print_edition_february_3_2010 by N.C. Central University Campus Echo

FEBUARY 3, 2010

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VOLUME 101, ISSUE 8 919 530 7116/CAMPUSECHO@NCCU.EDU WWW.CAMPUSECHO.COM

1801 FAYETTEVILLE STREET DURHAM, NC 27707

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Sports

Opinions

Life in the World

Is Corinne Bailey Rae the black Norah Jones? Read about her lastest CD, “The Sea”

Athletes grind in the classroom, on field and the courts

Chris Hess is worried that swag has destroyed hip hop

Brandi Joy Myers loves her church. Have faith in God is the word for 2010

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Campus Echo Put out

Students petition assembly UNC System students ask General Assembly to keep tuition funds on campus BY AMARACHI ANAKARAONYE ECHO STAFF REPORTER

If the N.C. General Assembly gets its way, the money raised from next fall’s systemwide tuition

increase will not end up at UNC campuses. It will end up instead in North Carolina’s general fund. And that’s got students from all 16 UNC universities up in arms.

Since the late 1990s, North Carolina’s public universities have both proposed and spent their own tuition increases. “All of this money is going back to the state,” said Dwayne Johnson, NCCU’s

SGA president. “I think it needs to come back to the University. Who’s to say that that money is going to be used by the universities once it goes to the state? At least if it goes to the

schools, we can see the direct benefit.” Last year North Carolina’s general assembly mandated an 8 percent tuition increase at the state’s 16 universities to

Juniors, seniors scramble for offcampus housing BY TOMMIA HAYES

n See PETITION Page 2

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW I DURHAM’S WINTER WONDERLAND

Classes started late Monday and Tuesday after 6-7 inches of snow blanketed Durham Friday. Forecasts predict rain and snow for later this week.

ECHO STAFF REPORTER

For most juniors and seniors the bad news is just now beginning to sink in. It arrived in an October 29 memo from Jennifer Wilder, N.C. Central University’s director of Residential Life. It was titled: “2010-2011 Housing Outlook – Letter to Students and Family Members.” The memo stated that if you’re a junior or senior, and if you’re not a student athlete or in one of the University’s learning communities, such as the honors program, then you’ll need to find housing somewhere off campus. Housing has been a longstanding problem at NCCU. The demand for rooms has for many years not been met. In 2006 1,771 upperclassmen entered a lottery for an available 1,692 housing slots. Today, with increasing enrollment, the shortage is even worse. According to Jennifer Wilder, director of Residential Life, about 8,500 students are enrolled at NCCU, which has only 2,300 beds. Or as she put it in an e-mail, “We are currently at .27 beds per student.” The picture isn’t pretty: Thousands of NCCU juniors

MIKE DEWEESE-FRANK/Allentown Morning Echo staff photographer

n See HOUSING Page 2

Debt, 54 years later, an Echo editor reflects degree, Shirley Temple James-Holliday pushed students, faculty to take activist stance jobs BY CARLTON KOONCE ECHO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BY MARA ROSE WILLIAMS MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS (MCT)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Being “upside-down” means owing more on your house or car than it’s worth. Right now, Patricia Summers is upside-down on her college degree. She still owes $18,000 on loans taken to get her degree in advertising from the University of Missouri. Her college time will end up costing more than $50,000, not counting what she could have earned from a full-time job had she not gone to college. But that job probably would have been a dead-end, low-paying service job, advocates of higher education

n See DEGREE Page 5

The 1950s were a dynamic time on the campus of North Carolina College at Durham. As a center of learning for colored people throughout the South, the College a Centennial News attracted variety of students who would go on to become future educators and community activists. Shirley Temple JamesHolliday, the 1956 editor of the Campus Echo newspaper, recently dusted off her memories of Chuck Berry, B. B. King and Billie Holiday to share with present-day Eagles. Holliday remembers N. C.

Central University legends such as Sam Jones who played for the Boston Celtics, Tex Harrison who played for the Harlem Globetrotters, and actors Robert Cheek and Ivan Dixon. She also remembers learning to swim in the pool at the old women’s gymnasium, located in what is now the Student Services building. “We still had mandatory vespers [church sermons] on Sundays and had to sit in assigned seats in B. N. Duke Auditorium,” said Holliday. Holliday said the services were stopped because they eventually ran out of seats. “I didn’t have time to watch TV because I was in charge of the student United Way on campus and I would go on TV to talk about money we had raised. It wasn’t

much,” she said. “We paid $546 for room, board and everything. The Echo was in the library on the first floor back then, before they built the porch. We had two desks and two typewriters, one for the advisor and one for the editor.” The year that Holliday was editor, the Campus Echo won an “Excellent” rating from the Associated Collegiate Press. She also was the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority representative to the Pan-Hellenic Council and a member of the National Social Science Honor Society, Pi Gamma Mu. “I had to set type and I had to get special permission from the dean of women,

n See EDITOR Page 3

Shirley Temple James-Holliday edited the Campus Echo in 1956. JES’NEKA JONES/Echo staff photographer

Campus to host its own ‘Biggest Loser’ BY ASHLEY GRIFFIN ECHO ASSISTANT EDITOR

Some 66 percent of all Americans are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of this percentage, African Americans take the lead. According to the U.S. Office of Minority Health’s latest report, African Americans were 50 percent

less likely to engage in physical activities than nonHispanic whites in 2007. A National College Health Assessment study conducted during the 20082009 academic year found that NCCU student overweight and obesity rates were 41 percent. “After doing the fitness assessment test, nearly 60 percent of my students had a BMI [body mass index] over

25, which classifies them as being either overweight or obese,” said Erica Dixon,

NCCU’s director of Campus Recreation and Wellness. Such statistics inspired Dixon’s office, Sodexo, and the Division of Student Affairs to initiatate an eightweek contest: “NCCU’s Greatest Loser Weight Loss Challenge.” Sodexo is the University’s food service provider. The winning team will be awarded $1,000. The inspiration for this

program comes from the popular television show, “The Biggest Loser.” The selection of 50 students — 10 teams of five members — runs from Feb. 8 through Feb. 14. Teams will be assigned by contest coordinators based on application information. Appplications for the contest are now available in Pearson Cafeteria, Walker

n See BIGGEST Page 3

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2010

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Clinic protects vets

HOUSING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

NCCU prof, students advocate for N.C. veterans BY WHITNEY CAPERS ECHO STAFF REPORTER

When we think of military men and women we think of brave people who risk it all to protect us. But who protects our veterans? The University’s Veterans Law Clinic. Craig Kabatchnick, director of the Veterans Law Clinic and former senior appellate attorney for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and his law students work to help veterans with claims. “NCCU is one of the first schools to form a clinic and we want to help vets,” said Kabatchnick. Kabatchnick argued the earliest cases in which vets sued and appealed decisions. These cases became the foundations of veteran’s law. “Veterans used to not be represented by attorneys,” Kabatchnick said. “There were no checks and balances.” Kabatchnick started the Veterans Law Program in late 2006 after years of arguing that law firms should get lawyers to do pro bono work for veterans. Classes began in January 2007. Kabatchnick teaches Veterans Law I and Veterans Law II, and oversees student volunteers working on veterans’ claims. “Vet Law I is an overview of all the details involved in the process and includes exams,” said Kabatchnick. “They learn from the initial filing to the judicial review how to strengthen claims and what to do when records are absent.”

Craig Kabatchnick oversees the University’s Veterans Law Program. Kabatchnick said at first the classes were small but quickly filled. In Veterans Law II students work on actual cases that come to them after being reviewed by Kabatchnick. Kabatchnick said many of the cases come from Congressional referrals. “In Vet Law II they learn how to do cases. They learn how to handle a winning case and how to handle a losing case,” said Kabatchnick. The Center is currently handling 40 to 50 cases for veterans across the state; more than 30 veterans are on the Center’s waiting list. “We will jump in a case at any time and take it back to the regional level if necessary.” Kabatchnick and his students have completed about 20 cases so far. The clinic works with

Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as well as Vietnam vets in the claims process. They also represent vets with mental health and drug or alcohol abuse issues. Kabatchnick said some graduates are starting their own firms while others go to the Navy or the Army with what they learn about veteran advocacy in the courses. Kabatchnick, a native of Washington, D.C., received his Bachelor of Science degree in political science from the University of Scranton in 1979 and his Juris Doctorate from George Washington University School of Law in 1982. Following graduation he joined his father, Neil B. Kabatchnick, a nationally recognized expert in administrative military personnel matters, in his law practice, creating the military personnel and veterans’ affair law firm Kabatchnick & Kabatchnick. Kabatchnick has published four articles and has a new article, “Traumatic Brain Injuries on Elderly, Minority and Female Veterans,” coming out this month. He said he could not enter the military because of an eye problem. Kabatchnick said he has been contacted by George Washington University and UC-Davis about help with their own veteran law clinics. “I love being a teacher. I think we’re doing a lot and I’m proud,” said Kabatchnick. “We’re changing people’s lives.”

PETITION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 help solve the state’s budget deficit, which is hovering at $2 billion for fiscal year 2010. In response to the General Assembly’s decision, the UNC Association of Student Governments wants to collect at least 30,000 signatures. As of Feb. 1 more than 1,400 N.C. Central University students have signed a SGAled drive to protest the General Assembly’s plan to return tuition increases to the state. According to Johnson, students from the SGA executive board and the student senate fanned out across the University to collect signatures. “It makes me feel proud,” said Johnson of their work. “That’s our job ... to advocate.” Johnson said that more than 650 signatures alone were collected on the Jan. 20 “Chicken Wednesday” at W.G. Pearson Cafeteria. “Every university in the UNC system is working hard to get these tuition petitions

signed, so I know that we have a great chance,” he said. While the General Assembly plan would return all of the proposed 8 percent tuition increase to state coffers, UNC President Erskine Bowles and UNC officials want smaller tuition increases that will stay with the schools. On Dec. 31, Bowles said he will formally approach the state legislature to reduce the tuition increase to 5.2 percent and allow universities to keep the tuition increases. “I’m a low-tuition guy,” Bowles told the Daily Tar Heel, the student newspaper at UNC-Chapel Hill. “I don’t think students need to be the primary source of funding.” In fact, North Carolina’s constitution requires that the benefits of the state’s universities “as far as practicable, be extended to the people of the State free of expense.” Bowles’ plan would bring $34.4 million systemwide,

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while the state assembly plan would generate $34.8 million. Bowles said he wants to use half of the money for need-based financial aid and half for programs and faculty retention. The increases proposed by the General Assembly would raise NCCU in-state undergraduate tuition by $90. Across the university system, out-of-state undergraduate students will be hit especially hard, with a tuition increase just under $450. After review by UNC administrators, Bowles’ proposal will go before the UNC Board of Governors later this month. While many students are unhappy over the cost of getting their university education, some say that it’s a price that must be paid. “I feel the quality of my education is priceless,” said Shanelle Faison, nursing sophomore. “My degree is worth it. You can’t put a price on a person’s knowledge.”

The projected completion of Chidley Hall in 2011 will add 978 beds to campus housing. JERRY ROGERS/Echo staff photographer

and seniors will be forced to live off campus whether they want to or not. Chatiqua Brown’s situation is typical. The sophomore, who now lives in Ruffin Residential Hall, is already worried about what she will do if she can’t live on campus next year. Brown, who pays out-ofstate tuition, says she likes living on campus, doesn’t have a car, can’t afford car payments or insurance, and isn’t interested in searching for a parking space every time she comes to class. “It is unfair because people like myself do not have transportation,” she said. “We need housing and do not know what to do. It rushes students who are not ready for off-campus living.” On top of that, Brown doesn’t know how living off campus will affect her financial aid. “It asks you if you will stay on the yard next school year, so I do not know if I will get less money.” According Twyla Butler, Student Accounting adminstrative support specialist, if a student who thought she was going to live on campus ends up off-campus, Residential Life will instruct Accounting to make necessary changes to the student’s account. In all, N.C. Central University has about 8,500 students and 2,300 beds, according to Jennifer Wilder. That works out to about .27 beds per student, a little more than one bed for every four students. “Enrollment outpaced our bed spaces,” Wilder explains. “No school houses all their students.” According to Wilder, the decision to give priority to incoming freshmen, sophomores, athletes and honor students was made by Residential Life and the administration. “Athletes have practice at all times of the day … and mostly on campus. They deserve priority because they represent our University,” said Wilder. “Honor students increase NCCU’s prestige and play a big role in attracting more honor stu-

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dents.” Kevin Rome, vice chancellor of Student Affairs, explained why freshmen and sophomore were given priority. “Knowing from literature and data it is critical for freshmen and sophomore to live on campus,” Rome said. “They are not mature enough to live on their own. It is important for them to have that foundation.” Rome said that 1,358 freshmen lived on campus this year. “It should not cost more to live off campus instead of living on campus, if you prioritize and budget your money,” he said. But students complain that living off campus adds a number of expenses that are hard to deal with, including electricity bills, a car note, gas and insurance, and groceries. The projected completion of Chidley Hall, which will add 978 beds, will hardly put a dent in the problem. In 2017, another residential hall, Cecil Commons, which will have 978 beds, is projected to be completed. By that time enrollment is expected to be at 13,500 and beds at 5,301. This will improve the current bedper-student rate from .27 to .39. At .27 beds per student, NCCU’s situation is worse than both UNC–Chapel Hill and N.C. A&T universities. UNC–Chapel Hill has 8,700 beds for its 27,000 students, a bed per student ration of .32, according to Rick Bradley, an assistant director of Housing and Residential Education at UNC-Chapel Hill. Bradley said that spaces are reserved for freshmen at UNC-Chapel Hill, but that housing is open to everyone. N.C. A&T has 3,900 beds for its 11,000 students, a bed-to-student ratio of .35 according to Jermaine Foye, the university’s assignments coordinator with Housing and Residence Life. According to Foye, N.C. A&T has decided to reserve 1,900 beds for incoming

freshmen and hold a lottery for the remaining spaces. N.C. State University has the worst bed to student ratio at .23 beds per student. The university has just under 34,000 students and 8,000 beds. Even so, according to Susan Grant, director of University Housing with N.C. State University Housing, housing is not reserved for freshmen, but is open everyone on a first come first serve basis. “The demand for beds is not a problem,” she said. “Usually students who want housing get housing.” Grant explained that this may be because demand at N.C. State University is largely met because there is so much more apartment housing nearby. Many NCCU students living off campus reside at The Verge or Campus Crossings, apartment complexes that provide transportation for student to and from campus. They also have a system for students to pay after they receive refund checks. Residential Life is planning to sponsor off-campus housing fairs and educational sessions, according to Wilder. These will cover topics such as “Financing Your Off-Campus Housing,” “Safety and Living off Campus” and “Credit Scores and the Apartment Application.” “The hope is that by educating students they will make informed choices about off campus housing,” she said. The University also wants to establish relationships with other apartment complexes, according to Rome. “We are currently working to build more relationships with other apartment complexes to provide the same or similar set-up as The Verge or Campus Crossing,” he said. But Chatiqua Brown still feels her future at NCCU is in jeopardy. “If I can’t live on campus, Campus Crossing, or The Verge I may have no other option but to leave,” she said.

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Chief chat Q&A on crime, safety

EDITOR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

BY RODDRICK HOWELL ECHO STAFF REPORTER

James-Holliday, 1956 Campus Echo editor-in-chief, with Robert Perry (left) and Dr. Alfonso Elder (right). Photo courtesy of Shirley Temple James-Holliday

Dean Latham, to stay out past 9 p.m. If you broke curfew you could get kicked out,” said Holliday. “We had to go to the Service Printing Company on Pettigrew to print back then.” By college, Holliday already knew a little something about working hard. As a child in Jamesville, in rural Eastern North Carolina, Holliday worked in tobacco and chopped peanuts as well as working in her father’s restaurant. Holliday’s adviser at the Echo was Horace Dawson, professor of English. She and her staff of about six people including the sports editor and an editor that would be considered today’s arts and entertainment head put the paper together. Holliday also wrote editorials; she received $50 a month for her services. Holliday said students should take pride in what past students built. “The only things that were here when I was were four dorms and four other buildings,” she said. “That was it.” Back then, the Campus Echo was six pages long and covered news that affected African Americans. “I was the hostess for Louis Armstrong and his wife when they came to campus in the

spring of 1956,” said Holliday. “That was a memory.” One of the most memorable stories Holliday published was the 1956 summer Olympic trials, in which N. C. College student Lee Calhoun qualified for the Melbourne, Australia Olympics. Calhoun won gold medals in the 110 m hurdles in the ’56 and ’60 Olympics, the first Olympic athlete to do so. There also were many stories about desegregation at that time, following the Brown versus Board of Education decision in 1954. “Martin Luther King came to Hillside in ’55 but no one went. I couldn’t get anyone to go,” said Holliday. She also had trouble persuading professors to participate in civil rights boycotts. “They said lots of things were tried and nothing still worked.” Holliday said one day a white man with a group called ‘Democrats in Action’ came to campus to try to get students to organize. “Dr. Elder said students could lose funding from the state legislature for becoming involved in politics. Dr. Dawson told me to just ‘let it go’ so I did.” Holliday said she and her mother, Iona James, were interested in the NAACP, and

in 1954 Holliday went to an NAACP convention in Dallas. It was after this meeting that she started the first NAACP chapter at the University; about 15 students would meet in the old law building to discuss integration and voting. The old law building, where the William Jones Building now stands, was burned down. “We were warned to stay away from UNC and Duke or we would be arrested,” said Holliday. “Period.” Holliday said she wanted to use the Campus Echo to promote the NAACP but that then-Chancellor Elder told Holliday that she could not do that. “I told them this paper was just mental Pablum because I couldn’t write anything controversial,” she said. Holliday explained that Pablum was the name of an infant cereal food during the 1930s. Holliday said one day a professor told her, “Your name is in the McCarthy papers.” The McCarthy papers were a list of names of suspected communists operating in the U.S. during the period known as the Red Scare. She said she had met a man whom she only remem-

bered as “Nathaniel” in Texas who happened to be a member of the North Carolina Communist Party. “I didn’t know him,” she said. “We just met. I didn’t know anything about it. “My mother said I wouldn’t be able to get a job in North Carolina because of it.” After graduation, Holliday went to Simmons College in Boston, where she attained a master’s degree in library science because at the time NCCU was not accredited. From there, she moved to Rhode Island, where she bought her first house for $5,500 and a $500 down payment. She worked at a library for five years and then lived in New York City for 30 years where she worked at Morris High School in the Bronx, the high school of Gen. Colin Powell (ret.). In 1992, Holliday moved to Creedmoor, N.C., where she still resides. Holliday said students should work hard and stay focused in order to develop a career. “Regardless of your grades, take instructions, follow instructions, and see a job through,” said Holliday. “Anything worth having you have to work hard for it.”

BIGGEST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Complex and NCCU residence halls. Applicants must submit a 400-word essay with their application, they must live on campus and, to ensure that they don’t have preexisting conditions, students will be carefully screened. Participants must have a BMI greater than or equal to 30 percent, waist measurements greater than or equal to 35 inches for females, and

greater than or equal to 40 inches for males. Qualifying participants will be chosen on Feb. 10, making them eligible for the $1,000 cash prize. The 8-week challenge begins on Feb. 15 and runs through April 12. Pamela Watson, a NCCU Greatest Loser Challenge coordinator and nutrition manager, says the program is a healthy and challenging

way to motivate students to take control of their weight and eating habits. “The NCCU Greatest Loser Weight Loss Challenge will be a team-focused, competitive approach to gaining better health and wellness,” Watson said. “The challenge will provide participants health information, resource tools and motivation to help teams accomplish their

health goals.” The challenge will focus on increasing physical activity and improving eating habits. These behaviors can have positive results that lead to an improved sense of wellbeing and an optimal state of health. The program will be a helpful weight-loss strategy

n See BIGGEST Page 4

Campus Police Chief Willie R. Williams and his staff met with about 40 students to have a “Chat with the Chief ” session last Wednesday evening in the Alfonso Elder Student Union. Williams and his staff talked about campus safety, parking and a host of other issues. The purpose of the program was to establish a dialog between the campus police and students. The forum was sponsored by the SGA to let students voice their concerns to campus police. “We are in a high crime area and students should be careful,” said Williams. Williams said students should be aware of their location to areas such as McDougald Terrace Housing Projects and other troubled neighborhoods. “But N. C. Central police and Durham city police do a good job keeping the campus safe,” he said. Det. Billy Boyd said stu-

dents need to keep a low profile around campus and avoid attracting unwanted attention. “I’m watching and you know they’re watching,” said Boyd, referring to criminals. Boyd said he sees many students blasting music from their vehicles and “advertising” to criminals. According to Williams there has been a hike recently in vehicle breakins. Several undercover officers are working on the problem. Williams stressed that the University-wide emergency notification system will help notify students in case of a major crime or natural event. The system broadcasts a siren and verbal notifications campuswide, and, if students have signed up at orientation, will send a text message and a phone call describing the situation. “This was a very good program,” said education freshman Dominique Sauls. “It gave a me a good opportunity to hear what the chief of police had to say.”

Chief Williams with students discussing campus crime, safety. RODDRICK

HOWELL/Echo

Staff Photographer

Get published BY ALISHA BYRD ECHO STAFF REPORTER

N.C. Central University’s College of Science and Technology wants to help STEM undergraduate and graduate students get published in the their journal, the CST Research Journal. STEM refers to students in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. The journal is designed to showcase scholarly research projects by students. “If students have their works published, it makes them competitive,” said Veronica Nwosu, professor of biology and interim associate dean of College of Science and Technology. Nwosu and John Myers, a professor of chemistry and chair of the CST Communication and

Publications Committee, have high hopes for the journal and its benefits for students. “We realize the importance of students being recognized for their achievements,” said Myers. According to Myers, having projects published in the journal will encourage students to be involved in research. It also will clarify their interests in their field while strengthening their oral and written communication skills. Both electronic and hard copies of the journal will be published by June. The deadline for manuscript submission is Feb. 19. Veronica Nwosu and John Myers can be reached at vcnwosu@nccu.edu and jmyers@nccu.edu for more information.

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Calling all engineers NSBE makes return to NCCU campus BY ISHA JACKSON ECHO STAFF REPORTER|

After a four year hiatus, the National Society of Black Engineers is determined to make a comeback at N.C. Central University. The NSBE is a non-profit association that began in 1971 from the brainstorming of two Purdue University undergraduate students, the late Edward Barnette and Fred Cooper. Their plan was to create a student organization that would increase the number of black engineers and stimulate students’ interest in the engineering field. Today the NSBE boasts 31,000 members. “Students who join NSBE can expect big networking opportunities and promote themselves in their respective field,” said computer science junior Kevin Claiborne. According to Claiborne, about 15-20 students are currently involved with the NCCU chapter. The organization has over

Alade Tokuta, NSBE adviser, seeks recruits for NCCU chapter. JERRY ROGERS/Echo staff photographer

400 chapters nationally that are divided into six regions. It has three divisions: NSBE Jr., which serves pre-college students, NSBE collegiate and NSBE alumni/professional. Other area participating schools include: N.C. A&T University, UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, and N.C. State University. NCCU has had a NSBE Chapter since 2001, but in the past few years has been inac-

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tive. “Running a chapter takes a group of dedicated students,” said Alade Tokuta, NSBE adviser. “Dedication will help the chapter prosper and grow.” The NCCU chapter is open to all majors, the target majors are the sciences such as computer science, pharmaceutical science, physics and other concentrations among the sciences.

There are several benefits to joining NSBE, according to Tokuta. Membership includes access to tutoring and academic achievement programs, free KAPLAN test preparation, support for scholarship and grants, and more. Additionally, members have access to companies at regional conferences and over 300 companies at the national convention, which will be held in Toronto, March 31-April 4. Up to 10,000 black engineering students and professonals are expected to attend the conference. “I hope I can make it to the conference this year, it would be a great way to promote and network with others in my field and possible learn about job opportunities,” said Claiborne. The NCCU-NSBE chapter will hold their next interest meeting tomorrow at 4 p.m. in room 3229 in the Mary Townes Building.

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for participants. There will be weekly weigh-ins, a mandatory review of nutrition logs, evening nutrition classes and bonus points for teams who attend early morning boot camps. Dixon described the collaboration between Sodexo, student affairs, and recreation and wellness as “key.” “The program will combine the student’s main

resource for nutrition and exercise on campus .. it will motivate the participants to stay committed to the challenge and offer the tools to succeed,” she said . “This is exactly what this campus needs to increase the awareness of the importance of living a healthy and active lifestyle,” said Dixon. “It will give the phrase ‘healthy competition’ a new meaning.”

Feeding life 50,000 meals sent to Haiti B Y B RIAN M OULTON ECHO STAFF REPORTER |

They are athletic rivals in sports, but students from N.C. Central University and Duke University joined forces to combat hunger on Jan 20. Over 130 students and other volunteers traveled to Southern High School in Durham to participate in the Million Meals event. In all, about 50,323 meals were packaged specifically designated for the Haiti relief effort. “We feel a sense of urgency due to the situation in Haiti,” said Sam Miglarese, director of Community Engagement at Duke. According to Amber Whitley of AmeriCorp Vista at Duke, a special deal was arranged to ensure the meals packaged would definitely go to Haiti. Since 2005, Stop Hunger Now! has worked together with universities across the state and the nation to package meals for individuals in about 30 different countries most affected by hunger-related deaths. There is enough food produced in the world to feed every person 4.3 pounds of food per day, even so about 25,000 people die of hunger-related causes every day. The problem, experts say, is distribution. Stop Hunger Now! plans to have at least one warehouse on each continent, with each location containing between five and 10 million meals. Each dehydrated meal

has a shelf life of five years. The cost per meal is 25 cents and can feed a family of six. The ease at which the meals can be assembled allows them to be packaged and shipped rapidly anywhere in the world in crisis. “Its simple, its easy, and its fun to help people,” said Terry Brown, local charity coordinator for Stop Hunger Now! “Students, families and even kids can do it.” “This is my second Million Meals event, my first one was at UNC Chapel Hill,” said NCCU finance senior and president of Phi Beta Lambda Danielle Edwards. “This year I helped publicize it and informed other students about the project.” “We had more volunteers than we had available slots,” said Edwards. “It is a great cause and I am very excited about it. This is my first time, but I will be coming back every year because it is interesting and I want to help,” said NCCU business management sophomore and SGA representative Samantha Kennedy. Students interested in helping or organizing a event can contact Stop Hunger Now! through their website www.stophungernow.org.

Beyond NCCU

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DEGREE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 higher education contend. Which is exactly what Summers is doing now: serving burgers at a Sonic drivein. The recession is recalibrating the economics of higher education. “Whether college is worth it depends on how much you pay for it,” said Kevin Carey, the policy director at the Education Sector, a Washington-based education think tank. “It’s not worth much if you pay too much for a degree that has no value in the market, or one that pays too little to pay back what you borrowed.” College costs are rising fast, as are student debt loads. Take Aaron McNally, 29, who last year received a master’s degree in English from the University of Northern Iowa, adding to what eventually became about $50,000 in debt. That’s more than the national average — $40,208 — for a freshly inked M.A. On the other end of the four-year slog, salaries are sputtering — if you get the job in your chosen field. Not finding the public relations

post, McNally took a job as an assistant manager at an Independence, Mo., grocery store. Bigger investment. Disappointing returns. Yet college is still the only way to go, right? Well, don’t ask Bill Gates of Microsoft, Steve Jobs of Apple, Michael Dell of Dell, Larry Ellison of Oracle or Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook. They all dropped out. Clearly college is not for everyone, but statistics and studies still show a college degree usually translates to a higher income. “People with high levels of education make more money on average,” Carney said. But he warned that whether a diploma means more income or a better life depends on the individual. “A college education is no guarantee.” With money scarce, many newly cost-conscious families are trying to work out the math: • They swallow hard when they realize that, based on the current estimated cost of tuition, room and board, four years at Harvard costs

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It’s not worth much if you pay too much for a degree that has no value in the market, or one that pays too little to pay back what you borrowed. KEVIN CAREY POLICY DIRECTOR, EDUCATION SECTOR

$188,860. Even the $60,236 four-year cost for an in-state student at the University of Kansas can be daunting. • The average student debt after four years is $22,656. • A bachelor’s degree doesn’t earn what it used to. “After adjusting for inflation, the earnings of male college graduates are no higher than they were in the early 1970s, and the earnings of female college graduates have increased only moderately,” according to a College Board study of educational benefits. • Fewer than 1 in 5 students in the class of 2009 had a job at graduation. That gets us back to that Sonic in Columbia. Summers, who graduated in 2009, still is searching for a job in her field. The Independence native,

who also works at the MU bookstore, has her fingers crossed, and she still thinks college was worth it. “I learned a lot of skills I couldn’t have gotten if I hadn’t gone to college.” But Summers said that if a decent job doesn’t come along soon, her feelings about the value of her degree could change. Although Summers is “upside-down” for the moment, her degree isn’t really comparable with a Florida condo mortgage, experts say. There are many non-monetary intangibles that come with college. Studies indicate that college graduates are healthier, donate more blood, vote more often than other Americans and are more open- minded. They smoke less, exercise

more and, a 2005 Pew study found, were 25 percent more likely than high school graduates to say they’re very happy. But would such people, with their ambition and discipline, succeed anyway? Studies have tried to get a fix on what more schooling adds. Some studies looked at twins and found the bettereducated sibling fared better. And the Census Bureau offers these after-tax median incomes of people 25 years or older in 2008: High school degree, nearly $33,800; some college, but no degree, nearly $39,700; bachelor’s degree, $55,600. It also should be noted that the salary gap between high school and college degrees is still growing. Educators and politicians — President Barack Obama included — preach loudly and frequently that everyone should seek some college. In speech after speech, you hear that college graduates make at least $1 million more in their lifetimes than those who quit after high school. Who could pass that up?

Certainly not governments, which garner more tax revenue from higher-paid citizens. But is it true? In 2007, Sandy Baum, a professor of economics at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., studied the value of a degree for the College Board. Her research — which factored for inflation and left out advanced degrees and their higher earning power — found that someone with a bachelor of arts degree plus 40 years of earnings came closer to earning $550,000 more, on average, in today’s dollars. Still, Baum said that college was easily worth the cost. Plus the recession has laid bare another factor to consider: “Even in this economy, the number of unemployed college graduates is half that of the unemployed who did not go to college,” she said. Another, even grimmer way to look at it: The poverty rate is 10.8 percent among high school grads. It is one-third less for those with bachelor’s degrees.

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The Word for 2010 — ‘Have Faith in God’ N 6

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Photographic Essay by Brandi Joy Myers

Members of the Praise Dance Team, KeAundra Tate, Franceska Walker and Kelcey Hargrave dance to Tye Tribbet’s “Stand Out.”

KeAundra Tate dances for the Praise and Worship Dance Team.

he word for 2010: “Have Faith in God,” is the motto of the Life in the Word Fellowship Church located in Lexington, North Carolina. Life in the Word was founded October 2, 1994 by Pastors Eddie and Linda Scott. The vision of this Christ-centered church is to form an atmosphere of worship in which people of all denominational backgrounds, cultures and races can fellowship and worship together in the presence of God. To live up to their phrase, “Have Faith in God,” Life in the Word challenges its members to avoid being distracted by worldly things. “We want our members to get to that place where they are sensitive to God’s leading,” said Pastor Eddie Scott. With only 125-150 members in the church, the church praises the Lord —

regardless of its size. “Size doesn’t matter. We want our members to take the word of God and change their situation,” said Co-Pastor Linda Scott. The church praises God with different ministries within the church: the Praise and Worship team that sings songs of worship, the Praise Dance team that dances through gospel music, and the Mime Ministry that praises with gestures and no words. Out of 52 groups in the church, the members have more than enough ways to get closer to God. “We want to be able to minister to those that God sends to us and be effective in their lives,” said Pastor Eddie Scott. Life in the Word is looking forward to moving into their new church where they can expand their space for programs and have the ability to reach more people and empower the community.

Right: Daughter of the Pastors, Breann Scott sings with the Praise and Worship Team. Below: The Children’s Church takes time out to pose with Co-Pastor Linda Scott.

Right: Member of the Mime Ministry, Dannielle Gary gives emotion without words.

Above: Maria McCauley enjoys worship at Life in the Word. Right: Pastors Eddie and Linda Scott smile as they enjoy the festivities dedicated to them.

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American Idol Perfect Timing Just not the Same Hard to Absorb

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Corinne Bailey Rae The Sea EMI Records

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Mass Comm. professor Brett Chambers (right) with Poppa Mojos Roadhouse owner Mel Melton (left). SIEGFRIED

BY THERESA GARRETT ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Tucked away in the corner of Brentwood Commons, a shopping plaza, on Highway 55 is Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse, a New Orleans style Creole and Cajun restaurant, where every Wednesday night you can get great food and hear even better talent. Papa Mojo’s is the host every Wednesday night for “Brett Chambers Open Mic Night.” If you drive to fast you may miss it. In 1996, Mr. Chambers talked with Sam Sellers, owner of Talk of the Town in Raleigh, to see if his idea could become a reality. On the first night only

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twelve people showed up. From Talk of the Town the open mic moved to Yancey’s and now found its home at Papa Mojo’s. That is a long way from today, now if you are not in the door before 8pm you cannot get a seat. Does the name sound familiar? Brett Chambers is an adjunct instructor in the English and mass communications department here at NC Central. For the past thirteen years “Brett Chambers Open Mic Night” has been the place to “hear music from up and coming talent” in the Triangle. Mr. Chambers started the event to get “people to come out and try” to show

staff photographer

what talent they had. If they could sing, play an instrument or do spoken word Wednesday night was your stage. I had no idea what Papa Mojo’s was all about until my Mom invited me out one night. As soon as I walked in I know I was going to love it. The restaurant has an family atmosphere. You can get great meal, see old friends, and celebrate your birthday. People come in never expecting what to hear. People perform a variety of music: folk, R&B, soul and even rap. On a given night you will even have a spoken word artist grace the mic.

Do you know where else you can have your waitress serve your dinner and sing background vocals? The concept is simple. Anyone can perform you just sign up and perform two cuts. Brett Chambers Open Mic Night came out of an idea, an idea that Mr. Chambers put into action. This is what he wants all the students to understand. “You have to execute your ideas.” From an idea Chambers has run his event for thirteen years and with a plan you can make your ideas possible. So on hump day go to Papa Mojo’s and experience raw talent at its best.

Take a break from Lady GaGa or Beyonce and enjoy the soothing sounds from Corrine Bailey Rae’s sophomore album, “The Sea.” If your liked her 2006 double-platinum, debut album, entitled “Corinne Bailey Rae,” you’ll love this! As writer and a producer on the album, her material is a transparency of the emotional aftermath of the untimely death of her husband, 31 year-old jazz saxophonist Jason Rae. According to Leeds Coroner's Court, Rae died of an accidental overdose of methadone and alcohol in March 2008. Throughout the album she has a variety of tempos in no way leaving the listener jaded. The lyrical content touches on all aspects of love and of course her grief for the death of her husband.

Her delicate and embellished sound opens up the album on the first track “Are you here,” with a few plucks of her guitar and her light voice falling and singing “He’s a real livewire.” She lets you know that she is still grieving over the death of her by creating a “dream” through her lyrics. Following is “I’d do it all again.” This will propel personal vibe through listeners with its acoustic melodic sound, reminiscent of Norah Jones’s smooth sound. Rae talks about being in a devoted relationship in spite of the ups and downs. According to iTunes, the most popular song on the new album is “Closer,” which is also a personal favorite. This is a polished soul song; it might even give the listener a chance to cut loose little. It sounds like a modernday 70’s funk song, reminding you of late Minnie Ripperton’s soft vocals and The Isley Brothers vibrant band, and funk sound. — Belinda Dunn

Road to Honda BY TONDEA KING ECHO STAFF REPORTER

N.C. Central’s marching band, Sound Machine is a band known for calling themselves a hybrid, but this year they are known for something else. The 200 members of next years Rose Bowl attended the 2010 Honda Battle of the Bands. The Battle of the Bands was held on last Saturday afternoon in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome. This year, eight Historically Black Colleges and University showcased their different styles and their musicianship to a crowd of over 60,000. The schools that performed were Albany State, Clark-Atlanta, Florida Agricultural and

Mechanical, Prairie-View, Southern University, Tuskegee University and Virginia State. Every year, each university’s band goes through a selection process in which the fans vote for 1/3 of the votes, and the bands’ directors and university presidents count for the remaining votes. This year, NCCU’s Sound Machine performed 10 different songs. The highlight of their show was the tribute to the individuals and families in Haiti. Jorim Reid, director of the NCCU bands, arranged a Michael Jackson piece, “Earth Song,” for the band to perform. Other songs performed by the band were “Turned Up” by Travis Porter, a popular song the

bands, “Shake Your Body Down” by Michael Jackson, “Booty Doo” by G-Spot Boyz, “Bed Rock” by Young Money, “O Lets Do It” by Waka Flocka Flame, another popular song among the bands, “DOA” by Jay-Z, and the dance group eClipse did a performance off of “Poison” by Bell, Biv, D’Voe.“ “Being my second year participating in the battle of the bands, it was exciting because we got to see different bands that we have never seen before,” stated sophomore criminal justice major Clifton Morgan III. Chancellor Charlie Nelms and Sound Machine band director Jorim Reid accepted $1,000—the amount allotted by American Honda to each of the schools for their music

program. NCCU was among the 8 specially selected schools to receive another check for $20,000. “This was my first time attending battle of the bands and I think that the Band did a wonderful job,” stated Political Science major Kentoura Gilmore. Also at the battle of the bands, Grammy-Award winning rap artist Ludacris was the special guest performer. Ludacris performed his hit single “How Low,” along with promoting for his new album Battle of the Sexes which will be released this spring. “I feel that the atmosphere was very positive,” stated trombone section leader, Jerrin Strayhorn junior business management major. “The crowd’s

Sound Machine attends 6th annual Battle of the Bands in ATL. MARQUITA JOHNSON/Echo staff photographer

No homophobia bruh BYDIANE VARNIE ECHO A&E EDITOR

"It's crazy how you can go from being Joe Blow, to everybody on your dick — no homo." This wellknown line comes from no other than the infamous and quite DIANE controversial Kanye West VARNIE on Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint III” hit single, “Run This Town.” The phrase “no homo” is a widely popularized hiphop phrase which is added to statements to rid the pos-

sibility that the speaker might be suspected of being gay. Although widely used throughout hip-hop, I’m sure few have put true thought behind the actual meaning. This past Monday, Duke University hosted a panel discussion,“NO HOMO: Masculinity in Hip-Hop & Beyond.” The discussion included various reasons pertaining to hip-hop and the homophobic roles taking it over today. The speakers included Duke professor and artist J. Bully, professor Pierce Freelon, Ph.D. candidate Treva Lindsey and Duke’s very own star in the making,

Mike Posner. In honor of its Egyptian Epoch Alpha Week, the Kappa Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. presented the discussion with hopes of getting to the origin of the phrase and its use. “We throw that phrase around so much in our everyday lingo and it’s like, why are we using that phrase?” asked Eskinder Zewdu, recording secretary of the Kappa Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity a Duke computer and electronic engineering senior. “Is there really some background behind that or is it just that we all got in the habit of using it?” asked

Zewdu. J. Bully, who teaches Hip-Hop and Rap Appreciation, said, “I think one of the problems is people don’t have enough identity to be able to deal with people who are different.” Though this statement may be evidence to the mystery, we may have to dig deeper for the root of the problem. For hip-hop to stay close to African-American customs and the streets, it doesn’t take an Einstein to wonder why masculinity and homophobia are major issues in the culture. Though artists such as rapper Nicki Minaj openly discuss their bisexuality, the visuals of the “thuggish”

black man and the “halfnaked” woman video model can be found in a majority of videos, proving that dominance and heterosexism have always been the stamped roles in hip-hop. In fact, the roots of homophobia go back to black churches, where the theologically driven phobia was reinforced by the antihomosexual rhetoric of black nationalism. But no matter how far the phobia goes back and rappers may want to say “no homo,” some are convinced that homosexuality does remain in hip-hop. “I think you already have propaganda homosexuality,” said Soloman Burnette, a N. C. Central University histo-

ry and Arabic graduate. “If you look at the ’80s, one can see that skinny jeans and mohawks come from a culture that was hyper-homosexual. A whole lot of rappers propagate lesbianism as the mode to go.” For now, hip-hop and associated outlets will continue to spout homophobic, hyper-masculine rhetoric. But if we ever do get an open homosexual rapper, what might happen? “Honestly I think that it will create such a media frenzy that it couldn’t be bad for them,” said Mike Posner, a recent Duke graduate and J Records singer. “They would have to be calculated and done in the

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According to Femi Professor helps provide cultural diversity BY JOANNA HERNANDEZ ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Senior Erica McRae interviews Grand Hustle recording artist Bobby Ray RODDRICK HOWELL/Echo staff photographer

BY ASHLEY ROQUE ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Over the years, many celebrities have walked the campus of N.C. Central University. Within the past 3 years, Trey Songz, T.I., Lupe Fiasco, Avant, MIMS, David Banner, The Clipse, Drake, Raekwon, Juvenile, Pretty Ricki, J. Cole and many more came to campus. Many may not be aware that three senior mass communication students, Marceu Winston, Erica McRae, and Daniel “DMal” Mallison, are responsible for bringing many recording artists to campus. All are full-time students pursuing careers in the music industry. Whether it’s producing album parties, rap battles, industry panels, or simple meet-and-greet sessions, these budding marketing representatives hustle hard while sustaining good GPAs.

Through their internships with Atlantic Records, Capitol Records, and Def Jam, they’ve made it possible for students to meet, greet and interview some of their favorite hip hop artists, including Grand Hustle’s own Bobby Ray, aka B.o.B. Last week, B.oB. stopped by Audionet to promote his highly anticipated debut, “B.o.B presents: The adventures of Bobby Ray.” An Atlanta native, B.o.B is best known for his hit singles, “I’ll Be in the Sky” and “Haterz Everywhere.” B.o.B. displays his split personality in his new project as he toys between a frenetic, energized Atlanta rapper, and an eclectic, genre-blending soul musician. Distinguished from other Atlanta “snap finger” rappers, B.o.B. busts musical trends, taking listeners on an imaginative journey with songs such as “Cyber Heaven,”

“Wonderland” and “Created a Monster.” The latter song is featured on the EA: Madden NFL 2010 video game and various television shows. “I feel like I’m not just making rap music; I feel like I’m changing music, period,” said B.o.B. in a recent interview. He expressed his admiration for NCCU’s hip hop initiative program, and why it’s important for youth to be educated through the culture. Senior Erica McRae also wanted to get the word out about NCCU. “I felt like my campus needed to be on the map when it came to the music industry so I got an internship at Capitol Records as aCollege Marketing Rep,” said McRae. “Now I am able to make things happen and artists are now aware of my campus life as well as the Durham market.”

There is power in music. Melodies can unite people from all over the world and provide platforms for expression in ways that nothing else can. Oluwafemi “Femi” Faseun, a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence and founding head of the Department of Theatre, Art, and Music at Lagos State University in Nigeria, is now at N.C. Central University. With a PhD in Ethnomusicology, Faseun has taught music for over 30 years. Ethnomusicology is the comparative study of themusic of different cultures. “People relate more with machines here than human beings,” said Faseun, after observing the difference between the American culture and the one he was raised in. Faseun has taught in Africa as well as in the United States, and has concluded that “teaching here has opened my eyes to so many other things. It has helped me understand American culture better.” Technology in Nigeria is minimal. A student in Nigeria has difficulty doing their homework with constant power failure and very little access to the Internet. “People act as individuals here, in my culture you act by considering the reaction of your community because you are a representative of your com-

munity,” said Fasuen. Faseun said that in America, there should be no excuses because everything is provided for you. All that you need to succeed in learning is right in front of you. His courses include “Music of Africa,” “Theory and Method of Ethnomusicology,” “African Music and Society,” and “Contemporary Music of Africa.” This semester, Faseun is teaching a senior semi-

nar, “Ethnomusicology, and African Influences on Music of the Americas.” He teaches his students to approach music objectively. It’s not just about what you like. “It’s not about what you like, just because you like a particular music doesn’t mean I will.” When you focus on the people, that’s when you find the power in music. If you are looking to take Fasuen you will find that he teaches that music is about people.

Fulbright scholar-in-residence Oluwafemi “Femi” Faseun with his Dun Dun, a talking drum. DAVID FITTS/Echo staff photographer

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2010

Classifieds Introductory offer: Free online classifieds for students, faculty & staff That’s right. Shoot us an e-mail from any NCCU.edu e-mail address and we’ll post your classified online for two weeks. Just put the words “NCCU classified” in the subject line and sent it to campusecho@nccu.edu. Keep it under 35 words and be sure to proof read your copy. A 2” x 2” classified box in the print edition costs just $10 for anyone.

PREPARING FOR THE GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT? ATTEND A STRATEGY SESSION WITH THE PRINCETON REVIEW

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010 THE MARY TOWNES SCIENCE COMPLEX CORNER OF CONCORD & LAWSON STREETS NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

Seating is Limited COST: Free! Registration is Required GMAT, GRE and MCAT participants will meet on Saturday, February 27, 2010, 10 am – 12 noon, in the Mary Townes Science Complex. Please take the practice test at Review.com and print and bring the scoring report to the strategy session LSAT participants are asked to make a two day commitment. This includes a practice LSAT, 9 am – 1 pm on Saturday, February 20, 2010 in 1233 Mary Townes Science Complex, and a two - hour session on Saturday, February 27, 2010, 10 am – 12 noon ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST PRE-REGISTER BY Friday, February 19, 2010 in Room 3209 Mary Townes Science Complex FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Leon B. Hardy, Test Prep Program 3209 Mary Townes Science Complex, NCCU, Durham, NC 27707 (919) 530-5109, lhardy@nccu.edu Sponsored by the Test Prep Program, NCCU, a Title III Activity

Sports

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2010

4-20 What is going on? NCCU GETS BESTED BY WESTERN ILLINOIS 53-50.

NCCU Forward Dami Sapara goes up for the strong basket over Western Illinois defenders. The Eagles lost a hearbreaker to the Leathernecks of Western Illinois. NCCU started off the game hot and took a ten-point lead into halftime. The NCCU offense was stymied in the second half and squandered chances that led to a WIU victory and gave NCCU its 19th loss of the season. MITCHELL WEBSON/ECHO

Batters up! BY AARON SAUNDERS ECHO SPORTS EDITOR

The University’s softball team is charting new courses in 2010 with new faces — and old faces in new places. The team will be without All-Independent infielder Sophia Blue, a four-year starter and led NCCU in all major offensive categories last season. “You can’t replace a Sophia Blue, you can only hope to get someone like her or have other players step and help fill the leadership void,” said head coach Mike Charlton. The Lady Eagles will look to many new faces to help fill any holes in the team, as incoming transfer Aurora Baker from N.C. A&T figures to be a force on the mound. The team also will be aided by freshman arrivals Shamika Hodge, Shakemia Edwards, Nadia Jefferies, Kaitlin Kramer and Kayla McPeek. “We have added a lot of new pieces to this puzzle,” said Charlton. The first four games of the season are at home, matching the Lady Eagles against former CIAA foes St. Paul’s and Virginia State. “We wanted to give our ladies a tune-up and a warm up to get ourselves ready for the rest of the season,” said Charlton. Charlton and the Lady

Eagles will also face its first Big 12 opponent this year. For the first time in school history they will play Texas Tech, as well as Jackson State, when they travel to Lubbock. “Originally we were scheduled to play Oklahoma, but due to North Carolina budget cuts that game was eliminated; thankfully, Texas Tech graciously invited us to Texas and took care of most of the cost,” said Charlton. Don’t worry, Eagle fans, the Lady Eagles play more than their fair share of games in North Carolina, so there will be ample opportunities to see them as they host Norfolk State, Morgan State, Western Carolina, South Carolina State, Delaware State, Mount St. Mary’s,Campbell, Furman, Winston Salem State and East Tennessee State this year. Two can’t-miss series are: Winston Salem State at Cary and the final two games of the season against N.C. A&T University. “The rivalry games are always considered the premier games of the season, but probably the most exciting game will be the N.C. State game, because a lot of our girls grew up playing with the girls on State’s team,” said Charlton. The Lady Eagles will kick off its season Feb. 11 versus the Saint Paul’s Tigers in Cary, N.C.

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Walking the line How tough is it to be a student athlete? BY TEDDY LAPERRE ECHO SPORTS REPORTER

The life of a student athlete can be filled with demands. Finding a balance among sports, studying and a social life can be challenging, but this harmony can be the key to a successful semester. Although it seems that student athletes spend countless hours practicing and getting ready for games, they are allowed to spend no more than 20 hours a week and no more than four hours a day preparing for their sports. This rule is enforced by the coaching staff; members of the athletic department also monitor the practices frequently to insure that time limits are not exceeded. Student athletes also must set time aside to attend study hall for 6 to 10 hours a week. The softball team has study hall each night at 7 p.m.. Sophomore baseball player Ross Plummer feels that great benefits come from study hall. "Study hall provides great opportunity for us athletes to study amongst

If I was not a student athlete, I would focus a lot more time on school work. I would not be as stressed out. I see people walking around and they look carefree. JESSICA REFOJO SOFTBALL PLAYER

each other and receive help when it's needed," said Plummer. Plummer added that study hall is not as much of an inconvenience as most would assume. "It's basically time that you would be spending studying or fraterinizing anyway," he said. NCCU has designed programs and is extremely involved in the lives of student athletes to facilitate their education and transition into life after school or in professional sports. One such program, Athletes In Motion, AIM, is designed to help freshmen and first-year transfer students balance their many responsibilities. The program focuses on career services, finances and time management. These meetings, which occur twice a month for one hour, give new student

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athletes strategies to effectively schedule their time. “Every now and then I cannot go out to campus events or out with my friends, but I am happy to be a student athlete,” said junior basketball player C.J. Wilkerson. “You have to make sacrifices for the team. Many people do not get the opportunity to play their sport in college, but sports are just as much a part of the college experience as anything else,” said Wilkerson. Etienne Thomas, associate athletics director for internal operations/compliance and senior woman administrator, has worked at N.C. Central University for a year and a half. Thomas understands the role of time management for any student interested in playing a sport in college.

She recommends that student athletes take advantage of all the programs designed to help them. “I make sure the student athletes are aware of the services we provide to help them,” said Thomas. “I also explain the pitfalls they may encounter. For instance, some student athletes want to hold jobs. I discourage any student athlete from doing so." Sophomore softball player Jessica Refojo admits she envies non-student athletes somewhat because they have more time to spend on classes. “If I was not a student athlete, I would focus a lot more time on school work,” said Refojo. “I would not be as stressed out. I see people walking around and they look carefree.”

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Opinions

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2010

IVER SITY

James E. Humanity ames E. Shepard was born Nov. 3, 1875 in Raleigh, just 10 years after America’s Civil War ended. The South was still smoldering under the tempest of social calamity when Shepard was born. Shepard was a visionary of the highest caliber. What could have formulated this sincerest devotion to the spirit of humanity in this 35Willie year-old giant of Pace a man? What forces came together to inform the education-driven motives in Shepard? What events placed before him could have happened to steel his determination towards selflessness and to see education beyond himself as most fascinating. He had to work within the framework of a social climate of racial oppression in these years of his hope for a better possibility for humanity. Perhaps we can draw a

We should all take advantage of this legacy, the cause for which Shepard gave his life

mental picture of that time’s anachronistic Afro-American Black Pride Movement; this movement symbolized the undaunted social hero of 1910. Shepard must have known that education could be the salvation from many types of tyranny. Shepard would have known that the distrust, the despair, and the rejected hopes relative to America’s Reconstruction era could be resolved. He would have known firsthand the looks of despair on the faces of the newly emancipated slaves who marched before him, ruing the past while at the same time marveling at the bright though cloudy horizons of the future of freedom’s endless possibilities. Shepard would have heard the constrained prayers that raised the rafters of nearby churches.

Even too, the distant reverberations of lamentations for heavenly Providence that trebled through the red and white-streaked clay hills of Alabama and Georgia would have reached Shepard’s heart. Through the most remote Southern soils of all America, was a freedom recognized by the American Constitution, Shepard sought to answer the prayers of his people with humility: he seemed to answer prayers for a public demand as well as a private respectability. Most assuredly, Shepard was not daunted by the constraints that held other men bound to their dreams. Shepard’s dream was an early dream, one that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. would propose some 53 years later. It is a dream that Mr. Barack Hussein Obama — the first African American presi-

dent of the United States of America — would realize just 35 years after Dr. King reiterated Shepard’s dream. Shepard helped to set down this foundation for our self reliance. Shepard’s lifelong goal was education. It was a means to the end that he dreamed not just for himself. He not only envisioned the dream; he worked diligently to assure that education for his fellow man would be like freedom for every man. We should ponder his social climate in America only 45 years after the most iconic event in America’s history, the American Civil War. It is difficult just to imagine the courage and determination of Shepard in 1910. Let alone, it is remarkable that he succeeded so well that N.C. Central University still stands here on Fayetteville Street, 100 years later. We should all take advantage of this legacy, the cause for which Shepard gave his life and we should make sufficient and actual use of his dream.

The day music died recently heard a debate between two students that caught my attention. It also made feel ancient, and I’m just 26. The students were discussing which rapper was better, Soulja Boy or Wacka Flocka. I thought to myself, “not exactly the Biggie vs. Tupac or Ali vs. Tyson Chris debate. These Hess guys both kind of suck.” What has happened to hiphop over the past decade? The poets are gone, the lyricists are gone, and the art form as I know it is dead. It seems today’s rappers are more concerned with their swag than what actually comes out of their mouth. A “50” fitted cap, fitted jeans and bright high tops paired with a nice hook and a cute dance are a slap in the

face of the rappers I grew up listening to. New tracks come out all the time, but they all sound the same. It’s just the name and the amount of auto tune that changes. The image of hip-hop has undergone this commercialism in the past decade, where appearance and mass appeal has overshadowed substance and meaning. The quantity far outweighs the quality as far as I’m concerned. Is there an age limit on rappers? Artists from other genres seemingly perform into their sixties, but why is it rappers have a shelf life, that expires at 30? Is it that a grown man looks ridiculous doing the “Superman”, or that a 45 year old simply cannot rap to the background chorus of “You a jerk”? In my opinion a song like Tupac’s “Dear Mama,” could have been performed by him at

N ORTH C AROLINA C ENTRAL U NIVERSITY

Campus Echo

any age(if he were still alive), without it losing any meaning or appeal. I still listen to the great rappers, Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Big L, Gangstaar and Outkast. Gone are the days of a menacing, yet melodic East Coast beat slowly dropping in with hints of piano and violin; more suited to the soundtrack of Halloween. A friend once told me, “If I was to send a CD to aliens who had no concept of hip-hop, I’d blast them a copy of 36 Chambers.” It’s a sad state of affairs when the best and truest hiphop artists are for the most part obscure entities, forced to perform in small venues with little recognition. I guess it’s true that all the good die young, from Marvin Gaye to Kurt Cobain, all the way to Tupac, Biggie and Big L. I’m a firm believer that the best art comes from the tortured soul, and unfortunately these legends lifestyles too often are their

downfall. Whether that be a drug overdose, suicide or murder. With all the underground rappers out there trying to make a name for themselves, I have a piece of advice. Go back to the roots and stand out from the crowd. “I bomb atomically/ Socrates philosophies and hypothesis, can’t define how I be dropping these/ mockeries, lyrically perform armed robbery,” said Inspectah Deck in 1996. Alliteration, rhyme scheme and metaphor! Like I said the poets are gone, and I’m still anxiously awaiting the next great rapper to come out and set the bar, finally putting to rest the ringtone friendly industry puppets out today. They say every decade music changes with the times, hopefully with this new decade we will see a much needed overhaul in the hip-hop world.

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