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RegisteR voluMe lXXXIv. no. 23
MarCh 2, 2011
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SERVING THE AGGIE COMMUNITY FOR OVER 80 YEARS
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF NORTH CAROLINA A&T
UnC President talks budget at a&T kelCie mCCrae
Managing Editor
For little more than an hour last week, students had an opportunity to voice their concerns regarding A&T and its place within the UNC System with President Tom Ross. Mentions of tuition hikes, bigger class sizes and program cuts seemed to dominate the conversation between students and the Greensboro native in the ballroom of the University Event Center. As part of his eleventh stop to the 17 schools within the system, Ross not only listened, but also voiced to students his concerns on the proposed budget cuts statewide. “If we have to cut jobs in order to balance our budgets, I’m worried about whether that might push us back into a worse economic situation,” said Ross. “I worry about the impact
it’s going to have on you [students].” Recently, Gov. Bev Purdue announced her proposed 201113 state budget. If passed it will call for a 9.5 percent cut for UNC-General Administration and campus operating budgets. Results from this ross budget may mean that tuition will rise, academic programs will be cut and more than 1,500 jobs could be lost across the board. For A&T proposed measures have already taken place. A maximum 15 percent cut may take place if the budget is passed, which may result in the elimination of 11 academic programs.
“Our department really struggles with funding,” said Rachel Jackson, graduate student in Department of Natural Resources. “I have no problem paying more for my tuition as long as the quality of my education doesn’t go down.” According to Ross legislators in the N.C. General Assembly have been talking about raising tuition to make up for budget cuts, which in essence is asking for more money without raising the quality of education. “I think that’s a real problem,” said Ross. “It’s our responsibility - yours and mine to help convince legislators to not go in that direction. If you get in the cycle of raising tuition without raising quality, you begin to lose applicants whether graduate or undergraduate. Once you begin to lose applicants, then you begin to lose money.” SGA Parliamentarian Mitchell Brown posed the question on
how to educate N.C. legislators on the importance of keeping costs down for students. A lot of talk has been made statewide from representatives from higher education on lobbying efforts to keep the university system striving. “Organize efforts to talk to legislators,” said Ross. “A lot of time it has to be made real for them.” Last year, former UNC president Erskine Bowles said prior to his retirement, “If we keep having cuts, cuts, cuts, we’ll have to look at eliminating schools, campuses.” Ross, however, feels that is not a realistic measure in his administration “I think every one of our campuses has a very important role to play in the community in which they are located,“ said Ross. “This university See
ross on Page 2
Photo by KENNEth hAWKINS
mr a&T: todd Porter showcased his talents before his Mr. hbCU Kings & Leadership program.
Mr. A&t says farewell for Mr. hbCU Kings and Leadership program sheQUia Cole
Register Reporter
“I’m going to represent you well,” said 2010-2011 Mr. A&T, Todd Porter Feb. 27 at the 2nd Annual Mister NC A&T State University farewell program. The event was held in Harrison auditorium and was designed to highlight and showcase the talents Porter will display at the 7th Annual Mr. HBCU Kings and Leadership program in St. Louis, MS on March 6. “He is the epitome of a Mr. A&T,” said SGA president and Master of the Ceremony, Wayne Kimball. Though the crowd was small he kept them involved and interested throughout the program. Porter made his debut in act one of the program entitled Oratory. During this act he
Photo by KENNEth hAWKINS
the national awareness program Save A Life tour that is aimed at stopping teens and college students from drinking and driving was held in Exhibit hall on Monday, February 28, 2011.
‘SALt’ shows dangers of drinking and driving
to replace current A&t IbM email system
stimulator begins at a sober level. As the driver continues to drive, the blood alcohol concentration level gradually increases to 0.34. “At a .3 legally your dead, you can easily slip into a coma,” informed Dignan. The stimulator had a split sec delay for the steering wheel, the gas and the brake. If the driver completes the obstacle without crashing, it will generally last for 4 minutes. Prior to driving the stimulator Moyo Olusesi, a sophomore social work major and native of Nigeria, thought that it was going to be easy. “I started off and I thought I knew how to do it, so I started again,” he said. Upon completing the stimulator, the driver was handed a mock ticket, which marked “Pass” “DUI” or “Fatal Col-
lision,” with additional DUI facts on the other side, and a rubber bracelet that was labeled “I’ll take the keys. “ Olusesi revealed “I thought I could cheat the system by doing it twice, but I ended up having a fatal collision.” Bryan D. Tigner, a senior geomatics engineering major and SGA Attorney General, was in charge of organizing the event. “This week SGA is focusing on health and safety,” he stated. Tigner says he was surfing the web and typing in keywords when he came across the “Save a Life Tour.” “Since 70 percent of college students try alcohol, I thought that SALT would be a good way to make sure that A&T
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Keep up with breaking news on our Web site. Slideshows, videos and more are available online.
Students gathered their resumes and dressed business professional for the annual Spring career fair.
The new videos that have surfaced recently showing fights on HBCU campuses should embarrass us, not entertain us.
The Lady Aggies have split for a win and a loss in the past two home games in Corbett Sports Gym.
The organization made for music lovers held its 2nd annual DJ/ Producer battle in Exhibit Hall for all student.
Register Reporter
“The Save a Life Tour (SALT)” reached the campus of North Carolina A & T on Feb.28 in Exhibit Hall. It is a program presented by Kramer Edu-tainment that emphasizes the dangers and consequences of alcohol and drinking and driving. The event was entitled “Drunk Driving Kills Make a Difference with the Save a Life Tour High Impact Alcohol Awareness Program.” The “Save a Life Tour” generally visits colleges, high schools, military bases, malls, fairs, community centers etc. It included informational take-a-ways that provided students with a better insight of drunk driving.
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See misTer a&T on Page 2
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Upon entering the room, there were two big screens showing actual footage of tragic drunk driving crime scenes, 911 calls from deaths related to alcohol, and important DUI— driving under the influence— facts. On the far end of Exhibit there was an attention grabbing open casket with a sign that read “RESERVED Drunk Driving Victim.” “Most of the time when we visit these places people say ‘I don’t want to hear this,’” expressed Erik Dignan a crewmember for SALT. “But once they see the videos, which are pretty graphic, it’s a big eye opener for them,” he added. In addition, the tour includes a drunk driving stimulator, which resembles a game machine driving stimulator. The
Dashawn fleming
performed a speech. Kimball later explained that this portion of the presentation, in Missouri, would be judged on articulation, projection and presentation. Couture word was next on the program. They held a brief performance opening with spoken word and following up with spiritual dancers and a small group singing Kirk Franklin’s “Jesus You’re my Everything.” Act two, the talent portion, featured Porter in casual attire showcasing a mix of him singing Musiq Soulchild’s “Beautiful” and spoken word. This portion will be judged in St. Louis on confidence, delivery, originality, and attire. Next there was a special presentation for Porter by the class kings. A PowerPoint of special moments in Porter’s life served as the backdrop as a member
kelCie mCCrae
Managing Editor
Move over IBM, and make room for Gmail as the official email provider for A&T. Before the end of the semester, representatives from Information Technology Systems will be conducting a month long trial run of Google Apps for Education which allows schools to use Gmail as their email server. Gmail is an email service provided by Google. This program offers a free set of customizable tools that enable faculty, staff, and students to work together and learn more effectively according to the software’s website.
“We’ve gotten a lot of complaints from students about our email platform,” said Maurice Tyler, Director of Systems and Operations. “We are trying to evaluate, as some of our sister institutions have done, whether or not it makes sense to switch all of our student population over to Gmail.” Complaints ranging from speed to the amount of storage has been cited by some as the main annoyances voiced by students according to Tyler. “I never get my mail on time, and sometimes I don’t get emails from the Honor’s Program,” said Rashida Scott, sophomore business education See
gmail on Page 2
WEATHER
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Wednesday
63° Low: 33° High:
thursday: Mostly Sunny | High 51° frIday: Cloudy | High 53°