Gaetana Pipia, Patch Staff

<b>Email: </b><strong> </strong>gaetana.pipia&#64;patch.com<b><br>Phone: </b>678.232.2528<b><br>Hometown: </b>Boca Raton, FL<b><br>Birthday</b>: August 17                                                                                        <b>Welcome Video: </b>http://fb.me/IYL0Qol7<b> </b>

<b>Bio: </b>Gaetana grew up in the Acworth-Kennesaw area and is an alum of Kennesaw Mountain High School&#39;s Magnet Progam.  She earned her Bachelor&#39;s in Journalism and Latin American Studies from New York University, and she&#39;s written for NYU Livewire, New York Resident Magazine, and other print and online publications.   In 2008, her article, &#34;The Second Burial of John Gotti,&#34; earned her a nomination for the Hearst Journalism Scholarship in Feature Writing.  She speaks fluent Spanish and has also studied Italian and Portuguese. A street level reporter at heart, she has a natural curiousity for people and a passion for story-telling.

<b>Your Beliefs</b><br>At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.<br><br><b>Politics </b><br>How would you describe your political beliefs?<br>I would describe myself as fiscally moderate, although I do lean left when it comes to many social issues.  However, I make it a personal mission to keep an open mind about everything.  Ask anyone who knows me.  <br><br><b>Religion</b><br>How religious would you consider yourself? I was raised Catholic, although I would say my faith is more spiritually-based than founded in a particular religion.<br><b><br>Local Hot-Button Issues</b><br>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?<br>Like many communities throughout the nation, unemployment is certainly one of Kennesaw&#39;s most significant and immediate concerns.  Families and businesses comprise the heart of Kennesaw, so education, taxes, and, specifically, SPLOST spending, are also important issues. There are also university concerns, as well as heated contention about illegal immigration in the area.  I still have a lot to learn, so I&#39;ll be listening to your concerns and reporting the issues, big and small, that matter most to you.