(Photo by: shakko under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported)

A Walk In The Orchard For One More Weekend

Last Friday night, “The Cherry Orchard,” a play by Anton Chekov, opened at the Bodker black box theater.  Tickets “sold out,” and if you want to know why, you can see it on Friday the 27 or Saturday the 28 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday March 1 at 2:00 p.m. Admission is free, first come first serve.

On Instagram, JCCC Theatre communicated: “Because of the immersive staging, we are not able to seat anyone once the performance has begun, so plan to arrive early and settle in.”

 “The Cherry Orchard” was Chekov’s last full-length play. In it, a poor family is struggling to accept that their land is to be auctioned off. A local merchant, Lopakhin, comes up with several plans to save their home, including cutting down the cherry orchard on the grounds. The play depicts the downward mobility of a bourgeois family and touches on themes of class and social change.Anton Chekov was a renowned Russian playwright of the late 19th century who lived in the context of Tsarist Russia. He is remembered for the literary principle “Chekov’s gun” which asserts that every element in a work of fiction’s plot should have a use at some point.

-Emma Weis

JoCo Con Celebrates Best-Selling Fiction Author Andrea Stewart With JoCo ConVersations

JCCC students, aspiring authors, and book enthusiasts looking to lose themselves between reality and fantasy can gather at the Hudson Auditorium, NMOCA 217, on Wednesday, March 4, with an author talk featuring best-selling author Andrea Stewart from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

The talk is part of JoCo Con presents JoCo ConVersations, where attendees can also learn the craft of fiction through an author-led small-group workshop from 1-2:20 p.m. at the CoLab, OCB 100.

Following the workshop, there will be a reception and book signing with Stewart.

The talk and reception with Stewart are free to the public. Registration is required to attend the writing workshop.

Andrea Stewart is a Sunday Times Bestselling author who has published her short stories in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Daily Science Fiction, Galaxy’s Edge, and others. Her debut epic fantasy novel, “The Bone Shard Daughter,” was a finalist for the Locus Award for Best First Novel, the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel, the Goodreads Choice Award for Fantasy and Debut Novel, and the BookNest Award for Best Traditionally Published Novel.

– Mike Kemper

Retro Clothing Fair Is Coming Back

Advertisements about the event, Retro Revival: Vintage Clothing Fair have been popping up all over campus. The free-admission event will take place in the MTC lobby on March 4, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Planned by the Center for Sustainability, Student Activities and the Fashion Merchandising and Design Department, students will have the chance to bring in a maximum of two clean clothing pieces that need the following repairs:

• Hole patching
• Button attaching
• Repair of busted seams
• Zipper replacement (You must supply the zipper)

The sewists will be present from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and they do have the right to refuse items.

Don’t have anything that needs repaired? There will also be multiple local vendors selling vintage clothing. The Fashion Merchandising and Design Department’s mini fashion show will also take place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

-Sammie Magee

Should Students Head To The Bank Or Credit Union?

If you are like me, you work hard for your money. Is your money working as hard for you?

When I started earning enough money to open a savings account, my parents took me straight to the bank. And that is where my money lived until I was recently introduced to the credit union.

“Isn’t a Credit Union just another name for a bank?” Let’s look into it:

Credit Unions are a nonprofit, community focused, and member-based financial institution. Some CUs also keep mortgage loans in-house, which can lower closing costs and keep interest rates competitive.

They also partner with other credit unions across the country to provide easy access to your money when you are on the go.

Banks are for-profit, and usually larger, so less focused on specific communities. They usually offer interest rates, both for deposit accounts and loans, that are usually lower than a CU.

Banks often have more branches and more money to invest in emerging technologies, making access to your money more convenient.

There is a newer option for your money, and that is Online Banking. These banks have very few, or no physical locations. They tend to offer the best rates, because they have a much lower overhead.

A lot of banks are offering incentives to open accounts. It is important to weigh both short and long term benefits with these accounts. Some, for example, may offer a large upfront sum for satisfying specific terms, but they may have a lower interest rate. Weigh your options.

Credit Unions also offer incentives. The two biggest local CUs are Community America and Capitol Federal. Their incentives and benefits are worth checking out.

I found that when I switched from a big bank to a local credit union, I made more in interest in the first month than I had in over 10 years with my old bank.

Long story short, we want our money to make us more money; therefore, where we put it matters.

– Justin Prowell