The atmosphere is very welcoming. The colors inside of the store are very bright with pictures of vegetables on the walls. The staff is always friendly and welcoming when you walk thru the door. You can order your food and eat in the restaurant, or you can take your food with you to go. Since most of us have tried joining the healthy trend that has come about in the past few years, Subway has seemed to be more popular among consumers.

You can make your meal anyway you want to. They have turkey, chicken, ham, salami, etc., along with a variety of vegetables. You can also choose from a few different kinds of bread. People can go in and create their own mouth-watering meals for cheap.

Many college and high school students get a job at a Subway or another fast food place. This particular Subway happens to have a Catawba College student on staff, freshman Rachel Thompson. She has joined the sandwich artists recently and hopes this job will help her work and get some money as she continues her education.

Written and produced by the brilliant Tyler Perry, the cast will feature Palmer E. Williams, Jr., Patrice Lovely, Tony Hightower, Alexis Jones, Maurice Lauchner, Jeffery Lewis, and Kislyck Halsey.

The story follows the life of a wealthy family who has everything they need and everything they could want. The characters are often preoccupied with superficial things until they are forced to become involved with their eccentric housekeeper Hattie in this humble interpretation of honesty and truth. The beloved Tyler Perry character is forced to ask for an helping hand from the wealthy family who she works for. Throughout the play, families are given no other choice but to experience how the other half lives.

Tyler Perry’s “The Haves And The Have Nots” is a  story of love and honor told with down-to-the-bone honesty. The show features new music written by Tyler Perry and a cast of amazing singers and actors who make the evening a heartfelt experience. Hattie, played by Patrice Lovely, and Palmer Williams Jr. as Floyd offer up enough laughs to keep audiences chucking for the rest of the year.

Here is a list of the local tour dates:

• Feb. 19th, 2012: Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium
• Feb 23rd-24th, 2012: Fayetteville, NC – Crown Center Coliseum
• Feb 25th-26th, 2012: Durham, NC – DPAC – Durham Performing Arts Center

This is a show you definitely don’t want to miss. Check it out!

Katana is located at 475 Jake Alexander Boulevard in Salisbury. They are open Monday thru Thursday from 11am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday from 11am-9:30pm, and Sunday from 11am to 9pm. The restaurant had very soft lighting which made it a very calm and welcoming atmosphere. It is also a family friendly one.

I went to Katana at dinnertime on a Friday and the restaurant was very busy. The staff was very cordial and the service was quick. The prices were very reasonable for both for lunch and dinner. They also have a wide selection of foods to choose from. I enjoyed an onion soup for an appetizer and had Hibachi chicken with rice and vegetables as my entrée. The restaurant also has sushi available, which is made fresh to order. If you enjoy Japanese food, I highly recommend that you try Katana.

It tells a story of three sisters; all daughters of a pastor who; through faith, love, and self forgiveness,  make their way through different adversities. Daughters of the King is a spiritual musical set to scores with different styles such as jazz, gospel, R&B, and so forth. Douglas states “Many women have come to believe that our negative experiences determine who we are… God spoke powerfully to me in reminding me who I am in his eyes – a Daughter of the King.”

The musical is a benefit for Dove’s Nest, a Charlotte Rescue Mission program that provides a strong Christian environment to help women overcome substance addictions. The cast of the musical will be all volunteer but it is for a very good cause and will be a lot of fun.

For those who may be interested in auditioning for Daughters of the King: they are seeking lead & understudy actors who are STRONG vocalists. Also, they are seeking strong vocalists (male and female) to sing in a choir which will perform with the actors (no acting required for the choir). Some light, simple choreography is required for speaking roles, so ability to “move” is a must.  However, no formal dance training is required.

People auditioning must be available for weekly rehearsals starting in February 2012 through the show opening on Sunday, May 13, 2012.  For speaking parts, please prepare a 2-minute monologue and be ready to perform 2 songs (a Capella) that showcases your vocal ability. Also, you will also be asked to do a reading from the production’s script.  Lastly, please bring a head shot or other photo of yourself. For more information, visit http://dokthemusical.com/

This is a good opportunity to showcase what Catawba has to offer OUTSIDE of the campus! If you have time and/or are interested, please come out and support this very inspiring and outstanding musical!

The zoo also has a 4-D theater that features an adventure from the cartoon Dora the Explorer and her cousin Diego. In addition to the theater, there is the Prairie Geyser Fountain. It is located at one of the four North American Prairie Overlooks, and you have access to the wooden deck when visiting. You may see grazing bison and elk and can enjoy spouts from one of five naturalistic man-made geysers while at the zoo.

Additionally, the zoo offers a helicopter that was used to track elephants. Guests are allowed to climb aboard and take pictures. One of the newest attractions is the Giraffe Deck. When visiting this destination, you will be able to get eye-to-eye with the giraffes and also have the opportunity to feed them. Once you have enjoyed the zoo, you can end your trip with visiting one of the many gift shops located throughout the park. Shoppers can buy a variety of t-shirts, jewelry, candy and more.  See you there!

Like the students in her class, Lowery was also a first generation college student in her family. “I enjoyed it [the trip] because I didn’t really have those opportunities when I was a first year student myself,” mentioned Lowery.

The group of students toured numerous historical sites and monuments. Among their activities, the students viewed Billy Elliot: The Musical at the Kennedy Center, toured the White House, visited Arlington National Cemetery, and ventured to many museums. Christopher Money, a first generation college student, had trouble deciding which part of the trip was his favorite. “You were actually a part of it [the trip], and you could tell your own personal story to fit in with the history of America,” he recalled.

The 2011-2012 First in the Family FYS class was the second Catawba group to go on this trip. Funding was provided by Wal-Mart/CIC and obtained through written grants by Maria Vandergriff-Avery, Carla Eastis, Steve Coggin, and Carl Girelli.

Allow me the privilege to explain everything.

Vaxil BioTherapeutics is medical company in Israel. It was founded in 2006 by Dr. Lior Carmon. They have recently developed a therapeutic cancer vaccine that they hope will treat cancer and prevent it from recurring in previous cancer patients. I will be the first person in line to receive it.

          They have started clinical trials with it at the Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem. Currently, they are using it in the trial to combat Multiple Myeloma, a type of blood cancer. If all goes well it could be available in about six years, hopefully treating and preventing 90 percent of all known cancers. It would be used like a drug and would be given on a regular basis.

          In a cancer patient, their immune systems are down and out but this vaccine is developed to “train” T-cells. T-cells are specific cells in your immune system that seek out foreign cells in your body that are marked with a molecule called MUC1. This molecule is typically only found on most cancer cells. ImMucin is made to activate the T-cells so that they will help destroy the cancer cells with little to no side effects.

          For large tumors and cancers in the advanced stages, chemotherapy and surgery may still be necessary but if it can be down-sized then the vaccine can help the body to get rid of it. ImMucin is intended to be long-term and would be given at a certain point every few months to keep the cancer from returning.

          Can we all agree that this is a huge breakthrough for medical science and for the world’s cancer patient population? I think I speak for many of us when I say that we would be forever grateful.

People shake their head when they see my 2-3lb textbook. They ask me” Why Sean?” I tell them “I enjoy it, it makes sense to me.” (When in the back of my mind I’m wishing they’d smash me in the head with it and take me out of my misery.)

Accounting ranks up among the hardest technical subjects due to the ambiguous elements that arise in the profession that call for sound technical judgment and problem solving, traits that are essential to any job not just accounting. I definitely don’t fit the mold of the stereotypical accountant/bookkeeper.

Most people coin the term “bookworm” and “left-brained” in their description of an accountant but that couldn’t be more far from the truth especially in upper management. As with any job, “soft” skills are what really separate the pedestrian accountants from the game-changers. The ability to communicate through oral and written word makes for a more productive employee who can do a wider range of tasks that contribute to the business.

Now for people who plan to start their own business, a solid understanding of accounting can be beneficial in those first five years, deemed the “survival years”. An MBA with a business related concentration (accounting ranks as one of the top concentrations for an MBA) provides a more well-rounded business curriculum and reinforces other elements of the business cycle.

I don’t just advocate an accounting degree because accounting is only one facet of the business realm. Branch out and study other subjects such as management, marketing/sales, human behavior either through psychology or sociology, and so forth. As a sophomore at a liberal arts college, I’ve gained a perspective on the meaning of being well-rounded and I hope this advice is heeded by all who plan to study or enter business.

Follow me on Twitter @_SeanAlexander_ for thoughtful tweets on a variety of subjects.

Activists traveled from around the United States and Canada to Washington, DC on the afternoon of Sunday November 6th to protest TransCanada’s proposed 1,700 mile Keystone XL pipeline. Environmentalists are concerned that the pipeline could cause contamination of drinking water near vital aquifers. Should the pipeline be constructed, oil will be extracted from tar sands in Alberta, Canada and be transported to the Gulf Coast, refined, and exported to Europe and Asia. President Barack Obama is expected to make a decision regarding the pipeline by the end of the year.

Catawba seniors Jennifer Goble and Sarah Moore organized the trip. “I wanted to make a group to inform others about the tar sands oil in Canada. I found Tar Sands Action on Facebook, did a little more research, and then Jennifer Goble and I decided to make a group that Catawba Students could join,” senior Sarah Moore said. After more research, Sarah discovered that a protest was occurring in DC through Tar Sands Action and invited students from around campus to join her. Sarah also commented, “As American citizens, it is our right to exercise our freedom to tell those in leadership that the decisions they make affect us all and that we are watching and we are listening.”

Students left campus Saturday evening, stopped in Virginia for the night, and continued their voyage to the White House Sunday morning. Students carried signs and an inflatable pipeline through the streets of downtown D.C. chanting, “Yes we can! Stop the pipeline,” drawing parallels to President Obama’s campaign slogan. Protestors from Occupy DC also joined the parade through the streets shouting “We are the 99 percent” and carried signs that read “Occupy Earth” to show their support for the pipeline protest.

All of the Catawba students felt that their efforts played an important role in letting President Obama know that Americans are opposed to the construction of the pipeline.

“I decided to protest the pipeline because I am opposed to perpetuating America’s addiction to oil,” said Sarah Robinson, a senior Environmental Science major. President Obama has taken sole responsibility when deciding whether or not to veto the pipeline plans.

“If Obama wants to create jobs, he should look towards renewable energy rather than fossil fuels.”
Kyra Thurow stated “The protest against the pipeline is a cause I believe in. This trip was the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had and I felt like I made a difference… “The pipeline is a big environmental disaster. I believe it is our duty to take care of our creation.”

The thirteen protestors from Catawba who participated were Sydney Byerly, Gareth Cobb, Susan Ethridge, Jennifer Goble, Sarah Matulis, Kyra Thurow, Sarah Moore, Trevor Morrison, Sarah Robinson, Justin Smith, Morgan Soulantikas, and Eli Wittum, David Idol (a Catawba College alumnus).

Environmental Catawba Outreach (E.C.O.) donated money for the van rental to transport students to D.C. “E.C.O. was proud to sponsor the group of students that took a stand for the environment.” said Kyra Thurow, President of E.C.O.

Robin Lundy of Robin Farms in Davie County and other donors also contributed money for the trip.

President Obama is frustrated, as well as many of the American public, and is demanding immediate action. He told them that if they did not reach an agreement by this past weekend, then they would be facing a federal government shutdown.

This danger made both parties realize the urgency of the need for their cooperation. They have reached an unofficial agreement, allowing President Obama to sign a short term spending deal that will last until Friday, when the budget for this year will (hopefully) be finalized.

The budget has been put off because of the conflicting political agendas of the two major parties. Conservatives wanted the budget cut considerably, taking funding from programs which are considered liberal, such as the highly debated health care system and Planned Parenthood.

After months of putting off the debate, and an intense week of head-butting debate, the Democrats and Republicans have compromised. While it seems as though the Republicans may have won out in this political battle, the budget is yet to be approved by President Obama.