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WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 2b, 2007
Q: What steps are we as a
university taking to reduce
our energy costs, emissions,
and what are we doing to set
an example for students as
far as staying “green”?
A: We are doing some
excellent work here. Let
me give you a big picture.
We undertook, particularly
around Katrina, took a series
of money and energy saving
measures,including adjusting
our temperature gauges.
All of these things have
actually made a considerable
impression at the University
System of Georgia level;
other campuses are looking
to us for ideas on so on. I’ll
give you another example:
Georgia Tech, some of our
faculty, such as Dr. Katt of
geosciences was instrumental
in finding some water
resources, this is good stuff!
The fact that we rue making
UWG to host Entrepreneur Development Certification Program
By Carlos Sellers
Staff Writer
csellerl @m\.westga.edu
The Douglas County
Chamber of Commerce
and the University of West
Georgia’s Small Business
Development Center will
host its Entrepreneur
Development
Certification Program
Sept. 18 through Oct. 23.
As job and wealth
establishment through
True to his roots
as a history professor
at UWG, he has also
published several
novels, all of which are
history-related.
In his novels, he
examines “what-if”
scenarios, imagining
the repercussions of
what would happen if
history happened only
slightly differently at
key points in time.
He and his wife
Callista Gingrich
have also established
a scholarship for
instrumental music
majors at Luther
College in Decorah,
lowa.
His new venture,
American Solutions for
Winning the Future,
is a non-partisan
organization whose
stated purpose is the
mutual engagement of
citizens and elected
officials in a dialog
intended to synthesize
and propose solutions to
problems in America.
The emphasis is
placed more on finding
contributions, not just to our
appropriate use of resources,
but system-wide, that’s very
gcxxl. So in the area of water
resources, in the area of
energy conservation, all of
these things, we are doing
great. I never say we are where
we need to be, there is more
that we can do, and there is
more that we will do. Let me
give you another example.
We have a thermostat right
here in this office, which
close to 5:(X) will turn off.
Believe me, I work very
late at night, sometimes later
than 8:00, and in the first
few weeks, there used to be
a maintanance person, who
would come in and he would
feel the heat, and he would
offer to show me how to
change it, and I would say,
“no, I don’t want you to do
that" and he’d say “I’ll do it”
and I'd say “no, don’t touch
it”, because I've got to do my
part. And so it does get hot,
especially now, but its getting
the growth of locally
owned businesses, being
progressively more
recognized as part of the
state's overall economic
development strategy, the
SBDC network is proud to
contribute to this effort.
The SBDC program
has worked with over
131,000 individuals
since 1977 helping to
develop business plans,
provide financial analysis,
identify sources of capital.
solutions to problems,
than on one party
winning or losing.
The organization is
open to members of
either party, elected or
citizen.
American Solutions
will be hosting
"Solutions Day,” the
opening of which will
occur on Sept. 27 at the
Cobb Galleria Centre
at 7:o()p.m. until 8:30
p.m.
On Sept. 29,
Solutions Day comes
to the UWG campus,
with workshops on
several topics related to
helping solve problems
in America.
These workshops
will go from 1:00 p.m.
until 5:00 p.m. with
closing remarks to
follow.
For more
information, the
American Solutions
website is available
at http://www.
americansolutions.com
Volunteers for
the event are needed,
if interested, e-mail
David Bachman
at dbachmal @my.
westga.edu.
Welcome UWG to
“Moe Monday”
(Thru Thursday)
Burrito, Chips & Drink
Only $5
With Student ID
a little cooler, but in the hot
days it was really miserable,
but I refused to let him adjust
it. That kind of culture must
Phi’tiifiirt
start at the top.
Q: I was hoping you could
talk about the new HOPE
rules and how that affected
students.
A: I believe so strongly in
the value of a bachelor’s
degree in higher education.
and assess marketing
strategies. They also
provide other forms of
assistance to business
owners and prospective
owners— helping them
learn how to better
understand their business
opportunities and to make
sound decisions affecting
their investment.
Sponsored by United
Community Bank, the
program will feature a
series of six classes that
Bush expected to sign bill to overhaul Financial Aid
By Jessica Nash
Staff Writer
jnash 1 @my.westga edit
Everywhere you
go, something is costing
more and more with every
passing day. The cost
of living is on the rise.
Gas isn’t the only thing
pinching the wallets
of American’s. It is
becoming increasingly
more difficult to afford a
college education.
On Sept. 19, 2007,
a bill was presented to
President Bush which
he is expected to sign
into law. H.R. 2669,
dubbed the College Cost
Reduction and Access
Act, is, according to the
House Education and
Labor Committee, “the
single largest investment
in higher education since
the GI bill.” If President
Bush signs the new bill into
law, the new changes will
begin to take effect on Oct.
1,2007.
The bill has the
making to transform the
lives of many Americans by
making a college education
obtainable financially. The
average cost of attendance
I have looked at hard
data, and a student with a
bachelor’s degree will make
about $1 million more than
one without. Students with
bachelor’s degrees are also
more likely to become
good citizens, pay more
taxes, become more socially
involved, and also pass these
traits onto their children. So
this is something that we
want to do. if only to offer
that opportunity to everyone.
will cover important
topics for individuals that
are interested in starting a
new business in the near
future. Topics include
small business marketing
strategies, legal issues
of small business, and
writing an effective
business plan.
“A grand finale is
scheduled for the last
class,” SBDC Director
Jennifer Clendenin said.
“One class that we have
at a public four-year
institution has increased
by 37 percent, whereas
the average household
income has decreased by 2
percent.
The most noticeable
change that would come
about as a result of this
bill becoming law would
be an increase in the
maximum amount that a
student can receive through
the Pell Grant. Currently,
the maximum award is
$4,050. The bill calls for
an initial increase of $490
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THE WEST GEORGIAN - NEWS
and help our community and
help our state become a better
place. Now while the HOPE
is a great thing, not everyone
has the grade 3.0. You have
t* > realize that the 2.99 student
also has a chance of success,
or the 2.75, and we want there
to be a way for those students
to succeed also.
Q: What is your dream for
this sch(X)l, and what kind
of legacy would you like to
leave one day?
A: The dream for the school is
to be a first-choice destination
university for a large section
of the Georgia market, a
section of the national market
in areas of our ch<x>sing - that
is the dream;
Q: What should I have asked
that you want to address? Is
there anything else you want
to say?
A: Several things: My hope
added is our ‘Expertise
for Entrepreneurs’ class,
which is the final class
of the series, where local,
successful entrepreneurs
from the area will share
their stories and answer
questions. It is solely
because of the support of
United Community Bank
and the Douglas County
Chamber that we are able
to make these classes
available.”
The SBDC is located
next year, and continued
annual increases until a
new maximum of $5,4(X)
is reached in 2012. The
Pell Grant is issued by the
Federal Government and
does not have to be repaid
by the student.
Another significant
change would affect
student loans. The bill calls
for the interest rates on all
subsidized student loans to
be cut in half over the next
four years. The current
interest rate is 6.8 percent
and the new interest rate
for the students, in academic
work: work hard, push
yourself, do well, keep ycxir
eye on the ball, understand
that the ball is success.
Success is defined as you
getting your diploma in
four to five maybe a four
plus period, but as close to
four as you can, in a 4-year
perkxl, get your diploma,
and do well enough to get
one letter of acceptance from
a place you want to go to.
Second, get involved with
extra-curricular activities.
Stay here on the weekends.
I know there are good jobs
elsewhere, but stay here,
you can improve both your
academic and extracurricular
life by spending time here on
the weekends. Enjoy your
campus life and we can get
more campus spirit.
Q: Thanks very much for
taking the time to answer my
questions.
A: No problem, my
pleasure.
in the Richards College
of Business on the
UWG campus and they
offer free, confidential
consulting services for
new and existing small
businesses in Carroll,
Douglas, Haralson, Heard
and Coweta counties.
For more information
on the classes, or to
register, visit www.
georgiasbdc.org/ce/
carrollton, or call SBDC
at 678-839-5082.
would be 3.4 percent.
Repaying student loans after
graduation would become
easier as well. Student
loan payments would be
capped at 15 percent of
a borrower’s disposable
income. Deferment
would increase from
the current three years
to six years.
Future teachers and
public servants would
also feel the affects
of changes under the
bill. Students who are
willing to commit to
teaching in the public
schools of high-poverty
communities would
see tuition assistance.
Public servants, such
as firefighters, law
enforcement officers
and public defenders,
would see their student
loan forgiven after 10
years in public service.
By including
provisions that fit most
everyone, the bill has
the potential, if signed
into law, to influence the
lives of many American’s
by helping to ease the
increasing financial strain
of the cost of a college
education.