Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/777012
JANUARY 25-31, 2017 UCW 17 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Almost two years ago, Danyelle Kinlaw came to the Fayetteville campus of Fayetteville Technical Community College hoping for answers about options to make a lifelong dream become reality — becoming a physical therapist and attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Danyelle found answers through a C-STEP (Carolina Student Excellence Program) information session (held monthly). C-STEP was enacted in 2006 through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in order to enable more community college students to transfer and graduate from Carolina. Students who are invited to participate in C-STEP agree to earn appropriate associate degrees and participate actively in the program. C-STEP offers students special events and advising at their home college and at Carolina while students pursue their associate degrees, and the arrangement provides exemplary transition and support services, once the student is enrolled at Carolina to pursue a bachelor's degree. Students are prepared academically and fully engaged in the campus community—both of which are strong indicators of student success. C-Step Students Danyelle Kinlaw, Precious Davies (Global Studies), Priscilla Takyi (Biology), Mustafa Oner (Biology), and Hector Martinez (Psychology) share about their experiences: Danyelle Kinlaw: "The C-STEP students have become my family and support system in and out of class, and our group will transition as a family to Carolina. C-STEP has provided me individualized attention, group cohesiveness, and study techniques and skills to prepare me for my transition to UNC." Precious Davies: "I was not ready to go directly to a large university. With C-STEP, I have developed a strong support system in and out of class with my cohort members. We students support each other as a team. The program allows time to get academically prepared for your transition to Carolina." C-STEP seniors Priscilla Takyi and Mustafa Oner joined the program a semester behind the initial cohort but were immediately and warmly welcomed by the group. "When I transition as a biology major, I know I will need to work harder than I ever thought possible. I am grateful for the relationships I have forged with my cohort members who function as my extended family, and what I have learned from them will provide emotional stability when things get hard," says Takyi. Oner especially values the support system of C-STEP: "Coming from Turkey, I never had the support system and camaraderie one gets from being part of a group. This program has been a welcoming approach that has provided compassion, guidance, accountability, and the constant support of family and friends to help me meet my goals." The Carolina Student Excellence Program allows students to see their dreams come to fruition and provides a path to their goals that never before seemed possible. To learn more, call 910 678-8205 or email nelsonl@faytechcc.edu. FTCC and C-STEP are a winning combination for making Carolina and career dreams come true! LOUTRICIA NELSON, FTCC C-STEP Director & Counselor.. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200 There is nothing wrong with La La Land (128 minutes). It seemed designed to appeal to everyone while offending no one. Technically speaking, it was without identifiable flaws. The casting was perfect, and Gosling and Stone are really quite likeable. The story and style were a throwback to classic Hollywood musicals, though with a contemporary settings. I hated it. I hated the smug, self-satisfaction that radiated from every second. I hated the blandness, the sure-fire success of it, the self-congratulatory conviction that La La Land is ART, goshdarnit, which was implicit in every extravagant song and dance number. It is possible exposure to years of grindhouse cinema, foreign exploitation films and some truly bizarre cult favorites have rendered me unable to enjoy mainstream works of true cinematic greatness. It is also possible that a lifetime of perfecting sarcasm has destroyed my ability to recognize and celebrate sincerity. But you know what? Despite what every major (and minor) awards- granting organization says, it is also possible that, dare I say it? La La Land just isn't that good. I mean, I'm sure people like to curl up under a Snuggie in their pajamas and drink lukewarm Ovaltine while sticking their fingers in their ears and humming to block out the sounds of injustice, but that's not necessarily good either. On a brightly-lit Los Angeles highway Mia (Stone) flagrantly ignores common courtesy and other drivers, focused so hard on practicing the lines for her upcoming audition that she completely misses the song and dance extravaganza going on around her. Sebastian (Gosling) honks at her and she wastes precious moments gesturing angrily, moments that could be better used apologizing for talking instead of driving. This leads into what I can only assume is a typical, heartbreaking Hollywood audition experience, with dozens of look-alike girls trying their best to win a role, only to fail miserably. Later, Sebastian informs us that jazz is … look, remember that guy in Jerry Maguire who babysat the kid and every line he spoke involved jazz being awesome? Well, imagine that dialed up to eleven. Sebastian flogs the jazz pony for the remainder of the movie until I want to punch him in the face and scream "Jazz is boring and so are you!" Weirdly, I actually like jazz just fine. I think Gosling just brings out my hidden rage. Sebastian and Mia attempt to have a "meet cute," and then build the beginnings of a great romance on the ashes of Mia's current relationship. She makes a date with Sebastian to see a movie but forgets that she already has plans with her boyfriend. Then, instead of exercising common courtesy, calling Sebastian and rescheduling, she blows him off and goes to dinner with her boyfriend. Where, instead of telling her boyfriend she accidently made other plans and will meet him later, she basically dumps him with absolutely no warning in front of his brother and sister-in-law. Dear Reader; I suspect Mia is kind of a bad person. More singing, more dancing, bright colors, hard sell on how Sebastian is the only boy in the world who really appreciates jazz, and I can barely keep my eyes open to finish. The last thing worth mentioning is that Sebastian and Mia do get the finale that they deserve, even if it is not the finale the audience expects to see. Finally, I think America as a whole needed a long comforting hug after this past election season and La La Land provided it. It is a brightly lit, nostalgic on several levels and easy to digest. It is the tofu of the movies currently available. It is empty. Now showing at Patriot 14 + IMAX. I Don't Get It La La Land (Rated PG-13) by HEATHER GRIFFITHS HEATHER GRIFFITHS, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 910 484-6200. Expires 3/31/17 WITH THIS COUPON $i. 50 Drinks. $i. 50 Drinks. $i. 50 Drinks. $2.00 before 6:00 p.m. $3.00 after 6:00 p.m. $1.00 extra for 3D MOVIES Movie Monday: $1.50 All Day(Holiday or 3D movies excluded) Buy one get one free! Buy one get one free! FTCC: Making Dreams Come True by LOUTRICIA NELSON FTCC C-Step students.