April 6, 2016

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

APRIL 6, 2016 1801 FAYETTEVILLE STREET DURHAM, NC 27707

VOL 107, ISSUE 2

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Opinions

Sports

Melquan Ganzy sends a heartfelt bye bye

Photo Feature

Student thesis captures John McLendons legacy

Students march against the N.C. legislature conservative agenda

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Campus Echo Women’ studies arrives

PASSION FROM NEW GREEK MEMBERS

BY KENNETH CAMPBELL ECHO STAFF REPORTER

After a long, collaborative effort, N.C. Central University has become the state’s first public HBCU to offer a minor in women’s and gender studies. While some courses are already available, students can declare the minor starting this fall.

“I’m new to N.C. Central,” said political science professor, Yaba Blay with an enthusiastic smile. “but it does strike me as interesting that with a long history of having a predominantly women student body

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New members of Omega Psi Phi, juniors D’Andre Wright and Brandon Sumner, present during probate.

KEYANDRA COTTON/Echo photo editor

STORY BY SHAKIRA WARREN

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undreds of students, family sororities revealed themselves on Tuesand friends clapped and day and Wednesday at 7 p.m. in McLensquealed as the new mem- don-McDougald Gymnasium. bers of eight fraternities and n See PROBATE Pages 10-11

Law prohibits revenge porn ECHO STAFF REPORTER

The N.C. General Assembly is cracking down “revenge porn,” the posting of explicit photographs or video without the consent of the individual portrayed in the material.

Most often revenge occurs after a breakup and one individual seeks revenge by making the postings.

The new law – dubbed the “Revenge Porn Law,” went into effect December 1, 2015.

It makes it a felony to post explicit photos or videos without the consent of the individual’s portrayed. In other words, just getting a slap on the wrists are over.

NCCU campus organizations Emerge, Men Creating Change, the Women’s Center, and University Police will hold an informative panel discussion on the new law and cyber dating Tuesday 6 p.m. in Baynes Residential Hall’s multipurpose

room.

Both men and women are victims of revenge porn.

“I feel it’s very reasonable because you’re invading someone’s privacy,” Deauntae Grimes, a political science sophomore.

Grimes recalls a case of revenge porn from his high schools days.

“I had two friends who were dating and after a while they began to not like each other and went their separate ways.

Something happened between them where they got angry and attitudes started flaring and the girl posted a very explicit photo of him on Instagram,” said Grimes.

“He went in and reported the image but it was too late because everyone had already seen it.

Nothing was really done about it besides Instagram doing their best to eventually remove it but people had

EVAN OWENS/Echo staff photographer

Students welcome library renovations

BY SHAKIRA WARREN

BY NIJAH MCKINNEY

Professor talks with student about her presentation.

ECHO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

New year, new semester, new surprises.

N.C. Central University students returned to campus from winter break to a newly renovated James E. Shepard Memorial Library.

The library’s first floor now features a Mega Lab – comprising three additional computer labs with 155 computers.

The renovations also include a Techno Lounge, which gives students a place to study, a

laptop bar and a new sign for the Eagles Café.

NCCU’s Information Technology Services is now headquartered on the first floor as well.

Family consumer science senior Nija Parker said the renovations make the library look inviting.

“I like the atmosphere and the colors,” said Parker.

“It’s a good study atmosphere.”

Chemistry junior Nicole Boone said she really enjoys the new library compared to the old one.

“The old library was

just an ordinary place, and it wasn’t inviting,” said Boone.

“I think the new library is beautiful and well put together."

The first floor of the library was sectioned off for construction in September, leaving students to use the second floor to check out books and use computers.

The MegaLab replaces nine computer labs in buildings around campus that were closed permanently on July 31, 2014.

The labs were located in the Farrison-Newton Communications Build-

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Editors Note We’ve made some changes at the Campus Echo. print editions. We now publish a compilation of our best work at the end of each semester.

But that doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy. We now publish one story every weekday online at campusecho.com.

Stay connected with us on Twitter @campusecho or on Facebook. You can register for email notifications online at campusecho.com.

The new front desk and sign at the James E. Shepard Library.

SHAKIRA WARREN/Echo editor-in-chief

ing, the Albert N. Whiting Criminal Justice building, the H. M. Michaux, Jr. School of Education, and six other locations.

Chief Information Officer Leah Kraus told the Campus Echo that those nine labs were closed because they were underutilized.

“Once we ran the stats on the utilization of the lab, the total numbers of availability and the total numbers of computers on average, there was about 15 percent utilization,” said Kraus.

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NCCU meets Zipcar New student transport lands on campus

LIBRARY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 She said the lab underutilization in many locations created challenges for the technical staff, resulting in the plan for a Mega Lab. She said plan also included placing Information Technology Services in the library so that it would be in the center of campus and accessible to students.

Information Technology Manager Patrice Walker said the Mega Lab will be useful for students, and that she is

glad ITS headquarters will be more accessible.

“It gives the students more resources and allows them to learn and collaborate easier,” said Walker.

Kraus said NCCU Chancellor Debra Saunders-White freed up Title III funds and educational and technical funds to help pay for the $1.27 million project.

NCCU Director of Library Services Theodosia Shields said she was excited about the

renovated library.

“It’s simply beautiful and it provides many opportunities for students,” said Shields.

Mass communication junior Ithiopia Lemons said the library helps commuter students like her in particular.

“It’s a great place for me to go and chill in between my classes,” said Lemons.

The Shepard Library had not been renovated since 2008.

REVENGE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

One of the two Zipcars available for NCCU student and faculty use since March 1.

DIAMOND GWYNN/Echo staff photographer

“It allows students and staff to be mobile and not have to worry about having a car on campus or parking.”

CHA’SSEM ANDERSON NCCU DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION

BY DIAMOND GWYNN ECHO STAFF REPORTER

When you head to college, you sometimes have to leave things behind.

And when that’s a vehicle, transportation is limited.

Fortunately, for careless students tired of relying on public transportation or friends, Zipcar has arrived to N.C. Central University.

Zipcar is a company that rents out cars by the hour or day.

The company says it’s all about saving the environment, going green, and car-sharing.

The idea is, fewer cars equal less pollution.

According to Zipcar.com, the process is easy and stress-free.

Potential Zipcar users must join online and wait to be approved.

Applicants must have had a driver’s license for at least a year.

Unlike most rental car services, the age requirement is 18 rather than 25.

Once applicants are approved, they will receive a “Zipcard,” similar to a credit card, which they must keep on hand at all times.

Customers can reserve vehicles online or through the mobile app.

After reservations are complete, the car will be ready for pick-

up in the Latham parking lot.

Cars also are dropped off in the Latham lot.

Keys remain in the car; the Zipcard locks and unlocks the vehicle.

To unlock the doors, hold the Zipcard to the windshield, and you’re good to go.

Reservations may be extended through the Zipcar mobile app or via text to the designated app or personnel.

Zipcar, in service since 2004, made its way onto college campuses in 2011.

By 2015, Zipcar was on more than 500 college and university campuses across North America, according to a Zipcar report.

The University of California Los Angeles, Spelman, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro are a few of the universities that offer Zipcar’s services.

NCCU students, seem to have one main complaint: why did it take so long to get here?

“I wish Zipcar was here when I was a freshman,” public health junior Ryan Lyles said.

“If people take advantage of Zipcar it could be very useful.

“Since everyone complains about parking on campus, we should definitely take advantage of the opportunity,” Lyles said.

Criminal justice

freshman Yana Blandsaid she thinks Zipcar is “very beneficial.

“It makes parking and transportation one less thing to worry about.

“It’s a way of allowing students to regain their dependency and save the planet at the same time.”

Cha’ssem Anderson, NCCU director of transportation, also believes Zipcar benefits students and staff.

“It allows students and staff to be mobile and not have to worry about having a car on campus or parking,” Anderson said.

He said the service is especially convenient for students who need to get to and from the grocery store and anywhere else around the city.

Aside from the hourly rate, students must pay a one-time $15 membership fee, which includes gas and insurance.

For faculty, there is no membership fee.

Rates start at $7.50 an hour for up to eight hours, after which daily rates apply.

If the car is low on gas, customers may gas up with the fuel card which comes with the vehicle.

“Everything is included,” Anderson said.

Zipcar customers may choose between a Ford Fusion and a Toyota Corolla.

already screenshotted it.”

Shammia McQuaig, a Guilford College graduate present at an interview with an NCCU student, said she had been a victim of revenge porn.

“Once something is on the Internet it’s a wrap and it’s out there forever,” she said.

“When I lived in Atlanta I used to deal with someone and decided that I didn’t want to deal with them anymore,”said McQuaig.

“They got upset and made a fake profile of me on Instagram saying all these mean nasty things and added all of my friends.

“They also put some explicit pictures on there that I didn’t even know they had or how they got them because I never sent them.

“I ended up having to go to the police to get a restraining order and eventually they got taken down. It was rough. It sucks.”

Students had a variety of reactions to the

new law.

“I think that adding a felony as a consequence will definitely slow down this crime,” said sports exercise junior Khalil James.

“If that happened to me I would go out for blood!

“But all jokes aside though seriously, if I were in this situation, the girl and I could have three kids together and I would still press charges.”

Rueje Hayden, a criminal justice freshman, said she hadn’t yet heard about the law.

“I don’t think it’ll make a difference in reducing the crime though because people don’t care about consequences.

“They’re going to do what they want regardless,” she said.

Laura Acosta, a criminal justice senior, also said she hadn’t heard of the law.

“I think it’s a little too harsh to give someone a felony for something that’s a

non-violent crime,” she said.

“I don’t think people would even know because I didn’t even know about this law until now.

People would be getting felonies without even realizing how serious it was.”

An additional amendment proposed

by Senator Gladys Robinson passed in a 28-15 vote that gives some relief to minors.

First-time offenders under the age of 18 will receive a misdemeanor rather than a felony.

The law also allows revenge porn victims up to seven years to file civil lawsuits.

Shelvia Dancy, a NCCU mass communication adjunct instructor had this advice: “Students should be mindful that the circumstances that exist when you take photos can change … with relationships going sour you can never guarantee photos will remain private.”

WOMEN’S CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “We focused our attention on the center as well as the margin.

We understood both. This mode of seeing reminded us of the existence of a whole universe, a main body made up of both margin and center.”

BELL HOOKS FEMINIST THEORY: FROM MARGIN TO CENTER

that it has taken so long to get a women’s & gender and gender studies minor.”

On March 29, Blay delivered the inaugural lecture for the new minor entitled “Unforgivable Blackness: Skin Bleaching & the Politics of Skin Color.”

Blay is the Dan Blue endowed chair in the department of political science, where this fall she will be offering

Are you looking for a rewarding career where you can use your major and help people?

courses that question issues of white supremacy, patriarchy, and the black body politic as a part of the new women’s and gender studies minor.

According to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Carlton Wilson, in the summer of 2013 a planning committee, including mass communication professor Shauntae White, was convened to

discuss the possibilities of offering a women’s and gender studies program through the college.

After an initially productive meeting, followed by several years of stagnation, White assumed leadership as the coordinator and completed the proposal for the interdisciplinary minor.

n See WOMEN’S Page 3

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Pierce-Cartwright wins ed award WNCU 90.7 news director named ‘Spectacular Magazine’ Woman of the Year in Education

BY MELODY PAYTON-BROWN ECHO STAFF REPORTER

PierceKimberley Cartwright, news director at WNCU 90.7 FM, N.C. Central University’s public radio station, was named Woman of the Year in Education by Durham-based “Spectacular Magazine” in February.

The magazine anPiercenounced Cartwright’s award as part of its 2016 Women and Men of the Year Awards.

Pierce- Cartwright, who can be heard daily on WNCU, has been at NCCU for 14 years.

She got her start in radio as a student at in University Shaw Raleigh. She credits her experience there as a vital foundation.

After graduating from Shaw, Pierce-Cartwright earned her master’s degree at The University of Illinois at Springfield.

She said that even though they had limited resources at Shaw, a lot was expected.

Cartwright grew up in a family of seven children in rural North Carolina.

She said her education at Shaw allowed her to escape from a town where factory work was the expected career path.

Cartwright’s professors at Shaw encouraged her to stand tall and conquer the world.

Now she does the same for students at

Kimberley Pierce-Cartwright, WNCU news director, in the WNCU radio station on the first floor of the Farrison-Newton Communications Building BRUCE DEPYSSLER/Echo adviser

“It’s nice to see the transformation of students under my leadership.

My goal is to provide them with the tools needed to be successful in mass communication.”

KIMBERLY PIERCE CARTWRIGHT, NEWS DIRECTOR, WNCU 90.7 FM

NCCU. “It’s nice to see the transformation of students under my leadership,” she said.

“My goal is to provide them with the tools needed to be successful in mass communication.”

Before coming to WNCU, Pierce-

Cartwright taught and worked at WRVS, Elizabeth City State University’s radio station.

Lolethia, “DL” Underdue, one of PierceCartwright’s former students, is now her colleague at NCCU. Underdue said she would always be grateful for the leadership

skills and professionalism she learned from PierceCartwright.

“Kimberley has always been determined, always sets the bar high, and always achieves what she sets out to complete,” said Underdue.

“Spectacular Magazine” is a tabloid-style monthly based in

Durham.

It distributes 12,000 papers across seven North Carolina counties, with plans to expand this year.

The magazine hit newsstands in November 2004 with the goal of empowering, enlightening and entertaining the African American com-

munity.

Founder and publisher Phyllis Coley honors women and men with the magazine’s yearly awards.

This year, 13 awards were presented in eight categories.

Pierce-Cartwright shares the Woman of the Year in Education award with Tomisha Price Brock, director of university bands at ECSU. Pierce-Cartwright said she was very excited to receive the honor.

The awards process begins with participants being nominated by someone in the community.

Coley said they received 34 nominees for the 2016 awards. Voting is open to the public online for 21 days.

On Feb. 20, the paper annouced award winners and posted a video celebrating the winners to its website and Facebook page.

PierceCartwright said she values continued growth and education. In the next five years, she hopes to transition to a working artist.

She is currently working on a novel. In her spare time, she enjoys thrift shopping and spending time with Anderson, her husband of 13 years.

This story first appeared in the Durham VOICE, a community newspaper produced by NCCU and UNC-Chapel Hill journalism students.

Holocaust ‘hidden child’ shares her story

BY ALYSON DEAN ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Holocaust survivor Renee Fink told a B.N. Duke Auditorium of about 100 the story of her life March 31.

Fink, one of 12 child holocaust survivors (known as “Hidden Children”), is a member of the Holocaust Speakers Bureau.

Fink was four years old when her parents, living in Nazi-occupied Holland, were sent to Auschwitz, an extermination camp.

Years later, she discovered that her mother had been killed almost immediately in the camp, and that her father had died in Poland as a slave laborer. Fink was left to wander the streets alone.

She was rescued by Maria Van Der Brink while riding her bicycle.

Van Der Brink, a Catholic, recognized Fink as Jewish, scooped her up, and hid her for four years.

This heroic act put the lives of the entire Van Der Brink family at risk.

To protect her identity, Fink practiced Catholicism and learned to speak Dutch.

She recalled Nazis searching Dutch homes for Jews.

“Some Jews dyed their hair to look American, but I got to keep my natural color,” Fink said.

When Nazi soldiers were around, she covered her head with a cone,

Renee Fink, a “hidden child” holocaust survivor, tells her story to NCCU students March 31.

EVAN OWEN/Echo staff photographer

while her family pretended she was crazy.

The tactic Fink called the “most hilarious” was when she stayed in bed pretending to have tuberculosis.

“I never saw anyone run so fast!” she said, chuckling at the memory.

Fink said it took her years to understand that being hidden was a unique experience, and that she was lucky to have survived the Nazi

extermination of over six million Jews.

“I didn’t realize this was wrong; I thought it was normal for most of my life,” she said.

By the end of the war, Fink was eight years old, and the Van Der Brinks had become her family.

“I consider myself very fortunate to have had a good family, and not have horror stories like other children who went into hiding,” she said.

In 1948, Fink was reunited with her grandmother in New York and with her cousins in a small town in upstate New York.

She was terrified of the boat trip to America.

“I was afraid I would drown,” she joked.

From age 10 to 19, Fink had a habit of running away because of an abusive cousin and because she hated the “novelty” of being the

only European Jew in town.

She then moved alone to Queens, New York, where she worked and went to college in Brooklyn.

She met her husband, Edward Leon, when she was 21. He encouraged her to reconnect with the Van Der Brinks.

Fink wrote them a letter in 1960, but didn’t hear back for more than 50 years, in 2014. She has

since reunited with the Van Der Brinks, and tried to relearn Dutch, as a gift to the family.

Fink was critical of the current state of American political discourse, especially the stigmatization and bullying of gays, Latino, and African Americans.

“My take-away message would be that we can’t allow our humanity to be taken away,” she said.

maybe because women make up the majority of the student body, a special focus on women just hasn’t been a priority.

“There is a question about the value of women’s & gender studies,” said Blay. “Just because you have a lot of women here doesn’t mean that they see them-

selves reflected in the classroom. That you can get an entire degree and never see the application of your degree to women, and be a woman, is a problem. So, while I think it is interesting, and perhaps even unfortunate, that it has taken this long, I’m excited that it’s finally here.”

WOMEN’S CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Students must complete 18 credit hours in any of the special courses available in political science, history, english, theatre, health, and mass communication to secure the minor.

The only two required courses are “Introduction to Women’s & Gender Studies” and “Black

Feminist & Feminist Thought.”

Texts like “Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center” by: bell hooks, will introduce students to language and ideas that place women at the center.

History professor, Baiyina Muhammad, was also a part of the commit-

tee and has been instrumental in the progress of the program. Muhammad said the quest for women’s studies goes back even further than 2013.

As early as 1979, there is documentation of substantial efforts to develop an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree in

women’s studies here at NCCU. It’s unclear what exactly has prevented, for decades, the establishment of a program here.

Last fall, undergraduate women outnumbered men at NCCU two to one, according to collegeportraits.org. Some have expressed concerns that

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Full time mom, full time student Single parent defies her circumstances, embraces challenge.

Mass communications honor society student Andrea Thornton-Briscoe and her 4-year-old son Jayden.

KENNETH CAMPBELL/Echo staff photographer

BY SABRINA HALLIBURTON ECHO STAFF REPORTER

You spend the morning at work, then leave to attend your classes.

You go back to work, then pick up your child from daycare, only to find yourself loaded with homework and other responsibilities.

That is the reality for millions of undergraduate students.

According to a 2014 study conducted by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 26 percent of undergraduate students are raising dependent children.

Of these 4.8 million students, 71 percent are women, and 43 percent are raising their children alone.

This is the case for N.C. Central University senior Andrea ThorntonBriscoe.

“I messed up in high school, and I didn’t have any focus,” ThorntonBriscoe said.

She discovered she was pregnant one month after graduating from Franklinton High School in Franklinton, northeast of Durham.

Before her son, Jayden, was born, ThorntonBriscoe realized that his father was abusive, and

she pulled out of the relationship.

“I knew that I didn’t want my son to see things like that and think that it was acceptable,” she said.

But Thornton-Briscoe was determined to keep her life on track.

She enrolled at Fayetteville State University, and Jayden was born during the spring semester while she was taking online courses.

After a year, she transferred to NCCU, where she is now mass communication senior with a 3.1 GPA. She has earned a prestigious internship at Duke University and is

a member of the mass communication honor society -- all while working 30 hours a week and raising 4-year-old Jayden.

Her goal is to work on the air for Radio One in Raleigh. Eventually, she said, she wants her own syndicated show.

Thornton-Briscoe was raised in a supportive, two-parent family and said she is determined to provide Jayden that same comfort.

“But it’s a challenge,” she said. “I always do twice as much as I feel a normal parent would because I don’t feel that Jayden should go without

just because he is growing up in a single parent home.”

And her life is hectic, to say the least. There is no time for procrastination and little free time.

Thornton-Briscoe is taking 12 credit hours.

She lives in with her parents in Franklinton, a 45 minute commute to Durham. And she works at a fast food restaurant in Roseville, even farther from NCCU. But she says it’s all worth the sacrifice.

“It’s either we have money to enjoy life and I sacrifice being with Jayden every moment,” she explained, “or I sit at

home and do nothing all day, which isn’t me.”

As much as she has struggled as a single parent, Thornton-Briscoe says she wouldn’t change anything.

“Before having Jayden I knew I wanted to be successful in life, but I didn’t have the motivation. Having Jayden has forced it within myself to succeed,” said ThorntonBriscoe.

And when she does find a few free minutes on the weekends, she spend them with her son.

“Usually it’s taking him and his cousins to Chuck E. Cheese’s or Adventure Landing.”

Exploring the ecosystem in our armpits

BY EVAN OWENS ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Body odor.

When we notice that unmistakable stench on ourselves, most of us rush to roll on or spray on some product. But the fact is, there’s more going on in our armpits than meets the nose.

NCCU biology associate professor Julie Horvath is researching that most pungent area in human anatomy. She’s looking at the microbes in the armpit and how different products, like deodorants and antiperspirants, affect their growth.

Horvath, the head of the Genomics and Microbiology Research Lab at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, said she got into the “microbe business” via primates.

She was interested in comparing regions of the human genome to regions of primate genomes. A genome is a full set of chromosomes, nature’s instruction manual, which guides the development of all living things.

Basically, she wanted to see how humans and primates compare, but through the lens of our genomes.

This interest in primate genomes brought her to Duke, where she studied lemurs.

“That sort of got me in the intermix of understanding how we can learn about ourselves from studying other species like primates,” Horvath said.

Horvath spent some time at Duke before being offered her joint position at NCCU and the Museum of Natural Sciences. With this new position came a new focus.

“Now there was a greater call to engage students and professors

Julie Horvath, NCCU biology associate professor, said she strives to engage students and instructors in science.

Photo courtesy of Chioke Brown, NCCU University Relations

in research,” she said.

It was harder before to engage other people in her research, because she was working with live animals. So refocusing on microbes (which can be observed and grown in a lab) paved the way for more public involvement.

Microbes are microscopic organisms. They crawl on your skin, feed on your sweat -- and produce odor.

It’s pretty gross. But it’s true. Horvath compares them to something a lot more familiar.

“Right now, you can think of your skin as this healthy ecosystem,” Horvath said, “this forest.”

And each armpit’s ecosystem differs from the next. In other words, your armpits may have a different set of microbes than your friend’s.

According to Horvath, one explanation for this variation is the use of hy-

giene products.

Now, we’re all familiar with the purpose of deodorants and antiperspirants. They fight body odor. But they do it in different ways, Horvath explained.

While deodorants, as the word implies, have chemicals that kill or inhibit the growth of odorcausing microbes, antiperspirants prevent your armpits from sweating.

This cuts off the food supply of microbes. No microbes, no stink.

Horvath set out to see how these products affect microbe growth differently.

“We swabbed everybody working in the lab and looked at what was growing on them,” she said.

Then Horvath noticed something interesting about her own armpit sample.

“My plates were empty; there was nothing

growing,” she said. “It freaked me out a little bit. But it got us talking about why there was no growth on my plate.“ The reason was traced to her antiperspirant use, Horvath explained.

“Because of (my) new position, I started wearing clinical strength antiperspirant,” she said. “I didn’t want to be the armpit microbe biologist who actually has body odor, right?”

In order to further investigate what these products do to the tiny ecosystems in our armpits, Horvath and her team launched an eightday experiment.

Twenty people were divided into three groups: deodorant wearers, antiperspirant wearers, and people who used neither. Only 17 people wound up being studied, however, thanks to some sickness and other constraints.

The first day, participants went about their usual routines.

They were swabbed and their samples analyzed to see what microbes were growing.

Days two through six, all participants were asked to stop wearing any products, and were swabbed daily to check the growth of microbes.

During the last two days of the experiment, every participant wore antiperspirant. This was to see, once and for all, antiperspirant’s effect on the growth of microbes in participants, Horvath explained.

“If we think that antiperspirants are inhibiting the growth of microbes, and we take it away, and microbes grow back, then we can hypothesize that the antiperspirant is likely inhibiting the growth of microbes,” Horvath said.

After the experiment,

once the aroma cleared, Horvath and her team drew a few conclusions, according to their research published in PeerJ, a biological and medical sciences journal.

They wrote that they had confirmed that antiperspirant use drastically decreased the amount of microbes found in participants’ samples.

They also found that when participants stopped using products, their microbe density, or the amount of microbes in their samples, increased to levels similar to those for people who had never worn products. Essentially, the microbes made a comeback.

But some grew back faster than others, Horvath explained, changing the diversity of microbes in the samples.

“When you use product, you can imagine that kind of like a forest that’s just had a fire,” Horvath said. “When you look back at this forest, you can see which organisms will grow back faster than others.”

Unfortunately for the microbes, they don’t have the benefit of a Smokey the Bear-type campaign the real forests have. We wipe out these microorganisms without batting an eye.

Now, this is not to suggest that we stop wearing deodorant or antiperspirant just yet. But microbes play an important role for our bodies -- and deserve our consideration, Horvath said.

“A lot of the things you do on a daily basis might actually affect your wellbeing, and you don’t think about it,” she said.

Horvath’s research may have focused on very small things, but she maintains her big mission: engaging students and the public in science.

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Police chief makes history Odetta Johnson is the first female Chief of Police at NCCU

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

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Mold invades vending pizza “I was really grossed out by the mold, it wasn’t noticeable until you walked by the machine.”

TIA MITCHELL MASS COMMUNICATION JUNIO R

BY SHAKIRA WARREN ECHO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Chief of Police, Odetta Johnson, brings decades of law enforcement to the job.

SABRINA HALLIBUTON/Echo staff photographer

“As a young girl, my father always told me not to be a pigeon, but to be an eagle and soar.”

ODETTA JOHNSON NCCU POLICE CHIEF

BY SABRINA HALLIBURTON ECHO STAFF REPORTER

In December of 2015 N.C. Central University made history by enlisting its first-ever female Chief of Police, Odetta Johnson.

Johnson said she was overjoyed to land the position at her alma mater, where she graduated in 1990.

“As a young girl, my father always told me not to be a pigeon, but to be and eagle and soar,” she said, explaining that even though her father died when she was 14 years old she kept those words close to her heart.

“Upon arriving at N.C. Central University, when I saw that the motto of the school was ‘Where Eagles Soar,’ I knew I was home,” she said.

Johnson said she was unsure of what to major in at NCCU, but with the help of her teachers and her Delta

Sigma Theta sorority sisters, she decided to study public administration and purse a career in law enforcement, like her mother, a corrections officer.

Johnson brings over two decades of law enforcement experience to her position at NCCU. From 1990-2015 she served as a commander and chief of staff with the Richmond, Va., police department, but in 2010, the Richmond police department selected her to serve as the interim chief of police at Virginia Union University, giving her valuable university police experience.

On top of that she spent 24 years in the U.S. Army, where she served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and received a Bronze Star Medal.

At the beginning of her career Johnson said she struggled with finding the right balance in her life as she

juggled combine her career, her faith, and her family.

“I’ve learned that everything had its time and place,” she said, explaining that she is determined to set a good example for her department.

She said one way of doing that is by making time for herself.

“In order for a person to do their best, they must have a level head and a clear focus.

You can’t do that if you’re always stressed out by work.”

Johnson explained that she wants to build on what already exists, by working together to enhance existing systems instead of trying to change things to fit a mold of what she thinks the department should look like.

Her son Kenneth, a structural engineering junior at Old Dominion University, said his mother is the most determined, self-disciplined, and hardest working person he has

known.

“Sometimes,” he said, “I wish she would slow down.”

“She taught me that even though the world might be working against you, with faith, hard work and God, all things are possible.”

NCCU Police Sergeant Wayne Waddington describes Chief Johnson as “enjoyable” and as a “different breed.”

He said she works closely with officers to identify their strengths to help them develop and grow professionally, adding that she is respected and trusted and that the entire team feels that they are “headed in the right new direction.”

Given her experience at NCCU as a student, Johnson says she understands students’ point of view and she wants students to know that they will be heard.

“I want students to be changed when they leave this campus,” she said.

You’re running late for class. You don’t have time to eat.

You see a vending machine in the FarrisonNewton Communications Building.

You see a refrigerated pizza.

You fork out $2.50 to pay for it ... and to your disgust it’s molded.

“I was really grossed out by the mold, it wasn’t noticeable until you walked by the machine,” said mass communication junior Tia Mitchell.

“I think it’s a problem for students to buy that food.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, molds are fungi that can be found both indoors and out.

They grow in warm, damp, and humid conditions and tend to spread and reproduce.

The CDC said there are thousands of species of fungi, some harmful and some not.

One of the vending machines located in the communications building had outdated Tony’s refrigerated food pizzas, chicken sandwiches, pre-made sandwiches and milk.

The expiration date on the food was Dec 28, and the food was purchased Feb. 8.

NCCU has a contract with Canteen, a national vending machine operating company offering vending, office coffee service and dining services through a company and franchise network of

over 200 locations in 48 states, according to their website.

The University receives 20 percent commission of the sales of the items being sold.

NCCU has been in contract with Canteen for five years.

J.T. Lynch, a representative from Canteen said they send someone on route to NCCU once a week to ensure that the foods in the vending machines are fresh and restocked.

Timothy Moore, NCCU director of business & auxiliaries said it was “unacceptable” and “not allowed” for the molded food to be in the machines. He said it compromised food safety.

“It’s their machine, their responsibility,” said Moore. “They are regulated to keep the machines stocked.”

Moore spoke with the Regional Manager at Canteen Vending, and he said the manager will be taking the appropriate personnel action to address the out-of-product date issue with their employee that was responsible for keeping the food vending machine not only stocked, but also stocked with in date or unexpired products.

According to Moore, there are 80 vending machines across the campus, half of them are snack and half of them are drink machines.

As of Feb. 11, all expired items have been removed and the machine is restocked with new and fresh items.

A molded pizza was purchased from the vending machine in Farrison-Newton Communications Building.

Campus archivist’s passion for past Archivist Andre Vann knows local history inside and out

BY AUTAVIOUS SMITH ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Inside the James E. Shepard Library, just before entering into the office of Andre D. Vann, coordinator of university archives, you notice black and white portraits that date back to the early 1900s.

In a showcase table there are depictions of the African-American experience, especially as it played out in the American South. There are photographs of NAACP and CORE marches – all engaged in the struggle for improved working conditions and the

desegregation of Durham’s public facilities. Above that is another photograph of a march in Chapel Hill. Its caption reads: “walk/freedom.”

Then there’s the hang sign that bluntly says: “archives.” It all gives you a sense of what Vann is passionate about.

Once in Vann’s office you see a desk covered with books, notebooks and journals. Stockpiles of folders fill his shelves.

Vann isn’t just the coordinator and head of the direction of archives at NCCU. He is what many might call a

NCCU’s repository. He recounts a recent telephone call when an NCCU professor opened with these words: “If anybody can answer this question, Mr. Vann can answer this question.”

Vann grew up in Henderson, N.C., where he lived within walking distance of his uncles, aunts, grandparents, and other extended family.

His father, Edward, owned a small grocery store. From early childhood Vann learned about the importance of treasuring history and a close community.

“It was my grandparents who introduced me

to old pictures of distant cousins and family members,” said Vann.

On top of serving as NCCU’s archivist Vann has published books in the Arcadia Black America Series that photographically explore the black experience in North Carolina.

“Durham’s Hayti,” (1999), which he co-authored with Beverly Washington Jones, pictorially, with historical photographs, examines Durham’s prosperous and culturally rich Hayti neighborhood — its churches, schools, and businesses.

In “Vance County, North Carolina” (2000)

Vann provides a pictorial history of the educational, spiritual, commercial and civic contributions of the county’s black citizens.

“I like to write about people’s lives and their experiences because that’s how we learn and grow,” said Vann.

“Most of the time I’m writing about a person or people who have passed away, it’s my task to prepare them for the next generation of people who might not know who those people were or person was.”

Coming from humble beginnings Vann may never have imagined that he would one day

become an archivist at a public university where he is plays the important role of safeguarding and storing NCCU’s past, both physical and digital.

“Well I’ll say I’ve made some milestones, but of course I’m not at that stage yet where I have taken stock for what I have done,” said Vann. “I initially thought I was going be public school teacher.”

Vann describes his role as a “heavy burden,” one that “presents many opportunities to talk and deal with a lot of people that ordinarily you wouldn’t have the chance to meet.”

from the VOICE

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

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School of Hard Knocks rocks Storefront gym aims to make a difference in the lives of community members

Twenty-eight-year-old David Johnson and 17-year-old Abriel Harris focus on Amaris Harris, 16, while she demonstrates her combination punches. Amaris has been attending the boxing program with her father since he started it.

David Johnson, 28, concentrates on his form while preparing for punches with Bishop Arnold Harris.

BRUCE DEPYSSLER/Durham VOICE photographer

BRUCE DEPYSSLER/Durham VOICE photographer

BY EBONY SAIN DURHAM VOICE/ VOICE STAFF REPORTER

It was a cold, rainy night when David Johnson wandered into The School of Hard Knocks.

Twenty-eight-year old Johnson is a Durham resident currently staying at the Durham rescue mission.

“I was just wandering by when I seen the lights on,” Johnson said.

“It’s my first time here but I’ll be back.”

Johnson spent two hours learning the basics of boxing taught by Bishop Arnold Harris

with the help of his three daughters.

The School of Hard Knocks is a storefront gym located at 951 East Main Street in East Durham.

Harris opened the gym about two years ago next door to his church, God First, People Second, in hopes of giving the community something new to do. He says, “The idea is to save lives, make a difference.”

The School of Hard Knocks is open for all ages and is free with no membership needed.

The gym is usually open

seven days a week depending on his schedule.

To pull people in, Harris places a large sign outside that says “Boxing club FREE Ages 12 To 30”.

The boxing program is offered from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. everyday. He also offers personal training, taekwondo, and general workouts.

He describes his philosophy as, “consult through training.” The boxing programs allow him to talk one on one with a person about issues they’re dealing with while learning techniques, skills, and

discipline.

In the gym, you can feel the enjoyment and high energy, but you can also tell how serious everyone is about the boxing program.

Harris’s three daughters Amaris, Abriel, and Annelise also attend the boxing program.

The youngest of the three, Annelise, aka “Baby Hulk” is 14 and loves boxing.

“I get to hit stuff and let out energy,” Abriel says.

“Working out is the only drug I’ll ever need.”

They join their father at the gym as much as pos-

sible to work out and train and to help, also.

Harris is passionate about the gym. “Everything you see I paid for out of pocket, from the heat to the equipment.”

The gym has a wide range of workout equipment, from weight benches, bikes, treadmills, mini trampolines, and weight machines.

Harris decided on a gym rather than other activities because he says “I’ve always been a super athlete,” and “I love to give back.”

He hopes to soon renovate the gym by receiving more donations and

UMD Food Pantry and Clothes Closet working to make life better

Bryan Gilmer, Urban Ministries of Durham director of marketing and development, assists volunteers with packaging food.

CHRISTINA HERRING/Durham VOICE photographer

BY CHRISTINA HERRING DURHAM VOICE/ VOICE STAFF REPORTER

With winter in full swing, Urban Ministries of Durham is extending a helping hand to families experiencing homelessness and poverty in North East Central Durham.

According to Bryan Gilmer, the Director of Marketing and Development, Urban Ministries of Durham is a result of a merger of three previous non-profits. One of those was called the United Methodist Mission Society established by the Methodist Church, which offered a food pantry and closet service to people experiencing poverty.

In 2001, that service merged into UMD, which had previously operated the building with the St. Philips Community Café, now the UMD community café.

The other agency that merged was the Community Shelter for Hope, the homeless shelter which is now operated

on the other side of the block, Gilmer said.

The clothing closet and food pantry have been going for a little over 30 years, serving 2628 families a day. Gilmer said the clothing closet is made up of donated clothes that are carefully sorted and picked out with things “we would wear ourselves or give our own family.”

“We really try to focus on that, so for men, stuff like khakis and jeans are great.

Something you could wear to a job interview or to do a day’s work in a retail job, for instance, are perfect.”

Gilmer said they are always short on men’s clothes because “we have so many single men who are clients and because dudes don’t give up their clothes as readily.”

Families come in for service and after they check in at the lobby, they can come and shop, and Gilmer said they can get 10 items per visit for members of their household.

While families are shopping, volunteers are working

hard to package up canned goods and foods into plastic bags.

Gilmer said that the families have a few choices about the foods. “If they say we really won’t eat canned corn, we might substitute something else in.”

They also have refrigerators and for the first time, they have started to get more fresh produce. Gilmer said it’s not profitable for the area farm to pay people to go harvest the very last little bit of crops, so they do what is known as gleaning, where volunteer groups go and harvest the rest and bring it into the food pantry. They get things like kale, collard greens, and sweet potatoes.

Gilmer said that it’s also a time of the year when the community is really generous with donations to the Food Pantry and Clothing closet. “We know that people will donate socks, underwear, backpacks and items like that that we can both use here and send home

with people from the clothing closet and food pantry,” Gilmer said.

“Things like that are all wonderful things that people are conscience of donating this time of the year to help their neighbors.”

The most needed items change over time, but as of now, the items needed most are canned meat and peanut butter and things with high protein, according to Melanie Stolp, the woman in charge of the food pantry and clothing closet. “But right now we need a little bit of everything,” Stolp added.

They also need things like deodorant, soap, washcloths, toothbrushes, and toothpaste, in order to make hygiene kits for everybody. “We’ll give them out if they don’t have these items but we really prefer to offer the entire package,” Stolp said. “So we have enough stuff to make hygiene kits right now, but we're trying to complete them with those.”

The food pantry and clothing closet has also added a diaper distribution as part of the distribution center for the diaper bank of North Carolina.

“We get the diapers wrapped in packs and we give out one per baby every 30 days,” Stolp said.

“It’s not a lot, but it’s something. I think we're the only place that gives out diapers without needing a home visit.

Other places require a home follow-up, we just require a child's ID, such as Medicaid, social security.”

The Food Pantry and Clothing Closet opens from 9-11 a.m. on Monday – Thursday, and signups are limited to just 26 families a day. Space is extremely limited, and ID for adults and children is required.

Donations can be dropped off from 9 am-6 pm Monday through Friday and 10 am-4 pm on Saturdays on 410 Liberty Street, Durham, NC 27701.

help from the community. “Hopefully I can get some interns so that the gym can be running seven days a week all day.” He also hopes to start a GED program to further help educate the community.

To schedule any personal workout sessions, to see if the gym is open, or donate to The School of Hard knocks you can call Bishop Arnold Harris at 919-638-0469 or stop in.

The gym is also building a website that will have additional information on the programs it offers.

ABOUT THE VOICE The news stories in this section are just a few of the many communitybased news stories written for the Durham VOICE — A Community Newspaper for Northeast Central Durham.

The Durham VOICE – which can be seen in its entirety at http:// durhamvoice.org – is the product of collaboration between the UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication and NCCU’s Department of English and Mass Communication.

The stories on this and the next few pages were written by N.C. Central University students in Dr. Lisa Paulin’s advanced reporting course. They were first published alongside stories written by Jock Lauterer’s community journalism students at UNC-Chapel Hill and Durham high school teens.

Lauterer is director of the Carolina Community Media Project in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill and the VOICE’s co-adviser.

Lauter, Lisa Paulin and Bruce dePyssler are the publishers of the VOICE. Former Campus Echo editor-in-chief, Carlton Koonce, is the Partners for Youth Opportunity Teen Mentoring Coordinator.

See the Northeast Central Durham VOICE online at

durhamvoice. org

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Samuel passing the torch Locals say the community will miss the Durham barber legend

Sam Jenkins reflects on his decision to move on.

NICHOLAS TILLMAN/Durham VOICE photographer

Neighbors who want a haircut in this East Durham institution better start making plans to come by soon.

Samuel Jenkins, owner, has decided that he will be closing shop in December.

NICHOLAS TILLMAN/Durham VOICE photographer

BY NICHOLAS TILLMAN DURHAM VOICE/VOICE STAFF REPORTER

Nearly four years after rebuilding his barbershop that was once burned beyond recognition, Samuel Jenkins’ ‘Samuel and Sons Barbershop is once again in a state of transition.

Jenkins has decided that on Dec. 18, he will pack up his clippers, move on from the place he worked so hard to rebuild, and pass the torch to another barber.

Jenkins, who soon plans to cut hair from the comfort of his own home, is describing this transition as it just being the right time to pass on the legacy.

“I want to be home more and send my sons off to col-

lege. I also feel that with the way crime is in today’s time, it’s not a good for my wellbeing at this point to remain in this location,” said Jenkins.

“Anyone with a cash business at this time knows that it is dangerous in this area and you leave yourself susceptible to robberies having a businesses in this area. It just feels like the right time to pass on the legacy.”

Jenkins, a man who has uplifted the Durham community, believes in the importance of leaving a legacy.

“I’ve rebuilt it [Samuel and Sons Barbershop] and it is time to move on. I believe people should get something, make a profit, and leave it.

Once you complete something it’s important to leave a legacy

for not only people to remember you, but also to continue what has been started,” said Jenkins.

Jenkins is aware that he has had quite an impact in the Durham community and realizes that those he has affected will sorely miss his accessible presence.

“The community and I will both feel pain when I leave.

When I leave, the pain in the community will be like a cut on the knee. Eventually a scab will form and we will begin to heal. Then when we fully heal, we will be stronger and better than before,” said Jenkins.

The news of Jenkins’ abrupt departure has caught many Durham residents by surprise.

“I was surprised when I heard Sam was leaving his shop. I’m not a customer of his, but I have lived in Durham my whole life and I have definitely heard a lot about him. He is sort of a legend around here man,” said Durham resident and N.C. Central University student Simon Harrell.

Like others, Harrell also feels that Jenkins leaving will negatively affect the community.

“I personally feel that with Sam leaving his shop it will hurt this community.

“You got to realize when you have someone who has given so much knowledge and encouragement to young and older people, that person isn’t easily replaced.

“I know he’s still in Durham and he is still going to be cutting hair at his house, but there is no place like the barber shop man,” said Harrell.

Even though Jenkins is leaving his long time shop, he has assured that he and the legacy that he is leaving will always support the Durham community.

“A lot of times you hear so many negative things about Durham. Sam Jenkins is definitely one of the brighter spots of our community.

“I’m sure he’s inspired many people here to chase their dreams and let them know that something positive can come out of Durham,” said Harrell.

Durham Crisis Resonse Center helping local women

BY KRISTIN ELLIS DURHAM VOICE/ VOICE STAFF REPORTER

The Durham Crisis Response Center has been helping women who have fallen victim to this horrible statistic: one in three of them will be victim to physical violence by an intimate partner.

Some women, like Leisa Marie, were part of another horrible statistic: one in five women have been victims of severe physical violence.

In 2006, Marie was a 23-year-old Miami native in her senior year at Duke University. Similar to many college students, she had a part-time job.

Unbeknownst to her at that time, her life would change, starting with waitressing at the International House of Pancakes on Guess Road in Durham.

Before attending Duke, Marie was an “A” student and very involved in her high school’s extracurricular activities, but once she got to Duke she felt lost and needy.

Marie met Seth, who was then 35, while the two of them worked at IHOP together. He wasn’t her type but he had charmed her.

“He was very smart, really funny, really intelligent,” she said.

After about three

“Every time the police came, I would be like ‘no, everything’s fine.’

And eventually the police would come and they would take him away, but he wouldn’t stay very long because they needed me to press charges and I refused to do it the first couple of times.”

LEISA MARIE DCRC VOLUNTEER AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVOR

months of dating, the two moved in together.

“And it just got really, really bad, really, really quickly,” she said.

“The first thing I realized was that he was clearly an alcoholic and when he drank he was a completely different person,” she said. “He took a baseball bat to every piece of furniture I had, he broke glasses, and he ripped up pictures of my family.”

“At the time, I was a deeply religious person and I could’ve sworn I heard the Holy Spirit tell me to leave this man alone,” she said.

Towards the end of their volatile relationship, she learned that he was not only abusing alcohol but drugs such as cocaine.

Marie said that for the first couple of months of their six-month relationship, it was just verbal and mental abuse. During that time, they broke up three or four times.

During his violent episodes, she or her neighbors would call the police.

“Every time the po-

lice came, I would be like ‘no, everything’s fine.’ And eventually the police would come and they would take him away but he wouldn’t stay very long because they needed me to press charges and I refused to do it the first couple of times,” Marie said.

The abuse started to become increasingly violent. While she was driving down Club Boulevard off of Roxboro Road, the two got into an argument.

“He decided that he was going to turn the steering wheel-- I’m the one driving. So he yanked on the steering wheel and the car went flying into the front yard of some people,” she said.

They missed a tree by a foot but ran into a telephone pole instead and knocked out all the power on the street.

“The police officer took me to the side and told me ‘you need to leave this man alone. He will kill you,’” she said.

However, not until one more act of violence did she end up in the

care of DCRC. Marie had received a phone call from a friend who had just left her house not too long before. Her friend told her that Seth was coming down the block. After the constant torture, she was tired of dealing with him.

She went outside onto the street to confront him, hoping to avoid him damaging her home’s windows. After asking him why he was there, he began to beat her in the street. While she was 5’9” and he was 5’3”, he was much stronger than her, she said.

“Like in the middle of the street—cars driving past looking at –just looking – just slowing down and looking while I’m on the ground,” she said.

Seth got up and left as if nothing had happened.

“My face was unrecognizable,” she said.

She was at DCRC for a month before he turned himself in.

“The shelter was a lot nicer than how I thought a shelter could look. I met some very nice peo-

ple and had some counseling,” she said.

Marie also said that police officers would come in and speak with the women about getting out of their abusive relationships. Ten years later, she credits DCRC as a big factor in assisting her from moving on from her terrible situation.

“If they hadn’t taken me in, I probably would’ve ended up staying somewhere like the Durham Rescue Mission or something. And that really wasn’t where I needed to be. I didn’t just need a shelter. I needed support and I needed help. And I needed someone to tell me how to get out of this situation,” she said.

“I was afraid for my life and they took me in,” she said.

During her stay at DCRC, she was still in denial of her situation and felt as though she didn’t belong there. But after coping with situation, she now knows that without DCRC she wouldn’t have been able to get through that tough

time.

She now volunteers for DCRC as an office assistant. She wanted to become a crisis response hotline volunteer but her work hours conflicted with the position’s training demand, she said.

DCRC, located on North Dillard Street, offers shelter and support services for sexual and domestic violence survivors and their families.

According to DCRC’s website, the organization has helped over 20,000 women and children. In 2014, they sheltered 237 women and assisted 3,800 through their confidential crisis hotline, which allows victims who want help to call in search of support.

DCRC’s other services, which are free, include “short-term emergency shelter, hospital and court accompaniment, legal clinics with local attorneys, support groups, counseling, and referrals for job training, housing, childcare and other community services,” according to its website.

From Jan. 24 until March 13, DCRC will be hosting their Sexual Assault & Abuse Support Group for Men on Sundays from 2-4 p.m. and from Jan. 27 until March 16 it will be hosting their Sexual Assault Support Group for Women on Wednesdays from 6-8 p.m.

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Squad 3, which calls itself “GATA” -- short for “Get After Their Asses” -- poses before the day’s courses.

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by Tia Mitchell

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magine sleeping on cold concrete with nothing but a sleeping bag, only to wake up at the crack of dawn, march into the middle of the forest and do rigorous exercises for several hours in the rain.

When it’s over, you’re covered with mud and sweat.

This is how the students at Duke University and N.C. Central University’s Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps spent the weekend of Nov. 6.

The conjoined Duke and NCCU ROTC programs held their annual Leadership Development Exercise (LDX) that weekend at Camp Butner in Rougemont.

It’s all courage, strength and perseverance, a challenge the cadets accept to face their fears head-on and conquer the tasks.

It’s a time for the DukeNCCU battalion to prepare for the realities of military life.

“The LDX has actually put our skills that we learn in the classroom to the test,” said NCCU criminal justice senior Trayton Hendrix.

“We have the hands-on approach with [the LDX,] and you could only learn so much from a book. You actually have to apply it.”

The November exercise included obstacle courses with wall-climbing, barbed wire crawls and maneuvering under high, rope bridges.

Battalion leader and NCCU senior cadet Houda Ouardi advised her cadets to proceed with caution, warning them that they could be injured on the obstacle courses.

She recounted her own experience of breaking her

knee on the obstacles the previous year. She was on crutches for months.

The ROTC exercise doesn’t just build mental and physical strength. It’s also designed to strengthen bonds between battalion members at different ranks and from different walks of life.

“I feel like the seniors this year did a really great job with incorporating the freshmen and the sophomores this year,” said NCCU elementary education sophomore Taylor Ritch.

“The freshmen this year are very strong,” Ritch continued. “They have a good cohesive bond together.

They have definitely shown class camaraderie, and I feel like that is the way to go.”

The newcomers struggled, but the seniors guided them along the way and helped them pull through the day’s challenges.

Hendrix said that he understood the struggle beginning cadets face and that it was difficult for him at first, too. The result of the exercise is a growing sense of leadership. “[LDX] gives MS-4s, seniors and the actual leadership, the instructors, a chance to look at what kind of people they are,” he said.

“There was pouring rain, and it wasn’t the funnest of atmospheres, but we get to see their true personalities.

“We saw their true colors come out and [saw] if they’re able to embrace it, because if they’re not able to embrace the rain, then they can’t embrace the Army.”

Cadet Davis takes a leap of faith to overcome the course.

The cadets of Squad 3 climb up the inverted wall ladder.

Cadet Parker crawls through mud under barbed wire.

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The ace of the Spring 2016 initiates of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity Inc.

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. initiate D’Andre Wright yells to prepare his fellow initiates to remove their masks.

The new initiates of Alpha Phi Alpha Faternity Inc. demonstrate their bond of brotherhood.

Saudah Jones strolls after removing her mask in the Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority Inc. performance.

PROBATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 In order to attend to the event, guests were asked to pay $1 or donate canned goods.

According to the Fraternity/Sorority Life Coordinator Darrien Jerman, proceeds went to NCCU’s campus food pantry and other community agencies that combat hunger needs. Jerman said 1,700 canned goods were donated.

Tuesday night started off with three members of Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority marching down the gym floor.

Five members of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity glided down the gym as they showcased their presentation.

Shortly after, three ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho Inc. strolled and chanted as they assembled in a line on stage.

Last but not least, nine members of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. demonstrated their bonds of brotherhood as they did their step routine.

On Wednesday night, Alpha Nu Omega Fraternity/ Sorority kicked of the probate as they presented nine members. This is the first year for this fraternity/sorority on campus.

Twelve members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. jumped and hopped as they strolled down the gym.

Afterwards, Zeta Phi Beta initiated 11 members as their prophyte prepared them for their neophyte presentation.

Seven members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. closed out the probate as they recited their chants and showed the audience their dance routines.

According to the Fraternity/Sorority Life Coordinator Darrien Jerman, two percent of the student body participated in spring intake.

Right: Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. initiate, Malcolm Parsons.

Middle: Ryan LeShea leading the initiates of The Epsilon Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority Inc. Far right: Nick Hedgpeth, a Spring 2016 initiate of Alpha Nu Omega Fraternity/Sorority, gives his testimony.

Prophyte, Staci Green, of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. leading Spring 2016 initiates for their neophyte presentation.

Spring 2016 initiates of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., Aviance Moore, Tamara Schley and Porsha Thompson, show off their sisterhood.

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Protesters had messages on several issues.

N.C. NAACP President the Rev. William Barber addresses the crowd before the march to the Capitol.

Story & Photography by Kenneth Campbell

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housands of North Carolinians, including students from N.C. Central and other universities, braved the cold in downtown Raleigh on Saturday, Feb. 13, to march on the N.C. Capitol in the 10th Annual “Historic Thousands on Jones Street,” also called “HKonJ.” NCCU English senior Rebekah Barber organized free transportation for students from the campus to Raleigh with the help of the Rev. Gloria Winston-Harris from the NCCU Office of Spiritual Development.

The marchers assembled outside Raleigh Memorial Auditorium and moved through downtown Raleigh for a rally in front of the State Capitol.

Speakers from various activist organizations, including N.C. NAACP President the Rev. William Barber, criticized the actions of the Republican majority in the N.C. legislature.

As they marched, HKonJ protesters carried signs and chanted in opposition to the legislature’s conservative stance on gay rights, women’s rights, racism, immigration, police brutality and economic inequality.

But voting rights was the marchers’ primary focus.

At the rally in front of the Capitol, NCCU history and po-

litical science freshman Ajamu Dillahunt urged the crowd to recognize the linkages between issues, such as suppression of the AfricanAmerican vote and inadequate HBCU funding.

He recognized women’s leadership role within the Black Lives Matter Movement and highlighted the struggle for LGBT acceptance.

“None of us are free until all of us are free,” he concluded.

As a political organizer with Black Workers for Justice and Ignite NC, Dillahunt said it was his duty as an HBCU student to come out in support of HKonJ. “I’ve been coming out here since I was a little kid,” said Dillahunt. “Now I’m into this movement and have a passion for it. So I came out to ensure that they understood why all black lives matter.”

There has been confusion about the new N.C. Voter ID law, which took effect Jan. 1, and the marchers accused the legislature of passing it to suppress the vote.

The reoccurring theme of HKonJ was the urgency of informing citizens about the law and their voting rights, as well as the importance of organizing to overturn the law.

Protesters gather in the cold outside Raleigh Memorial Auditorium.

NCCU freshman Ajamu Dillahunt was among dozens of students at the HKonJ march.

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A right to debt relief for students In-state tuition and fees at public universities average $9,139 per academic year in 2014.

BY SOPHIE QUINTON STATELINE.ORG (TNS)

BALTIMORE — Students who applied early to the University of New Hampshire will know by the end of the month if they were accepted.

Then many would-be Wildcats will start biting their nails, waiting for their financial aid letter. Four years’ tuition and fees at UNH can put families back over $67,000 — roughly what the typical New Hampshire household earns in a year.

The university’s high prices are an extreme example of rising college costs that have affected students in every state. Paying for college has become a financial strain on middle-class families across the country, and a source of anxiety for recent graduates saddled with student debt.

This election year, Democrats, in particular, want to rally voters behind their plans to make college more affordable. UNH — a flagship university in a state that votes early in the presidential primaries — has become a key stop on the campaign trail. “No student should have to borrow to pay tuition at a public college or university,” Hillary Clinton said at an event there in the fall.

But while the presidential candidates debate major new investments in public higher education, states will spend 2016 pursuing a more modest agenda.

States only have limited funds to work with, even as many lawmakers say they want college to be more affordable and states aim to increase the share of residents who hold a postsecondary degree or certificate.

“The pressure on higher ed budgets is going to continue. So the question is, how do states navigate that?” said Andrew Kelly, director of the Center on Higher Education Reform at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a right-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C. Rather than blockbuster new investments, expect 2016 to bring tuition freezes, tweaks to scholarship programs, and policies that push institutions to do more with existing funding. Even ambitious-sounding changes, such as eliminating tuition for community college students, likely will be targeted to limit state spending.

One way for states to bring down tuition is simply to spend more money on colleges and universities.

Public colleges are still a bargain compared to private alternatives, thanks to state subsidies. In-state tuition and fees at four-year publics averaged $9,139 in 2014, according to the nonprofit College Board.

Combined tuition, fees, room and board charges were less than half the price of the average private nonprofit college. And students who receive federal, state or institution grants pay less.

But since the 1980s, states have steadily cut per-student higher education funding and institutions have steadily raised tuition to compensate.

New Hampshire’s cuts have been particularly severe.

In 2015, state funding comprised 9 percent of the university system’s budget, down from 16 percent in 2003, according to UNH data.

Now, few students nationwide can afford college without help from grants and loans. Eighty-three percent of full-time students at public four-year colleges received financial aid in 2012, according to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Washington state proved last year that tuition can go down if states spend enough money. The state increased higher education funding so much that tuition at public institutions dropped by 5 percent.

As Stateline has reported, Washington’s public universities will reduce tuition even

Phillip Tippett, 20, a UNC-Asheville student holds signs as he protests others at the administration building, Friday, February 10, 2012, where the UNC Board of Governors were meeting to vote on a tuition increase for the UNC system. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT) CHUCK LIDDY/Raleigh News & Observer (TNS)

more this year.

But few other states have the money — or the inclination — to make that kind of investment.

Some members of New Hampshire’s conservative, fairly rural legislature don’t look kindly on funding higher education, said state Rep. Wayne Burton, a Democrat whose district includes UNH’s main campus. Some lawmakers see UNH as a little elitist and not very useful, he said.

“My guess is that with other compelling needs, it’s going to be hard to make the case for higher education to get more money” in 2016, Burton said, just as it was during the 2015 session.

Neighboring Massachusetts also faces a tight budget.

There, Democratic state Sen. Michael Moore would like to increase higher education and scholarship funding by $137 million over five years.

But, he said, “It’s going to be very difficult.”

Massachusetts officials expect state tax revenue to grow by about 4 percent in the next fiscal year and Moore’s proposal will have to compete with rising health care and labor costs, he said.

States have been reinvesting in higher education since the recession ended. But states still spent less per student in 2014 than they did in 2008, according to the most recent data from the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. That’s partly because enrollment shot up during the recession, when many people struggled to find work.

Many states committed to spending additional money in the current fiscal year, said Tom Harnisch of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Often, he said, the

money was conditional on colleges freezing tuition or limiting tuition growth.

Wisconsin was a notable exception. There, Republican Gov. Scott Walker signed a budget that froze in-state tuition at the University of Wisconsin even as the state cut funding.

In Idaho, Republican Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter has proposed a variation on the tuition freeze: A guarantee that students at four-year colleges and universities would pay a fixed tuition rate each year for four years.

Otter has indicated that students would have to study full-time; additional qualifying criteria may emerge as lawmakers discuss the idea this session, according to Jon Hanian, Otter’s press secretary.

States also can make college more affordable by targeting their spending at students, rather than institutions. States are likely to focus on need-based scholarships in 2016, said Kristin Conklin of HCM Strategists, a consulting firm that works with states on higher education issues.

By investing more in scholarships and tweaking them so they reach different kinds of students, states can further their workforce goals, Conklin said.

Take Arkansas. Last fall, Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced that he wants 60 percent of state residents to hold a postsecondary credential by 2020.

Officials say jobs in the state will increasingly require advanced technical training. Arkansas is one of 33 states that have partnered with Complete College America, a high-profile nonprofit that’s working with states to raise college completion rates.

To reach Hutchinson’s goal, Arkansas will have to educate more people from demographics that currently don’t enroll and finish college at high rates: working adults, low-income students, and African-American and Hispanic students.

The state’s plan includes shifting scholarship money away from merit-based aid (which typically rewards middle-class students) and toward financial need.

Tennessee, which has set a similar workforce goal, has created scholarships that make community college tuition-free for recent high school grads and some adults who want to go to technical college.

Both programs pay tuition not covered by other federal and state grants (some students who receive federal Pell grants can already go to community college for free).

The “free community college” idea doesn’t just encourage more people to go to

college; it also helps alleviate middle-class anxiety about college costs by offering students a less expensive path to a bachelor’s degree.

The cost of a bachelor’s degree can be halved if students get their first two years of credits at a community college, for free.

The third — and most difficult — way states can make college more affordable is by bringing down the cost of educating students.

AEI’s Kelly said he worries that upping state spending just shifts the cost of college from families to the government, without forcing institutions to become more efficient.

Tuition freezes, after all, don’t hold tuition down over the long term. They only tend to last for a year or two, and they don’t address the forces that push up the cost of running a university — from inflation to administration

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Homeless student shows true grit pursuing home, degree

BY TONY BRISCOE CHICAGO TRIBUNE (TNS)

CHICAGO — On a frigid winter morning, Latia Crockett-Holder, 23, emerges from her tent beneath a crumbling overpass in her stocking feet.

In the dim viaduct, where the streetlights are out and water drips from melting icicles like stalactites in a cavern, Crockett-Holder pulls two sheets of baby wipes from a box to wash her face.

She squirts toothpaste from a small tube directly into her mouth, brushes and spits into the street.

Then Crockett-Holder laces up her boots, slings a book bag over her shoulder and heads off to the No. 148 bus a block away. She has a 10:45 a.m. economics class at MacCormac College in the Loop.

Crockett-Holder is studying criminal justice and dreams of a career in law enforcement.

It’s an unlikely goal for a woman living in the tent city that has sprouted beneath an overpass in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. For the last five months, she’s lived in an overstuffed tent that she shares with her husband and his stepfather. Inside the tent, she wears a headlamp to study.

She’s been saving money from government assistance in an effort to get into an apartment.

“I could get (more) done in the house and not being in the tent doing homework,” she said. “That’s like the hardest thing ever.

You’re bunched up in one tent and you can’t stay focused. You hear people outside your tent arguing and you can’t study.”

Young people like Crockett-Holder will be the subject of an upcoming study by the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall research center.

Starting in May, the center plans to conduct a first-of-its-kind count of homeless and runaway young people in more than two dozen communities across the country.

Researchers will attempt to survey homeless people from ages 14 to 24 in urban, suburban and rural communities.

The resulting report is expected to produce state and national estimates on the number of homeless young people and, hopefully, serve as a boilerplate for future research and policy, according to Bryan Samuels, executive director of Chapin Hall.

“Part of the beauty of doing it for the first time is that we’ll do it, publish it and make it all available to everybody, so everything behind the estimate can serve as a methodology that others can improve upon over time,” Samuels said.

The Chapin Hall initiative deviates from biennial homeless counts mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Develop-

From center, Latia Crockett-Holder, 23, leaves her sociology class at MacCormac College Tuesday, Feb. 2, in Chicago.

Holder has been attending MacCormac College since July of 2015.

ARMANDO L. SANCHEZ/Chicago Tribune (TNS)

Latia Crockett-Holder, 23, puts on her shoes while getting ready for school on West Lawrence Avenue under Lake Shore Drive Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in Chicago.

ARMANDO L. SANCHEZ/Chicago Tribune (TNS)

ment. Those counts are carried out in the last week of January, typically the coldest time of year, with the thought that it’s the best time to get an accurate count of homeless people in shelters.

Last year, researchers counted 6,786 people in shelters and on the streets, nearly 2,000 of them 24 and younger, according to a report from Chicago’s Department of Family & Support Services. The HUD-required counts have “historically focused on adults,” who are more likely to take advantage of shelters and other services during the winter, Samuels said.

Chapin Hall’s Voices

of Youth Count will also have a much more sweeping definition of homelessness that will encompass definitions used by HUD, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education.

In recent years, social service agencies in major cities have added youth-specific counts.

After performing its first supplemental youth-specific count last year, DFSS declined to do one this January in the hope that Chicago would be included in the Chapin Hall count.

Crockett-Holder said she has been homeless for much of her life.

After a dispute with her

family in west suburban Melrose Park, she bounced between homeless shelters, where often a nightly lottery would determine whether she would have a bed. She eventually settled for sleeping under the viaducts of Uptown, often with nothing more than a pillow and blanket.

That’s where DFSS workers found her during the city’s general homeless count in late January. They pleaded with Crockett-Holder to come to a local shelter, but she refused. She told them she was applying for a two-bedroom apartment she thought she could afford and hoped to be moving in

on Feb. 5.

“We try to focus on getting them off the streets on a cold night like this,” said Lisa Morrison Butler, the department commissioner.

“Our homeless outreach teams, they’re out here three days a week checking in with people and offering them shelter again and again and again. Sometimes they don’t trust us in the beginning. We have to keep coming back and offering them. And, maybe, on the 50th time, they say, ‘Yes.’” The next day, Crockett-Holder headed off to school. She sat in the back row of her sociology class, scrawling in her notebook as profes-

sor Joanne Howard engaged students on the topic of poverty.

“We think poverty can be eradicated,” Howard said. “We also think it will not be eradicated in our lifetimes. We’re a little pessimistic in the room.

“But we think that our primary and secondary groups can assist us.

What are some of lessons we learn from them?”

Students came out with a number of answers.

“Interaction.”

“How to be self-sufficient.” “Emotional development.”

“Dysfunction,” one student said to his classmates’ laughter.

“Well,” Howard continued smiling, “we can’t learn dysfunction.”

“Motivation,” Crockett-Holder said.

“Motivation is a key thing” Howard said.

Crockett-Holder interviewed with the manager of the building where she hoped to land an apartment. But the move-in date came and went without a call.

After several weeks of waiting, she was still living in her tent, coming to terms with her disappointment.

“It’s in God’s hands,” she said.

In the middle of one of her recent classes, however, CrockettHolder was surprised by an email from the building manager. CrockettHolder and her family are moving into an apartment.

On Sunday night, she enjoyed a few final moments with her tent city neighbors, wearing a beaming smile.

“We’re moving off the streets,” she said.

TUITION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 costs to labor costs to students’ demand for expensive amenities.

The California Legislative Analyst’s Office argued against a tuition freeze that Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown proposed in his 2013-14 budget by explaining that extended tuition

freezes at the state’s colleges and universities have been followed by periods of steep tuition increases.

“The proposal also would have the limited near-term effect of reducing the incentive students and their families have to hold higher

education institutions accountable for keeping costs low and maintaining quality,” the report said.

(The University of California and California State University systems froze tuition in 2013-14, but in 2014 UC announced a plan to

raise tuition.)

To hold down costs and further their workforce goals, a growing number of states are changing the way they distribute higher education funding.

Twenty-six states now at least partly fund colleges and universi-

ties based on performance measures, such as whether students graduated on time, and 10 more states are developing such funding formulas, according to an HCM Strategists report.

Massachusetts, Oregon and Tennessee have embraced outcomes-

based funding, and Arkansas plans to implement the approach.

“I think we’re going to see more and more states define affordability as a time issue,” Conklin said. When students graduate on time, they don’t waste money.

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DJs show out in contest ‘The Plugg’ hosts third DJ Battle

DJ CDubb playing with beats on his turntables during the battle.

Host Kelvin Walker, competitor DJ TJ, and host Jonae Raenetta.

ALESSANDRA FERGUSON/Echo staff photographer

ALESSANDRA FERGUSON/Echo staff photographer

B Y T IA M ITCHELL ECHO A&E EDITOR

With the scratch of vinyl records and a drop of the bass, DJs have the power to move a crowd all night long.

Under the pressure of other DJs, winning the crowd over with a sound and a rhythm can prove challenging.

In N.C. Central University’s Alfonso Elder Student Union on March 24, NCCU’s “The Plugg” AudioNet show hosts, Kelvin Walker and Jonae Raenetta, held their third DJ Battle.

DJs competed to see who would take home the crown of top DJ, a cash prize of $300 and a $100 gift card to clothing store DTLR. “The Plugg” will host the next DJ Battle in the fall, which will mark the event’s oneyear anniversary.

Walker said he hopes to keep this event going every semester and make it a tradition for “The Plugg.”

“It shows the DJs their talent,” said Walker.

“It gives them an op-

portunity with their peers to show how their skill level is compatible within the state with others, all in one place.”

The competing DJs were DJ Badhabitz, DJ TJ, DJ Shizz, DJ Cue, DJ Cdubb, and DJ On-1.

Each DJ had two minutes and two rounds to prove they could keep climbing.

The first round started with Shizz and CDubb. Shizz started strong with hard-hitting, pulsing beats, while keeping her flow together.

CDubb built his rhythms and ended with a bang.

However, the bang wasn't enough to move the crowd, and Shizz advanced on to the next round.

In subsequent rounds, DJs balanced old jams and the newest, hottest music, such as “Work” by Rihanna, on their turntables.

A few competitors performed with the same track, but that didn't stop anyone from serving his or her own style to the crowd.

In the finale, TJ and

On-1 were left standing.

TJ kept it consistent and didn't lose his momentum during his turn.

He brought energetic beats and memorable songs of the past, which swayed the crowd.

On-1 gave it his all and kept steady at his turntable, using a similar method to keep up with TJ.

In the end, TJ prevailed and won the competition.

This was TJ’s second time entering the battle.

The first time he competed, TJ lost to DJ Double J. He said he was glad he was able to win this year.

“Everybody has their own strengths and weaknesses,” he said.

“Whenever I get out [to perform] in front of people, I get really nervous but I have to bite my tongue and push hard.

“I was glad I was able to do that, because with the confidence, I came out on top.”

On-1 said he enjoyed battling against TJ in the competition, but felt he lacked preparation that night.

“I’ve known TJ for a little while,” On-1 said.

“I went to march in the band at WinstonSalem [State University].

He went to [North Carolina A &T University] and marched in the band there.

“Him and I were meant to battle it out.

There’s always next time.”

DJ Shizz at her turntables, getting ready for the night’s competition.

ALESSANDRA FERGUSON/Echo staff photographer

‘Black Man in a White Coat’ Memoir speaks of racial divide in American healthcare

BY TIA MITCHELL ECHO A&E EDITOR

The conversation about race within contemporary medicine isn’t easy.

While some argue racial bias has nothing to do with patient care and health, others argue otherwise.

In his memoir “Black Man in a White Coat: A Doctor’s Reflections on Race and Medicine,” Damon Tweedy reflects on his experiences as a medical student, the impact of his past patients and the role race plays in medicine.

Tweedy, a graduate of Duke Medical School, is now assistant professor of psychiatry at Duke.

Coming from a workingclass background in Maryland with a “post-racial” mindset, Tweedy’s journey from student to doctor was anything but easy.

On his first day of medical school, his professor asked him, “What are you doing here in my class?”

Tweedy replied that he wasn’t there to replace the classroom light bulbs.

Just when he thought that race wouldn’t be an issue in the post-racial era of the 90s, it begins to creep across his path to becoming a physi-

cian.

In one chapter, Tweedy recounts a heartwrenching story about one of his first patients when he was a resident, who fell into the “baby mama” stereotype.

She was a 19-year-old patient, a black woman named Leslie.

She was in pain, but didn’t realize she was pregnant.

Tweedy never expected the woman to experience emotional trauma on a hospital bed.

The attending physician asked Leslie whether she had used drugs while pregnant.

She broke down and said “yes,” admitting to using cocaine.

Soon after, he told her that her baby had died inside her womb.

Leslie, already grieving, delivered a lifeless baby. Afterward, a junior nurse cruelly called her a “crackhead.”

The nurse also commented that patients like Leslie should be sterilized.

She asked Tweedy whether he had spoken to Leslie about the possibility of getting a tubal ligation.

Throughout the memoir, comments and biases such as the nurse’s are a recurring pattern.

On top of that, he provides

statistics on how health care biases and malpractice based on race impact people of color.

The issues Tweedy addresses are rarely spoken about among medical professionals.

His book has sparked a controversial discussion on the influence of race in health care.

Some of his colleagues claim that Tweedy is seeing something that doesn’t exist, that there are no race-related problems in medicine.

But other doctors across the country have applauded him for writing “Black Man in a White Coat,” because they can relate to the issues he explores.

“Black Man in a White Coat” is an honest, bold, and eye-opening memoir that doesn’t sugarcoat the situations African-American doctors and their patients face in a biased health care system.

The reader will experience a roller coaster of emotions, most of them disturbing.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in our nation’s health care system and the role that race plays in shaping health care outcomes for people of color.

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Kanye West The Life of Pablo GOOD Music 3out of 5 on the

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L.A. Chesson, mural artist, and Jahmarie Jean, mural project leader JASMINE HOLEMAN/Echo staff photographer

BY A LYSON D EAN ECHO STAFF REPORTER

What started as a class project turned into a gift to the N.C. Central University Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Alliances Center and the LGBT Center of Durham.

The gift, NCCU’s first LGBTA mural, was unveiled March 3 in the Alfonso Elder Student Union.

Mass communication junior Jahmarie Jean was assigned a “community-based learning project” for his mass media and popular culture class.

Jean said he was inspired to show that the LGBTA community and other communities can come together, so he named the mural with a hashtag people could use to spread the word: #Shoulder2Shoulder.

The bright, multicolored mural, depicting five figures standing shoulder-toshoulder, is designed to be split into two sections.

One half will remain on campus at the

North Carolina Central University ... allowed me space to really deal with my inner issues and struggles ... to express myself ...

JAHMARIE JEAN MEMBER, NCCU LGBTA CENTER

LGBTA Center; the other half will reside at Durham’s LGBT Center on Hunt Street near downtown.

LGBT Center board chairwoman Helena Craig attended the unveiling on the center’s behalf.

Jean told the audience of about 30 that he decided to do something for the LGBTA community because of his own experiences as a gay man.

He said he did not feel comfortable telling people he was gay until he got to NCCU. The audience laughed when Jean told them he came out to his parents in a letter he mailed from campus – to their home in Durham, ten minutes away.

“North Carolina Central University was my platform — a plat-

form that allowed me space -to really deal with my inner issues and struggles, my official platform to be free, to express myself in a way that in a million years I thought I would never get the opportunity to do,” Jean said.

Jean received help on the project from fellow mass communication junior Corin Hemphill.

Although Jean and Hemphill came up with the project idea, the mural was painted by mass communication senior L.A. Chesson.

Chesson told the audience at the unveiling that at first he just wanted to help his friends.

But eventually, he said, working on the mural taught him a lesson.

“As a straight male,

it was a step into a new direction of accepting others,” Chesson said.

To illustrate that acceptance, he painted the shoulder-to-shoulder figures as a literal take on the hashtag.

The guests oohed and ahhed as the mural was unveiled.

Many pulled out their smartphones to capture the moment and to be photographed with Chesson and his creation.

NCCU LGBTA Center director Tranice McNally said she wants the mural to show her members that the center’s work in the community does not go unrecognized.

She said she hopes non-LGBTA students will be inspired to join the club as “allies,” or even “just to be kinder to a community they are not familiar with.”

“The Life of Pablo” is Kanye West’s seventh studio album. This “gospel album” most likely refers to Saint Paul, the apostle.

Currently, the album is only available for streaming through Tidal.

Pablo opens with “Ultralight Beam.” It starts with a child praising God and banishing Satan.

Kelly Price’s stanza speaks of Saul before he became Paul. “… why’d you do me wrong? You persecute the weak…,” Price sings.

Before becoming Paul, Saul spent his time persecuting Christians.

At the track’s end, Kirk Franklin makes a brief appearance to say a prayer.

“Father Stretch my Hands” leads into an upbeat background with thick synthesizers.

Kid Cudi lends a carefree vibe.

There’s a contrast between this track and the serious tone of “Part Two,” about his lack of family time and his parents’ troubled relationship.

“Drops some stacks pops is good,” Kanye says. “Momma pass in Hollywood. If you ask, lost my soul, driving fast, lost control.”

Rihanna is featured in “Famous,” bringing a refreshing feel to the album. With a nod to

Nina Simone’s “Do What You Gotta Do,” Kanye alludes to escape as Rihanna sings, “I don’t blame you much for wanting to be free.”

“Siiiiiiiiilver Surffffeeeeer Intermission” is a phone conversation. It refers to the making of the album, but stylistically doesn’t fit with the rest of the album.

“I Love Kanye” repeats critiques of the rapper.

People miss the old and despise the “rude… spaz in the news Kanye.”

The trippy effect of “Waves” gives way to Chris Brown’s smooth chorus and a touch of extra bass. This relaxing track breaks up the flow of this rap-heavy album.

Similar to “FML,” “Wolves’” intro adds an atmosphere of misery, supported by the lyrics “Daddy found out how you turned out … if mama knew now,” Kanye saids. The wolflike vocals are my favorite nugget of this album. Sia also added verse to “Wolves.”

While I enjoyed the emptiness of the original, the added percussion grew on me, but Sia’s vocals did nothing for me.

In “The Life of Pablo,” Kanye seems to acknowledge his faults and everything he has done.

While I’m not a fan of some of the lyrics, the tracks’ musicality and message make up for them.

— Courtney Thompson

Jazz club creates new rhythms The Shed musical hotspot for NCCU student musicians B Y T IA M ITCHELL ECHO A&E EDITOR

In a secluded corner of downtown Durham hides a retro jazz club, The Shed, where musicians and young jazz lovers gather for jam sessions, jazz records, used books and warm drinks.

The Shed is a popular hangout spot for many N.C. Central University students to wind down on a Monday night. Students from NCCU's music department host their gigs at The Shed frequently to get more performance experience—and make a little money.

Music senior Jacob Classen said he enjoys the small crowds the club draws in.

“It’s an intimate space,” said Classen. “Durham has a really fertile music scene and The Shed is a part of that. I think it’s a different experience than the places downtown like Beyù Caffè or Motorco.”

Jazz studies senior Shaquim Muldrow, who has played at The Shed for a year, Muldrow said it’s a good environment for him and his quartet to improve and play new music.

“It’s a chance for young musicians to build up their leadership skills as they start their own band,” said Muldrow. “It’s a really great

place for art, not just for music.”

Owned by New York saxophonist Daniel Stark, the club gives up-and-coming musicians a chance to shine and work on their craft while performing for a live audience.

“We’re not saying we want artists to come in with a finished show that’s going to be amazing,” said Stark.

“I’d rather have an artist come in and say, ‘I want to a do a show every month for the next year.’

“You just know that every month, it’s going to get better and better,” he said.

Being willing to commit to that kind of relationship with the artists is one of the things we try to offer.”

The Shed’s goal is to create a fun, productive space for musicians and a community arts hub for sharing ideas.

Stark said he wanted to create a mini concert hall for small groups who wanted to do more than play in restaurants.

After moving to Durham three years ago, Stark researched the city’s jazz scene, and searched for empty spaces in Durham.

Scientific Properties, a real estate development business, agreed to help finance The Shed after company officers saw his vision

The Ernest Turner Trio performs at The Shed’s weekly jam session Feb. 29.

TIA MITCHELL/Echo A&E editor

and passion for improving the music scene.

The Shed has been open for over a year. New bands and artists around North Carolina have used the jazz club as a regular destination for shows.

However, before any artist can perform at the club, she or he must visit

the venue to understand the layout of the stage.

Jazz style music isn’t the only genre The Shed offers.

Despite its jazz niche, other styles of music and art are welcomed.

For example, the club hosts rap ciphers, poets and hip-hop events featuring local and out-of-town

artists.

The Shed, located at 807 E. Main Street in Golden Belt, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Every Monday night, The Shed holds jam sessions, $5 for general entry but free for students.

A&E

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

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Hurt Village – real life in Memphis Play examines gentrification of black neighborhoods

”Hurt Village,” set in Memphis, is based on real-life experiences from the community of Hurt Village.

Photo courtesy of NCCU University Theatre

BY DANIEL H ARGROVE ECHO STAFF REPORTER

N.C. Central University’s production of “Hurt Village,” by playwright Katori Hall, is a brash, honest and contemporary play about the gentrification of a black neighborhood.

“Hurt Village” tells the story of a soldier who comes home from military service in Iraq to Memphis, where the apartment complex he grew up in is about be demolished.

The play explores the struggles of African American communities with family turmoil, drugs and gang violence.

Hall based her char-

acters and conflicts on real-life experiences of the Memphis community of Hurt Village.

It details what one character in the play calls “the war,” referring to both the war within the community and the war being imposed on the community by outside forces.

“What drew me to the project was the author, Katori Hall,” said Stephanie “Asabi” Howard, the play’s director and theater department chair.

“I loved her play ‘On the Mountain Top’ and her use of language in it.”

Asabi said she is impressed with how Hall conveyed the political significance hidden un-

derneath events of her plays.

“I knew ‘Hurt Village’ would be my next play after I met Hall at National Black Theatre Festival.”

Theatre junior Jonathan Able plays the role of the psychologically damaged returning war veteran Buggy.

“Buggy comes home after being gone for 10 years as the play starts,” said Able.

“You can tell he is disturbed at what he sees and how sad it is that Hurt Village ends up like it is.”

Buggy must come home to face the new problems of his neighborhood, as memories that haunt him from the war.

“I think the audience is in for an eye-opening experience, so many things are addressed in this play,” Able said.

“The audience will leave with their thoughts wrapping around the thought that this is actually happening.”

Renee Doggett portrays the character Big Mamma, the lead characters’ grandmother.

Though flawed, Big Mamma is the strength and the backbone of the family at the center of the story.

However, Big Mamma continues the cycle of negative behaviors by encouraging her family to do whatever it takes to survive when get rough, which

plagues many low-income inner-city blacks.

Hall’s play explores the perpetuation of this cycle and the realization of its effects.

Technical supervisor Christopher Sanders, a lifelong Durham resident, said the play reminds him of how some of Durham’s neighborhoods have regressed in recent years.

Sanders said he has witnessed the growth of gang culture, drugs and violence in the neighborhoods where he used to play.

He said he also has seen the gentrification of some traditionally black Durham neighborhoods.

This process moved minorities into other

low-income neighborhoods, which only concentrated the issues instead of solving them.

In that respect, “Hurt Village” tell the story not only of inner-city life and gentrification in Memphis, but of the struggle of African American communities across America.

Asabi said her goal for the play is to get the audience to walk out of the theatre with a newfound sensitivity for life in communities like Hurt Village.

She wants the audience to leave with hope for the future of the black community.

“Hurt Village” ran Feb. 26 through Feb. 28 in Farrison-Newton University Theater.

Sports

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Coach McLendon’s legacy Coaching years of legendary John B. McLendon captured in student thesis BY

D ESTINY O WENS ECHO SPORTS REPORTER

When graduate history student Raja Rahim started looking for a thesis topic she found something close at hand: the life of renowned N.C. Central University basketball coach John B. McLendon.

Her research, completed last spring, became a completed thesis with the title: “King of the Court: John B McLendon and the Origins of Black Basketball at North Carolina College during Jim Crow Segregation, 1937-1952.”

Her research combines her two great passions, history and sports.

“I had to figure out how to bring those together and that’s what this topic did, it sort of picked me,” said Rahim, recalling that while growing up in Richmond, Va. her father instilled her family history into her at an early age.

Rahim said McLendon single-handedly revolutionized the game of basketball.

“There is no player, coach, or organization at any level of the game that doesn’t use a variation of the strategies that he created while here at NCC in the ‘1940s,” Rahim said. McLendon introduced both the fast break and the two in the corner offense, now known as the four corners, she said.

Rahim’s thesis

Raja Rahim, former history graduate student, stands in front of a mural honoring coach John B. McLendon.

The mural is located in the McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium DESTINY OWENS/Echo staff photographer

doesn’t just examine McLendon’s basketball strategies.

It also explores the significance of segregation on the history of the game and what she calls “the reality of black basketball.”

Rahim said McLendon taught Dean Smith, UNC-Chapel Hill’s leg-

endary basketball coach, the four corners at a coaching clinic.

Smith would go on to integrate that strategy into Tar Heel basketball when he began coaching in 1961.

But McLendon had developed the four corners to use in the first 1946 CIAA Champi-

onship Tournament.

“So you do the math,” Rahim said.

“To explain why this topic is so important to me, I came up with this analogy, ‘player is to Michael Jordon as coach is to John B. McLendon – the best to ever do it.’”

Rahim initially planned to study law

after getting her undergraduate degree in history, but credits two faculty members, Freddie Parker and Jim Harper with helping her cultivate her passion for history and sports.

She recalls that “something clicked” when Parker, a now retired history professor

explained to her that “there’s a lot of unemployed black female lawyers, but there’s not a lot of unemployed black females with a Ph.D.” “It seemed between Dr. Parker and Dr. Harper, that they already saw a path for me that I just didn’t see yet,” Rahim said. History department chair Harper advised her thesis.

Of all the research she conducted Rahim said she found doing oral interviews with people who knew McLendon personally the most rewarding.

“It’s something you can’t really put into words,” Rahim said. “It was amazing.”

In addition to conducting interviews, Rahim also scoured primary and secondary documents during McLendon’s coaching years at NCCU from 1937-1952.

These included the Carolina Times, a local black newspaper, yearbooks, and the Campus Echo.

She even traveled to the University of Kansas and Howard University to explore their John B. McLendon archives.

Rahim is now working on a Ph.D. in U.S. history at the University of Florida-Gainesville.

She plans to continue her research in sports and expects to teach at a university as well as work for a sports network like ESPN as an analyst.

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N.C. Central tennis player Dillon Strepay, a junior, gets ready to return a serve.

EVAN OWENS/Echo staff photographer

BY

EVAN OWENS ECHO SPORTS REPORTER

@campusecho ... and be sure to visit us online for photo alleries, multimedia, video news stories, and much more.

Campus Echo archives date back to 1927. www.campusecho.com See us on Facebook and YouTube.

N.C. Central University tennis player Dillon Strepay has been on the court all his life.

The basketball court, that is.

And prior to this season, he had virtually no tennis experience.

He played basketball through high school, and he’s been team manager for NCCU’s men’s basketball team since 2013.

Now he’s playing tennis against some of the best young talent in the world. It all started when he signed up for a tennis class at NCCU, last year.

“I thought tennis could be a fun hobby,” he said.

Just three weeks into the class, two women’s tennis players helping with the class approached him about a vacancy on the men’s team.

The team had already been forced to cancel a match against Duke and

postpone a match against Davidson. So the coaches were eager to fill the empty slot.

After a quick try out, Strepay was cleared by the NCAA Feb. 12, and would play his first match the next day in Lynchburg, Va. at Liberty University.

With his first match just a day away, Strepay was keeping his expectations realistic.

“If people have been playing for 12 years and this is your first time trying it, the person with more experience is probably gonna be able to kick your butt at it,” he said.

His first match was a reality check. So he got to work and lined up individual workouts with assistant coach John McLean.

“It’s been a higher learning curve for him,” McLean said.

“I’ve been having him hit more balls than normally the other players would, helping him de-

velop the technique.”

He did all the right things: listened to his coaches, did the drills, went to the workouts, and learned from losses.

But life doesn’t always pan out like a Rocky movie. The workout montage doesn’t always lead to victory.

“He would love to win every match,” McLean said. “But obviously his skillset is limited.”

Win six games, and you’ve won a set. Best two out of three sets wins the match.

He hasn’t beaten an opponent in a match yet.

But that’s not how his coaches were evaluating success.

They just wanted to see improvement, and they did.

“I won a game at Longwood University last week and one earlier in the day against Hampton University,” Strepay said.

“So to win two games against Virginia State is another inch forward in my progress as a player.”

Winning a couple

games in a set may still leave Strepay far from taking a match, but he remains focused on continual improvement, he said.

“I’m getting more consistent with my forehand and backhand and just working on improving my game every day,” Strepay said.

Beyond tennis, he’s had the unique opportunity to be a player and manager.

“As a manager, you’re helping coaches with scheduling, carrying bags, doing the laundry,” he said. “Now that you’re an athlete, all that is done for you.”

So will he give it another shot?

“Dillon’s been a great student-athlete on and off the court, academically and athletically,” McLean said. “We look forward to having him back, if he wants to come back.”

Strepay plans to do that.

And when he does, he plans to win a match too.

Opinions

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

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Media-OUT of control I believe the media conceals positivity from people to purposely suppress everyone.

Y

ou may think it is weird that I aspire to be a journalist, yet I am often critical of how the media often operates.

Sometimes I despise reading some blogs and watching the news.

I don’t agree with all the content on gossip blogs, especially when bloggers are getting paid to insult someone’s character or aiming to break someone down.

For examMelquan ple, last month Ganzy “The Hollywood Gossip” blog wrote a post on 18 celebrities who have committed felonies.

Of course, you can check someone’s criminal record online but you don’t necessary need to share it with world.

Rapper, 50 Cent, was one of the celebrities mentioned.

The blog, written by Liza Anne, reads — “50 Cent got into major trouble when he tried to sell drugs to an undercover police officer.

That was one of two times he was charged with felony drug possession.”

Honestly, that style of reporting is not my cup of tea.

I can’t live for judging and exposing the foibles of others.

Don’t get me wrong,

sipping tea every now and then can be a thrill, intense and hilarious.

And spilling tea can be adventurous.

But I rather see people making a positive impact on other individuals even while they are dealing with their own challenges.

And I rather hear a story about someone who turned their situation around by focusing on the positivity of their challenge instead of dwelling on the negativity.

I believe the media conceals positivity from people to purposely suppress everyone.

No one is always aware of good advantages happening in this cold world.

For example, on May 9, 2015, 23 black men graduated with their law degrees from N.C. Central University’s School of Law. This did not make it into mainstream news.

The news is forever telling the stories of someone getting killed, robbed, or shot.

Overall there’s a minimum of positivity on the news.

I once heard a professor explain that news media would lose viewers if they only covered positive news stories.

And that’s true only because people are use to seeing ‘the bad’ and are now unbothered to see someone murdered.

People are more concerned about going

to the mall to buy a fresh white shirt that reads — ‘Rest in Peace Jo-Jo” and writing Facebook statuses to share their current romantic relationships and favorite memories.

But why didn’t you show Jo-Jo’s potential for becoming a successful black man?

Now you have to cherish a shirt and not him because he’s gone and can’t reach his fullest potential.

You could’ve brought a T-shirt or write a status congratulating Jo-Jo for realizing he’s a man of leadership and intelligence and not what’s been depicted on TV and social media.

People only follow what they see and act on how they’re treated.

For an example, when those teenagers were televised starting riots in Baltimore they were only acting as they’ve been portrayed.

When someone is told “you aren’t shit,” you believe less of yourself, and that’s what you also produce.

It’s not the people controlling the media, the media is controlling us.

The media is used to discourage and portray individuals to be ruthless.

I will never be a fan of breaking people down.

And it doesn’t take the strongest man alive to uplift someone.

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“Why are black women angry?”

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his stereotype disturbs my soul: Black women are angry, they are bitter.

It’s absurd to label a group of women angry because of their skin complexion.

As a black woman, I don’t like to victimize myself.

But if people assume that black women are

Diamond Gywnn

“angry,” these are reasons WHY we might be angry.

We are raised in a society where the ideal woman looks nothing like us.

For years, the ideal of beauty portrayed in the media is the exact OPPOSITE of our natural traits such as straight hair, slim figures, narrow noses, and fair skin.

For instance, I was teased for having big lips as a child at a predominately white elementary school in McLeansville, N.C. I remember little girls asking: Why do you wear your hair in twist?

Why is your hair so oily?

Until high school, I was shamed for having big ol’ lips, nappy hair, and twist.

When we find our identity and embrace ourselves, it becomes a mockery.

Now, in 2016, America is giving Kylie Jenner credit for enhancing her lips.

Everyone believes

Jenner has started a new trend, big lips.

Just weeks ago, HNGN.com asked if Kim Kardashian’s cornrows were a new trend.

I can answer that, “HELL NO!” Black women have been wearing cornrows and braids for decades!

I don’t think you can really understand how infuriating that can be, unless you are a black woman.

Even Stevie Wonder could see the pattern here.

Oh and let’s not forget about the assets!

It was never cool to be a thick girl in society.

Big butts were only admired in the black community.

In the 19th century, Saartjie ‘Sarah” Baartman was a black woman known for her large buttocks. She spent four years of her life in an exhibit being viewed as freak show.

Baartman was viewed as “abnormal” compared to the average white woman.

Today, women all around the world are paying thousands of dollars for larger assets.

Even worse, black women have been undervalued and underpaid for years.

According to ncbcp.org, black women with bachelor degrees, on average, earn about $10,000 less than white men with an associate’s degree. $49,882 vs. $59,014.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Do you still have the audacity to ask, “Why are black women so angry?”

Would you be bitter if police officers arrested your husband and sons for petty charges?

Would you be bitter if police officers were abusing and killing your husband and sons?

Would you be bitter if the justice system didn’t protect your family?

I’ll wait …

Would you at least be a tad bit upset if you continuously worked your tail off to be underpaid?

Would you be infuriated if your culture and identity was being stolen?

Oh OK, I thought so.

Please keep your sympathy, it’s not needed!

According to Clutchmagonline, half of all black women ages 18-24 are pursuing higher degrees.

Black women are beating all other groups, when it comes to college enrollment.

According to Fortune.com, black women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S. The number of businesses owned by African-American women grew a whopping 322 percent since 1997!

So, next time you call black women out for being angry, do not forget to call us educated and ambitious trend-setters!

N ORTH C AROLINA C ENTRAL U NIVERSITY

Campus Echo Shakira Warren, Editor-in-Chief

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Opinions

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

2016, farewell H

onestly, I don’t know where to start. I’ve felt as if my college experience has been a science experiment, with the primary question being, “What challenges will prevent Melquan from reaching his greatest potential?”

Months after being accepted at N.C. Central University, I graduated from Ben L. Smith High School in Greensboro, my only Melquan intention being to sucGanzy, Opinions ceed.

NCCU was far Editor from my first college pick — I wanted to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C. However, things didn’t work out as planned.

You know — the usual.

When I left my mother’s house in fall 2012, I didn’t know what to expect although a few people had shared their experiences at NCCU. I had heard that “chicken Wednesday” was a fashion show, and that there was usually nowhere to sit.

Wednesdays in the caf are a big social gathering that I will truly miss.

Also, I heard that “Predawn” was poppin – and sure enough, it was poppin my freshmen year.

Class of 2016, I know you all

It hasn’t always been butterflies, flowers and endless sunshine. I have encountered a lot of rainy days.

In some cases, I almost drowned. But as I faced these challenges, I grew to understand that they don’t always supress us.

remember everyone dancing at Predawn to “Girl, I love the way you do it, aye, do it!”

I heard all about Wild Out Wednesday being crazy and packed out.

Attending college was the best choice I’ve ever made.

I’ve made endless memories and effective relationships with individuals who are also grinding to make success their destiny.

I’ve contributed to a great number of organizations that have allowed me to boost my creativity.

Of course, it hasn’t always been butterflies, flowers and endless sunshine.

I have encountered a lot of rainy days.

In some cases, I always drowned.

But as I faced these challenges, I grew to understand that they don’t always suppress us.

On the contrary, they lead us to discover our passions and destiny.

To DP: Thank you for being so hard on me. I used to be so disappointed about not living up to your expectations.

However, as I became a better writer, my skin grew tougher because you never gave up on me.

Thank you also for supporting all my ambitions.

To Campus Echo 2014-15: Thank you all for welcoming me into the Echo!

Thank you for pushing me!

To Mrs. Beyah: Thank you for be so patient and believing in my work.

You helped me enhance my confidence — there were times when you had more confidence in me than I had in myself.

Thank you for allowing me to live through your life experience. You’re so wise!

To the Dent Building: Thank you all for putting up with my crazy self! LOL I don’t think there will ever be another Melquan to step in the Dent.

To de Haute Allure: Thank you all for allowing me to find myself through the challenges we experienced together. You all hold a very special place in my heart, and I pray you all will reach the sky. Hard work pays off! I love you all.

To the Class of 2016: I stand among so many intellectual, innovative and beautiful individuals. Our time here has been amazing, from the parties in the gazebo to the debates in our senior groupme.

Do you all realize that we’re completing college despite life’s unexpected twists? Now

there’s nothing we can’t do; all we need is mind over matter. If we’re mentally strong, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish and no one who can hold us back.

To NCCU students: Work hard for everything you want and deserve. Nothing will be given to you. People rarely give out free hugs.

To my friends: Thank you all for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself.

Thank you for allowing me to express myself to you without using it against me. Thank you never downing me, but for critiquing me to pull me up! I love you all.

To a special friend, Jasmine Holeman: There’s not one thing you don’t know about me.

You allowed me to feel free around you. I thank God for putting you in my life. Ever since then I’ve grown to use my voice differently.

You’re destined to be successful and more! I love you (even though you didn’t write that article -_-) and your family.

To Auntie, Aunt Chelle, Grandma Dot & family: Thank you all for the random checkups and support. I pray I’ve made you all proud. Greatness has yet to come!

To my mother: Thank you, ma, for everything: the counseling sessions, the funds, the support and the whippings through the phone. You have been my biggest supporter, and I greatly appreciate all of it.

Good things happen to those who wait. Keep faith in all you do!

Guess what, it’s your call

the Campus Echo is mobile Ta l k t o u s about working with NCCU’s award-winning student newspaper.

Everyone who chose to serve this country deserves the benefits such as paid education. But those who choose not to join the military do too. At the end of the day, I think a mutual respect and understanding of both sides is important.

everyone is fit to serve in the military, whether it is physically, mentally or emotionally.

Not everyone can handle the pressure and the standards that come with the military lifestyle.

I’ve heard horror stories from recruits in basic training and recounts of marines breaking down because they were not able to handle the lifestyle.

We should know it is not a ‘sign up and you’re guaranteed benefits’ deal.

You can’t expect everyone to pass through the MEPS process or pass the ASVAB because it’s not fit for everyone to pass.

Most students’ field of study just isn’t compatible with the

@campusecho

J

ust join the military if you want a free education. I’m sure you’d do fine in the Air Force, they say.

I’ve heard these words many times since I’ve graduated from high school from friends, acquaintances and family who have joined the military.

I was flattered to hear these Tia words, but I Mitchell knew I just wanted to go to college.

Recently, some of my friends in uniform weren’t fond of the idea of free education for college students.

I’ve heard some say “if they want something for free, they need to earn it.”

Serving the military has its benefits and one of them is a paid education.

While I can’t say the statement to “earn it” is wrong, I do think it’s a little misguided.

First and foremost, not

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military.

For some, maintaining a master’s or a doctorate degree is needed to keep moving forward in their field.

Today, it’s not easy to come by scholarships; sometimes loans and small grants are needed for a better education.

The military is very difficult, and college isn’t a breeze either.

No, we are not on some field training in the mud, but we’re spending a lot of time in our studies.

In between going to class, studying for hours and taking tests, students are working to pay rent and doing long hours at internships.

Students are also involved with organizations to gain

work experience for their future career.

In all, we’re trying to balance everything so we aren’t falling behind.

Both occupations have their own challenges.

Everyone who chose to serve this country deserves benefits such as paid education. But those who choose not to join the military do too.

At the end of the day, I think a mutual respect and understanding of both sides is important.

It’s easy to be very biased when you don’t hear both ends of the stick.

Every person experiences life differently, and everyone has their own reasons for walking the path they’re on now.

Some people like the military life and want to join, cool!

Some people love the idea of college and will do everything in their power to make sure they attend school.

There’s no right or wrong choice.

It’s simple, do what makes you happy.

Illustration by Krystal Porter

Sound Off What have you gained over the last four years as a graduating senior?

“I have learned how to carry myself as a professional in my career field.”

— Ja’Mareia Bonner , Senior

“It’s really hard to put into words. I have gained friends and memories that will last for lifetime, and a unique confidence about life that only NCCU can provide.

— Omari Collins, Senior

“I have learned how to communicate effectively, build relationships and how to be confident in everything that I do.”

— Kourtney Daniel-Robinson , Senior