Print_edition_Sept_22_2010 by N.C. Central University Campus Echo

SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

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VOLUME 102, ISSUE 2

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Campus

Special Section

A&E

Campus literary magazine, Ex Umbra, loses its funding ... once again

Some of NCCU’s top teachers get to shine in our special feature, “Some of Our Best Teachers”

NCCU kicks off new art exhibit “Color Balance

Willie goes back home to his old stomping grounds. This time with a camera in hand.

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It’s in the fold.

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Feature

Campus Echo Obama coalition frayed With back to wall in November elections, Obama will seek a personal tone

BY CHRISTI PARSONS TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU (MCT)

WASHINGTON – An old cast of characters will appear in President Barack Obama’s speeches throughout the rest of the political season

and beyond, an array of figures such as his war-veteran grandfather, his resourceful single mother and his physically disabled yet triumphant father-in-law. Also appearing will be Barack Obama himself, not

Value of a degree

just the president intent on explaining his policies and plans, but also the man who introduced himself and his life’s story to Americans two years ago. It’s a subtle shift for White House message mak-

ers as they begin working more of the president’s personal reflections into his speeches and appearances. The strategy reflects an acknowledgement that the historic voter coalition that elected Obama in 2008 has

frayed, as his approval ratings have sagged. At the same time, as he spends more of his public time explaining national policies and problems, critics have moved in to define his personal storyline, per-

MONDAY NIGHT JAZZ SHOWCASES NCCU’S MUSICIANS

haps stoking unfounded suspicions that he is a Muslim or is not Americanborn, aides feel. The effort to bring back a more personal Obama also

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Look back History conference in 95th year

Is college still worth it?

BY ASHLEY ROQUE ECHO ASSISTANT EDITOR

BY CARLTON KOONCE ECHO CONTRIBUTOR

Economy. Recession. Jobs. It’s what everybody is talking about these days. If you scan the media, you are sure to find articles and reports that question whether in a time of scarce employment if the cost of a college education is still worth it. To the recent or soon-to-be graduate it can be hard not to think about future employment prospects. Some of them may even question whether the skyrocketing tuition, fees and general cost of higher education and the debt afterward are worth it. “Out-of-state costs can make you think it’s not worth it,” said sports management senior Cynthia Harris. Harris is from Lynchburg, VA and said she pays more than $12,000 in tuition and fees per semester. “Pricing is getting outrageous. It’s like they’re charging for the name.” In-state semester credit hours cost $351 according to N.C. Central University’s 2010 approved tuition and fee schedule. A credit hour for outof-state students is $1,673. “Tuition has gone up since I’ve been here but they’re not adding any stuff I can see,” said Harris. “When I came to

Graduate student Kadir Muhammad smooths out the night with his trumpet. The Alfonso Elder Student Union transforms to “Jazz Central” on Monday nights at 7:30. The jazz sessions are open to the community. CHI BROWN/Echo staff photographer

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BRITE design recognized Architects win award for BRITE building design BY RIYADH EXAM ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Few people are aware that when you stand in the parking lot of the Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise or BRITE building, the windows have a pattern of an unraveled DNA strand. The DNA strand and the glossy windows all helped the BRITE building to be awarded the American Institute of Architects’ Design of Excellence Award, the committee’s highest level of honor in educational facility design. The award is given to architect firms that submit their facility designs. The projects that are eligible for the award must be educational oriented. The BRITE building was recognized for its enhanced

Believe it or not, 95 years of celebrating black history is just around the corner. On Sept 28-Oct 3, N.C. Central University will be participating in the Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s 95th conference at the Raleigh Marriot City Center. Carlton Wilson, the department chair for history at NCCU, will be the academic program chair for the conference. He will lead over 170 scholars in the structure and management of their academic sessions — many of which include NCCU professors and students. The premier organization for the study of black history and the largest single contingent of faculty and students on the study of black history, ASALH holds a special place in the heart of NCCU historians. Besides being the leading center for research in African American history, ASALH is primarily known for having established black history month. Beginning as the Negro History Week in 1926, ASALH fought diligently to have the celebration expanded for over a month. The conference is an extension of this

educational program, planning and design, and integrated functional needs and visual considerations while respecting the community it surrounds. The Freelon Group who headed the design project in 2005 believed in NCCU’s commitment to the state’s biotechnology industry. “As architects we seek every opportunity to work with clients who are interested in creating excellent design” said Tim Winstead, Director of the Freelon Group. The Freelon Group has received four other awards for the BRITE building. They include the 2009 AIA south Atlantic region honor award, the 2009 AIA north Carolina honor award, the 2009 AIA triangle honor award, and the 2006 AIA

The BRITE building, home to NCCU’s pharmaceutical sciences and research, makes its mark in architectural design.

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Courtesy of The Freelon Group

Blacks like their cells

BY KANISHA MADISON ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Stroll around campus during class change and it seems like everyone is walking with their heads over a hand-held device. Did you ever wonder what they were doing? According to the Nielsen media research group African-Americans text more than any other ethnic group in America. Nielsen also reports that blacks use the most voice minutes — about 1,300 a month — in addition to sending and receiving the most text messages — about 780 per month. Compared to blacks, whites use 647 voice minutes and send and receive about 566 text messages per month.

Nick Chasten, mass communication junior NEKA JONES/Echo staff photographer

“That’s the way that we all communicate. We are getting lazy,” said Kanye Forney criminal justice freshman. “It’s either talking on the phone or texting.” The research shows that teens send a whopping 2,779 text messages a month. Students say they are

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

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Globalization explored in India Bloomberg to recognize trip made by business majors BY GABRIEL AIKENS ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Pick up this October’s issue of Bloomberg BusinessWeek and you might be in for a surprise. There will be a story about a trip to India taken by several N.C. Central University students and two faculty members, Cindy Love, director of student professional development, and Malavika Sundararajan, assistant professor of business. The ten-day spring break trip was designed as an opportunity for seven students, one graduate and six undergraduates, to learn about leadership, business administration and outsourcing. It was funded in large part by a Business International Education grant from the U.S. Department of Education. According to Sundararajan students were prepared for the trip with a clear orientation to sensitize them to the more surprising things they would see in India, like the traffic and the bugs. “They knew what they were getting into,” she said, adding that they stressed one message in the orientation: “No whining.” The students took busi-

Business majors huddle with Indian classmates on a basketball court outside of a classroom in Cochin, Kerala. Photo Courtesy of Alicia Brown

ness classes at the School of Communication and Management Studies in Cochin, Kerela. They also met with representatives from four

globally-recognized large companies: Wipro, Sutherland, Allianz, and Muthoot Fincorp. These companies specialize in everything from

finance, to consulting, to technology and to outsourcing. Outsourcing, a special focus of the trip, is the global trend to seek lower

service and production labor costs in countries like India and China where labor is cheaper. According to Love, the primary purpose of the trip

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 campus it didn’t cost even $10,000 for classes and oncampus housing.” “Now I’m paying more and I stay off campus,” she said. The U.S. Department of Education website explains that during the 2009-2010 year, a four year public institution’s average tuition and required fees totaled approximately $15,000 for out-of-state students and approximately $6,400 for in-state students. The cost for four year private non-profit institutions was approximately $21,100 and for four year private for-

profit schools the amount is totaled at $15, 700 a year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics at the U.S. Department of Labor, the August unemployment rate for the country sat at 9.6 percent. The unemployment for college graduates with at least a bachelor’s degree sat at 4 . 6 percent in August. The unemployment rate for people with only a high school diploma for the same month sat at 10.3 percent according to the Department of Labor. Hearing numbers like

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Campus Echo Ashley Griffin- Editor-iin-C Chief Ashley Roque - Assistant Editor

Carlton Koonce Jamese Slade Aaron Saunders Diane Varnie David Fitts Corliss Pauling Jes’Neka Jones Uyi Idahor Erica McRae Brian Moulton Divine Munyengeterwa Willie Pace Chioke Brown Mike DeWeese-F Frank Ashley Gadsden Stan Chambers Ninecia Scott Tommia Hayes Matthew Beatty Tondea King Chris Hess Danita Williams Bethany Sneed Kayla Scott Allisha Byrd Delores Hayes Sheneka Quinitchette

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Faculty Adviser - Dr. Bruce dePyssler Alumni Advisers - Mike Williams, Sheena Johnson

Letters & Editorials The Echo welcomes letters and editorials. Letters to the editor should be less than 350 words. Editorials should be about 575 words. Include contact information. The Echo reserves the right to edit contributions for clarity, vulgarity, typos and miscellaneous grammatical gaffs. Opinions published in the Echo do not necessarily reflect those of the Echo editorial staff. E-mail: campusecho@nccu.edu Web address: www.campusecho.com Phone: 919 530 7116 Fax: 919 530 7991 © NCCU Campus Echo/All rights reserved The Denita Monique Smith Newsroom Room 348, Farrison-Newton Communications Bldg. NCCU, Durham, NC 27707

these does not discourage some N.C. Central University students. “I do think college is worth it and that it pays off,” said Skyler McClellan, hospitality senior. “People I know that graduated are working in the field. A girl I know came out of hospitality and now she’s a manager for Sodexo.” Donna Hembrick, NCCU’s director of career services, shares McClellan’s sentiments. “It’s a continuous process,” said Hembrick. “Career development continues after graduation. When you invest in education, squeeze out every dollar you pay for. Utilize career services, tutoring, events and the library. You pay for it all.” Hembrick said that skills are also picked up through community service requirements and internship. “You have your community service requirements that make you become a part of the community and also develops a skill set,” said Hembrick. Hembrick said that internship are of huge importance. She said it would be ideal that every student had at least one internship but preferably more than one. “When you’re trying to find a niche, you need a comparison,” said Hembrick. “So get at least two internship at a minimum. Employers want to know what you can do.” Students ordering if the income they will make after graduation will be enough to cover loans should look at figures from the Department of Education. As of 2008, 72 percent of young people with at least a bachelor’s degree worked full time compared to 62 percent of those with only a high school diploma. That same year, the government reports that the median income of young adults with a bachelor’s degree was $46,000 compared to $30,000 for those with only a high school diploma or its equivalent. In 2008, people with a bachelor’s degree earned 53

was to introduce students to the process of global outsourcing and to the complex issues surrounding the role of outsourcing in the global economy. Graduate student Rasheed Brown described the Indians they studied with as “very caring and hospitable.” “Every morning they tried to fix our breakfast American-style,” said Brown. “It wasn’t exactly American-style and some mornings the eggs were served with jalapenos and cereal with hot milk.” “Of course it wasn’t the same, but it was nice of them to do so,” he said. Love said that the students did an excellent job “wrapping their minds around the experience of traveling in India.” She said they thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the new foods and the cultural experience. Brown said that one of the most fun experiences in India was playing that popular American game — basketball. “The people were cheering for us on the sides when we walked on the court,” he said. “That was one of the most fun experiences! It was like ‘You come over here, we’re going to accommodate you.’”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 percent more than someone with only a high school diploma and 96 percent more than someone that did not earn a high school diploma. Hembrick said that Career Services is working on rolling out a program that will provide student employment on campus. “It’s similar to the work study positions on Eagle Trak,” she said. “Student employment will get University departments with identified positions to post those positions and students can search and apply for them.” “You’ll have to have an approved resume through career services to get the jobs,” said Hembrick. “We want the best marketable resumes. It’ll be like a job search. You’ll apply, be interviewed if selected, and attend a required orientation just like a job.” Hembrick said that she hopes the student employment will provide students with experience and teach them the job search process. She called it “career exploration on campus.” For procrastinating students that have graduation on the horizon and have not had an internship Hembrick has some advice. “Take action, it’s never too late,” she said. “We work forward from where we are. We figure out what we can do over the summer for 2nd semester juniors. For seniors you can get an internship for the spring. Market yourself to get an unpaid internship whether off or on campus.” Hembrick also said that students should take advantage of the Career Fair coming to campus Oct. 11–13 in which employers will be here spread out over several days. Back on the yard, Rivers said that he is a firm believer in college paying off. “Take advantage of every opportunity you get because you don’t know where it will lead,” she said. “Take advantage of resources. Be aggressive. Be flexible. They’re really big assets.”

“The conference was a training ground for me because I got to interact with other historians, to learn what books they were reading and how they did their research.” JIM HARPER NCCU HISTORY PROFESSOR

observance. “NCCU has been part of ASALH since the 1920s,” said Wilson. “I feel honored to be part of the leadership team. I wouldn’t of thought of not doing it.” The theme this year is “The History of Black Economic Empowerment.” The program will stem off of the 100th anniversary of the National Urban League, a civil rights organization dedicated to the economics of African Americans. Part of being a historian is analyzing history and presenting your findings with other historians. Many NCCU history professors, including associate professors Freddie Parker, Lydia Lindsey, and Jim Harper presented their first research papers at ASALH. Harper got the opportunity to present his first paper in 1978 at ASALH’s conference in Los Angeles, titled “The Law is Too Slow: 1888-1906,” his research took a look at lynching in N.C. “It was absolutely exciting for me to present my first paper in L.A.,” said Harper. “The conference was a training ground for me because I got to interact with other historians, to learn what books they were reading and how they did their research.” This will be Brian Robinson’s, a second year history graduate student, fourth presentation.He will be presenting the first chapter of his thesis titled “Dr. Shepard and Student Unrest: 1930-1980.” He will be featured on a panel highlighting Shepard, NCCU’s founder, and will present research on student protests at

NCCU. “I get a lot of experience and networking opportunities when I present at conferences,” said Robinson. “It is essential for me as a history student to get the practice.” One of the major sessions will focus on the future of HBCU’s. Chancellor Nelms, Dianne Boardley Suber, president of St. Augustine’s College, and Ronald Carter, president of Johnson C. Smith University are also on the panel and will continue the conversation of NCCU’s HBCU symposium held last June. Thursday night, a reception will be lead by Nelms to bring attention to the 94th anniversary of the Journal of African American History. This year, the reception will be sponsored by NCCU and honor NCCU’s Sylvia Jacobs, a recently retired history professor who taught at the University for over 30 years. Bus tours will be available to take attendees to different historical locations around the Triangle. Stops include the Stagville Plantion, the African American Cultural Complex in Raleigh and the Shepard House at NCCU. The CEO of Durham’s own N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Company will be on a panel discussing black businesses. Congressmen G.K Butterfied of the 1st District of N.C. will be speaking at Saturday night’s annual banquet at the Marriot City Center and poet Sonia Sanchez will be presenting at Saturday afternoon’s plenary session.

Campus

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

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Hair to stay

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University students adopt natural hair phenomenom

Symone Fogg, Early College

Senior Naundi Armour

Junior, Morgan Fountain

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Sophomore, Shawanda Lang

MORGAN CRUTCHF Staff Photographer

BY DELORES HAYES ECHO STAFF REPORTER

The natural hair population has grown. At N.C. Central University, many students have taken on the challenge of sporting Afro-puffs, locks, and sister locks. But is this a trend or the start of another Black Pride movement? “I just like the way my hair looks,” said Brittany Dyke, psychology sophomore. “It is part of becoming a woman and growing into myself.” Ever since Angela Davis came out with her iconic Afro in the ‘60s, going natural has been seen as a political statement. Some NCCU students

believe going natural is only a trend. Others believe it has a deeper meaning. “My family wasn’t too keen on me going natural and the women in my family are real big on relaxed hair,” said Dyke. “After they saw me when I first cut my hair, they figured and hoped I would get a relaxer soon after, but I haven’t.” Some students said that they believed racial oppression led African-Americans to believe that natural black hair was never good enough. “My friends supported me but my dad really didn’t like it because I guess he thought I would always have long straight hair like a girl should have,” said Melanie

Davis nursing freshmen. “People shouldn’t be scared to be themselves.” Dyke said that she wanted to make her own decisions regarding beauty. “I was tired of being told how I am supposed to look as a black woman,” said Dyke. Natural hair and what it means to be a black woman has made an impact in the media including books and movies. “The resistance to the natural hair hasn’t really come from the white community,” said Shauntae White, associate professor in the English and mass communications. “It really comes from the black community.” White recently published a book chapter on the sub-

ject, “The Big Girls Chair: A Rhetorical Analysis of how ‘Motion for Kids’ Markets Relaxers to African American Girls.” “The socialization we get at a young age tells us the natural state of our hair is unacceptable,” said White. According to statistics presented in Chris Rock’s 2009 “Good Hair,” 30–34 percent of all hair products in the U.S. are purchased by African American women and 65 percent of hair-care revenue comes from weaves. “Going natural can be a life changing experience,” said White. “I straightened my hair for so long because that is what you did. There was never another option presented.”

TEXT USE BY ETHNICITY STEVEN BROWN/Echo graphic designer

not surprised by the findings. “Texting is an easier and more effective way versus talking over the phone, because it is more private,” said Ninecia Scott, a pharmaceutical science sophomore. “I text because when my friends are in class I can communicate with them ... also cell phone plans have texting free but charge for talking,” said Dagea Carraway psychology freshman.

The National Center for Health Statistics, lists African-Americans as less likely to own a land line and consequently will rely heavily on their cell phone for communication by voice and text. “The more cohesive a group is the more texting is likely,” said Thomas Evans, assistant chair of the English and mass communication department. “It also depends upon where they live rather than who they are.”

BRITE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The windows on the Freelon Group design of the BRITE Building mimics the pattern of DNA strands Courtesey of The Freelon Group

North Carolina honor award — Unbuilt category. The Freelon Group has produced projects on several UNC campuses including N.C. A & T and Elizabeth City State University. The group was also selected by the Smithsonian Institution to create the design for the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. “When our peers locally and nationally recognize

one of our projects as excellent design, it is extremely rewarding”, said Winstead The AIA committee gives its awards based on how the project is conceived, planned, designed, built, inhabited, and evaluated. Opened in 2008, the just over 20 million dollar institute was funded by the Golden Leaf Foundation. The foundation’s main purpose is to help advance the economic well being of North Carolinians.

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"BRITE lets you know how the industry will be. All the different machines we use are just like that in an actual laboratory,” said pharmaceutical science and chemistry senior Ana Berglind. "It promotes a very collaborative environment.” The two-level 52,000 sq. ft. facility also houses four major laboratories which are primarily used for teaching and research. BRITE offers many

opportunities to students that meet its criteria. BRITE high school candidates must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for acceptance. Undergraduate students at BRITE have started their careers as lab technicians making $45- 60,000 a year at entry level positions. With a graduate’s degree students begin as lab scientists making $62-70,000 dollars a year at entry level positions.

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Start fresh Faculty discuss how to do well your freshman year BY CRYSTAL COTTON ECHO STAFF REPORTER

How high you soar — or fast you fall — can depend on the success of your freshman year. More than one out of four Eagles did not make it back to N.C. Central University, according to NCCU’s 2009 retention report. Of 1,236 freshmen, 351, about 28 percent, did not survive their freshman year. “It is hard to juggle classes when I am still trying to figure out when to read and how to make it through,” said Quintavious Coleman, physics freshman. NCCU has resources to help students succeed. The University College, for instance, provides assistance to students transitioning to university life. Still, many students are overwhelmed, feeling like failures when they take that first step off the track. From deans to graduate students, many people at NCCU know what freshmen are going through because they have traveled the same path. “I didn't like my freshman year. I got depressed because I got a bad grade,” said John Livingston, assistant professor of psychology and director of export outreach. “My freshman year was terrible because I paid more attention to recreation and not math or biology,” said Louis Velez, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs.

Some said they could have changed the outcome of their freshman years if they had made better choices. “It just comes down to making the right decisions,” said Judithe Louis, psychology gradutate student. “If you don’t make the right decisions, you are going to have a bad year.” Though some freshman may think it is impossible to do well their first year, many have beat the odds. Some experienced students say that freshmen should learn to take the initiative in matters and ask questions when they don’t know. “Be open to the opinions and perspectives of other people,” said Gary Brown, assistant dean of students. “Don't squander your opportunity of being in college because it is a privilege to be here.” George T. Huff, coordinator of dimensions of learning, advised students to “Introduce yourself to your professors. Get to know them from day one.” “It would also be wise to identify a mentor right away.” Freshman year should be both fun and memorable. It should be a time to learn, to grow and to become your own person. Livingston recommended that freshman “be mindful of the shadows they cast.” “You should always remember that what you do today affects your tomorrow,” he said.

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

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Salon supports Echo

Gail’s Hair Salon creates award for Echo students

Gail and Tommy McNeill give Campus Echo editor-iin-cchief Ashley Griffin a check for $1,000 that will provide an annual award to a Campus Echo student. Gail’s Hair Salon is located at 3208 Guess Road. CORLISS PAULING/Echo staff photographer

BY QUANTE MANUEL ECHO STAFF REPORTER

When N.C. Central University alumnus Tommy McNeill dropped by the Campus Echo last week, he had one thing in mind — placing an ad in the Campus Echo for his wife’s business, Gail’s Hair Salon. But during a brief tour of the facility with Echo adviser Bruce dePyssler, he asked what he could do to help. Without batting an eye he agreed to create a lifetime annual $100 award for a Campus Echo student. In a follow-up e-mail, McNeill explained his decision:

“The Journalism Award is being established to promote academic excellence for matriculating students at North Carolina Central University and who are participating in the publishing of The Campus Echo. The Campus Echo is one of the most highly recognized HBCU student newspapers in the nation. “At Gail’s Hair Salon, we are committed to academic excellence and supportive of the creative work being exhibited by the staff at The Campus Echo.” McNeill said a high grade point average will not be a requirement to qualify for the journalism award. “Just because you don’t

have a particular GPA doesn’t mean you aren’t a student who strives for excellence,” he said. McNeill said he will fund the award in perpetuity and that it will be included in his estate. The winner of the Tommy and Gail McNeill Journalism Award will be selected each year by dePyssler. DePyssler said he’s never known anyone to agree to hand over cash so quickly. “It’s alumnus support at its finest,” said dePyssler. “It’s the kind of support that lets our students know that former graduates care about their success.” McNeill, a 1992 NCCU

alumnus who studied marketing, and his wife, Gail McNeill, a graduate of Durham Technical Community College, said they believe in academic excellence. The McNeills have also provided support for the Orange County Boys and Girls Club and New Tech High School. McNeill works in sales with King Pharmaceutical and his wife owns two hair salons on Guess Road. The salons have a combined revenue of more than $250,000. Gail said it was her husband’s idea to pursue the salon business. Gail has been doing hair for over 10 years now.

Ex Umbra back in the shadows Once again, no funding for NCCU’s literary magazine BY STILLMAN MBA ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Tattooing your heart and soul on paper can be a healing experience. Having your feelings, thoughts and beliefs published is a way to share with others. And that’s where the Ex Umbra, N.C. Central University’s literary magazine, has come into play for over 40 years — or at least that’s where the Ex Umbra used to come into play. The Ex Umbra — which has been in print since 1965 — no longer exists.

This year the literary magazine does not have funding to continue printing. According to the magazine’s faculty adviser, English professor Andrew Williams, “The Ex Umbra is the voice of the artistic community of NCCU.” “Students put it together and over time it reflects the flavors of the time and changes.” The magazine’s name is Latin for “out of the shadow.” It publishes student stories, poetry, art and photography. Hillside High School English teacher Deborah

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Watkins, an NCCU alumna, said the Ex Umbra is a valuable resource at NCCU. “It encourages students to express themselves and to continue writing,” she said. “If you suppress the desire to write, you’ll be suppressing the human spirit,” said Watkins. “Poetry is one of those languages that talks about feelings.” Watkins said her poem “How Many Can Say,” which was published in 2002, the Ex Umbra, “helped me appreciate life … by being able to publish it someone else was able to sense what I

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entirely happy with. “It is still more meaningful to put student work in print,” he said. “But without adequate funds, we may have to resort to that.” Williams said he also hopes to work with the Campus Echo to find a way to work creative writing into the student newspaper. Williams said he felt “great shock and disappointment” when he heard the Ex Umbra would no longer be funded. “Students no longer have an outlet for their creative expression,” he said.

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Affiars, were cut without notice. But soon after a Campus Echo story about the funding cut was picked up by national wire services, funds were restored. In the magazine’s first issue, editors explained two reasons for selecting the name Ex Umbra. The original staff believed that the student body was too much in the shadows and needed to be brought into light, where their peers could recognize their work. Williams said the Ex Umbra may need to go online, a solution he is not

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was feeling.” Williams said that the Ex Umbra operates with a budget of $7,000, about $3,500 of which used for printing. Williams explained that since the state is in a budget crisis, the English department, which funded Ex Umbra, is no longer allowed to use funds for anything other than classroom instruction. That leaves Ex Umbra out of the loop. This isn’t the first time Ex Umbra has been short of cash. In 2004, funds which were then provided by Student

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Beyond NCCU

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

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OBAMA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 also comes as the White House moves to counter a looming disaster for Democrats in the November election. By showing the traits that wooed voters two years ago, Obama may be better able to aid embattled Democratic candidates as he steps up his campaign travel. Still, it’s not a reprise that comes with ease. Aides say Obama does not favor the idea of personal displays from the commander in chief. In addition, the process of governing does not lend itself to folksy overtures the way campaigning does. “You don’t get as many opportunities to do that within the bubble of the presidency because you’re talking about specific policy issues, legislative votes and crises,” said one administration official. Or, as Republican strategist Mark McKinnon put it: “Obama is no longer the shiny object.” Presidential advisers say they are trying to incorporate more personal storytelling, but also to deepen the conversation as time goes on. Later this fall, Obama is releasing his first children’s book, entitled “Of Thee I Sing: a Letter to My Daughters.” The Obama story began returning in the president’s appearances last week. The president and first lady Michelle Obama are where they are today, goes one redux, because their families worked tirelessly to give them a better life. His grandfather marched off to Europe in World War II, according to another story, while his grandmother worked in factories on the home front. The president recounts how Michelle Obama’s father trudged off to his job as a city worker each day — even after multiple sclerosis required him to use crutches. Students of Obama’s speeches have heard many of those stories before. But Obama is now willing to let speechwriters pour a little more of his life into the reminiscence. In his back-to-school speech last week, Obama told students about how he had slacked off in high school. His high school grades slipped, and he was guilty of being a “goof-off,” to his mother’s deep displeasure. “She decided to sit me down and said I had to change my attitude,” he recalled. “I was like, you know, I don’t need to hear all this. I’m doing OK, I’m not flunking out.” Eventually, though, he said his mother’s words had their intended effect and he

exerted more effort. The moral: Even if they’ve slid backward, students can always get back on track. A major question is whether voters will be moved by that personal touch. “It’s as if you’re talking to a very intelligent law professor and government official, who really knows the issues and wants really hard to tell you why you should be persuaded of his position,” said David Halperin, a speechwriter for former President Bill Clinton. “I think that Obama does stand for some important values, and he could do more to stress the values and give the speeches more inspirational language.” Other presidents also have struggled with self-revelation. Democratic strategist Paul Begala recalled a rare personal story by former President George H.W. Bush during a 1988 convention speech in which Bush spoke about coming home from World War II and heading to Texas in a station wagon. The story helped middleclass voters relate to him, Begala said. “President Obama has always been more reticent to incorporate his personal story into his public message,” said Begala, who advised Clinton, a master of personal connection with audiences. “I do think voters want to know that a leader’s issue agenda is authentic, that his or her agenda is shaped by his or her values. Incorporating one’s personal story bolsters that. “As he marked the Sept. 11 observances, Obama called on Americans to turn away from religious divisions, adding he understands spiritual passions “as somebody who relies heavily on my Christian faith in my job.” The spiritual reference was noteworthy. The First Family attended church near the White House on Sunday, but religion is a subject Obama has kept almost entirely private since taking office. During the presidential campaign, he spoke on religion in the midst of a furor over controversial comments by his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. But as president, he has rarely addressed it. Perhaps as one result, a recent Pew Research Center poll showed a growing number of Americans believe Obama is a Muslim, while a declining proportion say he is a Christian. And, 20 months into his presidency, a plurality of Americans do not know what religion Obama follows, the survey showed.

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‘Climate Wars’ author at Regulator Journalist discusses military’s interst in climate change

Author Gwynne Dyer signs a copy of his new book while discussing climate chage with retired high school counselor, Marvin Woll. ASHLEY ROQUE/Echo assistant editor

B Y A SHLEY R OQUE ECHO ASSISTANT EDITOR

For the past seven years, freelance journalist Gwynne Dyer has been trying to understand the military’s new interest in climate change. From the interviews he conducted with scientist and government officials Dyer came to an alarming conclusion: the lack of food production caused by the earths rising temperatures will create massive death and incredible chaos. “Al Gore sugar coats the situation,” said Dyer. “If we don’t stop the global temperature from rising, it’s going to get bloody as the world fights for food.” Dyer’s book, “Climate Wars: The Fight for Survival as the World Heats,” examines this potential global conflict. According to Dyer, for every degree Celsius the temperature rises, the earth as a whole, looses 10 percent of its food production. Though food production isn’t affected evenly across the planet, it is still a problem that needs to be solved. Dyer says that many countries that have the power to better the environment have a “lifeboat” mentality. According to Dyeer a lifeboat can only hold a designated number of people, and countries can only have a maximum population, so it’s going to get ugly when you have to keep people out to save yourself. “When do you stop calling them economic refugees and start calling them climate refugees?” said Dyer. Last Wednesday night at The Regulator, a independent bookstore on 9th Street about 30 people gathered to hear Dyer speak and to get a

signed copy of his new book. “It’s important to get more people involved and more people to act fast,” said retired high school counselor Marvin Woll of Raleigh. “This summer alone had a record number of days with temperatures above 90 degrees.” “All you ever hear on the news about climate is that it’s going be another beautiful day in the Triangle,” said concerned citizen Linda Rodriguez of Durham. “You never hear about the massive floods and food shortages that many countries are enduring from climate change.” Dyer is considered an expert on the military issues. He has served in the naval reserve of Canada, the U.S. and England and has taught as senior lecturer of war studies at England’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In 1983 Dyer produced the documentary “War.” The eight-hour miniseries was shown in 45 different countries and commissioned by the National Film Board of Canada. One installment of the documentary, “The Profession of Arms,” was nominated for an academy award. Dyer’s political column is circulated in major newspapers all over the world, including the Japan Times and Egypt Today. In the United States, his column circulates in several major papers, including the Raleigh-based News and Observer. Dyer hasn’t always been interested in climate change. It wasn’t until he took an annual trip to Washington, D.C. as a reporter that his view of the climate grew dim.

“I followed climate change like I followed oil prices,” said Dyer. “I didn’t get it ...” Dyer said that there was a real undercurrent of panic about climate change in many of his interviews. He said his interview with NASA climatologist James Hanson was especially worrisom. He also examined research done at HansJoachim Schellnhuber of the Postdam Institute for Climate Impact Research for a better understanding of the impact of climate change. According to Dyer, our military’s alarming dependency on fuel is pushing the Pentagon to begin using alternatives. Over half of the casualties in Iraq came from soldiers protecting envoys that were hauling fuel. Dyer’s said Pentagon and CIA sources said that the Mexican Border will be completely closed within the next 10-15 years. It is America’s way of saving it’s own on the lifeboat. Since much of Mexico is in the subtropics, their food production will be badly hurt by climate change. According to Dyer, their

rainfall has already been cut by 50 percent over the last 10 years. Dyer said that that when half the nation is either recent or of direct Mexican decent, blocking out others trying to come in will cause nothing short of a civil war. “The amiable fiction is that you can’t shut a two, three thousand mile curtain if you are not willing to kill people.” Dyer is not entirely hopeless about the earth’s future. He has higher hopes now than he did when he started the book. Dyer’s solution: geoengineering. Dyer said that our only parachute in this global conflict is altering specific parts of the earth’s environment to keep the earth from heating up so fast. One form of geoengineering that he highlighted was enhancing the clouds over the earth’s oceans to help reflect sunlight back out of the earth’s atmosphere. He also mentioned underground storage of carbon dioxide as a way of reducing greenhouse gasses. Dyer’s book can be purchased online at www.gwynnedyer.com.

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Chicago

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

IVERSITY

Photos and story by Willie Pace

Chicago’s magnificent skyline seen from Hyde Park. Hyde Park is home to the University of Chicago and some of the city’s great museums, including the DuSable Museum of African American History and the Museum of Science and Industry.

he Chicago skyline is iconic with spectacular sunsets. Particulate matter in the air adds character to the beauty of the skyline. The skies of Chicago are mesmeric; the people are congenial; Chicago is addictive. I visited Hyde Park, three blocks from the residence of President Obama and Louis Farrakhan, where my sister lives. Obama’s street is continually patrolled by the U. S. Secret Service. Otherwise, Hyde Park is a quaint oasis of neighborliness. Chicago’s Westside is a lot like any other inner-ccity neighborhoods in America. It is a city of sharp dichotomies. Chicago is

rich and ostentatious, juxtaposed against poverty and squalor. I visited the “Magnificent Mile” where “old money” abides in Chicago. The infamous and legendary “Westside” is a boarded-u up economic ghost town. Race and ethnicity is fluid yet static in Chicago. Chicago might be the most segregated city in America; every ethnicity has its segregated and distinct niche. For all its faults, Chicago is still the “golden” land of opportunity, an economic mecca where fortunes are made and careers advanced. Chicago is my kind of town.

A paper maché caricature adorns the entrance of Gino’s on Michigan Avenue. dish pizza. Chicago is known as Gino’s is the home of deep-d the “Pizza Capital of the World.”

A view from Chicago’s South Side. A residential high rise, the Rock Island Railroad and Lake Michigan. Chicago’s skyline looms in the background.

An old style low-rrise building in Old Town Chicago.

The beautiful sunset ushers in a warm Chicago night over Lake Michigan.

A&E

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

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Such a vibrant thing An abstract retrospective with bright hues and geometric shapes

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Twitter Trending Topic #FTW (For The Win) #WTF (What The ...) #FAIL

TRASH

Trey Songz Passion, Pain & Pleasure Atlantic Records out of on the 3 5 black hand side

Xian Brooks,public health junior attends “Color Balance”. He gazes at Felrath Hines’ “Stop Go-G Go Stop” painting. NEKA JONES/Echo staff photographer

BY DIANE VARNIE ECHO A&E EDITOR

One can adore pop art, but “Color Balance: Paintings by Felrath Hines” will take you on a fantastic voyage that will teach a whole new understanding of bubbly colors and odd shapes. This past Sunday, a new exhibition has come to N.C. Central University’s Art Museum featuring the perfect example of various hues placed on equilibrium. The vibrant thing has touched down and has been pleasing to the eye. In early 2009, Hines’ widow Dorothy Fisher donated a selection of his major works to the Ackland Art Museum at The University of North Carolina

at Chapel Hill, the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, and the NCCU Art Museum. All three institutions have expressed interest in Hines' work in the past. The exhibition presented a vivid connection between the art and the creator itself. In this case, it was translated through blots of paint and nonfigurative shapes. Intangible eye candy, Hines’ work is singular, but displays analogous emotions at the same time. Hines, who was one of the chief colorists, was early influenced by Cubism, playing with various tones of color and turning them into hefty geometric concepts. Much of the detail in Hines’ work involves smooth, milky textures, which are sharply supported

by defined lines. The works included in “Color Balance” features fourteen of Hines' major paintings and four drawings that range from the 1960s to his death in 1993. Pieces in the exhibition include “Kellylike.” It’s a homage to American hardedge and color field painter and sculptor Ellsworth Kelly's shaped canvases. Also included is “Aquatic Adventures,” the last piece completed before Hines' death, and “Japanese Landscape,” which is an important early effort that tested the interplay of delicate shades of gray. As one can only imagine, each piece truly illustrates a distinctive story and since all of the work is abstract, anyone can make their own interpretation.

Carlitta Durand, a local up-and-coming R&B singer/songwriter and recent alumna, shared her appreciation for one of Hines’ pieces, “Escape.” She explained that the oil on linen piece looks like a colorful window, open for the perfect get-a-way. She also described the three-dimensional white element resembling a paper plane, possibly “escaping” out of the three-toned window. Another winner is “Yellow on Yellow,” which won interest for the sun blinding, incorporated hue. Hines uses layers with magnitude– showing us definitions of color balance. What’s your interpretation? “Color Balance” is open for viewing through Dec. 10.

500millionfriends.com

BY RODDRICK HOWELL ECHO STAFF REPORTER

On September 13, select college students were able to get a sneak peek of the movie “The Social Network” at the Carolina Theatre in downtown Durham. With the screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and featured stars Jesse Rosenberg and Armie Hammer in attendance, the audience got an insightful view of the movie’s creation. Sorkin explained the research that went into writing the screenplay, which is based on the story of the founders of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin. The film is also based on Ben Mezrich's book The Accidental Billionaires.

"We showed Facebook a pre-screening, but the only thing we got back was notes about the acting,” laughed Sorkin. Sorkin used transcripts from the depositions of two lawsuits against Zuckerberg, which he used to research the movie. He described how a college student built a multibillion-dollar company and cultural phenomenon, but lost friends along the way. One lawsuit was filed against Zuckerberg by his former best friend Eduardo Saverin, who helped build the company but was later cut out. The other lawsuit stems from college associates, The Winklevoss twins, who claim Facebook stole their idea, a site called The Harvard

Connection. As the film unravels, the audience is sent into this time warp as they get to meet the characters and their many flaws. There is no real hero in the movie or final resolution. "I watched hours of Mark Zuckerberg to learn his body language and how he spoke,” explains Jesse Rosenberg, who plays Zuckerberg in the movie. The movie takes an indepth look at people’s need to be accepted, as well as their addictions and its desires. The movie includes an impressive performance by Justin Timberlake, whose star power had nothing to do with him being cast. Sorkin says that Justin had to audi-

Bilal Airtight’s Revenge Universal Records out of on the 5 5 black hand side tion like everyone else. It’s mighty impressive that this was the dream of a 21-year-old college student who had problems seeking a girl. “The Social Network” opens in theatres nationwide Oct. 1.

Glimmer in the dark

thought I knew everything there was to know about black history, but after reading Danielle L. McGuire’s new book, “At the Dark End of the Street Black Women, Rape, and Resistance — A New History of the Civil Rights SHENEKA Movement: QUINITCHETTE from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power,” I learned that there was so much unsaid on the discussion of black history. McGuire’s narrative history makes the shocking information easier to digest. She discusses how African Americans handled date rapes, interracial dating and homosexuality within the civil rights movement.

The book centers on a quote by Gunnar Myrdal: “Sex is the principle around which the whole structure of segregation . . . is organized.” McGuire claims that the majority of the black women’s protests in response to the sexual violence were a launching point for the civil rights movement. McGuire’s analysis of the civil rights movement discusses how sexual violence of black women was used to impede the Civil Rights movement and enforce white supremacy. These crimes often went unpunished. McGuire also discusses the tragic “Scottsboro Boys” case as the back drop to her breakdown of the civil rights movement. On March 25, 1931, nine young African American men were unjustly accused of raping two white women.

Mobs of people threatening the governor called for the National Guard. McGuire points out the fact that jurors were pushing for the nine boys to be lynched, but were denied. The conviction and the death of the nine boys was the back drop for McGuire’s discussion on Recy Taylor. In 1944, Recy Taylor was kidnapped and raped by seven white men in Abbeville, Alabama. Long before Rosa Parks made her monumental refusal on an Alabama city bus, she was leading community groups in the fight for equality. “The attack on Mrs. Taylor was an attack on all women,” said Parks. “No woman is safe or free until all women are safe and free.” McGuire effectively gives readers a sense of urgency for the problem of the past.

fter creating an incredible third album, “Ready,” panty-dropper Trey Songz is back with his fourth album, “Passion, Pain & Pleasure.” Trey expresses thirst and sensation through seventeen tracks, including three interludes. The album’s concept ties in quite well with the album’s title, giving the listener a well put together project in a three different story format— giving familiar love scenarios. For example “Please Return My Call” and “Made to Be Together” share the setting of how Trey really misses his lover and how he can’t be without her because they were like a match made in heaven. Interlude “Pain” g ives auditors a glimpse of his feelings while he deals with a breakup, a really bad argument with his love one, and emotion of

She sinks in the notion that everyone—not just women—should be concerned and outraged at the mistreatment of black women. Rosa Park’s refusal to depart the bus was not the start of the civil rights. Many men and women have paved the way for equality since slavery. By highlighting the rape of black women, McGuire made new history of the many cases of black women and resistance. After reading McGuire’s book, there is a sense that much is left out on the discourse on civil rights in America. The country as a whole needs to discuss and teach more of African American women’s history to effectively fill in the gaps and give a more accurate picture of the history of our nation.

fter a nine-year hiatus, Bilal is back with his third LP, “Airtight’s Revenge.” If you are looking for 1st Born Second or even Love for Sale Bilal, look again. This 12 cut LP offers a unique, but likable sound from Bilal, that you are either going to like or not comprehend. Having total creative control, “Airtight’s Revenge” explorers many musical genres and topics, making the sound experience hard to skip with fear of missing an audible treat. Production credits on the album go to Bilal himself, Nottz, Shafiq Husayn of Sa-Ra Creative Partners, 88 Keys, Steve Mckie and Conley “Tone” Whitfield. Straying from the usual neo-soul phase, Bilal’s voice is an aesthetic

missing his lover. Of course, Trey knows how to make club favorites. Lead single "Bottoms up” featuring Nikki Minaj sprinted quickly on the Billboard Hot 100, making his placement at number five. Though the album is creative in a sense, Songz didn’t give his full effort into this album — especially after viewing his growth spurt as an artist on “Ready.” While listening to the album and after the interlude “Pleasure,” I assumed that it would be some great love making music that would expose Trey’s explicit and usual sexual content that his listeners are used to. But instead, the songs were quite mediocre. Although this song contains explicit sexual content, “Door Bell” presumed Trey as trying too hard to translate his experience with pleasure. This is Trey Songz’s fourth album and he’s at the peak of his career right now. However, Passion, Pain, & Pleasure wasn’t what I expected it to be. — Tahj Giles

instrument that takes listeners on a ride through gospel, jazz, soul, electronic and funk. The album opener “Cake & Eat it Too,” “Restart” and “Move On” are the album’s main attractions — true highlights that show the growth and transformation in the eccentric artist. One can even hear the Prince influence, sometimes mistaken for the Purple Yoda himself. Bilal knows how to sing about heavy emotional charged topics that make trigger your train of thought at the same time. This is apparent on “Flying,” where he sings about a victim of cocaine and the pros and cons of the dealer. Restart expresses a scenario about a second chance of love with a funky, jazz appeal. Get “Airtight’s Revenge,” and then listen to it again, again and again. He’s not signed with Kanye West, but support GOOD music. — Theresa W. Garrett

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

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BET’s Black College Tour BET’s hip-hop college tour makes its return to NCCU after a four year hiatus BY TOMMIA HAYES ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Eagles, put on your freshest gear because BET’s infamous “Black College Tour” is coming this Friday, Sept. 24t. It has been three years since the BET visit and thankfully it’s making its return back to N.C. Central University. The purpose of the tour is to highlight and support HBCUs by providing meaningful outreach to minority students. BET’s college tour remains the largest event targeting HBCUs in the nation.

The tour will have activities such as the Toyota Drop the Beat, Freestyle Rap Battle, Air Force two on two, EA Sports Video Skills and much more active fun. Hopefully students will take advantage of this event and represent the school in a respectable manner. This is a momentous event in Eagle history. Let’s hope BET won’t wait another four years to return after this Friday. B.E.T’s ninth annual college tour will be held in front of the Alfonso Elder Student Union from noon till 3p.m.

Words Run Deep

Local journalist and flimmaker takes hip-hop to the screen BY ALISHA BYRD ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Over two decades ago hip hop pioneers such as Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, Public Enemy and many more started a movement through music that now influences our generation. Hip-hop isn’t just about the music; it’s about the style, the fashion, the beauty, and the content. The lyrics express real issues that are relatable amongst many different ethnicities and communities. The music itself paved the way for many talented artists and impacted our culture like no other.

But many are worried that hip-hop is becoming too commercial and that it doesn’t have the same impact as it once did. The narrative-formatted documentary, “Words Run Deep,” by local journalist and film maker, Charles Martin, explains how hiphop has influenced the world since its introduction. The documentary features local college professors who teach hip-hop and popular culture courses, local radio personalities. The documentary also features independent and underground North Carolina artists who refuse to conform to hip-hops new

commercialized ways. The film expresses how the origin of hip-hop’s roots came from the art of spoken word and poetry, combined with rhythm and blues. When hip-hop was first introduced, the content of the songs made you stop and think. They told stories about protests, gang violence and issues in the black community. Most importantly it talks about how many emcees have strayed away from really being who they are because of what the corporate entities think will sell records. Many rappers today are

more focused on the hustle instead of the art, which was one of the main issues discussed. Unlike many underground artists, a lot of the mainstream rappers give in to what the record labels want and their lyric content reflects a quick money gimmick of commercialism. The media is at fault because they allow certain types of music to be played without it being censored and it’s our fault as listeners for supporting it. Sad to say, but sex,

money, drugs and violence is what people want to hear. “Even though hip-hop has changed dramatically, many have to realize that as the world changes, so will hip-hop,” said Dr. Mark Anthony Neal, Professor of Pop Culture at Duke University. Although those times will always be remembered, we can’t continue to be stuck on how hip-hop used to be twenty years ago. Regardless the true

Dept. of Criminal Justice Fall 2010 Lecture Series “Raising the Juvenile Age of Jurisdiction: Impact on the Juvenile and Criminal Justice System” Eric Zogry, N.C. Juvenile Defender Thur., Sept. 23 ~ 1 pm, Rm. 201 Whiting Criminal Justice

ambition behind the music, hip-hop will forever have same impact and influence on our culture as it once did. Friday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m., the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham will host a premiere showing of the locally produced documentary. A panel discussion and Q&A will follow the 30minute film presentation. To learn more about Charles Martin’s documentary, Words Run Deep, visit the site www.wordsrundeep.com.

Campus Echo Online

“The Social Reality of Children and Youth and its Impact on Community Life: A Call to Action”

No kidding. Free classified ads for anyone with any @nccu e-m mail account.

Elaine O’Neal Bushfan, Chief District Court Judge Wed., Oct. 27 ~ 6 pm, Rm. 201 Whiting Criminal Justice

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Zogry has been appointed the Juvenile Defender by the Indigent Defense Services Commission and he is the Director of the Southern Regional Defender Center.

O’Neal Bushfan, an NCCU alumna, is the Chief District Court Judge of the 14th Judicial District, Durham County. She is a recipient of the President’s NAACP Award.

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Sports

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

Eagles stumble in Boone Top ranked Mountaineers rout Eagles 44-16

Growing fast Physical education expands with certification

Park and rec sophomore Dustin Gwinn CORLISS PAULING/Echo photo editor

BY ASHLEY ROQUE ECHO ASSISTANT EDITOR

Appalachian State senior running back Devon Moore drags defenders for a Mountaineer first down. AARON SAUNDERS/Echo sports editor

BY AARON SAUNDERS ECHO SPORTS EDITOR

With nine returning starters, the N.C. Central University defense was expected to be the strength of the football team. However, Saturday against top–ranked Appalachian State, the Eagle defense looked overmatched as the Mountaineers steamrolled the Eagles 44-16. “Today we had to play catch-up football and when you have to do that it’s hard to get back in the game,” said Head Coach Mose Rison. Last year the

Mountaineers defeated the Eagles 55-21 behind Walter Pa y t o n -Aw a r d – w i n n i n g quarterback Armanti Edwards. “Last year we were a little shell–shocked with the atmosphere and we shocked ourselves into playing pretty good,” said junior quarterback Michael Johnson. On Saturday, the Mountaineers scored 24 straight points before the Eagles responded with a score of their own on a 92–yard kick return by sophomore return man Arthur Goforth. “Arthur is a good football

player with great speed,” said Rison. “He really is a tremendous weapon. I didn’t expect them to kick it to him that much.” The Eagles offense struggled to find its rhythm all day but did showcase a blend of balanced pass and run attacks totaling 330 yards on the day. “It was hard to run the football, so we tried to hit them with quick passes,” said Johnson. Once the Mountaineers offense took over, the track meet began as junior running back Travaris Cadet bobbed and weaved through the defense for an

astounding 149 yards on 8 carries and 1 touchdown. Cadet was not the only Mountaineer to score touchdowns on the ground; senior running back Devon Moore added two touchdowns. “They had some really good skill players,” said senior defensive tackle Teryl White. The Eagle defense gave up 328 yards rushing on the day, an improvement from last year’s 407 yards against App State. “Can’t explain it, just bad tackling. We have to be able to tackle better,” said Rison. This marks the second

straight game that the Eagles defense has struggled. Last week poor defense led to a Winston Salem State victory. “Its just something you have to get reps at and we worked on it last week in practice, just not enough I guess,” said White. This Saturday the Eagles take on archrival N. C. A&T State University at O’Kelly Riddick Stadium at 6 p.m. “I talked after the game to our guys about the magnitude of this game. This is a huge week and A&T is our biggest rival, it is important to us to go into our bye [week] 2-2,” said Rison.

Let’s talk — Eagle Weekly radio program highlights NCCUs sports teams BY

AARON SAUNDERS ECHO SPORTS EDITOR

Surrounded by triangle ACC schools Duke, North Carolina State, and UNCChapel Hill, N.C. Central University athletics sometimes gets overshadowed. Most big time Division 1 programs have designated radio shows for its major sports. NCCU’s show, Eagle Talk, covers all sports. The host is Chris Hooks, play-by-play voice of the NCCU Sports Network. “Eagle Talk is a way to highlight all 14 teams that we have by having the coaches and student-ath-

letes on during the broadcast,” said Hooks. Duke’s David Cutcliffe, N.C. State’s Tom O’Brien, and UNC’s Butch Davis all currently have weekly radio shows. “Most big D-1 programs highlight their football or basketball team but here we believe every team is important,” said Hooks. Eagle Talk first aired in 2009 in partnership with WRJD Rejoice 1410 AM, every Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the W.G. Pearson Cafeteria. “We wanted to make it where if our fans couldn’t make it to where we were then they could still hear

us,” said Hooks. The show still airs at the same time and station but is broadcast live from Devine’s Sports Corner and Grill in Durham’s Brightleaf Square. “The move was just a better opportunity to get out in the community and give us

a chance to market ourselves,” said Hooks. The 30-minute segment is interactive, allowing listeners e-mail Hooks, who reads or answers any questions on-air. “Thirty minutes is a good length; we might go to an hour format in the future,”

said Hooks. Students are encouraged to take part in the weekly show as well. “I have never listened to the show, I didn’t even know we had a radio show,” said physical education senior Kenny Martin. Some students feel the broadcast could be publicized better. “I think they should put it on the jumbotron during the football games so that everyone sees it,” said biology senior Felecia Leslie. The Athletic department posts the time and place for Eagle Talk on www.nccueaglepride.com.

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N.C. Central University has become the first public HBCU to receive accreditation for an athletic training major. The accreditation has led the physical education department to practically double in size. Since the school year began, class sizes in the 28 sections of physical fitness have been filled to the brim. “We are still looking for teachers to meet the demand,” said Virginia Politano, chair of the physical education and recreation department. “We had three students with a concentration in teachers education. Now we have about 15.” Last year, average class sizes were about 20 students. This year, the average class size is 30-35. There were almost 350 majors in the department. Today there are about 450. “It’s a lucrative field,” said physical education and recreation instructor TJ Tipper. “We train our students on how to do a variety of jobs so that when they get out in the real world, the can join a lot of careers in the athletic field.” NCCU’s athletic training program has been certified for ten academic years from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. The program is the golden major, drawing students from across the country. According to Politano, students have come from as far as California and Texas to enroll in NCCU’s Athletic Training program. “We are really excited about the program,” said Politano. “To be the first public HBCU with this kind of accreditation is a real honor.” The program instructs students how to coach athletes, treat injuries and therapeutic remedies to helping athletes. The program places a lot of emphasis on the math and sciences for this field. For the athletic training major, students must complete all the prerequisites for a physical therapy major. “We get a lot of hands-on training,” said Deanna Dixon, athletic training junior. “You really get a good feel of what it means to be a professional coach before you even graduate.”

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

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Seating is Limited COST: Free! Registration is Required GMAT, GRE and MCAT participants will meet on Saturday, October 23, 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 with you LSAT participants are asked to make a two day commitment. This includes a practice LSAT on Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 2 pm (call or email for location), and a two-hour session on Saturday, October 23, 2010, 10 am – 12 noon in the Mary Townes Science Complex ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST PRE-REGISTER BY Friday, October 15, 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

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

R TH

Opinions A R O L I N A

E N TR A L

11 IVER SITY

Letters An open letter to T.I. Dear Clifford Harris, Jr.: When I heard the news about your recent situation, I had a strong reaction. It’s the same reaction that I typically have when I hear about a student, client, family member, or friend dealing with their inner struggles: I have a desire to reach out and help and I pray that the person will make a legal Uturn to get back on the right road. Even though we don’t know each other personally, you are a part of my life and my curriculum. I teach Professional Development III: Business Communication and use “Slide Show” during my lessons on personal accountability. Students are asked to

select a line from the song that resonates with them. One student chose, “Don’t let your emotions overpower your intelligence.” We spent the semester focusing on his challenges in this area. He was so pleased with his progress that at the end of the semester, he stood before the class and thanked me for my support. It was my pleasure and “Slide Show” made it easier to bridge the generational gap between us. I’ve had the great privilege of supporting a former student and her parents through some issues for 3 years now. We met the Sunday after your incident and you were one of our topics. We took the advice from “Slide Show” — we looked at your life to learn from it. The topic I chose for our

discussion was “high-risk behaviors.” It was a powerful discussion that led to a new level of transparency on the part of the student. There comes a time in our lives where we must stop and take our own medicine. When preachers must practice what they preach, teachers must practice what they teach ... and when you must live the life you sing about in “Slide Show.” Remember, your mistakes don’t define you. Be more aware of your decisions. Beware of the collisions and potholes hidden in the road that you travel on your lifelong mission. Be patient. God has a plan. Now, that’s what’s up!

Charlotte Purvis teaches Professional Development III, a course in Business Communication in the School of Business at NCCU. She is a communication coach and professional speaker.

‘Dress for Success’ — alumna I live far away from NCCU now, but I had the pleasure of visiting the campus this summer. It was wonderful seeing how the campus has grown, seeing the newly erected buildings, and seeing many

new programs instituted. I felt a great sense of pride at my alma mater’s accomplishments. I even went into NCCU’s Student Union and bought some memorabilia. Yes, I enjoyed my visit. On the other hand, the one thing I observed, which is also a national problem, is the dress code. I must say, “Young people we must dress for success.” The short, short pants the girls are wearing to class is inappropriate; the lounge-pajamas the boys are wearing is inappropriate.

Tone it down some. I realize the new dress fad is pervasive, but the NCCU students must rise above and present themselves in the best light. Continue to study, strive and make NCCU shine above other colleges and universities. Just remember: Somebody is always watching you. I’m far away from you, and I’m watching you, too. Dress for success. In Truth and Service, Yours in Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., Theodosia Ingrid ParrishDunn (Class of 1971)

Warm regards, “Ms. Purvis”

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12 N

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E N T RAL

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

IVERSITY

Being the other woman O

ver the past few months, the names of Alicia Keys and Fantasia Barrino have been tarnished. Mention one of their names and you’ll hear: “OMG! Home wreckers.” And, “I have lost all respect for them.” And, “They are so stupid.” And, “If it Jahara was me, I Davis would not even be in that situation.” Guess what, ladies and gents? You are not them, nor do you know every detail of the situation. These young ladies are human and people make mistakes. And what they did may not have been a mistake. No one knows

’m tired of hearing the phrase, “I’m a strong black woman.” I’ve never heard someone say, “I’m a strong white woman, or strong Latin woman.” It’s as if being a black woman means you have no breakMartha ing point. Butler You are expected to be the independent, career-minded, classy, flashy woman who does not need any help. The reality of the situation is, we’re all human beings and cannot handle life’s stresses alone. It was not until after I finished my women’s history course that I understood the phrase better. It seems to be often misconstrued. I say this because

what the men were telling them about their spouses. Most women know what it feels like for their man to say that they are doing one thing, when they are actually doing the exact opposite. It is mostly ladies who are passing judgment on these two women, which is shocking. Most of you are the other woman. You either accept it, deal with it, or do not even know that it is happening to you. On the other hand, it is shocking, because you all (including me) forgave Chris Brown for hitting Rihanna. Black women are so quick to forgive a man rather than trying to understand the other woman’s point of view. Women are giving truth to the statement,

The majority of ladies are passing judgment on these two young women, which is shocking. Most of you are the other woman. You either accept it, deal with it, or do not even know that it is happening to you.

“It is a man’s world.” But I, for one, am not. If it was not for a woman giving birth to man, he would not be here, and behind every good man is a great woman. In this society, men are on top, true, but they do not have to be. It is only a matter of time before we will have our first female U.S. president, but this cannot happen unless we start asking questions and stop listening to everything we hear. Being so quick to call each other names and pass judgement on one

another is a flaw that needs correction. I know this cannot happen overnight. But look back. Many people doubted us as women, yet we defeated their prejudices and made it happen. As far as I know, not too many people have sat down with Alicia Keys or Fantasia Barrino and gotten their side of the story from the beginning to the end. First take the time to correct yourselves. Then mentor a high school, middle school or

elementary school student, so they will not make the same mistakes that you have. Within our community people are in dire need of your time, so please do not waste it on nonsense, but on what you can control. Just in case some fellas walk by and decide to read this opinionated section, this is not “bash men day,” because I know that you all have had a woman break your heart. (Tear!) This is something the ladies needed to hear. Peace. Love. Unity. Respect. As Malcolm X put it, “To understand that of any person, his whole life, from birth must be reviewed. “All of our experiences fuse into our personality. Everything that ever happened to us is an ingredient.”

“S” on my chest many black women use “strong black woman” as a way to validate their struggle. It makes them feel empowered. The many struggles that women encounter every day may be the hassle of raising the children, going to work, and taking care of finances and domestic matters. You may be experiencing these matters; we all know some women who have to take on these challenges every day. Historically, the phrase “strong black woman” came during the antebellum slave period. When the slave owner sexually exploited black women, raping them and forcing them to bear his children, they were called “strong” because they were expected to handle everything. This caused them to be emotionally, mentally, physically and verbally abused.

When the master sexually exploited black women, raping them and forcing them to bear his children, they were called “strong” because they were expected to handle everything. Today, many people measure their worth based on how much they can take. How can a human being validate her strength by being abused, controlled, and manipulated? Although slave owners married white women, this did not mean that they stopped sexually exploiting women slaves living in their houses. Two women in the same household were expected to handle different levels of oppression. This goes back to why the phrase is used today to embrace the struggles

we face and the burdens that come with it. In today’s communities, we glorify single motherhood with the term “baby momma.” In my view, this term implies that the woman is removed from society. When two people procreate, how can you view the woman as just the person who bore the children? Her feelings were considered while you were sexually intimate, but once the child is born, she must bear all responsibilities without breaking down. I hate it when people say, “I don’t need no man.”

drawing by Rashaun Rucker

Question:

What advice do you have for the Aggies, before the Aggie-E Eagle Classic? “Be ready to go home crying while we continue to fly high. Go Eagles. ” — Natalie Gordon

We need men in our families because no parent was meant to walk this road solo. I don’t see how struggling to no end makes you feel empowered. I would want some assistance and would be proud to demand it. Struggling by yourself does not make you independent. You cannot walk around acting like you do not need help. Women need men, especially for support systems with our children. Family and friends are valuable for supporting any woman. You can have all the degrees, the money, nice cars, and be the most successful black woman in the world and still be unhappy. Let’s stop wearing the “S” on our chest as a badge of honor instead of being cognizant of how to fix the badge.

“Call your parents, tell them right now to get ready for that slow singing, and that flower bringing. Because it’s going to be a massacre afterwards.” —Jay Jones

“Choose your battle wisely because the Eagles are not the ones to mess with.” —Avonna Smith

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Campus Echo Online www.campusecho.com

SEPTEMBER ~ 2010

A CAMPUS ECHO PUBLICATION

ECHO SPECIAL

let’s meet

some of our best teachers Myers

Jolly

Chemistry

Health

Warm, sweet teacher with a love for the natural world

Instructor puts theory into public health practice

BY ASHLEY ROQUE

BY ASHLEY GRIFFIN

ECHO ASSISTANT EDITOR

ECHO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

tep into the office of John Myers and you’ll see 40 years of lesson plans, assignments, tests and research piled in towers around a small jar of Hershey’s Kisses. Bring up his name in a discussion and faces light up. Students will talk about the warmth and sweetness of this big Southern man. “There is no other teacher like him,” said biology senior Audrey Barber. Stefanie Cooper, pharmaceutical science junior, said, “He’s so patient and willing to help — you are never

alk into the 3 p.m. public health policy class and you will see a group of students excited to learn about the upcoming blood drive. See the smiling faces from students and hear the occasional joke from associate professor David Jolly — and you’ll soon be able to see why this is a recipe for teaching success. “He gave me the chance to have a hands-on experience in public health,” said Lovemore Masakadza, a former public policy graduate student who worked with Jolly on a campus tobacco cessation campaign. “He made me fall in love

n See MYERS Page 4

n See JOLLY Page 4

JOHN MEYERS , C HEMISTRY DAVID JOLLY, PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION GLORIA DREW , S OCIOLOGY MINNIE FORTE -B ROWN , E NGLISH & M ASS COMMUNICATION JOSHUA NADEL, HISTORY BAIYINA MUHAMMAD, HISTORY

“Teaching is leaving a vestige of one’s self in the development of another.” EUGENE P. B ERTIN S

“Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty.” ALBERT EINSTEIN S

“I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. DR. H AIM GINOTT S

“The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn.” JOHN LUBBOCK S

“Teaching is the greatest act of optimism.” COLLEEN WILCOX S

Feature

DREW

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

SOC CIOLOGY

Brooklyn’s finest makes her mark teaching in the South

BY CHRIS HESS ECHO STAFF REPORTER

rom Brooklyn to North Carolina, from Durham Tech to Butner Prison, Gloria Drew has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with her students. “She’s just cool. I was on crutches and she was always helping me,” said Ashley Griffin, mass communication senior. “She’s from Brooklyn and she wears her pride like a badge.” Drew, a native of Brooklyn, moved to North Carolina as a teenager. The move to the South was a culture shock. “I cried every day for months when I moved down here,” she said. “My father, a graduate of N.C. Central Class of 1933, he wanted me to go to school here.” Drew graduated from NCCU in 1963 with a major in English and Spanish. “I wanted to be an interpreter,” said Drew. But her first job out of college was in Hendersonville with the Management Development Corporation, where she helped unemployed people seek vocational training. She then took on a position with Durham Technical Community College where she was program director of continuing education. While working at the community college she earned

“I always try to bring a lot of humor to class, and I explain to students the importance of embracing the college life.” GLORIA DREW her master’s degree in sociology at NCCU. Drew said her interest in sociology was sparked by the 1964 stabbing of Kitty Genovese in New York, in view of several neighbors. The case led to research into the phenomena of “bystander apathy.” Soon Drew found herself teaching at the N.C. Butner Federal Correctional Complex. “It was quite an interesting experience working in the prison,” said Drew. “I had to wear a body alarm in case anything happened.” Drew said she taught some not-so-typical students. “There was a priest in there convicted of murder. “He could repeat verbatim the entire reading.” Arsonists, thieves, robbers and other criminals attended her classes. Who better to handle such a group than someone who specializes in the study of societal and group behavior. Teaching in prison had its dicey moments. After one prisoner became hostile toward Drew, another prisoner told her, “Ms. Drew if anybody both-

Sociology instructor Gloria Drew, an avid Eagle football fan, has taught at NCCU for 25 years. CHRIS HESS/Echo Staff Photographer

ers you again, you let me know and I’ll take care of it.” Drew has taught at NCCU as an adjunct professor for over 25 years. Mass communication sophomore Crystal Cotton, who took Drew’s introduction to sociology course, recalls Drew’s supportive approach to teaching. “She makes sure that everyone understands the

concepts of sociology and how it affects us individually and on a more global scale,” said Cotton. “I always try to treat people how they want to be treated,” said Drew. “It is important to keep in mind that we are products of the socialization process and life experiences.” But Drew doesn’t just teach her students, she also

encourages them to enjoy their time in college. “These are going to be the best years of your life,” she said. “I always try to bring a lot of humor to class, and I explain to students the importance of embracing the college life.” If we really are the product of our life experiences and socialization, Gloria

Drew is certainly an interesting product. Not only is she a professor at N.C. Central, but she was a student here. So were her father, daughter and granddaughter. “I’m kind of overwhelmed by this,” Drew said about being selected for this insert. “It makes me want to work even harder. This is truly an honor.”

FORTE-BROWN ~ ENGLISH

Speech instructor plays critical role in Durham public schools as chair of the school board BY DAVID FITTS ECHO ONLINE EDITOR

hen students and faculty at N.C. C e n t r a l University hear about one of their professors taking a big stand for education both on campus and in Durham, one person comes to mind: Minnie ForteBrown, chair of the Durham Public School Board and coordinator of speech communication in the English and mass communications department at NCCU. Forte-Brown, a Durham native, knew she wanted to be a teacher like her mother, Minnie T. Forte, who received a Ph.D. in education from N.C. College at Durham in 1960, one of the first people to do so. Forte taught elementary education at Saint Augustine’s College and Fayetteville State University. “She was my first teacher and the best teacher I ever had,” said Forte-Brown. “The best person to learn from was in front of me, I didn’t have to go far.” Forte-Brown said her mother changed the lives of the children she interacted with. “I wanted to model her and be like her, which included being impactful in changing the lives of so many children like she did,” said Forte-Brown. “I have people that my mother taught tell me how they were impacted by her skill and sensitivity as a teacher. I had to be like my mother ... I had to be the best.” Forte-Brown went to Morgan State College in the fall of 1967 majoring in speech and English. After two years, she transferred to Saint Augustine’s College and graduated in 1972 magna cum-laude. She taught at Walbrook Senior High School, a com-

munications high school in Baltimore. Afterward she earned her master’s degree in education, specializing in speech pathology and audiology, from NCCU and began teaching at the University in 1975. Forte-Brown said she wants to make sure that her students are learning but at the same time are comfortable with her and their classmates. “My theory on teaching is

“I have people that my mother taught tell me how they were impacted by her skill and sensitivity as a teacher. I had to be like my mother ... I had to be the best.” MINNIE FORTE-BROWN that you have to always make lessons relevant, which means that students have to know what it means to their lives,” she said. “If it’s meaningful, if it’s

something that’s useable then they will be attentive.” This is something that her grandson Michael Johnson, sports management junior, said she does well.

“Her teaching style is unique. She finds ways to relate to her students in order to get inside their minds so she can relate to them on their level,” he said. “My Nana listens to the music and watches the shows that her students watch so she can relate to them.” Forte-Brown’s students agree with her grandson. “I never found myself becoming bored in Mrs.

Minnie Forte in her office on the 3rd floor of the Farrison-N Newton Communications Building. DAVID FITTS/Echo Staff Photographer

Forte’s classes ... her level of energy made me excited to come to class,” said Tamara Edwards, English senior. Forte-Brown has earned the admiration of faculty members as well. “Minnie is very expressive, innovative and fun,” said English instructor Alfredia Collins. “She’s able to reach the students taking them from where they are to where they need to be.” Forte-Brown said that younger faculty need to learn not to distance themselves from students, adding that understanding and compassion are critical to the teaching mission. Forte-Brown’s teaching mission is not just limited to her work at NCCU. She was first elected to the Durham Public School Board in 2004, re-elected in 2008, and now serves as its chair. “I got involved because I’m a product of Durham Public Schools,” she said. She said one of her important tasks at the board was to improve communication between the board and Durham’s citizens. “I thought that I could bring some communication strategies that would allow them to be more effective and focus on the purpose of the school board which is writing governance designed to improve student achievement,” she said. According to her grandson Forte-Brown “hates it when a young person does not get an education ... this is one of the reasons why she is involved.” Forte-Brown said she plans on teaching “until they kick me out” or until she feels that she’s staying past her effectiveness. “I want my students to always learn from me,” she said. “There’s passion in what I do.”

Feature

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

O RTH

AR OLINA

ENTR AL

UNI

VER SI T Y

TORY NADEL ~ HIST

History professor draws on his travels to give global perspective to students BY CARLTON KOONCE ECHO STAFF REPORTER

ver wonder who or what affected your professors? Why they decided to teach? What drives them to want their students to succeed? Professors will shape the future of their students, but their personal stories aren’t always told. Joshua Nadel, an assistant professor of history, has a few stories to tell. Now entering his fourth year at N.C. Central University, Nadel is also associate director of NCCU’s global studies program. He is a sophisticated man molded from an early age to train tomorrow’s global leaders. His students say he is a persuasive teacher. He describes himself as a “scholar-activist and a scholarscholar.” “He’s knowledgeable and influential,” said Tawana Brooks, a Spanish senior who has taken three of his classes. “What he teaches reflects not just African or Spanish or American history. It’s more than that. It’s us,” she said, adding that having such a young professor is a good thing. “He can relate.” “He is a great teacher. He cares a lot about us doing well in our classes,” says Summer McLaughlin, elementary education junior. “He always encourages us to get involved in activities to apply what we’ve learned.” Nadel’s exposure to global society began at birth. His grandfather went to South America in the 1920s to start a business selling baking soda. It was there that his grandparents had a daughter. “My mom was born in Argentina to American parents,” Nadel said. “I’ve always felt tied to Latin America and a part of it.” His family was close to Chilean exiles while he was growing up in New Jersey. “I understood at that age that they couldn’t go home but I didn’t

“Most Americans in the Caribbean don’t know about day-today life there. Haiti is amazing. Although it’s really poor, the people are wonderful and will give you the shirts off their backs, even though that may be all they have.” JOSHUA NADEL know why,” he said. “Their situation got me interested in Latin American history because it was unfair.” During this time Nadel’s idea of history and social justice came together. He fell in love with the subject and read literature most people don’t read until college. At Tufts University in Massachusetts Nadel became interested in Caribbean history after taking a course in African theatre. He said the play Monsieur Toussaint influenced him to study about Haiti. The play, written by Edouard Glissant in 1961, was inspired by the life of Toussaint Louverture, a.k.a. “the black Napoleon.” Louverture was a self-educated slave who led the revolt against the French army and won independence for Haiti. “Haiti was the second independent country in the hemisphere,” he said. “I had never heard of the Haitian revolution until then and I wanted to know more about it.” Nadel said Gerald Gill, an energetic, passionate and intelligent professor at Tufts University, influenced him to become a professor. After college, Nadel worked for two years as a research associate with the National Coalition for Haitian Rights, examining Haitian prison conditions and police abuse, training and organization. Nadel said he felt he was making a contribution to Haitian society while doing his research. He is now fluent in Haitian Creole, a blend of 18th-century French, African languages, Spanish and English. “Most Americans in the Caribbean don’t know about day-today life there,” he said. “Haiti is amazing. Although it’s really poor,

the people are wonderful and will give you the shirts off their backs, even though that may be all they have.” Nadel said the January earthquake hit him hard. “It’s hard not to be pessimistic about Haiti,” said Nadel. “People pledge money but a lot of it is never delivered. If they don’t bring in Haitians and Haitian grassroots helping to make plans in the reconstruction then it’s going to fail.” The professor said that although he’s not hopeful about international plans for the country, he does have faith in the people. “Haitians work hard to get by and have survived a lot,” he said. “That gives me hope.” Nadel also conducted humanitarian work in Kosovo following the violence that erupted there in the 1990s when Yugoslavian Serbians violently displaced about one million Kosovo Albanians. Nadel spent more than a year in Kosovo, visiting damaged villages in the war-torn country to create emergency shelters to house people. He also negotiated with donors and aid workers to help rebuild Kosovo’s infrastructure. “It was a dangerous environment,” Nadel said. “There was a disconnection and a lot of unavoidable tension between the Albanians and Serbs. It was so much that it leeched into everyone. There was a lot of hatred and raw feelings and that affected you in some way or form.” Nadel said life was tough in Kosovo. There was no heat or electricity for 10 days at a time and in winter the snow would blow into the buildings. Even driving around the country was harrowing.

History professor Joshua Nadel gives students a global perspective on history. CARLTON KOONCE/Echo Staff Photographer

"We were driving in the mountains one day after the rain and drove over a washed-out mine lying in the middle of the road." Nevertheless, Nadel said he is glad he went to Kosovo. "It lets you realize how much we take for granted,” he said. “I could leave … but these people couldn't." In 2007 Nadel earned his doctorate from UNC-Chapel Hill Latin American and Caribbean studies. He wrote his dissertation, which examined cultural adapta-

tion in the emerging transnational setting, while listening to "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince." He's now a big fan of Stereolab. Nadel, a soccer fan, is working on a book that examines the effect soccer has had on urbanization, immigration and nationalization. Nadel and his wife Eva Canoutas, who works with a nonprofit specializing in family planning, maternal-child health and HIV/AIDS prevention, have two children, Sofia, 5, and Rafael, 3.

TORY MUHAMMAD ~HIST

Professor uses history to explore the meaning of the black experience in America “I hope to challenge students and to help them grow because we should be constantly evolving and improving ourselves as human beings.”

BY ASHLEY ROQUE ECHO ASSISTANT EDITOR

any people spend their entire lives without ever challenging what it to be black in

means America. But if you sit in any class taught by Baiyina Muhammad, you won’t leave without questioning the world and defining your place in it. “Dr. Muhammad has changed my view on history and society in so many ways,” said David Thompson, history senior. “She is truly a remarkable professor because she challenges us to look within ourselves to find the answer to the problems in today’s world,” Thompson said. “Even though I am an African American male taking a women’s history class, I feel like the way she related the material completely changed my view on the struggles that women face and the accomplishments that they have made throughout history,” he said. Alumna Vanessa Jackson called Muhammad one of her favorite instructors. “She is not a professor who allows her students to just float by without gaining some wisdom,” Jackson said. A graduate of Bennett College, N.C. Central University and Morgan State University, Muhammad raises her students' social awareness by helping them to learn how race, class and gender affect the lives of people. Growing up in Paterson, N.J., Muhammad’s passion for history began on a school trip to London. “I was struck by the presence of black people and how similar my experience was to

BAIYINA MUHAMMAD

Baiyina Muhammad teaches the Black Experience at NCCU. CARLTON KOONCE/Echo Staff Photographer

theirs,” said Muhammad. However, it wasn’t until she went to Bennett College as an undergraduate that anthropology professor Patrick Idoye ignited her interest in the African diaspora. He helped Muhammad to

truly see the common experience that Africans all over the world share. “I thought, ‘whatever he does, I want to do that,’” Muhammad recalled. One of the marks of good professors is that they practice what they preach in and

outside the classroom. At NCCU, Muhammad has spearheaded a woman’s history conference for the past two years called “Black Women and Identity, Religion, and Community.” At the conference students present their own his-

torical research on many issues facing black women: leadership, politics, religion, family, community, identity and sexuality. “Dr. Muhammad has an exceptional way of creatively drawing out the immense potential lying dormant within us,” said Justine McNair, sociology senior. “Alongside the history, she brings in articles about contemporary issues that help us to engage our world and society more effectively,” said McNair. In addition to her work at NCCU, Muhammad taught a history course at the N.C. Correctional Institution for Women in Raleigh, which is predominantly white. The course was centered on the black experience. “All my life, my mother did community work in prisons,” said Muhammad. “So when I saw the opportunity to teach at the correctional facility, I saw it as a way to connect to the community the way my mother did.” Muhammad challenged a lot of her white students' preconceived notions and stereotypes about African Americans. She said one inmate told her that the class taught her to realize that she was indeed, “tooled for success.” She had grown to see how success doesn’t just happen, that one must think and plan to do well. In April 2009 Muhammad received an award for Exemplary Teaching and Mentoring in the College of

Liberal Arts and in May 2010 she received the Excellence in Teaching Award from NCCU. In September, Muhammad received the Unsung Leaders Award from the NCCU Women’s Center. Muhammad said she feels successful when she can raise her students' awareness. Her courses, which range from the black experience to the history of women at the graduate level, Muhammad seeks to show how today connects with the past. “I hope to challenge students and to help them grow because we should be constantly evolving and improving ourselves as human beings,” she said. Muhammad also keeps busy conducting research and working in the community. She has published a variety of essays on black businesses with a focus on the black press. She is a member of the Inclusion Advisory Board for Durham Parks and Recreation, where she advocates for better programs and activities for people with special needs. She also is a member of the Durham Chapter of the Autism Society, working with other parents on policy issues and school board decisions concerning student with special needs. Muhammad is the mother of four boys and is married to Dwayne Brandon, a professor in NCCU’s psychology department.

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MYERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 afraid of going up to him and asking him a question. “Dr. Myers is willing to work with you to help you understand and he always finds some creative way to relay the information to everyday life.” Born and raised in Jefferson City, Tenn., Myers grew up with a father who taught chemistry at CarsonNewman College. When his father was asked to begin a chemistry program at another school, Myers helped him out and caught the bug. After graduating from Carson-Newman College with a B.A. in mathematics and a B.S. in chemistry, Myers went to the University of Florida and earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry. After Florida, Myers continued his post-doctoral research in organic chemistry at Michigan State University before coming to NCCU. For years, Myers worked as a professor; he was chair of the chemistry department from 1991-97. After Myers stepped down, Wendell Wilkerson, one of Myers’s former graduate students and the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, became chair. “I have always admired his easygoing and approachable style as a teacher,” said Wilkerson. “It’s important for our students to have a teacher like Myers.” Since 2003, Myers has been the editor of the University Undergraduate Research Journal. As editor, Myers oversees

“What I am most proud of are the students who have achieved and done well in research ... I want to help students to see not just the trees. I want them to see the whole forest.” JOHN MYERS the research of a variety of topics from how atoms behave in certain chemicals to the thematic concerns of literature by William Butler Yeats. Myers also is a member of the Executive Committee of the N.C. Consortium on Undergraduate Research and chair of the N.C. section of the American Chemical Society. He has served as coorganizer of the N.C. Fall Conference and the Sixth National Conference of the Council on Undergraduate Research. “He is always doing something to help us out with our research,” said Cooper. “He is willing to sit down with you and make the information plain.” “There is no chapter in my chemistry book that is too difficult for him to explain,” said Barber. “He always finds a way to relate the information for us so that it’s easy to explain.” Myers’s big heart comes out in the community through summer programs. He is chair of S.E.E.D.s, a science program that provides a summer gardening experience for economical-

Myers cheers up the chemical lab while students conduct experiments. CHRIS HESS/Echo Staff Photographer

ly disadvantaged students. He directs Summer Ventures, a free summer program for high school juniors and seniors. The students live at NCCU and conduct lab experiments while learning mathematical skills. It is no wonder that Myers received NCCU’s Distinguished Service Award in 2006 and the Exemplary Mentoring and Teaching Award from the College of Liberal Arts in 2007.

“He makes learning organic chemistry fun and he is always making us laugh,” said Cooper. Myers’s low tenor voice singing old country songs sweetens up the stale environment of a chemical lab. “Sometimes he’ll start singing in at the end of class or to tie up some point in his lectures,” said Barber. Like a proud father, Myers will brag about the accomplishments and success of his students, many of whom have gone on to enjoy

JOLLY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “When a student comes and tells me they like my class or I inspired them to change some things, that is going to keep me going.” DAVID JOLLY

with the field. Dr. Jolly is a good man. He is a good person ... “Above all he has the best interest of students at heart.” According to Masakadza, Jolly was the key to his landing a job with the Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch of Mecklenburg County Health Department. Jolly has been teaching public health classes at N.C. Central University for 12 years and is now chair of the department of public health. “Before coming to NCCU I never worked anywhere for more than five years,” said Jolly. After graduating from Princeton University with a degree in sociology and from Tufts University with a master’s degree in elementary education, Jolly taught for six years in public and private elementary schools. “I just always knew no matter what, I wanted to teach,” he said. He earned his master’s of science in public health. With that degree in hand he conducted research in adolescent vehicle fatalities from drinking and driving in North Carolina. In 1993 he earned his Ph.D. from the UNC-CH School of Public Health with a dissertation that examined the sexual practices of men who frequent

David Jolly in a light moment during a public health education class. Morgan Crutchfield/Echo Staff Photographer

gay bars in North Carolina. After getting the degree he held a number of positions as a consultant and

director for agencies addressing HIV/AIDS issues. This included three

years as coordinator of the N.C. AIDS Training Network, one year with the N.C. AIDS Control Branch,

successful chemistry careers. “What I am most proud of are the students who have achieved and done well in research,” he said. Some of his success stories included Karla Mark, whose research was recently published in the Journal of Neurochemistry. Another former student, Isaiah Hill, works for Georgia Pacific — a global leader in building products — where he develops modular building materials.

Myers said he loves teaching chemistry because he wants to help students understand the natural world and how small things are part of a bigger picture. “I want to help students to see not just the trees,” he said. “I want them to see the whole forest.” Myers and his wife Mary have been married for more than 37 years. They have five children and three grandchildren.

and four years as the Hotlines Project Director for the Center for Disease Control. In this position he managed services of the National AIDS Hotline, the National STD Hotline and the National Immunization Hotline. From 1998-2000 he prepared a report for N.C. General Assembly which examined the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. In 1999, Jolly approached former dean Ted Parrish about teaching at NCCU. “‘I’m really interested in teaching here,’” I told him. I wanted to teach at NCCU because it was right in my backyard,” said Jolly. “I applied to Duke too, but I did not want to be another cog in the Duke machine.” Since then Jolly has taught courses on personal health, aging, principles of school health and the foundations of public health. Jolly, who grew up in Bridgeport, Conn., said his teachers had a major influence on him growing up. “I was inspired by them. I had a few English teachers in junior high school and high school that were excellent and compelling people. They really knew their stuff,” he said. Today, many of Jolly’s students would say the same thing about him, describing him as dedicated, honest and empathetic. “Dr. Jolly is a wonderful teacher and person,” said mass communication senior Aaron Saunders. “He can blend his life experience with course material to make the class very interesting.” Jolly said he strives to promote discussion in class. “I try to make the lectures relate to the material, to current issues and issues in students’ lives,” he said. “I always tell my students it’s your health, your well being.” Jolly said his approach

to public health was largely influenced by Dan Beauchamp, author of a seminal article titled “Public Health as Social Justice.” The article maintains that the “fundamental attention in public health policy ... should not be directed toward a search for new technology, but rather toward breaking existing ethical and political barriers to minimizing death and disability.” Jolly said this means that public health policy should be “working for equal distribution of all the resources that people need to live a healthy life.” Jolly said he always stresses to students that they are responsible for creating change in the world. “I want my students to learn and to get involved in changing policy,” he said. Jolly put this approach into action when he and public administration professor Patricia Wigfall teamed up in 2006 to create a program, “Combatting Tobacco Use at NCCU.” In the program students advocated to encourage compliance with NCCU smoking policies and to prohibit smoking within 20 feet from building entrances. The students presented their results to NCCU’s Board of Trustees. Jolly is currently principal investigator of a project funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research. The project examines ways that communities can support and deliver emerging HIV prevention technologies. In the final analysis, for Jolly, public health is an ethical enterprise, an enterprise that must be explored actively in the classroom. “When a student comes and tells me they like my class or I inspired them to change some things, that is going to keep me going,” he said.