NCSU Centennial Scholarship

Students interested in attending NCSU and Majoring in Textiles are eligible to apply through Guidance for the Centennial Scholarship, a $47,500 four year scholarship. See Mr. Laucher by October 20th.

UNCG First Look Information Nights

UNCG is offering their "First Look" Information Nights on 2 dates nearby in Charlotte. each program will have check-in start at 6:45 PM and begin promptly at 7:00pm

Hilton Charlotte University Place Monday October 1st
Ballantyne Resort Thursday October 11th


more info: www.uncg.edu/adm
or call 336 334-5243

Ron Brown Scholar Program

RON BROWN SCHOLAR PROGRAM is a national program that awards scholarships to academically talented, highly motivated Black or African American seniors who intend to pursue undergraduate degrees fully time. These scholarships are reserved for exceptional individuals who share Brown's traits of excellence, leadership, commitment to public service, and a desire to make a difference. Applicants must demonstrate financial need also. The deadline to be considered for a finalist is November 1st. Visit www.ronbrown.org for more info and also to download an application.

UNC-Chapel Hill Thomas Wolfe Scholarship

http://english.unc.edu/creative/tws/index.html

The Creative Writing Program and the Department of English of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are pleased to announce the Thomas Wolfe Scholarship, which offers full four-year financial support to one incoming freshman per year.
The Thomas Wolfe Scholarship's level of support will be equal to that of the University's well-known Morehead Scholarships. Whereas the Morehead Scholarship places broad emphasis on a candidate's exemplary leadership, community service, academic excellence, and physical vigor, the Thomas Wolfe Scholarship seeks to identify and reward students with exceptionally focused literary ability and promise.

The Thomas Wolfe Scholarship award, the first of its kind at UNC-Chapel Hill, will be based largely on written work submitted by candidates. Artistic merit is the chief criterion of selection. Students who write poetry, fiction, plays, literary non-fiction (personal narratives, memoir, travel and nature essays, literary journalism, belles-lettres) are eligible. Multiple genre submissions are also encouraged, though submissions are limited to one application per student.
The application process will require the submission of up to fifty (50) pages in prose, forty (40) pages in poetry, or sixty (60) in play writing, in English. In addition to completing an application questionnaire, candidates will submit a five-hundred-word personal essay entitled "Why I Write."

SUNTRUST Off To College Scholarship Sweepstakes

This one is more like a drawing than a traditional scholarship, but you can get $1100-- $1000 to your school account and $100 cash card straght to you-- just for putting your name in a hat. Be prepared to get their junk mail about student loans though....

http://www.suntrusteducation.com/sweeps/default.asp

2007-2008 North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship

The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Commission has announced that the 2007-2008 application for the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship Program will be available online at www.teachingfellows.org beginning August 15th.
The deadline for students to return completed applications to the Mr. Laucher in the high school is October 19, 2007 by the end of the school day.
Jo Ann Norris, Associate Executive Director for the Public School Forum and Administrator of the Teaching Fellows Program, states, "In order to meet the increasing demand for top quality teachers for North Carolina's public schools, the program was created by the General Assembly in 1986, upon the recommendation of the Public School Forum of North Carolina. Legislators are to be commended for their continuous support of the Teaching Fellows Program. "
Each Teaching Fellow receives a $26,000 scholarship from the state, payable in $6,500 annual
increments. The full scholarship is forgiven after the Fellow has completed four (4) years of teaching in North Carolina’s public schools. John Denning, Chair of the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Commission issues a challenge to North Carolina high school seniors. “I encourage high school seniors willing to make dreams come true for North Carolina students to apply for this one-of-a-kind scholarship.”
The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program continues to be the top teacher-recruitment program in the United States. "The primary purpose of the program is to attract top high school seniors to become education majors and ultimately public school teachers," Gladys Graves, Director of the Teaching Fellows Program, states. She adds, “In addition to the summer programs provided by the Teaching Fellows Commission, the eighteen colleges and universities participating in the program offer unparalleled teacher education experiences-- experiences which produce high quality educators and leaders for the state's public schools."
Additional program information is available online via the Teaching Fellows website at
www.teachingfellows.org. Applications may be downloaded from this site.

FALL ACT and SAT Dates

Hey students, welcome back......... hope your Summer was GRAND!



SENIORS: If you are planning to apply to a 4 year college, you'll want to take the ACT and/or the SAT at least once more this fall. Even if you took it once already, a fresh score will likely be better than some of your previous scores and colleges would like to see a recent test score on your applications.



YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT FOR YOUR TEST SCORES TO APPLY TO A SCHOOL!!



In fact, you can apply now, before even having taking the ACT or SAT, your scores will be added to your application once they are sent to the schools.



Test dates and registration deadlines for the SAT are here



Once again, the October and November SAT will be offered at Albemarle HS, but seating is limited so register now!

Teens Drinking Alcohol Risk Brain Development Issues

From http://www.connectwithkids.com/
see the orignial article, and video at: http://www.connectwithkids.com/tipsheet/2007/320_feb14/thisweek/070214_alcohol.shtml


“And one important difference we found…was that the kids with the heavy drinking patterns were not able to retain as much information as the kids who were non-drinkers.”
– Susan Tapert, Ph.D., clinical psychologist

Every year, nearly 150-thousand teens wind up in the emergency room due to alcohol-related injuries. But new research shows the consequences of teenage drinking aren’t always immediate.
16-year-old Veronica Dyer is taking part in a long-term study. The National Institutes of Health is examining the effects of alcohol on the teenage brain.

“And one important difference we found…was that the kids with the heavy drinking patterns were not able to retain as much information as the kids who were non-drinkers, “ says Susan Tapert, Ph.D. – a clinical psychologist involved in the study.

“The subject on the left is a normal, healthy 15-year-old boy,” says Tapert, as she looks as brain images, “and the subject on the right is a 15-year-old boy who is actually a very heavy drinker. You can see that this is a really important area of the brain for remembering locations of things, and over here – nothing. [The heavy drinker] is not using these important brain areas to do this task, and as a result he actually didn’t perform as well on the task.”

Teens who drink twice a week consistently scored an average of ten percent lower on short-term memory tests, compared to non-drinkers.

In other words, says Tapert, “the heavy drinker is more likely to get a B, whereas the non-drinker would be able to get an A. So it’s kind of that amount of a difference.”

16-year-old K.T. Taylor says she’s been drinking heavily for four years. Now in rehab, Taylor says the alcohol has affected her memory.

“Yeah, my memory changed a lot,” she says. “I can’t remember anything anymore. I still do good on my tests – it’s just more effort than I used to have to put into it.”

Has K.T. suffered any long-term damage from drinking? No one knows. But Veronica isn’t taking that risk.

“I personally have never drunken even an entire drink of alcohol,” she says. “ A lot of my friends have and I have seen how it affected them. They’re slower in school and that’s all they think about doing. And they become addicted to it in a way and I don’t want to be into that, so I don’t do it.”

Tips for Parents

• Make sure your children know the basic facts about drinking: that it can lead slower reflexes, distorted vision, a loss of coordination, memory lapses and even blackouts; that is also can lead to poor judgment and lowered inhibitions – which can lead to risky behaviors like driving while drunk and unprotected sex; that drinking large quantities of alcohol at one time or very rapidly can cause potentially fatal alcohol poisoning – and that it’s illegal to possess or obtain alcohol under the age of 21. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
• Before you begin a discussion with your teen about drinking, realize that teens drink for a number of reasons – they may be bored, wanting to celebrate or “blow off steam,” looking for a way to escape daily challenges, or they may feel pressure from their friends to drink. When discussing teen drinking, set boundaries and make your child aware of the personal consequences of drinking – they could lose their place on a team, hurt their chances for a scholarship, they could lose their driving privileges or hurt someone and have to live with that guilt. (MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving)
• If you think your teenager isn’t drinking, think again. More than 10 percent of eighth graders, 21 percent of sophomores and 28 percent of seniors report recent binge drinking. (Federal Trade Commission)
• Help your child handle situations – and resist peer pressure - when they are offered alcohol. Many teens say they prefer quick “one-liners” to get around taking a drink, and avoid making a scene. Here are some sample comebacks to drink offers – from mild to assertive:
• No thanks.I don’t feel like it- do you have any soda?
• Alcohol’s NOT my thing.
• Are you talking to me?
• Forget it.
• Why do you keep pressuring me when I’ve said NO?
• Back off!

(Alcohol & Drug Council of Tompkins County - Ithaca, New York)

References
MADD
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Human Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free

Teen Binge Drinkers Most Likely For Risky Behavior

From www.connectwithkids.com


“Well, their judgment is extremely impaired. So, they’re much more likely to try dangerous behaviors and not even really have any kind of internal control over what they’re doing.”
– Heather Hayes, M.Ed., licensed professional counselor

According to studies from the Department of Justice, binge drinking accounts for 90 percent of all the alcohol consumed by teenagers. But the consequences for these kids are far greater than just a bad hangover.

16-year-old Renee Roe has been there. “Oh, we’d get drunk,” she remembers. “When we drink, we’d get drunk until we were like, drunk-drunk. Like, you don’t even know what you’re doing anymore, you’re like ‘ahhh’ - you’re like all over the place.”

So has 17-year-old Terrell Jackson. “That’s the only reason to drink,” he says. “I don’t believe in drinking just to drink. If I’m gonna drink, I’m gonna get drunk. Not only drunk, I’m gonna get ‘faded,’ I’m gonna get ‘messed up.’”

15-year-old Jasmine Williams says many teens just don’t know when to stop. “[They have to] have it ALL, like the whole bottle,” she says, “just get really, really drunk.”
According to the CDC, binge drinkers are five times more likely to have sex, 18 times more likely to smoke cigarettes, “four times more likely to smoke marijuana, four times more likely to get into physical fights with others. And there’s a higher rate of suicide,” says licensed professional counselor, Heather Hayes.

When kids are drunk, they make rash and often dangerous decisions.
“Well, their judgment is extremely impaired,” explains Hayes. “So they’re much more likely to try dangerous behaviors and not even really have any kind of internal control over what they’re doing.”

“We used to do stupid things, like sneak out of houses and go like, jack stuff from cars,” Renee remembers.

Terrell says when he’s drunk, nothing matters, “At the time that I’m doing it, you’re don’t really feel bad, because you don’t really think about it, because you could care less,” he says. “You’re just living for the moment.”

Research from Columbia University shows alcohol is the leading cause of accidents, murder and rape among teens.

Experts say it’s the most dangerous drug of all, “There’s not even a comparison,” says Jim Mosher, J.D., with the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. “This is by far the number-one health problem that young people face in our society.”
Terrell, now in rehab, regrets the things he did when he was drunk. “I did a lot of stupid things while I was drunk, you know,” he admits, “like about a thousand things, really.”

Tips for Parents

• Act responsibly, and be health-conscious. A recent study suggests that parents who drink and smoke, and who generally don’t take care of their health, may influence their children to engage in risky behaviors themselves. (Center For The Advancement of Health)
• In families with two parents, it’s important both adults are unified in their approach to discipline. Seeing parents argue over rules and limits undermines parental control. (Council for Relationships)
• Parents should not feel comfortable with any drug experimentation by their child. Once you start to “normalize” drugs, you’ll never know exactly how much your child is using. (Armando Corpus, Thunder Road Adolescent Treatment Center)
• Remember you’re a role model to your kids. From the their infancy, they’re processing everything you do. They also observe how you cope with stress. If you’re showing your kids that it’s much easier to cope with life with a little alcohol, you’re sending them a message. (Randy Koch, alcohol counselor)
• Send your children a clear and consistent message: that you do not want them to drink before the age of 21. Do not make exceptions for special occasions like prom parties, spring break, or graduation parties. Kids who are allowed to drink at home will believe “drinking is no big deal to my parents.” This will make them more likely to drink outside the home. (Dr. Michael Fishman, Addiction Specialist)
• Lock up your alcohol. Two-thirds of teens admit they have stolen liquor from their parents without their parents’ knowledge. (Teenage Research Unlimited)
  

References
Columbia University
Department of Justice
Centers for Disease Control

See the original article and video clips here: http://www.connectwithkids.com/tipsheet/2007/320_feb14/thisweek/070214_binge.shtml

United Negro College Fund Scholarships

http://www.uncf.org/scholarships/uncfscholarship.asp

Since 1985, the UNCF Scholarships and Grants Administration office has awarded in scholarship assistance over $105 million to over 28,000 students enrolled in its 39 member colleges and universities and other HBCUs and majority institutions as well.

UNCP Honors College

http://www.uncp.edu/honors_college/

UNC-Pembroke is offering one renewable four-year full scholarship to a freshmen that shows significant financial need and is accepted to the Honors College

North Carolina State USBC Association, Inc. Youth Scholarship

For more info see: http://www.ncbowls.com/youth.html
The Scholarship
A. The scholarship is provided by the North Carolina State United States Bowling Congress Association, Inc.; a non-profit organization.
B. The amount of the scholarship is $1,000.
C. The scholarship can be applied to any recognized college, university, or trade school. Funds may also be applied to books as well as tuition.
D. Approved scholarships are deposited in the approved fund governed by the recognized national governing body (USBC).

ELIGIBILITY
A. Any senior student in a North Carolina high school, or graduate thereof, prior to the age of 22, (as of March 15);
B. Must be a current member of the NCS USBC and bowling in a certified USBC North Carolina youth league or has been a youth member of the NCS USBC within the last three (3) years;
C. Files a completed application with the Association Manager of the NCS USBC. Application must be postmarked no later than March 15;
D. The applicant must have an unimpaired amateur standing in bowling. Must have a grade point average at the school with expectations of admissions to a recognized institution.

Ronald McDonald House Chairities Scholarship

RMHC has 4 different scholarships, more details are available at www.rmhc.org

Applications are in Mr. Laucher's office or online, DEADLINE is February 15th

Best Buy Scholarship

Application Deadline is February 15th, 2007

Learn More at www.bestbuy.com/scholarship

Anyone is eligible to apply so sign up and good luck!