CCV in the News

Click here to read "Free career-readiness course to debut at CCV" which was published in Saturday's edition of the Burlington Free Press.

CCV HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE A SUCCESS!

The Student Advisory Board (SAB) ended their six week food drive last week collecting a total of 240 pounds of food for the Chittenden County Emergency Food Shelf. The staff at the Food Shelf were very appreciative of the donation and indicated that they are seeing a rapid increase in need among Vermont families. On behalf of CCV Burlington, the SAB would like to thank all those who contributed in making this event a success!

The Chittenden County Food Shelf accepts donations all year. If you are interested in contributing, please visit their website for more information.

http://www.cvoeo.org/htm/FoodShelves/foodshelves.html

Unclaimed Scholarships for CCV Burlington Students!

CCV recently awarded several scholarhips for 2009. However, there was one scholarship for which there were no applications received that met the minimum criteria to receive the awards. If you fall into the categories outlined below, consider applying!

Chadwick Fund Scholarship: This scholarship is for $600 from the Chadwick fund. This goes to a Burlington student who is a parent, and is married or previously married. If you are interested, contact Linda Gribnau (CCV Burlington Financial Aid Counselor).

CCV In the News

Here are links to some more recent new stories regarding CCV's new Career Readiness Certificate program:

1. State launches new job training program from Vermont Public Radio.

2. Governor announces Career Readiness Program from the state of Vermont's official website.

CCV Holiday Card Contest Winner: Bob Huntoon

Each fall, CCV holds its annual holiday card contest where students and faculty can be submit their artwork to be considered for the College’s official statewide winter holiday greeting card. This is a juried art contest and the winning entry is chosen by CCV’s Arts & Humanities Committee. The winner also receives an honorarium prize of $ 200, offered by President Tim Donovan.

This year, the winner of this contest is Bob Huntoon, a Vermont artist and member of the CCV Burlington art faculty. The included image is Bob's winning submission. Congratulations Bob!

Updated Slideshow for New Chittenden County Building

New pictures are now available from the construction site of our new building in Winooski! Click here to view a brief slideshow of the work so far.

CCV In the News

An article titled "State, CCV to offer career readiness program" appeared in today's Burlington Free Press. Click here to read the entire article.

Choir Performance Night

CCV's Burlington Community Choir and the Queen City Larks will be having their fall performance this Friday! We hope you can attend. Here are the details.

Friday, December 5, 7:00 pm
First Congregational Church Chapel, So. Winooski Ave.

REFRESHMENTS TO FOLLOW

Directed by Amity Baker
Accompanied by Carolyn Wood

Guest Student Post: Straight Edge Lifestyle

The following is a guest post submitted by Dylan Niquette, a CCV Burlington student in his first semester. He wrote this piece for his Fall 2008 English Composition class with Deborah Straw. If you'd like to contribute some of your work to the CCV Burlington Blog, contact Adam Warrington (adam.warrington@ccv.edu).

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Straight Edge is a philosophical lifestyle, a sub culture revolving mostly around the punk/hardcore movement. Straight Edge is a philosophy based around self-control, with the ability to abstain from drug use, alcohol use, and casual sex. Straight Edge centers around a lifestyle of personal development and well being, with belief in having a healthy body and mind. The movement attracts those away from the dependency lifestyles of drugs and unhealthy living habits that are common in our modern day culture. Straight Edge is a lifetime commitment.

Straight Edge ideas could be found in songs by the 1970s, but were more expanded on during punk movements in the late 1970s and 1980s. The Straight Edge lifestyle found its way throughout the United States and Canada in the ‘80s, along with the punk movement that made its way around European countries. Although Straight Edge shares common beliefs with Christianity, it is not considered a religion.

The phrase, Straight Edge, comes from the drummer Jeff Nelson of the punk band, Minor Threat. While Nelson was drawing a poster with a ruler for one of the band’s shows, he told his band mates that the straight edge of a ruler was a metaphor representing what the band stood for (keeping themselves straight/clean). Minor Threat was one of the first bands to preach being a clean punk band. In 1981 Minor Threat came out with a song named “Straight Edge.” The lyrics of the song written by Ian MacKaye became the anthem for Straight Edge lifestyle of the punk/hardcore movement:

I’m a person just like you, but I’ve got better things to do, than sit around and**** my head, hang out with the living dead. Snort white **** up my nose, pass out at the shows. I don’t even think about speed, that’s something I just don’t need. I’ve got the straight edge.

Straight Edge can also be represented by “sXe,” which is an acronym for the word, and by the symbol of an “X.” The “X” symbol comes from the common practice at all age shows where those under the drinking age are marked with X’s on their hands by security. Even those of the drinking age who are Straight Edge mark their hands with X’s as a sign of solidarity when they go to shows. Since Straight Edgers are into the hardcore scene of music, they tend to have the same fashion of those in the scene. You may see Straight Edgers with camouflage shorts, hardcore band t-shirts, gauges, and possibly tattoos (sometimes Straight Edge tattoos.)

Several aspects of Straight Edge are common within the lifestyle. Many may follow the lifestyle of no drugs (including tobacco), no alcohol, no casual sex. Some may choose to abstain from caffeine while others believe that caffeine is not an issue. Many individuals become drug free, but in other cases (not Straight Edge), being drug free is not a lifetime commitment.

The militant view of Straight Edge is called Hardline. A more extreme lifestyle of Straight Edge, it forbids the use of caffeine and modern day medicines. It also tends to be a more conservative lifestyle, with views against abortion and homosexuality. Those who are Hardline are for animal liberation and live a vegan lifestyle. Hardline is also against pornography, masturbation, and artificial contraception, for some believe that sex should only be done for reproduction. Hardline tends to follow rules from Abrahamic religions.

Anyone can become Straight Edge, whether you’re straight or gay, a boy or a girl, old or young. Even if you have done drugs in the past, a way to change is to claim Straight Edge. Those who cannot become Straight Edge are those who have claimed it before and have sold out their moral beliefs and resorted to drugs, alcohol, or casual sex. Those who have done this are called sellouts in the world of the Straight Edge movement.

A common question asked about the Straight Edge lifestyle is: “Why do you give yourself a title?” Since Straight Edge is a philosophy, it is easier to describe your beliefs as a whole by saying you are Straight Edge. For example, if you are in a social situation, and someone asks you if you want to drink, or do drugs, or smoke, or have sex, instead of saying “no,” you can say you’re Straight Edge. Some may already know of Straight Edge, and those who don’t know may look it up. The label is like calling yourself Christian, Jewish, Republican or Democrat; it describes your beliefs. The label shows that you are committed and serious about your beliefs and lifestyle.

Use Financial Aid to Help Pay for Your Textbooks

Did you know that students will be able to use up to $200 of their financial aid money toward the cost of your textbooks starting in Spring 2009? CCV is very proud to announce this change that should help many students ease the burden of acquiring thier books.

For more information on this new option, visit http://www.ccv.edu/financial_aid/textbooks or contact the CCV Burlington Financial Aid office at 802-859-3023.

Got Health Insurance?

Many Vermonters, including many CCV students, are living without health insurance. If you are one such Vermonter, consider looking into the new Catamount Helth program. For more information, check out the guest post below submitted by Margaret Brault from Vermont Interfaith Action.

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Catamount Health, the State of Vermont’s new health care program for the uninsured, provides a comprehensive benefits package that includes hospitalization, prescription coverage, doctor visits for primary and specialty care, mental health and substance abuse treatment. For more information about Catamount Health visit http://www.catamounthealth.org/ or call 1-866-482-4723.

Also, Vermont Interfaith Action (VIA) is a faith-based group of congregations in the Burlington area working with faith communities to reach out to uninsured Vermonters to help them get access to affordable health care. For information on VIA, contact Emily Wexler at Vermont Interfaith Action at Emily@viavt.org or call (802) 651-8889.