By Saeeda Ravenell

    
The Voice™ will be introduced to the public this month. A new translation of the New Testament, The Voice™ includes voices or ideas from contributors that consist of an award-winning fiction writer, a poet, a pastor with artistic and narrative methods of teaching, and a biblical scholar. Together they used their ideas to complete The Voice™.

  
Brenda Smotherman, publicist for Thomas Nelson, says that The Voice™ gives “additional background [information] on setting and characters.”  The Voice™ also includes “historical and cultural expansions of the story.” A “screenplay-like format” is used to end repetition and enhance readability. The Voice™ is “based on the earliest and the best manuscripts from the original languages,” and words and phrases are replaced for “clarity.”  As a reader, I didn’t care for the screenplay format or the background information in the boxes in the author’s own words. I believe it takes away from the original text.  

A sampling of John 1:2-5 follows: “Before time itself was measured, the Voice was speaking. The Voice was and is God. This celestial Voice remained ever present with the Creator;  His speech shaped the entire cosmos. Immersed in the practice of creating, all things that exist were birthed in Him. His breath filled all things with a living, breathing light. Light that thrives in the depths of darkness, blazing through murky bottoms. It cannot, and will not, be quenched.” According to the Ecclesia Bible Society, italicized words indicate words “not directly tied to a translation of the original language.”

  
For more information and to see what you think, you can visit http://www.hearthevoice.com.

By Chantal Maurice

Worried about midterms?  Need tutoring?  Do you want to succeed? Where do you go?

Many students are not aware of the resources available to them on campus. College life can be very stressful. Deciding on a major, falling behind in class and taking exams are just a few examples of things we college students have to worry about.

  
All of us want to succeed, but many of us don’t know where to turn for help. The Student Success Center, located on the 1^st floor of the Strom Thurmond Center, is the place to go if you are seeking academic assistance.    Ms. Annie Watson, director of the Student Success Center, is excited about her newly appointed position and is looking forward to enhancing the center. Academic advisors and counselors are located in the Student Success Center.   “The Academic counselors here at CSU are friendly and sincere. You can receive assistance in your personal life as well,” says Jocelyn Culver, a student employee.  The Student Success Center also provides workshops to help students who are on academic probation. “We also work with faculty members to help identify students who are at risk for probation,” says Watson.  In addition, the Student Success Center provides special needs testing, counselors for major/minor changes, tutoring and outreach. “It’s a safe environment for students to get information from a personable staff. I don’t see why students wouldn’t come here,” says student employee Taylor Bryant.

   
So if your grades are not where you want them to be, or if you need help figuring out which classes you should take, visit the Student Success Center. “We are here to help,” says Watson.