First, let me start by saying that I think that online classes are a good option for some students and I am glad that most colleges offer them. There are some students who cannot drive to campus every day to attend class in person because of other obligations, such as work. It is great that there is still an option for those people to receive an education.

However, it seems that online classes are becoming the norm at the college level and that is a scary reality. More online classes are offered every semester while fewer in-person classes are being offered. It seems that students that believe in traditional education are being forgotten.

When there is an online option for a class, that same class should be available on campus. For example, Astronomy would be a class that I would love to take. I would never consider taking it because it is only offered online at GHC. I would want to have an opportunity to take that class in-person and use the tools available through the observatory at the Floyd campus.

Taking an in-person class is much easier. A student goes to class and a professor lectures while that student engages with the professor and takes notes. They are learning from the professor as well as others in the class. If that same student took the same class online, they would have to teach themselves the majority of the information.

My hope is that colleges continue to offer online classes for those that need them and expand their options to include more on campus classes for those that still enjoy the traditional way of education.

Kateryna Pazzaglia Khomenko has traveled from Bologna Italy to Rome, Ga. to play basketball for the Lady Chargers of Georgia Highlands College.

Khomenko had not originally planned on coming to GHC. She planned on going to another college but there was a problem and that didn’t work out. The college that Khomenko was planning on attending called GHC and GHC accepted her.

Khomenko said that even though she had not originally intended on coming to Georgia Highlands, she is “so proud and so happy to be here.”

Besides playing basketball, Khomenko said that “the fact that I can right now transfer to another school and I can have choices” is something that GHC has made possible to her. She loves the small class sizes at GHC because “you can really talk with the teachers.”

Khomenko said that the people are her favorite part of living in the United States. She said that while at GHC she has “met a lot of beautiful people who are nice to me and who are always available. I think that’s important.”

The language has also been a favorite part of the United States for Khomenko. She said, “It was hard at the beginning. Now that I can understand everything, everything is much easier.”

Not everything about the United States has been an easy adjustment for Khomenko, however. She said the biggest difference between Italy and the United States is the food.

She said with a laugh, “It was so hard for me when I first came here because y’all eat like really unhealthy.” Khomenko said that she enjoys eating pizza also, but she prefers Italian pizza.

Khomenko started playing basketball when she was 13- years-old.

She said that basketball is different in Italy than it is in the United States. People here typically play on a team at their high school. In Italy, there are clubs that people play with after school. Khomenko played with two clubs.

In addition to playing basketball, Khomenko was also a ballerina when she was younger. “I did ballet for seven years,” she added.

Brandan Harrell, Khomenko’s head coach, said, “Kat is a great person and a great student. She is a player that catches scouts’ eyes as soon as she walks onto the floor.”

Kyvon Davenport (left) goes for the dunk as D’Andre Bernard watches. Photo by Jaida Lovelace

Phil Gaffney, GHC athletics director and head men’s basketball coach, believes that this upcoming season’s team could be the best yet because it is a fully developed and gifted team. It is also the oldest team that he has ever coached.
Ty’lik Evans and Kyvon Davenport are the only two returning players from last season, but that is not a concern for Gaffney.
Evans and Davenport were both nominated for GCAA Division I Freshman of the Year last season, and Evans won. Davenport finished right behind him.
There are 10 additional players, and four of them—Ty Cockfield, Rico Bonds, Donovan Ham and D’Andre Bernard—are transfers from NCAA Division 1 universities.
Gaffney’s only concern for this season is that the Chargers will be ranked highly in the NJCAA poll. He said it creates a lot of pressure to be ranked so highly.
Gaffney came to GHC in 2011 as athletics director and became the men’s head basketball coach in the 2012-13 inaugural season.
The Chargers did not win a game during that first season but bounced back quickly with a 16-16 record for the second season.
The Chargers had their best season to date last year with a 33-2 record.
The Chargers won the NJCAA Region 17 title for the second year in a row, and they made their second appearance at the NJCAA national tournament.
The GHC Chargers’ home opener will be on Friday, Nov. 4, as part of the GHC Classic at 7:30 p.m.