April 17 issue

See more pictures from Aggie Fest on Page 4

Softball defeats FAMU 2-1 See more on Page 7

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REGISTER volume lXXXVI No. 22

April 17, 2013

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Boston bombing investigation involves huge tips Michael Doyle and Greg Gordon MCT Campus

WASHINGTON —The bomb investigators swarming Boston are combining high-tech tools with old-fashioned shoe leather as they piece together what blew up and why.

A special federal bomb squad has mobilized, joining state and local counterparts in a search for everything from the shrapnel that slashed victims to the residue left behind after dual blasts Monday killed three and injured more than 170 near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

It’s painstaking work, combining chemistry, computer databases and sheer doggedness.

Richard DesLauriers, special agent-in-charge of the bureau’s Boston division, appealed to the public late Tuesday to produce any information about anyone seen carrying a dark heavy bag at the scene of the bombing or who threatened an attack on the Boston Marathon. He also sought information about explosions heard in remote areas where the bomber might have conducted tests.

“We are doing this methodically, carefully, yet with a sense of urgency,” he said. “Someone knows who did this. Cooperation from the community will play a crucial role in this investigation.”

Gene Marquez, acting special agent-in-charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Boston field office, said that the bombing scene would take “several days to process.”

Some clues come from what doctors pull from the victims’ bodies. Doctors on Tuesday reported that they have been extracting objects that appeared to be pellets and nails from the legs and torsos of victims, a possible sign that the two bombs that exploded Monday had been destructively packed.

“One of the sickest things for me was just to see nails sticking out of a little girl’s body,” Dr. David Mooney, director of the trauma center at Boston Children’s Hospital, told reporters at a morning briefing.

A former senior U.S. government official who was briefed on the investigation but declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the information, confirmed for McClatchy Newspapers that the bomb was put into a pressure cooker, a tactic that counterterrorism agencies have found in the past in jihadist plans and “recipes.”

No one has claimed credit for the bombings.

Following an Oval Office meeting Tuesday with President Barack Obama and his top national security advisers, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said there was no evidence that the bombings were part of a broader scheme.

Among the lines of inquiry are that the attack was the work of domestic terrorists or a lone wolf, said a person familiar with the investigation, who also asked for anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information.

The Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin around 2005 warning of the

Highlights from Obama’s speech n Mobilize and deployment of all appropriate law enforcement resources to protect our citizens, and to investigate and to respond to this attack

Photo by stuart cahill • mct campus

Emergency personnel assist the victims at the scene of a bomb blast during the Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts, Monday, April 15, 2013.

risks of pressure cookers in explosive devices after recovering jihadist literature describing the tactic.

The Boston Globe reported midafternoon Tuesday that investigators had found a circuit board believed to have been used in the detonation of the bombs. Citing an individual briefed on the investigation, The Associated Press further reported Tuesday afternoon that investigators believe the two bombs were hidden inside black duffel bags.

“We have only two devices that we are aware of and both

were the devices involved in the damage and explosive incidents,” Marquez said, responding to reports Monday that additional devices had been found.

An often politically embattled part of the Justice Department and periodically targeted for elimination by conservatives, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, still known as the ATF, is playing a crucial but subordinate role in the investigation.

The FBI, an occasional bureaucratic rival that’s also part of the Justice Department, is the lead agency.

Johnson wins Fulbright Scholarship

DesLauriers said Tuesday that the bureau and the multiagency Joint Terrorism Task Force with which it’s working have received “voluminous tips” since the explosion.

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis III said that the blast area is “the most complex crime scene in the history of our department.”

About 30 ATF investigators are on the scene, including members of what’s called the National Response Team, called up to aid the Boston Police Department’s bomb squad.

 This was a heinous and cowardly act. And given what we now know about what took place, the FBI is investigating it as an act of terrorism.  The men and women who are still treating the wounded at some of the best hospitals in the world, and the medical students who hurried to help, saying “When we heard, we all came in.”

Aggie Fest does not exceed past years’ lineup

Emmanuel Johnson is no stranger to being the first. As a first-generation college student from New Brunswick, N.J., he is also the first N.C. A&T undergrad to receive the Fulbright Scholarship since the program’s creation in 1941.

While struggling to find a parking spot near McNair Hall, Johnson fumbled around to check his vibrating phone. Flustered with the “Parking Wars” of A&T, he was in disbelief as he read the email confirming his acceptance into the program.

“I was in complete disbelief,” he said. “It hasn’t hit me that I’m the first one. It’s a great feeling to know that I’ve done something that hasn’t been done before.”

The Fulbright Program is a highly competitive, merit-based grant that fosters an international educational exchange for students in education, culture and science. Through this program, Johnson will travel to the Unit-

ed Kingdom for a year to pursue more minorities need to apply a master’s degree in robotics at for. the University of Birmingham.

“It is going to be important Through this exchange, for Emmanuel to be out and be Johnson will conduct research visible as a Fulbright recipient,” and gain a global she said. “There are perspective on ronot many minorities botics. Although he and it will be good for says he is already him to encourage othpreparing for what ers like him to have he believes to be this opportunity.” a rigorous course Faulkner who sits load, he is ready to on the university Fulexplore all that the bright committee is United Kingdom no stranger to what has to offer. it takes to receive “I want to travel this highly renowned as much as I can award. As a recipiand come back ent herself, Faulkner with an English EMMANUEL traveled as a facaccent,” Johnson ulty member to the jokes. “However, I Middle East in 2010 believe the Fulbright is not just to conduct research and gain a a scholarship, it is a whole net- global perspective. work. Fostering this understand“It was an excellent experiing between different countries ence,” she said. “Every student through education will be im- should have some type of study portant, as we are becoming a abroad opportunity.” global society.”

For almost a year, Faulkner Johnson was one of 10 worked with Johnson on preparA&T students to apply for this ing his application. After nuprogram. According to Debra merous email exchanges, phone Faulkner, it is a program that conversations and one-on-one

time, Faulkner says she got the opportunity to really get to know Johnson and see his willpower.

“I hope he will take away not only the knowledge, but also the culture,” she said.

As a computer science major, Johnson wants to not only achieve a master’s degree in robotics but also continue to receive his PhD. Prior to a conversation with a professor, Johnson never dreamed of pursuing a PhD. “You’re smart and you’ll be doing yourself an injustice if you stop your education at the master’s level,” he recalls his professor saying to him. “You should go for your PhD.” From that conversation, he made the decision to continue his education. He says his dream is to become a professor and one-day return to A&T and teach robotics and conduct research.

“I want to help students like me and show them that A&T

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Two dozen face fraud charges

Will the Miami Heat repeat?

Athlete Spotlight: Desmond Lawrence

Authenticity at Los Cabos

Keep up with breaking news on our Web site. Slideshows, videos and more are available online.

A widespread financial aid scam unfolds and the suspects have been revealed at Contra Costa College in California.

Amongst the many teams in the NBA, the Miami Heat is the fan favorite to win another NBA championship this postseason.

ECU transfer and Aggie running back takes his talents to the track and excels.

There is a new Mexican grill in town. Checkout our review of the new restaurant on their genuine menu items.

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JOHNSON

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u See JOHNSON on Page 2

shelby christie Contributor

Most Aggies look forward to three main events, Homecoming, Aggie Fest and graduation.

To some students, this year’s Aggie Fest had a lackluster calendar of events. Missing from this year’s festivities was the Aggie Fest concert.

The Aggie Fest celebration has been the same for the past three years. It has included a Residence Hall step show, a block party and a concert.

Not only was there no Aggie Fest Concert, but the 90’s gym jam was cancelled because of a campus lockdown earlier in the day.

Many students were disappointed because a survey was handed out in the beginning of the year asking who they would like to see perform during Aggie Fest.

“For there not to be a concert is mind-blowing,” said Shawn Jackson, a senior public relations major from Charlotte.

Trouble with booking performers caused issues when planning the concert.

“There were some conflicts with scheduling the performer that was most popular with the campus,” said SGA Secretary Patrick Malichi. “The decision was made to let the Triad Music Festival take the place of the normal Aggie Fest concert.”

SUAB President Bryan Keller provided information on how many performers the school was planning to have. “We were looking at about two main artists and a couple smaller acts to be in the show,” Keller said.

In past year’s, the Aggie Fest concert took place on Saturday.

Instead, the only event that took place on Saturday was the Buscuitville 7 Campus Scramble at 8 a.m. Students were left with no Aggie Fest festivities for the remainder of the weekend.

Keller went on to explain the process for setting up the concert and how ultimately plans fell through. u See CONCERT on Page 2

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, April 17, 2013

University lockdown investigation completed

inFOCUS

erik veal

Editor-in-Chief

Friday morning, N.C A&T was put on a lockdown after a witness saw an individual of what they thought was an rifle.

After a campus-wide lockdown and search, Guilford County Schools around the area shutting down the result of the matter was the witness mistaken a man carrying an umbrella for a man carrying an gun into the university’s Gen-

eral Classroom Building.

After carefully reviewing video footage from the building, they caught image of the a person walking into the building with an umbrella with a strap attached to it hanging off his shoulder.

The investigation is closed.

For more information and coverage from the university lockdown, visit our webiste, www.ncatregister.com.

–Email theatregister@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @TheATRegister

A woman’s perspective of the 1960’s Woolworth’s Sit-In Photo by alicia funderburk • The a&t register

Students from other schools joined for the Biscuitville 7 Campus Scramble that took place Saturday.

johnson From page 1 has the same talent,” he said.

“I think that once we have the right people in place to help develop students’ talent, our university will go far.”

Johnson aims to give other students what was given to him. During his matriculation at A&T, Johnson says he would not have achieved the many accolades he has if he did not have a support system.

“I had lot of people in my corner pulling for me,” he said.

“With a lot of these opportunities they saw it in me when I didn’t see it in myself.”

His support system is one of the reasons Johnson decided to come to A&T. Prior to a spring break trip in high school to A&T, Johnson was set on attending a school back in his home state of New Jersey. However, once he toured the campus and was able to interact with administrators and students, he was immediately sold on coming to A&T. “At other schools [predominately white institutions] I was

concert From page 1 “The first step in planning the concert was finding out who students wanted to perform. After that, we find out what surrounding schools would like to perform at their spring concert, and then it’s our job to find a happy medium.”

“After finding an artist that would appease students at A&T, Guilford College and UNCG [SUAB] had to set a date. We experienced difficulty pinning down dates because our Aggie Fest dates didn’t match up with the artist’s availability,” said Keller.

Buggs in the Office of Student Activities & Campus Involvement explained that the Office of Student Activities orchestrated the negotiations be-

Brianna mcfadgen

just another applicant that came to visit,” he said. “I was looking for a family environment that will help develop me as a scholar and leader.”

This accolade does not come as a surprise to some of his mentors at A&T. According to Anna Whiteside of the Honor’s Program, Johnson has always been a hard worker.

“He never gave up,” she said. “He always wanted to do his best and asked how he could become a better and stronger applicant.”

Johnson applied and was nominated for several highly acclaimed scholarships and programs such as the Rhodes Scholarship. Although he did not get them, Whiteside says he kept coming back in her office and put his best foot forward.

Johnson is no stranger to hard work. With his GPA never falling below a 3.5, he will be graduating in May with more honors cords than the average student. He says his push to become great stems from having no other option.

Coming to A&T with no money, Johnson said he had to

find a way to stay in school because his mother could not afford to pay for tuition. From that he says he had to work to the best of his abilities.

“I have big dreams,” he said. “It’s not being as extraordinarily smart, brilliant or a genius, it’s about being average and willing to work more than anyone else. I’m the average student that worked hard and wasn’t afraid to try.”

Johnson said he hopes to become an ambassador for A&T through the Fulbright program. By doing his best and invoking his work ethic in the United Kingdom, he says that is the best way to embody Aggie Pride.

“I’m glad that won the Fulbright, but this is an accumulation of what I’ve done all four years,” he said. “It was not letting anyone steer me from my goal of graduating with no debt and at the top of my class.”

tween the artist.

In the end, the office came to the conclusion of canceling the concert. “Kendrick Lamar was not available the week of Aggie Fest. We were able to land a concert date but not until later in the semester, which didn’t work for us because Aggie Fest needs to be one week,” she said.

“If it can’t fall within the week then the concert can’t happen.” She continued by expressing the idea that Aggie Fest should be one inclusive week was important to administration and that if they would had let Aggie Fest drag out a couple of weeks just to accommodate the concert, next year students may expect two or three concerts.

“The other concern with planning the concert was a budgetary one,” she said.

“The reality is that we share

the costs with two or three other universities,” said Buggs.

“When we could not get the dates to work for all the schools involved, the best we could do was to get a block of tickets to support Kendrick Lamar’s concert and give them out during the week of Aggie Fest.”

Buggs feels that the trend is kind of to move away from the concert and do more with Aggie Fest, like activities.

“Overall, Aggie Fest this year was good but it could’ve been a lot better,” said Jackson.

“The Aggie Fest experience that I’ve been accustomed to since my freshman year was definitely not displayed this spring.”

–Email theatregister@gmail. com and follow The A&T Register @ TheATRegister

–Email theatregister@gmail. com and follow The A&T Register @ TheATRegister

Contributor

A crowd of around seventyfive people listened intently on April 12 as Marilyn Lott an alumna of the Women’s College of the University of North Carolina (now UNCG) and participant in the Greensboro sit-ins recounted her story of what it was like to stand up for Civil Rights on Feb. 4, 1960.

The event, sponsored by UNCG and hosted by Dr. Omar Ali of the UNCG African American Studies Department, was titled “Marilyn Lott and the Woolworth Sit-In: A Women’s College Perspective.”

The event was originally to be held at the National Civil Rights Museum, but was relocated for safety reasons to the Curry Building on UNCG’s campus.

The historical Woolworth sit-ins sparked similar non-violent protests that spread across the nation.

On Feb. 1, 1960 Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair Jr. and David Richmond sat at the Whites only Woolworths lunch counter asking for coffee.

They were heckled, threatened and ignored by staff but remained non-violent.

They were refused service and came back day-after-day with more and more students.

By that time they had organized shifts of people willing to sit at the lunch counter.

On Feb. 4, three White supporters from the Women’s College of the University of North Carolina joined them.

Genie Seaman, Anne Dearsley and Marilyn Lott entered Woolworths around lunchtime and sat beside A&T students during the sit-in.

Because of the publicity and media attention the Sit-ins received, Whites tried their best to counter act the sit-ins by sitting in the chairs and keeping the seats “White.”

“Because we all know that

black rubs off right?” Lott joked.

She recalled how people could show such “incredible stupidity in the face of fact.”

She went on to say that no one touched each other while they were seated at the counter, but Whites made obscene comments at sit-in participants.

“On the first day I went, I was given a seat immediately she said. It was easy because I was White. When the waitress came to ask me what I wanted to order, I said that the A&T students and others around me should be served because they were there first. The waitress couldn’t handle it and walked off.”

Mrs. Lott gave a very candid and animated account of her experiences during the Sit-In movement citing the dedication and commitment of the students who choose to be involved.

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was in charge of organizing shifts so that someone was always at the lunch counter.

“We were still students. If we missed class or failed out, it would give the University cause to kick us out.”

“In the 1960s, the college gave everyone a class jacket.

My fellow classmates and I would sometimes be wearing ours while we sat at the lunch counter protesting. That apparently made a statement that we represented the college and its ideals. I was not afraid because I know what I was doing was right.”

Both her family and friends were open-minded about her decision. The lunch counters were integrated by the end of July.

When asked if she regretted being a part of the Sit-ins she said, “Not at all. When you do something that right you can’t regret it.”

She encouraged the crowd to talk to family members about their experience during the Civil Rights movement and before then. “History that isn’t written down disappears.”

–Email theatregister@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @TheATRegister

ESPN’s Bomani Jones talks sports, economics, and history with A&T students jamilah shepard Contributor

ESPN analyst Bomani Jones from “Around the Horn” did not come in so much of a sports related capacity, but rather by an invite he received from the Aggie Economics Association Program.

He received his bachelor’s degree at Clark Atlanta University and attended graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill. He is a proud economics major. Throughout his speech, he debunked the theory that economics is just about money and mortgages, “Economics is about a thought process and [that thought pro-

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cess] is the framework for everything that I’ve done,” said Jones. Jones also stressed the importance of having an adaptable outlook on life.

Jones has undoubtedly seen a great amount of success in his career and credits his success to his ability to ask questions, think, and be “nimble” minded, traits that he attributes with majoring in Economics. Regarding his career, Jones said, “I don’t have a job.” In fact, Jones noted that he has not stayed in the same position for more than two years, but instead went with the flow. He also spoke on his “celebrity” status, or lack there of, stating that though being on

television is enjoyable for him, he does not view himself as a celebrity.

Jones, like many people who are working today, believes the Internet played an important role in his sports writing career.

“The Internet inspired a new level of sports fan,” said Jones.

“People care about the human element of sports -- people want a story.” Jones went on to say that the Internet has opened up a new way of looking at sports.

Instead of merely watching games, sports fans can now look at the financial aspect, salaries, and even the urban economic view of sports.

Members of the audience

editor in chief: Erik Veal Managing editor: Karmen Robinson copy DESK CHIEF: Justine Riddick opinions editor: Kalyn Hoyle sports editor: Symone Kidd scene editor: Necole Jackson NCATregister.com editor: Kayla McLaughlin ASSISTANT ONLINE editor: Courtney Matthews SENIOR REPORTERS: Kelcie McCrae, Jenell McMillon photo editor: Chris Martin

may have picked up on his sensitivity to the black community.

Jones tied in W.E.B Du Bois in his tidbit about being able to think saying, “The Negro is taught to do, but is not taught to think.”

He pointed out how Du Bois’s stance differed from Booker T. Washington’s. All of this paired with the fact that he has an undergraduate degree from an HBCU gives you a sense that he cares very much for young black people who are about to enter the work force.

Or at least knows of the hardships they may face.

Jones, having a mind affected by an economist way of

events

2

thinking, also addressed the importance of a college education.

Jones noted that in former times, having a college degree was certainly a status marker, but it had no affect on your ability to go into the work force.

He urged the audience to learn how to think and to take classes in the social sciences for the exercise of their minds. Of the generation that comes after us, Jones said, “The next generation may have to seriously consider whether a college education is worth it.”

–Email theatregister@gmail.com and follow The A&T Register @TheATRegister

staff photographers: Alicia Funderburk, Jasmine Palmer GRAPHICs EDITOR: Taylor Wilson reporters:Chanel Tucker, Liliane Long COPY EDITOR: Kashian Scrivens business OFFICE Manager: Carlton Brown business SALES Manager: April Burrage business Assistant: Ashley Jacobs CONTENT EDITOR: Anjan Basu faculty adviser: Emily Harris

Wednesday

17

Dean Craig’s Retirement Event Barnes/Merrick Quad 12 p.m.

Provost Search Forum Proctor Hall 160 (Auditorium) 2 p.m.

Meet and Greet Spring ‘13 Craig 112 6 p.m.

NSBE Scavenger Hunt McNair Room 240 (Auditorium) 6 p.m.

thursday

18

International Paper Breakfast Memorial Student Union Room 101 8 a.m.

Earth Day Symposium Barnes Auditorium 5 p.m.

friday

19

WNAA Twitter Drive

Memorial Student Union 12 p.m.

Dr. Ethel F. Taylor Colloquiim General Classroom Building Room 218 (Auditorium) 3 p.m.

Dennis Hayle Scholarship Ball Memorial Student Union 7 p.m.

Couture Awards

Harrison Auditorium 7 p.m.

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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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3

Investigators uncover fraud ring at Calif. college DAVID DEBOLT

MCT Campus

SAN PABLO, Calif. — Nearly two dozen people face charges related to a widespread financial aid scam in which they received money to attend Contra Costa College but never went to class, a prosecutor said Thursday.

About 20 of those phony students _ some charged in the scam, some not _ received As, Bs or Cs in drama classes in which they apparently never set foot, triggering an internal investigation at the college district centering on the drama department.

Longtime drama department chairman Clay David, who was later placed on leave, filed a claim against the college alleging he was punished for speaking out against homophobia on campus. He no longer works

at the college, and district officials would not say Thursday what led to him being placed on leave.

The scheme, known as a “Pell runner” scam, has plagued colleges across the country, with the abuse of financial aid money costing taxpayers untold millions. But it is believed to be the first of its kind in Contra Costa County.

“I’m sure there are other people who are doing this that are getting away with it,” said Contra Costa prosecutor Dodie Katague, who is handling this case. “The scam is easy to commit: you just have to lie on your application that you are broke, get a check and after you get a check you withdraw from the classes. It’s very hard to catch because the record-keeping is lax.”

The elaborate fraud ring at the San Pablo community

college campus, according to prosecutors, was hatched by a Richmond couple in 2011. Authorities say ringleader Yvette Hummel, 45, and her boyfriend David Murphy, 54, ran the scheme like a business, using fliers and contracts to recruit people for their scam. Hummel would obtain personal information from the recruits and use it to enroll them in college classes and apply for financial aid, court records show.

In exchange, Hummel asked for a 25 percent slice, roughly $675 of the $2,775 a student on financial aid receives per semester, and offered a $50 referral fee, records show. None of the alleged scam artists is younger than 30, and many are in their 50s, 60s and 70s.

The fraud was uncovered after one student came forward, Katague said. Investigators, including the FBI and the Depart-

Supreme court ruling on marriage act will affect gay immigrants FRANCO ORDONEZ MCT Campus

WASHINGTON— The Supreme Court may have an unexpectedly decisive role in helping to determine whether 11 million people who are in the U.S. illegally are allowed to remain without fear of deportation.

The nine justices, who are debating the merits of a law whose provisions include preventing U.S. citizens from

sponsoring same-sex spouses for green cards, could eliminate or add to a lingering controversy that some immigration proponents fear might kill efforts to overhaul the nation’s immigration system.

If the court rejects a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies same-sex married couples federal benefits, the matter is moot. Gay and lesbian couples then should receive the same immigration benefits as opposite-sex couples.

But if the court upholds the act, there’ll be more pressure from advocacy groups on President Barack Obama and members of Congress to add same-sex benefits to the pending immigration proposal.

However, many conservative supporters of overhauling immigration _ including conservative Roman Catholics and evangelicals _ have warned that they might pull their support if same-sex marriage is in the package.

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ment of Education, realized all 22 people involved were sharing the same two addresses belonging to Hummel.

Criminal charges were filed in November, but the case remains active, with authorities searching for eight suspects.

Four suspects, including Hummel and Murphy, have taken plea deals that include jail time and probation; Hummel must pay $83,740 in restitution to the college. The 10 remaining suspects have court dates this month.

The fraud was limited to the college district’s San Pablo campus, officials said, and did not occur at either Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill or Los Medanos College in Pittsburg.

The scam isn’t the first for the college district, however. In 2007, dozens of students in the college district, most of them at DVC, were charged with felo-

nies involving a cash-for-grades scheme. Most pleaded no contest to reduced charges, and some were expelled from school or had degrees rescinded.

In the “Pell runner” scam, students apply for the aid with a federal agency, which sends reports to the college detailing who is eligible for the money.

District spokesman Tim Leong said all the students on paper appeared to be eligible for financial aid, and so were sent checks.

The investigation found that drama instructors did nothing criminal, Katague said, but raised questions about grading in the department, which resulted in the district-led investigation.

Said prosecutor Katague, “They were good at drama and lousy at bookkeeping.”

During the investigation, the college district placed David on

Sequester will force universities to scale back scientific research JIM MALEWITZ

MCT Campus

WASHINGTON — Marian Alicea, an engineering student who is slated to graduate from college this spring, needs a doctorate degree to achieve her lofty career goal of becoming a White House environmental adviser with scientific expertise.

But the budget battle in Washington is complicating her plans for getting there.

In normal times Alicea, who attends Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, Ga., would likely be a shoo-in for a full research stipend. She is an honors student who has snagged several prestigious internships. And as a Latina she belongs to a minority group that is underrepresented among engineers.

But because of the sequester _ the automatic federal budget cuts that went into effect March 1 _ some of the schools that want Alicea can’t offer her the financial aid she needs.

Federal agencies pour billions each year into university

research, largely through grants that allow student researchers to pay their bills as they work.

With less federal money to spend, some Ph.D. programs are delaying admissions decisions, while others have already cut positions amid the uncertainty.

In 2011, federal money accounted for more than $40 billion of the $65 billion universities spent on research. At several large research universities, including Johns Hopkins, the University of Washington, the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard, federal dollars comprised 80 percent of research spending.

Like most other federal agencies, the National Institutes of Health must cut 5 percent of its budget to comply with sequestration. Because NIH funnels about 85 percent of its budget to researchers, it is already scaling back some grants, according to director Francis Collins.

Meanwhile, the National Science Foundation, facing similar cuts, estimates it will give out about 1,000 fewer research grants and awards this

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administrative leave based on accusations of misconduct and unprofessional behavior, but did not elaborate on the allegations.

The district and David signed a settlement agreement in February in which David resigned but remains eligible to keep his retirement benefits.

David, a tenured professor who has taught and directed theater on campus for 19 years, declined to comment, citing a clause in the settlement agreement.

David, who is openly gay, said in his October 2012 claim against the district that the campus has a history of homophobia.

The claim seeks an amount in excess of $25,000 from the district, saying he was subject to harassment, including gay slurs and threats by students in class, and that his pleas for help were ignored by administrators.

year, affecting as many as 3,000 researchers.

Researchers and university officials worry the lost funding will slow or halt research on everything from cancer treatments to contaminated soil and water.

They also fear it will dissuade young scholars from pursuing scientific careers.

“It will be profoundly devastating for this generation of students,” said Michael Reid, head of the physiology department at the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine.

Alicea was accepted into four of the dozen programs she applied to, but only two _ Virginia Tech and Auburn _ offered her financial help. The other universities, Maryland and Illinois, said they could not guarantee her money because the sequester had muddled their budgets.

Enrollment in graduate schools was already lagging amid growing concerns about student debt.

Between 2010 and 2011, first-time U.S. enrollment across programs fell by 1.7 percent, following a decade of gains, according to a survey by the Council of Graduate Schools.

“This financial stress on institutions comes at a really tough time,” said Debra Stewart, the council’s president. “It has a chilling effect on what was already a chilly situation.”

For all university students, sequestration will mean higher fees on Stafford Loans and reduced payments from some grants, including federal work study.

Some educators worry that the prospect of amassing higher debt will scare students away, particularly as institutions hike tuition amid eroding state funding.

But the economic forecaster Moody’s expects universities as a whole to face only “minimal” immediate effects from sequestration as they turn to other revenues.

For graduate students in the sciences, the impact will be more dramatic.

A lack of federal money prompted the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine to admit about a third fewer students to its Ph.D. program in physiology, according to department head Reid.

“There were a number of qualified candidates we had to turn away,” he said.

Reid, who oversees a lab studying how chronic disease, such as cancer, speeds up muscle deterioration, said one of his lead doctoral students will lose his grant if sequestration continues, threatening to halt his education and dramatically slowing down the line of work.

AggieFEST 4

The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, April 17, 2013

N.C. A&T hosted the annual Aggie Fest last week. The week was filled with events including from the Residence Hall Association Dorm Stepshow, Aggies N Poets, the SUAB Block Party, RHA “The Blackout,” the Greek Stroll Off and the Biscuitville 7 Campus Scramble. Below are photos of all the events that occurred. For more photos and coverage of the events, you can visit our website, www.ncatregister.com.

The photos were taken by, Alicia Funderburk, Christopher Martin, Devyn Edwards and Jordynn Carlisle.

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theWORD Miami Heat will repeat as 2013 NBA champions 6

The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, April 17, 2013

game in the month of April.

Team chemistry amongst the Knicks is one of their biggest strengths. Sixth man J.R. Smith has played a major role in the success of the Knickerbockers this year. New York has also displayed versatility and balance by flawlessly adapting as players have been sidelined with injury this season, specifically to defensive anchor Tyson Chandler and offensive big man Amare Stoudmire. New York has mastered the art of the three point shot this season, breaking the single season record for 3-pointers. Overall, it will not be enough to defeat the Heat this year.

Out of the West, expect to see the Oklahoma City Thunder meet the Heat in the NBA finals for the second straight year. OKC has received a lot of criticism for an early season trade that sent the lethal scoring machine James Harden to the Houston Rockets for guard Kevin Martin.

Although the Thunder lost key pieces in the trade, Martin’s scoring as well as the efforts of fourth year big man Serge Ibaka has filled the void. This season, Ibaka matched his highly regarded defensive intensity with a more refined offensive arsenal.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have once again been nothing short of spectacular as both players are in the top ten in scoring this year.

Basketball fans everywhere, the team has dominated and in it is almost that time. The pain- some instances played statistiful memories of March Mad- cally better when only one or ness are beginning to fade as two of the three kings (Wade, the 2013 NBA Playoffs are set Bosh, James) are off of the court. begin on Sunday, April 21.

The Heat is on. It will unFollowing an action packed season that involved a flurry doubtedly be a daunting task of winning streaks, unlikely to match up with the Miami Heat in the playoffs injuries, and dominant this year. Honestly, performances, the 2013 it seems that Miami postseason has arrived has been playing with and I see no reason to playoff intensity the expect anything differentire season. ent than the championNot to mention that ship run we witnessed nine year NBA veteran last year by the defendLeBron James will win ing champion Miami his fourth Most ValuHeat.

The Miami Heat will finish able Player award. Seriously, I mean 27 game the season with a remarkwin streaks do not able 66-16 record. Six wins short of the single-season KALYN occur often in the win record set by the 1995NBA. In fact, the 96 Chicago Bulls team, the only team in hisdefending champs have tory to win more done a lot since last year to im- games was the 1971-72 Lakers prove their roster in an attempt who won 33 straight. Therefore, to repeat as the champions of it is hard to fathom the 2012-13 Miami Heat team losing 4 out of the basketball world.

Crucial additions such as the 7 to any NBA team this year.

The only Eastern ConferNBA’s all-time 3-point shooter Ray Allen, dead-eye shooter ence franchise that could possiRashard Lewis, and energetic bly compete in a series with the big man Chris “Birdman” An- “Beatles” is the Knicks of New derson will prove worthy as York. New York, led by NBA they compete for another NBA scoring champion Carmelo Anthony must exert a great collecchampionship.

Winning basketball games tive effort on both sides of the for Miami has become so easy ball if he and the Knicks plan to that a caveman could do it. Not beat the Heat.

Lately, Anthony has domionly do the Miami Heat dictate the outcome of games when the nated NBA defenders, averagbig three are on the court, but ing just below forty points per

HOYLE

Are test scores negatively affecting teacher evaluations?

Unfortunately, I expect to see the Thunder sent home after 5 or 6 games with the Heat.

Not because they will not play up to their potential, but because many of the Heat’s bad games have still resulted in victories.

Minus Harden, I do not see the Thunder having the fuel to pressure Miami on the defensive end, while still being asked to outscore the likes of James, Wade, Bosh, and Allen on the offensive end. It is just too much to ask.

Truthfully, as a die-hard Lakers fan, it is painful to admit that the Miami Heat franchise has indeed discovered the formula to win multiple championships. It is even more painful to accept the fact that Los Angeles is not in the conversation to compete after Kobe Bryant’s season-ending injury.

But in all seriousness, South Beach is witnessing a Heat team dominate the NBA ranks with unprecedented levels of chemistry, continuity, and charisma.

Expect to see the Miami Heat do a great deal of damage in the playoffs this year.

It would come as a great surprise to see the “Heatles” fall to anyone this postseason.

mct Campus

Los Angeles Times

A recent op-ed article in the Washington Post warned against overusing students’ standardized test scores in evaluating how well teachers are doing their jobs. There would be no surprise about that if it had been penned by the leader of a teachers union. But it was written by Bill Gates, arguably the most influential voice over the last few years in pushing for the use of test scores to rate teachers.

The billionaire philanthropist’s reasoned perspective is appreciated; the problem is that schools in this country are already well down the testingand-evaluations road. Prodded heavily by reform groups, many of which receive funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, states and school districts have in some cases taken the use of students’ scores to extremes that have no grounding in research, making them count for half or more of a teacher’s rating, or hastily concocting tests to measure unmeasurable subjects and then applying the results to teachers.

The most mocked example is Ohio’s extensive new exam in physical education, which includes measuring whether students’ movements while skipping are adequately smooth.

In 2010, California was de-

-Email him at kdhoyle@aggies. ncat.edu and follow The A&T Register on Twitter @TheATRegister

nied $700 million in federal Race to the Top funds, largely because it declined to require that student test scores be linked to teacher ratings something the Obama administration had demanded in return for the money, even though there was little if any evidence that the scores had value as indicators of a teacher’s work.

The Gates Foundation has a deserved reputation for testing its education hypotheses with expansive, high-quality studies.

It rightly abandoned its previous campaign for high schools to enroll no more than 500 students after funding a study that found that smaller enrollments alone did not have a big impact on student achievement. But again, because the foundation’s billions were behind the small-school movement, districts across the nation switched to that more expensive model, which is hard for them to undo now.

The new study on teacher evaluations contains interesting findings, but much more research is needed.

When philanthropists have potentially useful ideas about education, they should by all means try them out, establish pilot programs, put their money where their mouths are. But before government officials incorporate those ideas into policy, they must study them carefully and make sure that what sounds reasonable in theory works in practice.

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 is 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.

Aggie 101: coming to a dorm near you!

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theSCORE The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Lawrence takes strides in right direction UNIQUA QUILLINS Register Reporter Junior track sprinter, running back and liberal studies major, Desmond Lawrence, is making his mark on N.C. A&T’s athletic program.

The East Carolina transfer says he likes N.C. A&T so far and is enjoying the track program. Although the program is going through some transitions, according to Lawrence, the team and the coaches are getting comfortable with one another. “We all [are] kind of in a little learning process,” said Lawrence.

Lawrence started competing in track in January and has proven to be a great help to the team. According to sophomore Christian Harrison, distance runner, Lawrence leads by example and not once has he had an attitude. “He never puts up halfefforts,” said Harrison.

Recently, Lawrence hit a turning point that proved his worth to the team. He beat red shirt senior and sprinter, Darryl Williams, in the 100-meter dash. According to Lawrence, he does not believe beating Williams is a big accomplishment. However, the team is very competitive in practices and meets. “We try and get better each meet so hopefully by the end of the season I can keep improving on my times,” said Lawrence.

Lawrence likes running and competing against other great athletes. Even if he loses, it is easy for him to shake it off because he is constantly competing with himself. “As

long as I am on track with my goals I am pretty good,” said Lawrence.

Lawrence’s ultimate goal is to run a 10.3 or lower in the 100-meter dash. “I think I can do it and he [Coach Ross] thinks I can do it, so I think it will happen hopefully pretty soon,” said Lawrence.

Lawrence enjoys being coached by Ross and believes Ross is a good track coach for the team. “I think he is going to build some good teams in the future,” said Lawrence.

Although Lawrence was not able to play much football last semester, he is excited to play this coming season. Track helps him with football because it serves as speed training. Not getting much playing time this season helped teach Lawrence the importance of work ethic.

“Working hard in practice, not complaining and just doing everything to the best of your abilities,” said Lawrence.

Lawrence started playing football around the age of seven. What encouraged him to start playing was watching his older brother play along with NFL Hall of Famer, Marshall Faulk.

“He was in the spotlight at that age so I looked up to him,” said Lawrence. He has not set any goals yet for the football team’s upcoming season, but he cannot wait to start the season to be able to create and achieve his goals.

As far as track is concerned, Lawrence started running his sophomore year of high school. In 2009, he won the North Carolina 4A state title in the 55-meter dash. He

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AGGIES RUNDOWN BASEBALL TEAM

CONF.

OVR.

13-2 8-7 6-9 3-12

23-11 13-21 10-22 6-32

12-6 9-5 10-8 7-7 3-15

22-18 21-16 22-17 13-22 3-35

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OVR.

11-1 7-1 9-2 6-6 3-8 1-10 0-9

18-18 20-21 15-21 13-20 12-23 2-25 1-27

5-0 4-2 5-4 4-5 4-5 1-7

11-29 13-27 21-15 15-18 6-24 3-31

CONF.

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

10-12 6-6 12-6 3-10 3-14 0-9

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

14-4 12-7 14-11 6-12 10-8 2-13 2-14

Northern Delaware State Norfolk State Coppin State Maryland Eastern Shore Southern Bethune-Cookman Savannah State North Carolina Central North Carolina A&T Florida A&M UPCOMING GAMES: Today at Radford 6 p.m.

Saturday at Bethune- Cookman 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Sunday at Bethune-Cookman 1 p.m.

SOFTBALL TEAM

Northern

Norfolk State Hampton Delaware State Coppin State Maryland Eastern Shore Howard Morgan State

PHOTOS COURTESY OF N.C. A & T S.U. SPORTS INFORMATION

DESMOND LAWRENCE running against UNC Charlotte and teammate Darryl Williams in the 100m dash on Friday, April 12, for the Aggie Invitational.

then moved on to take the national high school title in the 60-meter dash. He has always been fast so track came easy to him. “I did not have to start training seriously until I got to college,” said Lawrence.

In both track and football, Lawrence is not superstitious and does not have a regular routine that he follows before a track meet or football game. However, he does say a prayer before each meet and game. He also tries to stay relaxed before matches in both

sports. He believes it is best to run relaxed because if one runs stressed they are not going to run to the best of their ability, the same goes for football.

“It’s a lot more thinking involved. You have to remember assignments and plays but you also need to be ready,” said Lawrence.

Lawrence has learned that one has to have discipline and compete well in order to excel in colegiate sports. He also believes participating in

both sports has helped him develop leadership skills and learn how to work with different types of personalities.

Upon graduation, Lawrence would like to take his athletics abilities to the next level. “Whether it be football or track, [I want to] take it as far as it can go.”

—Email her at uyquilli@aggies. ncat.edu and follow The Register on Twitter @TheATRegister

Southern Bethune-Cookman Florida A&M Savannah State S.C State North Carolina A&T North Carolina Central UPCOMING GAMES: Saturday at Bethune-Cookman 1 p.m. DH Sunday at Bethune- Cookman 12 p.m.

Wednesday, April 24 at Appalachian State 3 p.m. DH Wednesday, May 1 at Elon 4 p.m. DH

TENNIS

Lady Aggies beats FAMU in series MEAGAN JORDAN Register Reporter The Lady Aggies softball team won the series this past weekend against Savannah State. The Aggies picked up their first win against the Lady Tigers, with a score of 9-3 on Saturday at 1pm.

The Lady Aggies started the first inning strong with four runs made by infielder Zebresha Blakeney, outfielder Detavia Kenan, infielder Jax Kaye Woodard, and short stop Alejandra Barcenas. In innings two and three, the Aggies did not bring in any runs, but that changed in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. This game was a start to a successful season for the Lady Aggies who won two out of three games against Savannah State.

In Saturday’s 3:30 game against Savannah, the Lady Aggies lost 4-6. The first inning started off with the Lady Tigers scoring a run.

The Lady Aggies did not score a run until the fifth inning. Outfielder Tiffany Macklin struck out swinging in the fifth inning and Blakeney walked. Kenan hit a triple to right center field causing an RBI for Blakeney who scored. Barcenas singled to left field, which also resulted in a RBI helping Keenan score. Woodard struck out swinging and Edmonds caught an error.

The Lady Aggies scored two more runs in the seventh inning. Blakeney singled to left field and Keenan then hit a ground ball which helped Blakeney advance to second base. Blakeney was able to advance to third base due to a bad pitch. Barcenas went up to bat but struck out swinging. The Aggies fought hard but it was not enough to overcome the Lady Tigers who scored a run in the second inning and five consecutive runs in the third, making

the final score 4-6.

In the third and final game on Sunday, the Lady Aggies came back with a win of 135. This win helped the Lady Aggies take the weekend series. The Aggies started off strong with three runs in the first inning.

The biggest plays occurred in the fourth inning.

The Lady Aggies rallied six runs. Woodard hit a home run to center field causing an RBI. Edmonds walked and advanced to second base.

Mackling pinch ran for Edmonds and stole third.

Smith hit a pop fly out to second base. Mcneil walked and advanced to second base because of a bad pitch.

Dominguez hit a single to center field making two RBI’s possible for Mcneil and Macklin who both scored.

Blakeney walked as Dominguez advanced to second base. Keenan hit a single to center field allowing Blakeney to advance to second base and Dominguez to third. A pitch that resulted in a RBI hit Barcenas.

Keenan advanced to second base, Blakeney advanced to third and Dominguez scored.

Woodard then singled to center field helping Barcenas advance to second base, and Keenan to third as Blakeney scored.

Edmonds would then hit a single to center field, as Woodard advance to second and Barcenas to third as Keenan scored. In the fifth inning, the Lady Aggies had one more run made by Smith making the score 13-5 and securing the Lady Aggies weekend series against Savannah State.

—Email her at msjordan@ aggies.ncat.edu and follow The Register on Twitter @TheATRegister

TEAM

Northern

Morgan State Howard Delaware State Hampton Coppin State Maryland Eastern Shore Southern S.C State North Carolina Central Bethune-Cookman Florida A&M Norfolk State North Carolina A&T Savannah State UPCOMING GAMES: Thursday MEAC Tournament TBA

AROUND SPORTS Student struck in head by shot put ILLINOIS — A wild pitch isn’t all that unusual in baseball, but it’s a rarity in shot putting.

A Richmond, Ill., high school student who was seriously injured when he was hit in the head by a shot putter’s errant toss is seeking something more than an apology from the off-target athlete.

The student has gone to court to learn the girl’s name because he may sue, according to a document filed recently in McHenry County Circuit Court.

The accident happened April 24 at Richmond-Burton Community High School, where Mathew Glavin was measuring the length of shot tosses at a track and field event.An unidentified girl from the opposing school, Huntley High School, entered the shot put area to practice.

Glavin was standing out of bounds when the athlete threw the metal ball, according to the document. Struck above his left ear, the teen collapsed.

Rick Gallas, chief of the Richmond Township Fire Protection District, said Glavin was taken to a hospital with a serious head injury.

The court document doesn’t describe the injury to the teen, who remains a student at the school, or whether he continues to suffer any ill effects.

Attorneys for Glavin are asking ajudge to order RichmondBurton Community High School District 157 to release a report on the incident.

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, April 17, 2013

#TRENDING CAMPUS TOPICS

Los Cabos: Authentic Flavors and Zesty Vibes MONIQUE BROWN Contributer

Los Cabos is a family owned Mexican Grill located at 948 Walker Ave. The restaurant is situated directly in front of the Walker Ave. and Tate St. intersection.

There is a spiral stairwell entrance for people who walk to the restaurant and ample parking space for drivers.

The scenery is extremely calming and serene.

The restaurant is decorated with rich colors such as beiges and burgundy’s and is dimly lit; there is also a lot of natural light pouring in through the windows and patio area.

The restaurant is decorated with sombreros and Mexican pictures, which gives it a very authentic feel.

Alex Rodriguez, the manager, is very pleasant and informative in answering all questions.

Alex informed me of the steady traffic flow the restaurant received from UNCG students.

“We get a lot of reservations from students for the patio area. It’s a very popular space and it seats about 60 people,” she said.

The restaurant is divided into 3 sections: a casual eating section, a private section, and the patio section.

I chose to dine in the patio section.

The patio is painted a relaxing ocean blue with electric

Here are some of the tweets from fellow Aggies during the lock down: @Schmoopie twitter is the new Aggie Alert lmaoo yall funny @J_Surg It’s all fun and games until somebody gets shot @_EnJoyMeee How you feel #NCAT crying thinking we dying & it was an umbrella! *plays Rihanna umbrella* @Ginger_Marley I think that gunman was a figment of somebody’s imagination @TheReal_Sonny Cafe bout to look like the million man march! #NCAT

PHOTO BY MONIQUE BROWN • THE A&T REGISTER

LOS CABOS RESTAURANT Spanish rice topped with grilled chicken and drizzled in queso blanco sauce.

blue floors.

There are about three flat screen televisions as well as a jukebox and glass doors, which is opened during warm, summer nights.

The restaurant has weekly specials that run until 3 pm each day.

They also have student night every Tuesday, which includes $1 tacos. Students receive 10% off when they present college I.D. on regular days.

The servers are extremely friendly and made sure I enjoyed my meal and that my every need was accommodated.

To begin, I was served chips, salsa, and queso blanco and about three minutes later, the entrée arrived.

The chips were crunchy and the salsa had a great flavor with a fresh, zesty kick.

The main course was Spanish rice drizzled in queso blanco, covered with grilled chicken pieces, and served with warm flour tortillas.

The word “awesome” would be an understatement in describing the meal.

The rice was fresh, not rubbery as I have tasted in some restaurants.

The warm white cheese was evenly distributed and did not drench the rice.

The chicken was seasoned well and grilled to perfection.

It was sizzling hot and obviously fresh off the grill.

I was eager to get other opinions so I spoke with a few patrons who were dining around me.

A group of female professors praised, “the food is awesome!

“We work right at UNCG so we walk over here practically every other day and we really enjoy it.”

Courtney Maxwell, a postal worker who was there on her lunch break stated, “The food is great every time I come.

I love the friendly service.

This is definitely the best Mexican restaurant I’ve ever been to.”

While visiting, I meet the owner Rudy.

He was nice, friendly, and invited me to take pictures of the kitchen, which was surprisingly clean.

Overall this was a great place to eat.

The service was awesome, the location was clean and convenient, and the food was extravagant.

I would definitely recommend it!

Email us at theatregister@gmail. com. Follow us on Twitter @TheATRegister

April 17th to 27th The A&T Register’s guide to what’s happening in arts and entertainment.

ON SCREEN OBLIVION America’s favorite cinema hero, Tom Cruise, embarks on a sci-fi journey in “Oblivion.” Cruise plays Jack Harper, a drone repairman whose only task is to stand guard over Earth ruins. The planet that audiences once knew is now ravished from an epic war between humans and a species known as the Scavs.

The plot takes off when Harper makes a discovery that will alter everything he once knew about humankind. “Oblivion” premiers in theaters Friday, April 19.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Dearly Departed takes comedy to the next level KOURTNEY POPE

Register Reporter

Laughing, music, and a good time is what was to be expected when the North Carolina A&T Theatre Department presented their play, “Dearly Departed.”

It is safe to say that the actors, directors, and producers did not disappoint. “Dearly Departed,” by David Bottrell and Jessie Jones, is the hilarious stage version of the popular film “Kingdom Come.”

Bold characters, contemporary music, and hilarious oneliners brought this script to life.

The plot surrounds the death of Bud Turpin, husband of Raynelle Turpin played by Shelby Womack.

The entire Turpin family must now come together to plan a funeral and heal.

In spite of the grief, drama is not too far behind for some members of the family. Subjects such as family feuds and martial woes make the play relatable to the masses.

The comedy helped keep these tough issues light.

Church influences and contemporary music gave this comedy a modern twist setting it apart from any chitlin circuit play.

The audience is able to quickly identify with characters from the play.

Malcom Evans who plays Royce described his character as an under employed slacker with unexpected depth.

Each character finds meaning in the recent death and walks away changed.

Lonell Butler’s character shines as the outspoken, bold and boisterous Aunt Margaret.

20

QUESTIONS

A&T’s theatre department provides a huge twist with two unexpected characters in drag.

When the cast was asked what made “Dearly Departed” different from any production they had done before, the answers varied.

“This is the first time that all class levels have been in a production together,” Shelby pointed out.

Lonell also pointed out that the material is relatable to everyone and the production is, “full of flavor.”

Music from the Black Eye Peas and Lauryn Hill keeps the production current.

The passion of the cast is evident in this play and shows in the work produced.

A lot of people only see the end production of a play, but forget the dedication and drive it takes to make a show great.

“Theatre is who I am. It is my passion,” Shelby explained.

Lonell originally wanted to be a lawyer but in the end he had to follow his heart.

Key advice from both Butler and Womack was to stay true to your roots.

“If I wanted money I would have been a lawyer, but I love the stage,” Lonell points out.

Overall, “Dearly Departed” is a must see.

Not only is the comedy great but also the timing is perfection. . Comedy is nothing without good timing.

The audience leaves with a good laugh, but they also receive a message as well.

Regardless of the color of the cast, the message of family is always universal. “Dearly Departed” is showing at the Paul Robeson Theatre.

Ray J’s latest controversary ‘I Hit It First:’ Good music or lame publicity?

STEPHANIE BANACI Contributor

Last week Ray J launched his new single “I Hit It First.”

The song blatantly references his former girlfriend and sex tape co-star Kim Kardashian and her baby’s daddy Kanye West but, he claims that it is simply paying homage to his fast lifestyle.

The song begins with, “She might move on to rappers and ballplayers, but we all know I hit it first.”

Considering the fact that Kim is dating a rapper and has held past relationships with two “ballplayers,” Chris Humphries (NBA) and Reggie Bush (NFL), who else could these lyrics be about?

To reassure everyone, the singer said in an interview with The Boombox that the song is about himself and how “turnt up” he is, which would be believable if the lyrics did not say otherwise.

The first verse begins “I had her head going north and her going south / But now baby chose to go West.”

A clear shot at Kim and Kanye by referencing the sex

tape as well as Kim’s decision to date Kanye.

Though the song is tasteless, the chorus is simple and catchy. “I hit it, I hit it, I hit it, I hit it, I hit it, I hit it first,” Ray J boasts.

Ray J also chose a pixilated picture of Kim Kardashian as the single’s cover, somewhat mimicking the cover style of Kanye’s album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.”

In addition, at the end of the song, he offers to “make another movie.”

This is clearly an attempt to capitalize off of the rising publicity of Kim K and the sixyear-old home movie.

With all these efforts to make it known that Yeezy is diving into his sloppy seconds, an important question remains.

Did Ray J really hit it first?

Well, of course not. Prior to him, Kim was married to producer Damon Thomas at age 20.

Thus far, no responses about the song have been made from Kim Kardashian or Kanye, but inside sources doubt any chance of retaliations or a diss record.

All in all, Ray J feels no one should be upset over the ris-

qué song lyrics. He told Perez Hilton, “I don’t think nobody should be upset about something that really happened.

I think when people do music everybody talks about their life and what they go through.

This is just my chapter and I think people need to look at it like that and don’t look at it for nothing more than that.”

Sounds like a confession to me.

Ray J has begun setting up the video for “I Hit It First” and rumor has it that he is planning on having a Kim K look-alike casted.

In an interview with Bay Area’s Wild 94.9, he said he cannot compare it to a “parody” or a “SNL skit,” but it will make people “look a lot.”

Aside from everything else, Brandy, the singer’s older sister, seems to be highly upset.

In an interview he stated that he has avoided talking to his sister because he knows the kind of response he will receive.What is next for Ray J or this song?

The amount of attention it has been serving Ray J, no one can deny the fact that it was a pretty clever tactic.

1. So what about this “gunman”? 2. For the record it was an umbrella, correct? 3. Who got out of that test they didn’t study for because of the lock down? 4. What’s up with that Sigma/photographer and these lock down tshirts? 5. The struggle must be real right? 6. Who put that lady on FOX news? 7. Did she really say “evaporate”?

8. Where did they find this Sweet Brown? 9. Where was the SGA President for his shine this time? 10. Was that too much? 11. So what about the stroll-off? 12. Were the Deltas 1,000 deep? 13. Did the Sigmas really come in second? 14. Is that possible when they win the step show every year? 15. Can we say conspiracy? 16. Have you seen the girl with teal hair? 17. Does she think she’s Katy Perry? 18. How many naturals have taken out their Aggie Fest hair? 19. Does that really make you natural? 20. Is it thirsty to run for another position if you lost in SGA

ON SHELVES CIARA has been feeling herself lately, posting Instagram pictures with her beau Future and now releasing the new title for her upcoming album.

Fans have already heard “Body party” on the radio and fell in love leaving them wanting more. With the recent release of her track list fans can make pre orders now.

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PRESS PLAY

DRAKE “GIRLS LOVE BEYONCE” Drake knows the way to a woman’s heart debuting his new song “Girls Love Beyonce.” He brings back his sensual voice to give people a slow song to dance to at the end of parties.

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PRESS PAUSE

CHRIS BROWN “FINE CHINA” We do love this old school R&B song that Chris brings back, but because of his history, he’s just not the same Chris we used to love.

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