Photo by Herb Melvin

NOW:

Photo by Kama Storie

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 Intersections Arts Festival at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, sponsored by the Washington Post, offered many fun artistic events and performances in February and March. This annual event included more than 800 local artists, with a blending of free events and performances.

The Intersections Art Festival was inspired by three themes: “Discover the New America,” which is a deeper look at contemporary culture; “Travel New Artistic Avenues,” which includes performance of artists pushing the limits of what can be possible done on stage; and “Create Cultural Connections,” which calls for cultural expression and art that crosses the cultural boundaries.

There were many different forms of artistic expression, from interpretive dance to poetry and song. There were even some highly traditional cultural works from the artists involved in the festival.

I decided to see what all of the buzz was about with the Intersections Arts Festival, attending an interpretive dance performance titled, “Jane Franklin: Dance Double Take.”

This performance was a culmination of two choreographed dance pieces, choreographed by Jane Franklin, entitled “Cute Animals and Happy Endings” and “Double Take.” Each of the two pieces was a symbiotic blend of audio visual work and artistic dancing, to send a greater message about themes in modern culture like animal euthanasia, the stress and pressures of work, relationships in school and even how Bank of America tried to charge five dollars a month to use debit cards.

The piece was first done on stage before Franklin invited the attendees to view an on-site performance, which brought the dancers, Adam Buss, Amy Scaringe, Katie Tuebner, Emily Crews, Wayle Haynes, Brianne Barrow Little and Andrea Ligon, to each of the locations within the Atlas Performing Arts Center where the dances were choreographed, helping viewers to better understand the context and special confines that were involved in the creation of the dance.

For more information about the Intersection Arts Festival or other performances that will take place at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, visit atlasarts.org.

Governor Bob McDonnell has announced winners of the 2012 Volunteerism and Community Services Awards. These awards recognize individuals and organizations for their extraordinary volunteer efforts, which contribute to the life and welfare of citizens, throughout the Commonwealth.

“This year’s recipients reflect the tremendous difference individuals, families, businesses and non-profits can make in their communities through volunteerism,” said Governor McDonnell. “Each honoree’s contribution began with one word, ‘yes,’ and as we recognize their vision and accomplishments, we encourage all Virginians to follow their examples by engaging in their communities.”

Honorees were recognized on May 3, during an awards ceremony at SunTrust Bank, located downtown Richmond.

“Volunteerism strengthens outcomes for individuals and families throughout the Commonwealth,” said Martin D. Brown, Commissioner, Virginia Department of Social Services. “We’re honored to thank these award recipients for empowering those in need to live safer, more fulfilling lives.”

The award ceremony is sponsored by MeadWestvaco in partnership with VDSS’ Office on Volunteerism and Community Service, and the Governor’s Advisory Board on Volunteerism and National Service.

Winners of the 2012 Volunteerism and Community Services Award are:

· Genworth Financial in Richmond is the recipient of the Outstanding Business Award. Recognized for their creativity and resourcefulness in support of a community need through their donation of 372 rooms of furnishings from a distressed hotel property they acquired to the CARITAS Furniture Bank. This donation will furnish more than 450 at-risk households transitioning out of homelessness and on to the path of restored, stable, and more productive lives.

· The Volunteer Money Management Program at Senior Connections, a Richmond 501(c) 3 organization, is the recipient of the Outstanding Community Organization Award. Genworth Financial’s reputation for helping those where they live and work cannot be any more perfectly represented than by their recent donation to the CARITAS Furniture Bank. Through the focused and visionary efforts of their real estate division, Genworth Financial successfully negotiated acquisition, including the entire contents of a distressed property, which will soon be the Ramada Plaza Hotel on West Broad Street. In 2011, Genworth associates contributed 23,700 volunteer hours helping those in need at more than 190 nonprofit organizations across the globe. The size and scope of this donation has created many opportunities for collaboration and volunteer engagement that goes beyond CARITAS and Genworth.

· The Campus Kitchen at the College of William and Mary is the recipient of the Outstanding Educational Institution Award. The Campus Kitchen at The College of William and Mary, a student run organization, uses existing food resources in the Williamsburg area to address the hunger and nutritional needs of individuals in the community. Over 150 students volunteer each academic year, making Campus Kitchen one of the most popular student volunteer opportunities.

· Richmond Outreach Center, Inc. is the recipient of the Outstanding Faith-Based Volunteer Service Award. When it comes to helping impoverished families in the Central Virginia region, the Richmond Outreach Center (The ROC) is a household name. With a staff of over 150 and a congregation of over 2,000, this non-traditional, boundary-breaking church led and inspired by founder and Pastor Geronimo Aguilar, has mobilized enough volunteers to serve more than 11,000 people a week. These efforts are done through the emergency and human service ministries, dedicated to helping the most at-risk citizens. The ROC’s motto “Changing Lives and Making Life-Changers” is being fulfilled every day. The ROC’s uniquely effective community service model has been replicated by other nonprofits up and down the East Coast, and as far away as Costa Rica.

· Kathleen “Khaki” and Stacey LaRivere of Chesterfield are this year’s recipients of the Outstanding Family Award. These identical twins share an identical goal: to open up leadership training and opportunities to all public high school students in the Commonwealth. Their vision is backed by a deep belief that young people should have fair and equal access to leadership learning and civic engagement regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, skin tone, religious credo, physical ability, academic performance, age, or grade in school. In 2008, at the age of 15, Khaki and Stacey founded L.E.A.D Up! (Leadership, Education, Action and Development Up!), a youth leadership certificate program they developed. Today, six Chesterfield County Public high schools have L.E.A.D. Up! Programs and other schools are organizing chapters.

· Heidi W. Abbott, of Richmond is the recipient of the Outstanding Adult Volunteer Award. Heidi was nominated because of her work with another Governor’s Award winner, Richmond Outreach Center (The ROC), which among other things, aids young people at George Wythe High School and in the Creighton Court public housing community in Richmond. She also serves on the state Board for Juvenile Justice. The horrific murder of a family in her neighborhood several years ago provoked her to assess her role in finding a solution to violence in the Richmond community. While the crime could have led many to work for harsher criminal penalties, Heidi saw it as an opportunity to work for and with young people to help them choose productive paths over destructive ones.

· Dr. Edward “Ted” Ruhnke, Jr. of Petersburg is the recipient of the Outstanding Senior Volunteer Award. In 1991, recognizing the need for safe and decent housing in the Petersburg area, Dr. Ted Ruhnke and a small group of individuals, established a Habitat for Humanity affiliate in South Central Virginia (Tri-Cities Habitat for Humanity). In the early years when volunteers were few and far between, Ted not only worked to create the affiliate within Habitat guidelines, but also met with city and county officials to obtain land and permits, increased community awareness and support, worked with family selection by guiding the first several families throughout the application and compliance process, and ran the actual construction sites. He also coordinated volunteers on-site and arranged for lunches to be provided either by other volunteers or from his own pocket and made as many trips to the building supply stores as he did to the hospital (at that time, he was a full-time OB-GYN physician). At the “Habitation” of the first house, when the keys were given to the new homeowner, Ted said, “The thrill of delivering an affordable home to a deserving family is as gratifying as delivering babies!”

· Kathleen “Katie” R. Goodman of Ashland is the recipient of the Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award. For a 12-year-old, Katie Goodman has been described as a “little dynamo.” Despite the fact that she was only 10 years old when she started her mission, she is doing more to feed the hungry than many adults. After seeing television commercials about hunger and its consequences, Katie was inspired to take action as part of her requirements for a public speaking contest for her 4-H club. Her research led her to local service organizations and a connection with the Central Virginia Food Bank; she set a goal to feed 1,100 hungry people. When the Ashland Farmer’s Market began its 2011 season, she asked producers to drop off their surplus at the Ashland Feed and Seed store so that she could deliver it to the Central Virginia Food Bank. She met her goal of feeding 1,100 people in just six months and then surpassed her new goal of serving “2011 people in 2011” just two months later. Despite her young age, Katie is motivated to serve and make a difference for others.

The Governor’s Volunteerism and Community Service Awards are presented by the Governor’s Advisory Board on Volunteerism and National Service and VDSS’ Office on Volunteerism and Community Service on behalf of the Office of the Governor. These awards have recognized exceptional volunteer service in Virginia for close to 20 years. Additional information about the program and this year’s recipients can be found online at http://www.vaservice.org/go/volunteer/gov_award.

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.

Dreamstime

1. Gotye – Someone I Used To Know
Wouter “Wally” De Backer, the voice behind the new pop sensation Gotye, hit #2 on the Billboard Top 100 with this haunting tune of broken relationships. With a smooth voice that soars in the chorus, “Someone I Used To Know” is the perfect accompaniment for any angst, whether it be the stress of finals or a break-up.

2. Fun. – We Are Young
This is the ultimate anthem of summer, the perfect soundtrack to parties, working out or late night drives. The single, featured on a Chevy commercial during the Super Bowl, features a driving beat and quirky vocals makes this song a summer staple.

3. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me, Maybe
The newest pop princess to hit the market churns out a saccharine, yet somehow irresistible tune. The Canadian singer got her start on Canadian Idol, and her newest single has recently been receiving airplay in the States. Orchestral backings to a bouncy melody will make this song a favorite of summer 2012.