Issue 17, January 27, 2010 by The A&T Register

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January 27, 2010

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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF NORTH CAROLINA A&T

one year later: the dennis hayle story

PhOtO by AMANDA ANDERSON • HOUSiNG AND RESiDENCE LiFE

CASH IN Sheila Gothard collects Aggie Bucks as students redeem them for prizes.

‘Aggie Bucks’ turn into big prizes ASHLEY REID Copy Editor

Students cashed in a semester’s worth of Aggie Bucks at the Academic Enhancement and Retention’s Aggie Bucks Redemption program this Sunday. What are Aggie Bucks? Aggie Bucks are a monetary incentive provided to students living in residence halls for their academic achievements. The Aggie Bucks program, which started three years ago under the Academic Enhancement and Retention program, has increased academic excellence in students living

on-campus and provided a way for students to reap the rewards of their success. “One of the many things we try to encourage is academic excellence,” said Sheila Gothard, associate director of housing and residence life. Students receive Aggie Bucks by presenting A’s for tests, quizzes and huge projects to their peer mentors designated in each residence hall. In return students receive Aggie Bucks that  See AGGIE BUCKS on Page 2

Earthquake in Haiti shakes Aggies into action SYLVIA OBELL

The earthquake that hit Haiti two weeks ago sent shockwaves not just on the island of Haiti, but also all over the world. These shockwaves brought the whole globe to action, including right here at NC A&T. Project Haiti is an ad hoc initiative led by Malcolm Eustache, President of The National Association of Black Journalists and Student Government Association President Syene Jasmin. The main purpose of Project Haiti is to help the people of Haiti through a variety of community outreach programs. Crisis relief is their primary mission. “What is definite about this relief effort is it will last as long as

PhOtO by KENNETH HAWKINS • tHE A&t REGiStER

it needs to,” says Eustache, a senior Journalism major. Project Haiti is a joint effort between students, faculty and staff. Along with Professor Ryan Maltese and Shana Irwin, Jasmin and Eustache have met several times to establish Project Haiti. The initiative held it’s first open interest meeting last Friday. During the meeting, students got a chance to share there ideas and get a better understanding of what Project Haiti was about. Some of the ideas shared were the merging of different organizations so that the school could focus on one relief effort at a time instead  See HAITI on Page 2

WE STILL REMEMBER

UNITED WE STAND Members of the Mu Psi chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, inc. were joined by other students on campus during their memorial walk for their fallen brother Dennis Hayle.

Hundreds marched from “greek lane” to Stallings Ballroom to celebrate the life and legacy of Dennis Hayle DEXTER R. MULLINS & MALCOLM S. EUSTACHE

The A&T Register

It was a year ago on Monday, January 25, that Dennis Hayle’s life was tragically ended in a fatal shooting. Even without his presence, Hayle’s impact is still felt in the hearts of many. At exactly 1:05 p.m., several hundred students lined the “greek lane” in front of Murphy Hall and prepared to march from the Omega Psi Phi plot to Stallings Ballroom in

the Memorial Student Union in remembrance of Hayle. Their march took them past the Williams Cafeteria, down through the middle of the Aggie Village, and back up on John Mitchell Drive, which was blocked off by campus police, before entering the Union. Hayle used to work in the union, so marching to the ballroom also carried extra significance. Sherrelle Burt, Editor in Chief of the Ayantee yearbook, and a winner of the

Miss Omega Psi Phi pageant, paid a special tribute to Hayle at the program. “I met him like the third or fourth day I came here,” Burt said. “I was asked to sing for the program, and since he [Hayle] was a significant part of my life, I felt like that song (‘His Eye is On The Sparrow’) was appropriate,” Burt said. “It was a short program, but it was sweet and very to the point. “ Burt said that despite the program’s short nature,

the impact was felt by all in attendance. She said she was amazed at how many people joined in to help celebrate Hayle. “I thought it was so beautiful to be marching and everyone was just joining us, and it just showed that he had a significant impact on a lot of people on campus,” she said. “You would have thought we were walking for a celebrity or  See REMEMBER on Page 2

DID YOU KNOW: Applications for graduation are due today by 6 p.m.? ONLINE

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basketball slideshoW

roland martin brings the neWs

don’t Wait until it’s too late

an unbeatable force

tv shoWs you shouldn’t Watch

Kenneth Hawkins takes us into the basketball world with his photo essay online this week.

A&T students ﬁled into Harrison Auditorium on Jan. 21 to listen to the journalist speak during the MLK Celebration.

T’lisha Holmes talks to seniors about why they shouldn’t be waiting until the end of the road to do their C.A.S.E. hours.

The Lady Aggies beat WSSU to remain undefeated in the MEAC. Will they win another championship?

With so little to choose from on TV these days, there are just a few things we think you should avoid.

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Wednesday

Photo by KENNETH HAWKINS• THE A&T REGISTER

HEAT in the street The Greensboro Police Department reported that the bus driver failed to yield at the crosswalk where Cobb was struck.

‘HEAT’ bus hits faculty member on the corner of Bluford and Benbow NOMA VILANE

Photo by Kenneth hawkins • the A&T Register

WE STILL REMEMBER The aggie dog traded in his usual A&T athletic apparel on Monday for some fatigues and a purple shirt in honor of Dennis Hayle’s memory.

REMEMBER From page 1 something.” With both ballrooms opened in Stallings, and the room overflowing with people, the atmosphere was somber, yet the purpose was celebratory. It began with five members of the Mu Psi chapter lighting candles in recognition of Hayle’s line number. “It was a great turnout. It just shows how many lives that

theBLOTTER January 20 11:00 a.m. Villages 4,5,6- Vandalism Case open

12:58 p.m. Benbow Rd. & Bluford St.- Personal Injury Case closed 6:45 p.m. Moore Gym- Arrest Case closed 9:00 p.m. Cooper Hall-Drug Violation Case closed

he touched,” said senior sports science and fitness management major, Jamil Sutton. “We wanted to bring awareness, not only to what we’ve experienced, but to any crime in the campus community and let people know that they’re not the only ones who have experienced it.” The Mu Psi chapter plans for this to be an annual event that simultaneously remembers their fraternity brother while promoting an end to all kinds of violence in the community. Editor’s note: The A&T Register is still investigating why the North Carolina A&T State University Police Department is only providing vague descriptions in the crime log each week. Just yesterday, we were able to go to the City of Greensboro Police Department and obtain not only a full description of an incident, but a copy of the police report, a digitized map, and contact information for all parties involved. As the information we are requesting is public, and does not disclose any personal information for any students, faculty or staff, we do not understand why the blotter has been reduced. As many of you have noticed, it was much more detailed up until around three weeks ago. We will be holding a conversation with the Chief of Police in the near future to discuss this matter.

FREE TAX HELP IRS/Vita Site Location: Merrick Hall Room 129 Wednesdays 4-6 pm or By Appointment For Additional Information Please contact us @ 336 -334- 7218 x 2394 or 336- 334- 7581 x 6006 Email us @ taxprepncat@gmail.com or janelleyoung@gmail.com Sponsored By NCATSU’S The School of Business and Economics Advanced Income Tax Class

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On Jan. 20, 2009, at 1:03 p.m., a pedestrian was heading north along the crosswalk of Benbow Road and Bluford Circle and was struck by a HEAT bus. The victim was identified as April Cobb, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, as listed by the North Carolina A&T directory. The accident occurred on Bluford Street, near the bus stop. The driver of the HEAT bus

Aggie bucks From page 1 come in amounts of $5 or $10 that can be redeemed for a variety of prizes. Peer mentor Anthony Lambert said the Aggie Bucks program provides a pathway to excel. “You come to programs like these and see all of these nice gifts and you can get them too,” said Lambert. Lambert was a participant in the program last year and bypassed the housing selection process with his Aggie Bucks. Students with $150 in Aggie Bucks can sign up to pass the housing selection process. “No one wants to wait in lines to sign up for housing and then find out you can’t stay where you really wanted to,” said Lambert. He encouraged students to participate in the program to prevent such instances from occurring. This was just one of the options for Aggie Bucks rewards. Students were offered gifts such as DVD players, IPod nanos, Snuggies, digital cameras, ITunes gift cards, raffles and the latest addition Aggie Suds cards. Students can now turn in Aggie Bucks for Aggie

HAITI From page 1 of a bunch of different ones. For example, there is a Haitian Awareness Program, similar to the Darfur Awareness Program at A&T. Other proposals were to use outlets such as A&T’s channel, The A&T Register, and/or the radio station to raise awareness and donations. A campus wide collection of clothing, canned food, bottled water, and nonperishable personal items, started January 20th. Drop boxes have been placed all over campus for students to place their donations into. The athletic department donated a trailer for all the items to be placed in. Donations can also be

editor in chief: Dexter R. Mullins Managing editor: Malcolm S. Eustache news editor: Jasmine Johnson opinions editor:Kelcie McCrae sports editor: Daniel Henderson ASSISTANT Sports editor: Lauren Morgan scene editor: LaPorsha Lowry copy desk chief: Anjan Basu Copy Editor: Ashley Reid photo editor: Kenneth Hawkins staff photographers: Michaela Edwards, Shanté Mathes

was 48-year-old Willie James Wright Jr. according to the police report, Wright failed to yield at the pedestrian crossing. At the time of the accident, the HEAT bus carried no passengers, but there were two witnesses outside and the bus was equipped with a camera. All of the evidence was submitted to the Greensboro Police Department. The HEAT, or Higher Education Area Transit, bus provides transportation services to the entire Greensboro college and university community. The

service allows for students to use their school-issued identification cards to ride downtown to the bus depot. There are multiple bus stops on the A&T campus, including the one on Benbow Road and Bluford Circle near the Fitness Center. Cobb suffered no broken bones and was taken to Moses Cone Hospital by Guilford County EMS. She was released from the hospital the same day.

Suds cards, which will provide a certain amount of loads accessible in the residence hall laundry rooms. Students can redeem $90 in bucks for 10 loads, $60 for five loads or $25 for two loads. For freshman April Burrage, rewards such as Aggie Suds are very appealing. “As an out-ofstate student it’s very important and helpful for me to have any kind of help financially.” The Chicago native said she could save money that would usually go to laundry and use it elsewhere because of Aggie Suds. Burrage was introduced to the program through a flyer in her residence hall. Afterwards, she began to meet with her mentor and receive Aggie Bucks. “I think the program is really nice and very organized,” said Burrage. Burrage attended the redemption program with $195 in Aggie Bucks and cashed them in for Aggie Suds cards, raffles and even a Target gift card for $25. Gothard said students appreciate that they are getting an incentive like Aggie Bucks for getting good grades. “I think they like it,” said Gothard. “When our students visit other schools or friends outside of A&T they say their peers talk about how they don’t have it at their school and wish

they did.” Outside of the great gifts and perks students receive in the program, students have improved academically. There is an increase in students making a 4.0 grade-point average in residence halls. At the end of the fall 2008 semester, there were 28 students with a 4.0 in residence halls. However, at the end of fall 2009 there were 72 students living on campus with a 4.0. Also, students living in residence halls only account for 14 percent of the total amount of students in danger of dismissal. “It’s important as an incoming freshmen to stay focused,” said Burrage. “Programs like these kind of motivate you to do that.” At the end of the night all of the gifts available to students were purchased and students left with smiles on their faces. “I heard some of the students are going to do laundry tonight,” said Gothard. “One of the students even yelled out ‘Hallelujah.’ ” “I’m coming back,” said Burrage about participating in future programs. The Academic Enhancement and Retention program will be holding their next seminar in March entitled “Breaking the Spirit of Average.”

dropped off at the trailer in the Aggie Stadium parking lot between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Students can donate their time by manning the trailer, checking expiration dates on cans, and more. CASE hours will be given out for students who help. Another major idea in the works is working with Sodexo for a Skip-A-Meal for Haiti Day in which students with meal plans would skip a specific meal and Sodexo would donate that money to Haiti. Project Haiti can’t raise money due to legality issues. That is why none of their community outreach programs included raising money. Raising awareness about Haiti is just as important to Project Haiti as collecting items to send over. “We want to keep this issue

Ronald E. McNair Welcome Reception Memorial Student Union Stallings Ballroom 6 p.m. Midwest Aggie Club Full Body Meeting Memorial Student Union Room 005 6:30 p.m.

thursday

Sit-In, Inc. Town Hall Forum Alumni-Foundation Event Center 6 p.m. NYNJ Connection Fully Body Meeting Marteena Hall Room 212 7 p.m.

friday

For more information, go to ncatregister.com to see the police report.

at the forefront of peoples minds. We haven’t figured out exactly how we plan to do it, everything is moving so fast, and we’re still for the most part, in the planning stages,” said Eustache. The Project Haiti Facebook page already has 99 members. Freshman Sabaza Varid is one of the many students wanting to take part in this initiative. “I decided to join Project Haiti because I wanted to show as much support to the Haitians as possible. “Also, I personally try to take part in any type of activism that comes my way. “I want to encourage students to find it in their hearts to keep this initiative moving. “Don’t become desensitized to it, don’t allow it to leave your moral thought cycle, and don’t forget,” urges Eustache.

editorial cartoonist: Evan Summerville ncatregister.com: Stacie Bailey, (Online Editor) Graphic artist:Cameron Z. Simmons senior reporter: Marcus Thompson reporters: Johnathan Veal, Alessandra Brown, LaRia Land, Sylvia Obell, Ricardo Lawson, Monterius Smith, Kelcie McCrae, Whitney Mack-Obi, Jiril Clemons, Prince Askew PR Director: Kenny Flowers business manager: staff business staff: Carlton Brown, Chad Roberts faculty adviser: Emily Harris

Sit-In Anniversary “Unsung Heroes Luncheon” Memorial Student Union Stallings Ballroom 11:30 a.m. Ronald E. McNair Awards Banquet Stallings Ballroom 6:30 p.m. Emmett Till play Harrison Auditorium 7 p.m.

saturday

International Civil Rights Museum Gala & Banquet Koury Convention Center 6 p.m. Basketball vs. Coppin State Corbett Sports Center 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

sunday

Celebration of Unity Service ft. Yolanda Adams Greensboro Coliseum 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

monday

50 Sit-In Anniversary Breakfast and Program Empire Room, Downtown Greensboro 5:30 a.m. th

Building Adornment & Laying of the Wreath Aggie Village (Near David Richmond Hall) 11 a.m. Burying of Time Capsule and March Dudley Building February One Monument 11:30 a.m.

tuesday

Black History Program Memorial Student Union Stallings Ballroom 7 p.m.

The A&T Register is published every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters by students at North Carolina A&T State University. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Register’s newsroom (subject to availability). All subscription requests should be directed to the Business department. The A&T Register has a weekly circulation of 5,000 copies on-campus and in the community and is a member of The Associated Press, The Associated Collegiate Press and the Black College Wire.

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CAMPUS NOTEBOOK

Martin discusses ‘new dream’ LAPORSHA LOWRY Scene Editor

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National journalist and syndicated columnist Roland Martin served as the keynote speaker in Harrison Auditorium on Thursday for the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration titled “The Dream: No Longer His, Now Ours. ” Junior class president Wayne Kimball Jr. was the master of ceremonies for the evening, and began the program with a monologue in the voice of Dr. King as if he were here today. After comments from Chancellor Harold S. Martin Sr. and SGA President Syene Jasmin, the university choir sang a powerful rendition of black national anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Senior Class Vice-President Sir Lawrence Conley introduced the speaker before he took the stage. In his speech, Martin discussed the man whose famous “I Have A Dream” speech is commonly taken out of context. He used playful and yet effective anecdotes to encourage young people to dream their own dream and said that people have to understand the context of the dream because they continue to get it wrong every year. “The speech came from the ‘March on Washington for Jobs

and Freedom’ and we tend to paraphrase the speech to highlight just the ‘I Have a Dream’ portion which was unprepared and spur-of-the-moment,” said Martin. He also noted that AfricanAmericans tend to talk about his dream and ignore the top twothirds of the speech that talks about the economic inequalities in America and the check being stamped of insufﬁcient funds at the bank of injustice. “You can’t get to the dream unless you read the beginning,” Martin said. “If we want to talk about the dream you have to talk about the dream within the context of economics. I don’t waste my time talking about a dream, I deal with the nightmare because with a dream you are sleep, I deal with the reality where we are.” Martin concluded by saying that people have to take action individually and must be the change they want to see. “The issue for us has nothing to do with a program, the issue for us today has to deal with a individual decision as to what we will get involved in,” Martin said. “If you don’t even bother to show up, why should they even speak up for you?” After the speech, there were presentations of appreciation for Martin from the Beta Epsi-

lon chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and the National Association of Black Journalists, of which Martin is the national secretary. Senior Class President Katerra Riggins made the MLK scholarship presentation to its recipient, Janae Brown and Vice-President of Internal Affairs Valerie Dudley made the closing remarks. Chancellor Martin said that he was very pleased with the manner in which the program was planned and executed. “Our students’ involvement in the program and delivery was really exceptional. I really appreciated the ‘tough love’ message by Mr. Martin and he set the tone for students to be more engaged and focus on what makes a difference and embrace their dream now and make a difference; one small step at a time,” said Chancellor Martin. Kimball Jr. felt that it was a very good program that was well attended by students and community members. Mr. Martin made a lot of key points that allowed people here to see the realistic view of ‘The Dream’. He didn’t just talk about the good things; he also addressed the issues in our society that need to be addressed as a black race and as a society,” said Kimball.

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PROJECT HAITI FOOD & CLOTHING DRIVE

Students may drop items off at the Memorial Student Union, Williams Cafeteria, McNair and Murphy Halls Items being collected: 1. Bottled water 2. Non-perishable items 3. Canned food 4. Clothes (summer)

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Warlord resumes army post ROBERT H. REID

Associated Press

KABUL (AP) — He is among Afghanistan’s most notorious warlords, accused of widespread abuses including the massacre of thousands of Taliban prisoners. Now he’s back, reinstated by President Hamid Karzai in a top army post despite Western demands for sweeping reform. Karzai this month restored Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum as chief of staff to the commander in chief of the Afghan army — a job he lost in 2008 after failing to cooperate in an investigation into the shooting of a rival. Although the job has little real power, Western ofﬁcials and Afghan human rights groups see the appointment as a sign that Karzai remains unable to shake off his ties to warlords and regional powerbrokers despite heavy international pressure for a new beginning as the U.S. and NATO ramp up the war against the Taliban. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Monday he would press Karzai to rescind the appointment when he meets with the Afghan leader during this week’s international conference in London aimed at building support for the weak Afghan government. “As we have noted repeatedly in the past, the United States maintains concerns about any leadership role for Mr. Dostum in today’s Afghanistan,” U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said. Among other objections, critics fear the appointment sends the wrong signal to the Taliban

at a time when the government is preparing to offer the militants economic incentives to abandon the insurgency — a program expected to figure prominently at the London conference. Human rights groups have alleged Dostum was responsible for the deaths of up to 2,000 Taliban prisoners captured by his militia early in the Afghan war — a charge that Dostum denies. “Gen. Dostum joins a Karzai government which suffers deficiency of constitutional legitimacy, lacks vision and unity, and is mired in corruption and inefficiency,” the independent Afghanistan Rights Movement said this week. “With notorious warlords such as Gen. Dostum in power, Mr. Karzai can neither send a genuine message of peace to the armed opposition, nor can he convince Afghans that they live in a just society where their lives and rights are protected by the state.” Noor Olhag Olomi, a member of parliament from Kandahar, called the Dostum appointment a “violation of human rights” of Afghans who had suffered abuse at the hands of Dostum and his forces. Karzai and his spokesmen were outside the country Tuesday and unavailable for comment. Dostum’s role illustrates the complexity of Afghan society and politics, where power is based on forging alliances with traditional leaders — many of whom have backgrounds that Westerners and many Afghans find unsavory. Two of Karzai’s vice presi-

dents — Mohammed Qasim Fahim and Karim Khalili — are ex-warlords, a term applied to regional leaders who rose to power in the war against the Soviets in the 1980s and in the civil war that erupted after the defeat of the Soviets. Many of them, including Dostum, fought the Taliban after they seized Kabul in 1996 and joined with the U.S. to oust the hardline Islamic movement from power in the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. The burly, bearded Dostum, 55, is a former Communist general and longtime leader of the Uzbek ethnic minority who delivered hundreds of thousands of Uzbek votes to Karzai in last year’s presidential election. His supporters believe his continued role is crucial in helping blunt Taliban encroachment in northern provinces where his influence is strong. “We are very happy that Karzai has appointed Dostum to this job,” said Masooud Ahmad Masooud, head of the youth movement in Dostum’s part of Jawzjan province. “We are proud of him because he is the man who defeated al-Qaida in the north.” Karzai’s continued ties to Dostum are widely seen as a litmus test of the president’s commitment to reform. After the surrender of Taliban fighters in Kunduz in November 2001, there were allegations that Dostum’s forces suffocated up to 2,000 Taliban fighters in container trucks as they were being transported to prison. Efforts to reach Dostum were unsuccessful because he was

not answering his telephone. However, a close Dostum ally, Ismail Manshi, said it was unfair to single out Dostum’s followers because so many others were involved in killings and abuses over the past two decades. He said allegations against Dostum are aimed at sidelining the Uzbeks, who make up an estimated 10 percent of the population. “Hundreds disappeared during the Taliban time and we still don’t know where they are,” Manshi said. “If human rights activists curse Gen. Dostum for killing the Taliban, they should launch a general investigation into everybody involved in the killings.” Afghan political analysts believe Karzai gave the military post to Dostum as a consolation prize after parliament rejected three of Dostum’s candidates for Cabinet posts this month. “Dostum was really upset. He was really vocal,” said Haroun Mir, director of the Afghanistan Center for Research and Policy Studies, a Kabul-based think tank. “This is more of a political gesture to Dostum to appease him.” Mir said Karzai has been talking about making a fresh start in his second term but realized he couldn’t afford to alienate warlords like Dostum. “Now he knows that a country like Afghanistan values traditional leaders,” Mir said. “I think this is a maneuver from Mr. Karzai to have no opposition inside the country.”

Scientist: Alien life could already be on Earth RAPHAEL SATTER

Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — For the past 50 years, scientists have scoured the skies for radio signals from beyond our planet, hoping for some sign of extraterrestrial life. But one physicist says there’s no reason alien life couldn’t already be lurking among us — or maybe even in us. Paul Davies, an award-winning Arizona State University physicist known for his popular science writing said Tuesday that life may have developed on Earth not once but several times. Davies said the variant life forms — most likely tiny microbes — could still be hanging around “right under our noses — or even in our noses.” “How do we know all life on Earth descended from a single origin?” he told a conference at London’s prestigious Royal Society, which serves as Britain’s academy of sciences. “We’ve just scratched the surface of the microbial world.” The idea that alien microorganisms could be hiding out

here on Earth has been discussed for a while, according to Jill Tarter, the director of the U.S. SETI project, which listens for signals from civilizations based around distant stars. She said several of the scientists involved in the project were interested in pursuing the notion, which Davies earlier laid out in a 2007 article published in Scientific American in which he asked: “Are aliens among us?” So far, there’s no answer. And ever finding one would be fraught with difficulties, as Davies himself acknowledged. Unusual organisms abound — including chemical-eating bacteria which hide out deep in the ocean and organisms that thrive in boiling-hot springs — but that doesn’t mean they’re different life forms entirely. “How weird do they have to be suggest a second genesis as opposed to just an obscure branch of the family tree?” he said. Davies suggested that the only way to prove an organism wasn’t “life as we know it” was if it were built using exotic elements which no other form of

life had. Such organisms have yet to be found. Davies also noted that less than 1 percent of all the world’s bacteria had been comprehensively studied — leaving plenty of time to find unusual organisms. “You cannot tell just by looking that a microbe has some radically different inner chemistry,” he said. Davies’ call for alien-hunting scientists to look to their own backyards came as one of the pioneers of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence told the conference the job of finding proof of alien life in outer space may be more difficult than previously thought. Frank Drake, who conducted the first organized search for alien radio signals in 1960, said that the Earth — which used to pump out a loud mess of radio waves, television signals and other radiation — has been steadily getting quieter as its communications technology improves. Drake cited the switch from analogue to digital television — which uses a far weaker signal

— and the fact that much more communications traffic is now relayed by satellites and fiber optic cables, limiting its leakage into outer space. “Very soon we will become very undetectable,” he said. If similar processes were taking place in other technologically advanced societies, then the search for them “will be much more difficult than we imagined.” But Drake said scientists at SETI were excited by the possibility of using lasers to send super-bright flashes of light into space for a tiny fraction of a second. The flashes could theoretically be seen up by an advanced civilization up to 1,000 light years away, and Tarter said infrared versions of the devices could possibly send beams even further. But Drake noted that the interstellar equivalent to turning a flashlight on and off only works if a prospective alien civilization wants to get in touch to begin with. “For this to work ... There has to be altruism in the universe,” he said.

Chavez yanks critics’ channel; students protest FABIOLA SANCHEZ

AP Political Writer

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Hundreds of university students protested anew against President Hugo Chavez on Tuesday, accusing the socialist leader of forcing an opposition-sided TV channel off cable and satellite as a means of silencing his critics. Demonstrators marched from Caracas’ central plaza to the headquarters of the leading government-run television channel where they condemned the removal of Radio Caracas Television Internacional, or RCTV, and accused state media of biased reporting. “Tell the truth,” student leader Roderick Navarro told the channel’s representatives. “We don’t want this media outlet to continue dividing the people.” Government ofﬁcials argue that RCTV violated recently approved regulations that require two dozen local cable and satellite channels to televise mandatory programming, including Chavez’s speeches, whenever the government deems it necessary. The channel, which has been ﬁercely critical of Chavez for years, did not transmit the president’s speech to his supporters over the weekend. RCTV was forced to move to cable in 2007 after Chavez refused to renew its license for regular airwaves, accusing the station of plotting against him and supporting a failed 2002 coup. Five other channels were also dropped from cable, none of which is as widely watched as RCTV.

In a televised address, Chavez said one of them, TV Chile, contacted the telecommunications agency and will probably be permitted to return to cable and satellite. For years, Chavez has frequently forced television channels to air his marathon speeches. But the rules had applied only to broadcast TV until last month, when the state-run telecommunications agency expanded them to include local pay-TV stations. The new regulations have been roundly criticized by Chavez opponents, the Roman Catholic Church and media organizations. Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director of Human Rights Watch, accused the president of cracking down on independent media that don’t share his socialist views. “Chavez has sought to intimidate and punish broadcasters who criticize his government,” Vivanco said in a statement. “Now he’s also going after those who refuse to promote his own political agenda.” Some recent protests over RCTV’s disappearance from cable have turned violent. Two youths were killed on Monday amid skirmishes involving police, anti-Chavez students and government supporters in the western state of Merida. One of the victims was shot dead while the other was killed by an explosive, according to Merida Gov. Marcos Diaz. Police and students also clashed in Caracas, where at least six demonstrators and a journalist suffered minor injuries. Tuesday’s demonstration in the capital was peaceful.

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Federal agency forecasts $1.35 trillion deficit ANDREW TAYLOR

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Tuesday rejected a plan backed by President Barack Obama to create a bipartisan task force to tackle the federal deficit this year, despite glaring new figures showing the enormity of the red-ink threat. The special deficit panel would have attempted to produce a plan combining tax cuts and spending curbs to be voted on after the November elections. The measure went down because anti-tax Republicans joined in opposition with Democrats wary of being railroaded into cutting Social Security and Medicare. The vote to kill the deficit task force came hours after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicted a $1.35 trillion deficit for this year as the economy continues to slowly recover from the recession. "Yet another indication that Congress is more concerned with the next election than the next generation," said Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., a sponsor of the plan. The budget deficits facing Obama and Congress are large and intractable, and the CBO's new deficit prediction is roughly equal to last year's record $1.4 trillion ocean of red ink. That means the government is borrowing to cover 40 percent of the cost of its programs. Economists say sustained high deficits would force interest rates higher and "crowd out" private investment — and could have severe implications for the value of the dollar. The report predicts a sluggish economic recovery and continued high unemployment

— which presages big political problems for Obama and his Democratic allies heading into the midterm elections. The report sees unemployment averaging 10.1 percent this year as the economy grows by slightly more than 2 percent. It would grow only a little more next year with an unemployment rate of 9.5 percent. "CBO expects that the pace of economic recovery will be slow," said agency chief Douglas Elmendorf. The latest estimates also project that the deficit will drop to $980 billion next year and $480 billion in five years — but only if a host of tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush are allowed to expire. Most budget experts see deficits nearing or exceeding $1 trillion each year over the next decade once tax cuts and other policies are factored in. It's a sobering reminder of the fundamental imbalance of the federal government's budget that comes just days before Obama's Feb. 1 budget submission. The White House says Obama will propose a threeyear freeze on domestic agency spending. It hasn't said whether Obama will propose tax hikes or benefit cuts to spiraling programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. The 2010 deficit figure is in line with previous estimates, but plans afoot on Capitol Hill for a new jobs bill and a coming Obama request for war funds would add to the total. The spending freeze, expected to be proposed by Obama in his State of the Union address on Wednesday, would apply to a relatively small portion of the federal budget, affecting a $477 billion pot of money available

for domestic agencies whose budgets are approved by Congress each year. Some of those agencies could get increases, while others would have to face cuts; such programs got an increase of almost 10 percent this year in the $3.5 trillion federal budget. Also Tuesday, Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., said support was building for a plan to impose binding "caps" on spending similar to Obama's. It would take 67 votes to bust through the spending limits. The freeze on so-called discretionary programs would have only a modest impact on the deficit. The steps needed to tackle such huge deficits include tax increases and curbs on benefit programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. That was the idea behind the Obama-backed plan to create a special task force to find a way to curb the spiraling budget deficit. Obama may decide to create a weaker version of the task force by presidential order. But unlike the plan rejected Tuesday, there would be no way to force a Senate vote on the task force's plan. Supporters garnered 53 votes for the plan, which was cosponsored by Gregg and Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D. But 60 votes were required under procedural rules. Thirty-six Democrats and independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut voted for the plan, as did 16 Republicans. The task force was rejected after the powerful seniors lobby, led by AARP, objected to a potential fast-track debate of cuts to Social Security.

The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Reid, ”there is no rush” to pass the healthcare bill RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) —Democrats retreated Tuesday from a quick push to pass President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, lacking a workable strategy to salvage the sweeping legislation that has consumed Congress for more than a year. “There is no rush,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said after a meeting of Senate Democrats. His comments came as two centrists said they would oppose the plan Democratic leaders were considering to reconcile differences between the House and Senate bills and put comprehensive legislation on Obama’s desk. A week after the loss of a Massachusetts Senate seat — their 60th vote — cost Democrats undisputed control of the congressional agenda, leaders are still casting about for a way forward. Given the congressional schedule, it could be weeks — late February at the earliest — before they act. “There are no easy choices,” acknowledged House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md, insisting that the goal remains the same: to pass far-reaching legislation that would expand coverage, reduce costs and improve quality. “I think right now it’s a time-out and the leadership is re-evaluating,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. “They’ve asked us to keep our powder dry.” “I think effectively we’re going to set health care reform aside,” said independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. “I don’t think they’re ready to

move now because there’s no clear path forward.” Reid said he’ll keep talking with House Democrats and White House officials, noting that the Senate-passed bill is good for the year. Two centrist senators threw up a new roadblock. Sens. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark. — both face reelection this year in Republican-leaning states — said they would oppose using a special budget-related procedure to go around Republican opponents in the Senate, a calculated risk sure to inflame critics on the political right. Even as Bayh and Lincoln made their concerns known, House Democratic leaders were trying to get their rank and file to accept a modified version of the Senate bill. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the No. 3 Democrat, told reporters he believes the House could pass the Senate bill if lawmakers get rid of special Medicaid deals for Louisiana and Nebraska and dial back a tax on high-cost insurance plans opposed by labor unions. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said it “depends what the fixes are.” Lawmakers hope Obama will help them find their way when the president delivers his State of the Union address Wednesday. Obama is unlikely to delve into the strategy for passing a health care bill, Hoyer said, but he is expected to stress the importance of getting comprehensive legislation along the lines of what the House and Senate already passed. Democrats now have four options, Hoyer said: No bill, a

UEC CELEBRATES FEBRUARY ONE The University Event Center is pleased to support and celebrate the 50th Sit-in Anniversary: A Spiritual Thanksgiving. February One will be the day we honor the A&T Four for their bravery, commitment and diligence to create and enhance a better tomorrow for minorities. We encourage all of you to participate in the festivities. Commemoration for the A&T Four will begin on January 28th through February 1st as different events honoring the A&T Four’s mission will take place on and off campus. For further information please visit the event calendar at www.ncat.edu.

scaled-back measure designed to attract some Republican support, the House passing the Senate bill, or the House passing the Senate bill with both chambers making changes to bridge their differences. Opposition to the health care remake in Washington helped spark the Massachusetts revolt, Democrats acknowledge. Obama called the monthslong debate on Capitol Hill “an ugly process.” “It looks like there are a bunch of back-room deals,” the president said in an interview with ABC News. Of the four options that Hoyer outlined, only one has been ruled out. Pelosi said last week she does not have the votes to pass the Senate bill without any changes. Democratic leaders are coalescing around the idea of the House passing the Senate bill, with both chambers agreeing to follow-up legislation that would settle major differences. The strategy calls for the Senate to use a budget-related procedure — reconciliation— that requires only 51 votes to advance. Even so, leaders may not be able to round up the votes. “My concern is that if reconciliation is used, that will really destroy any prospects for bipartisan cooperation on anything else for the remainder of this year,” Bayh said. “That would be a regrettable state of affairs, something I think the American public would not react well to.” “I will not accept any lastminute efforts to force changes to health insurance reform through budget reconciliation,” Lincoln said in a statement.

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Obama must remain hopeful McClatchy-Tribune News Service MCT Campus

Before dismissing any prospects of health-care reform this year, consider this: Who would have thought two years ago that a black man would be elected president, or that a Republican would win Ted Kennedy’s U.S. Senate seat? The odds are against it, but progress is still possible. President Barack Obama has until Wednesday’s State of the Union address to set a direction and revive momentum. He can’t give up. Reforming the health care system is too important to the U.S. economy. The challenge is to win over middle America. It isn’t just the poor who desperately need health care reform, it’s middle income people who see their share of premiums and co-pays escalating, who can be lopped from insurance rolls if they get sick and who have no affordable option if they leave or lose their jobs. Their interests have fallen by the wayside in Congress. Small business remains the backbone of this nation and affordable health care has been their No. 1 issue for a decade, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. Major industries have similar concerns. The rising cost of health care is preventing thousands of businesses from hiring employees or giving them raises that would further stimulate the economy. The only way the United States can compete in the global economy in years to come is by finding a way to slow the nation’s skyrocketing health care costs. Surely both Democrats and Republicans can see that. The president has been ineffective at making the case. He has one more chance. But since last week’s Massachusetts election, Obama’s choices have become extremely limited, and each has obvious pitfalls. The best of the bad choices is for the House to hold its nose and pass the Senate version of the health care reform bill, then fix as much of it as possible in reconciliation. That would require only a majority vote. Democrats should do this because offering coverage to 30 million uninsured Americans and putting the nation on a path to reduce medical costs is a solid step in the right direction, even if it falls far short of original goals. Some argue that Obama should float a scaled-back version of reform that could generate bipartisan support. But it’s hard to extract popular ideas from related, unpopular ones. Take the insurance company practice of denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. Congress could outlaw it, but companies would respond by raising premiums. Congress could alleviate that problem by requiring everyone to purchase insurance, but that only works if the government subsidizes those who can’t afford it. And the only way to pay for subsidies is by cutting popular Medicare or by raising taxes somehow. The health-care reform bill the Senate passed on Christmas Eve offers the best chance to provide near-universal coverage to Americans. It remains a historic opportunity that must not be missed.

Do not wait until it’s too late In case you didn’t know class of May 2010, your community service hours are due at the end of February. I’m sure all of the graduating seniors have all 50 hours completed because they are on top of things, right? The class of 2010 will be the first class that is required to complete community service hours before they obtain their degree from A&T. Fifty hours is not hard to accomplish and the office of Civic and Service Education gives students so many opportunities to complete them. The community service we have to do is not required to torture students or add more work onto our already full plates. The purpose of it is to kill two birds with one stone and that is to serve the community and gain knowledge as well. My hours were obtained during my sophomore year when I had an opportunity to travel with the Multicultural Student

Center to Mississippi to build a home for a family who lost theirs’ during hurricane Katrina. T’Lisha D uring Holmes our time there we were able to help the citizens in the city of Biloxi, learn the ins and outs of building a house, and also attain the necessary hours needed for graduation. It only took me one week of spring break; to complete my hours. During that week I literally learned things outside of the classroom that could be applied within the classroom, which is the purpose of the C.A.S.E. program in my eyes. Most of our peers do not realize its purpose. It pains me when I hear students who have completed

all of their course work for graduation but fall short when it comes to community service hours. The pain worsens when these students claim they have no idea where to go on campus to inquire about information on getting hours. Some students claim they had no idea, some students blame it on the sports they play, some students have no clue about how to log their hours into the system, and others are lazy. Here’s a tip classmates, visit Murphy Hall suite 104 and join the C.A.S.E. group on Facebook. Try logging onto OrgSync every once in a while. These resources will keep you informed on all of the upcoming service activities students may use towards their hours. The activities are not time consuming, costly or difficult. The activity could be as simple as donating seven canned food items, clothes or school supplies for a charity. If donating a

few items is taking up too much time in your life than I have no clue what your issue is. C.A.S.E. literally dangles hours in student’s faces for them to take advantage of but most students decide to ignore those opportunities until the last minute. Shirley Chisholm said it best, “Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth,” so what is the issue and the holdup Aggies? The wide range of opportunities available to students through C.A.S.E. allows students to tap into something they have a passion for while learning and gaining their community service hours. The Martin Luther King Day of Service was the perfect day for students to get started on community service hours; school was out and there were many opportunities and shuttles available. It annoys me when I sit in an upperclassman course and a graduating senior asks where

they go to inquire about community service hours. My initial response is to that infamous question is, “where have you been in the past four years and what exactly were you doing to not know this common knowledge?” I am not trying to pick on my classmates but I am trying to bring awareness to them while encouraging the classes after us to start their community service hours ahead of time. If any type of service is rushed the ability to learn from it is in vain. On Wednesday Feb. 3, 2010 at 6 p.m. in Harrison Auditorium, the program “Are you African American?” will take place, this will give students the chance to learn about Malawi and gain C.A.S.E. approved hours at the same time. Seniors get those 50 hours out of the way. I don’t want any of your degrees held hostage by the university because of your own ignorance.

Women are progressing more than men McClatchy-Tribune News Service MCT Campus

Who’s smarter, men or women? It’s a topic of common and often comic musings, but it has also become a serious policy issue for colleges and this nation’s students. After 17 years of concentrated effort to raise the academic achievement of girls, who in previous decades had often received less attention in the classroom and been steered away from collegeprep courses, the nation can brag that female students have progressed tremendously. Though still underrepresented in calculus and other advanced-level science and math courses in high school, women now outnumber men applying to and graduating from college — so much so that it appears some colleges are giving male applicants an admissions boost. As a result, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is examining whether colleges are engaging in widespread discrimination against women in an effort to balance their male and female populations. Consider some of the numbers at leading schools: At Vassar College in New York State, a formerly all-women’s college that is still 60 percent female, more than two-thirds

of the applicants last year were women. The college accepted 35 percent of the men who applied, compared with 20 percent of the women. In California, elite Pomona College accepted 21 percent of male applicants for this year’s freshman class, but only 13 percent of female applicants. At Virginia’s College of William & Mary, 7,652 women applied for this year’s freshman class, compared with 4,457 male applicants. Yet the numbers of each who gained admittance were nearly the same. That’s because the college accepted 45 percent of the men and only 27 percent of the women. A 2007 analysis by U.S. News & World Report, based on the data sent by colleges for the magazine’s annual rankings, found that the admissions rate for women averaged 13 percentage points lower than that for men. But percentages don’t tell the whole story. It could be that the men were stronger candidates, or they might have applied in areas of engineering and science where women’s numbers are still lower. But such justifications, even if true, are unlikely to fully explain these numbers. At schools such as the University of California, where admissions rely overwhelmingly on statistical measures of academic achievement such as grades and test scores, the

disparities don’t appear. Far more women than men applied to UCLA the UC’s most selective campus last year. The university accepted about the same percentage of each, with a slight edge to the women. As a result, the freshman class has close to 800 more women than men. In recent years, several college leaders have admitted that their institutions give a boost to male applicants to maintain gender balance on campus. Most students of either sex, they point out, prefer such balance. If Vassar accepted equal percentages of each sex, women would outnumber men by more than 2 to 1. The dean of admissions at Kenyon College in Ohio, a formerly all-male school, brought the matter to broad public attention in 2006 with an Op-Ed article for the New York Times describing the dilemma of her admissions office. “What messages are we sending young women that they must ... be even more accomplished than men to gain admission to the nation’s top colleges?” Jennifer Delahunty Britz wrote. This page has long favored allowing colleges to use race as an admissions factor in order to diversify student populations. Exposure to people of different backgrounds and viewpoints better educates all

students—not just those given a leg up. We are not in favor of accepting under qualified or clearly inferior students for the sake of diversity. But most colleges are inundated with applications from students who more than meet their standards; the differences among many of them are slight. It makes sense for colleges to pick a balanced population from within this group. At the same time, admissions officers should avoid rigid notions of what constitutes enough men on campus. It’s not harming UCLA, or destroying college social life, to admit somewhat more women than men. Even if the civil rights commission finds pervasive gender discrimination in admissions, there’s little it could do about the situation. Such discrimination — though not racial discrimination —is legal for undergraduate admissions at private, nonprofit colleges, even those that receive federal funding. It is illegal at public colleges as well as graduate and professional schools. Commission documents on the inquiry suggest that colleges could find more “gender-neutral” ways of balancing their student numbers, perhaps by offering programs and extracurricular activities that attract men. Those might work for some

schools, but won’t change the overall scenario. Not with college populations composed of 57% women nationwide. The issue we’d like the Commission on Civil Rights to investigate is: What’s happening with the education of U.S. boys? Why are so few of them applying to and graduating from college? Theories and arguments abound. Some say that boys are more active and thus less able to sit still for long periods ,and as a result, more likely to be categorized as having attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder or needing special education. A 2008 study by researchers at Northwestern University found that when girls are involved in a language-related task such as reading, they show more activity in areas of the brain involved in encoding language. Boys use more sensory information to do linguistic tasks. The study suggests boys might do better if they were taught language arts in different ways. Race is a factor as well. The gender gap is starker among African American and Latino students. There may be no one reason, or solution. But figuring out ways to help boys achieve in school is a better response to the gender gap than making it easier for them to get into college later.

Editor’s note:The opinions expressed on The Word are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the staff of The A&T Register. All house editorials are written and revised with input from the editorial board, staff, and are approved by the editor. All submissions must be sent to theatregister@gmail.com to be considered for submission and should be no longer than 250 words. Submissions must be received by the Sunday prior to publication at 5 p.m. to be considered. The A&T Register reserves the right to edit all submission content for clarity and grammar. Submissions become the property of The A&T Register and will not be returned.

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, January 27, 2010

NCAA gains record revenue for five conferences Frederic Frommer Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The five college football conferences that don’t get automatic bids to the Bowl Championship Series will receive a record $24 million from this year’s bowl games, according to BCS figures obtained Monday by The Associated Press. The distribution of money has been a main point of con-

tention for congressional critics of the Bowl Championship Series system. Lawmakers have pushed legislation aimed at forcing the BCS to switch to a playoff system rather than the ratings system it uses to set the games that determine the college championship. Of the $24 million, most will go to the two conferences that sent teams to BCS games this year: the Mountain West Conference, at $9.8 million, and the Western Athletic Conference,

at $7.8 million. The three other conferences that don’t receive automatic bids will divide the remainder. That compares to $22.2 million each to the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences, and $17.7 million each for the other four conferences that have automatic bids. Those first two received more because they each had two teams in BCS bowls. BCS executive director Bill Hancock told the AP the new numbers show the distribution

is “fair and appropriate.” “It’s an opportunity for us to remind people that every conference had a chance to earn automatic qualification, and will again, based on the current evaluation,” he said. Still, the figures aren’t likely to win over critics in Congress. Rep. Joe Barton, a Texas Republican, has cited the revenue discrepancy as a reason for his legislation that would ban the promotion of a postseason NCAA Division I Football

Bowl Subdivision game as a national championship unless it results from a playoff. The bill passed a subcommittee last month but faces an uphill battle in Congress. In a telephone interview Monday, Barton responded to the figures with a shrug. “I thought it was about the best teams playing the best teams,” he said. “This simply acknowledges that it is not about that but about revenue sharing.

Advertisers ready for Super Bowl

AGGIES RUNDOWN MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM

MEAC

OVR.

6-4 5-2 5-2 4-2 3-3 3-3 3-3 2-4 2-5 2-5 0-6

14-7 11-8 6-14 9-8 9-7 7-12 5-14 3-15 4-14 4-15 6-12

Morgan State Bethune-Cookman Howard Delaware State S.C. State N. C. A&T UMES Norfolk State Hampton FAMU Coppin State NEXT WEEK’S GAME: Saturday vs. Coppin State Corbett Sports Center 4 p.m. Monday vs. Morgan State Corbett Sports Center 6 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM

MEAC

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6-0 5-1 4-2 4-3 4-3 4-3 3-3 3-4 2-4 0-6 0-6

12-7 9-9 6-9 8-10 8-10 8-10 7-10 10-7 7-11 3-12 2-17

N.C. A&T Morgan State MD Eastern Shore Bethune-Cookman Hampton Howard Coppin State Florida A&M S.C. State Norfolk State Delaware State

Emily Fredrix

Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) — An asteroid is about to hit Earth? Drink some Bud Light. Your plane crashes on an island? Drink more Bud Light. Really love Bud Light? Why not build your house with cans of it ... and then drink up? Longtime Super Bowl advertising leader Anheuser-Busch returns to humor next month to sell its drinks after a more, well, sober outing last year. The brewer’s five minutes of commercials during this year’s game Sunday, Feb. 7, include straightforward humor: A man skips his softball game to attend his wife’s book club because she’s serving Bud Light. But most of the likely spots tend toward the outlandish: Townspeople form a human bridge when the real one is out to assure safe delivery of Budweiser. In another, men talking on the phone in Auto-Tune — a pop-music effect that can make voices sound robotic — are excited they have Bud Light to “make the party right.” And there’s the requisite TV reference: People stranded on an island happily drink Bud Light in a nod to hit show “Lost.” While other major advertisers like General Motors Corp., Pepsi and FedEx stayed on the sidelines this year to recuperate from the down economy, Anheuser-Busch is increasing its Super Bowl presence by 30 seconds. The average 30-second spot sells for $2.5 million to $2.8 million this year; from 1990 to 2009, Anheuser-Busch spent $311.8 million on the event, according to Kantar Media. Among the St. Louis brewer’s ads in 2009 were three with its trademark Clydesdales, meant to convey tradition and stability after the quintessentially American company sold itself to Belgian brewer InBev. This year’s focus for Bud Light and Budweiser is more on fun and partying: New tag lines include “A sure sign of a good time” and “Here we go”; the ads refer without specifics to the beer’s “right taste.” Gone is the term “drinkability,” used during the last Super Bowl to position Bud Light as flavorful but not filling. Consumers the company surveyed wanted funnier ads this year to break the monotony of their everyday lives, said marketing vice president Keith Levy. Some ads are still serious. One features cycling great Lance Armstrong running, biking and then drinking Michelob Ultra, a brand that sponsors cycling and running events and that’s sold as a low-calorie alternative. Armstrong is the beer’s new spokesman in a rare pairing of alcohol with an athlete. As the recession forced Americans to focus on value, they have chosen less expensive drinks, like Anheuser-Busch’s Busch Light (whose shipments rose an estimated 5.5 percent), or switched to pricier craft beers (up 5 percent). Eric Shepard, executive editor of Beer Marketer’s Insights.“I would say the industry is ready for some strong marketing.”

THIS WEEK’S GAMES: Saturday vs. Coppin State Corbett Sports Center 2 p.m.

Photo by kenneth hawkins • THE A&T Register jaquayla berry Ied the Lady Aggies off the bench with 11 points in their 14th straight victory over Winston-Salem State University.

Lady Aggies in a groove A&T women’s basketball team win fifth straight game Lauren Morgan

On Monday night the North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies defeated their arch rival Winston Salem State 79-53 at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum stretching their winning streak in the I-40 battle to 14 straight games. The Aggies used a fierce 53 percent shooting performance to aid them in a series that they own. They also held the Rams to shooting only 38 percent from the field. Ta’Wuana Cook led A&T with 15 points. Amber Calvin added 14 while Lamona Smalley recorded 12 points and seven rebounds. Vontisha Woods and MaLisa Bumpus led the Rams scorers with 15 points apiece. A&T got off to a quick start leading the Rams 13-3 in the early minutes of the game. The Rams used a 12-4 run just above the eight minute mark in the first half to get back in the game. But the Aggies offense proved too much for the Rams as they pulled away and ended the half up 48-33. They ended the half shooting 10-of-11 3-point range. By midway in the second half the Aggies pulled away with a 20-point lead. The Rams fell into a scoring drought that

would give the Aggies a 79-53 road victory. “I believe in this team,’’ said Lady Aggies head coach Patricia Bibbs,“We’re going to put it all together and come out with some consistency. But when you are getting to the basket and getting open shots like we were tonight, you need to knock those shots down. We did that tonight.” Three days before their victory over the Rams the Aggies defeated South Carolina State 67-60 at the SMH Memorial Center. Jaleesa Sams had 14 points and seven rebounds to lead the Aggies. Crystal Murdaugh came off the bench for 12 points and Amber Calvin finished with 11. Whitney Wiley had 20 points and seven rebounds for S.C. State. The Aggies shot a poor 33 percent for the game but used a nearly perfect 25-of 27 free throw performance to pull away with the victory over the Bulldogs. “We practice so diligently on free throws,’’ said Bibbs “We know free throws are ball game winners. When you have a target on your back like we do, free throws make all the difference.” The Aggies led 30-26 at the half and pushed their lead to nine early on in the second half. At the 12:19 mark the Aggies

The Aggies suffered a 5957 loss on the road to Winston Salem State on Monday night. They were unable to overcome turnovers and deal with the Rams’ pressure defense. The Aggies gained an early 18-4 lead, with guard Tavarus Alston knocking down three 3-pointers within the game’s first four minutes. But the Aggies lost their momentum when WSSU started executing their press defense. The Aggies turned the ball over 10 times in the last 10 minutes and went into the half trailing 34-24. “We turned the ball over way too many times in the first half,’’ said N.C. A&T head coach Jerry Eaves about his team’s 17 first-half turnovers. “We scored just six points in

the last 15 minutes of the first half, which was disturbing because we prepared for their pressure.” The Aggies would overcome their first-half deficit to take a 47-42 lead with less than seven minutes left in the game. They would hit another scoring drought, however, and didn’t record another field goal until 29 seconds remained on the clock. Even though the Rams shot an abysmal 32 percent for the game, they were able to pull away for the win. The loss was a tough pill to swallow for the Aggies following their win Saturday at South Carolina State. The Aggies beat the Bulldogs 6758 in senior forward Robert Johnson’s return from a shoulder injury after five games of inactivity. He scored six points in his return and Alston led the Aggies i scoring with 17 points.

women’s tennis TEAM

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Bethune-Cookman Coppin State Delaware State FAMU Hampton Howard UMES S.C. State Morgan State Norfolk State N.C. A&T

0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-2

UP COMING MEETS: Feb. 6 vs. Davidson Davidson, N.C. 3 p.m. Feb. 20 vs. Charlotte Charlotte, N.C. 2 p.m.

News & notes INDOOR TRACK Calesio Noewman was named the MEAC player of the week last week. The senior Green Sea, S.C. native had an exceptional showing at the Virginia Tech Indoor Invitational winning the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.70.

Photo by kenneth hawkins • the A&T Register Tyronnica Alford and the Lady Aggies have now won 22 out of their last 23 conference games.

found themselves trailing 40-41 after a S.C. State 14-5 run. With three minutes left in the game the Aggies were trailing but clutch free throws from Sams and Smalley put the Aggies back on top. “It’s one thing to say you hit free throws, it’s another thing to say you hit clutch free throws,” Bibbs said.

Aggies split games President thanks on the road NCAA hoops squad Prince askew

Monday vs. Morgan State Corbett Sports Center 8 p.m.

Pete Iacobelli

Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)— President Barack Obama called Kentucky coach John Calipari to praise the program — and to caution the top-ranked Wildcats. The country’s No. 1 college basketball fan thanked Calipari and his players Tuesday for helping to raise more than $1 million as part of the “Hoops for Haiti” telethon. Then Obama counseled them to keep their focus and not let their new position atop the polls go to their heads. “There is that tendency once you get to number one to let down a little bit,” Obama said. Obama, who regularly played pickup games during his run for president, last year picked champion North

Carolina to win it all in his NCAA bracket. Kentucky freshman DeMarcus Cousins told Obama the team looked forward to meeting the president at the White House after the season — a rite of passage for NCAA champions. “The way you guys are going, that may happen,” Obama answered. Obama enjoyed talking basketball with the undefeated Wildcats (19-0), who play at South Carolina on Tuesday night. But the president was just as complimentary about the team’s efforts to help those devastated in Haiti by the catastrophic earthquake earlier this month. “I just want to let you guys know that I am very, very proud of what you guys did,” Obama told the team about their fundraising efforts.

AROUND SPORTS

PAYTON SOAKS IN WIN METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Sean Payton still hadn’t gone home yet when the New Orleans Saints returned to work the day after the biggest win in franchise history.Drained after an emotional overtime triumph that set off celebrations all across the city, Payton joined family and friends for dinner downtown and then relaxed in a hotel.“There was just so much emotion,” Payton said Monday at the team’s suburban training center. “You know, when you finish with the locker room ... you just try to find your family.” ______ THE EXPERIENCED COLTS INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts started this season with one goal: winning another Super Bowl.Now they are a victory away from a championship and headed back to the site of their previous one. No, the plans haven’t changed much from Indy’s last postseason trip to Miami. This week will be spent putting in a game plan, and next week, first-year coach Jim Caldwell is taking a page right out of Tony Dungy’s playbook. The Colts will stay at the same hotel, practice at the same facility and follow almost the same routine that they did before beating Chicago in the rainiest Super Bowl on record. ______ The Associated Press

The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Shows we shouldn’t be watching...but are JONATHAN VEAL & SYLVIA OBELL Contributor

Do you tune in to Ray J’s show to see who “smashed the homies”? Are you easily entertained by celebrities and their crazy families? Here are some of our TV guilty pleasures that we just can’t turn away from. Frank the Entertainer in a Basement Affair Remember Frank “The Entertainer” Maresca, the toe-sucking player from VH-1’s “I Love New York.” But now he has his own show, “Frank the Entertainer, in a Basement Affair.” 31 year old Frank Maresca is a low budget bachelor who is trying to find that special girl; fall in love and move out of his parent’s basement. After losing “I Love Money 1&2,” Frank asked VH-1 to give him his own dating show to find the right woman. VH-1 agreed but only under the condition that the show be taped at his parent’s house in NYC so they wouldn’t have to spend money renting a mansion in the Hollywood Hills. Frank’s parents agreed saying, “Are you kidding us…heck YES, we’ll do anything to get Frank out of the house!” Like really, I thought woman ran away when men still lived with their parents, not to mention in the basement. Tune in every Sunday at 8pm and watch the magic happened again. This is yet another cheesy VH1 dating show. For the Love of Ray J 2 Ray J is back for a second season of “For the Love of Ray J.” Cocktail won Ray J’s heart last season, but that relationship wasn’t meant to be. Ray J picked the best girl in the house, but unfortunately it wasn’t the best girl for him. Since the first attempt did not work, Ray wants to go through the experience again. 18 girls, one man, and one mansion only results in fighting, arguing, lying, and “Smashing the Homies.” Reality dating shows only show how desperate some people really are, and it’s hilarious. Tune into VH-1 every Monday night at 9pm.

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Jersey Shore What do you get when you put 8 Italian Americans in one house? A retarded MTV reality show featuring eight individuals who have given the Italian American ethnicity a bad rep. Jumping around to house music, hooking up with random people, in-house relationships, getting knocked out at bars, over the top personalities, and “The Situation.” According to Jersey Shore housemates, the only thing you need to know when living here, is to “G-T-L;” gym, tan, and laundry. Fantasia For Real At nineteen, Fantasia had it all-- she was the third winner of American Idol, her first album went platinum, she’d broken the Billboard charts, gained four Grammy nominations, had an New York Times bestseller, and got the lead in Oprah Winfrey’s Broadway production of “The Color Purple.” Unfortunately, she almost lost it all. Barrino now finds herself quickly approaching “I-used-to-be-famous status,” the result, “Fantasia For Real.” Like many of her C-List peers, Fantasia finds herself the star of her very own reality show. The show follows her, and her 6 family members who she supports financially, as she tries to rebuild her career. The show highlights the stereotypical plight of a black celebrity (having to support everyone and their mother while the whole neighborhood lives under your roof). Picture Keyshia Cole: “The Way It Is” remixed. It has the crazy, ghetto family members, the supportive male manager, and the singer with an amazing story behind her success. Will Fantasia be able to rebuild her career? Will she get her GED? Will her OLDER brothers ever grow up and stop living off of her? Do we all care enough to watch? Luckily for Fantasia, her loveable personality makes viewers want to root for her success. Let’s Talk About Pep Speaking of “I-used-to-be-famous” turned reality show celebs, “Lets Talk About Pep” is a real life show that follows Sandra “Pepa” Denton of Saltn-Pepa, as she takes on the NYC dating world after several years of celibacy.

Jan. 27-Feb. 2 The A&T Register’s guide to what’s going on this week in arts and entertainment.

First off, any show that is created because its star hasn’t had sex for four years is automatically put into question. The show also follows her three friends; Joumana Kidd, sports journalist and exwife of NBA star Jason Kidd, Kali Troy aka “Kittie” best known for being the voice of Cita on the BET show Cita’s world is the wild child of the group, and Jacque Reid, the news anchor from BET Nightly News, is the southern girl with old-fashioned values of relationships and sex. Their dynamic personalities give different perspectives of dating, sex, and relationships. The addition of these three ladies gives the show a Black “Sex & The City” vibe, making it an easy addiction for Black women everywhere. Bad Girls’ Club The producers of “The Real World” took away the little integrity and purpose that “The Real World” has, and made “The Bad Girls Club.” The show brings seven “bad girls” to live together in a L.A. mansion and basically televises the combustion. Each girl is from a different part of the US, has her own personal issues, point of view, and attitude. It’s like a social experiment gone wrong. They all leave the show the same way they came in-- a hot mess. But that’s if they don’t get kicked off the show early for beating someone up. It is nothing more than seven girls ﬁghting, arguing, partying, crying, and getting kicked out of every public establishment possible. There is absolutely no purpose to this show, yet

sadly we all can’t stop watching. It’s like watching a car accident; you just can’t tear your eyes away from it. Teen Mom “16 & Pregnant” was a revolutionary show that brought the teen pregnancy issue to everyone living room. “Teen Mom” follows four of the girls from “16 & Pregnant” to answer the question, “what happens after the baby is born?” What started off as good concept has become an unrealistic portrayal of life as a teenage mother. All of these girls represent a small percentage of a certain type of teen mother. They’re all White and they all live with and have the support of their family. The number of Black teen mothers is way too high to not be represented. Where’s the mother who got kicked out and is raising the baby on her own? Where’s the mother living in Section 8 housing or on welfare? Where’s the struggle? You cannot accurately portray teen motherhood without showing that aspect. The show is painting a nice picture of teen motherhood. Some of the most pressing issues for these mothers are grand-mothers not wanting to baby-sit so the mom can go on a date, the baby’s father going away for a month, or being forced to stay home all day while every ﬁnancial need is being taken care of, watching friends go away to college, and the trials and tribulations of day care. There is even a couple that put their child up for adoption. I don’t understand why they are on the show. But overall, the show presents an unrealistic portrayal of teen motherhood.

MOVIE REVIEW: BOOK OF ELI

‘Eli’ is more than just an action flick CHELSEA KING

A&T student appears on MTV On Monday, MTV premeired the episode of “True Life” entitled “I’m Addicted to Video Games”, which featured current A&T student Charisse Williams.

 PRESS PLAY Timbaland feat. Justin Timberlake “Carry Out”

Off of the 3rd album from the rapper/producer, the signature sound that he is known for is present in the collaboration with buddy Justin Timberlake. The beat will have you nodding your head and the catchy and infectious chorus will get stuck in your head -L.L.

QUESTIONS

“The Book of Eli,” is a surprising theological insight, dilute by over-the-top violence in a post-apocalyptic setting. From looking at the previews, one would think that Denzel Washington was playing the action hero of the movie who would save the world from more destruction. Considering, for the most part you would be right. However, as the movie progresses you begin to ﬁnd out that there is a deeper meaning that the movie is trying to get across. The ﬁlm setting is much like an old Western with bandits lurking in the desert, while rough crowds take refuge in hardscrabble town. Across this scorched land strides our Christian cowboy named Eli (Washington), a mysterious, solitary man who carries the last remaining Bible in his backpack. He also carries a polished silver knife, a shotgun, and his I-Pod. Like a prophet, he has heard God’s voice in his head and he walks West with divine determination. As he travels, we learn that a very vicious world war ripped a hole in the sky 30 years before the movie begins, resulting in the Sun scorching much of the Earth. After the war, many blamed it on religion and most of the religious books were burned.

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Eli was the only character in the movie that had possession to the last Bible in the world, making it precious cargo. Since the Bible is a rare commodity, it leads Eli into trouble when he enters Carnegie’s (Gary Oldman) town. Carnegie is a villainous man who is spearheaded by the fact that if he had the Bible in his possession that he could expand his empire and gain a huge amount of power. The ﬁlm progresses little by little and you have to continuously watch the movie in order to understand what is going on. Though the plot is not hard to grasp, very little is told to the viewer. For instance, Washington’s character, Eli’s name was not stated until almost more than halfway through the movie. Considering that it was the

title of the movie, I do not feel bad that it was not stated. Now, most of the excitement in the movie comes from the acting. Oldman gives the movie, a nice yet cruel presence that Washington can spark against. But the storyline that the two play out cliché by cliché barely rises to their talents. Considering, that Washington is a powerhouse actor, when he is ﬁghting desert bandits and defending the world. However, without the power of Oldman’s performance the action would have just been dreary. On the other hand, the same praise can not be given to the other actors. Solara (Mila Kunis) is where the movie takes a wrong turn, ﬁrst as bait for Eli and then his unwanted traveling companion. Sure, she is appropriately

entertaining and eager to help when Eli needs her, but she just does not correlate with her audience. Maybe it was just because every time she would speak the only thing that I would hear was Meg’s voice from “Family Guy.” But I guess it is because she does not have enough experience for the big screen and maybe she needs to change her acting chops to pull off a dramatic role. “The Book of Eli” is a descent ﬁlm from the Allen and Albert Hughes. On the surface, it may not seem that enjoyable. Nonetheless, the movie does have some elements that make it satisfying movie. Personally, I don’t think my $6.50 was worth it but I am glad to see a post-apocalyptic include God into it for once.

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1. Once you found out it was “True Life: I’m Addicted to Video Games,” were you shocked it was a girl? 2. Really? You’re failing school because of Farmville and Guitar Hero? 3. Is it sexy for a chick to have the PlayStation thumb callous? 4. Did you see the size of her cat’s doody in the litterbox? 5. Are you sure it wasn’t a dog? 6. Did you notice no one on the show was addicted to Wii Fit? 7. Does ol’ girl go through withdrawal without some Mafia Wars? 8. Is she really addicted to video games, or did she just not feel like doing her homework? 9. Is it really an addiction, or is it a matter of discipline? 10. Did ya’ll notice on the show, she went up some stairs to get to A109 in GCB? 11. Isn’t that classroom on the 1st floor? 12. Do you think the Engineering department is mad because they didn’t get any shine on MTV? 13. Before True Life last night, did you know there were other departments besides Engineering and Agriculture at A&T? 14. Is there is sexy way to eat chicken wings on a first date? 15. Did you know that Fantasia ain’t treated us the same since American Idol? 16. How long is too long to wait for a parking spot? 17. Don’t you wish everyone played by the “I-have-my-blinker-on-so I’m-callingdibs-on-this-spot” rules? 18. Seniors, did you now the deadline to apply to graduate in May is today? 19. Did you know it’s going to cost you $60 to get out of this place? 20. “So, uh, I gotta pay you $60 to my degree, and I still can’t find a job?”

ON SCREEN EDGE OF DARKNESS hits theaters Friday. Homicide Detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) investigates the death of his only daughter, Emma, who was shot at the doorsteps of his home. Everyone assumes he is the target, but he soon finds otherwise as he uncovers cooperate cover-ups and shady government activity. - N.V.

ON SHELVES THIS IS IT chronicles the behind-the-scenes process as Michael Jackson prepared for the concert series that would have began in London in the O2 Arena. Sony Production Entertainment released “This Is It” on Blu-Ray and DVD Tuesday. The album featuring music from the movie is also available. - N.V.

ON STAGE YOLANDA ADAMS will be headlining the February One concert on Sunday at the Greensboro Coliseum at 6p.m. Other artists will be performing at the concert. The event is free and open to the public and early arrival is advised because of the number of people expected to attend. - L.L.

ON CAMPUS MISSISSIPPI MOURNING will be playing on Friday at 7p.m. in Harrison Auditorium. The Emmitt Till Story was written by Kevin Wilson and stars Tony Partridge as Emmitt Till, the black teenager who was killed for whistling at a white woman in 1955. - A.H.