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

OCTOBER 22, 2014

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1801 FAYETTEVILLE STREET DURHAM, NC 27707

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VOLUME 106, ISSUE 3 919 530.7116/CAMPUSECHO@NCCU.EDU WWW.CAMPUSECHO.COM

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Campus

Sports

A&E

Feature

NCCU shows its love for boobies

Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose: Sophomore leads football team

Chapel Hill goes retro: local bar taps into the spirit of the 80s

Mother and daughter team up for fresh brew at VSOP

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Page 9

Campus Echo Page 2

16 BARS, 1 WINNER

Pages 6-7

Obama names czar

A protester stands outside the White House asking President Obama to ban flights in effort to stop Ebola. The debate surrounding travel bans as a way to curb the spread of Ebola has intensified after Thursday’s congressional hearing, unleashing a flurry of arguments on both sides. Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press (MCT)

BY CHRISTI PARSONS, KATHLEEN HENNESSEY AND GEOFFREY MOHAN TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON — With Americans' fears over random Ebola exposure fueled anew by scares on a

cruise ship and a tour bus, the Obama administration moved Friday to fight accusations of incompetence from around Washington and on the campaign trail ahead of the midterm election. President Barack

Obama named a veteran political operative, Ron Klain, to coordinate the government response in a move intended in part to restore public trust after a series of missteps by health authorities.

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Paying up for union Students decide Oct. 28 how much to spend BY JAMAR NEGRON ECHO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jerry Blackwell, in background with mic, Hulks up while his opponent, semi-finalist Kevin Black, brushes off Blackwell’s boasts. LEAH MONTGOMERY/Echo assistant editor

It’s out with the old, in with the new. But it’ll cost. How much? That depends. N.C. Central University’s efforts to update campus buildings has shifted to Alfonso Elder Student Union. The University plans to demolish the old union and create a new student center in the parking lot in front of the current union. The Alfonso Elder

Student Union was built in 1969, and last renovated in 1990. The new union is projected to be complete in fall 2018. However, the building of the future comes with a hefty price tag: $56 million. And students are expected to foot part of that cost. On Oct. 28, students will vote to increase tuition by either $250, $275, or $300 a semester to fund the new building. The amount students vote to pay will determine what

amenities the new union will have. Increasing tuition by $300 a semester would give the union a food court with at least five vendors, plus four ATMs, a barber and beauty salon, and a commuter lounge with lockers. Freshman class president Ezzard Pickett said a new student union is long overdue. Pickett, along with the rest of the Student

n See STUDENT UNION Page 2

Disabling the label Campus celebrates disabled, educates abled BY TAVARIUS FELTON ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Big Daddy Kane and Petey Pablo name the winners of each round during the “NCCU Edition” cypher. LEAH MONTGOMERY/Echo assistant editor

N.C. Central University hosted its fifth annual Disability Week Oct. 6. NCCU’s drumline and cheerleaders performed amid music and giveaways. The week opened with a wheelchair basketball game

between the Charlottesville Cardinals and the Fayetteville Flyers, both professional disabled basketball teams. After the game the Student Activities Board, Student Government Association, Physical Education and Recreation Majors Association

played in wheelchairs against the professionals. “It was a bittersweet moment,” senior Jerod Christmas said. “It’s one thing to watch but it’s another thing to play,” said Disabilities Week Birshari Cox.

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he sun was setting on the amphitheater behind Ruffin Hall, which teemed with people awaiting the start of the NCCU Edition Cypher. The Oct. 9 cypher was organized by mass communication seniors Bernatta Palmer and Brian “BMac” McIntosh,

as part of their Radio One internship, advised by Wade Banner and Bryan Dawson. “We wanted to do something for the artists attending and surrounding Central to get them some experience and get them noticed so they can get that deal,” said McIntosh. The duo said the cypher took two weeks to plan and was a new experience for

them both. “It was hard as hell, especially since it was my first time doing something like this,” said McIntosh. “I had to call people’s managers, asked our adviser for the phone numbers. “I called them myself, and we had to beg a little bit because we were asking them to do it for free — that was something I’d never

done before.” The eight cipher contestants were hand-picked by 9th Wonder and Wade Banner from 20 who auditioned at the preliminary tryout. “I had high expectations because 9th Wonder has worked with artists like Drake and J. Cole,” said

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Black and orange Fayetteville Flyers take on the Charlottesville Cardinals in the L.T. Walker Complex. CHELSEE POMPEY/Echo staff photographer

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Find a roommate or pay the piper!

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014

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Pink on the Bowl

Res Life sends out consolidation notice BY NAMDI NGUYEN ECHO STAFF REPORTER

The email from Meghann Martinez with the subject “Campus Housing Room Consolidation, Sept. 29” had many students, including Evan Haynes, confused. “Students living alone in a room designated as a double will be required to have a roommate or pay the cost of the vacant side of the room,” wrote Martinez, N.C. Central University’s residential life media and marketing coordinator. Consolidation, according to Martinez, is designed to “make the best use of residential space and to be fair to students who already paid for single rooms.” Haynes, a mass communication freshman, knew that this consolidation had something to with him. His assigned roommate in New Res II, freshman Isaiah Roberts, had moved out to stay with a friend in New Res II earlier that month. Haynes loved having the room alone. He said it helped him focus on his studies. “Not having a roommate isn’t any different than me

living at home,” he said. But what Haynes didn’t know is that his days living solo wouldn’t last much longer. What he did know was that he wasn’t looking forward to trying to find a new roommate in the middle of the semester. According to James Leach, Residential Life assistant director for administration, students who find themselves alone in a double occupancy room have several consolidation options. They can move in with another student, have another student move in with them, or contact Residential Life for a new roommate assignment. Leach said they don’t necessarily have to find a roommate in their current residential hall, but that can find roommates in any NCCU residential hall. Leach said the consolidation maximizes the use of space and saves energy. New Res II resident assistant Jeffrey Nesbitt said that students find themselves alone in double occupancy rooms for a variety of reasons. Their original roommate may have moved in with a friend during the Sept. 3-5

room change period, may have dropped out of school, or may have moved off campus. A more expensive option is for students living alone in double occupancy rooms to decline to consolidate. They can elect to pay for the unoccupied portion of their room. “ Students will not be charged until they complete documentation to indicate they are willing to pay to the difference and have a double occupancy space remain single,” said Leach. Leach added that students who choose to live alone in a double occupancy room would pay on average $2,600 more per semester, depending on their room type and residential hall. Haynes said that he was assigned a new roommate on Oct. 9. He was happy to find out that he’s been assigned to room with a close friend. He made the move on Oct. 12. Despite some initial confusion over the consolidation Haynes keeps the big picture in mind. “Be happy that you get to school here no matter who you live with,” he said.

STUDENT UNION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Proposed student union by Timothy McMullen, NCCU director of design and construction. Government Association, traveled to Winston-Salem State, Elon University and UNC-Greensboro to check out their student unions. Pickett said the other unions were “light years” ahead of NCCU’s. “I saw that this student union is a joke,” he said. “We’ve far outgrown this place.” Pickett said a new student union would do “phenomenal things” for NCCU, such as increasing the retention rate and encouraging more students to get involved in campus activities. In an Oct. 16 town hall meeting at the student union, SGA student body president Derrick Hicks stressed the importance of investing in the future. Hicks discussed what he called “the pink elephant in the room:” students who may believe that investing money in a building they will not get to enjoy is not worth it. “You get what you pay for,” he said, saying that paying the most money will yield a better building for NCCU. Some students, like mass communication senior Terrell Johnson, is excited about the new project. He said he’s been impressed with efforts the University has made to improve the campus. “When I got here, Chidley was a pile of dirt,” Johnson said, adding that he enjoyed

watching the construction progress. Social work junior Taquan Lynch said, “We complain every day about what we don’t have. At some point we’re going to have to pay for something. It’s either struggle now or struggle later.” Business administration freshman Alexis Cofield said it feels “weird” to pay for something she will not be here to enjoy. “I see no point,” Cofield said. “I personally would like to be here to enjoy the benefits of something I’m going to pay for.” Social work junior Shan’Trese Cameron said a new union would be great. However, she said, “They’re asking for a lot right now. I wish it was a little bit lower.” Cameron said she was not sure whether students were being appropriately represented in plans for the new center. “We need a poll,” she said. “Let’s get real words from the students.” Corey Guyton, assistant director of student leadership, training and development, challenged skeptical students to consider paying for the union as an investment in NCCU’s future. “The reality is that it had to start somewhere,” Guyton said. “We have to think about the lineage.” Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Miron

Billingsley echoed this sentiment. “This is about giving back,” Billingsley said. “There are people in this room that spent money on the building that you are standing in right now. “This is a beautiful campus, but it didn’t happen like that overnight. This is our chance to leave our legacy and our mark.”

Tania Irwin, Jalen Baker and Jasmine Holeman participate in line dancing in the Unity Bowl. CHELSEE POMPEY/Echo staff photographer

BY VICTOR GRUBBS ECHO STAFF REPORTER

October is national breast cancer awareness month, as indicated by the increased prevalence of the color pink around the campus. To help raise awareness of this, N.C. Central University hosted an event on Thursday, Oct. 16 in the Greek Bowl titled “Eagles Go Pink for Breast Cancer.” The event featured a DJ, line dancing, pink lemonade, and a pink banner that was paraded around the gazebo. Even the fountain was colored pink for the occasion. According to breastcancer.org, around one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetime. That is about or about 232,000 new cases each year. After skin cancer breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. The same report states that 40,000 women were expected to die in 2014 from breast cancer. NCCU students support the idea of raising awareness for this high-profile disease. Junior mass communication major Nathaniel Waddell says that the event was a good start. “There should be more programs about breast cancer so that people will be able to understand how serious this disease is,” said Waddell, adding that “NCCU does a good job raising awareness.” “It’s really good to celebrate breast cancer awareness and it’s good that people came out to support this.” Mass communication sophomore said it is impor-

Health Careers Center 40th Anniversary

tant for everyone to know about breast cancer. “It could be one of your family members [who gets diagnosed]” he said. “So yeah, I think there should be more programs like this.” Representatives from the beauty company Avon were at the event to show their support for the breast cancer awareness movement. “The younger you become aware that you have breast cancer, the easier it’ll be to treat it,” said Darlene Bacon, an Avon representative. “If you know about it earlier on, you are more able to get treatment and you’ll also get more time to get used to the idea of dealing with

breast cancer.” Avon is “the largest corporate sponsor of breast cancer awareness,” according to Maureen Bergenbush, also from Avon. Bergenbush commended NCCU’s efforts at promoting breast cancer awareness. Pink balloons were given to the guests to be released at the end of the event. After an announcement about the importance of breast cancer awareness, a countdown began and the balloons were released. Scores of pink balloons rose up into the sky in remembrance of those who lost their lives to breast cancer.

NCCU’s OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS STUDY ABROAD

JOIN US! Get involved with Campus Ministries today!

• First Thursday Study Abroad Information Session is on November 6 during 10:40 break in Rm. 202 of the Lee Biology Building. • Pre-departure orientation for all students going abroad in the spring 2015 semester will be held on Thursday, November 20, in Room 202 of the Lee Biology Building from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Events • NCCU celebrates the 2014 International Education Week (IEW) – November 17-21. Please check the website for the Calendar of Events. The IEW Kickoff is on Monday, November 17, in the lobby of the AE Student Union between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Join us as we showcase NCCU’s diversity in international culture, food, music, poetry, and more.

Deadlines for study abroad applications Michael D. Page Campus Minister

For more information contact Rev. Michael Page at 530-5263 or by e-mail at mpage@nccu.edu

• The campus deadline for the 2015-2016 Boren Scholarship and Fellowship program is Tuesday, January 13, 2015. For information on the Boren Scholarships and Fellowships, please go to www.borenawards.org.

expand your horizons

STUDY ABROAD

Contact Dr. Olivia Metzger Jones at ojones@nccu.edu or 919.530.7713

Campus

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22

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Prez accentuates + Holland plans CAAP prep, intellectual focus

Sophomore class president Alesha Holland wants NCCU students to get more excited about learning. KIMANE DARDEN/Echo photo editor

BY TIA MITCHELL ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Alesha Holland, N.C. Central University’s sophomore class president, has big plans for an extraordinary year for herself and for colleagues. Holland is a graduate of Douglas Byrd Senior High School in Fayetteville, whose mascot is also an Eagle. She jokes that perhaps this means she was destined to become an Eagle. She’s already served as vice president of the freshman and sophomore classes

and is a member of Eagle Sisters and Lady Eagle Development. Holland said she wants students to think beyond the social side of campus life and get more excited about learning. She is determined to help students prepare for the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency, or CAAP test, a standardized test sophomores are required to take before becoming juniors. The test measures student achievement in reading, writing critical thinking,

math and science. “It’s not hard, but you still need to be prepared for it and take it as seriously as you would the SAT or the ACT,” said Holland. “So, that’s a big thing for me, making sure that sophomores are aware of the CAAP test and also getting ready to enter their departments.” Holland also said she wants to help bridge the gap between freshmen and upperclassmen. She said she draws from her own experience. “I remember how it felt last year being a freshman,” said Holland. “Everyone was like, ‘oh freshman this, freshman that,’ but a lot of people didn’t take out the time to reach out to us and help us and mentor us. “That’s one of the reasons why I joined Lady Eagle Development – to have that mentor aspect, somebody to help me along and tell me what college is like so I can be prepared,” she said. Holland said campaigning for the office was a learning experience. “It can be stressful,” she said. “Things can be thrown at you last minute, so it’s all about remaining calm and taking care of business.” Two members of her council, Miss Sophomore Lanexa Neal and sophomore vice president Boris DeShazo, say Holland’s positive attitude is exactly what’s needed in her leadership role. Neal, an athletic training sophomore, described her attitude as “inspirational.” “Alesha pushes me to be great,” said DeShazo. “She looks out for everybody else before she looks out for herself. “It’s very rare that you find somebody that’s going to make sure everybody else is taken care of before your own self.”

CYPHER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 McIntosh. “He knows good talent when he hears it.” The cypher consisted of four rounds. Celebrity judges Big Daddy Kane and Petey Pablo chose who advanced and who was eliminated. The crowd laughed, booed and hyped up contestants as they spit lyrical bars within the 60 seconds they were allotted for each round. The final round boiled down to Stephen “Steve-O Da Spitta” Liggon Jr. and Sha’meire “Swank Heem” Jackson. Moments after the beat dropped, Big Daddy Kane interceded.

“Since this the last round, let’s do this like a real rap battle. Cut the music,” he commanded. After two intense rounds, Sha’meire “Swank Heem” Jackson was awarded tickets to every homecoming event, the honor of having his album rotated on Radio One and a feature on a SweetSixteen Petey Pablo track. “We have a lot of talent at Central but no one gets to see it, so I want to give people that opportunity,” said McIntosh. “We plan on doing another cypher and get bigger artists, like J. cole or big Krit.”

But these events won’t always be aimed at rappers, he said. “We also want do one during Valentine’s Day and pull artists like Elle Varner so we can have opportunities for R&B artists as well,” said McIntosh. Criminal justice senior Justin Glaspie said he was impressed with NCCU talent. “I think it was great for our campus because it shows the talent that walks around campus every day,” he said. “If it wasn’t for that showcase, you would never know how talented people are around here.”

WEEK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 After the games students with and without disabilities performed spoken word, most of which focused on social issues. One poem, by guest poet and 2001 theatre alumna Rhonda Hatton, received a standing ovation. Hatton has performed at NCCU convocations and at Chancellor Debra SaundersWhite’s installation. Hatton said she started writing poetry at 10 and performing at 13. She is now a campus minister. Thursday Fest, during the 10:40 break, Student Disability Services organized an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder simulation, a visual impairment activity and a wheelchair obstacle course. “It was very fun and exciting,” said Dominique Boone. “It gave us an opportunity

to experience what people with disabilities go through every day.” On Friday A Day in the Life gave teachers the opportunity to shadow a disabled student during the day to get a firsthand experience of living with a disability. Participant Dr. Ruth Phillips, director of Student Health, shadowed a student who has a speech impediment, a condition she also had as a child. Phillips said she saw the shadowing experience as a chance to do something that she couldn’t do a kid. “We were able to connect with the stigmas and bullying in being different,” Phillips said. Phillips asked the student, “Why try to fit in when you are meant to stand out?” Phillips said the student gave NCCU an “A+” on the

treatment and care he receives as a disabled student. “We talked about success, failure and life,” Phillips said, adding that she was “amazed” at his spoken word performance. “It was great — we were meant to be paired up,” Philips said. The week ended with the Eagle Advocate Award Luncheon, in which students nominated faculty members who showed the most understanding of disability issues. Karen Keaton-Jackson, director of the NCCU Writing Studio, received the Eagle Advocate Award. She was also the event’s featured speaker. “She communicates well with disability services and is always looking for ways to help,” said Cox, the organizer of Disability Week.

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New MSCM chair will “boldly go” Hall plans new concentrations, accreditation

Newly arrived mass communication chair Calvin Hall in his Farrison-Newton Communication office. KEYANDRA COTTON/Echo staff photographer

BY VICTOR GRUBBS ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Just before the fall semester began, N.C. Central University’s department of mass communication appointed a new department head. And, as indicated by the autographed Simpsons poster and numerous John Coltrane albums on the wall, he is not your ordinary white-collar worker. Calvin Hall is the mass communication department’s first permanent chair. He said the department is in a unique position. “The department is still new,” he said. “We’re not restricted by tradition or age. “We’re one of the newest mass communication departments in the world. We can try something new and boldly go where no department has gone before.” Star Trek pun aside, Hall said he had department additions in mind already, such as new concentrations and courses that change every four years or so. “I’m hoping to get our PR and strategic branding communication concentrations off the ground,” he said. “I’m also hoping to develop a concentration that focuses on narrative media such as narrative journalism, screenwriting, and documentaries.” The public relations concentration is slated to be available in the fall. Hall also hopes to strengthen the communication studies concentration, adding courses that will prepare students who wish to study communication

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from a theoretical perspective. “These concentrations will help us bring in more students and cover some areas of mass communication that have a growing interest,” Hall said. Mass communication started at NCCU as a few journalism courses in the English department. Associate professors Tom Evans and Bruce dePyssler developed the mass communication major in what was then called the department of English and mass communication in 2002. In 2012, mass communication became its own department, led by interim department chair Charmaine McKissickMelton, now an associate professor in the mass communication department. Hall said a major goal for the department is to establish accreditation for the department with the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Mass communication freshman Markeith Gentry said he’s excited about developments in the department. “They’ll give students more opportunities within the department and will help us prepare better for life after we graduate,” said Gentry. Hall grew up in Asheville. He earned his B.A. and master’s degrees at N.C. State University, concentrating in creative writing. Hall has extensive experience with student media. He taught English and journalism at Asheville High School for five years. At St. Augustine’s

College, he was student media adviser. And he taught at a summer journalism institute for the N.C. Scholastic Media Association. Hall was an adjunct professor of mass communication at NCCU from 19971998 and fall 2003 while he worked on his Ph.D. in mass communication from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill as a Roy H. Park Fellowship scholar. Prior to coming to NCCU, Hall was an associate professor and assistant chair in the department of mass communication at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. for 10 years. “The students here are really nice and polite and courteous,” said Hall. “The diversity here is visible and seems more organic.” When he finds free time, Hall said he like to write screenplays and collect comic books. He’s published several books, including “African American Journalists: Autobiography as Memoir and Manifesto,” a book based on his dissertation research, and an anthology of short fiction. “I think Dr. Hall was a great choice to be our department chair,” said Shauntae White, a mass communication associate professor who chaired the search committee the recommended Hall and along with two other candidates. “We’re at a critical time in our department. “I think we can benefit from some fresh blood to lead us forward.”

NCCU’s Catholic Campus Ministry invites Catholic Students, Staff and Friends to our Sunday Mass 5:30 pm Sunday, Oct. 26 Activity Center (the little church next to Eagle Landing) 1801 Fayetteville St., Durham

Bring Friends As You Come! For more information call us at 919.801.0428

Rev. Fr. Joseph Oji, C.S. Sp. NCCU Catholic Campus Ministry

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014

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Lewis plugs ‘March’ Book explores civil rights movement in comic book format

Phirst Sundays Fraternity holds monthly service “I think it’s a beautiful thing for students from all walks of life to come together and worship.” NORMAN JONES POLITICAL SCIENCE SENIOR

BY LEAH MONTGOMERY ECHO ASSISTANT EDITOR

Durham Mayor Bill Bell honors John Lewis with the keys to city at the Oct. 4 Durham Reads Together program. MELODY

BY MELODY BROWN-PEYTON ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Long time U.S. congressman and Civil Rights leader John Lewis had a warning for an audience of about 200 in N.C. Central University’s B.N. Duke Auditorium: “There are forces in America that want to take us back,” said Lewis, who represents Georgia’s 5th Congressional District. Lewis, who spoke on Oct. 4, was describing recent efforts in Republican-dominated states to pass restrictive voting laws that require voter IDs, limit early voting, and end Sunday voting. “It should be as easy to vote as it is to get a glass of water,” he said. Lewis also bemoaned how elections are increasingly influenced by big money and have become “auctions sold to the highest bidder.” Lewis, one of the key figures in the Civil Rights Movement, was at NCCU discussing his 128-page

BROWN-PEYTON/Echo

book “March – Book One” as part of Durham Reads Together, a program sponsored by the Durham County Library. “March – Book One,” cowritten with Andrew Aydin and illustrated by the artist Nate Powell, uses a comic book format to provide a personal account of Lewis’ life. Lewis said the idea behind the book is to inspire the next generation the same way that the 1958 comic book “Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story,” influenced his generation. The 1958 comic book tells the story of Rosa Parks and the non-violent Montgomery Bus Boycott. Kirkus Reviews describes “March – Book One,” the first of three proposed books, as "A powerful tale of courage and principle … told by a uniquely qualified eyewitness ... that comes through with vivid, inspiring clarity." The book details Lewis’ childhood as the son of a

Motivational and uplifting poetry to encourage you through the trials of life. Spoken words to inspire you to focus on tearing down the walls of low self-esteem and motivate you to fight for the star player ... “YOU.”

by NCCU psychology junior Silent Dugood Copies available in hardcover, softcover & e-book Available at Xlibris.com, B&N.com, & Amazon.com

staff photographer

sharecropper in rural Alabama, his first meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., his organizing efforts while at Fisk University. The book also details the lunch counter sit-ins in 1959 and 1960, his 1963 chairmanship of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, and his role as a founder and leader of the Freedom Riders. It pays special attention to the role of non-violence in the civil rights struggle. Lewis tells his life story elsewhere in non-comic book form in his 1998 autobiography “Walking with the Wind.” During the Civil Rights Movement Lewis was arrested 42 times for civil disobedience. He is a recipient of 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Courage Award for Lifetime Achievement from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. On March 7, 1965, a day now known as Bloody Sunday, Lewis was severely

clubbed on the head while crossing Alabama’s Edmund Pettus Bridge during the Selma-toMontgomery march. The marchers were turned back and Lewis was one of 17 blacks hospitalized because of his injuries. Two weeks later marchers led by Martin Luther King, Jr. successfully crossed the bridge and entered Montgomery. On March 7, 2005, 10,000 people commemorated the 40th reunion of Bloody Sunday. “President Johnson signed the act, but it was written by the people of Selma,” said Lewis referring to the 1965 Voting Rights Act during a speech at the reunion. Mayor Bill Bell presented Congressmen John Lewis with keys to the city at the Durham Reads Together event. Lewis was last on campus in 2011 to deliver that spring’s commencement address.

NCCU College of Arts and Sciences “The PRIORITY is Student Success” Carlton E. Wilson, Dean • Army ROTC – Military Science • Aerospace Studies • Art • Biology • Chemistry • CREST/NASA Centers • Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences • History • Language & Literature • Mass Communication • Mathematics & Physics • Music • NC-Health Careers Access Program • Pharmaceutical Sciences • Theatre/Dance

Students stood in the lobby of the N.C. Central University Student Union with their hands raised to the sky as they sang along with the Voices of Vision worship team on Sunday. It was the second “Phirst Sundays” service held by the brothers of the Gamma Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. The event was spearheaded by psychology senior Cameron Simms. “I want to make sure that I have created an atmosphere for students on our campus to come and experience authentic worship and dynamic teachings,” said Simms. Sunday’s guest minister was William Branch, 43, from Philadelphia, PA. Branch attended Philadelphia Bible College and Lancaster Bible College to obtain a B.A. in theology. He went on to get his Masters from Dallas Theological School. Branch said he was raised by a God-fearing father, met the Lord at 4years-old and ran away at 13 due to his father’s militant discipline. “I went to live with my secular relatives and began living a different life,” said Branch. Branch gave his testimony of partying, smoking weed and hanging out with the wrong crowd. “I graduated and realized I was going nowhere—I had no plan,” said Branch. That’s when he called his father, returned home and joined the conscious hiphop movement of the 70s and 80s. “There were very few people on like us on the scene who combined raw hip-hop and theology together,” said Branch. Branch said it wasn’t until God started using his own lyrics against him that he began feeling the tug to “come back to Christ.”

“During that journey, my passion for using hip-hop to spread news about Christ led to my formation of Cross Movement,” said Branch. Cross Movement was a collection of MCs that had a theological edge. The group helped Branch produce six group albums and four solo albums from the mid-90s to present. Branch is now working on a PhD in theology at SE Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest. While working on a paper, he came across a passage from the book of James that discussed being “hearers and doers of the word” –the basis for Sunday’s sermon. “We often hear the lesson but we need to put it to practice and let our actions show it,” said political science senior Norman Jones. Branch used real-life examples and incorporated celebrities such as Aaliyah and Biggie Smalls into his sermon to keep the crowd interested. “The people that were there were engaging with the minister and really took his message in,” said NCCU alumnus William Anyu. The fraternity seeks to provide a place where students can easily and comfortably worship. “We want to be a resource for students who want to worship but don’t have the transportation,” said Jones. “I think it’s a beautiful thing for students from all walks of life to come together and worship.” Simms said that in moving forward he plans on taking Phirst Sundays to the next level. “I plan on getting a bigger venue, better sound equipment, flyers, food, and more prominent speakers and worship artists in the RDU area,” said Simms. “In anything that I put my hands on, I want it to be excellent and I have no intentions of making Phirst Sundays anything less than that.”

Health Careers Center 40th Anniversary Find out more about the opportunities we offer. Our special programs include the Boston University Early Medical School Selection Program, the NCCU Pre-Dental Program and the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine 3+4 Program, and more N.C. Central University

For more than 40 years NCCU’s Health Careers Center staff has been developing pre-health professional students into viable candidates for health and medical careers by providing: • Advocacy • Counseling • Enrichment Activities • Health Career Network Access • Health Career Recruitment • Information • Internships & Shadowing Experiences • Standardized Test Prep Workshops • Contact us for more information 919.530.7128 1242 Mary Townes Science Complex Durham, NC 27707 Alfreda D. Evans, Student Services Specialist

For more information call 919.530.6798

Kaye Thompson-Rogers, Ph.D., Director

Beyond NCCU

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014

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CZAR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Facing relentless criticism from Republicans and pleas from Democrats locked in tight election races, White House officials even said they were considering proposals they have previously deemed an overreaction, including the possibility of imposing travel restrictions between the U.S. and the countries in West Africa where the Ebola outbreak is widespread. Administration officials said they wouldn’t rule out a ban on travel, despite their insistence a day before that such a move might inspire sick travelers to try to evade screening. “The guiding principle will always be what’s in the best interest of the American people and their health and welfare and safety,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. The shift in rhetoric came as the fear of infection spread, much more quickly than the threat of exposure to the deadly virus. Spurring concern were fresh reports of possible Ebola exposure among tourists. Carnival Cruise Lines announced that it had confined a cruise ship passenger who is a lab supervisor at the Dallas hospital that treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian who died from Ebola this month at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. And the Department of Defense said it shut down part of the Pentagon just outside Washington after a tourist who said she had recently visited Africa was found vomiting in a parking lot. Pentagon police cordoned off a large section of the lot, including the bus the tourist had traveled on, and called paramedics, who responded in hazardous materials gear. The woman turned out not to have Ebola, local health authorities said. As of Friday, roughly 1,000 people were being watched for symptoms, asked to monitor themselves or urged to check with a counselor at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. None has exhibited symptoms. The group includes some who have been ordered into quarantine, a larger group that is being closely

Liberian student nurse Fatu Kekula saved her father’ life in this makeshift isolation ward in a spare unfinished room at home, using nothing more than raincoats and boots, plastic bags, gloves and masks. ROBYN DIXON/Los Angeles Timse (MCT)

watched with temperatures taken at least daily, and a much larger group who may have flown on a Frontier Airlines jetliner that carried Amber Vinson, one of two nurses who contracted Ebola after closely caring for Duncan. Also Friday, Texas health officials asked 75 health care workers who were exposed to Duncan, the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S., to sign a document that outlines new restrictions on their travel and movement. The restrictions, which come after Vinson’s air travel, include staying off all public transportation and staying out of public spaces for 21 days from their last contact with Duncan. They also must monitor their conditions. Vinson is being cared for at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Meanwhile, Nina Pham, the first nurse who was infected with Ebola

after caring for Duncan, was in fair condition, “stable and resting comfortably” and receiving intensive care in an isolation ward at the National Institutes of Health near Washington, officials said Friday. “We will have her here until she is well and clear of the virus,” said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. She was sitting up, eating and interacting with the staff, Fauci said. The fear of Ebola has spread from California to Connecticut, with false alarms across the country. And Friday’s news about the cruise ship only further fueled anxiety, something the Obama administration has tried to put to rest. For weeks, the White House spoke of the unlikelihood of a widespread outbreak in the U.S., partly in an effort to keep public panic at bay. But after Duncan traveled to

Dallas and a series of failures in his care came to light, Obama was pressed to take more dramatic action. On Friday, the president called on Klain, naming him Ebola response coordinator and clearing a path for him to begin work. As a longtime Democratic political operative, Klain is trusted within the White House as a political crisis manager and administrator with experience coordinating government bureaucracy. Included in his resume is a stint as Vice President Al Gore’s top legal advisor during the 2000 election recount. Fears of an Ebola outbreak are roiling the midterm congressional campaigns, putting candidates in a reactive mode at a time they had hoped to deliver their closing pitches. An ABC News/Washington Post poll this month found the economy

was still the leading issue voters said would determine their vote for Congress. But the same survey found that nearly two-thirds of Americans were concerned about the possibility of an Ebola epidemic in the United States. Republicans are also calling for a travel ban and criticizing Obama for not imposing one. “The White House thinks it’s news that the president is canceling political events to focus on this. I think our voters are scratching their heads and saying, ‘What took them so long?’” said Rob Collins, executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Sen. Kay Hagan, a North Carolina Democrat in a tough race, embraced the idea of a travel ban at the end of this week after previously brushing off the idea. At a House hearing Thursday, one lawmaker said Congress might take up the question of a travel ban after the election if the Obama administration does not institute one on its own. “People are asking that we do that, and they are exactly correct to make that request,” said Rep. Michael C. Burgess, R-Texas, who represents a district that includes Dallas’ northwest suburbs. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the House’s third-ranking Republican, said Obama didn’t need a vote to take action. “He loves bragging about the things he can do with a pen and a phone,” said Scalise, the majority whip. “He can approve a travel ban today.” Earnest dismissed the Republican critiques as mere politics. “Three weeks before election day,” he said, “Republicans are seeking to score political points. Stop the presses!” Parsons and Hennessey of the Tribune Washington Bureau reported from Washington and Mohan of the Los Angeles Times from Dallas. Tribune Washington Bureau staff writer Michael A. Memoli in Washington and Times staff writer Michael Muskal in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE WE

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Photos and story by Keyandra Cotton

N.C. Central University student, Blake Morgan, takes an off-campus break at Java @ VSOP.

Java @ VSOP’s owner Mina Forte. The coffee shop next to the Farrison-Newton Communication Building opened on Oct. 4.

t’s been a long, long time coming say some N.C. Central University faculty, staff and students who have long wondered where they could get away from campus for a cup of java, a pastry, and some down time. “I’ve always wanted a coffee shop near

campus since I came here in 2003,” said Lisa Carl, an English and Mass Communication associate professor. “Now they finally have one.” Java @ VSOP, located at the corner of Fayetteville and Dupree streets, is the brainchild of Paulette Thorpe, Minnie

Forte and her daughter Mina. Minnie taught as an NCCU English instructor for 35 years. Mina graduated with a master’s degree from the School of Education and started the VSOP hair saloon in 1998. Java @ VSOP serves Starbucks products,

locally made desserts, and what the owner’s call the best smoothie ever (from a secret recipe) made from high-quality fresh ingredients. Minnie explains that the purpose of the new coffee shop “is to create an enjoyable experience.” Java @ VSOP is open 8

a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and 1-6 p.m. Sundays. NCCU mass communication professor Shauntae Brown White will be signing her book “Communication Matters - 31 Days of Speaking Life in Your Relationships” at Java @ VSOP on Oct. 29 from 6-8 p.m.

Java @ VSOP serves up Starbucks coffee and pastries.

Former N.C. Central University English instructor Minnie Forte with her daughter Mina behind the Java @ VSOP counter.

Java customers share a laugh and a cup of coffee at Java @ VSOP.

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014

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A&E

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014

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Chapel Hill opens 80s haven A new Franklin Street bar offers retro entertainment for gamers and bar hoppers

LELIA

H ASHEMI

ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Pac Man, Mortal Combat, Centipede, and many other classic games are what you will find at Chapel Hill’s newest edition, The Baxter. The bar-arcade takes gaming to another level featuring over 40 original arcade games and pinball machines. The four Tarheels and longtime gamers: Danny Miller, Joe Miller, Alex Joustra, and Nick Stroud, came together to recreate the arcade atmosphere with an adult twist. “These are the original games,” said Danny. “You can see the scars of a forgotten cigarette that sat on the side of the machine, and the worn spot on the side where your friend stood watching feverishly until it was Game Over scrolled across the screen.” Every game at Baxter’s Barricade is an original, no multicades here. “We see ourselves as being a laid back, nerd bar,” describes Joustra. Breaking open piggy banks and begging parents for an advance on next week’s allowance, gamers would do whatever it took to get in one last play. “When I did well in school, or got good marks on my report card, my dad would reward me by taking me to the arcade every weekend,” said Stroud. The journey was not easy for the four friends. All of the guys agreed that game hunting was one of the most fun but challenging parts of opening the

bar. “One of the games that was the physically hardest to get was Sega Turbo,” describes Joustra. “It was tucked away in this guy’s basement, we had to squeeze it through a tiny door, go under a porch, then straight up a narrow flight of stairs. It can get kind of awkward trying to move these things around in tight spaces.” The bar has a lot of personal touches from each of the guy’s collections. It also features a square wrap-around bar top complete with over 3,000 cut outs from comics and magazines. “It took me over 77 hours to place the artwork, not including the time it took me to cut out each individual piece,” said Miller. Over the bar is a showcase of the guy’s toys and memorabilia collected over the years, including NES games and even an official “walker” (aka zombie) head from AMC’s The Walking Dead. “The Baxter offers you an opportunity that you can’t find at most local bars,” described Miller. “You have something to do. You can actually talk to your friends or spark up a conversation from iconic memorabilia, comic books and video games.” In a time where most bars are filled with loud music and sticky floors, The Baxter is truly a place to have an experience and spend quality time with friends. Opening night is Oct. 24.

The Baxter’s Barricade features over 40 original gaming sytems. LEILA HASHEMI/Echo staff reporter

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A Hillside homecoming Actress April Parker Jones returns to inspire theatre students “Acting was a way I could express my creativity, it was my freedom,” said Jones. “Growing up I went through a lot and it was my way of letting those emotions out.” APRIL PARKER JONES ACTRESS

April Parker Jones, accompanied by her husband Jay Jones, gives students her personal account. BERNATTA

BY A LEXANDRIA

GLENN

ECHO A&E EDITOR

Durham native April Parker Jones came back to

PLAMER/Echo staff photographer

shed light on the students of Hillside High School who wish to pursue a career in acting.

Jones is currently on the cast of Tyler Perry’s “If Loving You is Wrong” which airs Tuesday nights

on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN. She also cast a role in “Jericho” and has acted in other popular shows such as CSI, The Fosters, Lost, Scandal, ER, and 90210. Jones graduated from Hillside and returned to Durham for her 20th class reunion. She arrived at the school and made her way to the auditorium where she was greeted by the applause of the students in the theater department. April took the stage and began talking to the students about her journey to where she is today. She said it was not an easy one but she made it. Parker started acting at 5-years-old. “Acting was a way I could express my creativity, it was my freedom,” said Jones. “Growing up I went through a lot and it was my way of letting those emotions out.” In her youth, Jones was very active in theatric productions and informed students that if acting is something they want to do professionally they need to practice. She also said that aside from being on stage, they must also learn to direct, conduct lights, design and produce.

“Quite frankly the real power is behind the camera” said Jones. She talked about her experiences acting in schools plays at Hillside. The most memorable one for her was “Dream Girls,” in which she played Lorel. After graduating from Hillside, Jones went on to N.C. Central University where she completed two years studying theatre. Jones said her professor at the time Dr. Karen Dacons-Brock was a huge reason she followed her dreams. “She said something on the lines of ‘you got this’ and little did she know those words propelled my next discussion which was to move to New York,” said Jones. After being in New York for a few years Jones got pregnant and moved back home to regroup. “Life happens but that doesn’t mean you have to steer off of the goals and the dreams that you have,” she said. Eight years later Jones met her husband Jay Jones. They moved to LA for 10 years where she gained experience in television. Jones explained that is was not an over night suc-

cess. “You gotta keep people around you who will inspire you and who will believe in you more than you believe in yourself ” said Jones. Moving forward with her career, Jones tried out for Tylers Perry’s “If Loving You is Wrong”. After her audition r Perry told Jones “that was really good April, but the moment you walked in I knew you weren’t her.” Two weeks later she got a call from Perry asking her to come back and audition for the part again. After her audition he said “you are her.” April felt honored to win the role but most importantly she was proud that she won it by being herself. Jones shared that story with the students to encourage them to be themselves. “Even in the characters that you play, always bring yourself into that character because no one can duplicate you and I was me in that audition. “ Keisha Thomas, a sophomore at Hillside, said she was truly inspired by April’s visit. “She pushed forward and her story encouraged me to push forward too,”

Junkies get their fix BY

ALEXANDRIA GLENN ECHO A&E EDITOR

Textiles and apparel junior Taylor Freeman and mass communication sophomore Romeo Lacewell have taken on the task of starting an on-campus thrift store. “Everyone kept coming up to me and complimenting my shirts and clothes,” said Lacewell. “They always ask where I got them, which gave me the idea to start selling the clothes out of my closet.” But when he realized that wouldn’t work, he contacted Freeman, a good friend of his and fellow thrifter, and asked her if she wanted to get involved in starting up a thrift store on campus. Freeman immediately accepted his offer and right away started brainstorming different ways they could transform this idea into a reality. “Our main idea was to have something that would be affordable for college students and accessible,” said Freeman.”We also wanted the consumer to be a part of something by being able to model for us.” In mid-July, Freeman posted a comment on Instagram asking students about their thoughts on N.C. Central University having a thrift store and if so what kind of clothing would they be interested in buying. “I got a lot of positive feedback and support, and that motivated Romeo and I to start right away,” said Freeman. A week or two later, they began gathering men’s and women’s clothes from closets and other consignment shops that mimicked a 80s and 90s retro feel. Once they had enough clothes to work with they began planning a photo shoot. They scouted students who they were interested in to model their clothes

Brittany Jackson poses for a picture in her newly thrifted clothes. Photo courtesy of Romeo Lacewell

and held a photo shoot on campus. Freeman and Lacewell named their online store “Thrift Junkies” and created an Instagram page using the pictures from the shoot to start selling their items. Mass communication junior Javier Lopez was one of the models who participated in the shoot. “I love the idea of thrift junkies and it pushes the same type of fashion and feel that I wear on the

daily,” stated Lopez. Thrift Junkies was invited to be a vendor at the event “I’m So Fancy” held in the Alfonso Elder Student Union where they sold items to students at the event. “Right now we are just selling items off of the Instagram page to get our name out there and to build our brand,” said Lacewell. “But we do have hopes of eventually getting a shop up and running.”

Sports

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014

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Eagles stack up on stats Eagles’ high-power offense produces, defense reduces BY

AVERY YOUNG

ECHO SPORTS EDITOR

In the first half of the college football season, N.C. Central University’s football team has a record of 3 wins and 4 losses. Two wins and a loss came from within the MidEastern Athletic Conference. However, the Eagles’ record may not reflect this but they have had great moments through the first 7 games of the 2014-2015 season. And head coach Jerry Mack is satisfied with what the team has produced on the gridiron. “We are a strong C and we are making strides to be a great B,” Mack said. “We are doing great things on offense, defense and special teams,” he said. NCCU is ranked No. 1 in total offense in the MEAC with 1,084 rushing yards and 1,576 passing yards. They average out to 380 yards per game and rack up 26.1 points per game. The offense is led by redshirt sophomore Malcolm Bell, who jumped into the role in the middle of the third game versus UNC-Charlotte. “I came in and provided a spark for the team. Coach believed in both of us but at that moment it was my time to come in,” he said. He is now being recognized within the MEAC as a

Coach Jerry Mack leads the Eagles football team out of the tunnel before the home game against Howard University, Oct. 4. MARKELL PITCHFORD/Echo staff photographer

feared quarterback. Although the passing attack for NCCU is flourishing, the running game produces just as much attention. The running game is led by senior Andre Clarke,

with 9 total touchdowns and 470 yards on the season. Alongside Clarke are two juniors, Deyonta Wright and Idreis Augustus, who have tallied up 288 yards and a touchdown each.

Clarke said, “We have been very successful. “Whenever our numbers get called, we make plays and produce as a collective unit for the team.” Bell is second in rushing on the team but he admits

how critical the running backs are to the offense. “It makes the passing game easier because the linebackers are closer to the line trying to stop the run,” he said. What has really caught

the eye of most from the football team is the defense. The defense is ranked second in opponents, converting third downs with 26.7 percent, with 6 interceptions and 8 forced fumbles. Mack said, “I think our defense is doing a great job getting people off the field on third down situations. “Also, we do a good job of limiting teams and causing turnovers.” The team is led by senior C.J. Moore, who seems to always find his way to the ball with his defensive instinct. Moore said, “As a defense, we are coached up to play with a lot of effort, energy and 11 hats to the ball in order to create a lot of turnovers, tackles for losses and sacks.” But of course every head coach notices flaws that need to be fixed and Mack believes that they will be easy to overcome. “We have extremely way too many penalties right now in our league. And in order to compete in the MEAC championship [which we have our eyes on], we must limit those penalties,” he said. The football team is preparing to take on Savannah State this Saturday, Oct. 25 in the O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium at 2 p.m.

Bell’s performance has MEAC ringing Redshirt sophomore makes noise within the conference “I was really impressed with Malcolm; he did an extremely good job of managing the game and made some big plays when he had to...” JERRY MACK HEAD COACH BY

LYNDON B ASS

ECHO SPORTS REPORTER

After taking over the starting quarterback position in week three of the season, Malcolm Bell has raised many eyebrows in the MidEastern Athletic Conference and the N.C. Central University community. The redshirt sophomore from Richmond, Va. has been awarded “Player of the Week” by the MEAC. The 6-foot-1-inch, 190pound quarterback took over the position and is currently tied for first in the conference with 6 passing touchdowns so far this season, and third in conference in pass efficiency, which is 135. In the three games Bell has started in he has completed 63.1 percent of his passes with only two interceptions. He has also recorded 1,031 passing yards and 321 rushing yards

N.C. CENTRAL UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL TEAM

on the field. The MEAC wasn’t the only audience satisfied with Bell’s progress. “I was really impressed with Malcolm; he did an extremely good job of managing the game and made some big plays when he had to,” said coach Jerry Mack in the post-game interview against Howard University on Oct. 4. “He has cleaned up some of the critical errors in the previous game and he was able to learn from it and put himself in a position to help us win the football game,” Mack said. Bell said that he and Mack “have been cool since day one and there’s never been any tension” between them. Bell also considered himself a mobile quarterback, with the ability to extend plays with his legs and still be an efficient passer. He displayed those abilities when he started as

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quarterback mid-way through the game against the 49ers of UNC Charlotte on Sept. 13. Bell threw two touchdowns and drove down the field, putting the running backs in a great position to score. He then set his teammates up to score yet another two touchdowns late in the fourth. His skills provided the team with a spark that fueled a 28-unanswered fourth quarter in a game that was a blowout within the first three quarters. “We had nothing to lose at that time, so I had to come out and provide a spark for the team; I went out and executed the plays coach had in line for us,” Bell said. “I just want to manage the game, have more wins than losses, and I want to be one of the best to do it here at NCCU and win the ring.” Winning “Player of the

NCCU Quarterback Malcolm Bell drops back for a pass against the Howard Bisons’ defense. MARKELL PITCHFORD/Echo staff photographer

Week” in the MEAC conference was a minor achievement for him. “I feel good about the award but it’s just one game, so hopefully if I go

out and do what I’m supposed to do, then I should get it every week,” said Bell. “I’m just blessed to have it and I’m working towards more.”

Bell also said he is hoping the campus is ready for some wins and the team is going to do it big for the school, bringing nothing but success.

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Opinions

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014

#EverybodyEverybody E

verybody wants be a thug! Everybody wants to be from the hood! Everybody wants to be Instagram famous! Everybody wants to rap the lyrics to Lil’ Boosie, Future, Migos, and Rich Homie Quan! But not everybody has to have professional attire! Not everybody makes a difference in the community! Not everybody put all his or her Melquan might into voting and encouraging Ganzy, Opinions others to vote! Not everybody Editor understands black history or knows the reason for urban society’s existence! And not everybody realizes how we’re allowing other people to coerce us into believing that it’s OK to settle for less, to neglect our youth, to discriminate against people within our race, to use the N-word. Time waits for no man and it’s time for young black people to wake up and understand our

Time waits for no man, and it’s time for young black people to wake up and understand our worth.

worth. We may be unable to control our destinies, but better understanding our pasts will steer us to a clearer understanding of life’s trials. To understand our past does not mean to obsess about the struggles that have hindered our progress: slavery, Jim Crow laws, and the assassinations of our leaders. Let’s look at Durham’s past, for example. Black Wall Street was once the heartbeat of Durham. It was dominated by black-owned businesses, such as N.C. Mutual Life, the nation’s oldest and largest black-owned insurance company. In the face of segregation and discrimination, blacks made their businesses and built their homes. Black leaders W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington visited Black Wall Street, glorifying

the success of Durham’s black businesses and society. Jim Crow didn’t stop Durham’s black business owners. Black people have become too comfortable. We settle for less than we deserve. After the Great Depression, the government began welfare programs to help the poor. These programs still exist, but there’s a big difference. Today, there are more opportunities to reach one’s potential, yet some black people still depend on government welfare. Sometimes I feel we’ve lost our souls. We fail to guide our youth. Black culture has been divided by negative labels. Some blacks believe they’re better than the next because of their income and social status. Unfortunately, we cannot live forever, so we should be living

to be forever remembered. We denigrate both ourselves and other black people every time we use the word “nigger.” The power of the tongue is real. If we continue to speak ignorantly about on our people, there will be no change. We must learn more about the positive aspects of our culture. In school, we’ve only learned what teachers wanted us to know. You wouldn’t know it until you dig deeper black history that we are capable of succeeding in anything. There’s more to the stereotypical caged “black beast” than what’s on the label at the zoo. Republicans may support individuals being independent, but I believe that the government has coerced us into believing that we are dumb, talentless, weak and violent. We have to become powerful men and women in black rather than orange. We will build lifetime achievements, courage and knowledge. We are a dominant force.

Stay engaged, speak now I

t’s almost that time of the year again—election day. This year it will be on Nov. 4, but I am pretty sure that hardly any young people, specifically here at N.C Central University, are aware of that. Furthermore, I doubt that they plan on casting votes. Amanda It's no secret that our generation Holmes does not really participate in voting. In 2012, 57 percent of people between the ages of 18-29 voted, while 72 percent of people age 30 and up voted. Unfortunately, the number of voters dwindled not only for young blacks but for black people in general. Still, I hear a lot of my fellow classmates say, “our current tax policies are not fair,” “the prices in the store keep rising, yet we seem to keep getting paid less,” and “my vote won't count anyway.” Yes, it can certainly seem like nothing ever changes. After all, there has been an increase of bills, such as the

Ultimately, as free adult citizens we’re obligated to utilize our voices. Our ancestors fought hard for our rights to express ourselves and to be heard.

UNC system tax increase, that may seem to squeeze every dime out of our pockets that will affect us. But if one investigates carefully, why aren't things changing? The truth is that older, wealthier people are voting in large amounts, and they vote for candidates that align with their priorities. So what happens as a result? Thanks to the tax reform package and the Voter Information Verification Act, we’re getting taxed on our meal plans and the C-store, which depletes our flex dollars at faster rates. We must start showing our state identification cards to vote, and in 2016, we won’t be able to use student IDs or vote on campus. These laws have certainly made a negative impact. How can we expect things to change when we do nothing to push for

change? We cannot continue to believe our votes do not count when we aren’t voting in large amounts. Obviously, 10 people voting for a particular candidate will not win. However, if 2,000 people vote then there’s a possibility of a win. Success comes with numbers. The only way that the people who will lead this state, and even country, down the right path will be elected is if we all vote for them. The only way a person of our choice will lead our state, and country, onto a righteous path if we all vote. In 2008, people assembled aspiring to elect President Barack Obama into the White House, and he won the presidential election because people voted. It’s ironic that black people sometimes say that their vote doesn’t count. It did count because if they (and other

minorities) didn’t vote, Obama would have never been elected. “Our vote doesn't count”, is a persuasion, encouraging people not to vote. Although this idea is slowly evaporating, voting rates could still use a tremendous increase. Nov. 4 brings with it elections for state senators and representatives. Those are the people who will have the largest effect on our lives. They will decide the cost for college tuition, prices of concert tickets, whether early voting will last 17 days or 10 days. They also determine how much taxes will be taken out of our checks. Yes, politicians make promises they can’t keep, that is nothing new. But it’s no excuse to not exercise our right to vote. Ultimately, as free adult citizens we’re obligated to utilize our voices. Our ancestors fought hard for our rights to express ourselves and to be heard. We must value our rights and actively search for candidates who will work for the betterment of our states and our nation. Go out and vote!

Illustration by Krystal Porter

Sound Off Why are black people unaware of laws that prohibit us from voting?

“People aren’t engaged in learning opportunities. People are more focused on social status and trends.” — Shambre Tillman, Senior

“Messages aren’t targeted for blacks. A lot of our youth doesn’t do research because people don’t understand the importance of voting.” —Nia Sutton, Senior

“We don’t take the time to educate ourselves. No one watches the news to stay aware, because the news doesn’t specifically inform blacks.” — Alfena McDonald, Senior Sound Off by Melquan Ganzy

N ORTH C AROLINA C ENTRAL U NIVERSITY

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