January 22, 2014 by N.C. Central University Campus Echo

JANUARY 22, 2014

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Campus

VOLUME 105, ISSUE 6

Feature

Social media causes unrealistic dating expectations

Eagles remain undefeated at home so far with seven wins

The arrival of refund checks send students into a spending frenzy

NCCU Art Museum showcases kids art ranging from K-12

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Campus Echo

Millions at risk

BY CRAIG WELCH THE SEATTLE TIMES (MCT)

Chancellor Debra Saunders-White and Mack Koonce led a series of events that celebrated Dr. King’s legacy. KENNETH LAMPKIN/Echo staff photographer

Observance through service STORY

CHELSEE POMPEY

HOGA ISLAND, Indonesia - He sat shirtless on his thin bamboo floor in a home built on posts rising out of the Banda Sea. Tadi had just returned in his dugout canoe from scanning crevices in a nearby reef for octopus. He and his neighbors spend every day this way, scouring the ocean for something to eat or sell. Fishing, here, is about survival. Their stilt village has no industry, no land, no running water. They dive without oxygen, wearing handcarved wooden goggles, and carry spear guns hacked from logs with their machetes. They eat what they catch and sell the rest, using the money to buy everything else they need: boat fuel, root vegetables, rice, wood. Without fishing, "how would I feed my family?" asked Tadi, who like many Indonesians has only one name. Now Tadi's community, like countless others across the globe, is on a collision course with the

ECHO STAFF REPORTER

industrialized world's fossil-fuel emissions. Hundreds of millions of people around the world rely on marine life susceptible to warming temperatures and ocean acidification, the souring of seas from carbon dioxide emitted by burning coal, oil and natural gas. That includes Northwest oyster growers and crabbers in the frigid Bering Sea, who now face great uncertainty from shifts in marine chemistry. But from Africa to Alaska, many coastal communities face a substantially greater risk. These cultures are so thoroughly dependent on marine life threatened by CO2 that a growing body of research suggests their children or grandchildren could struggle to find enough food. The science of deciphering precisely who might see seafood shortages remains embryonic. But with many of the most at-risk coastal communities already facing poverty, marine pollution, overfishing and rising seas, the potential for calamity is high.

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In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. the N.C. Central University Eagles spent the holiday fulfilling the university’s motto, “Truth and Service.” At 9:15 am Chancellor Debra Saunders-White, United Way of the Greater Triangle CEO and President Mack Koonce, and Felicia Quinn, a local resident of McDougald Terrace, rang the Shepard Bell to symbolize non-violence and peace in 2014. “We are not ringing the bell in his memory because that dream lives on,” said Saunders-White. “This is a day to inspire and to make a difference in the community.” “Non-violence is a big deal,” said Mister Sophomore Omari Collins. “Martin Luther King made the way for non-violence and it took someone strong to bring us all together.” History senior Travarus Cunningham said he attended the bell ringing ceremony to see young students come together for a great cause. NCCU partnered up with the United Way of the Greater Triangle

for multiple community service events held in the L.T. Walker Complex. United Way of the Greater Triangle is a local organization with over 2,000 volunteers working in the triangle. The organization is committed to addressing community-identified priorities and helping to create pathways to a brighter future for individuals in the local community. “NCCU is the first university to require community service,” said Saunders-White. Many organizations from NCCU and surrounding areas filled the LT Walker Complex after the ringing of the bell to prepare food pantries, teddy bears, scarves and educational supplies for residents of McDougald

Terrace from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm. “It’s a great honor to be out here to help the people in our community,” said Jalen Baker of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. “They are our future.” Many volunteers paid homage to Martin Luther King Jr. for opening doors through peace and non-violence. His dedication to making change in the 1950’s has impacted the world of today. Shemar Douglas, a 16-year-old volunteer with Blue Cross Blue Shield, said he is grateful for Martin Luther King’s courageousness. Douglas and his family came from Raleigh to help out with the preparing of the goods. NCCU alum and former Mister

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Banks’ life celebrated NCCU community gathers to remember a beloved choir director BY ALEX SAMPSON ECHO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Bajau travel everywhere by boat. Some women dab their faces with rice paste to protect against the sun, Nov. 16, 2013, in Indonesia. (Steve Ringman/Seattle Times/MCT). STEVE RINGMAN/Seattle Times (MCT)

Alum recalls rights struggle BY DESTINY OWENS ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Richard Banks is remembered as not only a mentor but a father figure to his students. PHOTO

COURTESY OF

NCCU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION GREENSBORO CHAPTER

Assistant professor and Director of Choral Activities Richard Banks passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 22, 2013 at the age of 60. Banks served at N.C. Central University for 10 years. Banks also taught at St. Augustine College — while working as an adjunct voice teacher at NCCU — Talladega College, State of University of New York and Knoxville College. He worked as the Choral Director at Voorhees College in South Carolina for three years prior to settling in at NCCU. A service was held in the B.N. Duke Auditorium on Jan. 18 to celebrate Banks’ life and legacy. Ralph Barrett, chair of the

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When Emma Richardson arrived in 1962 at what was then North Carolina College at Durham she planned on concentrating on her studies in biology and chemistry. She didn’t expect that she’d be singing Civil Rights anthems and marching into downtown Durham to end segregation inside of some of the community’s largest establishments. Richardson grew up on a tobacco farm between Rocky Mount and Nashville, N.C. She planned on becoming the first in her family to attend college and NCC was her only opportunity to do that. “I was very excited. I just always wanted to learn,” said Richardson. She received a full ride

to NC A&T but her mother decided that Greensboro was too far from home and sent her off to Durham with her cousins. But by the second semester of her freshman year Richardson, who is now 69, would become an active member of the NAACP and join hundreds of students in marches to end segregation. According to Richardson, she and other students would gather at White Rock Baptist Church in Durham and, — led by a white chaplain — begin their marches downtown. Richards said she was nervous about going to the demonstrations. “My mother didn’t approve,” she said. At NCCU, the groundwork for civil rights actions had already been laid.

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014

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Refunds entrap students

BANKS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Student refund checks lead to financial ruin in the long run Mr. Banks was a dedicated professor and he was also a father to the University Choir. CYNTHIA HARRIS NCCU ALUMNA AND FORMER CHOIR MEMBER

MONIQUE LEWIS

ECHO ASSISTANT EDITOR,

It’s that time of year again. College students around the United States will be getting their spring semester refund checks. Refunds are intended to go towards educational expenses such as textbooks and living expenses including food and housing. But some college students have different plans. The excitement to have extra cash to pay for a new cell phone, clothes or a cool spring break trip is brewing as refunds have become college students’ first step to destructive financial behavior. “Students are taking out more loans than they need to have extra cash,” said English junior Christina Allison, “not realizing that it isn’t free money and that they will indefinitely have to pay it back." According to Mark Kantrowitz, a financial aid expert and publisher of Edvisors Network, students will

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have to pay back their refund checks and other loans with 6.8% interest on top of it, which means an additional $761 for every loan they take out throughout their college program. While in school, students don’t have to worry about the harsh reality of loan repayment but when graduation finally arrives students encounter a rude awakening. Undergraduate and graduate students who received a subsidized loan on or after July 1, 2012 and before July 1, 2014 will no longer have the six-month grace period for interest. This means students will be responsible for the interest that accrues on the loan during the grace period. Loan repayment is inevitable but getting a job that will pay enough to cover one’s living expenses and student loan payments can be a challenge in the current economy. According to an MSN Money report, the average college gradu-

ates are earning $3,200 less than college graduates earned in 2000 along with a 70% increase in the number of graduates who are only earning minimum wage. The Center for College Affordability and Productivity reported that almost half of the college graduates from the class of 2010 are in jobs that don't require a bachelor's degree. Thirty-eight percent of them have taken jobs that don't even require a high school diploma. The combination of loans and low wages is also keeping college graduates out of the housing market. In the last decade, the government has earned $100 billion from student loan interest. Student loans passed credit cards as the leading cause of debt in the U.S. in 2012 reaching $1 trillion. It seems that everyone wins except students, who unwittingly pile up their own debt, and hammer the final nails inside of their own financial coffin.

Department of Music, took to the podium after performances by Derison Duarte and the University Choir. Barrett said using the word celebrate wasn’t a mistake. “As we approach today with sadness, we do come to celebrate a life well lived,” Barrett said. Barrett had worked with Banks for four months. Though it was a brief amount of time, Barrett said he got to know Banks as a man who loved his students, work and family. “As we move forward, we move forward on Richard’s shoulders,” he said. The service had its lighthearted moments, one of which came courtesy of Banks’ sister Helen Solomon. Solomon recounted what it was like growing up with Richard -- Ricky as she affectionately called him. “We used one word to describe him: B-A-D,” Solomon said. Solomon reminisced about her sister looking out of the class window and seeing Richard on the swing set after recess ended. Banks was born in Chicago, Ill on July 13, 1953 to Henry Lee Banks II and Alma Jordan Banks. Banks was the third of four children including Solomon, Jane Ash and Henry III. The family grew up on the west side of Chicago until they relocated to the south side. Banks’ mother was able to enroll him in Chicago Vocational School where he made it on the football team.

Known as “Bear,” Solomon said the family realized he prospered in a hands-on setting. “This boy was going to work with his hands, no doubt about it.” In his senior year, Banks decided he was going to college. It was during his time at Lincoln University that he realized his passion for music. Banks graduated Lincoln University with a bachelor’s or arts degree in Music Education and went on to receive his master of arts in Voice Performance at the University of Michigan. Banks’ wife of 25 years works as an administrative support associate with Central Stores and Receiving at NCCU. NCCU alumna Cynthia Harris was in the University Choir for two years. She said even though she was one of the older members, Banks always made the members feel unified. “Mr. Banks was a dedicated professor and he was also a father to the University Choir,” Harris said. Banks’ importance to his students was apparent at the service. During an emotional performance of “In Bright Mansion” by the University Choir, several students broke down on stage. Throughout the rest of the event, students could be seen drying their faces. The event ended on a solemn but positive note with a conclusion from Barrett about Banks’ longevity at NCCU. “Richard’s legacy for us is that flame of music,” Barrett said.

Group assesses the neighborhood Partipants in MLK Community Builder brainstorm community improvements BY BRANDI ARLEDGE ECHO STAFF REPORTER

On Sunday, Jan. 19 at 1:30 p.m. a Martin Luther King Jr. Community Builder was held in N.C. Central University’s Alfonso Elder Student Union. Students, faculty, and community members engaged in a discussion, not only about the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, but also to help the community of Fayetteville Street. “We acknowledge that tomorrow is not a day off, but

United Christian Campus Ministry 525 Nelson Street, NCCU Campus

JOIN US! Get involved with Campus Ministries today! Michael D. Page Campus Minister

it’s a day of action … a day to get out and improve the community. We need to make sure our students, faculty staff, and administration are in the community of Durham building up businesses, neighborhoods, and families,” said NCCU student body president Stefan Weathers. The community builder meeting was set on building up the area from Fayetteville Elementary School to NCCU residence halls. The people voiced the changes from the previous

years to currently. “One of the first things we should look at is where NCCU and surrounding neighborhoods overall fits in to the Durham community. Durham is a full city,” said Ardell Sanders, director of NCCU’s centennial scholars program. “We have to get everybody invested in the city. If we can get politicians, minsters, and everybody on board then we can really build up Fayetteville Street and get it back where it once was.” According to Durham

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County Commissioner Brenda Howerton owners of Fayetteville Street’s historical homes can find funding to restore homes by contacting Preservation Durham. When you change the housing, you will have businesses and restaurants. You will have a whole different atmosphere,” said Howerton. Improved housing and other changes, according to Howerton, will improve the image of Fayetteville Street. “Image is so important,” she said.

“When you are coming down Fayetteville Street and the image is not good … then people don’t want to be on this street. I hear students who don’t want to be on Fayetteville Street.” According to one speaker, Teiji Kimball, NCCU needs to attract research dollars, continue to develop its programs, like the schools of nursing, business and education. If NCCU can “build its brand,” said Kimball, it can become an asset to the community.

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 NCCU Steven Cannady “100 Black Women is work out activities with attended the community here to support, encour- the brothers of Iota Phi service event. age, and empower young Theta Fraternity Inc. and “Martin Luther Omega Psi Phi King opened doors Fr a t e r n i t y for me as an African We are not ringing the bell in Inc.“ M a r t i n American male and inspired me to be Luther King his memory because that the best that I can has always be,” said Cannady. dream lives on. This is a day been a role While the adults model and I to inspire and make a differ- applaud him of McDougald Terrace attended for what he ence in the community. educational workhas done by shops such as stress being non-vioDEBRA SAUNDERS-WHITE management and lent,” said NCCU CHANCELLOR interviewing techmass communiques, the children nication senparticipated in ior Reginald activities led by Simon. NCCU volunteers. girls,” said Miss 100 Black “I think it is important 100 Black Women talked Women, Ricoya Dozier. to be an example for the to the young girls about “Working as a unit and younger children so that peer pressure and bully- being role models can lead they can see that other ing followed by classic them in the right direc- people outside of their games such as “red light, tion.” families care about them.” green light.” The young men did

RICHARDSON CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Richardson looking at her classmates in her 1964 yearbook, reflecting upon her days marching to integrate downtown Durham’s businesses. DESTINY OWENS/Echo staff photographer

the kitchen but could not dine, had an ironic twist. Her future husband David, now deceased, was employed as a cook at Harvey’s. “I remember talking about the protests with David and he said he remembered seeing students protest at his job,” said Richardson. Richardson particularly recalls one march to Sears. She and the other protesters were singing “We shall not be moved” when a white man who drove up. Apparently he wasn’t so moved. “He drove up slowly toward an elderly black lady who refused to move,” said Richardson. “The man drove his car slowly onto her back, as she hunched over.” Enraged students rushed the car and picked it up off the woman. Richardson said she was never arrested but her roommate and cousin were. She recalled marching past her fellow classmates in jail while they hung out of the windows, waving and singing. They later told her that jail was fun and that “people played in the judge’s chamber, sat in the judge’s chair, and made fun of the situation.” Richardson said the protests she took part in showed her the power of a voice. “Before the movement we were discriminated against in all types of ways, in jobs, education, and in everyday life circumstances,” she said.

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Brother repays debt

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In 1948 NCCU’s second president Alfonso Elder was promoting a concept he called “student self-direction.” The purpose of the concept was to promote democratic action and independent control. As Elder enforced selfdirection for activities on campus students decided to take the concept with them off campus. Richardson, along with citizens from Durham’s black community, marched downtown to protest segregation at the Carolina Theatre, Harvey’s Cafeteria, Walgreens, Howard Johnson’s restaurant and the Sears department store. As it would turn out, Richardson was participating in a march that would go down in history. In his history thesis on Student Activism, NCCU student Brian Allen Robinson said he was most impressed by the persistence of students and faculty in the civil rights struggle. “I was extremely impressed with the social and political awareness of students and faculty, and the surrounding Durham community,” said Robinson. He said what impressed him more was the community’s continuity. “I was intrigued and inspirited by their belief in change, by faculty encouragement and by NCCU providing space for student self-expression,” Robinson said. Richardson’s march to the Harvey Cafeteria, where blacks could work in

“Participating in the marches and protests made me realize you can bring about change even if you are just one person,” After graduating in 1966, Richardson looked for work across the country. She said she was almost overlooked for a job in Detroit when a white test administrator automatically assumed she couldn’t possibly have been scored the highest score on a computer programming test. “I remember the man’s expression being that of great surprise,” she said. “He was shocked, but had to accept it.” Later on in life Richardson worked for The United States House of Representatives as a computer systems analyst. She worked there for 22 years until she retired in Arlington, VA in 2003. Richardson said the world today affords a lot of opportunities for blacks, but problems still remain. “Sometimes the law can prevent those people from putting obstacles in your way, but still a lot of people haven’t changed in their heart,” said Richardson. She said she was “overjoyed” when President Obama was elected and that it was something she never expected to in her lifetime. “I feel proud that I was able to participate in a movement that brought about change in the way we were perceived and treated in society,” said Richardson.

N.C. Central graduate helps his brother finish his education BY MONIQUE LEWIS ECHO ASSISTANT EDITOR

Traditionally, a graduate receives gifts for obtaining a degree of higher education. However, in the case of December 2013 N.C. Central University graduate Ishmael “Ish” Hinson, he was on the giving end and a great example of being his brother’s keeper. As the youngest of three brothers, Ish Hinson is the first to graduate from college. In 2006, his oldest brother Brent Hinson was in his last year at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, NC. He was majoring in sports management and playing on the basketball team when their family encountered tough times. To help provide for the household Brent left school and returned to their hometown of Greensboro, where he started working three jobs. He worked so much that one day he was hospitalized for exhaustion because he hadn't had any sleep in three days. “If I wasn’t going to graduate, I was going to make sure that one of my brothers graduated,” Brent Hinson said. “When I saw Ishmael walk across the stage it felt like I was graduating too.” During Ish’s graduation reception, he committed a selfless act in a time that was supposed to only be about him. He quieted a restaurant filled with his family and friends and invited his brothers Brent and Rakee Hinson along with his nephews Jordan and Jahmir to join him at the front of the room.

Brothers Ishmael, Brent and Rakee Hinson at Satisfaction, Dec. 14. MONIQUE LEWIS/Echo assistant editor

Ish, Rakee, Jordan and Jahmir proceeded to present Brent Hinson with a check for $5,200 to pay for his last year of college at N.C. A&T State University, where he has been taking a few classes over the years. “He put his dream on hold for our family and to show my appreciation I feel that it is only right to invest money into someone who invested their future in me by making sure that I finish school,” Ish Hinson said. Brent Hinson broke down in tears of joy and embraced both of his brothers. “All those bad feelings of pain and questioning myself on whether I’m doing the right thing went away and that confirmed things for me,” said Brent Hinson. “I’m not the type of person that likes to take all the credit because Rakee and my mom made sacrifices too so that

Ishmael could be where he was today.” Brent Hinson currently coaches JV Basketball at Dudley High School in Greensboro. He is also Assistant Coach for Team Felton, which is owned by New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton. He is also General Manager of the All-Nets Basketball Association's Greensboro Skywalkers and a tutor to student-athletes. “He has a great resume of experience, but finishing his degree will allow him to fulfill his dream of becoming a sports management professional,” Ish Hinson said. Although Ish Hinson presented Brent Hinson with a check for NC A&T Brent is currently looking into completing his degree at NCCU. Ish is currently applying to graduate schools and plans to begin in fall 2014.

Beyond NCCU

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Mac tells her story Professor educates youth about desegregation

Charmaine McKissik-Melton at Northgate Mall on Monday talking about her family’s experiences integrating Duham’s public schools. ALEX SAMPSON/Echo editor-in-chief

BY JAMAR NEGRON ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Some third graders worry about crushes, homework, and recess. Most third graders do not challenge an institution simply by having their name on the roll. This was the burden young Charmaine McKissickMelton faced as one of the first black students to desegregate Durham Public Schools 50 years ago. McKissick-Melton told her experience to a crowd of children and parents during the fourth annual “Children’s Birthday Party for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” at Northgate Mall Monday. Created by several nonprofit organizations and mother’s associations, the program provides a venue for children to learn about segregation and the Civil Rights Movement. While standing in the middle of a crowd of small chil-

dren and their parents, the N.C. Central University interim department chair of Mass Communications told her story. “Can you imagine that white people went to one school, and black people went to another? Can you believe it?” McKissickMelton asked the kids. McKissick-Melton discussed not only her experience, but the hardships her siblings went through as well. She told the children how white students pushed her sister Andreé’s face inside a toilet filled with urine and feces. She also stressed the importance of searching for and learning about history that is sometimes hidden. She said search engines like Google are wonderful tools but sometimes people have to “dig harder” to find out the truth. “You have to know where to look sometimes to find out the history,” she said.

Jessica Burroughs, a volunteer for the non-partisan national movement MomsRising, said the program teaches children the importance of demanding change. “I really want to teach children that the civil rights era is not the past,” she said. “I’m hoping that they recognize they have the power to make positive changes.” Durham resident and mother of four Rhonda Jeffers said she brought her kids to hear McKissickMelton because she wanted them to see how far black people have come. “They need to know the rights and freedoms we have today we didn’t always have,” she said. McKissick-Melton said learning about the struggle for these freedoms is invaluable. “Don’t let [the history] be untold,” she said, “Or we will go back to do the same thing.”

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014

Beyond NCCU

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014

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At last, a word everyone uses BY AMINA KHAN LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)

LOS ANGELES —Humans speak many languages, but we may be united in our confusion. A new study examined languages from around the world and discovered what they say could be a universal word: “Huh?” Researchers traveled to cities and remote villages on five continents, visiting native speakers of 10 very different languages. Their nearly 200 recordings of casual conversations revealed that there are versions of “Huh?” in every language they studied _ and they sound remarkably similar. While it may seem like a throwaway word, “Huh?” is the glue that holds a broken conversation together, the globe-trotting team reported Friday in the journal PLOS ONE. The fact that it appears over and over reveals a remarkable case of “convergent evolution” in language, they added. “Huh?” is a muchmaligned utterance in English. It’s seen as a filler word, little more than what’s called a conversational grunt, like “mmhmm.” But it plays a crucial role in conversations, said Herbert Clark, a psychologist at Stanford University who studies language. When one person misses a bit of information and the line of communication breaks, there needs to be a quick and effective way to fix it, he said. “You can’t have a conversation without the ability to make repairs,” said Clark, who wasn’t involved in the study. For this study, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands set out to show that “Huh?” had earned the status of a full-fledged word, though an admittedly odd one. They also wanted to see whether other languages had a similar word with a similar function. The problem is that “Huh?” often seems like such an unimportant feature of language that it’s not well documented, said Nick Enfield, a linguistic anthropologist who worked on the study. The word doesn’t crop up much in linguistic literature because researchers

huh?

who record speakers of remote languages often ignore such filler. The scientists headed to remote villages in Ecuador, Laos, Ghana and Australia and spent weeks getting acquainted with the locals. They felt they had to gain people’s trust before they could record natural, casual conversations _ and perhaps catch a few instances of “Huh?” in its natural environment. “The kind of conversations we collected were just the kind of conversations you and I would have at the breakfast table or in the evening when we’re doing our handicrafts,” Enfield said. The “Huh?”-hunters also visited family homes in Italy, Russia and Taiwan as well as laboratories in Spain and the Netherlands. The languages studied were Cha’palaa, Dutch, Icelandic, Italian, Lao, Mandarin Chinese, Murriny Patha, Russian, Siwu and Spanish. (English wasn’t included in the study.) Across these languages, they found a remarkable similarity among the “Huhs?” All the words had a single syllable, and they were typically limited to a low-front vowel, something akin to “ah” or “eh.” Sometimes this simple word started with a consonant, as does the English “Huh?” or the Dutch “Heh?” Across all 10 languages, there were at least 64 simple consonants to choose from, but the word always started with an H or a glottal stop _ the sound in the middle of the English “uh-oh.” Every version of “Huh?” was clearly a word because it passed two key tests, the scientists said: Each “Huh?” had to be learned by speakers and follow the rules of its language. For example, English speakers ask questions with rising tones, so when they say “Huh?” their voices rise. Icelandic speakers’ voices fall when they ask a question, and sure enough, the tone goes down as they ask,

“Ha?” (To an English speaker, this tone would sound like a statement of fact: “Huh.”) “It’s amazing,” said Tanya Stivers, a sociologist at the University of California, Los Angeles who was not involved in the study. “You do see that it’s slightly different ... and that it seems to adapt to the specific language. I think that’s fascinating.” After all, Stivers pointed out, words with the same meaning sound very different in different languages. Why wouldn’t “Huh?” also sound completely different across unrelated languages? The Dutch researchers think it’s because the word developed in a specific environment for a specific need — quickly trying to fix a broken conversation by getting the speaker to fill in the listener’s blank. A low-front vowel in the “ah” or “eh” families involves minimal effort, compared with to a high vowel such as “ee” or a liprounder such as “oo.” The same can be said for a glottal stop or a “h” _ hardly any mouth movement is needed to make those sounds. This allows speakers to very quickly signal that they missed a bit of information, and request it again. The linguists borrowed a term from biology to describe this phenomenon: “convergent evolution.” Just as sharks and dolphins developed the same body plan to thrive in the water even though they’re from very different lineages, all languages have developed a “Huh?” because it’s so useful for solving a particular problem, researchers said. “’Huh?’ has almost certainly been independently invented many, many, times,” said Mark Pagel, who studies language evolution at the University of Reading in England and was not involved in the PLOS ONE study. “And that is why it appears universal.”

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FAMU names NCCU graduate as president BY DENISE-MARIE ORDWAY ORLANDO SENTINEL (MCT)

ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida A&M University trustees Thursday chose Elmira Mangum, a vice president at an Ivy League college in New York, to become the university’s new president. Mangum earned her bachelor’s degree in geography from N.C. Central University in the 1970s. Mangum will be FAMU’s 11th president and the first woman to hold that post in the university’s 126-year history. Her hiring is still subject to confirmation by the Board of Governors of the State University System. Mangum thanked FAMU trustees, faculty, students and others for showing their faith in her. About 50 people had applied. “It is an honor to be recommended from among such an accomplished field of candidates,” Mangum said in a statement. The decision to name a new chief executive officer came just weeks after FAMU’s accrediting body lifted the year probation that had been placed on it in 2012. FAMU officials have not yet determined when Mangum, 60, vice president for budget and planning at Cornell University, will take over as the head administrator of Florida’s only public, historically black university. They have not yet begun negotiating a salary. Many trustees said they were impressed with Mangum, who has been an executive at several highereducation institutions over the past 28 years. She has

Elmira Mangum majored in geography at N.C. Central University in the 1970s. been at Cornell since 2010. Tvrustee Marjorie Turnbull called her a “rising star in the academic world.” “I think FAMU is on the cusp of greatness,” Turnbull said. “We need a visionary. We need a change agent.” The selection of a new president was of particular importance for FAMU. Since the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion in late 2011 the school has endured multiple investigations. Its famed marching band was suspended for a year and a half. Enrollment fell, and several administrators left or were forced out. Mangum will fill the post that former President James Ammons left in July 2012. Ammons was pushed out as part of the fallout after Champion’s death. The university also was facing intense criticism over academic and management problems. Trustees suspended the search for a new president

last March. At the time, trustee Chairman Solomon Badger said he wanted to give interim President Larry Robinson an opportunity to concentrate on getting the school’s accreditation off probation. FAMU announced a new timeline for filling the job shortly after learning on Dec. 10 that its probation had been lifted. Mangum beat out the other finalist job candidate, John Ellis Price, a former founding president of the University of North Texas at Dallas. She will be FAMU’s first permanent female president. One woman, Castell Bryant, filled in as interim president in 2005-2007. Mangum will break from tradition in another way. She’s not a FAMU graduate. Several recent presidents, including Ammons, were alumni. After earning her undergraduate degree at NCCU, Mangum earned master’s degrees in urban planning and in public administration from University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her doctorate in educational leadership is from the University at Buffalo. Spurgeon McWilliams was one of two FAMU trustees who opposed Mangum’s hiring. McWilliams wanted to keep Robinson, a longtime FAMU administrator who has been filling in as president since Ammons’ departure. But Robinson publicly expressed his support for Mangum. “I guarantee we’re going to be focused on a smooth transition,” he said.

Beyond NCCU

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014

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FISHING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

A boy carries a platter of watermelon along the boardwalk in the Bajau village, Nov. 16, 2013, in Indonesia. Most of their fruits and vegetables are bought from nearby islanders with money made selling fish.

Jabira carves spear-ﬁshing goggles out of wood and sells them around the village, Nov. 16, 2013, in Indonesia. It takes him about a day to make a pair.

STEVE RINGMAN/Seattle Times (MCT)

“I can’t tell you how many people will be affected,” said Sarah Cooley, at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, who studies links between acidification and food security. “But it’s going to be a very big number.” Said Andreas Andersson, an acidification and coral reef expert with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego: “These people are literally going to be fighting for their lives.” Among the most vulnerable to changing ocean conditions are people like Tadi and his 1,600 fellow villagers — even if they don’t quite view it that way yet. From his elevated perch sheltered from the midday sun, Tadi could see huts with wispy thatch roofs connected by the rickety planks of his village boardwalk. Everything stood a dozen feet above emerald waters. Like many in his village, he’s uncertain of his age. But for as long as he can remember, Tadi has netted, trapped, hooked or speared

grouper, snapper, wrasses and parrotfish. Sometimes the men in his village disappear to the open sea for days to chase small tuna. Women swarm the tide flats gathering clams, sea cucumbers, urchins and sea grass. They then paddle to a fish market on nearby Kaledupa Island, where even meaty catches fetch just a few dollars. Among his peers, Tadi is considered one of the best spear fishermen. And no wonder: He said he stabbed his first fish when he was barely older than a toddler. That childhood in the ocean left an impression. Every animal seemed huge. Sea life teemed wherever he looked. “I could choose with my spear whatever fish I want,” Tadi said through a translator. “I never caught any small fish.” Tadi taught his son, Laoda, to fish this way. Laoda has since taught his son, Adi. The Sama people, or Bajau, are known as sea gypsies or sea nomads because they once lived mostly on

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boats. They roamed Southeast Asia between Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, living off the sea, until governments began encouraging them to settle. Tadi’s offshore village was built in the late 1950s. Today, up to a million sea nomads are sprinkled throughout the Coral Triangle. Their lives are a blend of old ways and new. Some divers in Tadi’s village ruptured their eardrums as kids to make equalizing easier. Women dab their faces with rice paste for sunscreen. Villagers stack dead coral for support around the poles that hold their homes. Even fishing weights are sometimes homemade, forged by melting lead in aluminum cans over small open fires and pouring it into wooden molds. Diesel generators provide electricity a few hours each night, and some residents use it to power televisions. Some fishermen wear expensive dive watches. On a mound of coral rubble beneath one hut is a surpris-

ingly well-maintained billiard table. After centuries of traveling far and wide, the Bajau’s relocation concentrated their human waste and limited the range of their fishing. This happened just as some in their village adopted the destructive practices of Asia’s worst fishing fleets. A few here fish with coral-destroying bombs or cyanide. Some from the village and nearby islands gather colorful reef fish for sale to the aquarium trade. Commercial trawlers from elsewhere cause more damage. It all takes a toll. “There’s been a pretty substantial decrease in their catches per amount of effort since the 1990s,” said Paul Simonin, a Cornell University graduate student who has tracked Bajau fishing data. Tadi’s neighbors and nearby island communities still land plenty of fish, but their reefs have seen better days. Everyone works a bit harder to find food. And a coming storm from CO2 will only make things worse. Scientists are still navigating the complex ways carbon dioxide can alter the marine world. But some impacts are clear. Rising temperatures already wreak havoc on corals. Warming waters can cause corals to eject the algae that give them their vibrant color, weakening or killing reefs and turning them white. This process is known as bleaching. Without reductions in global emissions, 90 percent of reefs by midcentury are projected to

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see severe bleaching episodes every year. Ocean acidification will just compound the problem. A quarter of the CO2 spewed by cars and power plants winds up in the ocean. That lowers the pH, makes waters more corrosive and reduces carbonate ions, which then makes it harder for marine creatures to build their shells and skeletons. Acidification can directly harm animals throughout the food web, from microscopic plankton to some fish. It endangers corals, weakening their skeletons, inhibiting growth, and increasing the likelihood of bleaching. In fact, acidification even accelerates the dissolution and breakdown of the reef. Together, souring seas and warming can be worse than the sum of their parts. “Temperature has zapped a lot of reefs so far, but longer-term effects are likely to come from acidification,” said Charles Sheppard, a professor at England’s University of Warwick who studies climate-change impacts on coral reefs. These ocean changes may not directly hit the octopus and fish Tadi catches, but will almost certainly rearrange the foods available for those creatures to eat. And loss of coral, by itself, usually translates to fewer fish and marine creatures _ often substantially fewer. Earlier this month, researchers working on reefs naturally bathed in CO2 in Papua New Guinea reported finding half as many small invertebrates _ crabs, shrimp, sand dollars, marine worms — as on healthy corals. “Think about a coral reef as a city, a lot of buildings and houses,” Andersson said. “Without the houses, you have no inhabitants.” Scientists are still learning how much — or how little — marine life might adapt. Some corals appear more resilient than others, and bleaching doesn’t always ruin healthy reefs, said David Kline, a coral and climate change scientist at Scripps. But reefs across Southeast Asia, in particular, already are a fraction of what they once were, according to a 2007 analysis. And reefs taxed by pollution or overfishing are more susceptible to mat-forming algae. In the worst cases, after bleaching, this weedy slime can smother corals for good. In the grassy shallows a few hundred yards from Tadi’s hut, his neighbor Mbilia sat curled in her

canoe, plucking sea urchins from the water and halving them with her machete. She could not even contemplate a reef with almost no fish. The prospect, to her, seemed amusing. “I am an old woman,” Mbilia said. “I’m not thinking a lot about that.” Tadi and Laoda usually don’t think about it much, either. But there are days when fishing is so slow it’s a possibility they just can’t ignore. “Sometimes we eat everything in one day,” Laoda said. “But if we can’t find anything, we don’t eat.” Some Bajau don’t believe humans can alter the marine world. Even harder to grasp is the possibility that actions now could cause future decay. For some here, successful fishing is dictated by the whims of testy sea gods. “They do not see a causeand-effect relationship the way we do,” said Julian Clifton, a University of Western Australia professor who has studied Tadi’s village. “The Bajau get characterized as backward because they don’t get this idea. But their relationship with time is different from ours. They live in a sort of constant present.” It’s in part why villagers don’t know their own ages. If fishing worsens dramatically for Tadi, options appear limited. Fishermen could keep pushing out into the ocean, or the village could fold up and move away, or turn to fish farming. The first might be possible. The second two are much harder. The Bajau are short on money and clout. They remain among the region’s poorest coastal residents, an ethnic minority often disparaged by others. And by the time they could face real trouble, others around the world may have similar problems, straining resources that otherwise might help. At least 6 million people in 99 countries fish coral reefs, according to research published in the journal PLOS One in June. Another 400 million or more are tied indirectly to coral. Indonesia alone is home to nearly 1,000 inhabited islands, many of which are filled with people who depend on reefs. “In the 15 or 16 countries we’ve surveyed, 50 to 90 percent of their protein comes from fish,” said Johann Bell, a fish expert helping Pacific Island nations deal with threats to seafood. “It’s a huge problem. There are going to be many who just fall below the radar.”

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014

AND NOW ... ‘DURHAM’S FINEST’ NO

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Cosmic Jennifer by Keanne Jones, Grade 11, Northern High. Art teacher: Tabitha Eller..

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Matise Interior in Barcelona, Spain by Navarra Chakeres, Grade 4, George Watts Montessori. Art teacher: Carol Barnes.

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“Rhianna” by Maekiyah Graves, Grade 7, Lowe's Grove Middle. Art teacher: Shawn Smith.

Story by India Wagner ~ Photos by Tiara Jones ome it is just insanely good. Even more surprising is that it’s been created by children from grades K-12. N. C. Central University is hosting the Durham’s Finest Art Exhibit in the NCCU Art Museum

from Jan. 12 through Jan. 31. The exhibit features art from Durham Public School students. It is the only district-wide art exhibit. It features two-dimensional and three-dimensional art from students in kindergarten through

high school. The exhibit is very selective, with only four pieces of twodimensional artwork per school. “It’s kind of an affirmation to the students of their learning experience or talent,” said Mary Casey, director of K-12 Arts

Tiger by Josue Gonzalez-Martinez, Grade 1, Y.E. Smith Elementary. Art teacher: Kristin Winebrenner.

Abstract by David Morris, Grade K, Morehead Montessori. Art teacher: Laura Weaver.

Education for DPS. “It increases their confidence and their desire to continue to create.” The purpose of the exhibit is to show the progression of student artwork throughout the grade levels and recognize their

outstanding work. NCCU has hosted Durham’s Finest for DPS for over 30 years. And each year it just gets bigger and better. Kenneth Rodgers, director of the NCCU Art Museum, is very

n See KIDS’ ART Page 8

Honor Box by Ashanti Kalyah Patterson, Grade 8, Durham School of the Arts. Art teacher: Amber Carroll.

Amate Bark Painting by Gabriela Delgado, Grade 4, Spring Valley Elementary. Art teacher: Parminder K. Rajpal.

A&E

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014

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King Shabazz NCCU’s former student spreads her wings in NY

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Photo courtesy of www.openingceremony.us

ECHO A&E EDITOR

From the outside looking in, it might seem that Diane Varnie was an unfocused student while she attended N.C. Central University. Varnie, a native of Orange, Calif. by way of Charlotte, is a former Arts and Entertainment editor for NCCU’s Campus Echo. While professors may have missed her presence in the classroom, her focus and dedication were pin-pointed toward the music industry. “When I was in school at North Carolina Central, I’d skip out on class to go back and forth to DC,” said Varnie in an interview with Priya Pansuria of Al Lindstrom.com. Varnie said she began dabbling in public relations work while she was still a student at NCCU. She would experiment blogging the work of her peers who were artists and eventually jumpstarted her first PR company called Cherchez La Shabazz. She ended up changing the name two years ago to Electric Circus to redirect the attention from herself to the company. Varnie told Pansuria her “right hand man” Will McKinney is the one who handles whatever she needs assisting with. While the dynamic duo are the brains and backbone of the company, Varnie rests assured that her company will soon grow. “I’m moving towards expanding, it definitely can be a great business plan with a team,” said Varnie. “I have a few good names on my roster.” Varnie had the opportunity to set up a show in New York City that was the first of its kind for southern rapper, Trinidad James. She has also worked with

Cam’ron and the increasingly popular hip-hop group, Migos. Currently, Varnie works with artists like Hannah Montana, Que and a slew of other underground artists. Varnie said while her PR company focuses on digital music productions and lifestyle, she would like to expand to all creative genres, incorporating art, fashion, and “all around creative people.” Although Varnie admits that school taught her to meet deadlines, be punctual, work on a schedule, and to remain professional, she gives most credit of her accomplishments to her life. “Having and understanding for culture [is] the one thing that makes me a little different and helps me be more hands on,” said Varnie, “[also an] understanding computers and a lot of computer programs and the culture, and staying on top on of trends.” Outside of being the founder and CEO of Electric Circus, Varnie works as the music news editor for Solange Knowles’ new website SaintHeron.com. “I wake up every morning and organize the daily post,” said Varnie, “I also manage and update the Twitter and Facebook so we can make sure we get an audience.” Varnie emphasized the importance of taking advantage of networking and building relationships. Although going back to school is not a part of her future plans, she wants students to pursue their dreams at all costs. “It doesn’t matter what profession, [you have to] be hands on and a real go-getter,” she said, “be positive, meet who you need to meet… and let that ambitiousness bleed through.”

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No food, no problem NCCU and Habitat for Humanity join for first food pantry BY ALEX GLENN ECHO STAFF REPORTER

BY LEAH MONTGOMERY

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On Martin Luther King day, a day of service honoring a man who fought for the equality of humankind, Habitat For Humanity, along with N.C. Central University students, came together to build a food pantry for the community. The idea to construct the pantry, which would be housed by the Dent Human Sciences building, was orchestrated by the faculty members of the family and consumer sciences and the foods and nutrition departments. With the goal of helping those in need, both students and community members, the pantry would serve as a way to assist people with a vital necessity. Jason O’Bryant, Director of Didactic Program in Dietetics, stated that he and Deborah Bailey, Director of the Academic Community Service Learning Program, worked with other faculty members, staff and alumni to discuss the issues that students have been facing with food insecurity, the lack of knowing where they will find their next meal. "Whitney Watkins, Community Director of Residential Life, addressed us on how students who are no longer attending school are now struggling with the lack of a food source," said O'Bryant. In accordance with Truth and Service, the University's motto, the

desire to help brought about a opportunity to educate. Not only will the new space be used for food storage, there will also be a community learning program center as well. There will be various programs set up for the public to learn about the importance of food and nutrition. O'Bryant said that other schools have taken on this project and have food pantries of their own. “It’s been a year in the making and today we are finally making progress and taking action.” Originally, the plan for the day called for a paint party in which the 15 workers from Habitat For Humanity and the NCCU student volunteers would paint the walls of the pantry, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the workload shifted to sorting food while the construction and floor planning went on inside the pantry. The department and this project received approximately 7 to 8 thousand dollar’s worth of donations. The department was very grateful for the time and donations of the contractors. Lowes Home Improvement was generous enough to donate paint and shelves for the pantry. “The challenge we might face is to keep the pantry stocked. It might be problematic to the people who are running the pantry, but indeed good for where the food is going,” O'Byrant stated.

A worker poses as he helps to create the future food pantry LEAH MONTGOMERY/Echo A&E Editor

Christian Pikaart, Deconstruction Program Manager and Rebecca Leonard, Community Relations Manager, were both head over the Habitat For Humanity workers. Pikaart who was the site supervisor, stated how it had been a pleasure working with Bailey and O'Bryant. "Despite a few hold ups with the construction of the food pantry," stated O'Bryant, "the volunteers had been really flexible with working and setting up things so they can move

forward to painting the pantry." Nashae Wood, an Eagleson RA, graduating senior and Psychology major, was a volunteer at the event. One of her residents informed her of the event and encouraged her to come out. She took this as a great opportunity to give back to the community on the special holiday. “The experience was really nice and it doesn’t feel like work. It’s great to be here with my residents and give back to the community with them.”

KIDS’ ART CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

Left to right: Muse by Ebony Nicholson, Grade 11, Hillside High. Art teacher: Pierre Jerome. Untamed by Britney Balmer, Grade 12, Durham School of the Arts. Art teacher: Carolyn Maynard. TIARA JONES/Echo staff photographer

excited about the growth of the exhibit. He believes the most gratifying part is seeing the students and their parents at the exhibit. “Each year seems to be better than the last,” said Rodgers. “The purpose is to give exposure to students at this age that are impressionable and would like to potentially pursue a career in the arts.” He also thinks Durham’s Finest recognizes the incredible work Durham schoolteachers have done over the years. Arts education has often come under fire within the U.S public school system as the first of programs to lose funding. Organizations such as Americans for the Arts and the National Arts Education Public Awareness Campaign are

often advocating for the importance and continuation of arts programs. “I feel that this exhibit shows the value of arts education,” said Casey. According to DoSomething.org, students studying art are four times more like to be recognized for academic achievement and three times more likely to be awarded for school attendance. “This exhibit is important to DPS because it is our only K-12 district art show that highlights the importance of visual arts,” said Casey, “They make for a rich, whole child learning experience.” She thinks the exhibit not only show the artistic learning, but also learning throughout all the subjects. Casey is looking for-

ward to a new expansion on the exhibit that will take place Sunday, Jan. 26. DPS and the NCCU Art Museum will host a second reception for the exhibit that focuses on the literary additions to the artwork. This is a part of DPS’s strategic plan to increase literary and writing aspects within all academic subjects. Casey is hopeful for an expansion in the amount of invitations to students throughout the school district as the exhibit continues throughout the years. The exhibit will be leaving at the end of this month, but is open to the public and available for viewing Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sports

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014

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Eagles glide past Hornets for seventh home win

Jerry Mack at his introduction as NCCU’s football coach Courtesy NCCU Athletics

AVERY YOUNG

ECHO SPORTS EDITOR

N.C. Central University’s football team en ded last season with a losing record of five wins and seven losses under the Interim Head Coach Dwayne Foster. Less than a month after season’s end, a young coach with a prominent coaching background was revealed to lead the team. Jerry Mack was named head coach on Dec. 19. He came from the University of South Alabama where he served as the wide receiver coach. Mack’s resume is what helped him earn his newly appointed job and possibly give hope to NCCU next season. Mack played college football at Arkansas State University. In 2007, with Mack as the wide receiver coach, Jackson State University won the Southwestern Athletic Conference. In 2008, University of Central Arkansas won the Southland conference championship with Mack as the Wide Receiver coach. Mack also coached two NFL athletes in former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jaymar Johnson and former New York Jets wide receiver Raymond Webber. Mack hired virtually an entire new coaching staff to

bring a fresh start to the team and campus. Only two coaches retained their jobs from last season. Not only does Mack have a motto for the football team but also for the entire University. His motto, “teamwork makes the dream work,” is not targeted towards the football team but NCCU altogether. “I want to create some more discipline. I want to create excitement within our players, university and alumni” he said. Since the spring semester, Mack has already made his face known to the public. He appeared at the first Chicken Wednesday with an introduction of himself and his coaching staff. He spoke to the Alumni Association of Eagle Club on Jan. 18. In addition, he plans on attending basketball games to show his support. He believes involvement throughout the campus starting with admissions, W.G. Pearson Cafeteria, faculty and staff will inspire the team. “I think the more visible we are the more people can relate to us, know us and see our face,” Mack said. “The more community involvement we have [that gets behind our players] will eventually lead to wins on the field”.

Junior forward Jay Copeland sets up for a free throw in the second half. Copeland was named MEAC defensive player of the week. ROBERT LEWIS /Echo sports editor BY

ROBERT LEWISN

ECHO SPORTS EDITOR

N.C. Central University’s men’s basketball has not had any problems winning at home this season. Their game Saturday against fellow MEAC member Delaware State University was no different. NCCU won with a score of 62-52.. That win improves their home record to 7-0, by far the best in the conference. The second game back from winter break was largely a defensive battle for the better part of the first half. DSU’s first points came five and a half minutes in bringing the score to 4-2. NCCU’s stifling man-toman defense forced two traveling violations and two shot clock violations midway through the first half.

That defense turned into 18 points off turnovers compared to DSU’s six points off turnovers. DSU’s defense was not much opposition for alltime assist leader, senior guard Emmanuel Chapman, who took commanding control of the game from the outset. Chapman led the team with seven assists which included a crowd rallying alley-oop dunk from junior guard Jordan Parks. Chapman also made sure to maintain ball control and only had two turnovers. Leading scorer Jeremy Ingram notched 20 points and, along with Chapman, did not leave the game, playing all 40 minutes. “It was tremendous. The environment was electric and that’s all you can ask for,” said Chapman. “The crowd came out and showed us their support and luckily we came

out with the win.” But the Eagles did struggle from the foul line hitting just 11-21 for 52 percent. Head Coach LeVelle Moton was not thrilled: “…fifty percent from the free throw line. That’s atrocious. My daughter can come out here and throw up one and make at least one out of two,” he said “It’s a learning lesson and we have to learn how to suppress those kinds of things.” NCCU went into the locker room at half time with a comfortable 32-21 lead, but DSU surged after the break with an 18-6 scoring hot streak to regain a stake in the game and their first and only lead. That surge gave them a one point advantage, 38-39, with a little over ten minutes left to play. NCCU’s bruising defense clamped down and the offense was revitalized by Coach Moton. Defensive

play was led by junior forward Jay Copeland who was named the MEAC defensive player of the week. The offense scored 42 points in the paint while DSU scored only 16. The win for NCCU gives them an overall record of 11-5, good for a fourth place slot in the conference with arch-rival N.C. A&T on the horizon. Honoring the Champs During half time the 1989 NCCU Division II National Champions were honored who finished their season with a 28-4 overall record. This is the 25th anniversary of the championship year where NCCU beat Southeast Missouri State 74-46. That score still holds the NCAA record for largest margin of victory in a Division II Championship Game.

Intramural sign-ups fast and easy Simple steps to play intramurals at NCCU BY

ROWLAND GIVENS

ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Intramural sports are alive and well at N.C. Central University, according to Quintin Robertson, assistant director of Campus Recreation. Intramural sports is a way for students to showcase their talents and abilities without joining an official sports team. Students can join an existing team, create their own or register as a free agent and be assigned to a team — all for just $5 per season. Robertson said intramural

sports at NCCU have been active since the 1950s. Intramural sports came to HBCUs in the late 1940s under the guidance of William Wasson, a physical education scholar at Michigan University. Wasson, who started his own intramural program at Dillard University, developed the idea of intramural sports at HBCUs with help from the Carnegie Foundation. His study, “A comparative study of intramural programs in Negro Colleges” led to an intramural summit at Dillard University where HBCU intramural directors gathered to form the National Intramural Association.

The association would rename itself the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association in 1975. It now represents about 700 campuses. NCCU’s intramural sports program organizes competition for men in flag football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, and floor hockey. Women can compete in powder puff football, basketball, and volleyball. Last year’s men’s intramural basketball league had 19 teams. Burn 1 seized the title for basketball while Run and Gun took top honors in fall’s flag football season. Robertson said he expects

about 20 to 30 intramural teams to participate in the five week basketball season, which is followed by a one week playoff. According to Robertson it’s a high stakes game. “The game is like a high school tight chill feeling and everybody is screaming and going wild,’’ he said. Mass communication junior Avery Young said he got involved because he loves sports and wanted to stay as active as he had been in high school. Young has been involved in intramural basketball and football since his freshman year. He is signed up for basketball this year. Young said NCCU intramural

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sports are surprisingly competitive. “It’s like real league with referees, a scoreboard… football without actual pads and basketball without the jerseys,” he said. Young, who didn’t sign up as a member of an established team, said an added benefit was he built a bond with his team mates, especially as the season progressed. Students interested in playing in this season’s basketball season can register until Feb. 10. The registration site can be found by searching “NCCU imleagues” on Google. Games are held Mondays through Thursdays from 6-9 p.m.

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014

IVER SITY

A real U.S. scandal

f the recent George Washington bridge scandal hasn't made you skeptical about the powers of government, then I don't know what will. For those who are unaware, New Jersey governor Chris Christie, was accused of purposely tying up traffic in a New Jersey town at the foot of the India George Wagner Washington Bridge. Christie, his aides and the Port Authority in New Jersey all came under fire this January: nearly 4 months after the initial incident. One would wonder why Christie would do such a thing — and the answer is very cut and dry according to Democratic speculators. The Mayor of Fort Lee, the town riddled by the scandal, chose not to endorse the governor and speculators believe that the incident at the GWB was Christie's political retaliation. As petty as this may seem,

“I often think we forget that our government, though not human in itself, is run by men and women who in turn influence how it runs.” the implications on the citizens of Fort Lee who had to deal with the stressful traffic were insurmountable. This is just an example of how our government is affected by the people. When I say the people, I don’t just mean you and I. I mean the people that we choose every election season to run our country. I often think we forget that our government, though not human in itself, is run by men and women who in turn influence how it runs. Greed, selfishness, bias, bigotry, and emotion are all a part of the decisions our U.S government makes for us. This is why in the end, we as constituents and voters need to be completely involved in the legislative and political process. Now I'm not saying that any citizen could have truly

stopped this bridge scandal directly. Yet, it's possible that a vote or two more for the opposing candidate could have affected this particular issue indirectly. This is why you should know the candidates that you vote for. You have to be media literate and you have to sift through all the propaganda. Under all of it lies a scared human being trying to gain the power we all crave. Sad thing for Christie is that as a leader in the Republican party, and a potential candidate for the U.S Presidency, he cannot afford this type of transparency. He is adamant that he was unaware of the events that occurred in his name, but the evidence continues to pile up. Within the past week, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer implicated Gov. Christie in

another scandal where he threatened to withhold Superstorm Sandy recovery funds if she did not support a real estate development project the Christie camp was interested in. We will see in the next coming weeks how this scandal turns out, but that is not what I am looking forward too. I am hopeful that this will teach Americans to look beyond the surface and really get involved in the political process. I am even more hopeful that our dedicated yet lazy U.S citizens will begin to listen a little more carefully to what they think is reality. It’s sad that our future, and apparently traffic, hinges upon the decision to protect our own inalienable rights. Yet after an incident like this and a three week government shutdown, it’s pretty obvious what we need to do. Unfortunately, this isn’t a hit TV show, but the future of our country hanging in the balance. It’s time we stop watching these scandals and start doing something about them.

Social media dating flops

he other day I found myself wondering: Why are we so obsessed with someone else being obsessed with us? Our generation has been reduced to “Oh my god, he just retweeted me … again” or “Bro, she just liked all of my pictures on Instagram.” I mean what’s the big deal? My time at NCCU has shown me how important it is to porChriston tray a certain Cherry type of personality on social media. Yet, it has also shown me how important it really shouldn’t be. These days we are so into our cell phones that we don’t even know how to have a proper face-to-face conversation with someone of the opposite sex. Even worse, when we do swallow our pride to say hi to that attractive girl or guy, we run the risk of being called “thirsty.” What exactly is being thirsty anyway? How do you expect to know who a person is if you don’t say hello and learn about them as

“When someone is interested and they want to communicate with you, the first thing they do is search you online and see the type of person you are through social media. ” a human being instead of a texting buddy? It seems to me that people are more worried about how they look in a “selfie” than how they attract someone in reality. When I think about relationships in this day and age, social media always comes to mind; from the posts on Instagram about wanting the infamous Jay-Z and Beyonce relationship, to posts about what you should be doing in your relationship from people whose longest relationship lasted approximately two weeks. If the definition of thirst means to acknowledge whoever we are attracted to then I guess we should call our whole campus thirsty. I think the biggest problem here is fear. We live in such a judgmental society that any small thing that seems out of the norm is considered lame. Patricia Vanderbilt stated in

N ORTH C AROLINA C ENTRAL U NIVERSITY

her Huffington Post article The Hookup Generation that we are “...terrified of sounding pretentious, ethnocentric or anything else that may sound insensitive, not politically correct or just plain stupid.” Everyone is scared of being placed into the wrong category, so we turn to social media to make sure we don’t seem lame online. When someone is interested and they want to communicate with you, the first thing they do is search you online and see the type of person you are through social media. I think this is the most backwards thing about our generation. You can never tell through social media whether someone is lying about who they say they are. Yet, we continue to feed into the Twitter and Instagram hype. We would rather try to figure each other out through the

internet than do it face-to-face. Not only that, but we get upset when we find out that the person we’re now dealing with isn’t the person we thought they were. This is all because they were trying to maintain this certain façade on Instagram or Twitter. Here lies the main reason why people complain about not being able to find someone “real.” Ladies, chivalry isn’t dead, you just renamed it as thirst. We as men ultimately want to do nice things for, but of course, we’re scared to be called thirsty. Gentlemen, you won’t meet a good woman unless you realize that you have to work hard for her. Nothing hard ever came easy and it especially won’t when it comes to women. Yes, we have all Instagram and Twitter creeped on that one girl or guy that we see all the time in person. This semester I’m going to challenge myself to get to know the women I find attractive on campus personally and not through some superficial selfie they took on Instagram. I encourage all of you to do the same.

drawing by Rashaun Rucker

Question: How are you planning to spend your refund check?

"Since I don’t get much, I’m probably going to buy books and the rest will be used as an investment.” —Jamelle Evans, Senior

"I plan to pay up on my bills and use the rest to save up for summer travel.” —Nia Sutton, Junior

“Majority of it will be spent on books and the rest on hair products.” —Tiara Lamberth, Sophomore

Sound Off by India Wagner

Stranger than Fiction ~ Jhordan “Jaguar” Perry

Campus Echo Alex Sampson, Editor-in-Chief

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