting for our country give so much – time away from their families, physical and mental exertion, and familiar lands and faces.  They do this because of a love for their country, and they do this so that we do not have to.  What we need to do is so much simpler, what we should do should be second nature: show our thankfulness and gratitude.  Freedom comes with so great of a cost, and sometimes we do not seem to be completely aware of that cost.

Support your local veterans, whether through donations to local or national organizations supporting our veterans or through spoken words of gratitude and prayers.

*****

]]> http://wvnccnm.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/veterans-day-11-11-11/feed/ 0 wvnccnm http://wvnccnm.wordpress.com/2011/11/09/secret-santa-deadline/ http://wvnccnm.wordpress.com/2011/11/09/secret-santa-deadline/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:50:14 +0000 wvnccnm http://wvnccnm.wordpress.com/?p=1005 ]]> Secret Santa applications are due back to the Service Center by Monday, Nov, 14th.