Starting July 1 some of the promised student loan changes that president Barack Obama signed into law at NOVA will take effect.

The main change involves the way loans are handled. In the past, banks were given a subsidy for the loans they made. This left the government with the financial risk if students defaulted and gave banks the profits if the loan was repaid.

No, I don’t have any drugs. I left them at home.
I don’t know how fast I was going because the speedometer only goes up to 120.
Yes, I did see the speed limit sign. I just didn’t see you.
I may be drunk, but you’re ugly.
Want a doughnut?
Yes, sir. (Said to a lady cop)
Wait right here. I’ll be right back.
…and more below the jump.

The Northern Virginia Community College annual sports banquet took place on the evening of April 29 at the Springfield Hilton Hotel. It was organized by NOVA’s collegewide Student Activities Coordinator Brian Anweiler.

The event began with remarks by Dr. Peter Maphumulo, provost of the Alexandria campus. He discussed the importance of sports within the overall NOVA experience, and mentioned that NOVA would soon be considering whether or not to strengthen its sports program.

It’s happened to many of us. We’re driving along, maybe late for class and going too fast or looking for a parking space and not paying attention to how we’re driving. Then we see blue lights flashing behind us. No matter who we are, we get nervous. We may wonder what we did wrong, or we may know. But even if we do know what we did, we don’t all know what to do next.

People tend to love police officers when they need their help and curse them when they get a traffic ticket. But the officer walking toward your car has a job to do, and part of that job is to give tickets to anyone violating traffic laws, which still apply on campus.

With everything that people in this country are arguing about, we as a people forget the many things we can agree on. One of those things is the idea that anyone who would do physical harm to a child is not someone who should be allowed to walk free in society. Many people would say there is nothing worse than that crime. But, in my opinion, there is and that would be the people who cover up these crimes or give safe havens to those who have committed these heinous acts. It is because of this that I am issuing a call that Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, be arrested for knowingly harboring those who have or would impose physical harm to children.

Summer can mean so many things to college students. Beach Week. Freedom. Barbeques. Lifeguard jobs at the local pool. And concerts. Oh, yes. Lots of wonderful concerts.

The summer concert season is in full swing with lower ticket prices than previous years to accommodate the state of the economy and the prevailing hesitation many people have about spending money on non-essentials. Several venues in Virginia are only charging $15 to see bands such as Blues Traveler with Carbon Leaf, Travis Tritt and the Motor City Madman himself, Ted Nugent. The June 18 concert of country star Phil Vassar at Celebrate Virginia Live in Fredericksburg costs only $12.50 in advance through TicketsToBuy.com.

Last December’s shooting at the Woodbridge campus opened many concerns on safety issues at NOVA. To address those questions and provide ideas for a safer environment for students, faculty and staff, NOVA president Robert Templin created the Presidential Commission on Safety and Security. The commission was charged with creating a report on the state of safety and security.

Despite a special web page detailing the creation of the commission, neither the final report nor a summary of its findings, are publicly available on NOVA’s web site. However, the NOVA Fortnightly was able to obtain the report through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Most NOVA graduates eventually work in such areas as in offices, in selling, as nurses or perhaps in an auto shop. Not Kris “Savage” McCray, 28, who smashes bodies and bangs heads in a cage ring in mixed martial arts.

Mixed martial arts includes striking and grappling techniques and appears to be a combination of boxing, wrestling, kick boxing, and jiu-jitsu. MMA fighting has become popular on network and cable television, such as on Spike TV, and on pay telecasts.

Anime Mid-Atlantic 10 is a convention where fans can enjoy video games, watch anime, shop for accessories and make new friends. This year’s con – as the attendees call them – embraces another special occasion, AMA’s 10-year anniversary.

A decade ago, Edward Fortner founded this convention by funding it with his own money. He has joined the ranks of other anime founders, and today it has become a successful phenomenon. Even though the economy is still tough, 4,000 attendees are expected to attend this year from June 11 to 13.