Welcome Week: Things You Need to Know

Welcome Week

Attention students, save the date! Welcome Week will be held from August 26^th to September 5^th. Welcome Week is designed to welcome all new and returning students back to campus. There will be plenty of fun and informative activities for all students to enjoy as they prepare for the new semester.

Day 1 – Monday, August 26^th

On the first day of Welcome Week, make sure that you validate your student id in the Hall of Governors. Validating your student id will allow you to utilize the services that GSU has to offer, like working out in the Fitness & Recreation Center and checking out books in the library. If you are not able to do it on the first day, don’t fret. I.D. validation will be going August 26^th to August 29^th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can also validate it at Student Central located by GSU’s main entrance at any time.

Come rock out with your fellow students and the Psychology Club in the Rock Band Video Competition. It will be held in the Cafeteria Annex from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. You can either play the drums, sing, or pound on the guitar to different genres of music. A cash prize will be awarded to the winner so come put those skills to the test. It only costs $1 to play and the proceeds will be given to the Psychology Club to fund future educational activities.

If you are looking for a job on campus or people to network with, then check out the student employment fair sponsored by GSU’s Career Services. This fair will be held in the Hall of Governors from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. There, career services representatives and potential employers will help you find opportunities to work where you go to school.

If you’re getting a little hungry in the midst of all the Welcome Week festivities, check out “Pizza on the Terrace” sponsored by the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park. Pizza will be served from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the terrace. The terrace is located on the second floor, adjacent to the Academic Computing Services (ACS) Lab. So come have a slice of pizza while getting a grand view of GSU’s very own sculpture park.

Day 2 – Tuesday, August 27th

Need to get your license renewed but don’t want to wait in a long line at the DMV? The Illinois Secretary of State’ mobile service unit will be in the Hall of Governors from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to serve the GSU community. Get that license or state id renewed or replaced, buy vehicle stickers, and take eye and written exams and so much more. Get everything done that you would need to do at a DMV here, without the long line.

Show your support by coming to the Annual LGBTQA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Questioning, Allied) Reception in the Cafeteria Annex from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. This event, hosted by GSU’s GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) and the Office of Wellness and Diversity, is the first time an event like this has been held during GSU’s Welcome Week. So come meet people, make new friends, and find out how you can get involved in the LGBTQA community while enjoying some cake and ice cream.

For students new and old, come to the Student Resource Fair to learn all bout what GSU has to offer. It will be held in the Hall of Governors from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Representatives from clubs, organizations, amenities and other GSU services will be there to inform you on how they can become more involved around campus and the GSU community.

Love listening to 103.5 Kiss f.m.? Well they’ll be in the Hall of Governors from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Listen to your favorite music while enjoying all the other Welcome Week festivities. You could even when some prizes, like Kiss f.m. merchandise or tickets to a White Sox game.

Day 3 – Wednesday, August 28^th

Do you find it hard to resist distractions while driving? Remember that no text message, email, website, phone call, or video is worth risking your life or the life of someone else. At&t’s It Can Wait Campaign is coming to GSU to provide an interactive simulation for texting and driving. It will be held in the Hall of Governors from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. President Maimon will give a Welcome Address at 3 p.m. So come and take the pledge. Remember, it can wait.

Reconstructed, GSU’s online student literary magazine, is hosting a poetry slam in the cafeteria annex from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Share your creativity by reading your own poem or a poem written by someone else. Email Reconstructed for more information.

If would like to look at some exceptional art from local artist’s, stop by the Us/Plus Artist’s Reception from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m in the Visual Art Gallery.  Enjoy paintings, sculptures, mixed media exhibits, photography and collages of the GSU Art Programs Faculty and other GSU artists.

Day 4 – Thursday, August 29^th

Get to know your way around the university and the many services that are offered by participating in the Campus Crawl from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Campus Crawl encourages students to discover the location of student service offices and learn about the services each office provides. The treasure hunt replaces the information tables in the Hall of Governors that were a mainstay of previous welcome weeks. Each department is encourages to designate personnel to serve as greeters and provide information and answers to students. There will also be a photo booth in the Hall of Governors where you can take pictures using fun props as you make your way from one office to the next.

Day 5 – Friday, August 30^th

Enjoy a good laugh at GSU’s Student Senate’s LAFF session on August 30^th in the Center For Performing Arts. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Special guest, comedian B Cole from Def Comedy Jam and BET Comic View, will host it. Featured comedians include Hozay, Da Wildcat, Brandon “Hot Sauce” Glover, and Marc Henderson. Tickets are only $10 for GSU students and $15 for non-students. Tickets can be purchased from the CPA box office or from any of your student senators.

                                                                                                                              

Day 6 – Monday, September 3^rd

To show how much GSU students mean to the university, Student Life is hosting the annual Welcome Back Skate at the Rich City Roller Rink in Richton Park from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. It’s completely free, so bring your friends and family for a fun night of skating, food, and music with GSU’s clubs and organizations.

Day 7 – Tuesday, September 4^th

Does your car need a good cleaning? GSU's Psychology Club will host its Annual Car Wash from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the red barn. The red barn is located just outside of GSU's main entrance. It only costs students $5 to get their car washed at it costs $7 for faculty and staff. So come on out and show your support! Proceeds will go to the Psychology Club to help fund future educational activities.

Day 8 – Wednesday September 5^th

For people who love to shop, check out the Student Vendor Fair in the Hall of Governors from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.! Show your support these students who will be selling a product or service on your way to class. Pick something out for yourself or grab a gift for someone else. It will be a wall-to-wall shopping experience, so make sure you stop by!

Enjoy Welcome Week Tweaders, and until next time…TWAG ON!

Don't Just Study Media. Invent It.

 A new major is on the horizon Tweaders! Coming to GSU in the Fall of 2014, there will be a new Media Studies major. While this major has vast appeal, students who may be the most interested would have a desire to learn media production from animation to narrative media. This program focuses on the theory behind media production in addition to providing hands-on experience to help better prepare students for going out into the field. Students majoring in journalism, public relations, or marketing will gain useful skills from this program.

Professor Debbie James

Media Studies Assistant Professor, Deborah James, and her handpicked team of specialists created this major. It will be divided into three concentrations: Media Industry and Production, Social Networking and Participatory Culture, and Global Media and Information Flow.

For this degree, Professor James wanted to gather an all-star team of faculty and administrators to assist in development. She wanted the right balance of media production and communications as well as administrators. The team consisted of Coordinator of Instructional Development and Full Professor, Tony Labriola, Coordinator of Instructional Development, Yvette Brown, Communications lecturer, Professor Rhea, Coordinator of Academic Advising and Student Support Services, Lisa Helm, and Academic Coordinator of Communication Programs and lecturer, Professor Marilyn Yirku. These individuals will all be charged with instructing most of the courses for this program.

Professor Tony Labriola

 Emmy Award-winning producer and Media Production Professor Tony Labriola, who has worked at GSU as a senior producer and director of video for over 30 years, has a long and colorful background in educational television and producing. He has a Master of Fine Arts degree in Communications and Film (with honors) from Ohio University, and has directed over 50 series for PBS, The Learning Channel, and Mind Extension University. Professor Labriola has also received various awards and honors, including two Emmy’s for producing The Magic Door Television Theater. The Magic Door Television Theater is Chicago’s oldest television program for children. According to Professor Labriola, this may be one of the only programs to merge these three specific concentrations, making it a “groundbreaking” and distinctive major.

Professor Yevette Brown

 Professor Yvette Brown has a Master of Arts Degree in Television & Film Production with a focus in Journalism. Like Professor Labriola, she has received several honors and awards, including an Emmy for producing Artbeat Chicago. Artbeat Chicago features works of art from Chicago and all around Illinois. In addition to writing and producing at GSU, she has also done freelance work, like producing several segments of BET programs. In addition to GSU, she is currently involved as a Freelance Producer, writing scripts and producing segments about Chicago’s Arts community as well as other PBS specials.

Professor David Rhea

Dr. David Rhea attended the University of Missouri, earning his Ph.D. in Communications. In addition to serving as Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at GSU, he also has two journal publications, three honors, and dozens of presentations on topics ranging from politics to speech communications.

 Once her team was complete, they spent a significant amount of time focusing on the vision for the program by doing research on the students and the region, as well as doing an environmental scan to figure out what they were offering already, gaps that they could fill, and what will prepare students for the future.

The Media Industry and Production concentration, headed by Professors Labriola and Brown, really focuses on television production locally as well as internationally. Courses within this concentration will not only focus on traditional television production, but will also introduce theories of transmedia[1] production - the technique of telling a single story or story experience across multiple platforms and formats using current digital technologies.

So courses will cover not only television production and transmedia production, but also digital storytelling, and upper-level audio production classes. “We’re taking students…from the beginning and preparing them for the industry as it might be in years to come.” said Professor James.

Professor Labriola’s goal with the Media Industry and Production concentration is that it will mesh well with the other concentrations. “We were seeing offering production as…the point at which all of these other things revolved around. You’d have to know something about production to be involved with social media because you’re creating media.” The same goes for globalization, which is sharing media across the globe.

Another concentration within the Media Studies major is the Social Networking and Participatory Culture concentration, headed by Professor James herself. This concentration will, as one may have guessed, have a lot to do with social media and social networking.  The participatory culture is made up of individuals who not only act as consumers, but also as contributors and producers in their community and the world. In this concentration, students will discuss how the participatory culture produces media, what they actually make, and how the excitement of being involved with the world can be harnessed for the future. They are also looking into gaming, interactive design, and how groups of people work together to produce large projects. It will have students looking at new equipment and ways in which existing equipment can be made, as well as different ways to problem solve. For example, the Social Lab, a Capstone course, will have senior students in that class coming together to work on different issues and come up with a project developed at the beginning of the course on one of those issues to be displayed by the end of the course. It’s really about creating a thinking and functioning production team.

The final concentration within the major, the Global Media and Information Flow concentration, is headed by Professor David Rhea, Ph.D. and focuses on what media production means in a global context. In this concentration, students will learn about different international media systems, particularly in Latin America and Asia, in order to help students to function more effectively in an international market. With such a global approach to information and media, Professor James says that her committee is working on some international exchange programs, which include foreign language and media systems studies in hopes that students form an understanding of the social science of media. They are already starting with a project in Toronto, but James could not discuss the potential partner by name because the terms are currently in negotiations.

“I realize it’s [Toronto] not as international as some may think, but it gives people the opportunity to do media production and team development and build a project with folks from a different country.” said James.

Although the full major won’t go live until the Fall of 2014, a “soft launch” is expected this Fall; with some courses beginning in August to give people a good idea of the program.

Students will leave the program armed with a diverse reel and practical experience that have prepared them to compete in the media industry. They will be able to find jobs abroad and in our neighboring media market, Chicago, the third largest in the country “What we wanted to come out with is a program that would prepare students with the tools and the skills to be doing something that’s a hybrid between working for somebody else, but also be entrepreneurial.” said Professor James.

Students will also be given the unique ability to attend conferences and apply for internships abroad. Graduates of this program will be prepared to compete for jobs abroad and in our neighboring media market, Chicago, the third largest in the country.

If you’re interested in inventing media, and not just consuming it, check out the upcoming Media Studies major and learn more about all that it has to offer. Don’t forget to leave a comment down below and check back to see what the next featured program will be in the New Programs series.

For more information, contact:

Deborah James: (djames@govst.edu) 

Tony Labriola: (tlabriola@govst.edu)

Yvette Brown: (ybrown@govst.edu)

David Rhea: (drhea@govst.edu)

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[1] Does transmedia sound like an interesting concept? Check out Director Lance Weiler’s storytelling project Pandemic 1.0, which is part film, part interactive game, part sociological experiment. The experience imagines that a mysterious virus has begun to afflict adults in a rural town. The town's young people soon find themselves cut off from civilization, fighting for their lives. People online work with people in the real world to unlock a variety of hidden clues. This transmedia storytelling experience allows viewers to not only watch the film, but also use their cell phones, social gaming, and other online technologies to step into the shoes of the main characters.

An Alternative to the American Justice System

Starting this fall, Governors State University will launch their brand new Restorative Justice Certificate program.  Dr. James “Chip” Coldren, Criminal Justice Program Coordinator, authored the certificate with the help of students within the current Criminal Justice Program.  The goal of the program is to help students become more effective leaders and problem solvers in their community, workplace, and in their home by utilizing Restorative Justice concepts and practices

Restorative justice is defined as an approach to justice that focuses on the needs of the victims and the offenders, as well as the involved community, instead of just punishing the offender. Victims take an active role in the process, while offenders are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions in order to repair the harm they've done. The offender does this by apologizing, returning stolen money, or doing community service. It is also viewed as a prevention method and an alternative for young offenders who are starting to make their way through the juvenile justice system. Dr. Coldren says it is “having people atone for the harms that they have done to people and developing competencies in people so that they don’t re-offend and commit those same harms again.”  He also says that there are natural links between some aspects of restorative justice and the corrections system.

Shaniqua Jones

Shaniqua Jones, who recently received her M.A in Criminal Justice with a focus in Restorative Justice, said that integrating restorative justice philosophies into school systems would help provide an alternative to the zero-tolerance policy. Take a conflict between two students or two parties, for example. Instead of letting them point the finger at each other, they meet individually and collectively with a facilitator and their parents to discuss who was harmed, how they were harmed, and what the consequences should be. Using this method, both of the parties involved have a voice.

In order to earn the Restorative Justice Certificate, students must take five courses: two theoretical overview classes, two practical workshops, and a fifth class that will be an evaluation course. The first two classes are called Restorative Justice and Victims and the Justice System. Restorative Justice will provide students with an overview of practices and the development of Restorative Justice, while Victims and the Justice System will inform students of the issues that victims face in the American justice system.

The two workshop courses are called Mediation and Conflict Resolution and Peacekeeping Circles. Workshop classes are typically more hands-on, so students who want to become practitioners of restorative justice will gain valuable first-hand experience. Mediation is when you have a discussion between two disputing parties with a third party acting as the mediator to help them reach an agreement. Conflict Resolution is the steps that are taken to eliminate the conflict. A peacekeeping circle is when two or more people sit in a circle to have important discussions, share stories, and resolve conflicts. It is used in many places like schools, court systems, shelters, and faith groups. Students will not only practice these skills in class, but will also be able to utilize them effectively in the field.

Peacekeeping Circle

The last course is called How to Evaluate and Assess Restorative Justice Programs. There are different approaches to evaluating a justice program; one is called an outcome evaluation. Using this method, students would determine whether or not a restorative justice program is doing what it is supposed to do and if it is having a positive impact. For example, if a restorative justice program were implemented at a high school, students would look at whether or not there been fewer conflicts between students over time.  They would then decide if that program is working, if it needs revising, or if it should just be discarded if it isn’t working.

With a certificate in restorative justice, students will become more competitive in any field they go in because it teaches specific mediation and problem-solving skills. Restorative justice isn’t just useful in the workplace; it can also make a big difference at home. “When I learned about restorative justice,” said Dr. Coldren. “I became a different parent, and I became a better parent…and I think that happens in a lot of cases.” For Dr. Coldren, involvement in restorative justice has been a life-changing experience. “I don’t know how to explain it…I’m just a really, really happy person,” he said. “Part of that has been this involvement with restorative justice. It makes me feel connected to the world.”

According to an article from The Huffington Post, restorative justice practices are “on the rise” in the U.S. and are more efficient than the current system because a) it saves time, b) it saves judicial processing money, and c) it is fair to all the parties involved (the victim, the offender and the community). Despite the reasons why many people believe that Restorative Justice is a better way to handle conflicts, there are still some who prefer the traditional ‘do the crime, do the time’ system.

Dr. James "Chip" Coldren

Dr. Coldren has a Ph.D in Sociology from the University of Chicago, but says that most of his academic and professional career has had something to do with restorative justice and the Criminal Juvenile Justice system in some way. After graduating, he spent eight years as a visiting professor and director for the Center for Research in Law and Justice at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). There he worked on training community members and the community police on how to work together to solve problems.  After UIC, he spent five years running a non-profit Corrections Agency as a prisoner’s advocate where he monitored the conditions of confinement in prisons, jails, and juvenile detention centers.

While doing advocacy work at the John Howard Association, there was a movement in Illinois that was partly funded by the McArthur foundation to implement reform in the juvenile justice system. His involvement helped introduce him to restorative justice, but his very first exposure was a monograph written by Carolyn Nichol on how restorative justice fits with community policing and restorative justice practices that were implemented in Great Britain. “That kind of opened my eyes to what restorative justice was and how it also fits so neatly with community policing.” He said.

During his last year at the advocacy group, GSU was having an external assessment done of its criminal justice program by a nationally known leading expert in restorative justice. He said that the program needed to be modernized and strongly recommended adding restorative justice. At the time, GSU needed a new program coordinator and brought in Dr. Coldren after he was encouraged to apply by a colleague. Once he was hired, he was told by his dean to integrate restorative justice, so for the next ten years he did just that and the response from students has been strong. “As I was doing that,” he said. “I started to think about the community and the culture here at Governors State…and maybe we should be thinking [as a community] of ways to integrate restorative justice and…conflict resolution on campus.” This is where student leaders like Shaniqua Jones and Nikki Holloway came in. If fact, Jones, who is on the student senate, is currently working with the new dean of students to integrate restorative justice into the student conduct code.

If restorative justice sounds interesting to you, then I encourage you to consider earning a certificate in it. Be sure to come back next week for the next article in the New Programs series.

Until next time Tweaders…TWAG ON!

For more information, contact:

Dr. James “Chip” Coldren: jcoldren@govst.edu 

Shaniqua Jones: shananderson1@gmail.com

(Check out her blogs: http://www.shanjonesblog.wordpress.com and http://www.blogtalkradio.com/shanjones)

Governor Pat Quinn makes history at Governors State University!

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn speaking in the Hall of Governors

Heads turned and the crowd roared as Illinois Governor Pat Quinn arrived in GSU’s Hall of Governors around 10:30 a.m. on July 25^th to sign the Senate 20 bill (SB-20). The bill’s signing allows the Illinois Department of Transportation to enter into a public-private partnership, which will likely result in the construction of the South Suburban airport.Illinois Governor Pat Quinn speaking in the Hall of Governors

According to the South Suburban Airports official website, this new global transportation hub has been over 30 years in the making, and will employ more than 11,000 construction workers to build the airport and 14,000 people when operational. Will County is the ideal location for the South Suburban Airport because of its existing major highway and railroad infrastructure, its growing population and the nearby presence of many global logistics firms.

In her opening remarks, GSU President Elaine P. Maimon shared with the crowd a comment made by Governor Quinn. According to Maimon, he loves the GSU campus. And this is a good thing because GSU is a state institution! “Part of what they do is support higher education in the state of Illinois,” says GSU’s Assistant VP of Marketing and Communications, Rhonda Brown. “…We’re a part of that system, so it’s very exciting to have so many legislators…the governor, as well as mayors to support us especially in a transitioning time.” By “transitioning time” she means the first freshmen class that is due to arrive in the fall of 2014.

After the President Maimon introduced him, Governor Quinn and other speakers ranging from Illinois Senators to County Executives spoke about their shared hope for the impact the airport would make on the economy, as well as how it will benefit GSU by having the campus act as a training ground for students who want to jobs as construction workers for the airport. He believes it will help build a better economy in the south suburbs by creating over 25,000 middle-class jobs, and forming a strong cargo capacity, the unloading and distribution of goods, in that region once completed. Although there are many other reasons why they are behind the construction of this airport, they particularly stressed the fact that it will provide thousands of jobs. According to Governor Quinn, “If you’re breathing, you’re working in Illinois.”

Still, the airports development remains hugely controversial.  Protesters believe it is unnecessary because it will interfere with O’Hare airport, and disrupt the region that they live in. Also, contrary to what Governor Quinn says, landowners believe that it will actually further damage the economy instead of improving it.

The South Suburban Airport will be Chicago’s third major airport and will be located in Will County near Peotone. The airport is going to be a cargo as well as passenger airport.

For more information on the South Suburban airport, visit www.SouthSuburbanAirport.com. 

Brand New Theater Minor Coming in Fall 2013!

Planning on becoming a professional actor or have an interest in Theater Arts? Coming in the fall of 2013, a brand spanking new Theater and Performance Studies (TAPS) minor will be offered at GSU. The minor was created by Dr. Patrick Santoro, Assistant Professor of Theater and Performance Studies. This program offers courses that will give students a basic understanding of performance and help prepare them for the world of theater. With a minor in TAPS, students can enhance their acting skills without having to commit as much time as you would for a major.

 President Elaine Maimon

This program fits perfectly with GSU’s intention to become a cultural hub in the south suburbs and a public square. Recently Elaine Maimon, president of GSU, wrote an article called Art Can Strengthen Education, Transform Lives.   In this article she explains that at GSU, art is also fundamental to human life and an essential part of the GSU curriculum.  Maimon says, “It is ironic that demands for education to get back to the basics frequently involve limiting the study of the studio and performing arts. Our goal is for the entire university to be open to the power of art to strengthen education and to transform lives.”

Professor Patrick Santoro

This philosophy will be applied across the colleges, but it will certainly have direct application in the TAPS program.  TAPS is an 18-credit performance minor, meaning that there are no technical classes.  “(Performance studies) is similar to theater in the sense both focus on presenting artistic work.  At the helm of this program is Dr. Santoro, who received his doctorate in Performance Studies from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.  He was hired by GSU in August of 2012 and has worked with a committee of faculty members and administration to write the minor. They are also currently writing a major that will go live in the fall of 2014, when the first freshmen class arrives.

            The minor has four required courses: Foundations of Theater and Performance Studies, Intro to Acting, Performing Culture and Identity (which was taught by Dr. Santoro in the spring), and Performance and Social Change. The Foundations of Theater and Performance Studies class is an average introductory course. The minor also requires at least six credit hours of electives.  Students can choose from a wide variety of electives like Solo Performance, where students will perform a 15 to 20 minute piece constructed from the ground up, and Performance of Literature, which will look at how prose and poetry are performed. Other electives include Voice and Movement for the Actor, Advanced Acting, Introduction to Directing, Writing as Performance, Performance Art, and a Special Topics course. Courses will be taught by Dr. Santoro himself, Professor Jans (who currently teaches acting), and possibly an occasional adjunct professor or two.

Technical classes, like lighting and costuming, will be offered later as part of the upcoming theater major.  So far, this is the only minor from a public university in Illinois, and soon the only major, that combines Theater and Performance Studies into one program.

Due to all these changes, students can look forward to an increase in student and staff productions. There will be two plays each academic year: one in the Fall and one in the Spring. The upcoming Spring show will be a musical held in Sherman Hall. The Fall play is yet to be determined because of a lack of male actors. So gentlemen, be sure to audition! Students in the minor will not be required to be involved with main-stage, meaning they do not have to participate in the productions that will be produced for the CPA, though it is definitely encouraged. Students in the major, however, will be required to be involved in at least three productions. It could be anything from acting, to costuming and other back stage work.

            Dr. Santoro currently teaches Performing Culture and Identity, Writing as Performance, Chicagoland Theatre, and Intercultural Communication here at GSU. He recently directed his first production at GSU, Transformations by Anne Sexton, to a sold out audience.  Transformations is the first all student and staff play produced here at GSU since the new CPA was built.

Cast of Transformations. Photo By Jerry Slowik

            Kimberly Hudson, a student of Dr. Santoro’s who also performed in Transformations, had nothing but good things to say about him. “It was a fun experience,” she said. “You could really tell that he was really into the theater…he knows it like the back of his hand, and I think its very important for teachers to have a passion for what they do.” Hudson then told me that taking his classes is part of the reason why she auditioned for Transformations in the first place. Hudson was excited to hear about the new theater minor. “I’ve already told Dr. Santoro that I’m going to be sneaking into all of his classes.” She said, laughing.

With that glowing recommendation, I encourage you to check out the upcoming Theater and Performance Studies courses.  Sound off in the comment section below or contact Dr. Patrick Santoro (psantoro@govst.edu) for more information on the new minor.

Until next time Tweaders…TWAG ON!