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.

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.

NOVA plays host to a wide variety of students and faculty. All manners of talents are displayed on campus, from musicians to football players, and from computer wizards to fashion divas. Annandale campus boasts a very special inhabitant; however, Gerald Boyd, Dean of Languages and Literature, has a talent which makes him very popular in the office. He is a professional cook.

We’ve all seen the hit television series American Idol. Now NOVA has its own iteration of the show, NOVA Idol.
Dozens of students auditioned, performed, and were sent home, until only the finalists remained. At 7 p.m. on March 26 the finals will be held at Schlesinger Hall at the Alexandria campus. Eight students with great talent will compete to hold the title of NOVA Idol, as well as cash prizes for third place, second place and the Idol.

A Centreville-based band is set to hit the airwaves and the local music clubs this spring. Their music, a fusion of piano and violin instrumentals set to an electronica backdrop, challenges its audience to redefine rock music.

The Black Cat is filled with admiring fans, and the two-member ensemble with a flair for the theatrics captured their hearts and pulled in their attention to the musical spectacle. Alex Gioeli, 19, has always dreamed for this scene to come to fruition. Turn a pedestrian gaze at Gioeli and see nothing out of the seemingly mundane college sophomore. Open an inquiring eye and see a passionate and ambitious musician looking to make it big one day.

Milos Crvic is an international student at NOVA’s Woodbridge campus. He was born in Belgrade, the capitol of Serbia, in 1989. He started dancing at the age of 10 while attending elementary school. The only reason for dancing, at that time, was to get to know a girl he liked. After a few years, the girl and most of the new friends left the dance school, giving Crvic an opportunity to think of the real reason for attending the school. At some point he wanted to quit but then realized that his love for dancing would not let him do it. Over the years passion for dancing grew, and he continued learning new techniques.

Esther Clark, a rising star in academic excellence and leadership at Northern Virginia Community College, just turned seventeen this summer. She started taking classes at NOVA in 2006, and since then she has risen to the position of President in two of NOVA’s most prestigious organizations. She has also represented the student body in the Annandale’s Campus Council.

Clark has a unique academic background. She was home schooled with her brothers and sisters and started her dual-enrollment at NOVA when she was fourteen. “My parents are my principals and my teachers” says Clark, “It’s a teaching style that really goes with the flow.” Clark will receive her high school diploma in the spring, and the 62 college credits she has already earned are a great starting off point for her future.