Career Week p. 2
Birth of a Nation p.4
Black girl magic p. 5
Roommate Rundown p. 6
Vol. 64, Issue 2
NSU Alums p. 8
09.09.16
Millennials, your vote counts! by Omar Ross Millennials are now as large of a political force as baby boomers according to U.S. Census data from the Pew Research Center, which defines millennials as people between the ages of 18 to 35. Both generations make up roughly 31 percent of the overall electorate. As of April 2016, an estimated 69.2 million millennials were registered to vote. This is a number almost equal to the 69.7 million baby boomers registered to vote in the electorate.
The baby boomer voting-eligible population rose in size to 72.9 million in 2004. While the boomer electorate is decreasing in size, millennials have been aging and increasing as a large percent of the voter population. With this increase of young voters, millennials will soon be the largest generation in the electorate. The growth in the number of millennials who are eligible to vote underscores the potential electoral influence of today’s young adults. Although millennials
are of age to vote, they still remain far from the largest generational bloc of actual voters. Millennials have punched below their electoral weight in former presidential elections. There are many reasons why young people are less likely to vote than their older counterparts. Kawashima-Ginsberg, the director of the Center for Information and Research on Civil Earning and Engagement The Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and the Dem-oc(CIRCLE) at Tufts Univerratic Party of Virginia sponsored a voting registration drive sity, said “It seems young targeted to millennials at Norfolk State University on Aucontinued on p. 2 gust 26, 2016.
Will the “It’s On Us” campaign survive the presidential election by Omar Ross As the presidential election is underway, a major question that has risen is, what will candidates do about sexual assault on college campuses? Vice President Joe Biden spoke to college administrators, chancellors and student body
presidents about the issue in a conference call. The White House’s “It’s On Us” campaign is the government’s latest push to try and end sexual assault on college campuses. “I’m calling about the need for there to be a climate change and a culture
change on our campuses, which makes it clear early on that sexual assault violence, rape…sex without consent, will simply not be tolerated on any campus in America,” said Biden. One-in-five women and one-in-71 men experience sexual assault in their life-
time according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. They suggest that women between the ages of 18 and 24 are at high risk of sexual assault compared to all other age groups. When the Obama administration leaves office in five months, the future of the efforts to end sexual as-
sault will fall into the hands of either Democrat Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton has a plan in place to deal with the issue of ending sexual assault. She plans to provide comprehensive support to continued on p. 3
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Millennials, your vote counts! continued from front people…tend to be lax voters.” Ginsberg has studied changes in voter turnouts over time by looking at how millennial voter turnouts compare to generation X
and baby boomers when they were young. Ginsberg acknowledges that millennial voters do not vote reliably compared to their elders and the fact young people move around frequently
can cause a huge barrier to voting. Campaign outreach sometimes tends to overlook young voters, also. The turnout of the 2016 presidential election depends partly on how pres-
idential campaigns engage young voters. The Obama campaign engaged record numbers of young millennial voters who contributed largely to Obama victories at the voting booth.
It remains to be seen how Clinton and Trump will turn-out millennial voters in the upcoming presidential election; it is one thing to be able to vote and quite another to actually cast a ballot.
Career Week is right around the corner
by Omar Ross Norfolk State’s Career Services department will be hosting NSU’s Career Week, which will give students the opportunity to network and speak with potential employers who can offer jobs after graduation. Career week will begin the last week of September and will be filled with informational events for students to show their potential and gain
Starting Monday, September 26, Career Week will begin and features events such as: speed networking for students to network with potential employers, an entrepreneurship and resource fair for students to learn about owning a business and a dress for success fashion show to show students that you do not have to spend a lot of money to look nice. Students who do not have professional attire and want to attend this event will have the opportunity to get help from Career Services. On Wednesday, September 28, the grand re-opening of the career closet will take place. On this day, students will be able to come and get the right attire for an interview. To use this service, students must go to the Career Services office and set up knowledge. Even though learn proper interview skills an appointment to come and Career Week lasts a week, so that employers will want receive assistance. Norfolk the month of September is to hire them. Having your State alumni have donated all about career planning resume prepared and ready clothes for students to be and, during this month, is very important because able to use and students can many events will take place it gives the employer a way also donate gently used, to prepare students for the to remember who you are clean and pressed profescareer expo. when they are making hiring sional clothes. This service To help prepare students decisions. is free to all students. for this expo, Career SerCareer Services wants The dress code for the vices will be hosting workevery student who attends career expo is professional shops and interview sesthe event to come “resume attire and minimal accessosions. These events will help ready” because the resume ries. Black, blue and grey students create resumes and is what gets the interview. are the go-to colors for
this event and will not take away from you standing out to employers. Director of Career Services Alisha L. Bazemore says, “Students should keep it simple and safe and that it is better to be overdressed than underdressed.” Men should wear a tie and a blazer. Women should wear a nice blouse, skirt or a pair of slacks with low heels. Career Services wants students to participate in this event because it counts. Bazemore stated, “Numbers are important to employers” and it shows them just how serious our students are about their future. By having a large number of students come out to this event, it will help with recruitment and branding for our school and sponsors. There are over 50 employers registered to attend Career Week from local, state and federal jobs, plus private employers. This event will merge and link employers and students together and will show that students at Norfolk State are ready for the world of work. Attending Career Week will give students the opportunity to show their potential and give employers a reason to want them as a part of their team.
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“It’s On Us” campaign continued from front survivors and ensure a fair process for all. She also wants to increase the prevention efforts with educational programs about the issue. Donald Trump has not released a detailed statement or proposal on the issue, but the Republican Party does take a stance on the issue. The Republican party has a platform on sexual assault and calls sexual assault
a terrible crime, but they commend the efforts of law enforcement, educational institutions and their partners for addressing the issue and trying to stop it. The platform also calls for reports of sexual assault to be investigated by civil authorities, prosecuted in a court room and to not be handled in a faculty lounge. Many victims who choose to report their sexual assault crimes to police fear they
may not be taken seriously. According to the Bureau of Justice, 20 percent of students did not report an incident of sexual assault for fear of retaliation. If you or a friend have been a victim of rape on Norfolk State’s campus, you are encouraged to contact the University Police Department at (757) 823-9000. President Obama’s “It’s on Us” campaign tries to end sexual assault on campuses. Photo from ItsonUs.org.
Student debt has met its match by Carman Chatman The Obama Administration has opened its Revised Pay as You Earn (REPAYE) plan to everyone who has taken out a direct federal loan. Regardless of when you took out your loan, this plan is now available for all variations of income.
REPAYE was set into place to eliminate the amount of people who default on their loans. Although many people have become aware of this plan, there are still many who are unaware of the loan repayment options available to them. Defaulting on loans can
cause borrowers to develop bad credit which will cause difficulty when they begin to look into buying a new car or home. In order to decrease the amount of student loans going into default, students need to become aware of how this plan and others like it can help.
Students should begin researching loan repayment plans while still in school, and recent graduates and alumni should stay abreast of their eligibility to apply for one of these plans. There should be no one left uninformed of the resources and options available to them.
For more information, visit the Financial Aid office, contact your loan service provider, or refer to the plan’s blog at http://blog. ed.gov/2015/12/your-federal-student-loans-just-goteasier-to-repaye/.
SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: spartanecho@nsu.edu
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Nick Cannon: From playing an HBCU student to actually being one
Nick Cannon arrives at the “America’s Got Talent” Season 11 Red Carpet (Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File) by Quenten Crider Already a successful actor, musician, television host and father of two, Nick Cannon can officially add the title “college student” to
his resume. Cannon is now a member of Howard University’s class of 2020 and pursuing a degree in strategic legal and management communications.
He has stared in several movies since the early 21st century, most notably, Drumline, Love Don’t Cost a Thing and Roll Bounce. These popular movies helped propel Cannon into becoming a household name, big enough to where he created his own show, Wild n’ Out, in July 2005 with MTV. Ten years later, Wild n’ Out is still going strong recording new seasons to date. Cannon has also hosted other television shows and still receives movie rolls. With Cannon already worth 50 million dollars at
age 35, and doing well for himself as an entertainer, the question “Why go to college now?” enters a lot of people’s minds. According to Entertainment Tonight, when asked, Cannon responded “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and I truly feel like it’s the next stage in my life. Entertainment is outstanding, but I truly want to utilize my voice, I want to be a part of the community, and I’m always encouraging young people and being an advocate for education, so I need to make sure I get mine first.”
Despite his busy schedule as an entertainer and fulltime parent, Cannon said that he is committed in completing his college degree and hopes to further his education in reach of a PhD. Howard, already a prominent university among HBCUs, just acquired a student who is sure to bring more positive publicity their way. With homecoming performances from celebrities like Drake and Wale, the Bison community should be well seasoned for another celebrity on campus, and should plan to welcome him with open arms.
The rebirth of “The Birth of a Nation” by Quenton Crider With several new movies on the horizon, 2016 looks to be in great shape to finish off the year strong in the box office. One of those movies set to release on Oct. 7, “The Birth of a Nation,” is already receiving mixed reviews, backlash and overall controversy. The level of attention and intrigue make it one of the more anticipated movies of 2016. “The Birth of a Nation,” which was co-written, co-produced and directed by Nate Parker in his directorial debut, is a drama film based on the story of Nat Turner, the slave who led a slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia in 1831. Depicted in the South prior to the Civil War, the story follows Nat Turner, played by Nate Parker, as a literate slave and preacher whose owner is having financial issues and accepts an offer
to use Nat’s preaching to calm and bring peace to disorderly slaves. As he witnesses countless acts of violence against his peers, while also suffering himself, Nat decides to orchestrate an uprising in hopes of leading his people to freedom. In 1915, D.W. Griffith released the original, “The Birth of a Nation”, which documented the birth of the Ku Klux Klan, Civil War and the reconstruction of America. Griffith’s innovative techniques and storytelling made “The Birth of a Nation” extremely popular at the time and is now regarded as one of the landmarks of film history; however, it was heavily characterized by many as having a very racist storyline. With Nate Parker’s modern, redefined version soon to be in theaters, he is sure to be hoping for the same success
as Griffith minus the negative criticism. Calendars should be marked for Oct. 7 to view and form an opinion on a movie that, in one way or another, affects us all.
This image released by Fox Searchlight Pictures shows Nate Parker as Nat Turner, left, and Aja Naomi King as Cherry in a scene from, “The Birth of a Nation,” in theaters on Oct. 7. (Fox Searchlight Pictures via AP).
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Black girl magic left an impact on Rio An editorial by Toloria Gray
In this Aug. 9, 2016 file photo, United States’ Simone Biles performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women’s team final at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Many of the Olympics’ most memorable moments have come courtesy of African-American women athletes who have accounted for more than a dozen medals in 14 days of competition. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Black women dominated the 2016 Olympics in Rio! At such a precarious time in the United States, it’s critical that we see young black women doing what they love and excelling at it, too. When Simone Manual, the first black woman to win gold in Olympic swimming,
received her gold medal, she said her medal was for the people who are going to come after her and for the people who believe they can’t do it. Manual had a time of 52.70 seconds in her 100 meter freestyle race. Manual’s win is significant because of the amazing
talent that she possesses and she broke down previous racial barriers in swimming by winning the gold medal. No longer is it a joke or stereotype that “black people can’t swim.” Simone Biles rocked the gymnastics competition with her unique style and
impressive beam skills. The audience loved her and the judges could not get enough of this brown-skin beauty! Biles won a combined total of 19 Olympic gold medals and is considered to be one of the most decorated American gymnasts. Biles came from drug-addict parents
that struggled to raise her and, ultimately, gave her up for adoption. Biles is a great example of how you can beat the odds and overcome different obstacles. Gabby Douglas, as well as Biles, came from non-traditional backgrounds, which many girls in the black community can relate to.
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Roommate Rundown: tips to coexist happily
Spartans Tatiana Leonard (background) and Tiana Allen (foreground) have been roommates and best friends for the past two semesters. Photo by Malina Scacchi. by Kori Wiggins Living with another person can be difficult. Weird odors and dirty clothes are just the beginning of the potential difficulties you may face, but--if you handle your living situation correctly--your roommate could potentially become the
brother or sister you have never had. To make your rooming experience easier, the Spartan Echo has a few roommate tips for any concerned reader. Become friends. When you are living with someone, you should not be strictly on a “hi” and “bye”
basis. Invite your roommate to a night out, lunch at the café or different campus events. Gaining a friendship can solidify a positive relationship between you and your roommate. Communicate. Do not be afraid of confronting your roommate about a problem;
just remember to be tactful. If there are issues to address, such as a dirty side of the room or loud music, you and your roommate should feel comfortable enough to talk it out. Both you and your roommate will appreciate the honesty and compromise. Be an example for each other. You and your roommate will influence each other throughout the school year. Living with someone can make you learn their traits, habits, sayings, and so on. In fact, Nicholas A. Christakis, a co-author of “Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives,” stated “Each happy friend a person has increases that person’s probability of being happy by nine percent and each unhappy friend decreases it
by seven percent.” College can be difficult, but having your roommate as a support system can make it a lot easier. Lastly, have fun! College is a place where many people find themselves, meet new best friends and network with many people who will have a positive influence on their lives. This is a journey and having a good support system is very important. Take your rooming experience as a time to explore the world one adventure, one network, and one social event at a time with your roommate. Many roommate friendships will grow further and expand beyond just the walls within your residence hall. Encourage and support your roommate; it will be worthwhile in the end. continued on p. 7
Dressing for success gets the job by Briana Hudnall Many have heard the saying, “It’s not what’s on the outside that counts, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.” There are many ways to jump on the path to success; however, dressing for the occasion is extremely important. Dressing properly is important because it shows a person’s professionalism and dedication to the job. Norfolk State’s Briana Hudnall and Kori Wiggins are dressed It allows the employer to obfor success in front of the Student Center. Photo by Malina serve what mindset a person Scacchi. has as they are entering the workforce. According to a survey on careerbuilder.
com, “Forty-one percent of employers said that people who dress better or more professionally tend to be promoted more often than others within their organization.” When dressing for success, the key is to not dress according to where a person may be in life at the moment, but according to where they would like to be in their upcoming years. Proper work attire for women would include neutral colors, button up blouses, black shoes with short heels, suits and avoiding gaudy
jewelry. For men, neutral colors, button up shirts, slacks, limited jewelry, and ties that reach the top of a belt buckle are good attire for the office. According to sbu.edu, the rule of thumb for dressing for success is, “If you have to question an item, don’t wear it.” Dressing professionally is the best way to give an employer a good first impression and it can give you a sense of confidence when presenting yourself.
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Working abroad creates avenue for traveling by Briana Hudnall Upon graduation, the idea of a “real job” enters many students’ minds. A lot of people dream of traveling the world. Working Abroad gives those individuals the ability to work and get a head start on their traveling ventures without the finan-cial stress. Traveling the world is only a dream for many people, but after col-lege it could become a real-ity. However, it is important to go into deep research on the place in which you are interested and to know ex-actly what it is that you will be doing.
There are many human-itarian, teaching and envi-ronmental projects that are seeking individuals from all over the world to embark on different works. According to www.workingabroad. com, “Projects range from sea turtle conservation in Costa Rica, teaching in rural schools in Thailand, research in the Peruvian Amazon, wildlife conserva-tion in Africa, to working with children in India.” While there are so many projects to choose from, it is important to research the area that interests you the most. When going to
another country, you must remember that their culture may be different than yours. It is very important to not only know terms such as “bathroom” and “directions” in a foreign language, but it is also necessary to know the rights and wrongs in gestures. A handshake in the United States between a man and a woman may be appropriate but a handshake amongst opposite sexes in another country may be highly offensive. While researching work-ing abroad options, some may find that the area that interests them the most does not offer what
they went to school for. There is abso-lutely nothing wrong with that. Various opportunities can transpire through work-ing abroad. A person should not allow four years of hard work in one field to deter them from what could be a once in a lifetime experi-ence in another field. Coun-tries such as New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland and China are amongst the top ten best countries for work-ing abroad according to www. moneyunder30.com. The process to begin working abroad can be simple. The first step for
any student on a summer break or for recent gradu-ates would be to figure out which country would be most beneficial for them. After making this decision, you will need to know what field it is that you would like to go into. Research and understand the salaries and costs of the country that will be your home for the next few months. Remember that there are many exchange programs in the world. It is important to be sure to re-search in depth the program that will make the greatest fit for you.
The WorkingAbroad.com website provides a number of resources students can use to explore working abroad opportunities. Working Abroad is an independent organization based in the United Kingdom. It is an international networking service for volunteers, workers and travelers and offers the ability to take action for nature and society. Screen cap-ture from workingabroad.com.
Roommate Rundown
continued from p. 6 Take your rooming experience as a time to explore the world one adventure, one network, and one social
event at a time with your hall. Encourage and support roommate. Many roommate your roommate; it will be friendships will grow further worthwhile in the end. and expand beyond just the walls within your residence
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Spartan volleyball preseason conditioning is no joke by Jessica Toliver Getting ready for the new season, Norfolk State’s vol-leyball team just wrapped up their preseason condi-tioning and are now getting ready for their new rivals coming this season. Presea-son conditioning is a period before the season where the athletes prepare their bodies for the upcoming season. The training consists of intensive training and the participation in exhibition games. To help the volleyball players stay in shape, there is a schedule that breaks down their workout regimen for 12 weeks until the new season begins. They start
with an open run, dynamic stretches, static stretching, four corners, stairs, and eight to 25 cool downs. For those who would like to train like a volleyball player or are interested in how Norfolk State’s team stays in shape, take note! Open run. The open run is usually around one to two miles around the campus to get the ladies prepared for a long day’s practice. It also helps loosen up muscles to prevent tightness and inju-ries. Dynamic stretches. Dy-namic stretching is a form of stretching that utilizes mo-mentum from form and the momentum from static-ac-tive stretch-
ing strength in an effort to propel the muscle into an extended range of motion. Dynamic stretches consist of high knees, butt kicks, jumps, kicks, lunges and squats. Static stretching. In volleyball, static stretches are used at the beginning of practice to stretch muscles while the body is at rest. It is composed of various techniques that gradually lengthen a muscle to an elongated position. Exam-ples of where the stretches benefit your body would be the calves, quads, hips, hamstrings, triceps, shoul-ders or neck. Workout. The workout is the bulk of the condi-
tion-ing and usually consists of stairs or a lot of running to keep players in shape. Cool down. Cool downs are usually an exercise that involves running across the court to touch the other sideline and back to get eight touches in 25 seconds. Preseason training is an
important aspect of athletic participation in many sports and usually involves com-binations of stretches and running. Norfolk State’s volleyball team could not be more pre-pared with their season right around the corner. Good luck, ladies!
You can keep up with the latest volleyball news, as well as our other Spartans, at NSUSpartans.com.
NSU alums help diversify NASCAR
Former Spartans Brehanna Daniels and Lamar Neal were selected for the NASCAR Crew Member Development Program. Photo from NSUSpartans.com. by Quenten Crider NASCAR has been in business for more than 65 years and people have been racing for many more. The absence of minorities,
whether in ownership, driving or as pit crew members, has been evident for just as long. NASCAR, along with Rev Racing, has made it their business over the last
few years to change this reality and have teamed up to form the NASCAR Drive for Diversity (D4D) Crew Member Development Program.
Nine multicultural former student athletes from various universities received invitations to train with Rev Racing, following stand-out performances at the first national D4D pit crew combine in May. Two of these nine participating in the 12-month program are 2016 Norfolk State gradu-ates - former guard on the women’s basketball team Brehanna Daniels and line-backer for the Spartan foot-ball team Lamar Neal. Both Daniels and Neal will be receiving certified training as tire changers, jackmen and carriers in the hope to earn fulltime positions with NASCAR national series race teams. There are currently 35 graduates of the D4D Crew Member Development Pro-gram working in NASCAR, three of which are NSU al-ums - Raphael Diaz, Kevin Richardson
and Richie Wil-liams. Last year, the three enjoyed success as mem-bers of Chris Buescher’s pit crew, helping win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway on Aug. 1. This program, under the leadership of Rev Racing, supports crew members, driver development oppor-tunities and more. Daniels, Neal and the other seven selected for this program are in a unique situation and have the power to broaden their horizons. NASCAR plans to keep the program around for years to come, and young men and women like Brehanna Daniels and Lamar Neal are building the foundation for the future…a future that looks to continue a path towards diversity in NASCAR racing.
SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: spartanecho@nsu.edu