“Relay never stops because cancer never stops” is the slogan and theme of the Relay for Life, the flagship fundraiser of the American CancerSociety. The event, which started at NOVA in 2002, allows students to channel the passion of those words and continue to make an impact in the war against cancer. For two nights, on April 17 and 18, over 170 registered students making up 26 teams will honor the lives of those with cancer through joining in the planned activities.

For two days over Spring Break students at NOVA’s Medical Education campus got to know the poor and underserved of Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington. Students enrolled in the Dental Assistant, Dental Hygiene, Emergency Medical Technician and Nursing programs volunteered their services along with area dentists, pharmacists and translators during the days of March 12 and 13 for the Northern Virginia Mission of Mercy Project, also known as MOM.

Ever since last spring, one woman has stood out from the typical crop of campus leaders. Karima Ben Ayed has made a lasting impression on both the staff and students at Northern Virginia Community College’s Alexandria campus. Carrying the appellation of the most recent past-President of the International Club, Ben Ayed’s autograph covered many programs gathered by attendees at last year’s International Spring Festival.
The event was the most highly attended student-initiated function in recent NOVA history and was even more noteworthy because Ben Ayed raised the defunct International Club from a three-year-long period of inactivity to a juggernaut, able to mobilize the most creativity, curiosity and culinary expertise the student body may have ever seen.

I regularly volunteer to lay hands on or over people lying on a massage table to help them relieve stress, deal with cancer treatments or handle other issues in their lives. This NOVA student has made Reiki her favorite hobby. Believe it or not, there is nothing more involved in the treatment beyond focusing your attention on someone. I use symbols and mantras to focus and channel energy to them so they can heal from just about anything. Like Japanese food, learning about Reiki just doesn’t appeal to everyone or …