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VOLUME 103, ISSUE 1

Campus

A&E

Beyond

Sports

Sociology professor revives W.E.B. Du Bois’ — the sociologist

Cash Crop: NCCU art grad returns with stunning sculptural casts

Job numbers stun: Zero jobs added in August.

Unemployment now at 9.1%

Women’s volleyball continues to falter, off to a rocky 0-8 start .

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Campus Echo

Chidley is reborn

CHIDLEY NORTH TO EASE CAMPUS HOUSING SHORTAGE

BY CHRISTINA ALLISON ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Imagine something you hold dear vanishing before your eyes, and nobody knows its significance to you.

This took place in May 2006, when Chidley Annex, named after Howard J. Chidley, a financial contributor and supporter of N. C. Central University, closed its doors forever — due to mechanical issues — after housing 25,000 male students over a 55-year period.

Chidley Main still stands today thanks to its sentimental value to the community.

“I stayed there all four years,” said David Fitts, a 1976 alumnus whose son David Fitts, Jr. is an English senior.

“We had a lot of pride in Chidley Hall.”

This admiration for the original

Built at a cost of $30 million, Chidley North Residence Hall provides an additional 520 rooms for campus living.

n See CHIDLEY Page 15

CHI BROWN/Echo photo editor

Freshmen settle in

1.9 cuts over 300

Sloping hills, verdant green home to 1,200 freshmen

BY CITHRAH HENDERSON ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Eagleson freshmen Talmidge Morris, Brittney Washington and Josh Woodson outside Pearson Cafeteria

Music education junior Bryan Burch, a member of the Marching Sound Machine, got the news last spring. His GPA was below 1.9, and if he didn’t bring it up he’d be suspended.

And that’s exactly what happened. Burch said he didn’t have the resources to go to summer school and get his GPA up.

“I had other issues at the time, trying to get things situated with housing, transportation, which led to me not being focused,” said Burch.

Burch says he’s planning to work, attend Durham Tech, earn his associate’s degree and then reapply to N.C. Central University.

ECHO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Every year N.C. Central University receives a big bundle of joy. However, our babies are not the average 7 lbs. 15 oz., they are fully grown with minds of their own.

College is often considered the best four years of one’s life, and for each new crop of freshman this

cliché becomes reality.

“The first couple of weeks have been very exciting and full of student activities,” said music freshman Ashlynn Hailey.

The Monroe native resides in Eagleson Residential Hall and aspires to be a professional singer and media journalist.

This year NCCU welcomes the class of 2015,

estimated at about 1,200 students who bring with them an average GPA of 3.23 and a 912 on the twopart SAT. “I chose NCCU because it was the No. 1 public HBCU,” said chemistry freshmen Shatoddra Curry.

The Salisbury native said so far her hardest

n See FRESHMEN Page 2

do have the grade,” Bernice Johnson told the Daily Tar Heel in April.

Johnson is dean of University College, which is in charge of monitoring the success of incoming students.

But not all students agree with Johnson’s tough love.

“Because it’s not always the student,” said Regis Dickson nursing senior. “If a teacher has a high failing rate then that should be a red flag.”

Pharmacy sophomore Jautam Davis said the policy unfair.

“If you are really trying you should at least give them some room for improvement,” she said, adding that she had a friend with a 1.896 who was forced out.

n See 1.9 Page 5

Law school eyes funds

MORGAN CRUTCHFIELD/Echo staff photographer

BY AARON SAUNDERS

Burch is not alone: 703 students had GPAs below 1.9 last spring. Of these, 454 went to summer school to improve their grades, but only 117 succeeded.

This left more than 300 students suspended, according to Provost Debbie Thomas.

The majority of students in trouble are freshmen and sophomores.

In all, 29 percent of freshmen and 14 percent of sophomores were in academic trouble at the end of the 2010-2011 academic year.

Just 6 percent of juniors and 2 percent of seniors are in the same kind of trouble.

“If students are not anywhere near that [2.0], we look at it as being a waste of somebody’s time and money for letting them linger until they

Proposal from conservative foundation questioned by some

BY AARON SAUNDERS ECHO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Last week N.C. Central University’s law school received an intriguing proposal.

Bob Orr, director of the

N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law, a former N.C. Supreme Court associate justice, proposed a constitutional law center at NCCU’s law school with $600,000 from the John W. Pope foundation.

Orr taught at NCCU’s law school for 11 years. “[He] sent us a proposal that proposed bringing a law center to our school,” said NCCU law school dean

n See LAW CENTER Page 2

9/11 has spawned big changes on college campuses Colleges offer new field of study following 2001 attacks

BY SCOTT GOLD LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A few weeks ago, 24-year-old Amanda Stirrat completed her master's degree in public health at Purdue University. Most of her peers struggled to find work. As for Stirrat?

“The job market seemed easy,” she said with a shrug.

She credited her studies in Purdue's extensive homeland security program for

quickly landing her a job to help coordinate Indiana's response to large-scale public emergencies.

Purdue gave her the chance to work with retired military officers and other security specialists to write a thesis on disaster preparedness. The expertise set her apart, she said.

The 2001 terrorist attacks ushered in a major shift on American college campuses — tragedy giving way, 10 years later, to innovation

and opportunity.

Today, domestic security has become, by some measures, the fastest-growing area of study, fueled largely by an explosion in federal money.

Scores of programs have popped up, from community colleges to graduate schools.

Thousands of students across the country are enrolled in courses that didn't exist a few years ago — delving into the psychology of terrorists and rogue

regimes, and here in Indiana, studying emergency response by simulating mass-casualty disasters at the site of the Indianapolis 500.

Entire disciplines that had lost relevance have been resurrected. Some microbiology programs were folding before Sept. 11.

Overnight, studying onceobscure germs like anthrax and Ebola became vital; Purdue University postdoctoral fellow Fatkhulla Tadjimukhamedov

n See 9/11 Page 12

runs a test on a handheld mass spectrometer.

SCOTT GOLD/Los Angeles Times

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FRESHMEN

LAW CENTER

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

class is French.

While SATs and GPAs from high school are important, they are not nearly as important as the time management required to successfully maneuver through your college years.

Too many social and organizational obligations can put a strain on the reason students are here — to receive a college education.

“The social aspect is new to me, but I am getting used to it,” said Tyreik Kearse, who plans to major in business.

For many students, college is their first taste of independence and the real world.

“I enjoy the freedom of being a college student and class scheduling,” said freshman Dauline Singletary.

The nursing student is taking 15 hours this semester and said her most difficult class is biology.

“I like NCCU because of the good atmosphere and all the friendly people,” she said.

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Raymond Pierce.

The N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law itself is primarily funded by the Pope Foundation, which is run by Art Pope, a conservative Republican who owns Variety Wholesalers, the parent company of discount chains Roses and Maxway.

Pope is a controversial figure, who some alleged was the architect behind the Republican capture of the Wake County School Board.

The new board proposed the “neighborhood schools” platform, which requires students to stay in their communities and not be bused to schools outside their neighborhoods.

Critics say that this platform will result in a resegration of Wake County Schools.

“Art gets credit for and gets blamed for a lot of things,” said Orr. The Pope Foundation has spread its funds widely.

Beneficiaries include N.C. State University, Duke University, Campbell University, UNC-Chapel Hill athletic programs and

the YMCA of Raleigh.

In the past NCCU has benefited from the generosity of the Pope Foundation as well.

According to Orr the foundation provided funds for a mural of the U.S. Constitution on the second floor of the law school and for the school’s speaker program.

In an email to Pierce, posted on BlueNC, a liberal blog, 2008 NCCU law graduate Sarah Jessica Farber, voiced her displeasure with proposed center being housed at the NCCU law school because of the institute’s close ties with Art Pope.

“I want the law school to continue its storied tradition of producing not just lawyers, not just legislators, but social engineers who fight for the rights of underserved and under-represented populations,” Farber wrote.

“I question the school’s ability to continue that bold mission if its funding is tied to Pope monies, funds that seem to be destined to undermine civil rights.”

Pierce is not surprised

that the proposal has sparked interest from NCCU law alums.

“We have v e r y engaged Art Pope alumni, and it’s a good thing that our alums really care about what goes on at their law school,” he said.

BlueNC blogger James Protzman worries that with this proposal the law school would be selling itself out for a couple hundred thousand dollars to someone “who has a history of celebrating old rich white men ideologies.”

“My fear is that he would bring that theory and mindset to the school,” said Protzman.

John V. Orth, a UNC law professor and an expert on the N.C. Constitution, said he doesn’t believe that the center will have a specific agenda.

“I would not believe this was an attempt to teach a certain set of ideologies or viewpoints,” he said.

The proposal calls for a

law center that would collaborate with the UNCChapel Hill School of Government and the NCCU history department to promote the study of the N.C. Constitution.

“We see it as a nice opportunity to collaborate in areas where our research converges,” said Aimee Wall, associate professor of public law and government at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Government.

The law school’s faculty curriculum committee has viewed the proposal and have asked Justice Orr for more information about the part that NCCU’s history department will play in the collaboration.

The committee will make a recommendation to the faculty for a vote on whether they will accept the proposal.

“I have not developed an opinion yet, but I tend to look more at what’s being said in the proposal as opposed to who the person is that is behind it,” said Dionne Gonder-Stanley, an NCCU assistant professor of law.

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

CAMPUS ECHO RECOGNIZED Society of Professional Journalists names Campus Echo for Region 2 Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper in 2010 Mark of Excellence Awards.

The top spot was awarded in competition with all 4 Yr Colleges and Universities from Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and Washington DC. Taking second and third places were the James Madison University “Breeze” and the Virginia Commonwealth University “Times.”

Other awards given to Campus Echo staff at the April conference included 3rd place for Editorial Writing, Ashley Griffin, and 3rd place for Feature Photography, Chi Brown.

Campus

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

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Nursing’s got a new home $22 million facility will underpin program growth

Provost elevated from within Thomas replaces Aggrey as University’s academic leader

BY ZEVANDAH BARNES ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Planning for NCCU’s nursing building began in November 2007. The $22 million dollar building, which faces Alston Avenue, provides 65,000 square feet of classrooms, labs, offices, clinical and common space for NCCU’s nursing program.

CHI BROWN/Echo photo editor

BY JEROME BROWN JR. ECHO ASSISTANT EDITOR

In Jan. 2009, Chancellor Charlie Nelms told The Durham News that N.C. Central’s nursing program was simply out of space.

“Something as basic as office space for our faculty members. I’m talking about basic stuff. We have it now, but not at the appropriate level,” said Nelms.

Two years later, and NCCU has its own state-ofthe-art nursing building facing Alston Avenue.

The building will house a total of 45 faculty and staff, an amount that the MillerMorgan Building could not accommodate.

The three-floor building

houses classrooms, a student services area and a student lounge along with a snack bar on the first floor.

The second floor includes lockers, study areas, and a wing aptly titled Eagle Hospital that houses cutting edge rooms that simulate the human body and allows students to respond to medical situations. The third floor has offices and conference rooms.

“I love it. It’s great. It’s very nice. And most of all it’s new,” said second degree nursing major Dominique Nelson.

“We have new beds, people [mannequins]. It’s great all around.”

The Department of Nursing, established in 1948, was previously housed in the Miller-Morgan Building and now calls the nearly 70,000 square foot building its new home.

The sprawling three floor building was completed by Balfour Beatty Construction in the summer of 2011.

The department will be able to accommodate 250 students by 2012 and currently offers three degree programs, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a program for registered nurses to receive their BSN, and an accelerated 16 month BSN. The building, constructed at a cost of $25 million, was built to help address a

shortage of 9,000 nurses within the next five years, and 18,000 by 2020, according to the N.C. Center on Public Policy.

Along with Chidley North Residence Hall it is the second new building to debut on campus this year.

The reception among students has been generally positive.

Although, the building is a welcome addition, new department chair Betty Dennis is focused on improving the program.

“Good facilities are great — they make your life easier,” Dennis said in an NCCU press release, “but the real challenge is working with people.”

The new semester brings many changes to N.C Central University — a new Chidley Residential Hall and a new state-of-the-art nursing building. In sports, NCCU now holds a Division I ranking.

On top of all that, NCCU has a new leader in academic affairs.

Debbie Thomas, whose official title is provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs, held leadership roles for 20 years prior to becoming NCCU’s provost.

She replaces Kwesi Aggrey, who resigned this summer to return to teaching and research in the Department of Chemistry.

Aggrey served as provost from January 2009 until June 2011.

“I’ve had HBCU experience before,” said Thomas.

In 2010, Thomas came to NCCU from Indiana University Northwest, where she was executive director of the Center for Urban and Regional Excellence.

Prior to becoming provost, she served as associate provost and associate vice chancellor at NCCU. The process to fill the vacancy was expedited

because of her experience and the confidence that Chancellor Nelms has in her abilities.

She is pleased with the students, faculty and the community of the University.

“I have a lot in common with the students here,” Thomas said.

Thomas, a first-generation college graduate, said she feels the same way about the success of NCCU students as she does about the success of her own children.

She said she is committed to the education of the students.

She feels the higher GPA requirement, now at 2.0, is a good thing for the University.

“It enhances the credibility of the credential, a degree from NCCU,” she said.

Students can expect her to help create a great academic experience from class to graduation.

Thomas said education is important for a better life and she learned that from her parents.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism, a master’s degree in communication, and a Ph.D. in curriculum instruction.

Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Debbie Thomas Courtesy of NCCU Public Relations

Chancellor outlines the ‘New Normal’

BY APRIL SIMON ECHO STAFF REPORTER

The United States has entered an era of significant political, social and economic change.

As a result, many are reassessing business and personal goals and seeking new ways to thrive.

N.C. Central University Chancellor Charlie Nelms sought to outline what this means for the University and came up with a list of needs and strategies.

“The global landscape has changed,” said Nelms, “and we have to change the way we do our business, and that’s what we are doing.”

On Aug. 16, Nelms discussed his vision in an address to faculty and staff titled “The New Normal in Higher Education.”

The New Normal, according to Nelms, is defined by: • Demand for greater accountability regarding student learning, retention, and graduation; • Shrinking state and federal funding; • Increasing emphasis on private fundraising; • Declining public confidence in higher education; • Growing competition for students, especially from online providers; and • Entering freshmen who lack academic readiness.

In response, Nelms asserted the University goals of increasing first-to-second year retention rates to 80 percent, ensuring that all University programs are accredited, and securing $7.5 million in private philanthropy money.

Support programs and workload requirements also will be evaluated in order to increase efficiency and effectiveness at all levels of the University, Nelms said.

In an interview with the Campus Echo, Nelms spoke at length about the importance of technology, and the ways in which NCCU is preparing to be competitive with online universities such

as the University of Phoenix.

One way is to install smart classrooms. Web services have been under construction, and a slew of Wi-fi hotspots have been installed across campus.

A far cry from posting a syllabus to Blackboard, professors are now able to show YouTube or Vimeo videos, create course-specific blogs, and use Skype to bring guest lecturers to the classroom.

Nelms urges professors to practice with and master concepts that will bridge the technology gap, and to ask, “Are there apps out there, or can we create apps, that will somehow enable the student to be more actively

engaged?”

NCCU is also exploring interactive media, to connect to a changing global environment.

“We can link to campuses all around the world. We can literally link with someone in India, Japan, in Africa,” Nelms said, smiling broadly as he gestured toward far-off lands.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. Just think of the social media, and the implications of that technology for the teaching industry.”

Competition from online universities is a concern faced by many traditional universities. Nelms, though, is unfazed. He pointed out

that NCCU itself is a major provider of online education.

Further, he has a holistic view of the trajectory of education.

“Universities of the future will be more hybrid and will employ online, face-to-face, social media, and experiential learning, in order to produce a graduate,” he said.

Despite these changes, Nelms says, “We are not going to abandon a set of values that have helped us to thrive over these 100 years.”

In this sense, the new and old normal share a goal: “Communicating, collaborating, and responding to each other in a civil and collegial manner.”

employers.

“When they see that we are very serious about increasing our standards, they are now more motivated to go after our students,” Goodwin said.

As for Burch, he said he plans to turn things around.

His advice to other struggling students: “Try your hardest. Stay in school.

“Do everything you can to maintain your grades.”

1.9 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Dominique Armstrong, a mass communication junior who found himself in academic trouble, described the rule as “messed up,” adding that students are going through a lot.

Armstrong said he bounced back and got his GPA up.

“They had me in a corner,” he said, “but I ain’t going back to the crib.”

Armstrong said he is one of the few among his friends who remains in school.

Some students are not at all sympathetic to the plight of those who have let their GPAs drop below 1.9.

“I feel like if you have a 1.9 GPA then you are not focused at all, and school is not your main priority,” said Ashleigh Hooper, mass communication senior.

“So you should take some time off at this segment in your life.”

Elementary education senior Jamail Davis agrees.

“They need to be put out

because while they are goofing off there are other students that could be there and taking school seriously,” Davis said.

Mass communication senior Ebony Garrett said, “I feel like when you come to college there are high expectations so what’s the point of slipping … tighten up.

“You should have a higher expectation for yourself.”

University Registrar Jerome Goodwin told the

Campus Echo Online www.campusecho.com

Echo in the spring that higher academic standards are a good thing “for the student, for the institution.”

He said higher standards send a positive message to the community and to

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NCCU prof brings Du Bois to life Sociology professor Robert Wortham has immersed himself in the sociological teachings of W.E.B.

BY SHAWN TRIMBLE ECHO STAFF REPORTER

It was a moment of “pure serendipity,” said N.C. Central University associate professor of sociology Robert Wortham.

In 2003 he was asked on short notice to participate on a conference panel dedicated to examining the 100-year anniversary of the publication of “The Souls of Black Folk,” William Edward Burghardt Du Bois’ classic exploration of race and racism in America.

Wortham says he knew next to nothing about W.E.B. Du Bois prior to that panel discussion.

His graduate studies up to that point were in religion; his dissertation examined religion in Kenya.

He has since turned that moment of serendipity into his life’s mission.

Wortham has edited three books and written 10 articles examining Du Bois’ important contribution as a sociologist.

In “The Sociological Souls of Black Folk: Essays by W. E. B. Du Bois,” published this July, Wortham examines the sociological impact of Du Bois’ work through the original essays that were the foundation of Du Bois’ 1903 classic work.

Wortham said he prepared for that surprise panel session by reading Du Bois’ 1899 case study of a black community, “The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study.”

Wortham said he was stunned by the sociological breadth of the Du Bois case

“I don’t want to see Du Bois as a black sociologist.

I want to see DuBois as a pioneer of American Sociology … period.”

ROBERT WORTHAM SOCIOLOGY ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, NCCU

study, and that he was surprised he hadn’t been required to study Du Bois in graduate school.

“The Philadelphia Negro” combined — or as Wortham writes “triangulated” — historical sources, participant observation, survey and census data, to richly portray Philadelphia’s black community.

“Where has this been?

And where have I been?

What else do I not know?” asked Wortham of the case study.

Wortham, who is white, has taught at NCCU for 23 years. He said Du Bois’ contribution to sociology is neglected because of a form of “academic apartheid” within the sociological discipline.

“I don’t want to see Du Bois as a black sociologist. I want to see DuBois as a pioneer of American sociology … period,” said Wortham, adding that he should be studied not just at HBCUs but at all research universities.

“It’s mindboggling how extensive and how massive his work is.”

According to Freddie Parker, interim chair of the department of history, Wortham’s resurrection of Du Bois’ contribution to sociolo-

gy is invaluable.

“To place a voice and actually resurrect Du Bois from social oblivion — because for the most part he has not gone down as a lead sociologist — and for Dr. Wortham to do what he’s done is one of the best things that the University has produced in a long time,” said Parker.

Du Bois was no stranger to NCCU or Durham.

In the early 20th century, NCCU founder James E. Shepard invited him several times to NCCU, which was then called National Religious Training School and Chautauqua.

In 1912 Du Bois published an account of Durham’s black community, “The Upbuilding of Black Durham. The Success of the Negroes and Their Value to a Tolerant and Helpful Southern City,” which lauded the social and economic development of Durham’s African-American community.

Du Bois was a founder of the NAACP. He is known for taking an outspoken stance against racism and for his conflict with Booker T. Washington, who argued for a more accommodating approach towards whites.

In 1905 he founded the Niagara Movement, which

NCCU sociologist Robert Wortham says academia has failed to recognize W.E.B. Du Bois’ massive contribution to the field of American sociology.

SHAWN TRIMBEL/Echo staff photographer

was dedicated to attacking Washington’s more moderate approach.

Du Bois was born in Massachusetts in 1868.

Toward the end of his life

became increasingly disillusioned with America.

He renounced his citizenship and left the United States permanently for Accra, Ghana, in 1962 after

joining the Communist Party.

Du Bois died in 1968, the same year his book “The Autobiography of W.E.B. Du Bois” was published.

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

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Dress for success Grant will help students purchase attire

BY DAVID FITTS ECHO ONLINE EDITOR

In the near future, 20 N.C. Central University students will have their professional packages completed.

By partaking in the new “Styled For Success Program,” a new initiative created by University Career Services, students will be given the opportunity to purchase their own professional attire with a “clothing award” of up to $250.

“The purpose of the program is to increase employability to NCCU students who have financial constraints in their pursuit of obtaining appropriate professional attire,” said Catrina Dosreis, Associate Director University Career Services.

Attire is an important part of the professional package which some students may not be able to afford. There are ways for a student to mitigate this issue.

Women and men should consider acquiring a basic professional outfit which can be used for multiple purposes.

Shopping for these outfits should be a priority upon entrance into college.

“The suits are a real incentive for being a part of the program but it’s not really just about the suit, it’s about the total package,” said Donna Hembrick, director of university career services.

“It’s looking at professional development as a whole.”

The new initiative was made possible by a generous monetary gift from Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor Susan B. Rosenthal and Belk clothing store .

To be a part of the program, applicants must attend three in-person P r o f e s s i o n a l Development Network (PDN) seminars, which begin Sept. 8 and run through Oct. 6.

They also must complete the Job Start 101 program as well as workshop assignments from each PDN workshop.

Students may complete the assignments in the “Assignment” folder on Blackboard after they self-enroll in the “CARE0000” Career Services course. All PDN work must be completed by Oct. 14.

“After the students are selected, there will be a professional dress workshop,” said Hembrick.

“Following the workshop, the students will go as a group to Belk on Nov. 4 and purchase their suits.”

Sophomores, juniors and seniors may apply.

Applications are available now and are due Sept. 16 by 5 p.m. in the career services office, located on the lower level of the William Jones Building.

The program may be held every fall and spring semester, depending on the success of this year’s pilot program.

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NCCU’s ‘Greek musicians’ Honorary band sorority, fraternities promote pride, fellowship

BY M ARISHA WASHINGTON ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Many at N.C. Central University are under the impression that the fraternities and sororities of the National Pan-Hellenic Council — the so-called “Divine Nine” — are the only Greek letter organizations on campus. They’re not.

There are also Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, Incorporated and Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority, Incorporated.

Similar to the Divine Nine, Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma aim to create fellowship among their members.

Members of the Epsilon Lambda and Zeta Sigma chapters say the band organizations are often underestimated simply because they are not a part of the Divine Nine.

According to Patrick Jones, president of the Zeta Sigma chapter of Kappa

Kappa Psi, however, the band organizations have something that the Divine Nine do not.

“We have, in my opinion, an unrivaled level of pride,” said Jones.

Simone Taylor, president of the Epsilon Lambda chapter of Tau Beta Sigma, said the benevolence of chapter members upon her arrival at NCCU immediately sparked her interest in joining.

“The ladies made sure we were OK, and offered their help for anything we needed,” said Taylor.

“This really made me feel welcome in an environment where I initially felt like an outcast.”

According to Taylor, the sorority provided freshman band members with “survival kits” that included member contact information and other useful information.

She said members also offered rides to band members without transportation — a service she referred to

as the “Turtle Taxi.”

“The Epsilon Lambda chapter works within and outside the band to ensure the Marching Sound Machine is always progressing,” she said.

The chapter will continue Music to Life, a program that highlights accomplishments of women in music.

The program was held last spring after a three-year hiatus.

The Zeta Sigma chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi also has been working to establish a stronger name for their organization on campus.

Last spring, the chapter held its second Miss Kappa Kappa Psi pageant, which Jones called a huge success.

The program is open to all females on campus, regardless of affiliation with the band, to rally support for the fraternity and the Marching Sound Machine.

Kappa Kappa Psi was founded on the campus of Oklahoma State University in 1919. The Zeta Sigma

Chapter, founded in 1974, was the first chapter to be chartered on an HBCU campus in North Carolina.

Famous members of the fraternity include Count Basie, Neil Armstrong, and former President Bill Clinton.

Tau Beta Sigma was founded in 1946 at Oklahoma A&M College. The Epsilon Lambda Chapter was chartered at NCCU in 1974.

Notable members of the sorority include Queen Latifah and Alicia Keys.

“We are a legit Greek organization, not a club or a fellowship.” Jones said of Kappa Kappa Psi. “We deserve the same amount of respect as the other organizations.”

Of Tau Beta Sigma, Taylor said, “We are still a nationally recognized and incorporated Greek organization.

'We just want everyone to truly understand that, and recognize and respect how we carry out our purpose.”

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Admissions expands into new digs Office of Undergraduate Admissions is enjoying its spacious new quarters alongside the new bookstore

BY DAVID FITTS ECHO ONLINE EDITOR

“Welcome to NCCU” reads the sign above the front door of the once-overcrowded McDougald House at 617 Lawson Street, which once housed the entire Office of U n d e r g r a d u a t e Admissions.

Now, Admissions is located in a spacious new office just 100 feet down the street, in a building which also houses the new parking deck and bookstore.

“This new facility is the place where prospective students and guests will visit to receive admissions information, begin campus tours and receive counseling as it relates to being admitted to NCCU,” said Anthony Brooks, director of undergraduate admissions.

Before settling in its new digs, undergraduate

admissions occupied many locations across the sloping hills and verdant green.

In 1910 at the University’s founding, undergraduate admissions was located in Hoey Administration Building under the direction of Frances Eagleson, the first University registrar, who worked at N. C. Central university from 1921-1963.

The office remained at Hoey until 1964 when the two entities split to better service NCCU and its students.

In 1980, admissions moved to the Shepard House under Nancy Rowland, director from 1980-1997.

“The Shepard House was structurally an unsafe building that we were in,” said LuAnn EdmondsHarris, who was an admissions counselor in 1986, now director of marketing and promotions in the athletics department.

“The fire department shut down the front porch because it was unstable which meant that people had to enter the building from the back door to see the admissions staff.”

Meanwhile, McDougald House was being renovated for the department of personnel, now called human resources.

“One day Chancellor Tyronza R. Richmond came by the office and could not get in the front door,” Edmonds-Harris said.

“He saw the conditions we were working in as perspective students were dropping off applications and decided to stop the McDougald House renovation for the department of personnel.”

In 1991, Chancellor Richmond notified the undergraduate admissions staff that they had a week to move to their new location in McDougald House.

From that point forward,

Living on campus?

Got a maintenance problem?

Go to SchoolDude.

SchoolDude lets you to submit work orders online. When you submit your maintenance issue online we can serve you faster.

SchoolDude can be used to report air conditioning and electrical problems. It can be used to report problems with your furniture, your doors and locks, and other similar problems.

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Undergraduate Admissions is now located next to the booksstore in the Lawson Street parking deck.

DAVID FITTS/Echo

undergraduate admissions continued to grow in the McDougald House by adding more staff and adding a basement.

Over time, the house became too small for the undergraduate admissions staff.

“In 2010 Chancellor Nelms, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Kevin Rome and myself had a vision to create a new center that would be modern, competitive and equipped to serve the

staff photographer

needs of today’s prospective students, parents and guests in a more cutting edge facility,” said Brooks.

That shared idea grew into the new Admissions Center, which opened in February.

The new facility offers more modern work spaces, computers, and an overall more welcoming environment to prospective students and their families.

However, there is more work to be done.

According to Brooks, there will be new signage,

televisions that will stream in the names of incoming guests and tours of NCCU, cablevision, to enhance the already-impressive location.

More importantly, students taking advantage of the services the entire facility provides is what he hopes to see.

Although most of the action takes place in the Admissions Center, McDougald House is still being used for the processing staff and the director of admissions' office.

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

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Faculty, kids make goop (polymers) Science camp works to instill love of science

BY MELISSA KERR ECHO STAFF REPORTER

NCCU’s Tonya Gerald, chemistry assistant professor, mixes up some “goop” with her son and another unidentified chemistry camper.

Photo courtesy of Tony Gerald

This summer a few N.C. Central University’s professors volunteered their time and expertise to show area youth that chemistry is everywhere ... and that it’s fascinating.

The Science and Everyday Experiences program, sponsored by the Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, is now in its sixth year.

This summer’s program — Celebrating the Year of Chemistry — worked with about 40 children from Durham and surrounding areas, aged 9 through 14, who participated in the half-day program at the Delta House.

The SEE initiative is designed to promote a love of science in AfricanAmerican children through emersion in fun, thought provoking activities.

The camp is designed to provide the campers and their parents with an opportunity to view the wonders of the everyday world through the eyes of chemistry.

Durham SEE chair Sharon Beard said that her focus is outreach.

Scientists from N.C. State University, Duke University, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the N.C. Chapter of the American Chemical Society joined NCCU faculty to assist the summer camp.

“One of our goals is to get chemists into the community,” Beard explained.

Two NCCU chemistry

assistant professor’s Darlene Taylor and Tonya Gerald taught the older campers how to make two different polymers, “Obleck” and “Goop.”

Taylor explained that it is essential for young people to have hands-on exposure to science.

She said the SEE camp promotes diversity in sciences.

“Diversity is a key element in creativity,” she explained.

NIEHS scientists Elena Braithwaite and Danielle Watt, a postdoctoral fellow, worked with the young children on the basics on polymers as well as acids and bases.

Watt said the children should learn that chemistry does not stop at the classroom door.

“I feel if we can relate science to something children do every day, they wouldn’t shy away from it so much,” she said.

William Switzer, an associate professor emeritus at NCSU demonstrated ways that matter can maintain its state as well as the how it can be manipulated in unique ways, including the everpopular use of dry ice.

Switzer said he hopes to instill a love of chemistry in today’s youth.

“It’s incredibly important for young people to maintain interest in the sciences,” he said.

Rhonda Powell, mother of 8-year-old twins from Raleigh, was excited to have her children participate in the SEE camp.

“I think if you can do math and science, you can do anything,” she said.

New home for repair center

Eagle Service Call Center and Computer Repair Center is now located in the lower level of the Alfonso Elder Student Union.

NEKA JONES/Echo staff photographer

BY CHRISTA WATSON ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Tired of walking all the way to the School of Education to have your computer looked at?

Here’s the good news — Information Technology Services has moved its Eagles Service Call Center and Computer Repair Center to the lower level of the Alfonso Elder Student Union, where the bookstore used to be.

According to Marian Holiday-White, ITS student technical support manager, they made the move to be in a more centralized location for students.

As soon as the bookstore moved, he said, ITS wanted to claim that space.

“I don’t know who else vied for this spot, but we wanted it because it is a good location and we knew it would be beneficial to students,” said HolidayWhite, who added that more students are already showing up to get help with their computers.

The center’s hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. To reach the call center dial 919.530.7676.

You can also get textbook purchase and rental prices at our BLINK! Textbooks Center at the Campus Echo Online at www.campusecho.com.

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

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For more than 35 years NCCU’s Health Careers Center staff has been developing pre-health professional students into viable candidates for health and medical careers by providing: • Advocacy • Counseling • Enrichment Activities • Health Career Network Access • Health Career Recruitment • Information • Internships & Shadowing Experiences • Standardized Test Prep Workshops • Other services and activities

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

Beyond NCCU

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9/11 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 National Institutes of Health funding soared by a factor of 30, and students have been pouring into the field ever since.

Some of the programs have already produced novel advances.

At Texas A&M University, federally funded researchers have affixed radiation sensors to cockroaches — on tiny backpacks — that could be deployed to search for a “dirty” bomb.

Thousands of young people now view going to college as being part of “a mission,” said Dr. Tara O’Toole, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s undersecretary for science and technology.

The department has spent nearly $4 billion on scientific research in the last five years, with hundreds of millions more

Interest in national security “is beginning to influence the way we look at research in general. It invades every area of our research today.”

ALAN

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR — DISCOVERY PARK, A THINK TANK AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY

pouring into colleges from other state and federal agencies, including the NIH and the Department of Defense.

“This is a generation that is looking for work that is bigger than themselves,” O’Toole said.

The new focus at Purdue is largely the result of its Homeland Security Institute, established after the 2001 attacks to use campus resources to confront national security threats.

The institute has developed courses set in “living laboratories,” such as large

dairy operations, to study ways to prepare for, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks.

New courses are being added and officials are weighing the possibility of creating a stand-alone homeland security major.

The institute — run by two retired Army lieutenant colonels — also scours announcements of national security initiatives and partners them with campus researchers.

The result is a new emphasis on collaboration among the university and

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government and corporate financiers interested in security research.

Interest in national security “is beginning to influence the way we look at research in general,” said Alan H. Rebar, executive director of Discovery Park, a Purdue think tank that leads interdisciplinary research initiatives.

“It invades every area of our research today.”

The investment is paying dividends for the colleges themselves — at a time when they need infusions of cash.

Purdue microbiology professor Arun K. Bhunia had long been developing nanotechnology to detect naturally occurring pathogens in food.

After Sept. 11, Bhunia applied this technology in new ways to guard against terrorism.

The result: a machine that sends lasers through colonies of bacteria, creating a shadow “fingerprint” that could help investigators determine whether a pathogen has been intentionally introduced into the food supply.

Recently, a private corporation licensed the technology — a development, brokered in part by the institute, that could be worth millions to Purdue.

Chemistry professor R. Graham Cooks has spent

decades perfecting a mass spectrometer, a machine that calculates molecular weight and chemical structure.

Before Sept. 11, he used it to analyze the molecular framework of strawberry jam and cacti. He said he felt as if he had a fascinating piece of technology in search of a practical application.

Today, Cooks’ science has never been hotter. He and his students have helped refine a hulking machine that once filled a room into a hand-held device that Purdue is preparing to license.

The technology can be used to detect traces of explosives on suitcases and clothing or biological agents sent through the mail. The next generation will fit inside a smart phone.

“Everything is moving faster and faster,” Cooks said.

For decades, American colleges have responded to crisis by recasting their curricula to meet national needs.

In 1957, for instance, much of the country was plunged into hysteria after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the first manmade object to orbit Earth.

The United States appeared to be losing the space race, and responded

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with a billion-dollar research and education initiative.

“It is just the nature of American universities. It is in their DNA,” said Irwin Feller, a professor emeritus of economics at Penn State who headed a study on the impact of homeland security on higher education.

At a time when 2 million college graduates in the United States are unemployed, numerous fields related to national security are hiring.

In 2009, for example, the National Cyber Security Division of he Homeland Security Department nearly tripled its workforce.

One small university in Dallas, Pa., is so confident of its national security program that it offers a job guarantee — if graduates do not have a job in six months or are not accepted into a graduate school, the university will provide a three-month paid internship in the student’s field.

Purdue views its national security work as a “differentiator” for its students — “a way to sell yourself in a tough job environment,” said J. Eric Dietz, director of the university’s Homeland Security Institute.

“What my resume looked like two years ago to what it looks like now — there is no comparison,” said Purdue graduate student Steve Riedel, 40.

Riedel was in the Navy for 11 years; the institute has recruited scores of military veterans to return to college.

Riedel has taken three domestic security courses at Purdue and is in the home stretch of a securityrelated thesis, with an eye toward a job in agricultural security. “The demand is phenomenal,” he said.

Numerous colleges have launched programs to take advantage of the research money flowing in since Sept. 11.

The University of Southern California operates one of the Homeland Security Department’s 12 university-based research units, known as centers of excellence.

The university receives about $3 million each year in federal funding; its researchers investigate a host of terrorism-related issues — predicting the economic impact of an attack’s aftermath, such as port closures or disease epidemics.

In May, UCLA opened a $32 million Global Bio Lab, funded largely by the state and federal governments, to target bioterrorist attacks and infectious diseases.

“A handful of universities have really hit the jackpot,” said Feller, the retired economics professor.

At Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., taxpayers will spend nearly a billion dollars to build the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility to guard the nation’s agricultural economy and food supply.

Though it is a federal project, it is expected to have a deep and lasting effect on the university _ long before it is operational in 2019.

The facility’s scientists, for instance, will become adjunct KSU professors, enhancing graduate studies and creating new areas of collaborative research.

The university is also using the project to develop a partnership with animal health corporations that could result in lucrative advancements.

The Manhattan area could become “a Silicon Valley for food science and animal science,” said the Homeland Security Department’s O’Toole.

Beyond NCCU

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August payrolls flat unemployment at 9.1% Declining consumer, business confidence threaten economic recovery

BY KEVIN G.HALL MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS (MCT)

WASHINGTON — The number of employers adding jobs in August was unchanged and the unemployment rate held steady at 9.1 percent, the government said Friday in a disappointing report that puts pressure on the White House and Federal Reserve to do more to spark economic activity.

Non-farm payrolls grew by roughly zero, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said.

That’s an unusual number for monthly changes. Many mainstream economists had been expecting payroll growth of 50,000 or greater.

Government statisticians revised downward July and June hiring estimates by 35,000 and 26,000 respectively, showing the economy losing speed through the summer.

Among the apparent causes: a sharp drop in consumer and business confidence stemming from Washington’s partisan head-butting over raising the debt-ceiling in July, which led Standard & Poors to downgrade its rating of Treasury creditworthiness.

“The economy has stalledout in the wake of the debtceiling spectacle and S&P downgrade.

Businesses stopped hiring last month and government continues to cut workers. The broad job weakness across industries and the decline in hours worked suggest the economy is perilously close to doubledipping” back into recession, said Mark Zandi, chief economist for forecaster Moody’s Analytics. “A recession is not assured since businesses have not increased their layoffs, but they soon will be if policymakers don’t act aggressively to shore up confidence.”

Policymakers instead are busy pointing fingers.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to outline next Thursday his new plan to revive hiring and stave off recession.

But even that got

ensnared in partisan gamesmanship this week as the White House and House Speaker John Boehner, ROhio, fought over the time and date for the speech to a joint session of Congress.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell by more than 200 points in the first half hour of trading as investors fretted over the worse-thanexpected jobs report. Other U.S. and major global stock indices were all off by 2 percent or more.

As bad as Friday’s jobs report was, it contained anomalies. The jobs total was skewed by a drop of 48,000 in the information sector, most in telecommunications. Some 45,000 striking Verizon workers were not counted on payrolls during August, BLS said.

That’s important because private-sector employers added 17,000 jobs during August. That number is likely to rise in September because the Verizon strike is over.

Another August setback: 17,000 government jobs were lost — the same number created by private employers.

Since the peak of September 2008, roughly 550,000 government jobs have been cut.

The White House put on a brave face about the latest weak jobs report, saying the president will challenge Congress to act.

“Today’s report underscores the president’s call for Congress to pass a clean

Charlette Pennington (left) gets job prospects during a meeting at Philadelphia Unemployment Project, August 23.

WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN/MCT

extension of the transportation bill to keep workers on the job and keep critical highway construction, bridge repair, mass transit and other important projects moving forward,” Katharine Abraham, a member of the Council of Economic Advisers, said in a statement.

The Federal Reserve is also under pressure to do more. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has signaled that he may purchase more government bonds or lengthen the maturity of the ones the Fed holds in an effort to further drive down lending rates and stimulate economic activity. The Fed meets on Sept. 20-21 to discuss next moves.

There were a few bright spots in the August report.

Health care hiring remained robust at nearly 30,000, and the broad category of professional and business services

was up by 28,000 positions.

These white-collar professional jobs imply spending growth.

Another important gauge of future hiring is temporary services. Hiring in this category was up only modestly, rising nearly 5,000. That hardly signals an intention to resume robust full-time hiring.

The hard-hit construction sector lost 5,000 jobs in August. Construction suffers from huge unresolved problems in housing nationwide.

Manufacturers shed 3,000 jobs.

“For the past four months, manufacturing has added an average of 14,000 jobs per month, compared with an average of 35,000 jobs per month in the first four months of the year,” BLS said.

The weak manufacturing VVnumbers did not surprise

Chad Moutray, chief economist for the National Association of Manufacturers.

“In short, surveys have suggested for much of the past months that manufacturing and overall business activity in the United States has stalled, and these numbers confirm that view,” he wrote Friday on his blog at Shopfloor.org.

“Today’s numbers will embolden those who argue for new initiatives to stimulate economic growth.”

Also troubling was that average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased by 3 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $23.09 in August. This decline followed an 11-cent gain in July. Over the past 12 months average hourly earnings have increased by 1.9 percent, BLS said. This helps explain why con-

sumers are saving or at least restraining their spending, as their earnings have failed to keep pace with inflation.

The number of unemployed Americans remained unchanged at roughly 14 million. About 6 million of them — almost 43 percent — have been jobless for six months or longer.

The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons — sometimes called involuntary part-time workers — rose from 8.4 million to 8.8 million in August.

These are people who are working part time because their hours have been cut back or they couldn’t find full-time work. ___ ON THE WEB Bureau of Labor Statistics report: http://1.usa.gov/4zoS3A Employment by sector: http://1.usa.gov/aYBX8V

College asks about sexual orientation on admission application Officials say goal is to better understand what LGBT students want from college experience

BY ANNEMARIE MANNION CHICAGO TRIBUNE (MCT)

CHICAGO — Something new at 140-year-old Elmhurst College made senior Ally Vertigan very proud when she learned of it.

A question on the undergraduate admission application for the 2012-13 school year asks: “Would you consider yourself a member of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual,

transgender) community?”

The college is believed to be the first in the nation to ask about sexual orientation on its admission application.

The question is optional for potential Elmhurst students filling out the application.

But officials at the private college say their goal in asking it is to increase diversity and give them a better understanding of LGBT students.

Diversity, according to the officials, is an important mission of the school, which is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.

“I’m so proud of my college. I think this is a great step contextually, within the nation,” said Vertigan, who noted that she “identifies within the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community.”

Gary Rold, dean of admissions, said the college will

get a better handle on what LGBT students want from their college experience.

He said students’ interests affect greatly what the college offers, including majors and extracurricular activities.

“Football players wouldn’t come here if we don’t have a football team,” he said. “This has greater emotional charge to it. But it’s in the same continuum.”

Rold said the college began thinking about how to increase enrollment of LGBT students after they were approached by the school’s chapter of Straights and Gays for Equality, which wanted to have a college recruitment fair.

Shane Windmeyer, of Campus Pride, a non-profit national organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create

safer college environments for LGBT students, said the college’s decision “sends a message of acceptance.”

Elmhurst students questioned last week generally embraced the college’s decision to ask the question.

“If it’s optional that’s all right,” said Lauren Grimm, a sophomore. “If it was mandatory, that would be ridiculous.”

YOUR CAMPUS ECHO Named by the Society of Professional Journalists as Region 2 Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper in 2010 Mark of Excellence Awards.

The top spot was awarded in competition with all 4 Yr Colleges and Universities from Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and Washington DC. Taking second and third places were the James Madison University “Breeze” and the Virginia Commonwealth University “Times.”

Other awards given to Campus Echo staff at the April

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Cash Crop witnesses Alum returns with artistic exploration of Middle Passage B Y C HANEL L AGUNA

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If you take a trip to the N.C. Central University Art Museum, you’ll see 15, 200 lb. cement sculptures of African men, women and children mounted onto wooden ships and placed in rows.

The exhibit is called Cash Crop. And it’s by NCCU alumnus Stephen Hayes. It will remain on display through Oct. 30.

“His work is truly amazing,” said gallery assistant Nicholas Headen, “The sculptures are realistic and speaks for itself.”

According to Hayes, each figure represents one million slaves who are symbolic representations of the estimated 15 million slaves who were transported to the New World on the iconic Brookes ship from 1540 to 1850.

Drawing his inspiration from the Brookes slave ship’s half-deck platform layout, Hayes engraved images of slaves on the back of each sculpture.

Each uniquely sculpture is crafted with images of slaves who lay in various directions.

“The whole project is about how the transporting of goods have mutated,” said Stephen Hayes.

Upon entering the museum, the viewer sees a wooden pallet with a carved seal of the American dollar

Lil Wayne Tha Carter 4 Cash Money Records 3 out of 5 on the black hand side

Stephen Hayes shares his powerful Cash Crop at the NCCU Art Museum CHANEL LAGUNA/Echo A&E editor

bill. This represent the commerce and profit made through the importing of slaves According to Hayes he spent five 5

months working on the project.

“It’s the kind of person I am. I work like a machine, and I don’t stop until it’s complete,” he said.

Guitarist brings Dominican form to Triangle Sept. 23

BY MATT PHILLIPS ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Joan Soriano at home in the Dominican Republic.

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dance–ready Dominicanstyle guitar music.

It was forged in the rural regions of the Dominican Republic in the 1960s.

Originally considered a music of the lower working classes, bachata is played in poverty-stricken neighborhoods by musicians known as bachateros.

The customary rhythmic ballads are steeped in lyrics of pain and longing.

Soriano is a product of

the Dominican Republic countryside. He was raised in Monte Plata, a village inland from the capital of Santo Domingo, the seventh of 15 siblings.

As a child, Soriano built his first guitar by hand using a metal box and fishing wire.

He left home for Santo Domingo at 13 to make music his life.

Soriano was the subject of the 2009 documentary “El Duque de la Bachata.”

Film director Adam Taub said decided to feature Soriano because “He was an incredibly talented, true bachatero that still had not made it big.”

Despite his relative lack of monetary success, Soriano is gaining popularity as a bachatero in the United States.

He has performed at The Reno Bachata Festival, Chicago’s Millennium Stage, Meany Hall for the Performing Arts at the University of Washington, and The Santa Monica Pier.

Soriano’s most recent album and United States debut is “El Duque de la Bachata.”

Released in September 2010 by iASO records, the album was recorded live in Santo Domingo by iASO producer and founder Benjamin de Menil. iASO Records produces live records by Latin and World musicians.

Soriano performs at Motorco Music Hall, 723 Rigsbee Avenue in Durham.

General admission is $15.

Durham Blues free this year Organizers want to thank the community for its support

BY DAVID FITTS ECHO ONLINE EDITOR

Dancing, singing, food and fellowship are all good things on their own but when they come together they are incredibly powerful.

Every September, blues fans and music enthusiasts from around the world unite in Durham for the Bull Durham Blues Festival, sponsored by St. Joseph's Historic Foundation Inc. Hayti Heritage Center.

The event has become one of Durham’s longest traditions.

This year, Durham’s Central Park will host the Blues Festival, now is in its 24th year.

“It’s like a homecoming.

You see people that you only see at that time of the year,” said Melody Little, Director of Operations at Hayti.

“You know when you make contact with these

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TRASH

Soriano’s sweet Bachata Joan Soriano strums furious rhythms on his steel-string guitar.

He croons bittersweet lyrics of heartache with a leather–smooth voice in his native Spanish.

His style of music?

Bachata, a folk music of the Dominican Republic that melds African, Caribbean, European, and various Latin American influences into a unique steel-string-guitar-driven style.

Soriano performs in Durham Friday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. The show is presented by Duke Performances.

“The style of bachata Joan plays is undeniable ...

He plays to make people dance,” said Aaron Greenwald, director of Duke Performances.

Greenwald described Soriano as “A really beautiful musician.”

Sometimes referred to as amargue, roughly translated as ‘bitterness,’ bachata is a soulful, yet

Trending Topic

The 24th annual Durham Blues Festival kicks off Sept. 9 Courtesy The Hayti Heritage Center

people, whether it is a vendor or a volunteer, you know it is definitely Blues Festival Time.”

On Friday, Sept. 9 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m., the festival kicks off with a free concert at St Joseph's Performance Hall in conjunction with the gallery opening of Mel Brown's" I Got The Blues."

Big John Shearer and the Chit Nasty Band will perform.

On Saturday, Sept. 10 from 6 p.m.- midnight,

famous local artists including Will McFarlane, Rick Tobey, Bobby Hinton, John Brown & the Groove Shop Band, Mel Melton & The Wicked Mojos, Shana Tucker and Harvey Dalton Arnold Blues Band, will take center stage and rock the night away.

Most of the artists have performed in previous Blues Festivals, attracting fans with their unique styles and array of musical instruments.

This year, the festival is

free and open to the public. “The St Joseph's Historic Foundation’s Board and Staff wanted to express their appreciation to the community for supporting us throughout the years,” said Little.

She has worked at Hayti and on the Blues Festival staff for 15 years. She hopes this year’s festival will be a hit like ones in the past.

“Organizing this festival is a lot of work for a small staff, but we love the results of that hard work and wish it continued success.

Although there is an absence of a national headliner, we are hoping for the same festival atmosphere everyone has come to love and enjoy.”

Come out and enjoy two nights of outstanding performances, great food, games, and vendors, as the power of blues rocks Durham to its core.

Lil’ Wayne a.k.a Weezy F. Baby finally dropped his 4th installment of “Tha Carter” series on Aug. 29. Tha Carter IV, his ninth studio album sold more than 964,000 copies in its first week after release.

Considering that this album is following behind the triple platinum, Grammy Award winning, “Tha Carter III,” Wayne fans raise questions of whether Tha Carter IV would live up to the previous Carter installment?

Tha Carter IV features Drake, Rick Ross, Andre 3000, John Legend, and Bun B just to name a few. Wayne has more than enough tunes worthy to repeat over and over.

Wayne’s lyrical muscle is what makes this an enjoyable album. Without a doubt some of the best songs have already been released as single, “How to Love,” “She Will,” John”, and “6 Foot 7 Foot.”

Wayne comes with the heat on the “Intro,””Mega

Game The Red Album Interscope Records 5 out of 5 on the black hand side

Twenty-one tracks filled with his historic background of growing up in Compton, glorifying his gang lifestyle and putting a twist on why most shouldn’t live the lifestyle.

Rap artist Game is providing opinions about the state of the hip-hop genre along with his current standing within the music genre hip-hop as a whole.

Together with glorifying the story of his daughter being born, in addition to reminding the listeners how he likes to have fun partying with women.

The Game is back with his fourth album “The R.E.D. Album.”

The album boasts features from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Wale, Young Jeezy, andRick Ross and production from Cool & Dre, Dr. Dre, Hit Boy, Mars and a list of other super producers.

The album carries an extended time length of almost an hour and a half.

Game opens “The R.E.D.” with Dr. Dre as the narrator.

To follow up with “The City” featuring Kendrick Lamar, in the course of this song Game is illustrating where he’s from adding to that he’s the best from his city as well as stating that west coast hip-hop does not cease to exist.

Kendrick Lamar also adds

Man,” “Nightmares of the Bottom,” and “So Special,” in his usual manner.

“Nightmares of the Bottom,” may have a dark title, but it is not as shady as the title may indicate.

The piano tunes are elusive, but in true Weezy style the 808’s fell in with the piano keys.

The track offers a lot depth and perspective.

In “How to Hate,” Wayne and T-Pain flip the bird to an old lover that corrupted their feelings.

T-Pain’s high pitched auto-tuned voice doesn’t flow with the melody; his voice becomes somewhat boring giving the song a dull feeling.

“So Special,” was one of his genius tracks on the album.

His collaboration with John Legend brings the R&B slow jam vibe.

The Deluxe Edition to “Tha Carter IV” contained three measly throwaways.

In “I Like the View,” everything doesn’t register lyrically, the hook sounds lazy and it should have been discarded. I suggest that buyers keep those few extra dollars and purchase the standard album.

— Belinda Dunn to the song giving his thoughts on LA and making a nice introduction for him on a major album.

Other than giving his thoughts on the city of angels; Game’s “Heavy Artillery” featuring Rick Ross and Beanie Sigel, is giving listeners more of his gritty content on top of releasing his gangsta mentality over this record.

Continuing to do the same thing covering " Martians vs. Goblins" featuring Lil Wayne and Tyler the Creator. Game mentions how he has lust for a particular female artist and hatred towards rap artist Lil B. Tyler the Creator also adds fuel to Game’s fire giving his rugged thoughts towards individuals as well (stating names).

Besides Game’s gritty lyrics and his thoughts on his city, he expresses a lighter side of thoughts on "California Dream" going into detail, telling listeners about the experience of his daughter being born.

During the record he stops rapping and gives listeners a chance to hear the mother of his child go through labor, hearing the doctors talk and the baby cry as well.

This is a great record and it gives Game’s perspective on how important it is to be a parent.

Overall the production is great on the album and adds to his lyrics and grand collaborations. I rate “The R.E.D.” album a five out five.

Congratulations, Game.

— Tahj Giles

Chidley Redux

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

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Photos by Chi Brown

A welcome banner above the front desk lists the names of RAs on each of Chidley’s four floors.

Mailboxes are located near Chidley’s rear entrance.

Chidley’s second-floor laundry room

One of Chidley’s several designated study areas

The reborn Chidley stands on the corner of Alston Avenue and Lawson Street.

One Chidley residential assistant has decorated her door to spice things up a little.

A second-floor dorm room reflects the taste of its occupants.

CHIDLEY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Archive photograph of the original Chidley Residential Hall, circa 1960

Chidley Hall cannot be duplicated, but the newly furnished $30 million building, Chidley North, with a capacity of 517 students, is merely a reminder of its success.

The new Chidley North opened its doors this semester to 462 co-ed students.

According to Azsha Lawrence, for2ensic science sophomore, “Chidley is better than other dorms because it’s very nice inside, spacious, and everyone gets their own bathroom. It’s still being worked on but so far I am very pleased with how it looks.”

Chidley North has a two-story lobby, “smart” rooms, where students are able to use the computer lab, attend classes and seminars, sensible room size, and careful landscaping.

One drawback is the distance from Chidley to the center of campus.

In previous years, some upperclassmen were forced to find off-campus living in apartments, boarding houses, or costly hotels.

Though Chidley North was built to reduce this problem, 6,200 students still live off-campus, some by choice, some not.

“Since we were not able to provide upperclassmen with housing before, it is difficult to get them back on campus,” said Dr. Jennifer A. Wilder, director of residential life.

“It is very important for students to have the total college experience,” Wilder said.

16

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Sports

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

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Eagles clipped 48-0

V-ball struggles

Rutgers defense dominates Frazier’s debut

BY

JONATHAN ALEXANDER ECHO SPORTS EDITOR

Plagued by errors, injuries and just tough competition, the N.C. Central University Lady Eagles volleyball team continues to struggle as they lose their eighth straight match.

“Currently we have three of our starters out right now so that’s one of the reasons why we’re pretty up and down right now in terms of our play,” said Georgette Crawford-Crooks, NCCU volleyball head coach.

This is the first season the eagles will be able to compete for NCAA Division I championship honors and no team plans to lie down for the Lady Eagles. They have lost in straight sets in six of their first eight matches.

“I think that we should talk more. We just had 2 weeks to practice,” said freshman Dayanna Arrufat, in reference to the team’s off-season.

Speed appears to be a strong suit for the Lady Eagles but they continue to struggle with the serve receive, and with committing errors.

“The things we can improve upon is our serve receive,” said Crawford-Crooks.

“Believe it or not, that’s a strong point for us, our serve

receive,” she said. “It’s that half of our serve receive is out.”

Few players remain as consistent as Arrufat, sophomore Jzima-Malaki Kalao, and senior leader Shantel Moore (when healthy).

Arrufat leads the team with 69 kills, followed by Moore with 50.

Kalao, the primary setter, leads the team on defense with 54 digs.

“Our blocking is getting there but we should be more consistent because overall, traditionally we’re usually a strong blocking team,” said Crawford-Crooks.

“Pretty much, we’re getting there as a program.”

The competition also has been tough as the opponents they have played have a combined record of 27-25.

The games will only get tougher as the Lady Eagles start a three-game road trip against the Lady Eagles of Winthrop (42), on Sept. 16.

They also will face two familiar opponents in the Lady Camels of Campbell and the Lady Phoenix of Elon, whom they played in the first tournament of the year, the NCCU Hilton/RTP, losing in straight sets to both.

“Work harder and be more disciplined and we’ll be fine,” said Kalao.

NCCU safety James Reese slams Rutgers running back Savon Huggins to the turf in a first-q quarter play DUNCAN WILLIAMS/Courtesy NCCU Athletics

BY

J EROME B ROWN J R .

ECHO ASSISTANT EDITOR

On Sept. 1, in the N.C. Central University coaching debut of Henry Frazier III, at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, N.J., turnovers, dropped passes, and poor execution contributed to NCCU’s 480 loss to Rutgers.

The Eagles mustered only 120 yards of total offense and surrendered nine sacks.

“Their defense dominated us and defense wins championships. The defense really dictated the game,” said Frazier.

Both teams struggled to gain traction in the first quarter, but a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Rutgers running back Savon Huggins with 38 seconds left in the quarter marked the first score of the game.

Constant pressure by Rutgers’ defensive line caused problems for Eagles quarterbacks Michael Johnson and Jordan Reid. In addition to the nine sacks, they were hurried eight times, which caused errant throws.

“Yes (that was the key for them).

They are very big up front and fast,” said Johnson. “They had a lot of movement, some stunts up front, caused some confusion. They had a very good front four. They were pretty tough up front,” he said.

Down by 21 points at halftime, NCCU continued to struggle in the second half. A tumultuous third quarter included a fumble recovery in the end zone and a 37-yard interception return by the Rutgers defense brought the score to 42-0.

The final score was 48-0.

The defense was led by senior

linebacker Brandon Outlaw, who notched a game-high 14 tackles.

Rutgers only managed 3.3 yards per carry on 41 rushing attempts.

“They are a good team and this was a good measurement to test where we are, what we need to work on and what our strengths are,” said Outlaw.

Despite their errors, head coach Henry Frazier was encouraged with his team’s perseverance.

“We will take a lot from this game.

We didn’t quit. We played a first-class football game. Our kids fought all the way to the end,” said Frazier.

“We will identify the errors that we made and we have another ball game next week.”

NCCU hits the road again Sept. 10 to take on Central State in the inaugural Cleveland Classic in Cleveland.

Heddy herry CHI BROWN/Echo photo editor

Dayanna Arrafut gets one of 17 kills vs. Florida Gulf Coast Aug. 27.

CHI BROWN/Echo photo editor

Eagles granted Division I status, joins MEAC After five years, NCCU is officially eligible for NCAA championships

J ONATHAN A LEXANDER

BY

ECHO SPORTS EDITOR

Signed, sealed, delivered!

On Thursday, Aug. 11, N.C. Central University’s athletic department received a letter from the NCAA announcing that they had been granted Division I status and are now eligible to compete for NCAA championships.

After five years of adhering to strict rules and waiting, the Eagles prepare to take flight this year as official members of the MidEastern Athletic Conference.

Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree, NCCU Athletic Director, has been with the athletic department for 14 years and

has long awaited this move.

“I was just ecstatic and [breathed] a sigh of relief because of the hard work that all the student athletes and coaches and administrators have done over the last five years,” said WickerMcCree.

Between 1980 and 2007, NCCU had been a part of the Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

After amassing eight championships in its last two years in the conference, NCCU applied to the MEAC, the Big South, America East, and the Southern Conference for membership and was accepted into the MEAC, the only expanding conference, in 2009.

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During this process NCCU had been independent for four years, meaning they had not belonged to a conference, and competed mainly for pride and wins.

This marks the first time NCCU has been able to compete for Division-I championships.

“That’s one of the things that I just wanted to educate our fans and just the community on, about the sacrifice that these young studentathletes have made before them,” said LeVelle Moton, head coach of the men’s basketball team.

Players who have long awaited competing for a championship finally have that opportunity this year.

Senior Dreanna Wallace, a

track and field and crosscountry student-athlete, competed three years of what seemed like meaningless play during this reclassification process.

“It’s much more motivating now that we have something to work towards, winning a championship, and just competing for points period,” said Wallace.

All 14 sports will play their conference foes during the regular season and conclude in post-season play in a conference tournament. If they win the tournament, they will play nationally.

“Basketball is about to be it! And I will be at every game,” said mass communication senior Candess Carter.

While many fans appear excited about the move, others are less enthusiastic about being in the MEAC. “I prefer the CIAA,” said mass communication associate professor Kenneth Chambers.

“The CIAA tournament is a massive tradition down here. In the CIAA we have traditional rivals, and the alumni and everyone come to the tournament,” Chambers said.

“On the other side, I think it was a good move in terms of funding the athletic department.”

Goals are set high for ath-

letics as a whole. The athletic department wants to graduate student-athletes, win more than they lose, and run a clean program, according to Wicker-McCree.

“I see us winning MEAC championships on a consistent basis in all of our sports, certain sports making it past the first and second rounds of NCAA championships, our GPA above a 3.0 and our graduation rate at 80 percent for our student-athletes,” she said.

“The coaches have done a really good job of finding top student-athletes and I think that will continue,” she said.

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Opinions

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Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

IVER SITY

Storms brew, damage lasts I

know what it’s like to be the victim of a hurricane.

I lost everything but my sanity to Hurricane Floyd in 1999. No place of my own to lay my head, no clothes, no music, no anything except what I had on and what was in my pockets the day that I left my residence.

I wasn’t able to Zevandah return for about Barnes a month.

When I saw the damage to my place, I was shocked. The waterline was up to the ceiling and mold was growing on the ceiling fan.

I’d never seen anything like this before — and I received very little help to get things back in order.

The devastation caused by strong winds and rain was enough to change my world.

After that I took hurricanes seriously.

Before, I hadn’t.

To some people, hurricanes are an act of God. To some people, hurricanes are just Mother Nature doing

To others, hurricanes are a reminder of the slaves’ struggles; hurricanes often form off the coast of Africa and travel the Middle Passage, the route slave ships used to take. what she does best.

To others, hurricanes are a reminder of the slaves’ struggles; hurricanes often form off the coast of Africa and travel the Middle Passage, the route slave ships used to take.

Hurricanes are cyclones that have wind speeds that exceed 74 miles per hour.

They typically form in the Caribbean, where there are warm seas and strong, stable vertical winds.

Hurricane Irene came to the United States right after many people on the East coast had their first earthquake scare.

Devastation from a natural disaster happens a lot these days.

It’s almost like the stuff you see in the movies when the world is about to come to an end: just one bad thing

after another.

She beat up on much of the East coast.

Fortunately she wasn’t bad enough to do major damage here at N.C. Central University like the tornadoes did to the campuses of Shaw University and Saint Augustine earlier this year.

Although she missed our campus, the places many of our students’ hometowns were affected by Hurricane Irene, so the storm was felt by many of NCCU students.

North Carolina alone had seven deaths due to the storm.

At least 40 counties were placed under local states of emergency.

More than 600,000 people were without electricity in North Carolina at one point during the storm.

Preparation is the best way

to fight this kind of adversary.

People need to evacuate, get food and water, and most of all we need to get flood insurance because the loss or damage of personal property is very likely and real in this situation.

Hurricane Irene was the first hurricane to make landfall in North Carolina since 2008, almost six years after Hurricane Katrina.

We all know the aftermath of a major storm like this.

We can all help the victims of Hurricane Irene because recovery can be a slow process.

People can donate to the American Red Cross and to food shelters from North Carolina to New England.

Contact the Red Cross at redcross.org, and type in your zip code to find your local Red Cross.

A useful list of North Carolina food banks is available at www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/foodbanks/NCfoo dbanks.

Let’s help these people get their lives back together.

We’ll never forget about the storms, but we can’t forget victims either.

Save it for the one you love S

ometimes women we feel added pressure to do things by our peers we aren’t necessarily ready for.

The pressure I’m relating to is sex.

We hear about it in music, read about it in books, and see it on television.

I know as college students you hear your friends talk Tommia about it all the time and Hayes although it may seem like the greatest thing in the world, just wait.

Ladies, if you are not ready to take the next step with a man, do not let him pressure you into anything your not ready for.

I know it may sound cliché, but your reputation is one of the most important things on campus.

I think having a child is one of the most precious gifts from God, but having one too soon will make your life far more difficult.

The quicker you let a man get in you bed, the faster your reputation falls.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with going further with a guy — but don’t do it with every guy who calls you beautiful.

Don’t believe every guy who tells you “I love you” — or even “I like you.”

Sometimes it’s not you as a person they are feeling.

Not only will your reputation be tarnished, you might get something you’re not ready for — a baby.

I think having a child is one of the most precious gifts from God, but having one too soon will make your life far more difficult.

N ORTH C AROLINA C ENTRAL U NIVERSITY

Campus Echo

As the economy plummets, it’s incredibly tough to raise a baby without having your degree or help from the father and your family.

I know girls my age who love and adore their children but at the same time wish they had had them a few years down the road with a man they loved.

If you choose to have sex, please use a condom.

Condoms are not 100 percent effective but they’re more effective than going raw.

You could get not only an unwanted pregnancy but possibly a sexually transmitted disease.

There are so many incur-

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able STDs: HPV, herpes and more serious diseases like HIV and AIDS. People always think it won’t happen to them.

Then “BAM” like a hurricane, you are crying in the doctor’s office.

You may feel you don’t deserve this, but who does?

You may wonder how this happened but when you think back you begin to remember.

Students, please don’t become another of the statistics you study.

I know women are not the only ones who get pressured, but we are the ones labeled whores.

My advice to everyone, especially the freshmen, is enjoy your college years and take advantage of the opportunities they bring.

If you meet someone you like, great.

If not, do not think sex is the way to trap him or her.

It’s only one part of a relationship, not the whole thing.

drawing by Rashaun Rucker

Question: How do you feel about NCCU getting into Division 1?

“Gives an opportunity for student athletes to have a better possibility to reach their dreams of becoming drafted by the NFL.” — Demetrius

Liverman

“I feel like it would push our athletes more, but they should have waited until they had a better record.”

— Jasmine McCauley

“I think it is a very good look for the school and I think it can help bring a lot of positive exposure to the University as well as other benefits.”

— Samuel Parker Sound Off By Uyi Idahor