The GHC Lady Chargers earned their win on Saturday, Jan. 30, defeating the #19 NJCAA ranked Lady Jets of South Georgia Tech, 69-59. The game was tied at 24 points with 1:16 left in the first half. The Chargers led the entire second half, being up by as much as 12 points. Kayla Carter was the lead scorer with 23 points, completing a perfect free throw record in that game with 12 for 12 at the line. The Lady Chargers are now 16-9 for the season and 9-2 in GCAA conference play. They play at home this Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 5:30 p.m., taking on their conference foe, Albany Tech.

The Chargers came from behind in the last seconds of the game, defeating South Georgia Tech 68-66. At one point in the game, they were down by as many as 12 points. The Chargers shot 2 for 18 from the three-point line and 12 for 29 from the free throw line. With the game tied at 66 points, Doniel Dean ran the clock down to 8 seconds and completed his shot to put the Chargers up 2 points. Then Tylik Evans stole the ball from the opponent, ending the game. Chargers are 21-1 for the season, and 9-0 in GCAA conference play. They play at home this Wednesday, Feb. 3, after the Lady Chargers, tipping off at 7:30 p.m.

Keymont Jenkins attempts to keep the ball away from the opposing team, the Bobcats on Jan. 9. Photo by Daniel Smith

The GHC Chargers men’s basketball team are now 20-1, ranking second in the NJCAA national ranking, after their win over the Atlanta Metro College Trailblazers on Jan. 24. They pulled away in the second half with 85-66 as the final score, making it their 20th straight victory. The Chargers are now 8-0 in the GCAA conference, giving them first place in conference play.

The GHC women’s basketball team is doing well, defeating Atlanta Metro College 63-41 on Sunday, Jan. 24. The Lady Chargers were also perfect at the free throw line, 7 for 7. The team is now 15-8 in game play, and 8-1 in conference play, making them second in the GCAA.

Both teams’ next home games are on Saturday, Jan. 30, versus conference competitor South Georgia Tech. The women tip off at 2 p.m. and the men start their game at 4 p.m. Students get in the games free with their student ID.

The Floyd campus administration building was renamed for David McCorkle in 2003. File photo

David McCorkle, founding president of Georgia Highlands College (formally known as Floyd College), passed away during the 2015-2016 winter break on Dec. 19, 2015.

McCorkle’s post-high school educational history began at Georgia Southwestern. He graduated in 1941 with a provisional elementary teaching certificate and a junior college degree.

While working at Wesley Grammar School, he was drafted into the Army and was honorably discharged later on as a staff sergeant. He then attended the University of Georgia, receiving his bachelor’s, and while there he met his future wife, George Hice.

Shortly after the McCorkles welcomed their first daughter, the family packed up and moved to Oregon, where McCorkle would pursue a doctorate in education.

After receiving his doctorate, McCorkle served in positions such as director of student activities and director of student personnel in Mississippi and later was appointed the first president of Floyd Junior College in Rome.

McCorkle served as president from 1970 until his retirement in 1991. After retirement, McCorkle was named President Emeritus of the college, and in 2015 the name of the administration building on the Floyd campus was changed to reflect his name.

Donald Green, current president of Georgia Highlands, said of McCorkle, “Dr. David McCorkle was visionary, thoughtful and tireless as president of GHC. Words cannot fully express my gratitude for the leadership Dr. McCorkle provided. He created a culture of access, service, affordability and excellence that we continue at Georgia Highlands College today.”

A GHC tutor helps a student understand a specific concept. File photo.

Students who are struggling to keep up with their classes may get help at any of the GHC tutorial centers according to Jennifer Hicks, director of tutoring.

With various hours and no additional cost to students, tutors can help with a wide range of subjects. On most campuses the subjects include math, science and English. At the Floyd campus, tutors can help in more subjects such as chemistry, Spanish and geology. The tutorial centers are open during fall break also.

Hicks said, “I want to shed any stigma attached to tutoring by letting everyone know ‘smart’ students utilize the tutorial center. We help students become independent learners and can be a beneficial part of a student’s learning team.”

Students can visit http://www.highlands.edu/site/tutorial-center to view all the tutorial center hours on each campus, as well as the specialty areas of the individual tutors.

Devery Broox shares his poetic beat with Highlands students at the Floyd campus. Photo by Stacey Moffett

The Solarium in the Floyd student center was bursting with the poetic rhymes of Devery Broox at noon on Sept. 9.

Now living in Orlando, Fla., Broox was willing to travel all the way to Georgia Highlands College in Northwest Georgia to share his ideas in a lyrical cadence. Having so many emotions in his head, he said he felt it best to write his emotions on paper, choosing to rap them for audiences all around the South.

When first arriving at the event, Broox made sure to go around and introduce himself to every participant; soon there was no stranger in the crowd.

He quickly began his performance with a song, “Good Times.” This got the crowd singing and smiling, familiarizing themselves with the song.

Then Broox got down to business when he performed the poem, “I Wanna Read the Bible,” which spoke of the hypocrites of the world. That poem was followed by “The What If’s,” a poem customized for GHC students. In his rap, he said, “Standing out makes you a target” and emphasized that people must overcome negative statistics in order to live life how they want to.

Another poem that seemed to resonate with the student crowd was “We Are Just Pretending.” The poem spoke of couples who were in relationships physically, but not mentally. It spoke of people having one foot out the door in a relationship when they either need to be all in or all out.

“You can’t put cocoa butter on emotional stretchmarks,” Broox raps.

One of Devery Broox’s last poems, “His Story,” shared his journey of finding his culture. He has struggled to define the culture in his life and isn’t sure if he ever will completely find it. He spoke of all the great African-American leaders and visionaries, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Rosa Parks fighting for equality on the bus. Broox’s passion radiated through the appreciative crowd.

More information about Broox can be found on his Instagram: @TheWordProblem.