According to the KSU mission statement, the university strives to create “a supportive campus climate, necessary services and leadership development opportunities, all to educate the whole person and meet the needs of students, faculty and staff.” One of the ways the university accomplishes these goals is through recognizing individual examples of excellence.

Students, faculty and staff have the ability to nominate and recognize KSU staff members who have gone out of their way to help others. Once a month, the Staff Awards and Recognition Committee, comprised of Staff Senate members, evaluate the nominations for Staff Employee of the Month and choose the award recipient.

This award recognizes individuals who consistently demonstrate a high degree of excellence, professionalism and integrity, and who also go above and beyond their job description to help others in the KSU community. The person nominated must be a full-time KSU staff employee who has worked for the university for at least one year.

Paula Bechtler, administrative associate II of Academic Affairs at the Paulding KSU campus, was nominated and awarded March Staff Employee of the Month. As part of the award, Bechtler received a bonus in her paycheck – awarded by the KSU Foundation, a gift card from the KSU Bookstore, a voucher for a free meal at the Commons, a certificate signed by President Papp, a poster, a parking spot of her choice for one month and automatic nomination for Staff Employee of the Year.

“It is truly an honor to be named the KSU Staff Employee of the Month,” said Bechtler. “I’m grateful to my supervisor, Dr. Anita VanBrackle, for nominating me and to the Staff Senate for selecting me.”

Bechtler was born and raised in Chantilly, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with an emphasis on Journalism from Carson Newman University in Tennessee.

KSU hired Bechtler for the position of administrative associate in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and University Ombuds in May 2009, and she was promoted to her current position in October 2011. One aspect of Bechtler’s job is to coordinate the marketing efforts for the Paulding site through the avenues of social media and community engagement activities.

“In the past 13 months, our office has conducted 29 community engagement activities through the Paulding County Schools,” Bechtler said. “ I particularly enjoy this aspect of my job, as it allows me to serve as a KSU ambassador to the community.”

Some of the qualifications for the Staff Employee of the Month nomination are demonstrating outstanding dedication; establishing the spirit of KSU in overall attitude and interaction with co-workers, faculty, students and visitors; excelling in the performance of their duties; and making a major impact on the university through their work.

“[Bechtler] hit the ground running and quickly organized our office while deftly handling any and every request that we threw at her,” said Dr. Anita VanBrackle, Paulding site director, faculty in residence and professor of Elementary and Special Education. “She answers every request in a positive manner and is always accessible to students, faculty and the rest of our staff. She never complains about the difficult challenges that we lay before her, and she is always excited to learn new skills.”

Coming hot on the heels of 2011’s Oscar-nominated “Bridesmaids” is director Paul Feig’s next film, “The Heat.”

Alongside leading actresses Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, the crime comedy features the improv duo of Jessica Chaffin and Jamie Denbo. The two play family members of Melissa McCarthy’s character, Detective Shannon Mullins. Their characters, Gina and Beth Mullins, are loudmouthed jerks from Boston that do not get along well with the leading ladies of the film.

Jessica and Jamie recently paid visit to Atlanta as Gina and Beth to discuss what it was like being in the film. They were quick to point out that Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy got the opportunity to be in a film with Gina and Beth; not the other way around.

“I was excited for them because they don’t get to meet awesome people like us,” Gina said. “We’re regular people, except better looking, more famous and less important.”

Gina and Beth developed a strong relationship with Bullock and McCarthy while filming, and they will surely be working together in the future. Beth said she would be surprised if they go anywhere without them.

“They do these joke restraining orders against us. Like: ‘we worked with those girls, but we don’t want to see them anymore.’We’re such friends now, ” Beth said.

The ladies were a perfect fit for a film with such heavy profanity. When asked if it was challenging working with McCarthy’s foul-mouthed character, Gina pointed out that it was the exact opposite of a challenge.

“My first baby word was the F-word and the same for all my kids. Now, if everyone on the film had been speaking Puerto Rican, I would have been like: ‘I don’t understand, ’” Gina said.

“The Heat” is the first film Gina and Beth have done, so seeing themselves on the silver screen was a surreal experience for the two.

“I was just waiting for me and Beth to come on, and when we did, I was living in the reflective glow that we were even in the movie,” Gina said.

Gina and Beth were brought on to the project because of all the excellent work they have done playing “themselves” in the past. From “The Real Housewives of South Boston” to Funny or Die’s “MA Men,” Gina and Beth are no strangers to playing obnoxious Bostonian women. Director Paul Feig found these two to be the perfect fit for the role.

“He wanted people from Boston and had seen our videos. He was like: ‘Those idiots can do it,’ and we were like: ‘We are those idiots,’” Beth said.

“The Heat” will be an excellent and unique addition to the buddy cop comedy genre. Gina and Beth’s snarky attitudes play well off of Bullock and McCarthy’s characters throughout.

“I don’t really know too much about the story or what happens, but I’m pretty sure that it was an awesome film,” Gina said.

Look for “The Heat” in theaters June 28.

The End It Movement has taken college campuses by storm over the last two years, working towards shining a light on modern day slavery.

Many students have probably seen the markings of the red X around campus, the community and online. These red X’s symbolize the End It Movement campaign. Many events have been held on KSU campus to promote this movement and inform students of the 27 million enslaved people worldwide.

The Passion City Church in Atlanta created this movement not only to bring awareness to worldwide slavery, but to also shine a light on slavery happening close to home. Atlanta is the American hub for juvenile commercial sexual exploitation. According to the End It Movement, in the United States there is an estimated 100,000-300,000 children involved in prostitution. The average child is first sold into slavery between the age of 11 and 14 years old.

The End It Movement road team visited KSU on March 11, 2013 to inform students of this growing movement and the need for financial support to help fight slavery out of the shadows. Also hosted on the Campus Green, students raised awareness by camping out for 27 hours to represent the 27 million people in slavery.

Sophomore and Marketing major Jacob Riescher attended the event and commented on the passion his fellow students had.

“It was amazing to see college students coming together to support a great cause. My favorite part was when Andrew Hogan [KSU student] lead fellow students in playing music and singing song, it was very moving,” Riescher said.

The Daily Grind coffee shop is a local contributor who is helping raise funds and awareness for the cause with the Daily Grind original coffee, Whit’s Victory Coffee. This was created to generate funds for the movement, with $1 of every purchased bag going toward the cause.

“3 billion pounds of coffee are consumed in the U.S. every year. If 1% of that was Whit’s Victory Coffee we would raise $30 million every year for the fight against modern day slavery,” Daily Grind owner Kevin Selllors said.

Currently Whit’s Victory Coffee has been sold in 24 states and counting. This coffee can be purchased either at the Daily Grind or online at whitsvictorycoffee.com. Some notable people who support Whit’s Victory Coffee are American Idol artist Sean Michel, Mac Powell of Christian band Third Day, spoken word and performance artist Levi The Poet, and the band For Today.

For the past five months, KSU students have worked hard writing papers, studying for tests, working on projects and completing miscellaneous assignments. Summer is almost here and many KSU students are deciding how to spend their summer.

“I am spending the majority of my summer working and probably taking a few summer classes to stay ahead of my academics,” freshman and English major Rachel Fletcher said.

Flyers can be found around campus with various summer job opportunities for those students who make finding a job a top priority for the summer.

“I am really trying to save money this summer, so when the fall comes I can focus solely on my academics and have little financial worry,” Fletcher said.

Another option that many KSU students are considering is summer school. Summer school provides an opportunity for students to stay ahead as they strive toward graduation day.

“I definitely don’t want to fall behind this summer and will be taking summer classes,” sophomore and Computer Science major Jarod Dickerson said. “Between summer classes I will probably work or take a little vacation, it just depends on how everything is going.”

Some students decided to take the summer semester off and go on vacation. School can be overwhelming at times, so many students take breaks just to relax and clear their minds.

“Besides working, taking a few vacations is the only thing on my mind,” senior and Sports Management major Jamal Parker said. “School was a little stressful this semester with my class load, so I am more than ready to get away from Kennesaw until August.”

Internships are very important for all college students, as they help students gain experience for the career they want to pursue. KSU has sent out dozens of emails, had seminars and career fairs to expose students to internship opportunities.

“This summer I will be doing my first internship,” junior and Finance major Marcus O’Rear said. “I am trying to gain as much experience as I can before I enter my career field, so I had to put working and other things in my life on hold so I can take full advantage of this opportunity.”

A few lucky students are choosing to take their studies and internships abroad.

“I am interning in London this summer for a month,” junior and Exercise Health Science major Ervings Germaine said. “I believe it is very important for me to experience life in another country and this internship will look very impressive on my resume. This will be the ultimate networking opportunity.”

There is still time for students to figure out what they want to do for the summer. There are still a few internship opportunities left and plenty of opportunities for summer employment.

Registration is still open for summer classes as well and the deadline for the final payment for summer classes is June 3.

Good luck to all KSU students on their endeavors this summer.

Summer and break are two beautiful words that every student needs to help recover from the long, arduous school year that is coming to an end.

However, before this so-called “freedom from school” can occur, one must endure the multitude of exams, papers, projects, finals, presentations and more.

This time of the year seems bittersweet, because the taste of freedom is so close, yet so far away. On the contrary, having the opportunity to earn good grades on many assignments can make the difference between and passing and failing.

Though this time may seem overwhelming, taking the time to prioritize the most important assignments will help manage the stress in a healthy way.

So, what are some things everyone should do to prepare for the end of school? The following is a list of steps to help de-stress and some fun activities so no one loses their mind with an overload of school:

1. Relax! Seriously. Take time to look at the past school year and the hard obstacles that almost made the world stop. They’re in the past and soon finals week will be too!

2. Be healthy! Take care of your body by eating nutritious snacks, taking breaks from studying and getting a full 8 hours of sleep.

Erastus McCart, a sophomore Communication major, says, “While I value studying, I value healthy rest just as much…I remind myself that finals aren’t the end of the world, so I shouldn’t stress as if they were such.”

3. Get on D2L and look at those grades. It may take some courage to face them, but it’s worth it to prioritize which classes need more time devoted to studying than others.

Plus, get this: professors WANT their students to pass their classes. It’s true. Professors usually post study guides for finals and give many assignments to help boost grades.

So, take advantage of their generosity and do well on all of the assignments. And if your professor isn’t so kind, beg for extra credit!

4. Plan to go out at least once during the week. Yes, studying is important, but so is having fun! Have a movie night, go to an event or eat a whole tub of Ben & Jerry’s.

Sylvia Rivera, a senior Psychology major, says “I usually go over to my mom’s house to study and unwind with friends by going out for drinks.”

5. Lastly, use the various resources that KSU offers to help their students succeed.

If stress and anxiety begin to arise, make an appointment with the KSU Counseling and Psychological Services. The appointments are free and conveniently located on campus. Their office number is 770-423-6600.

And about that 20-page paper that has been lurking around every corner, take it to the KSU Writing Center and get one-on-one time to go over every detail. Make an appointment at ksuwritingcenter.com

As a final note, grades are not the end of the world and can be easily managed if taken the right steps and timing.

Good luck KSU students with preparing for finals week and conquering your exams!

“I’m just in shock,” Blattner said following his performance, which packed the stage for almost an hour. Absolute Zero also debuted one of their new, unnamed tracks for the set, which was met with praise and admiration from new and old fans alike. Also taking a risk, he and his partner, Ian Soto, opened for Tritonal at Opera nightclub, where they played an unorthodox set as an opening act, at the behest of the club. They were soon contacted after that set by Liquified representatives.

“They were awesome. It’s good to see KSU students participating in events like this,” said Tessa Williams, junior Psychology major. “I’m having a great time, and I hope this happens again before I graduate.”

As the day turned into night, and the temperature sank to cooler levels, the most anticipated acts of the day began their sets on respective stages. Packing the Digital Distortion stage for over three hours were the groups Adventure Club, Zed’s Dead, and the hotly discussed Flux Pavilion, while on the main stage known as the Magnetic Force Field, international superstars Cazzette, Markus Schulz and Dash Berlin provided the soundtrack for the packed stadium’s endless dancing.

Closing out the night was Grammy award winning megastar rapper Kid Cudi, who performed hits new and old for the adoring crowd, closing out the day long festival of dancing, singing and partying, despite his set being drastically cut short due to the city noise ordinance.

Atlanta is growing as a hub for EDM events and festival, rivaling Los Angeles and New York City. With events like DayGlow and Magnetic happening in Atlanta, it’s hard to notice the rise in popularity of EDM festivals in Atlanta. This has been cemented with the announcement of juggernaut music festival Tomorrowland coming to the United States for the first time, taking place in Atlanta in late September.

“Before I could even taste it – it was all snatched away overnight,” said Allen.

When the doctor told Allen and her husband that she had stage four breast cancer and that it was terminal, Allen said, “I started laughing hysterically like a hyena. This is not real, this is not happening – I’m dreaming.” She relates her reaction to her diagnosis as self-preservation because it was the only way her body could process the traumatic news.

Allen has been cancer free for 10 years now and her story is miraculous.

“I get my reward everyday when out of 30 students that I teach, I have one come back and write me a letter,” Allen said.

She is passionate about her work and her students at KSU. Allen’s office is decorated with the cards and letters that she has received from all her students, thanking her for taking time to listen to them. Allen has endowed and founded the N.A.A.C.P. scholarship and also founded and funded the Dr. Judy Brown-Allen free lap top scholarship fund in honor of deceased colleague Dr. Jonathan Freedman.

But that isn’t the end of Allen’s generosity or of her service to the community. April 12, 2013 will now be annually recognized as Laura Stewart Day in Kennesaw, Ga.

Allen was participating in the Survivor’s Walk for KSU’s first Relay for Life, when she first met Laura Stewart, who helped bring Relay for Life to campus. Meeting Stewart was emotional for Allen because she was battling breast cancer as well.

“Laura didn’t want anyone sad, so she ran up to me and just hooked her arm around my arm. She had the bluest eyes that I’ve ever seen on a human being and she had the brightest smile,” she introduced herself to us and we had a 30-minute conversation. “It just turned from sadness to happiness,” Allen said.

In 2003, the Georgia Holocaust Commission reached out to three Georgia Universities: KSU, Georgia State and Emory University regarding the idea of creating a temporary Anne Frank exhibit. KSU recognized that this temporary exhibit would be a wonderful opportunity to utilize Frank’s story and expand it to provide a historically accurate picture of World War II and the Holocaust.

“History is not this static view of the past. There is a lot of gray area, and you can’t look at history through a black and white lens,” said Dr. Catherine Lewis, history professor and executive director of Museums, Archives and Rare Books.

When people walk into the Museum of History and Holocaust Education, their tour begins with two changing exhibit cases entitled, “Local Heroes: Honoring the Greatest Generation,” which is currently honoring Patrick W. Massaro. This exhibit recognizes and recounts the stories and experiences of local veterans who fought bravely and served our country. The next exhibit is “The Butterfly Project,” which memorializes the 1.5 million children who were lost in the Holocaust. This exhibit displays a selection of butterflies that have been handcrafted and designed by countless children, students and families.

“Parallel Journeys: World War II and the Holocaust through the Eyes of Teens” gathers together 40 stories from eyewitnesses, victims and participators, who were either young adults or teenagers during this horrifying time in history. This exhibit ends by asking the question, “What will you do now?”

“History doesn’t just pass,” said Lewis. “You look to the past for guidance about the future. We hope that they are more informed and look at the political process with a more critical eye. Genocide did not end when Hitler committed suicide.”

The individual stories told throughout the “Parallel Journeys” exhibit are not all heroic, nor are they are all clear- cut and black and white. The MHHE deliberately chose stories that fully represented the various roles and the various choices the Holocaust survivors had to make on a daily basis.

The MHHE is housed at the KSU Center on the extended campus and is open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and is free to students, faculty and the public. This past year the MHHE has served over 145,000 people.

“We bring more people to campus than any other unit,” said Lewis.

MHHE is hosting the inaugural Paul and Beverly Radow Lecture, “Bagels and Grits: A History of Jews in the South” on April 24 at 6 p.m. and is free to attend. This lecture explores the complex and dynamic world of Judaic life in the American South.

Friday, April 12, KSU hosted its 2nd annual Relay for Life event on the campus green. This 12-hour extravaganza, hosted by the American Cancer Society, was a night full of fun from the opening ceremony at 7 p.m. until the closing ceremony at 7 a.m.

Last year, Haley Carson and Laura Stewart co-chaired the first KSU Relay for Life, as Stewart was fighting cancer.

Stewart was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 15 and battled the disease for 5 years until October 2012 when she passed away. However, Carson believes that cancer did not win the fight.

Last year, Carson stated that she was involved with Relay because “both Laura and I’s lives have been affected by cancer. With Relay [for Life], we wanted our dream of seeing the entire campus standing together and fighting against cancer to come true.”

This statement still holds true today. Though Stewart is no longer with us, her legacy will continue to be one of the driving forces behind KSU’s fight against cancer.

“Though Laura can’t be present with us physically, her spirit is here,” Carson exclaimed during the Relay for Life’s opening ceremony.

Throughout the night, Carson spoke passionately about Stewart’s contagious joy and her life that still influences many today.

Many months prior to the event, participating teams began advocating for the all- nighter by raising money and preparing their booths for the event.

More than 30 organizations were involved in Relay for Life this year. Each team had their own tent set up around the Campus Green where they offered various games to play and goods to buy in order to help continue fundraising during the night.

“My favorite part of the night was seeing all the different parts of the community come together for one cause,” said Fred Castro, a senior communication major.

The Fighting Flowers Relay group, led by Erica Loughmiller, is associated with KSU House Church and was also in honor of Laura Stewart.

The Fighting Flowers booth sold chocolate-covered strawberries and hand-made bowties, hair bows, headbands, picture frame and also offered a fun photo booth.

“My favorite part of the Relay was probably dancing on the Green all night!” said Emily Gray, a sophomore and Human Services major.

The KSU Relay for Life Committee scheduled tons of entertainment that took place during the night. Some of the events included: a crazy hat walk, small-scale Olympic Games and a Miss Relay pageant where guys strutted in their best female attire.

Michael Baker, a senior and communication major, was one of the contestants.

“It was quite a different experience to dress like a girl, but it was cool because everyone gave money to their favorite pageant contestant as a way to raise money,” Baker said.

There was also a luminary service held to honor those who have survived cancer and those who have passed away. Luminaries purchased by participants lit the path around the KSU Campus Green.

At 10 p.m., the luminaries were lit and each attendee was given a candle to light. Carson gave a moving speech, which was followed by a moment of silence as the crowd made a lap around the Campus Green.

The grand total of money raised for Relay for Life 2013 was more than $50,000. The KSU Relay for Life Committee will continue taking donations and are already excited for the event that will take place next year.