Start of the second semester

Monday, Jan. 17 was the start of the second semester. After midterms, Christmas break, and then ten more days of the first semester, students transitioned into new classes and possibly new schedules. The beginning of the new semester marked a fresh start for students tired of their old classes.

MLK assembly

On Wednesday, Jan. 18, during the H-day period, there was an assembly commemorating the actions of Martin Luther King, Jr. During this assembly there was a photo montage of well-known African-Americans, student reflections, a video of MLK’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, and guest speaker Sergeant Wendell Baxter. During the assembly, Baxter reflected on his experience as the first African-American police sergeant in Bel Air, as well as being a young black man in Harford County. His reflection showed students that what MLK fought for was also prevalent on a local scale.

QPR training

On Thursday, Jan. 19, there was a QPR training session held in the Brown Room at 7 p.m. QPR stands for question, persuade, refer, and it aims to save lives by training parents on tactics used in suicide prevention. The organization strives to make parents instrumental in saving the lives of those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts. This session allowed many JC community members to become “gatekeepers” or protectors for other community members who are struggling with damaging thoughts.

Pep Band at HCC

On Friday, Jan. 20, the Pep Band traveled to Harford Community College. There, they served as the band for the women’s and men’s basketball teams. The Pep Band used music, as well as cheers, to excite the crowd. Freshman John DeSoto enjoyed the experiences Pep Band has provided him with. “I like playing games at JC better, but I am having so much fun participating in pep band,” DeSoto said.

Anna Kotula is a Contributor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.