NOVA President Robert G. Templin Jr. congratulates David Liendo on receiving a scholarship. Submitted photo

David Liendo of Falls Church has been selected to receive a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. He just graduated from Northern Virginia Community College with an associate degree in science and a 4.0 GPA.

Liendo is one of 60 scholars selected this year to receive the award. The scholarship provides up to $30,000 per year and is intended to cover a significant share of the student’s educational expenses, including tuition, living expenses, books and required fees, for the final two to three years necessary to achieve a bachelor’s degree.

NOVA President Robert G. Templin Jr. congratulated Liendo on behalf of the College. “David is well known and respected among faculty and NOVA administrators for his hard work, creativity, enthusiasm and determination to make a difference. We are delighted that the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation will support David as he continues on his career path to become a medical doctor.”

“I am so grateful to NOVA and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation for opening the door of my American Dream. Every time I complete or accomplish something that gets me closer to achieving my dream, I know that it is due to the support of NOVA and the Pathway Program,” Liendo said.

Originally from Bolivia, Liendo won second place in the South American Karate International Competition at age 16 and that presented an opportunity to come to the United States. He knew only one English word when he arrived but decided to stay, leaving his family behind and living with relatives. Since that time he has worked numerous jobs to pay all his expenses.

Liendo graduated from Falls Church High School in 2010, the first in his family to complete high school. He is a participant in NOVA’s Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program, which provides support for at-risk students starting in high school, through NOVA and on to a four-year institution.

In addition to working full-time and completing a heavy academic load that included advanced math and laboratory sciences, Liendo found time to serve as president or vice president of several student organizations. His volunteer work includes tutoring at Falls Church High School, working with at-risk high school students in a local community center, and delivering food to homeless people in Washington, D.C.

He has been accepted by Cornell University, Virginia Tech, University of California at Los Angeles and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is waiting to hear from other colleges. He wants to become a doctor or scientist in the field of cancer research because several of his family members have been touched by cancer.

One of his recommendations said: “David is truly destined to be a change agent on this planet and we will be better for his contributions. There is no doubt he will succeed in his chosen career direction. His personal motivation and his inability to take anything for granted will propel him on to the next phase of his journey.”

Liendo is the sixth NOVA student in the last seven years to receive the scholarship. Previous recipients are Dan F. Nechita (2006), Jean-Blaise Ognong (2007), Edward Sawyer (2009), Karima Ben Ayed (2010) and Kyle Stevenson (2011).

The newest academic building at the Manassas campus of Northern Virginia Community College was recently dedicated to the late Harry J. Parrish. Parrish Hall contains more than 55,000 square feet of space for lecture rooms, computer, biology and engineering labs, art studio and offices. Photo by: Carlene Mackereth

Faculty, staff, students and guests gathered to officially open Harry J. Parrish Hall at the Manassas campus of Northern Virginia Community College on May 8. The building is named after Harry J. Parrish, the longtime Virginia delegate and former Manassas mayor.

Interim Provost Christine Holt got the celebration started with a warm welcome. “It is my pleasure to greet you on this happy occasion. We are gathered to dedicate the newest structure on the Manassas campus, and I know you’ll share my enthusiasm about the facility’s wonderful amenities,” she said.

NOVA Board Chair David Miller introduced special guests, including Parrish family members, senators Charles J. Colgan and Richard H. Black and delegates L. Scott Lingamfelter and Jackson H. Miller. The General Assembly members shared anecdotes about Harry Parrish and discussed how important education is for the future of the community.

NOVA President Robert G. Templin Jr. mentioned the STEM and art programs offered in the new building, and Manassas Mayor Harry J. Parrish II talked about the opportunities available to the community.

After a large ribbon was cut with supersized scissors to symbolize the formal opening, student ambassadors led tours around the building and guests enjoyed a reception featuring entertainment by Confirmation Quartet.

Parrish Hall contains lecture rooms, computer laboratories, biology labs, engineering lab, art studio and offices in 55,000 square feet of space. In addition, a large Barnes & Noble Bookstore and Café will provide expanded services and merchandise when it opens later this year.

Designed to meet LEED silver rating, the three-story structure incorporates many sustainable construction elements such as efficient heating and cooling, low-flow plumbing fixtures, recycled and regionally manufactured materials, and rain gardens for stormwater management. Moseley Architects designed the building, and Hess Construction and Engineering Services managed the construction project.

Dan Nechita

NOVA alumnus Dan Nechita will be the guest speaker at Northern Virginia Community College’s 46th Commencement on Saturday, May 12.

This year’s graduating class will be NOVA’s largest, with more than 7,700 degrees and certificates expected to be awarded.

The ceremony begins at 2 p.m. in George Mason University’s Patriot Center and is open to the public.

Originally from Romania, Nechita moved to the United States 10 years ago. He began his education at NOVA’s Alexandria Campus where he majored in psychology and computer science and earned a 4.0 GPA. In 2006, he was the first NOVA student to be selected for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, a prestigious award that provides up to $30,000 per year to support outstanding community college students as they complete bachelor’s degrees. In 2010, Nechita was selected by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to receive an additional scholarship of up to $50,000 to support his graduate studies.

Nechita earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science at Columbia University where he wrote an honors thesis under the guidance of Professors Kenneth Waltz and Robert Jervis, two of the foremost scholars in the field of international relations. He is currently in the second year of a Ph.D. program in political science at George Washington University.

Nechita has worked or interned at ABC News, the Brookings Institution, the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies, and the World Security Institute. He currently serves as chairman of the Jack Kent Cooke Scholar Association. He is also the CEO of the 7,000-members strong League of Romanian Students Abroad and co-founder and CEO of a Romanian think tank called CAESAR (Center for Accessing the Expertise of Students and Alumni from Romania).

Nechita and his wife, Cristina, live in Arlington with their 5-year-old son, Vlad.

By: KJ Mushung
Training Director

Police are on scene investigating a bomb threat at Northern Virginia Community College’s Woodbridge campus, according to the Prince William County Police Department.

No one from NOVA’s police department would neither confirm nor deny this. However, the campus has been closed for the rest of the day.

An update from the Prince William County Police Department states: “The entire campus has been evacuated and remains closed to the public. Freedom [High School] is not being affected at this time.”

Freedom High School is across the street from the Woodbridge campus.

NOVA Fortnightly will keep you informed.

UPDATE:
According to Officer Jonathan L. Perok of the Prince William County Police, at 11:45 a.m., police responded to the Woodbridge campus located at 15200 Neabsco Mills Road for a reported bomb threat. A college employee received the threat over the phone, which came in through a school telephone line.

The bomb was reported to be in the pond area near the main school building.

The entire campus was evacuated and a Virginia State Police bomb dog was brought in to check the surrounding area and buildings.

The investigation is on-going.

UPDATE:
OmniLink released a statement on its website: Due to a bomb threat at the NOVA Woodbridge campus, Dumfries OmniLink buses are not serving stops along Neabsco Mills between Route 1 and Dale Boulevard.

UPDATE:
As of 2:45 p.m., no bomb has been found.

UPDATE:
No bomb was found, and a suspect is in custody.

NOVA's Sam Stack ends up at the bottom of the stack in a scramble for the ball in the fourth quarter of the April 11 lacrosse game against Howard Community College. Photo by: Arch Scurlock

By Arch Scurlock
Sports Columnist

The men’s lacrosse team is having a tough season so far under first year coach Anthony LePore, winning only one of eight contests.

In their latest game, the Northern Virginia Community College lacrosse team traveled to Columbia, Md., to play the Howard County Community College Dragons on April 11 in a match that looked like NOVA could have a chance of winning.

The afternoon was alternately sunny, windy, cold, rainy and even had a few minutes of sleet. And NOVA, after falling behind early in the first period 2-0, stormed back with goals by Miles Herbst, Garrett Nealon and Ricky Sinclair to lead at the end of the first quarter, 3-2, despite being outshot 11-6.

The second period saw Howard dominate as they limited NOVA to just a few shots while making four goals themselves to lead 6-3 at halftime.

NOVA's Garrett Nealon holds the ball away from the Howard Community College defender in the first quarter of the April 11 lacrosse game. Photo by Arch Scurlock

In the third period, NOVA kept up with Howard as each team scored three, though NOVA was again outshot.

Aaron Paul, David Rosenberger and Ryan Ningard scored for NOVA. Trailing 9-6 entering the final period, NOVA was plagued by fouling, and Howard took advantage by scoring six unanswered points, many when a player up, turning the match into a rout and winning 15-6.

With the loss, NOVA dropped to 1-7 for the year while Howard improved to 3-5.

In NOVA’s first game of the year, they traveled to Essex, Md., to play the nationally ranked Community College of Baltimore County-Essex on Feb. 25. NOVA lost 19-4. Two weeks later on March 10, NOVA went to Bel Air, Md., and lost to the ASA College (N.Y.) Avengers 15-9.

The next day NOVA went to Dover, Del., and lost a close match 11-9 to the Delaware Tech & Community College Hawks.
NOVA finally played its first home match on March 15 at George Mason University and came away with its first win of the year, beating the winless County College of Morris (N.J.) Titans 10-6.

NOVA's Ryan Ningard fires a shot at the goal in the fourth quarter of the April lacrosse game with Howard Community College. Photo by Arch Scurlock

Next on the schedule was a trip to Catonsville, Md., to play the Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville Cardinals. NOVA went away with a 17-6 loss.

NOVA’s second home match was on March 31, again at GMU against Harford (Md.) Community College. Both teams got lots of extra practice as no referees showed up for the match. Finally, after about an hour, some referees were cajoled into arriving to judge a 10-5 loss by NOVA.

For its next match, NOVA traveled to Owings Mill, Md., on April 6 and perhaps wished that the referees had not shown up to that one since the team got pummeled 17-1 by the unbeaten Stevenson (Md.) University JV, dropping its record to 1-6.

NOVA plays its final three games in April, two of which will be on home fields at West Potomac High School and then Westfield High School. It appears that NOVA will have a decent chance for victories in at least two of the matches.

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Stephanie Tipple
Staff Reporter

Students gathered in droves at the Woodbridge campus on March 28, not for a play or fun club event, but to hear about the important and often unmentioned problem of domestic minor sex trafficking. The seminar, hosted by the Wayne Foundation, was held by Jamie Walton, a sex trafficking victim, to help students understand the implications, definitions and impact that sex trafficking has on our community and on our planet.

Domestic minor sex trafficking is one of the various forms of trafficking, like labor trafficking, and involves forced or coerced sexual behaviors from United States citizens under the age of 18. Until the early 2000s, domestic minor sex trafficking was not federally recognized, and, Walton explained, many children who were victims of this crime were being arrested until legislation was passed that protects these children and seeks to arrest those who are responsible for the trafficking.

The United Nations has also taken steps to track and help those who are victims of domestic minor sex trafficking, by coming out with a Trafficking in Persons report, which Walton said is a, “government anti-human trafficking effort,” that has shone more light on the issue. Walton spoke about how, in addition to changes in legislation and global efforts to make this a more recognized issue, law enforcement training needs to be a focus. Officers need to be aware of situations where domestic minor sex trafficking is taking place, so they can help these minors, instead of arresting them for criminal activities that are commonly linked with the trafficking, like prostitution and drug dealing.

For those who are victims, Walton commented that rehabilitation is key. There are rehabilitation programs nationally, and the local service provider in Virginia is the Bridge to Freedom Foundation based out of Merrifield. These programs provide victims of domestic minor sex trafficking with safe housing, mental health assessments and treatment, health care, GED services and legal services for any criminal charges associated with their trafficking. These services are crucial for these victims, and helping those who have been victims of domestic minor sex trafficking is the main purpose of the Wayne Foundation.

The Wayne Foundation, which was founded by Walton, was a chance opportunity that came about when Walton formed a friendship with Kevin Smith, an actor known for his performances in “Clerks” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.” Smith, who first spoke with Walton via Twitter, has helped Walton to champion this cause and provided funding to start the Wayne Foundation, hosting fundraisers and raising proceeds from his comedy events.

As of right now, the Wayne Foundation isn’t financially ready to become a service provider for domestic minor sex trafficking victims, but Walton has been fundraising through speaking engagements, selling Wayne Foundation t-shirts and raising money in other ways with Smith’s help.

Next year, the Wayne Foundation is looking to purchase property to house service providing programs and hopes to hit the $500,000 mark in fundraising.

By working to develop the Wayne Foundation, Walton looks to help others by sharing her experiences as a domestic minor sex trafficking victim who found a way out and willingly left the sex trade – a highly unlikely outcome for many in the same situation. Walton’s story is moving and a brave narrative on the strength to break free from the often abusive and dangerous situations in which sex trafficking victims find themselves. By offering seminars like the one at the Woodbridge campus, Walton will continue to spread awareness and empower others to take action in aiding this cause.

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Stephanie Tipple
Fashion Columnist

While people may think that charity and fashion don’t always mix, the Charity Fashion Show, hosted on the Woodbridge campus on April 6, shows that clothes and a charitable cause can work together for a successful conclusion. The event, hosted in the Woodbridge Theater on campus by Irene George, was put together to showcase spring trends while helping to raise money for the March of Dimes Foundation. The March of Dimes works to prevent premature births and support premature babies.

Local retailers like Dressbarn and the GAP in Potomac Mills mall donated clothes to the show, adding a community element. Dale Gearing, manager at the local Dressbarn, provided guests with pamphlets about the trends for spring and said that their Dressbarn location enjoys donating clothing to charity fashion shows around the community to help get the word out about many charities and causes supported in the area.

The fashion show was a blend of both men’s and women’s fashions, and the items displayed by models — who were Northern Virginia Community College students — helped to showcase some of the best trends for spring. The students were enthusiastic and ready to strut their stuff out on the catwalk.

There was a strong presence of bold and bright color for women, with saturated turquoise and yellow tones, along with pops of white for that often forgotten use of contrast. In addition to this show of color, there was also the return of the sundress for women, in a variety of lengths, though many of the styles showcased fell to the ankle or below the ankle.

Cloth shorts also made their way onto the runway, versus their denim counterpart, in a more modest length than previous seasons with a cuffed bottom detail and roomy pockets.

For men, the fashions were more subdued in their color scheme overall, with pops of yellow and blue mixed in to neutral tones. There were many pieces worn by the male models that were military inspired. These pieces, in khaki and olive drab, show how international events, like the troops coming home from Iraq, can truly influence fashion. There was also a large focus on hats for men this season with a relaxed feel that can help men to put together their spring looks.

With the help of local retailers, dedicated students and friends and family in the NOVA community, the fashion show was a great success and helped to raise much-needed funds for the March of Dimes Foundation.

Some people think of social media as God’s gift to man as it allows us to connect with people all across the globe, brag about our latest vacation trip and show off how many friends we have. On the other hand, there are those who curse its manipulative nature and how it is, slowly but surely, taking over our lives by making people procrastinate on important commitments and tasks.

Nonetheless, social media is here to stay, whether we like it or not. And to successfully navigate through the social media jungle and the growing number of platforms can be challenging.

Luckily for us living close to the nation’s capital, there is always something going on around the corner, and recently I attended an event organized by Social Media Club D.C., in the hopes of learning more about social media and how to use it for personal branding.

What became clear to me throughout the night was that we should not underestimate the power of social media, whether it is for personal or business purposes. The reason: LinkedIn, an online social network for business professionals.

Brittany Cooper of New Media Strategies and a keynote speaker at the event stressed that LinkedIn is a great way to connect with people inside a specific company when you are looking for a job or a prospective business partner. Start engaging in an online conversation with a person inside a company, perhaps asking a question about the company, and you are halfway there.

Cooper also said that many businesses are now only accepting job applications from LinkedIn. Therefore, in order to stay ahead of the game, it is crucial to have a thorough profile with your previous work experience, skills, educational background, etc. LinkedIn allows users to turn their entire profiles into professional resumes that include all this information.

I jumped onboard the LinkedIn train a while back when one of my journalism professors told me to. However, I never took it seriously, which is why my account has been awfully inactive since I set it up. Also, since I haven’t made any efforts in expanding the number of connections, LinkedIn’s equivalence to Facebook friends, my profile has remained fairly anonymous out there in cyberspace. Although I haven’t shed any tears of my lack of connections, that is about to change, because what I concluded from attending this event was the following: LinkedIn is a great tool in the quest for the perfect internship or job.

Besides using the powers of social media platforms in order to network, the event made realize that we — a generation that has been raised with internet and technology evolving at the speed of light — should take advantage of our superior knowledge of social media platforms at the companies we work or intern for.

The fact is that the majority of people at most work places have no clue as to what social media really entails. As strange as this might seem, some people do not immediately think of a social media platform when they hear the word “Twitter.” Instead, they might think of birds and nature (yes, that old fashioned stuff still exists).

My workplace is no exception, and my fellow intern and I have made several efforts in expanding our firm’s social media outreach. We tweet on their Twitter account, and we make sure that the company’s blog is updated with interesting posts on a regular basis. We also try to interact with influential people in the same business in order to spread the word of the company. Even though these social media strategies are in the embryo stage, we have received positive feedback from the people at our company.

Unfortunately, the end of the semester is approaching, which means that I am heading back home to Sweden. The chances of me running into you at any of the campuses are therefore very small. The chances of us bumping into each other out there in cyberspace are bigger. The digital era is here.

Voting for the Student Government Association was done in person by paper ballot back in the day. The date for this photo, which was taken on Alexandria campus, is unknown. File Photo

Now:

Voting for the Student Government Association for the Alexandria campus is done online today. Screen shot by: KJ Mushung

Winner of the college division, Martina Green, thanked her supporters, family and friends after votes came in naming her the 2012 NOVA Idol. Photo by Traci J. Brooks

An emotional Joao Versos, from Potomac Falls High School, reacts to the news that he won the High School Division of NOVA Idol 2012. Photo by Traci J. Brooks

By Sofia Bergstrom

Staff Reporter

“American Idol wishes it had this kind of talent.”

Those were the exact words of Tony Perkins, TV-personality at Fox 5 News and celebrity judge during this year’s NOVA Idol final at Schlesinger Hall on March 23. A final which was once again a great success with outstanding performances by talented students.

After eight weeks of tough vocal training by vocal coach Juanita Williams, 10 talented Northern Virginia Community College students, picked from 250 auditions, were ready to showcase their musical talents at Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall & Arts Center on the college’s Alexandria campus. Campus provost Dr. Peter Maphumulo welcomed the audience and promised that the contestants would “knock their socks off.”

Javad Jarrahi kicked off the collegiate competition and set the bar high for the following contestants with his interpretation of Stevie Wonders “Isn’t she lovely?,” which judge Kenji Brown called a “slam dunk,” referring to his soothing voice and comical dance moves. And the judges did not put any restraint on their praise when commenting on the performances that were to come.

“You nailed it. I got cold chills all over my arms,” said judge Winfield Parker, renowned saxophonist, to second performer Elaine Lopez after she finished singing her version of Christina Aguilera’s “The Voice Within.” Perkins agreed: “That was flawless. Absolutely remarkable.”

Dr. Brenda Lewis-Holmes, Managing Director of NOVA Idol and Assistant Dean of Communication Studies and Theatre at Alexandria, welcomes the crowd to the performance at the beginning of the evening. Photo by Traci J. Brooks

On a similar note, Donevian Snipes’ energetic performance, both vocally and choreography wise, carrying out Chris Brown’s “Try a little tenderness,” impressed all the judges and made Perkins burst out: “American Idol wishes it had this kind of talent!”

In addition, Snipes’ energy on stage spread among the audience like a contagious virus causing people to smile, cheer, whistle and dance like there was no tomorrow.

Had competed before

Many of the contestants were no strangers to NOVA Idol and had competed in the final competition several times before. One of the contestants who was back to seek revenge was Martina Green who, when she entering the stage dressed in a dreamlike cream-colored dress, raised the decibel level in the venue significantly as family and friends cheered her on.

The high volume in the venue continued throughout the entire performance as she nailed one high pitch after the other. Besides stunning the audience with her wide vocal range, she blew away the judges who ended up giving her standing ovations when she sang to the last tones to the powerful ballad “Home” by Stephanie Mills.

Jonah Fishel from Potomac Falls High School performs "I Wish I Knew How" by The Derek Trucks Band at the 2012 NOVA Idol finals. Jonah finished 2nd in the High School section of the competition. Photo by Kama Storie

In addition to receiving standing ovations, judges Brown and Perkins made some

overwhelming statements. The former asked if she wanted to sign a recording contract, while the latter made a prediction that he would see Green at the Grammy Awards in the future.

After an intermission filled with acts including hip hop artists, rappers and Balinese traditional dancing, the emcees Greg Schuckman and Caitlin C. Uze, last year’s Miss Virginia, came up on stage to reveal the results. Results that, just like previous years, took both the judges’ and audience members’ votes into account.

The judges, which consisted of Perkins, Parker, Brown, Colie Williams and Lucy Holsonbake, based their decisions on song selection, vocal consistency, pronunciation, presentation and interpretation.

Green was announced the winner of the college division, followed by first runner up Snipes, and third place winner Kelley Kime. Joao Versos from Potomac Falls High School earned the title of winner of the high school competition.

Competition gets better every year

Green, who can now proudly call herself winner of NOVA Idol 2012, was glowing backstage when the final was over.

“This feels amazing,” she said while being surrounded by family members and friends who hugged and complemented her. “I could not really believe it,” answered Green when she was asked what went through her mind when she realized that she had won. “I had some really strong competition by the other contestants. They all have true talent.”

“She is truly amazing, supertalented and just incredible,” said Perkins of Green. Even though he was an experienced NOVA Idol judge, he admitted that it was tough to judge this year’s final. “There were four contestants that were very close. It could have gone either way.”

“There is no doubt in my mind when I say that these four contestants were better than the line-up in American Idol,” added Perkins.

Students and director pleased

Not only were the judges impressed with this year’s contestants. When exiting Schlesinger Hall, many audience members were talking loudly about the talent they had seen throughout the evening.

“They all had great voices,” remarked Tiffany Pantow, a NOVA student at the Alexandria campus.

Elaine Lopez performs "The Voice Within" by Christina Aguilera in the college division performance round. Photo by Traci J. Brooks

Her friend Thais Ceramori agreed and added that she saw star quality in most of tonight’s contestants. “They are all going to be big some day,” she said with great confidence.

“I am really proud of our students. They are truly jewels,” said Dr. Brenda Lewis-Holmes, who has been the director of NOVA Idol since its founding in 2004. She also revealed that there are plans of expanding the event next year to collaborate with George Mason University, as well as booking more intermission entertainment to show off other talents that students have.

“This event is not only about music, it’s about unity and bringing students from all the campuses together,” she said. “American Idol got nothing on us.”

In other words, you do not have to turn on your television in order to experience exceptional singers of star quality. There is a new event for that: NOVA Idol.

Javad Jarrahi sings "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder in the 2012 NOVA Idol competition. Photo by Kama Storie

The panel of judges, ranging from musicians, producers and professors, gave feedback on the performers' song choices, stage presence and interpretation of their songs. Photo by Traci J. Brooks

College division performer Erika Anderson sings "Momma Knows Best" by Jessie J for the crowd. photo by Traci J. Brooks

Gregory McBride-Bey sings "We're Not Making Love" by Dru Hill at the 2012 NOVA Idol finals. Photo by Kama Storie

Jeff Young performs "Better Than I Know Myself" by Adam Lambert in the college division of NOVA Idol. Photo by Traci J. Brooks

The first place winner of the 2012 NOVA Idol competition, Martina Green, sings "Home" by Stephanie Mills. Photo by Kama Storie

Martina Green sings "Home by Stephanie Mills at the 2012 NOVA Idol finals, winning first place in this year's competition. Photo by Kama Storie

Kelley Kime sings "At Last" by Etta James at the 2012 NOVA Idol finals. Kelley took third place in this year's competition. Photo by Kama Storie

Daran Lopez-Villanueva sings "The Impossible Dream" by Brian Stokes Michaels at the 2012 NOVA Idol finals. Photo by Kama Storie

Lydia Mockabee sings "Giving Up is Hard to Do" by Jennifer Holiday at the 2012 NOVA Idol finals. Photo by Kama Storie