This is the post excerpt.
Thousands of college students have returned to the Triad to begin or finish up their education. Most have little or no funds to do fun things after school work or during the weekend.
So we decided to construct a map of all the free things that can be done in the area. Check it out.
Over the past weeks, gun violence has become a growing issue for many communities. This has been apparent through the news and many more social media outlets.
Gun Violence has caused many communities to stand up and protest to put an end to the issue.
Gun Violence Headlines
Keith Lamont Scott was just one of the many lives that were taken due to police brutality and gun violence. Scotts’ death resulted in protests and riots in downtown charlotte, NC last month. Many charlotte residents gathered downtown to show their concern and try to bring Keith Scotts’ death some justice. The protests continued several nights after his death.
Greensboro Resident Teresa T* said “When the protests and riots were going on, I was just trying to contact my family because I have family in Charlotte. My cousin even attended one of the protest. All we wanted was justice.”
*Refused to give last name
Gun Violence Statistics
Gun Violence has been an issue within the community for many years now. According to www.Bradycampaign.org, “Over 111,000 (111,779) people in America are shot in murders, assaults, suicides & suicide attempts, unintentional shootings, or by police intervention.” If you break that down into how the gun violence is categorized then you will see the major toll gun violence has on people. Below is a statistics of gun violence deaths based off an average that was done by www.Bradycampaign.org as well. The Statistics for gun violence are below:
These statistics are those of men, women and children.
Here is a visual chart demonstration of how many Americans were killed by guns between the years of 1968-2011. Those numbers are still continuing to grow every year.
Terence Crutcher was another victim of police brutality and gun violence. Crutcher was an unarmed man fatally shot by a Tulsa police officer on September 16, 2016. Terence Crutchers’ Death also resulted in protests as well. Police officer Betty Shelby was arrested and charged for his death.
North Carolina A&T Junior Student Randy M* said “When the Crutcher shooting happened, it made me feel even more discriminated against like I cant even be around a police officer without fear of being shot or something. Its so crazy.”
*Refused to give last name.
Click here for the location of where these two shootings occurred.
Gun Violence Prevention
Many organizations are putting forth effort to prevent gun violence like the Brady campaign, The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Newtown Action Alliance, States United to Prevent Gun Violence, Black Lives Matter and many others. These organizations all have similar goals which is to prevent gun violence and making communities safer for everyone. According to States United to Prevent Gun Violence, ” States United to Prevent Gun Violence is a national non-profit organization dedicated to making our families and communities safer. Our mission is to support state-based gun violence prevention organizations and to bring new partners into the movement.”
Here is a video YouTube link from The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence about how they feel on what’s happened with the shootings and more. (The video is also embedded below as well)
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Video
For more about what these organizations do and how you can help, click here for more information.
Below are more statistics about domestic violence, gun sales/Trafficking and their effect on people:
In conclusion, Many lives are being lost because of guns and their influence. We should all take a stand and do what is right before more innocent lives are taken by the hands of this issue.
*Gifs Courtesy of Giphy.com
Related Links/Keywords:
Gun Violence, Police Brutality, Keith Lamont Scott, Terence Crutcher, Black Lives Matter, Guns, Homicide
As election season draws near, many people are preparing to vote. For some people, this is their first time voting and for others, this is not a new procedure. The fact of the matter is that voting is a very important privilege and right that we have as citizens of the United States of America to have a voice in who represents our country.
The Importance of Voting
Voting in the elections not only affect us, it also affects future generations to come and by making that first step by voting one can insure that the next generation will have the proper representation to make local, state and federal decisions that will positively impact us. Listed below are three of the many reasons on why voting is important:
It may not seem like it but every single vote plays major roles when it comes to selecting who is going to be the next senator, president, etc… that one vote that you do could be the one that is needed to determine the winner so it really does matter.
Votes are sort of like a symbol for opinion and as a human being, you are obligated to your own opinion. Voting is expressing your right to have a say what goes on politically in the government. Take advantage of that by voting!
Exercise your rights by getting out there and letting your voice be heard. Show others that this is important and get them involved too. Many people sit around and complain that they don’t get to express their rights but when the time comes to do so, it is a different story so take advantage while you can.
According to the article “The Importance of Voting” by Hattie Lindell, she says that “The 2008 US Census Bureau says that only 63% of all people registered to vote did. That doesn’t seem that bad, until you realize that only 72% of America is even registered to vote. In reality, only 45% of America is even voting in these elections, even though they could determine the fate of the country.” 45% of registered voters are actually voting so what are the remaining 55% of voters doing? This is why voting is very crucial. You must exercise your rights in order to have a voice and make a difference.
Greensboro Resident Voting Thoughts
I wanted to see this more in-depth for myself so I set out to see what some Greensboro residents thought about the up and coming elections and see to if they were going to vote.
Howard Caldwell from Greensboro says, “Im going to vote this year. I don’t want to see someone in office that doesn’t understand the people. Voting is the key to having a voice.”
Some people had different opinions on this matter like Jimmie Cunningham also from Greensboro who said “I don’t think voting is going to matter this year so I don’t think I’ll vote. It is important and all but the excitement within the community about voting kind of fell off ever since Obama was elected back in 2008 and 2012.”
Voting Places in Greensboro
If you are local to the Greensboro/Triad area, here are a few places/directions on where you can go vote when early election time begins, just click here.
In conclusion, voting is very important and must be taken seriously when approached. your vote could determine everything, so get out there and vote, vote, vote! While you are at it, encourage others to vote as well. Lets come together and show everyone that we can help change the world one vote at a time. Thank you for reading and See you at the polls!
FOR THE FULL LIST OF VOTING PLACES, CLICK HERE.
Related Links and Stories
***GIFS courtesy of giphy.com***
College Experiences’ can either make you or break you and today a couple of NCA&T students are going to tell you five ways that you can make your college experience an absolute success. Lets begin shall we!
This is definitely an important thing you must do to make your college experience beneficial in the long run.
Senior journalism student Keiston France says, “You pay to get an education and missing class is like throwing your money away and not caring so it would be easier to just come to class and learn.”
2. Join different clubs like Greek life, etc./ play sports
This way you can build connections, make friends and meet new people. One club may not have what you are looking or it may not be the one for you but its okay, its all about trying new things and seeing what you like and what you don’t.
Junior engineering student *Michael R. says, “Networking is definitely something that I think every college student should do while they are in college so you can have that professional connection you need when you get out into the working field.”
*Refused to give last name
3. Eat right, exercise and get proper rest
Making sure you eat right and get the proper rest is very important in college because you are exploring a new journey that consists of studying, school and a social life, maybe even having a part time job. with eating right and getting good rest, you will have the energy to tackle the day!
Junior Biology student *Lisa M. says, “Eating right and getting rest is something every college student has difficulty doing. I can admit that I sometimes grab snacks and go and that I don’t always get enough sleep.”
*Refused to give last name
4. Taking Advantage of what the college has to offer
Many colleges have different facilities like gyms, pools, exhibit halls and so much more that are available for students to use. Explore these places and see how much you gain and learn at your school. This can also mean programs and school events as well.
Sophomore Animal Science student *Kasey C. says, “When I first started going here, I didn’t really know what A&T had to offer as far as faculties and more but as I explored more of the campus, I was introduced to things like the gym and the café.”
*Refused to give last name
5. Staying on the right track
Even though everyone wants to experience the college life, staying on the right track is one of the best things that you can do right now. There will be many temptations and things that lead you astray but if you keep a right conscious and a clear mind set with all your goals, you will make it through alright.
Senior business student *Raymond T. says, “Staying on track is kind of hard especially when it comes to GHOE, a lot of people are not focused during that time and it does get hard when trying to recoil from something like that.”
*Refused to give last name
In what ways did your college experience benefit you?
Growing up in a small town with big dreams, Gabrielle C shares some of her most memorable experiences and how growing up in this wonderful town has made her a part of who she is today.
Family Values
Gabrielle grew up learning about family values. She says ” Growing up I was taught the importance of family and how family stuck together and be there for one another.” “To ensure that we spent family time, my mother would have family day every Saturday, where we would go out somewhere in Greensboro and do something active.” A couple places that we loved to go was:
If you want directions to the places listed above, click here.
At first going out every Saturday seemed boring and tiring. I, at that young age, couldn’t understand why we had to go out all the time to these places. I wanted to stay at home but as I grew up, I began to see the bigger picture so recently I asked her a few questions regarding that. The interview is below:
Gabrielle C: “mom, why did we go out every Saturday?”
*Tee: “Because I wanted the family to spend time together.”
Gabrielle C: “As a child, did you have much family time?”
*Tee: “No and yes. “no because my dad worked a lot and my mom had much to do. you know there was a lot of us, right?”
Gabrielle C: “ yes ma’am”
*Tee: ” so time was kind of limited but we did fit that time in where we could so that what im trying to do with us. Make a day where the family can enjoy being a family.
Gabrielle C: “Thank you for letting me ask you those questions.”
*Tee: “you’re welcome hun.”
*Names changed for the privacy.
Another memorable experience was when I went to The Greensboro Science Center. As a kid even into adulthood, I have always had a passion for learning new things so when we went there, I felt like a kid in a candy store. I remember seeing many animals like:
I remember thinking “WOOAH, These animals are so cool and I want to know more.” I learned a lot. This moment changed how I felt about learning.
High School Graduation
Another moment that shaped me was graduating from high school. While in high school, my best friend and I were excited about graduating together but going into my senior year, my family and I had moved so I had to switch schools.
Transitioning late in the year was hard for me because I was going to miss my teachers and friends. I didn’t know what to expect at this school but I was able to make my graduation day a success and even a few years later, my best friend and I still manage to maintain contact with each other. The interview is below:
Gabrielle C: ” How did you feel when I had to switch schools?”
Asha: “ I felt sad because we had made plans and now my best friend was moving away.”
Asha:” im glad we were still able to still talk to each other after all these years.”
Gabrielle c: “Yeah. me too. thanks for letting me interview you.”
Asha:” Your welcome BF (best friend)! “
Those are just a few of my experiences. Thanks for listening and have a great day!
Keywords: Greensboro, small town, Family Values, High School Graduation, Learning, My Hometown, experiences
This boardwalk themed place is perfect place to go for a nice afternoon with family and friends. The shops aren’t free but the site seeing and the feeding of the ducks and swans are free. You will enjoy the beautiful view of the lake and fountains that they have. The address is 8929 J M Keynes Dr, Charlotte, NC 28262.
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