62.10 Spartan Echo

08.29.14

Vol. 62, I ssue 1

03.27.15

Vol. 62, Issue 10

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Stories Inside

Milwaukee Bucks retiring former NSU great Bobby Dandridge’s jersey Page 5

40th anniversary of the MCJR department on the horizon by

Antonio Garland

dia conferences and features alumni who serve on conference panels and conduct workshops for students. Students use this time to learn more about specific interests and secure internships and employment opportunities before or after graduation.

The department is NSU’s Mass Communications and Journalism Departbringing in local media ment will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the department during this year’s MCJR Week, hosted by a industry professionals to multitude of events & interactive seminars with MCJR connect with students for the purpose of expanding alumni.

From March 30-April and alumni are encour- networking opportuni4, Mass communication aged to come out to the ties.

Since its creation, and Journalism (MCJR) events to build connecWeek will mark the 40th tions and relationships, MCJR Week has had a anniversary of the MCJR which can last a lifetime. number of celebrities Department.

Students MCJR Week hosts me- that have made appearances, of which includes

Robin Roberts and Al Roker. According to Dr. Wanda Brockington, chair of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, the most popular day was when the alumni panel was held.

The panel allowed for students and alumni to share identical stories in addition to sharing guidance and inspiration.

“It’s the most amazing thing because they don’t just come back and they don’t just give back, but they don’t ask for anything,” said Brockington. “They’ve come as far

• Continued on p. 3

Young African-American men more likely to be imprisoned than employed by

The Spartan Fest Page 6

“If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” Page 8

T’ney Stallings

The United States has the highest rate of juveniles incarcerated when compared to other nations. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), about 70,000 juvenile criminal offenders live in detention facilities and about 68 percent are racial minorities.

For every 100,000 African-American juveniles in the United States, 521 are in a residential facility, compared with 112 among white youth, according to 2011 DOJ statistics. Approximately 60 percent of people serv-

ing life without parole for crimes committed in their youth in the United States are African-American.

According to the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ), the arrest rate among African-American youth ages 10-17 is nearly twice the rate of their white peers. Young African-Americans are 1.4 times more likely to be detained among all racial groups. In addition, African-American students are far more likely

• Continued on p. 2

Former University of Louisville basketball player Chris Jones is handcuffed after being ordered under home incarceration after he plead not guilty to rape and sodomy charges, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2015, in Jefferson District Court in Louisville, Ky. The allegations involved two women, and the rape is said to have occurred Feb. 22 at a private apartment off campus, university police said. Two others are charged in the alleged attack on the second woman. (AP Photo/The Courier-Journal, Matt Stone,)

SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: spartanecho@nsu.edu

spartan news

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Students’ skills improve within the LLCs by

Antonio Garland

Table 1 reflects the retention rate of each cohort to date (spring 2015) in comparison to non-LLC participants. Both LLC cohorts have been retained at a higher rate from their comparison groups. Specifically, the fall 2013 cohort is being retained 11% higher while the fall 2014 cohort 10% higher.

Graphic courtesy of Norfolk State University

Recent studies show students in a Living Learning Community (LLC) perform better academically and had higher GPAs than those not in an LLC. Participants tend to be more engaged in campus life, meet people with similar interests and connect academic and residential experiences.

The LLC’s retention had a steady increase from fall 2013 to spring 2014. In fall 2013, students in an LLC had a retention rate of 79 percent, while regular students were at 68 percent. In spring 2014, LLC retention rates were 94 percent, while regular students were at 84 percent.

GPAs also increased gradually. In fall 2013, GPA averages were 3.15, while non-LLC cohorts averaged 2.66. During fall 2014, LLC participants’ GPAs averaged 2.94, while non-LLC cohorts were 2.63.

The Proficiency Profile assesses critical thinking, reading, writing and mathematics. It provides norm-referenced and criterion-referenced scores.

Students who take the Proficiency Profile and are involved in an LLC obtained

higher total mean scores, 2.62 points higher than non-LLC students.

In fall 2014, total mean scores varied on the Proficiency Profile. LLC members scored 436.56 on the pretest and 441.56 on the posttest on average. Non-LLC members averaged 428.50 on the pre-test and 438.94 on the post-test.

“I believe that students participating in an LLC are showing or demonstrating an impact to the rate of success,” said Johnathan Walker, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of LLC. “So those students are

outperforming students in a similar comparison group.

You will see nearly all of them are having higher GPAs and they also have a higher retention rate.”

Dr. Andrew Arroyo, head of the Food (in) Security, said the statistics suggest students who participate in LLCs can expect a greater satisfaction with their overall college experience.

“I think part of it is the motivation piece,” said Arroyo. “Being surrounded by peers who are taking their academics seriously creates powerful conditions for learning. I think more achievement takes place when we’re having fun and a big part of learning communities is having fun.”

The numbers are steadily increasing with each year of LLC participants. In fall 2013, 81 students participated in one of three LLCs, DNIMAS, Leadership Academy and Spartan Hope Academy. In fall 2014, 150 students participated in nine LLCs; DNIMAS, S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Leadership Academy, Honors College, STARS, iSpartan, LIVE WELL, G.E.N.E.S.I.S. and EMPOWER.

Table 2 reflects the mean GPA of each cohort to date (spring 2015) in comparison to non-LLC participants. As with retention, LLC cohorts have experienced higher mean GPAs than non-LLC participants. Graphic courtesy of Norfolk State University

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•Continued from front page

Young African-American men more likely to be imprisoned than employed

Statistics from the Department of Justice and the Coalition of Juvenile Justice show that African-Americas are more likely to be incarcerated than employed. (AP Photo/

The Courier-Journal, Matt Stone,)

than their white peers to be suspended, expelled or arrested.

Nationwide, they are more than twice as likely to be transferred to adult court and 60 percent are serving time in adult state prisons.

Nationwide, one of every three young black males is in prison, on probation or on parole.

Juvenile detention is costly: A 2011 report for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, “No Place for Kids: The Case for Reducing Juvenile Incarceration,” states “youth incarceration cost $88,000 per year [nationwide].”

Meanwhile, education and mentoring programs range from $987-$17,000 per year. Juvenile incarceration decreases the chances of high school graduation by 13-39 percentage points and increases the chances of incarceration as an adult by 23-41 percentage points.

Nearly 23 percent of all young black men ages 16-24 who have dropped

out of high school are in jail, prison, or a juvenile justice institution in America, according to the Coalition of Leading National and Regional Education report. The incarceration rate for African-Americans is so high that young black men without a high school diploma are more likely to go to jail than to find a job, causing the breakup of families and instilling further poverty upon them.

Since the incarceration rate is highest for African-Americans, it makes it more difficult for blacks to rise out of poverty, receive higher levels of education and escape a life of crime.

That’s why young African-American men without a high school diploma are more often imprisoned than employed.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of Jan. 2015, the unemployment rate is 11.4 percent for men ages 20 and over and 30.6 percent for men ages 16-19.

SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: spartanecho@nsu.edu

03.27.15

spartan news

Online Student Organization brings off campus students together by

Antonio Garland

In Oct. 2014, Norfolk State University’s Online Student Organization (OSO) was created to allow students take classes without having to come onto campus and for those students were are unable to come to campus. The program assists those with busy schedules and allows out-of-state students to take classes at NSU in their home state.

The organization’s goals are to promote interest in online learning and provide fellowship among online learners. It also represents students’ needs in regard to online learning, provides a form for the presentation of innovative ideas to benefit the university online learning community and meets regularly in the forum.

The OSO consist of

seven fully online degree programs, which are Interdisciplinary Studies, Health Services Management, Urban Education Administration, Teaching, Pre-Elementary, History and Psychology.

According to Dr. Dorothy L.R. Jones, Dean of the School of Extended Learning, many of the individuals who participate in online classes are not present on campus; however, they still want to be a part of the community. She said college is more than just the academics and the organization wants to help those students as a part of the online community.

“We’re responsible for developing you, not only academically, but we’re responsible for developing you professionally, person-

ally and socially,” said Jones.

“We want to do that for our online students simply because [though] they are at a distance, they are still a Norfolk State student. They are still a Spartan.”

“It’s an inspiration for students who are working and continuing their careers,” said OSO president, Edith Carter.

Jones said the organization wants to give OSO students the same experiences traditional students have, such as recording workshops and playing them online for those unable to attend in person. Another feature is online video chat with professors.

The organization allows online interactions and brings individuals with similar interest together, share ideas and bring a sense of

belonging. OSO isn’t limited to students off campus.

It also brings together students in the classroom who are also taking online classes together.

Jones hopes the OSO will bring the students involved a sense of belonging

3 and that it will be a place for them to meet students with similar goals and aspirations without being on campus. The program allows student interaction throughout the entire day and not just during the day, like the majority of classes.

The Online Student Organization allows out of state students, students with busy schedules, and students who are unable to come to campus to take their classes online. Photo by Tykhari Coles

40th anniversary of the MCJR department on the horizon •Continued from front page away as Jamaica, the Virgin Islands, and no one’s asked for anything, they just do it and they do it to give back.”

Each year, alumni look forward to returning to share their stories and tools of success with students. The event also celebrates faculty and staff for their achievements and honors the current students doing positive things with their careers.

“In my mind, it’s genius,” said Theresa Ferrell of the Department of

Mass Communications and Journalism. “It keeps our alumni connected and engaged and it shows our students what is possible.”

“It keeps our alumni connected and engaged and it shows our students what is possible” -Professor Ferrell

Ferrell said this year marks 40 years of greatness, excellence and innovation. “Our students have always had to think out-of-the-box in order to accomplish the things that they’ve accomplished over the years and I honestly believe that has helped them to be more competitive in the market place.”

“I just hope that I can connect with them because there’s a lot that I want to do in my field, like sound editing,” said

Jaina McCombs, a senior mass communications major. “I just hope that they’ll help me out, help me start somewhere.” “[It provides] a lot of great networking and learning experiences for the students to help them progress their careers in the media industry,” said John Hamilton II, a senior mass communications major. “[It also helps build] the spirit, the Norfolk State Spartans and makes for a stronger alumni base as people

graduate going on toward the professional world.

People can continue to come back and give back to the students.”

Mass communications is a diverse department that impacts every industry, as each industry has communications. MCJR week is about network, relationships and demonstrating excellence. Students are encouraged to take advantage of networking opportunities to obtain their desired careers.

SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: spartanecho@nsu.edu

spartan sports

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HBCUs in Division I Sports by

Kazahna Joyce

In 1912, a meeting that would determine the future of Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and athletics was held on the campus of Hampton Institute.

Nine administrators gathered and formed the first athletic conference designed for Black collegiate sports, the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association, now known as the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). Still standing, the CIAA serves one of the four NCAA-recognized conferences made up of majority HBCUs. At the time when these conferences were made, African Americans were still fighting for integration. Once those laws were achieved, college and universities were no longer allowed to discriminate based on race, gender or religion. As a result, black student athletes are now able to lead and be the face of teams that years ago wouldn’t allow them to step foot on their campus.

According to NCAA, in 2011, nearly 50 percent of Division I college football and basketball players were African American. With just 24 HBCUs competing at the Division I level, a majority of African American student athletes are playing at the predominantly white institutions.

HBCUs now face financial issues that hinders their chances of competing with sur-

Spartan men and women fall short of MEAC crown by

There is a looming question about the success of HBCU sports in NCAA tournaments in comparison to other predominantly white institutions. Photo from www.facebook.com/NCAAMarchMadness/

rounding majority institutions. HBCUs now have to compete with better funded schools, schools with nicer facilities and schools with more TV exposure. The inequality in funding has caused the talent pool for HBCUs to decrease drastically over the past 40 years.

Despite the success of teams in the CIAA and its popular postseason tournament, it has been reported that the conference found itself struggling with funding.

“I don’t think if Alabama or Texas or LSU had been under-funded for a century, they would be in the position that they are,” said Dr. Dennis Thomas, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) commissioner.

There are three instances of six that a number two seed has been

upset in the men’s NCAA basketball tournament, all coming from MEAC teams, while in the CIAA there has been multiple Division II national championship wins from both men and women’s basketball.

With the reality of financial issues and lack of success in Division I sports, one football national championship and no basketball championships, an argument has been made that Division II may be a better fit for HBCUs. “I don’t put much value in the naysayers,” Thomas said. “State-supported schools in the South were never adequately funded, but given the commitment and the determination, they still excelled.”

03.27.15

Kazahna Joyce

After a season of impressive highs and heart breaking lows, the 201415 basketball season for the Spartans has finally come to a close.

The Lady Spartans managed to knock off the cross-town rival, Hampton University, after losing 17 consecutive games to them in their annual Battle of the Bay face-off.

With the No. 4 seed in the MEAC, the Lady Spartans’ season unfortunately came to a halt after losing 69-64 in overtime against the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in the MEAC Tournament semifinals.

Freshman forward Kayla Roberts and senior guard Rae Corbo led the way for NSU women’s basketball this season with their impeccable scoring and aggressive dominance in the paint.

Roberts clinched seven Rookie of the Week honors, ultimately earning the MEAC Rookie of the Year award.

The Lady Spartans also made it to their first MEAC semifinals games since 2005. The Lady Spartans finished fourth overall in the MEAC, with a much improved record of 14-16 (overall) and 11-5 (MEAC).

Norfolk State men’s basketball dominated early in MEAC play and managed to finish second in the MEAC with a 12-4 conference record.

Juniors Jeff Short, Rashid Gaston and D’shon Taylor were standouts for the Spartans as they were able to fight their way to the MEAC Tournament’s semifinal game.

After beating Hampton University twice in the regular season, the No. 2 seed Spartans fell to the Pirates 75-64 in the semifinal game. The shocking losses for North Carolina Central University and Norfolk State University led to an unexpected Championship game between Hampton University and Delaware State University.

The Spartans did not punch their ticket to the “Big Dance,” but they were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT), where they took a first-round loss to Eastern Kentucky University. Although the Spartans didn’t have the ending that they envisioned, they still managed to achieve accomplishments that should set them up to go even further next season Senior point guard Jamel Fuentes ended his career first all-time at NSU in games played (133), second in assists (552), and 10th in steals (152) and junior guard Jeff Short earned firstteam All-MEAC honors.

The Spartans ended their season 20-14 overall and 12-4 in the MEAC.

SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: spartanecho@nsu.edu

03.27.15

spartan sports

Bob Dandridge’s number retired by

by the Milwaukee Bucks

Davonte Smith

by

The Milwaukee Bucks will be retiring the #10 jersey of former NSU great Bobby Dandridge. Dandridge is often mentioned as one of the NBA’s best forwards in the 1970s.

Photos from www.facebook.com/milwaukeebucks/

Norfolk State University (NSU) basketball standout, Bob “the Greyhound” Dandridge, has received the honor of getting his number 10 jersey retired by the Milwaukee Bucks. Dandridge will be the eighth player in the franchise’s history to have his number retired and the first since Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s number 33 was retired in 1993.

Upon the announcement of the upcoming number retirement ceremony held on March 7, Bucks Co-Owner Wes Edens shared a statement reminding people of Dandridge’s importance to his team.

“As a player, Bob Dandridge embodied everything we want this franchise to stand for: hard work, passion, toughness, and above all else, excel-

lence.”

Dandridge, a Richmond native, scored more than 1,700 points during his four years and ranks second all-time with a 22.5 career scoring average at NSU. “He was not only a very good offensive player, but an outstanding defender and teammate.”

-Brian Winters

His outstanding play with the Spartans helped lead NSU to the CIAA title in 1968. He also holds the school’s single-season records for field goals made (332) and attempted (601) as well as scoring average 32.0 points-per-game and rebounding average 17.3 per-game, all coming during his senior year in 1968-69 Brian Winters, a teammate from 1975-77 and then again in 81’-

82’, told reporters, “Bob Dandridge was one of the best players that I had the privilege to play with during my NBA career. He not only was a very good offensive player, but an outstanding defender and teammate. He was a starter on the Bucks championship team and on the Washington Bullets championship team. I am very pleased to see that his number is going to be retired in Milwaukee. It is well deserved.”

Dandridge averaged 18.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in the nine seasons with Milwaukee. He also won a pair of NBA championships with the Bucks in the 197071 season and with the Washington Bullets in his 1977-78 season. Bob Dandridge also went to the All-Star game four times during his career.

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NSU’s Nicholson inducted into Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame

Kazahna Joyce

Just days ago Norfolk State’s very own Jacqueline Nicholson was inducted into the Gloucester County, New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame (GCSHOF) along with 13 other former athletes in the area. Before sustaining her position as Norfolk State University’s assistant athletic director for academic support, Nicholson was a college athlete at Virginia Tech.

The Clayton, New Jersey native attended Clayton High School prior to attending Virginia Tech (VT) where she would receive a bachelor’s degree in human development. As a student athlete, Nicholson received recognition from VT with Virginia Tech all-academic team and athletics director’s honor roll honors. She was also a four-year letter winner

for the Hokies track and field team as a sprinter and hurdler.

The Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame was established in 1980 when former sportswriter for Gloucester County Times, Gus Ostrum, and former track and field coach Jim Hawkins drew up the idea of a county-wide Sports Hall of Fame. The first ceremony in 1981 was located at Auletto’s Ballroom in Almonesson, New Jersey, and remains the home of this prestigious ceremony.

The 34th annual hall of fame induction ceremony took place on March 25 at Auletto’s Caterers in Almonesson, New Jersey. Gloucester County will be honoring 13 other athletes along with Nicholson.

Norfolk State assistant AD Jacqueline Nicholson was enshrined into the Gloucester County (New Jersey) Sports Hall of Fame in March 2015. Photo from NSUSpartans. com

SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: spartanecho@nsu.edu

spartan lifestyle

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03.27.15

Come out and participate in the Spartan Fest

by Io

Chaney

The Spartan Fest is week of fun-filled activities, games, music and fellowship. It is a great way for students, faculty and the community to come together and show their Spartan pride. The fest will be held during the third week of April.

“The Spartan Fest is always fun; it brings excitement to the student body.

My freshman year probably had to be one of the liveliest times in Norfolk State history mainly because our athletics were winning in almost every sport the conference allowed,” senior tourism and hospitality major Marcell Coke said.

The annual occasion brings everyone together

and gets them enthusiastic about the spring semester. Like many of the other functions, this one brings out the pride in the Spartans and Spartanettes of Norfolk State University.

“I love the family feeling you get from being around everyone and I really love the food! At the last one, they had a lot of food options.

They even had Buffalo Wild Wings,”

-Shaquilla Davis

The Spartan Fest being held this spring semester is highly anticipated. The participation of the Spartan community is encouraged to help bring out the repletion of this annual event.

It is encouraged that everyone comes out to show their green and gold school spirit.

“I can’t wait for this year’s Spartan Fest because I always have a great time.

The comedy show is always hilarious and I heard there was a special guest speaker coming; I can’t wait to see who it is,” junior psychology major Daquan Dawson said.

Black history and its future

Spartans lend a helping hand by

by

Malaun House

Community service is an activity that many people pride themselves on as being something that they enjoy and do for the betterment of those around them.

Many organizations on campus help to reach out to the community around Norfolk State University.

“I’ve been doing community service since I was younger and it’s just something I love to do, not for any specific reason; it just feels right. I love seeing the smile on someone’s face because you helped them in a way that could’ve made their life just a little easier,” junior kinesiotherapy major Antwon Green said.

There are many Greek organizations that focus on community service, as well as non-Greek organizations. It all depends on the student’s preference as to

which type of organization he or she would like to join; however, an organization is not always necessary in order to be a helping hand in the community.

“I attend Gethsemane and I’m not a part of any specific organization, but I go into the community with some of my friends from church and pass out flyers and try to bring people to one of the Sunday services,” sophomore mass communication major Kiana Hardy said.

If a student would like to become more involved on campus he or she can join one of the many SGA committees or campus independent organizations.

Log onto the NSU’s website at: https://www.nsu.edu/ student-affairs/student-activities/index for more information.

Spartan pride is at its best during NSU’s Spartan Fest, annually held during “March Madness.” Photo from www.facebook.com/pages/Norfolk-State-University/

Malaun House

Black history has and probably always will be a topic that is highly recognized, but not as often as it should be. The month of February calls for reflection on the great accomplishments that African Americans have made over time.

Many people in the younger generation are knowledgeable of black history, but often do not understand the value and power that can come from knowing their history.

“Black history means learning who I am and finding out about my culture; it gives me the opportunity to learn about how things were then and compare them to how things are now. If people realized what their ancestors went through they would not take their freedom for granted today,” junior mass communication

major Tyeka Bailey said.

Students are often satisfied with what they learn in the classrooms and from textbooks; however, there is much more black history that is not taught.

Many inventions, movements and innovative African Americans helped shape America, but students are often only taught the same elementary school black history of Rosa Parks, W.E.B. DuBois and Martin Luther King Jr. “I’m big on educating the African American youth to help better their identity in society. In public schools we are not told the entire story. If black youth could see themselves as kings and queens and not as slaves it could better their social identity in America,” senior political science major Rodney Green said.

If the younger African American generation developed a stronger desire to learn their history maybe there would be less blackon-black crime, more positivity and a greater rate of African American graduates than prisoners.

“I feel like if I know my history, it will help me to stop history from repeating itself. I will know the signs of discrimination and how to deal with them if I am ever faced with them,” senior mass communication major Ebony Redd said.

There is no exact remedy to help ensure that the future will be better for any generation, race or gender, but there is always the option to attempt to make a difference. Learning from the past can help to pave the way for what will occur in the future.

SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: spartanecho@nsu.edu

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editors Jason Gill Editor-inChief

Danielle Kirsh Online/ Managing Editor

Antonio Garland News Editor

Malaun House Lifestyle Editor

Kazahna Joyce Sports Editor

Chantelle Polite Entertainment Editor

Tykhari Coles Multimedia Editor

Mario Lawrence Graphic Design/ Layout Editor

SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: spartanecho@nsu.edu

spartan entertainment

8

Drake’s surprise mixtape instantly breaks records by

Chantelle Polite

Not many are sure whether it’s an album or a mixtape, but what many people can agree on is that Drake has once again released a number of hits that will likely secure his position as one of our generation’s greatest musical artists.

At midnight on Feb. 12, Drake surprised the world with the release of what he calls a mixtape titled If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late. The mixtape’s vague meaning is unknown and misunderstood by some, but is excused in the event of new music that Drake fans have highly anticipated since the release of his previous album Nothing Was the Same in September 2013.

Buzz of an album/ mixtape from Drake hit social media last spring when he released a couple of singles with no album or mixtape connection.

The buzz got even bigger when different hip-hop Twitter pages released

rumors of him possibly releasing an album the week of Feb. 8. If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late finally graced audience’s ears when Drake released the mixtape as an iTunes link on his Twitter account on Feb. 12. Spotify also got ahold of the mixtape, breaking the website’s record for most streams of a mixtape in the United States in a day with 6.8 million streams. Those who were scrambling around for a listen also recovered links for the mixtape in which they could download for free and have to listen to at their leisure.

The track listing for If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late was comprised of 17 songs, which in typical Drake fashion were comprised of lyrics about those close to him who offered a hand in his success as well as popular R&B samples like Ginuwine’s 90s hit “So Anxious.” Drake has always been criticized for his

Drake’s newest mixtape, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, has been a work in progress for a couple of years now, until he released it to the world on February 12, 2015. Photos from www.facebook.com/Drake

non-shameful display of emotion, as he constantly raps/sings about his failed relationships with women and troubling relationship with his sickly mother.

His vulnerability is in short supply with If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late. Instead, he harbors in on his alleged beef with rapper Tyga in his song “6PM In New York” spewing that “you need to act your age and not your girl’s age” and other anonymous foes in his song “Energy” with his line “I hear fairytales ‘bout how they goin’ run up on me/ Well run up when you see me, then.

We goin’ see.” A line that some may view comically coming from Drake, but his artistry and lyrical use of real life emotions and story illustration is highly respected. He is far from a “gangsta rapper,” but Drake’s somewhat grumpy tone in If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late is in no denial, one that should be taken seriously.

This latest project is another work of art from the Canadian rapper that many have instantly grown to love and appreciate. Unlike the R&B-esque tones that Drake presented us with over the past six years, this mixtape that Drake has given us showcases his rapping and singing talents into a collection of songs that show clear maturity and growth from the rapper.

To many this mixtape solidifies his role as one of the best artists our generation has seen to date.

03.27.15

Dance Marathon for charity is approaching by

Richelle Hammiel

The Children’s Hospital of King’s Daughters (CHKD) is back again for the third year to host the Dance Marathon, which will be held on April 11.

The event lasts from 12pm-12am for those interested in dancing to help raise money.

CHKD will also be taking donations from afar, which can be done at following the link, http://events.dancemarathon.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive. event&eventID=556.

Donations have already started coming in and will not be cut off until the actual day of the Dance Marathon.

Any amount, big or small, is encouraged and will be put towards healing the illnesses of these sick children.

CHKD’s goal for this year is to raise at least $12,000 and so far, they’ve already managed to raise $2,860. It might seem like a difficult goal

to reach, but with the help our fellow Spartans, it is not impossible.

Honorably, many of our students have taken charge of running and promoting the Dance Marathon.

Other student activities and organizations have obligated themselves to participate and have started their donation processes.

Individual students have also taken it upon themselves to form their own fundraisers to help contribute.

All donation portals can be found on our school website or by using the link provided above.

The goal is not only to raise money, but to raise awareness.

We need all of our students to come together and work for the better cause. That cause being the children of CHKD, which is actually located here in Norfolk.

This year’s 3rd Annual Dance Marathon will benefit the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters with donations & fundraising from NSU students and guests who stay awake and dance for 12 straight hours.

SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: spartanecho@nsu.edu