NPR's Top SciFi Reads: Now in Flowchart Form!

Are you a sci-fi or fantasy fan on the lookout for something new to read?  Never fear - NPR and SFSignal are here to help!

Back in 2011, NPR asked its readers to vote on the greatest science fiction and fantasy novels of all time.  The resulting list hit a wide range of books, from graphic novels like The Watchmen to classics like Frankenstein. 

Don't feel like weeding through a list of 100 books to find your next read?  Use this handy flowchart from SFSignal to find what you need!

Women's History Month Links

March is Women's History Month, and GALILEO has some great links to help you celebrate the heroines of the women's rights movement.

You can find the complete list of links here, or check out some of the highlights we've linked to below!

Encyclopedia Britannica Profiles 300 Women Who Changed the World (link)
A great collection of biographies, videos, maps and timelines of women around the world who changed history.

Women of Distinction in Georgia (link)
Biographies of famous Georgian women through history, including author Flannery O'Connor and Haines Institute founder Lucy Craft Laney.

Georgia Women's Movement Oral History Project (link)
Listen to spoken recordings of women discussing their role in the Georgia women's rights movement.  Find interviews through the letter tabs at the top of the webpage.

Student Spotlight: A-Hunting We Will Go, Part 3

Some rights reserved by kkirugi

This week's Student Spotlight is a three-part short story from Southern Crescent student Jeremy Cato.  

Link to Part 1
Link to Part 2

A-Hunting We Will Go: Part 3

by Jeremy Cato

I walk closer to him, asking over and over if he was ok, and I pleaded to him as I hurried as fast as I could to get back. Ryan just hung there shaking and had a look upon his face of complete madness. Fire replaced his eyes. He seemed as though he was in shock or something. As I drew near him I detected a foul odor that was strong and fresh. Then it dawned on me what the smell was. It was deer urine. “What did you do, spill the deer attractant on you while I was gone?” I asked, in a kidding type of voice.

     “THAT DAMN DEER PISSED ON ME,” he blurted with a deep demonic voice.

     “WHAT?” I asked in dismay.

     “Yeah, he came right up to me, smelled me for a minute, and then hiked his leg up. I knew what he was about to do so I moved enough to get my pistol from my shoulder holster and got off a shot. I don’t know if I hit him or not,” he ranted and raved.

      I finally got Ryan loose after at least an hour and a half of cutting and pulling barbed wire. I helped him gather the things that he lost on his roll down the hill and the sudden stop by the barbed wire. “Let’s get to the truck and go home,” I barked.

       “Heck yeah,” he chimed back.

       On the way back to the truck, Ryan told me more about the deer that had urinated on him and the size of his monster antlers. “Wow, too bad you didn’t kill him with your pistol, that would have been the trophy of a life time!” I exclaimed.

       “Sure would have,” he answered back.

       We went two more yards when all of a sudden this huge buck jumped out of the brush five yards from us. I quickly took my gun off  safety and shot the deer and it dropped to the earth with a thud. I ran up to it and began examining my kill. He was a beauty. As I examined him I noticed fresh blood on the buck as well as that odor that their urine gives off.

       “OH MY GOD, RYAN, THIS IS THE DEER THAT PISSED IN YOU!!” I yelled. Ryan ran over and with an amazement look on his face said, “I’ll be a mixed puppy, it is.”

       “I could not have gotten that lucky. I can’t believe it’s the same buck.” I said.  Ryan said nothing but I went to work field-dressing my kill. I finished my task and ask Ryan to help me drag it the rest of the way to the truck. He refused at first, but I talked him into it. If he wanted some of the meat it was his only option.

       On the way home, Ryan didn’t say much. I guessed it was because in reality it was his buck that was going to be mounted on my wall. A nice fourteen pointer above my fire place instead of his, I took as an insult considering he had dealings with the buck first.

       We arrived at Ryan’s and when he got out of the truck he told me he was done hunting. I didn’t question him. I went home to get my wall ready for my deer head. Ryan and I haven’t gone hunting since. Summer is coming soon and Ryan keeps bragging on this new fishing pole he has purchased. I went and bought me one too. I guess our next adventures will consist of being on a lake somewhere. I guess that bass boat I have always wanted will be in my drive way this pay day.    

The end!

April Book Club: The Life of Pi

Flint River Book Club

Join the Book Club this month in reading Yann Martel's Life of Pi!  The inspiration for Ang Lee's Oscar-winning movie, Life of Pi tells a hallucinatory story of a boy stranded on a boat with a tiger, lost in the middle of the ocean. 

Book Club meets in the Flint River Library on Thursday, April 4 at 12.30.  

Find a copy of the book!

At your local library

On Amazon

On Amazon Kindle

On Nook

Student Spotlight: A-Hunting We Will Go, part 2

Some rights reserved by Bods

This week's Student Spotlight is a three-part short story from Southern Crescent student Jeremy Cato. Keep your eye on the blog over the next week for the next installments!

Link to Part 1

A-Hunting We Will Go: Part 2

by Jeremy Cato

       As I came to the edge of the hill, I looked down at the creek. Half way down I could see where a barbed wire fence was once, and in that fence, tied up like a knotted string on a shoe, was Ryan. “Oh my God,” I shouted.  I started my decline calling his name. As I reached him, I could hear his low cursing mixed with moans and groans that were obvious from the way he was tied up with the fence. “Are you ok?” I asked. He just looked at me. His eyes filled with rage and fire. I checked him out to make sure he wasn’t badly cut. Thank goodness he only possessed a few scrapes that weren’t that bad. “ Are you ok?” I asked. He just looked at  me with a demonic look on his face and  fire in his eyes.  “What took you so long”! he demanded. I studied him a second and replied, “I had to wait till I could see since I left my flashlight in the tree stand,” I cried. “Well get me out of this crap, NOW,” he screamed. “I can’t believe I walked off the edge of the hill as many times as I hunted this stand,” he exclaimed. I looked him over a minute examining the situation he was in. “Ok, it looks like I got to go to the truck and get some wire cutters, you going to be ok until I get back?” I asked.  “Do I have a choice?” he yelled. With the rage being detected in his voice, I just turned and walked away shaking my head with a smirk on my face. I knew I had to wait to laugh, even though it was wrong of me, but it would be so considerate of me to do so. Deep down inside I knew he would be laughing his ass of at me as soon as he seen me in that predicament. I literally sprinted back to the truck. A very hard task considering I still had my gun and all. 

             The tool box on the back of my truck contained a vast majority of tools, so I had everything I needed to help Ryan out. I grabbed the bolt cutters, a hammer, and a multiple set of pliers for holding and twisting the barbed wire to free him. If this didn’t do the job, he was sure enough in trouble. I closed the toolbox and began my way back to free Ryan from his barbed wire imprisonment. I was just about to him when I heard him scream and shout. I heard a gunshot, but it wasn’t a rifle, it was Ryan’s 357 magnum pistol. We both carried a hand pistol for back up. It echoed through the woods like thunder during a rainstorm. I believe the ground shook as well.  Chill bumps ran up and down my spine like radio waves seen on a monitor. I broke out into a full run to get to him quicker. I was running so fast I just about ran by him.

Continue to Part 3

Student Spotlight: A-hunting We Will Go, part 1

Some rights reserved by irrezolut

This week's Student Spotlight is a three-part short story from Southern Crescent student Jeremy Cato.  Keep your eye on the blog over the next week for the next installments!

A-Hunting We Will Go: Part 1

by Jeremy Cato

          My friend Ryan and I decided it would be a good morning to hunt. We had rented this particular hunting land a few years back and had good success killing some major size deer.  We arrived at the hunt site around five o-clocks in the morning. A little early, but what the hell, the freezer was empty and funds were running low. I myself had nothing to stay home for, so I hunted. Ryan on the other hand had a sweet wife and two beautiful little girls, so I figured whoever killed one there would be supper on the table for us all.

       We pulled up where I normally park and got out. Filling my fanny pack with the essentials I would need for sitting in a deer stand for hours on end, I looked at Ryan and asked him where he wanted to hunt that morning.

        “Doesn’t matter to me,” he replied

        “Ok,” I said, “why don’t you hunt in the stand just down the hill from me?”

        “That sounds good,” he replied.

        We began walking down the small road that went toward the south of where we parked the truck. As we walked, we conversed a little on this and that - nothing too important, just getting in the mood to hunt. Killing “the big one” has been a conversation we have had on the way to our stands for years. I knew where we were going to hunt this morning, had big signs of some nice size bucks.  We talked a little of how nice it would be to kill one before we got to the stand. I reckon we were just hoping we wouldn’t have to sit in a stand for hours on end. I do not know about him but when I am in my stand I sit there and pray for a deer or just for it to be time to get down for lunch or whatever. I am not really the diehard hunting fan like some people are but I like to get out on cold mornings and try my luck.  You know, the way some people do the lottery. It gives me something to look forward to as well as some way to hang out with my friends.   I do think that Ryan felt the same way but I was not sure.

        The road came to a dead end and a trail to the left would lead us the rest of the way. A quarter of a mile and it was time for Ryan to head his way.  “Go straight to the right, down the hill a little and look up, you will see the stand that you’re hunting in this morning,” I told him.  “Just be careful. I am not able to tell you how the land looks at this particular time but it shouldn’t be that bad,” I finished.  “I know how to get there,” he replied. “You act like I’ve never hunted it before,” he bulged.  “Ok,” I said, “if you have any problems, just shoot one time and I’ll be there,” I instructed. 

        We got to the point of our departure. “I‘ll see you in a bit,” I told him.

       “Ok,” he murmured. He disappeared in the darkness and I began climbing the tree to my sit in my deer stand. Muttering to myself on how cold it was, I checked my watch. It wasn’t too long until the sun would peek over the horizon. I thought to myself and hoped that Ryan would find his stand.

        The sun began to light up the far horizon, when gunshots rang out in the quiet forest. I knew it was from Ryan’s gun. I climbed out of my tree stand but it was still too dark to see fully. I had to wait. There was no way I was going in his direction knowing he may have been shooting at a potential meal. Besides, he might mistake me for a deer and shoot me. As I waited for the sun to rise a little more I fired up a cigarette. As I stood there, I began to wonder why Ryan hadn’t come to get me yet. If he shot a deer, surely he would be here by now. So, I began walking toward his hunting area. His hunting area was on a hill that equaled out at a creek bed at the bottom.  A perfect spot to shoot a big deer. 

Continue to part 2

Technology Tuesday: 3d Pens

Image from PC Magazine; click for original source

In a world where 3D printing already allows us to use a printer to create anything we can dream up, 3Doodler takes things a step further by letting you draw solid sculptures in real time.  

This new 3D Printing Pen called 3Doodler lets you wave your pen through the air - and a trail of heated gel - the "ink" - will follow.  Once the gel hits the air, it cools, freezing in midair.  Though the pen hasn't hit the shelves quite yet, kids reading Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon and dreaming of their drawings coming to life may be one step closer to seeing their dreams become reality.  

February Book Club: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter and The Help

Griffin Book Club

When: Wed., February 20 at 11.30
Where: Griffin Library conference room
What: Bring your own lunch & discuss Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin!

Find the book now:
Check your local public library
Check out a Kindle
Amazon
Amazon Kindle
Nook

Flint Book Club

When: Thurs., February 28 at 12.30

Where: Flint River library

What: Come for pizza and a discussion of The Help by Kathryn Stockett!

Find the book now:
Check your local public library
Check out a Kindle
Amazon
Amazon Kindle
Nook

Happy 200th Birthday to Pride and Prejudice!

Pride and Prejudice turns 200 today!  First published on January 29, 1813, Jane Austen's novel of money and marriage has endured over the years to become a modern classic.  Though Pride and Prejudice describes a very 19th century courtship, its themes of love, independence and family bonds still resonate today.  In fact, the novel has become so much a part of our times that nowadays you can catch heroine Elizabeth Bennet doing anything from killing zombies to dancing with a gospel choir on the beach. 

Want to learn more about Jane Austen and her most famous novel?  Check out these links from the British Library and  GALILEO, the library's online academic article resource!

Jane Austen: Author Page

Database: Literary Reference Center

What's on it: Biography, analysis, plot summaries, reviews, links to full novels.

Pride and Prejudice Book Discussion

Database: NoveList

What's on it: Discussion questions, analysis, similar books

Jane Austen Manuscripts

Database: British Library

What's on it: Scans of Jane Austen's writing in her original handwriting.

Book Club Meetings: Griffin and Flint

Start off the new semester with Book Club!  Both the Griffin & Flint River Book Clubs are having lunch meetings where you can catch a quick bite and book talk between classes.

Want to know more?  Mark your calendar with the info below!

Griffin Book Club
When: Wed., February 20 at 11.30
Where: Griffin Library conference room
What: Bring your own lunch & discuss Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin!

Flint River Book Club
When: Thurs., January 31 at 12.30
Where: Flint River Library
What: Bring your own lunch & learn more about the Book Club, what we do, and to plan our reading schedule for the semester!

Get through finals week with these handy web tools!

Finals stress getting you down?  You don't have to go it alone - you can find tons of free software on the web to help you organize, research and spice up your final projects.  Here's a sampling of some of what's out there.

Workflowy: Organize Your Brain
Website: https://workflowy.com/

What is it?: Workflowy is a fantastic tool for the scatterbrained and for list-lovers.  It has a simple interface that lets you organize your to-do list and keep your life on track.




Write or Die
Website: writeordie.com

What is it?: If you need that extra push to keep you writing, Write or Die gives the ultimate threat - if you don't keep writing, it'll start deleting everything you've typed, one word at a time.  A great website for last-minute papers.

Prezi
Website: http://prezi.com/

What is it?: A cleaner, cooler, jazzier way to do powerpoints.  Prezi has an easy to use interface that lets you make beautiful presentations and save them online.  For an example, check out this video the SCTC Libraries made using Prezi:



NoodleTools
Website: SCTC Portal to NoodleTools

What is it?: Citations! Need help pulling together a bibliography?  Type your information into NoodleTools, select what style you want your citation to be in, and NoodleTools will generate a bibliography for you.  Using NoodleTools requires a log-in - get in touch with your library staff for the password!

Crash Course: Biology and History made easy

Cramming for a bio test?  Need a quick refresher on World War I?  The VlogBrothers John and Hank Green are here to help!

Crash Course: Biology and History take the basics of each subject and divide them into quick, digestible 10-minute chunks.  From the skeletal system, to ancient Egypt, to the basic working of plant cells, these videos make bio and history fun and easy to process.

Check it out for yourself!  Below you'll find one of my favorite episodes, 12 straight minutes of Alexander the Great!


    

Spooky Storytelling Competition

Think you have what it takes to spin the most blood-chilling tale on the Southern Crescent campus?  Join us at the Griffin Library for a Spooky Storytelling Competition!  From 4.00 PM to 5.00 PM on Halloween Day, you'll have the chance to read your most terrifying original story to a captive audience.

Prizes will be given to the most spine-tingling story tellers, with a $30 gift card going to the first place winner, a $20 gift card to second, and $10 gift card to third place.  Come celebrate Halloween in spooky style!

October Book Club: Phantom of the Opera

Get in the mood for Halloween this October, and join the Flint River Book Club in reading The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux!  This harrowing book tells the story of a talented French opera diva whose singing voice inspires the obsession of a mysterious masked man.

The Phantom of the Opera is available for free online, in multiple formats.
Kindle: PDF download
E-Book: Web view
Google Book: Web view
Audiobook: MP3 files

Hope to see you in the Flint Library at 4.00 PM on Thursday, October 25 to discuss Phantom!

Technology Tuesday: Time Magazine's Top 50 Websites of 2012

Time Magazine has come out with their annual list of the top 50 websites that still might not have pinged your radar.  Ranging from music reviewer Pitchfork to educational sites like Learnist, this list of sites can help you uncover some of the internet's best kept secrets.

Check out the list here on the Time Magazine website!

Send us your (tasteful) crazy websites!

Dr. Sebright is collecting lists of crazy (in good taste) websites, to expand his list beyond his favorite one, www.pregnantmale.com.  These lists will be used in instruction sessions to provide examples showing the need to constantly evaluate Internet information, due to its lack  of policing or editing.  Email your contribution to tsebright@sctech.edu.

Remember that these websites, while they may be false and misleading, they must be tasteful, so that any website submitted should rate a G or PG.  No R's or X's, please. 

Tuition Up? Check out the current scholarships!

September 10, 2012

The Southern Crescent Technical College Foundation, Inc. offers scholarship opportunities to students. Scholarship funds are NOT paid directly to the student. Please read all application materials carefully—some restrictions apply. Application deadlines are posted on the applications.

Available Scholarships:

GED/Advancement-to-College Textbook Scholarship is a $250 textbook scholarship awarded to a recent Southern Crescent Technical College GED graduate (completed within the last 12 months) who scored over 500 on the GED test and who has enrolled part-time or full-time in Southern Crescent Technical College to begin work on a certificate, diploma, or degree program of study.

Georgia Power Company Scholarship is a $250 scholarship awarded for the purchase of program-required tools, uniforms, equipment, and/or supplies to a currently enrolled part-time or full-time Southern Crescent Technical College student in good academic standing.

High School-to-College Textbook Scholarship is a $300 textbook scholarship awarded to a recent high school graduate (graduated within the last 24 months) who is planning to attend Southern Crescent Technical College as a full-time or part-time student enrolled in a certificate, diploma, or degree program of study.

John Bradley Memorial Toolbox Scholarship is a $250 scholarship awarded for the purchase of program-required tools, uniforms, equipment, and/or supplies to a currently enrolled part-time or full-time Southern Crescent Technical College student in good academic standing. The student must demonstrate a need for financial assistance in purchasing the required tools.

Justin Peeples Memorial CIS Scholarship is a $250 textbook and toolbox scholarship awarded to a currently enrolled part-time or full-time Southern Crescent Technical College student in good academic standing in a computer information systems program of study.

MAACA / Tim Derrick Memorial Scholarship is a $250 textbook and toolbox scholarship awarded to a currently enrolled part-time or full-time Southern Crescent Technical College student in good academic standing in an air conditioning technology program of study.

Textbook Scholarship is a $300 textbook scholarship awarded to a currently enrolled part-time or full-time Southern Crescent Technical College student in good academic standing in a certificate, diploma, or degree program of study.

Tuition/Completer Scholarship is a $900 tuition/fees/books scholarship awarded to a currently enrolled part-time or full-time Southern Crescent Technical College student in good academic standing who is NOT eligible for the HOPE Grant/Scholarship or PELL Grant financial aid. Applicants for this scholarship may also include those who have capped-out on HOPE financial aid.

For additional information on scholarships contact:

PH: (770) 229-3466 FAX: (770) 229-3236 Email: scholarships@sctech.edu

September Book Club: The Maltese Falcon

Dashiell Hammett's book The Maltese Falcon inspired one of Hollywood's most famous examples of film noir.  Join the book club this September in reading this mysterious tale of double-crossing dames, hard-boiled detectives, and a treasure worth killing for.  As usual, we'll be meeting at 4.00 PM in the Flint River Library on Thursday, September 27th.

Technology Tuesday: Looking for Jobs on Twitter

At first glance, Twitter can seem like little more than a way to tell your friends what you had for breakfast.  In reality, though, Twitter can be a powerful searching tool, connecting you to possible employers and giving you a wider range of options than you might find on a traditional job search website.

We've collected a list of websites that will help you sift through Twitter to find the best job postings for you.

Tweet My Jobs
http://www.tweetmyjobs.com/
Search for jobs by position, industry and location.  Tweet My Jobs is one of the best Twitter job filters out there, with connections to large companies like Starbucks and Geico that pay to get their job openings featured.

Tweet My Jobs for Veterans
http://veterans.tweetmyjobs.com/
Receive instant updates from employers in your field specifically looking to hire veterans.

JobTweet.me
http://jobtweet.de/en/
A simple search like "LPN Atlanta" will pull links to job postings that have the keywords you're looking for.

TwitJobSearch
http://www.twitjobsearch.com/
A keyword search will pull up results and map out exactly where the postings are coming from on a Googlemap.