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.

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.

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.

Captain Jeff Lewis has taught at Northern Virginia Community College since 2000 and has been a member of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department for the past 16 years. He wears the stress of such intense work well, and one would never guess that this young Emergency Medical Services worker is also the medical section coordinator of the elite Fairfax Urban Search and Rescue team known as Virginia Task Force One (VATF-1).

Born in the northeastern United States, Lewis’ family moved to the Fairfax County area when he was 13. It was as a George Mason University freshman that he experienced what he called an “epiphanous moment.” On the way home from classes at the medical education campus in Springfield he passed a car accident and stopped, though he did not know why.

Kevin Brosnan, 3-year-old Brooke Duncan of Alexandria and Brooke’s father, Ryan Duncan (with pink hair), smile with joy at the St. Baldrick’s Day fundraiser at Paddy’s Steakhouse & Pub in Stafford on March 14. One reason they are so happy is that, after being treated for neuroblastoma at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children, Brooke has shown no signs if the disease for several months.

Brooke’s father used to be a NOVA student. The Duncans came to the event to “support to all those still battling.”

The event raised over $25,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to combat childhood cancer.

With the arrival of spring and warmer weather, car-related events become common. With automotive and auto body courses there should be some interest in car-related activities.
If you are interested in participating in, watching or perhaps just want to find out more about the particular cars you are considering buying, then the following list of car activities in DC and the surrounding areas should be of value.

Trust is a very difficult thing to get, especially when talking about sharing personal information.

The Census is a prime example. Thanks to the data collected through the 2010 Census, communities receive more than $400 billion in federal funds each year. This money helps job training centers, hospitals, senior centers, schools and other educational institutions including NOVA.

Most know that some information must be given to the government every decade. Everybody is informed that personal data provided is protected under federal law, and yet many people are reluctant to cooperate.

The National Mall hosted tens of thousands of protestors determined to push a major overhaul of the immigration system to the top of the nation’s political agenda. On Sunday March 21 protestors rallied to challenge President Barack Obama and Congress to fix laws that separate families and hurt the country’s economic and social stability.

As a candidate in 2008, Obama spoke eloquently about the promise of making immigration reform a priority in his first year of government. This would help the more than 11 million illegal immigrants realize their dream of having the rights of work, study and life that American citizens have.

What happens when a Russian energy drink and a hot tub’s control panel meet? You’ll find out in “Hot Tub Time Machine,” a movie with a name that tells it all. This movie will keep audiences in stitches, even during the few saccharin moments.

What starts out as a therapeutic retreat for an at-risk friend ends up being a crazy trip down memory lane for three middle-aged men and an adventure for one barely-legal boy. Lou (Rob Coddry) finds himself plagued by the same belligerent ski patrolman as 20 years before. Adam (John Cusack) meets the love of his life, a woman he never got over. Nick (Craig Robinson) wrestles with the prospect of cheating on his wife. And Adam’s nephew, Jacob (Clark Duke), gets to experience the 1980s for the first time.