Education briefs
Published 12:00 am Thursday, September 17, 2015
Wizards tickets available now
Tickets to see the Harlem Wizards basketball team play against the China Grove Red Devils at South Rowan High School from 6-8 p.m Sept. 23 can be purchased in advance in two ways.
Tickets may be purchased at China Grove Middle School or at harlemwizards.com.
The game is a fundraiser for China Grove Middle School’s PTA, which will also be selling food, drinks and Wizards souvenirs.
Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door for students, and $12 in advance and $15 at the door for adults. Special seating is also available for $20 and $25.
The team will hold a free autograph session after the game.
Why are hookups no hook up? What does it mean to date someone? Voices Against the Grain, a Washington, D.C.-based ministry, will collaborate with Livingstone College to answer these and other questions asked by students as it hosts “Are You Living in the Gray?”
The panel discussion will be on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Livingstone’s Walls Center Chapel, 800 W. Thomas St. in Salisbury. The goal is to provide students clarity, based on God’s word, on challenging, murky issues that occur in singleness, in dating and in marriage.
Charlotte-based Christian rap artist Crucial will perform. Registrant check-in is at 2:30 p.m. Free food will be provided after the event.
Why is such an event necessary?
“Too many people seek the authentic in the inauthentic and pursue freedom through counterfeit freedoms,” says Voices Against the Grain Founder Nicole D. Hayes. “What looks like ‘freedom’ really isn’t and, therefore, they encounter more emptiness. We want our young people to operate as critical, discerning thinkers and as successful navigators in all situations, particularly in relationships.”
Founded in May 2013, Voices Against the Grain is a teaching ministry that offers written and broadcast content to encourage people to share God’s truth in love and to help bring audiences clarity and restoration from societal deceptions.
Livingstone College Minister Pastor Troy Russell, an instructor of religious studies, was on Voices Against the Grain’s online radio show in October 2013. He has maintained a relationship with the ministry.
“Wisdom gained from the world may cost you much, but wisdom given from God is free,” Russell says. “I am thankful that God laid it on their hearts to come here, because I believe the information shared will bless those in attendance.”
To learn more about Voices Against the Grain and its ministry partners, visit the website, http://voicesagainstthegrain.com/.
4-H member goes to Youth Summit
Anthony Blandino, 4-H member from Rowan County, attended the sixth annual North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) Youth Summit, which was held in Greenville Aug. 21-22.
North Carolina 4-H and North Carolina Cooperative Extension partnered for the sixth year with the NCACC on a multi-year initiative to increase youth involvement in county government. This initiative aims to overcome the mindset that many youth are disengaged and lack trust in government.
The NCACC Youth Summit allows youth the experience of talking with local county officials, learning about the role of county commissioners as the governing body for counties and the county budgeting process, and developing their leadership and communication skills. All youth had to complete three pre-conference assignments. They had to interview a county commissioner or meet with the county manager and tour the county administrative building, attend a board of county commissioners meeting, and submit a report of their experience.
While at the conference, attendees participated in various workshops, ate with county officials, and attended a general session with officials. One workshop simulated the county budgeting process through the use of the board game the “Bottom Line!”
Participants worked in small groups to decide what values were the most important to their counties. They were then challenged to remember those values during scenarios that forced them to choose between cutting programs or services or increasing taxes or fees in order to balance their budget.
“At the NCACC Youth Summit, I learned about leadership, listening, communication and teamwork. I also understand how the county works and how the commissioners and county manager do their jobs,” Blandino said.
Over 100 youth and adults from 80 counties in North Carolina attended this event. It is sponsored and supported by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. In addition to 4-H, there were also youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Carolina and NC FFA represented at the conference.
