Exclusive interview with Raqi, Winter and Lore’l of VH1’s “Love and Hip Hop” Page 8
A&T baseball goes 2-1 in season opener against Buffalo Page 7
THE A&T
REGISTER FREE
VOLUME LXXXVI NO. 15
FEBRUARY 20, 2013
NCATREGISTER.COM
SERVING THE AGGIE COMMUNITY FOR OVER 100 YEARS
WEDNESDAY
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF NORTH CAROLINA A&T
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ADAM FISCHER •TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR, CITY OF GREENSBORO
ABOVE are two photos of the N.C. A&T farm (Aggie Farm) and the proposed option. The spaces within the orange outlines are N.C. A&T farm properties. The left diagram is the current view of Aggie Farm and the diagram to the right is the proposed optiion. The purple stripes indicate the proposed street extension corridor.
Board meets Friday to review street proposal KARMEN ROBINSON Managing Editor
N.C. A&T’s Board of Trustees will meet Friday to either accept or reject the city of Greensboro’s proposal to extend Florida Street through the Aggie Farm. The city plans to have the extension branch off of the Florida Street entrance to the Gateway University Research Park shared by A&T and UNCG. The city wants to extend the street to create a north-south route from Lee Street to McConnell Road. Although the connecting
road would interfere with the west side of the Aggie Farm, some city officials say it would be a positive improvement to Greensboro’s infrastructure and promote growth for the community. “It’s a major intersection,” Mayor Robbie Perkins said, referring to the Florida and Lee Street connection. “To make it have three legs instead of four would be a longterm mistake.” Currently, the Lee and Florida Street intersection is perpendicular, with Lee Street extending from east to west and Florida Street extending south. Perkins said the extension
would cost $3 million. City Councilman and District 2 representative Jim Kee, a 1981 A&T alumna, is opposed to the plan. “It does not do anything as far as economic development for either the city or the university,” he said. He believes the $3 million can be used elsewhere. “I would like to take that funding to add to the $1.5 million we have for the War Memorial Stadium renovation and then give [the stadium] to A&T.” The majority of the City Council does not support the street extension, Kee said. Although A&T is in District
2, the Aggie Farm lies within District 1 of Greensboro, which is represented in the City Council by T. Dianne Bellamy-Small. She is in favor of the proposal. Calls to Bellamy-Small went unanswered. A&T’s Board of Trustees must first approve the proposal before any final decisions are made. If the board approves the extension, the City Council could still elect to veto the proposal. “It’s been on the city’s longterm plan…but the city isn’t going to do anything the school doesn’t want to do,” Perkins said. The half-mile long extension
Online learning seems more convenient for students KIM FIELDS Register Reporter
Godard, the Associate Director for the Center for Distance Learning, the most common online courses are general education and business economics. The most common programs are information technology, education, health professions and criminal justice, with bachelor’s and master’s a the most common degree certificates. Godard believes distance learning offers flexibility and convenience for students who have busy lives. “With the economic challenges that our country has been experiencing, it has provided a mechanism for adult learners to retool and pursue new career ILLUSTRATION BY TAYLOR WILSON •THE A&T REGISTER paths,” she added.
N.C. A&T was ranked 18 for the best online graduate computer information technology programs, 85 for best online graduate education programs and 106 for best online bachelor’s programs by U.S News and World Report in January 2013. A&T sees a three percent increase in online enrollment each semester. U. S. News and World Report’s article “Online Course Enrollment Climbs for 10th Straight Year,” stated the 2011-2012 online enrollment was up 9.3 percent from the previous year. It also noted that, in the 2011-2012 fiscal school year, 32 percent of total higher education enrollment was online and 62.4 percent of colleges surveyed in 2012 offer full online degree programs compared to 32.5 percent in 2002. There are currently 10,075 students enrolled at A&T.
From those, 1,957 are online and 369 are dual, online and
ONLINE
theYARD
SURVEYS AVAILABLE
Students have access to bikes
Keep up with breaking news on our Web site. Slideshows, videos and more are available online.
N.C. A&T’s Office of Auxiliary Services has developed a new bike proposal
www.ncatregister.com
campus based, students. According to Gwendolyn
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See ONLINE on Page 3
could provide an easier commute for Greensboro residents, however to some, that is irrelevant. Civil rights activist Lewis Brandon, a 1961 A&T graduate and former university employee, began a petition for those who oppose the extension. He plans to present it at the Board of Trustees meeting. “It is not a logical proposition,” Brandon said. “The road doesn’t serve any purpose for the university.” So far, he has “several hundred” signatures. The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. in the Alumni Foundation Center and is open to the pub-
KIM FIELDS Register Reporter Chancellor Harold Martin announced Monday that A&T will receive a $1.76 million grant from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation to fund the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Center for Active Learning. Martin said the STEM Center will help expand enrollment and enhance student success in STEM courses. Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Goldie Byrd, says, “The center will serve as the universities hub for student learning and engagement to share a hands on experience that prepares an increasingly large number of students for careers in the STEM disciplines.” A&T will implement
theSCENE
Minimum wage should be increased
Dunk contest fails expectations
Beyonce’ reveals her hardships to fans
An increase in minimum wage can be beneficial for North Carolinians.
The 2013 NBA All-Star dunk contest leaves fans disappointed.
Beyonce’ premiered an HBO Documentary on Saturday that shows the trials and tribulations she has faced in achievimg her success.
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AGGIE FARM PART 3 This is an ongoing series and The A&T Register will update as more information is revealed. Any questions or comments on this story, please email us at theatregister@gmail.com
N.C. A&T begins new STEM program
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lic. –Email Karmen at klrobin2@aggies.ncat.edu and follow her on Twitter @KayRob_
two student center learning models for more than 5,000 students annually. The emporium model and the scale up model for group learning. Byrd says the center will be built to recruit and build a strategic pipeline for high achieving STEM students. It will be housed in the college of arts and sciences and located in a newly renovated space in Marteena Hall. A&T will implement these models beginning in the fall of 2013 According to Byrd, the center will host national symposiums, have summer camps for high schools students, bridge prematriculating programs for incoming A&T students, and will retain these students throughout their 4 year matriculation. A&T’s academic unit will prepare a large number of students See STEM on Page 3
WEATHER
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WEDNESDAY
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THURSDAY: Partly Cloudy | High 51° FRIDAY: Showers | High 44°
1257+ &$52/,1$ $ 7 S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y
Networking at Career Fair
Leads to Interview
Co-op experience leads to employment
SUCCESS!
2013 SPRING CAREER FAIR Thursday, February 21, 2013 &RUEHWW 6SRUWV &HQWHU D P S P A detailed current list is available at www.ncat.edu/careerservices. 2I¿FH RI &DUHHU 6HUYLFHV 'LYLVLRQ RI 6WXGHQW $IIDLUV
theYARD
The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, February 20, 2013
dashawn fleming Register Reporter In the past few years, the numer of skateboarders and bike riders on campus has increased. A&T has decided to embrace the increase of skaterboarders and bikers. Auxiliary services has proposed the Bike Chair Program which will allow students to rent bikes at their leisure, free of charge, using their Aggie OneCards. “As of now we want to look into getting two hub stations,” said Shami Chimonyo, Project Manager of Auxiliary Services. “One on the McNair side of campus and the other near Craig [Hall] and the union.” The hub stations will be selfserve, automated systems and will only require a swipe. Using Aggie One Cards will ensure that bikes are being rented to students and faculty members only. “We want to be able to link the student to the bike they have and link their account information,” Chimonyo explained. Danae McNair sophomore child development, early education and family studies major believes that there should be more locations on campus, “I think it will be more successful than they think,” she said. There will be 20 to 30 fashion forward bikes available for students to use when the bikes debut in the coming semesters. The bikes will have an updated version of traditional bike baskets, allowing easy transportation of books and [book] bags with elastic straps. Students can rent the bikes at any time during every semester
as they can endure any weather conditions. They also have lights that flash in the front and back as safety precautions. The bike rentals will be an alternative to riding the shuttle and struggling to find parking. It is estimated that a 10 minute walk across campus would be reduced to three minutes with the use of the bikes. “It’s going to reduce campus traffic and air pollution by providing sustainable transportation,” said Chimonyo. Brittany Rush, a senior psychology major believes the program is a good idea. “There will be less people on the shuttle and it won’t be as crowded,” she said. “But it will be a slight disadvantage without a bicycle lane because there are already a lot of people on the sidewalks.” The Canadian imported bikes are popular throughout France and the Netherlands. The bikes have three gears and will probably sport the school colors with “Aggies” or the logo embedded on them. Sponsors and companies may also be able to advertise on the bikes. Funding for this program is still being negotiated. But will probably come from the transportation or shuttle fees included in tuition. Chimonyo ensures that fees will not impact students as much as buying a personal bike would. But the program is not finalized yet, auxiliary services is looking for feedback. Students can give their feedback on the proposed bike rental program on their twitter page @ncatauxiliary.
events
First book rentals, now bikes
3
–Email theatregister@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @TheATRegister
Right: Senior visual arts and design major, Frederick I. Henderson from Chicago tests a new bikesaround the cafe.
Wednesday
Bottom: The A&T rental bikes come equipped with elastic straps to easily transport book and book bags.
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No events
Photos by Christopher Martin–The A&T Register
thursday
Spring Career Fair
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Corbett Sports Center 9 a.m.
friday
22
Spring Career Fair On-Spot Interviews Memorial Student Union 8 a.m.
saturday
23
Chemistry Club Magic Show New Science Building Lobby 10:15 a.m.
FAFSA Day
online From page 1 Online classes are also cheaper than campus classes. Students only pay for their classes and books, as opposed to paying for classes and your main campus charges. A&T charges un dergraduate residents $104 per credit hour (Undergraduate Non-Residents pay $462 per credit hour) plus a $8 per credit hour technology usage fee and a $5 Distance Learning Access Fee.
Graduate Residents pay $187 per credit hour (Graduate NonResidents pay $747 per credit hour) plus a $10 per credit hour technology usage fee and a $5 Distance Learning Access Fee, according to Godard. Godard also said there is no reason to fear the dissipation of physical universities. “While distance learning does provide many viable alternatives, this mode of delivery is not the preferred delivery mode for everyone,” she said. This holds true to Malcolm Miller, a junior computer engi-
neering student from Chicago, who prefers classes on campus rather than distance learning for now. Miller took a required course online and said it gave him the ability to work at his leisure. He said it allowed him to devote his time elsewhere as he was working while taking online classes. “It’s very hard to work and go to school unless you work on campus. You have to account for time to work and time for homework. Online, it’s spelled out for you.”
stem From page 1
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in STEM disciplines by providing them with strong foundations for pursuing careers in the STEM studies. The new STEM center will add on to the university’s existing STEM infrastructures across the campus including A&T’s new STEM early college. Professors from the science department, mathematics educators, graduate teaching assistants and community scholars will help staff the STEM program. Nettie Rowland, Media relations director in the Office of University Relations says, this grant will support two strategic programs for high school students and pre-freshman level students that will provide them with a foundation for matriculating in STEM disciplines. Summer enrichment programs will immerse high school juniors in critical applications of science and mathematics as well as prepare them for SAT’s and college. The bridge program will
Miller noted that online assignments are due on specific dates that professors provide at the beginning of the course. This allows students to equally divide their time elsewhere. Miller continued to explain everyone does not have time for the classroom. The lack of “human interactivity” makes Miller prefer the classroom. “Online, you are on your own. In a classroom, you have a professor who will teach you and if you have a question, they can help you. You can also go to
their office if you need to.” Miller would consider taking strictly online classes in the future when he has a career as he believes that he will not have time to be on a campus for classes at their designated meeting times. Godard said, “Some people still enjoy having the opportunity to meet with their classmates and faculty members face-toface in the traditional manner.” –Email theatregister@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @TheATRegister
give incoming freshman the chance to take chemistry and calculus pre-courses. They will also take workshops geared at strengthening oral and written communication, critical thinking, time management, leadership and business etiquette, and financial management. “We are thrilled to receive this grant from North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation that will enable us to take our science education to the next level. Our new STEM center will position N.C. A&T to become one of the nation’s top producers of high achieving graduates who pursue STEM careers.” said Byrd. The new STEM center for active learning will allow a change in structure of instruction. Instead of lectures every time a student goes to class, students will be able to do more work at home, more work in groups and a new community of practice for student learning. North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation is located in Research Triangle Park. They support programs that promote the sciences, health and educa-
tion. Robert Ingram, Chair of the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation, stated that the foundation has helped build and sustain a STEM class workforce. He believes liberal arts and STEM work hand and glove. Since 1986, they have granted nearly $60 million to support North Carolina projects, and just recently, gave a $4.1 million grant in support of students with learning difficulties. The $1.76 million is just a portion of the money needed to complete this 5-year project. Martin said A&T will make additional investments into the STEM Center for Active Learning by reprioritizing money used for operating, project renovations other similar endeavors. A&T will also raise money from other corporations, organizations and alumni. “Research shows that there are approximately 3 million or billion STEM jobs, many right here in the Triad and throughout North Carolina.” said Martin. –Email us theatregister@gmail. com and follow us on Twitter @TheATRegister
General Classroom Building Room 213 8:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
sunday
24
Black History Quiz Bowl
New Academic Classroom Building 1 p.m.
ATTENTION STUDENTS:
The Financal Aid department wants to inform students that on FAFSA Day, you need to bring: 2012 federal tax returns (for you and your parents) FAFSA PINs (four digit ID numbers) for you and one parent; if you are dpendent (visit pin. ed.gov) 2013-2014 FAFSA on the Web Worksheet (visit fafsa.gov)
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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Italians hoping for a homegrown pope Henry Chu
Associated Press
VATICAN CITY — He’s God’s own man, but Italians think he should be theirs too. Now, after a 35-year hiccup, they have a good shot at making that true again. As the derby begins to replace Pope Benedict XVI, who stunned the world last week by announcing his intention to retire at the end of the month, Italy is aiming to resume the line of homegrown pontiffs who reigned for more than 450 years until John Paul II, a Pole, came along in 1978. Italians figure high on the list of likely successors to the German-born Benedict and, by a wide margin, form the single largest national bloc _ though far from a majority _ among the cardinals who will choose the next occupant of St. Peter’s throne.
Girl raped, dumped on road in India’s capital Siddhartha Kumar MCT Campus
NEW DELHI — A 6-year-old girl was kidnapped, raped and dumped by a roadside in New Delhi, India, in the latest of a series of violent sexual attacks that have shocked the country, officials and news reports said Saturday. The girl, from Delhi’s satellite city of Gurgaon, was spotted by a passerby in the border region of Kapashera late Sunday night. The crime became public knowledge only after local newspapers and news-channels reported it on Friday. “Medical examinations have confirmed rape. The girl is recuperating in a hospital,” Om Prakash, a local police officer said. “We have launched a manhunt to arrest those responsible for the brutal act but have few leads as the girl is unable to give a proper statement since she is traumatized,” he added. The Times of India daily reported that the victim was last seen with a man in his early twenties and it was possible that she had been raped by more than one person. Many rapes have been reported since December’s fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi. The assault sparked angry protests and demands for better protection for women and stricter laws against rape. Earlier this month, a man reportedly shoved an iron rod into the mouth of a young girl when she resisted his attempt to rape her. In another case, a Chinese national was allegedly raped in the capital.
But chances of a glorious restoration are tempered by strong candidates from other regions, missteps by senior Italians in the Vatican and the reality that the center of gravity of the global church has shifted, perhaps permanently, away from Europe. Many Roman Catholics believe that in the 21st century their leadership would be better off a little less Roman and a lot more catholic. “Personally I think it’d be cool to have a North American or African pope, even if they are conservative,” said Carla Mazzone, 20, an American exchange student who lined up outside St. Peter’s Basilica to attend Benedict’s last public Mass on Ash Wednesday. “It would make things more global, kind of like when Obama became president.” Vatican-watchers have identified some serious contenders
from outside Europe to be the 266th pontiff, including prelates from Canada, Ghana and Argentina (though the last was born to Italian parents). Yet the still-speculative list of top papabili, or wannabe popes, shows Italy to be hugely overrepresented compared with the proportion of Italian Catholics in the worldwide church. At least three Italians are being touted now as potential pontiffs: Foremost is 71-yearold Angelo Scola, the well-respected and fiercely intellectual archbishop of Milan, who enjoys a global profile among the devout. Other possibilities are Angelo Bagnasco, the archbishop of Genoa, who can be outspoken in several languages; and Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, a skillful communicator who blogs, tweets and recently
quoted singer Amy Winehouse (“Love is a losing game”). The elevation of any of those men, experts say, would signal a determination to keep the church going in the conservative direction set by John Paul and Benedict, toward orthodoxy and core values and away from bold or liberal reforms. The Italians’ prospects could be boosted by the fact that 28 of the 117 cardinals eligible to vote for the next pope hail from Italy. That’s nearly a quarter of the total, and exceeds the number from Africa, Asia and Australia combined. The United States has 11. “The match will be played ... between Italian cardinals and the others,” wrote Marco Ansaldo, Vatican correspondent for the newspaper La Repubblica. “A lot of the faithful expect the return of an Italian pope.”
Besides the cardinals, the “princes” of the church, Italians occupy crucial positions within the Curia, the Vatican administration. The No. 2 in the hierarchy is Tarcisio Bertone, who will manage the Holy See during the interregnum; his newly appointed legal adviser, another key post, is a countryman. Fellow Italians will also run the cardinals’ group discussions before the conclave to choose the pope _ sessions during which would-be candidates subtly, or not so subtly, try to impress their mitered peers _ and then the allimportant conclave itself, which opens in mid-March. But wielding so much influence is a double-edged sword. Some of the Italians in senior posts have been blamed for embarrassing blunders such as insensitive remarks about clerical sex-abuse allegations and the scandal over leaked papal
Venezuela’s Chavez makes surprise trip home Andrew Rosati and Jim Wyss MCT Campus
CARACAS, Venezuela —Venezuelans began gathering around the military hospital in Caracas early Monday to welcome home President Hugo Chavez, the cancer-stricken leader who has spent more than two months incommunicado in a Cuban hospital. Chavez’s pre-dawn return came as a surprise in a country that has largely been kept in the dark about his condition. In a Twitter message at 3:42 am EST, Chavez said he was back in the country and would continue his treatment in Venezuela. “We’ve returned to Venezuela,” he wrote. “Thank you my God!! Thank you beloved nation!! We’ll continue our treatment here.” As the news spread, fireworks went off over the capital and crowds began to gather at the hospital and public squares. Fanny Batista, 67, was one
of the people who joined the crowds at the military hospital. “We’ve been sad for months, hoping for his return,” she said. “Now we know his condition has improved. My heart is filled with so much joy my chest can barely contain it.” On Friday, the government released four photographs of Chavez laying in a hospital bed. They also reported that a tracheal tube, needed to assist breathing, was making it difficult for him to speak. The images were the first to surface since Chavez, 58, traveled to Cuba Dec. 10 to undergo a fourth round of cancer surgery. His return is likely to revive speculation about who should be leading the oil-rich nation. After winning an additional sixyear term in October, Chavez missed his scheduled Jan. 10 inauguration. The administration has maintained that ceremony would take place once Chavez was back in the country. But if he were to resign or die, it would trigger new elections
within 30 days. The administration’s likely chief rival in a future election, Miranda Gov. Henrique Capriles, welcomed Chavez back and asked him to reverse the administration’s raft of economic measures, which have included a 46.5 percent devaluation earlier this month. “I hope his return brings some sense to the government,” Capriles wrote on Twitter. “Let’s hope his return is permanent.” As the news spread, a few hundred well-wishers also gathered in Plaza Venezuela, one of the city’s iconic squares. “I can finally breathe because now we know he’s alive,” said Gregorio Chettick a 45-yearold chef. “For the last two months everything has been uncertain. There have been so many rumors; we didn’t know if he was already dead or if the country was going to break into a civil war.” Chavez has been battling cancer since at least June 2011. But the administration has
never said what type of cancer he has or what organs may be affected, only saying that it is located in his pelvic region. He has undergone at least four surgeries, and a round of chemotherapy and radiation. This last round of treatments, which began with surgery Dec. 11, has been plagued by problems including internal bleeding and a respiratory infection, which led to the tracheotomy. Vice President Nicolas Maduro also has said that Chavez is undergoing unspecified “complementary treatments.” In the past, Chavez’s medical trips have been high-profile and shown on national television. This time the administration did not say how he was transported from the airport to the military hospital. “It’s shameful that he arrived like he was a contraband package,” Diego Arria, an opposition politician told Noticias24 radio. “Nobody knows how he arrived; it’s as if he were merchandise.”
MCT Campus
ROME — Conclave meetings between cardinals to elect a new pope could begin before March 15, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said Saturday, despite having previously dismissed suggestions the process could be speeded up. Pope Benedict XVI has said
In a letter from Fidel Castro released by the Venezuelan government, the former Cuban president said the secrecy surrounding the treatment was needed “so as not to give an opportunity to the fascist groups to plan any of their cynical actions against the Bolivarian revolutionary process.” In the letter, Castro also thanks Venezuela for its economic support over the years. “When the socialist camp collapsed and the (Soviet Union) disintegrated, imperialism with its sharpened knife tried to drown the Cuban Revolution in blood; Venezuela, a relatively small country in divided America, was capable of preventing that,” Castro wrote. “That is why all honest people of the world have followed closely the health and news of Chavez.” In his final Twitter message of the morning, Chavez said he had faith in his medical team and in Christ. “We will live and we will win,” he wrote.
Egypt soccer protests hit restive Suez Canal city SARAH EL DEEB
Associated Press
CAIRO — Thousands of soccer fans enforced a work stoppage Sunday in Egypt’s restive city of Port Said to protest what they called government “injustices,” disrupting rail services and forcefully evicting workers from factories and provincial government offices. Egypt’s president Mohammed Morsi had declared a state of emergency and 30-day curfew in Port Said and two other Suez Canal provinces following a wave of violence that left more than 50 people dead last month. The state of emergency is still in effect, although residents have ignored the curfew. The continuing turbulence in Port Said, which last month was virtually in revolt against Morsi’s government and the emergency measures, is another fresh sign of Egypt’s deepening malaise. The government is struggling to impose order as discontent widens beyond the capital, Cairo, as social and economic problems mount. Morsi is also facing an increasingly vocal political opposition which complains that he
and his Islamist backers in the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s strongest political force, are attempting to monopolize power and have adopted practices similar to longtime authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak was forced to step down in the face of popular protests in 2011 after ruling Egypt for nearly 30 years under a tight security regime. Last month’s violence in Port Said was set off when a court convicted and sentenced 21 people to death for involvement in a mass soccer riot in the city’s main stadium on Feb. 1, 2012 that left 74 dead. Most of those killed in the melee were visiting fans of Cairo’s Al-Ahly team. The verdict enraged people in Port Said, where the majority of the condemned were local soccer fans, many of whom claim innocence. The ensuing security crackdown deepened a sense of persecution that residents have harbored since the stadium disaster, the worst soccer violence ever to hit Egypt. As part of the Sunday protest, members of the “Green Eagles” fan club, supporters of Port Said’s Al-Masry team,
also disrupted the city’s main telephone exchange and sent students home from several schools. Several hundreds of protesters marched through the Mediterranean city at the mouth of the Suez Canal, chanting against the government and raising pictures of those killed in the violence. “The city’s revolt comes because of a deep sense of injustice,” a statement by the Green Eagles said. The group said the verdict exonerated state institutions — including the interior ministry and the military — which it said should be held responsible for failing to prevent the massacre. The situation was aggravated, the group said, by the use of gunfire by the interior ministry against unarmed civilians under orders from the regime. The group called for retribution and compensation for those killed during the recent unrest, and a retrial for those found guilty in the soccer massacre. There was no immediate government comment on the situation in Port Said. The Popular Current group, one of the main opposition
groups, expressed its support for the Port Said work stoppages Sunday, saying the city’s anger is “part of the popular anger” against Morsi. “What is happening in Port Said is a legitimate right in the face of an authority that has adopted repression and tyranny,” the group said in a statement. In an attempt to contain the rising tensions, opposition leaders and Morsi have been negotiating over ground rules for holding a dialogue. In a rare in sit-down meeting late Saturday, leading opposition leader Mohammed ElBaradei met with the head of the Muslim Brotherhood’s political party — the Freedom and Justice Party. The opposition is demanding a national unity government, an amendment to the constitution which they say was rushed through without a national consensus and an election law that does not favor the Brotherhood. The FJP party said in a statement however that its leader Saad el-Katatni saw a government reshuffle as “unfavorable” ahead of new parliamentary elections, expected later this year.
Vatican: Conclave on new pope could be before March 15 MCT Campus
documents that suggest power struggles and corruption at the highest levels of the Vatican. In November, Benedict’s appointment of six new cardinals, none of them from Europe, was interpreted as a rebuke over the missteps, as well as a redressing of the imbalance of having named seven Italians as cardinals the previous February. More important in picking a pope, experts say, is finding a firm leader not afraid to shake up an ancient and, in many ways, dysfunctional institution resistant to change. “You need a strong man,” said Roberto Regoli, a church historian at Gregorian University in Rome. “His country of origin is not significant. You need some who’s totally prepared and with the ability to govern.”
he will officially step down on Feb. 28. The conclave normally meets 15 to 20 days after the papal seat has been vacated, allowing the cardinals enough time to travel to Rome from all over the world. But since Benedict is resigning _ the first pope to do so in 600 years _ rather than dying in office, the cardinals have more time to prepare,
Lombardi said. Church rules could be interpreted so as to bring the conclave forward, he said. The Vatican had previously said there would be a new pope by Easter, which this year falls on March 31. Rome is also preparing itself for the pope’s Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, which around 100,000
people are expected to attend. The prayer, which the pope traditionally gives from the window of his study, will also provide a test for the Italian capital’s police and security forces. Around 1,000 officers will be out to police the event, according to the newspaper Il Messaggero, and streets around the Vatican will be
closed to traffic. On Saturday 85-year-old Benedict played host to Guatemalan President Otto Fernando Perez Molina, during a visit which had been scheduled before he announced his resignation. Later Saturday he is also due to hold a private audience with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti.
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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, February 20, 2013
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No central agency oversees, inspects cruise ships CURT ANDERSON
Associated Press
MIAMI — A byzantine maze of maritime rules and regulations, fragmented oversight and a patchwork quilt of nations that do business with cruise lines make it tough for consumers to assess the health and safety record of the ship they’re about to board in what for many is the vacation of a lifetime. Want to know about a ship’s track record for being clean? Want to assess how sanitary the food is? It’s not that easy to find, in part because there’s no one entity or country that oversees or regulates the industry with its fleet of ships that are like mini cities floating at sea. In the case of Carnival Cruise Lines, the owner of the Carnival Triumph that spent days in the Gulf of Mexico disabled after an engine fire, the company is incorporated in Panama, its offices are based in Miami and its ships fly under the Bahamian flag — a matrix that is not unusual in the cruise line industry. For potential passengers seeking ship information, there’s no central database that can be viewed to determine a track record of safety or health inspections. No one agency regulates everything from the cruise line’s mechanical worthiness to the sanitation of its kitchens.
The U.S. Coast Guard inspects each cruise ship that docks in the U.S. every year for a range of issues, from operation of backup generators to the lifeboats. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains a database of recent disease outbreaks and other health inspection information for cruise ships. Had Triumph vacationers looked up information about the cruise ship through those two agencies before boarding, they would have found mostly clean marks and few red flags. And when something goes wrong, as it did on Triumph, there are limits to how much the Coast Guard can investigate. These are not new issues — they had been raised by members of Congress before the Triumph incident. “This horrible situation involving the Carnival Triumph is just the latest example in a long string of serious and troubling incidents involving cruise ships,” said Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., who led a committee hearing on cruise safety last year. Last year, after the Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Giglio, Italy, Rockefeller held a Commerce Committee hearing to examine deficiencies in the cruise line industry’s compliance with federal safety, security, and environmental standards and review industry
regulations. “As I remarked then, they seem to have two lives: One is at port, where the Coast Guard can monitor their operations; the other is at sea where, it appears once they are beyond three nautical miles from shore, the world is theirs,” Rockefeller said in letter he wrote this week to Admiral Robert J. Papp Jr., the commandant of the Coast Guard. “The Carnival Triumph incident only serves to further validate this view.” The Triumph left Galveston, Texas, on Feb. 7 for a four-day cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. An engine-room fire paralyzed the ship early Sunday, leaving it adrift in the Gulf of Mexico. Passengers described nightmarish conditions on board: overflowing toilets, long lines for a short supply of food, foul odors, and tent cities where vacationers slept on deck. Tugboats slowly towed the 14-story vessel to Mobile, Ala. It arrived there late Thursday. Before a ship like the Triumph sets sail, it’s possible — but not easy — to find information about past incidents and safety or health issues. The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program is viewable online. The database shows recent disease outbreaks aboard cruise ships and how they were addressed. Records for the Triumph show it was last inspected July
Some Capitol feuds are about place, not party affiliation BOB LEWIS
Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. — In a state Capitol more divided by partisanship each passing year, some of the deepest rifts are over place, not party. Consider a spat between urban and rural legislators Wednesday over the longest stretch of highway in Virginia. Del. Charles Poindexter from Glade Hill in scenic Franklin County engaged the regional rift full-on when he sought the Senate Finance Committee’s blessing for funding to widen and modernize a serpentine stretch of the more than 500-mile-long route. Try explaining to legislators whose constituents simmer in gridlocked northern Virginia traffic up to two hours each way every day why a 20mile bottleneck on U.S. 58 in southwestern Virginia matters. And try telling lawmakers from struggling communities that rely on Highway 58 as a commercial lifeline why paralyzed suburban freeways in northern Virginia’s affluent suburbs of Washington are a problem far outside the Beltway. Virginia is a commonwealth, but it is also an amalgamation of distinct regions
“What they keep forgetting is that what built Virginia and drove Virginia’s economy for so many years to get us to this point where they could grow in northern Virginia and Hampton Roads textiles, tobacco, manufacturing and coal, ” -Senator Bill Stanley
distinguished by vastly differing cultures and biases. “You roll back the clock 20, 30, 50 years ago. Northern Virginia was a small, sleepy bedroom community of Washington, D.C. Virginia Beach was a small port city in Hampton Roads. I’ve lived in all of them,” said Sen. Bill Stanley, who now lives in Franklin County. Mega-malls and tiny boutiques, gleaming corporate parks and leafy subdivisions now sprawl across a northern Virginia landscape where a generation ago rabbit hunters trod just 30 miles from the
White House. That region’s commercial environment dominates Virginia’s economy today. Not long ago, the dynamic was much different, Stanley lamented after the latest spat Wednesday in the Finance Committee. “What they keep forgetting is that what built Virginia and drove Virginia’s economy for so many years to get us to this point where they could grow in northern Virginia and Hampton Roads textiles, tobacco, manufacturing and coal,” Stanley said. As those industries fell on hard times in past decades, so did the counties, cities and towns along Route 58 where they once thrived. Poindexter, Stanley and other advocates say Route 58 could become a major fourlane commercial artery capable of breathing life back into those communities by extending bonding authority necessary to four-lane and straighten a stretch across “Lover’s Leap Mountain” in Patrick County. It’s far too narrow and winding for big rigs now. Ultimately, it won committee approval and Senate passage, but it’s tied to passage of this year’s comprehensive transportation funding reform legislation. Route 58 is Virginia’s longest contiguous highway, extending nearly 520 miles across parts of at least 27 localities from Virginia’s westernmost tip near Middlesboro, Ky., to the Atlantic Ocean at Virginia Beach. Along the way, it intersects with Interstates 81, 77, 85, 95, 664 and 64 — never more than a few miles from the North Carolina line. It connects many of the state’s poorest communities, according to data from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia. In ten of the localities through which 58 passes, at least one in every five residents received food stamps in 2010. In Emporia, Danville and Martinsville, the ratio was 30 percent or more. But in affluent Virginia Beach, the rate drops to 6.7 percent. Northern Virginia, meanwhile, outgrew its highways, particularly after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, throttled
up national defense spending and created a whole new function of American government: homeland security. In the state’s largest locality, northern Virginia’s Fairfax County, only 3 percent received food stamps. It’s 2.4 percent in Loudoun County, 3 percent in Arlington, 5.7 percent in Alexandria, 6 percent in Prince William and, in monied Fairfax City, it was 0.0 percent. That unchecked growth worsened already critical highway congestion that has defied state government’s ability to remedy for at least a dozen years. The Texas Transportation Institute’s annual Urban Mobility Report earlier this
“I think it’s very easy for people in southwest and southside Virginia not to appreciate the gridlock and traffic that actually occurs in Northern Virginia,
”
-Lobbyist Chris Nolen
month rated Washington and its suburbs the nation’s most congested area. Among failed ideas were regional transportation tax increases in northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. “Yeah, they tell us ‘Go it on your own,’” Sen. Richard L. Saslaw of Fairfax County snorted after Wednesday’s committee meeting. “They don’t know what traffic is down there. They have no concept,” he said. “I have Braddock Road, a secondary road ... It carries twice the traffic of Interstate 81 — 88,000 cars a day, OK?” Richmond lawyer and lobbyist Chris Nolen knows both sides. Route 58 brushes the southern tip of Floyd County where he grew up. He attended law school in Northern Virginia, where it took him about 45 minutes to drive less than two miles. “I think it’s very easy for people in southwest and southside Virginia not to appreciate the gridlock and traffic that actually occurs in Northern Virginia,” Nolen said.
7, 2012. It scored 96 out of 100. The CDC considers scores of 85 or lower unsatisfactory. The lowest score the ship received was an 88, in 2009. The Coast Guard also has a database, known as the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Information Exchange, with inspections and any deficiencies found aboard ships, dating to when the vessels entered service. A search on the exchange’s website for the Triumph turns up its certifications for things like passenger safety and pollution prevention as well as inspections. No violations or red flags are immediately evident. Searching a little deeper, the most recent report shows a propulsion issue from a Jan. 28 incident involving a short in a connection box of one of the ship’s generators. But the cause of the fire that crippled the Triumph is still under investigation. Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said Saturday that he could not comment yet on damage, timeline or estimated costs. In the meantime, the ship is expected to remain docked in Mobile to be cleaned and sanitized before it’s back on open waters. The U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board will lend their expertise to the investigation, but in a support role. The probe will be led by the Bahamas Mari-
time Authority, where Carnival registers or “flags” some of its ships. The arrangement is commonplace under international maritime law, and it puts U.S. agencies and investigators in a secondary position even though the Triumph and other Carnival ships sail out of U.S. ports with primarily American customers. Inquiries to Carnival about inspections and foreign flags were met by a response from the Cruise Lines International Association, which represents all of the major cruise lines. Bud Darr, the group’s senior vice president for technical and regulatory affairs, said the industry is “very heavily regulated,” from the way ships are designed to how crews train for emergencies. He said standards are set by the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization. But Jim Walker, a Miami maritime attorney and author of the www.cruiselaw.com blog, said, “the IMO guidelines are not law and there is no consequence if the cruise lines ignore the guidelines and recommendations. Customers have no way of knowing whether they are well maintained safely. There is no federal oversight with real teeth.” Fires — though not all as major as the Triumph’s — happen virtually every year on cruise ships. There were 79 on-
board blazes from 1990 to 2011, according to a list compiled by Ross Klein, a professor who specializes in cruise industry issues at Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada. In 2010, the IMO adopted rules that require any large cruise ship built after July 1 of that year to have a separate, redundant system able to maintain the ship’s propulsion, steering and so forth in case one engine is disabled by fire. The rules also mandate that ships be capable of maintaining basic services such as sanitation, water, food and lights in such circumstances. The Triumph was built in 1999 and isn’t covered by the rules, as is the case for most ships among major cruise lines. Experts say the Triumph might have been able to limp into port more quickly if it had the newer systems, but retrofitting is costly and time-consuming. “Provided the emergency generators worked and had enough power, they would have been able to return to port under their own power, but much slower,” said Andrew O. Coggins, Jr., a Pace University management professor who focuses on hospitality and tourism industries. “Once Carnival has evaluated the full cost of this incident,” he added, “it might be cost effective to retrofit their older ships.”
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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Obama should lead us to debt reduction Chicago tribune MCT Campus
“The consensus is we need about $4 trillion to stabilize our debt and our deficit, which means we need about $1.5 trillion more.” President Barack Obama, Jan. 14, 2013. “Our debt problems remain far from solved. Lawmakers have achieved only slightly more than half of the minimum necessary deficit reduction to achieve sustainability over the next decade. Moreover, much of the enacted savings represents the ‘low-hanging fruit’ of deficit reduction. Despite the $2.7 trillion in enacted savings, debt remains on an upward path.” Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Feb. 11, 2013. The New Year’s deal that averted a fiscal cliff does anybody miss that metaphor? Hinged on some $620 billion in tax increases that Republicans strenuously had opposed. Congress and the president postponed for two months any action on spending cuts that Democrats strenuously had opposed. Time’s up March 1, so the budget warriors are back at battle stations: Prepare to be confused and confounded in the coming weeks. Half of official Washington wants to assure you that our debt debacle is so close to solved that we needn’t do
anything painful such as seriously reducing the future costs of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. The other half wants to remind you that those programs are barreling toward insolvency as is, eventually, the federal government that created the entitlements. Note that we aren’t including the mysterious future costs of Obamacare. Long story short: The second half is correct. The first half isn’t clueless but runs the risk of appearing to be. That’s why White House spokesman Jay Carney felt obliged last week to rebut House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi’s odd claim that it’s “almost a false argument” to say the U.S. has a spending problem. “Of course, the president believes that we have a spending problem,” Carney said. One day later, congressional Democrats applauded as Obama, in his State of the Union address, enumerated several new spending proposals. Michael Tanner of the libertarian Cato Institute likened the president to the young and hedonistic St. Augustine praying, “Lord grant me chastity and continence but not yet.” Unfortunately for veteran spenders of both parties, “yet” needs to come now. The first test is whether official Washington renders moot (or again delays) the so-called sequester scheduled for March 1. That’s when across-theboard cuts would trim this year’s
The audacity of Reverend Jesse Jackson, Jr. Doyle McManus
Los Angeles Times
Slow this down. Think it through, in all its remarkable, reprehensible detail. Ask yourself how an enormously gifted attorney, accustomed to the national limelight even before his eight terms in the U.S. House, could think his bold conduct involving staff members and other potential witnesses against him would remain secret. Ask how he could squander a probable lifetime position in Congress. Squander all the good he might do there for the people he had sought to provide with better jobs and better futures. Ask how he could humiliate not one but three generations of his globally known family his famous father and his young children included. Imagine, though, the depth of conniving, or self-delusion, or entitlement, or sheer audacious recklessness, that the federal accusations against Jackson would have required of him. What the feds on Friday suggested had happened here is a sustained crime spree that could succeed only if a man ensnarled by elaborate financial reporting requirements somehow kept it all secret. Fat chance for a politician so prominent that he didn’t even include his name on his campaign signs. Just the abbreviated suffix: “Jr.” We’re talking about that fabulously blessed congressman a pol seriously mentioned as a future Chicago mayor or U.S. president allegedly converting some $750,000 in campaign donations for the personal benefit of himself and his wife, Sandi. That’s more money than many of the defrocked congressman’s former constituents on the South Side of Chicago will earn in their lifetimes. And it doesn’t include an additional $28,500 in allegedly undisclosed gifts and loans, and enough dishonest paperwork to earn hard time. Imagine either of them, the former congressman or the former alderman to whom he’s
married, variously deciding there would be no consequence other than self-satisfaction from filching that money to allegedly buy: A gold-plated men’s Rolex watch: $43,350. Children’sfurniture: $9,587.64. Cashmere capes, a mink reversible parka and black fox reversible parka: $5,150.Martial arts actor Bruce Lee memorabilia: $10,105.Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. memorabilia: $11,130. Performer Michael Jackson memorabilia (including two hats and Eddie Van Halen guitar): $26,700.Electric blues musician Jimi Hendrix memorabilia: $2,775.And what the U.S. Department of Justice describes as, “Football signed by American Presidents”: $5,000. Those items, all totaled, don’t approach $750,000. So surely there are other, allegedly illicit expenditures, not itemized in the government’s 10page document accusing Jesse Jackson Jr. of conspiracy, false statements, mail fraud and wire fraud. Sandi Jackson’s attorneys said Friday that she has reached such a deal with prosecutors, and will plead guilty to a separate charge that she committed tax fraud for calendar years 2006 through 2011. If and when a federal court accepts plea deals, we’ll learn whether either Jackson, or both, is prison-bound. We’ll learn, that is, just how blindingly darkness has fallen on two people who, fair to say, have disappointed admirers by the millions. Some of those onetime admirers are moving on, voting on candidates who seek to replace Jesse Jackson in the House, or adjusting to a new alderman in the Chicago ward that Sandi Jackson represented. And the rest of us, who don’t live in the two Jacksons’ former realm? We’re left to murmur cliches about the disappointment that is. And about the Jacksonian accomplishments that could have been.
expenses by $85 billion, a relative rounding error in a budget north of $3.5 trillion. For lack of evidence that this Congress and this president can agree on substantial deficit reduction, we’ve warmed to the sequester. The Congressional Budget Office warned earlier this month that our annual deficits they’ve exceeded $1 trillion in each of the last four years will decline slightly through the middle of this decade. Overspending then will accelerate as baby boomers retire (at the rate of 11,000 a day) and demand Medicare and Social Security benefits. This cannot continue: Buyers of U.S. debt already are uneasy about federal deficits, as are the rating agencies on which those buyers around the globe rely. So keep some basics top of mind as, in coming days, rival pols posture and preen: Over the next decade, we’re on track to add roughly another $6 trillion to $9 trillion in debt. Debt as a percentage of gross domestic product will remain disturbingly high roughly double the historical average and leave us vulnerable to another financial crisis. The House Republicans’ plan to achieve a balanced budget over that time frame is as politically impossible as the Senate Democrats’ plan to replace the sequester with a package that heavily relies on new tax revenues.
-Photo by MTCcampus.com Enacted deficit reduction to date totals $2.7 trillion, says the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: “(L)awmakers must put the debt-to-GDP ratio on a clear downward path. This will require at least $2.4 trillion in new savings through 2023 and substantially more over the long term. Agreeing to $2.4 trillion in tax and spending changes will not be easy. But in our view, it is the absolute minimum necessary to ensure the debt is on a sustainable path.” Mr. President, you need to stop dodging major reforms to entitle-
ments and live by your pledge to The Washington Post’s editorial board on Jan. 15, 2009, when you called Medicare “unsustainable” and said Social Security also needs reform: “You have to have a president who is willing to spend some political capital on this. And I intend to spend some.” That brief nod in your State of the Union address to higher premiums for well-to-do Medicare recipients doesn’t begin to meet the challenge America faces the challenge that, as president-elect four-plus years ago, you embraced. Also less than
helpful: Chicken Little warnings to Americans of needlessly miserable outcomes that the sequester would deliver, such as longer waits to clear security at airports. Mr. President, some Republicans in Congress voted for a fiscal cliff deal that may well cost them their seats in the 2014 election. Members of your party need to take the same risk and help restructure entitlement programs while they still can be rescued. And you, sir, need to lead all of us.
A minimum wage increase would be beneficial for citizens in North Carolinia The minimum wage rate would do much good in the eyes in the state of North Carolina of workers who currently strugshould be increased from the gle to maintain a household with current seven dollars and 25 dependents while receiving the cents per hour to nine dollars state minimum. per hour. In the midst of the nation’s In a state where unemploy- current economic situation, it is a ment was 9.2 percent as of De- challenge to support a household cember 2012, it is imperative while earning a few dollars per that the federal govhour. ernment gives unemSuch a challenge ployed citizens a good forces those in need to reason to seek work in labor extensive hours the state of N.C. per week to cover their It is sad to say, but if expenses. an unemployed person It must be a dreadgrows accustomed to ful feeling for a parent the benefits of federal to have slaved at the job assistance, they are inall week, but in the end, clined to become sethe money just is not cure and content with KALYN enough. the fact that they are After filling gas tank not working and will after gas tank to get to choose to stay unemwork long enough withployed. out reaping any feasible financial In a capitalistic society, the benefits, many of these workers almighty dollar is the only thing may feel as if they are paying to that talks. go to work. A minimum wage increase The hard working college stuwould certainly communicate a dent who genuinely needs that good reason to work. extra few dollars to pay for books, Increasing minimum wage gas up the car, or keep food in the
HOYLE
refrigerator would certainly benefit from the extra one dollar and seventy five cents per hour. It is time that we as college students, as the future of this great nation, survive in dormitories and off-campus housing with more to eat than Ramen Noodles, Hot Pocket and Capri Suns that we ration over the course of weeks. Simply put, working while trying to maintain academic responsibilities is virtually impossible. So, when we make the impossible happen, we should be afforded a fair share of the wealth. Raising N.C.’s minimum wage would also help nullify problems encouraged by tax dollars expended for federal assistance. In laymen’s terms, if citizens in a given community make more money, the need for the taxes that create financial assistance are no longer necessary. If N.C.’s minimum wage was changed to nine dollars per hour, there would be no need to send taxpayers’ dollars back to the bottom. The notion of paying less money on taxes for social pro-
grams actually plays directly into the hands of conservatives. The prospect of working for more than current minimum wages will present an incentive for people who do not work to get up and get a job. Nine dollars per hour does not sound bad at all. Working for a dollar twenty five more than what people currently work for would make it seem as if he or she was working instead of being worked. The bottom line is, some people choose to remain unemployed. Their earnings were so low that they felt no since of appreciation from their employers. Overall, a minimum wage set at nine dollars presents an incentive for the unemployed to work, and a way to spend less on taxes for social programs. No American should work full-time and not be afforded the luxury of living a financially sufficient lifestyle. -Email him at kdhoyle @aggies. ncat.edu and follow The A&T Register on Twitter @TheATRegister
Emmett Till reference shines bad light on Lil Wayne Justine Riddick
Copy Desk Chief
On Tuesday, one of my professors played “Karate Chop Remix” by Future featuring Lil Wayne to ignite our daily discussion. The song begins with Future rapping about drug use as if being drugged out is the coolest thing in the world. The song worsens when Wayne happily declares, “Bout to put rims on my skateboard wheels/ Beat [it] up like Emmett Till.” Granted, I do listen to mainstream hip-hop. But Lil Wayne is an artist I cut off long ago for his absurdly chauvinistic music. Despite how little I think of Lil Wayne, this song takes his ignorance to a completely different level. His decision to incorporate such a racially degrading lyric denotes a how little respect he has not only for Till, Till’s family, and the historical struggle of African Americans in America, but it
ultimately conveys how little respect Lil Wayne has for himself. What self-respecting man could so nonchalantly reference a boy brutally beaten to death for no legitimate reason as a comparison to sex? People are quick to jump to Lil Wayne’s defense as a lyricist, swearing how he so cleverly utilizes wordplay, but there is nothing clever about the line. Music such as “Karate Chop Remix” contributes to why so many people, outside of our immediate demographic, have a negative view of hip-hop overall. Mainstream hip-hop entertainers ruin the perception of their lesser-known counterparts. Big K.R.I.T, Talib Kweli, The Cool Kids, and Pacific Division, are all artists who do not make degrading African Americans the focal point of their music. Regardless of how disgusted I am by Lil Wayne’s clear detachment from the African American community, I can only be so surprised. I have come to expect
nothing but trash and foolishness from him. My frustration does not end with the lyric in itself. After listening to the song in class via Youtube, my professor scrolled down to the comments. One read, “I love Lil Wayne! His comment was rude but for all the people who still talking about it get over it! Like he isn’t the first artist to do something like this he’s still a good rapper.” All I can do is shake my head at this individual not only for her clearly blissful state of ignorance, but also at the thought of her ever procreating offspring who will likely be just as –for lack of a better term-stupid as she. To think that younger generations are growing up to this debauchery disguised as music disheartens me. I often find myself caught in a limbo between feeling hopeless about the state of our generation and thinking it will get better. I have never been one to hold entertainers, mainstream or not,
directly responsible for the influence their music may have on listeners. It is ultimately up to a child’s parents to instill certain morals within him or her. Upon reaching adulthood, it becomes an individual’s responsibility to make decisions regarding who he or she will become in life. However, artists must realize they serve as ambassadors for their generation. People outside the ages of 12-25 who listens to “Karate Chop Remix” will view the Emmett Till reference as representative of every African American youth. They will hear that lyric and presume we all live with that same simpleminded frame of thought even though all of us do not. Lil Wayne never should have made such a disrespectful lyric. Not only does it make him look like a fool, but it also serves as a poor representation of African American youth everywhere. -Email us at theatregister @gmail. com and follow The A&T Register on Twitter @TheATRegister
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.
theSCORE The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Olympian charged with murder GERALD IMRAY
Associated Press
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Oscar Pistorius’ agent has canceled all future track races so the doubleamputee Olympian can focus on the murder charge against him, underscoring the possibility the disabled sports icon might never again run competitively on his famous carbon fiber blades. Pistorius is defending himself against allegations he murdered his model girlfriend by shooting her several times in his upscale house on Valentine’s Day morning. Reeva Steenkamp died from gunshot wounds suffered inside Pistorius’ home in the predawn hours of Thursday. Pistorius was arrested and charged with her murder the same day. His family denies he murdered her. “I have decided that following these tragic events that we have no option but to cancel all
future races that Oscar Pistorius had been contracted to compete in,” agent Peet van Zyl said in a written statement late Sunday night. A few hours earlier, Van Zyl had visited his athlete at a police station in the South African capital, Pretoria, where he is being held in custody in a red-bricked, one-story building with green metal fencing. Pistorius has been there since Friday following the shocking developments at his villa in a gated community in Pretoria’s eastern suburbs where Steenkamp was shot dead. Her death and Pistorius’ arrest stunned South Africans, who revered Pistorius for his humble nature and success at overcoming adversity to become an international star, despite having his lower legs amputated as a baby. Pistorius still had “overwhelming support” from his fans, Van Zyl said as he left
Brooklyn police station, but the agent steered away from a question from a reporter on what Pistorius’ emotional state was now like following the death of his girlfriend and a possible realization that his entire career was in ruins. Pistorius’ sponsors — including big-name brands Nike and eyewear manufacturer Oakley — were also sticking by him, Van Zyl said. But that could depend on the outcome of a possibly lengthy murder trial. “Regarding sponsors and partners, I can confirm that at this point in time, all parties are supportive and their contractual commitments are maintained,” Van Zyl’s In Site Athlete Management company said. “They have said they are happy to let the legal process takes its course before making any change in their position.” The Beaverton, Ore-based Nike Inc. and Foothill Ranch, Calif.-based Oakley Inc. did
not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. Pistorius was quickly arrested and charged with murder Thursday, with prosecutors saying at his first court appearance a day later that they would pursue a more serious premeditated murder charge, which carries a life sentence. Pistorius broke down and wept in the court, with his face in his hands. His family later denied he murdered Steenkamp and said the state’s own evidence “strongly refutes” any possibility of a murder. “I am not going to comment on anything except that (what) is related to his athletics career at this point in time,” Van Zyl told reporters outside the police station after being asked how Pistorius was coping. “Obviously from a management side and also as a friend, it’s a tragic circumstance and events that have unfolded and we can only
give Oscar our support at this point in time.” Family members and his lawyers also visited Pistorius on Sunday, but declined comment both when they arrived and when they left the city center police station. The family of Steenkamp, a model, law graduate and budding reality TV star, told The Associated Press that her body had been released by police after an autopsy and was back in their hometown of Port Elizabeth on South Africa’s southern coast. “Reeva is back home,” the late model’s brother, Adam Steenkamp, told the AP by phone. He had flown back from Britain, where he now lives, to be with the family. They also said Steenkamp’s funeral would be held Tuesday and would be a private ceremony for family at a local crematorium. Media would not be allowed in.
Baseball opens season 2-1 meagan jordan
Register Reporter
The Aggies had a successful weekend coming out on top with two wins in a three game series against the Buffalo Bulls. The baseball team was able to win Friday’s games, but struggled to defeat the Bulls on Sunday. The Aggies led the way up until the top of the fifth inning when Buffalo scored four runs to take a 6-3 lead, just the second time Buffalo led in the entire series. The Aggies fought a good battle, but could not seem to hold off their opponent, despite Aggies’ senior pitcher Brent Moore leading the team with eight strikeouts. They lost the third game 10-6. “Overall two out of three at home to start the season is not bad,” said head coach Joel Sanchez. “We [would] get one here and they would get it back,” he said. “It was a back and forth battle and finally they ran out of time.” Shane Carter struck out the Bull’s Thomas Richards in the last inning and
7
AGGIES RUNDOWN MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM Norfolk State North Carolina Central Savannah State Delaware State Hampton North Carolina A&T Morgan State Bethune-Cookman Florida A&M Howard Maryland Eastern Shore Coppin State South Carolina State
CONF. 12-0 11-1 10-2 7-4 7-4 6-6 6-6 5-6 4-8 3-10 2-9 2-10 1-10
OVR. 17-10 18-8 16-10 12-13 10-14 13-14 9-14 10-16 7-19 6-21 2-20 5-22 5-19
UPCOMING GAMES: Saturday at N.C. Central 4 p.m. March 2 vs. S.C. State 4 p.m.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM Hampton Howard North Carolina A&T South Carolina State Bethune-Cookman Florida A&M Coppin State Morgan State Delaware State Maryland Eastern Shore Norfolk State Savannah State North Carolina Central
CONF. OVR. 11-0 20-5 10-3 16-9 9-3 17-8 7-4 15-7 6-5 11-12 6-5 9-15 7-6 11-15 6-7 9-17 5-6 8-16 3-8 7-15 3-9 5-18 2-9 7-17 1-11 1-24
UPCOMING GAMES: Saturday at N.C. Central 6 p.m. March 2 vs. S.C. State 2 p.m.
BASEBALL
had a game total of four strikeouts. “I think we did a good job this weekend,” the sophomore pitcher said. “We won two games. The last game we couldn’t pull it out, but we came out strong.” Sanchez looks to improve every weekend offensively and defensively. “[Sunday] we didn’t show offensively what we been working on we didn’t execute and we didn’t have the right approach at the plate.” “We can do a little better picking up signs and coming out with fire,” said Carter. Stefan Jordan led the Aggies with a series total of 5 RBIs and 25 putouts, and Josh Ganus added 5 strikeouts in the second game. The Aggies will play their fourth of nine consecutive home games against the Elon Phoenix today at 3 p.m.
CONF.
OVR.
Northern Maryland Eastern Shore Norfolk State Delaware State Coppin State
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
1-1 1-2 0-1 0-3
Southern North Carolina Central Savannah State North Carolina A&T Bethune-Cookman Florida A&M
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
2-0 3-1 2-1 0-4 0-4
TEAM
UPCOMING GAMES: Today vs. Elon 3 p.m. Thursday vs. Marshall 3 p.m.
softball UPCOMING GAMES: N.C. A&T Invitational Friday vs. St. Francis 1 p.m.
–Email Meagan at msjordan@aggies.ncat. edu and follow The Register on Twitter @TheATRegister Photo by CHRISTOPHER MARTIN • The A&T register
josh ganus pitches to Buffalo’s Mike Burke in the season opening series on February 15, 2013.
Saturday vs. Canisius 11 a.m. Saturday vs. UMES 3 p.m. Sunday vs. Manhattan College 11 a.m. Sunday Championship Game TBA
SWIMMING UPCOMING MEETS: Wednesday CCSA CHAMPIONSHIPS Athens, Ga.
tEnnis Saturday’s result A&T’s tennis team lost to Coastal Carolina 7-0. Shaunaise Perkins made her first appearance on the tennis court as a freshman.
Photo by CHRISTOPHER MARTIN • The A&T register
tyler boone pitches in the second game of the three game series against Buffalo on Friday, February 13, 2013.
Do you like sports? Do you want to see more variety on the sports page? Come to Contributors Meetings every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in GCB 328A.
Photo by CHRISTOPHER MARTIN • the a&T register
kelvin freeman attempts to put out Buffalo’s Alex Baldock at first base.
Dunk Contest less than legendary jerRell leeper Contributor
It has been a while since some people have looked forward to All-Star Weekend, specifically the Slam Dunk Contest. Over the last few years, the contest has fallen short of expectations. In the past, some of the NBA’s best players, such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dominique Wilkins, and Vince Carter, made the event worth watching. For sports fans, February is a highly-anticipated month with Superbowl Sunday and All-Star Weekend as the mar-
quee events. Not to mention, February is a great month for entertainment with the Grammys and the Oscars. However, recently, the Dunk Contest has lost flare and its power to entertain as it once did. “I had no urge to watch it unlike past years,” said Michael Wilson, 50, who grew up watching basketball, able to enjoy legendary dunk contests. “In years past, the excitement allowed me to stay up.” The contest is no longer taken seriously. Fans want to see amazing, but they are not getting their money’s worth. On Saturday night, there
were a couple of dunks, especially in the final round by Terrence Ross and Jeremy Evans, that caused some excitement, and although Drake was ecstatic about Ross winning the contest, the fans were not as enthused or in awe. Many fans were not satisfied with any of the candidates. “I was disappointed in James White not living up to expectation because I was rooting for him,” said Lawrence Smith, senior forward on A&T’s men’s basketball team. “The contest was weak because a lot of people missed their dunks.”
There have been rumors that the contest that has excited millions, the contest that has made children beg their parents to stay up late, the contest that can turn an average NBA player into an icon like Spud Webb, could in fact be cancelled. If the Dunk Contest continues without some of the league’s most popular players, the actual All-Star game could be the only event fans will have to look forward to. –Email Jerrell at jmleeper@aggies.ncat.edu and follow The Register on Twitter @TheATRegister
UPCOMING MATCHES: Saturday at Clinton S.C. 2 p.m. Wednesday vs. Gardener-Webb 2 p.m.
track & FIELD NEWS MEAC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS Landover, Md. Men Field events Marquis Noble, 3rd place in long jump Keenan Smith, 3rd place in triple jump Sprints Darryl Williams, 2nd place in 60-meter dash Torrance Womack, 3rd place in 200-meter dash Relays Distance Medley, 2nd place Women Field events Nakita Gray, 3rd place in high jump Sprints Jenea McCammon, 3rd place in 60meter hurdles Relays 1600 meter relay team, 3rd place Distance Medley relay team, 2nd place
w8 The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, February 20, 2013
#Trending Fashion Hotpicks
‘Love and Hip-Hop’: Bringing the heat to NY streets Necole JAckson Scene Editor
The A&T Register takes a look at all the great trends from Men’s Urban street wear.
Everyday should be Black History Month in your closet now that Nike has released its exclusive line for this special month. The motto for this classic line is “Be Bold. Be True.” Nike debuts several shoes and men’s wear pieces for everyday wear. The color scheme for this line is oragne, black, red and green. Several people served as inspiration to this line including Serena Williams and Kevin Durant. These athletes have already been spotted sporting pieces from this line. One hot item we are sure to see around campus is the Destroyer letter man jacket pictured above. Check out this jacket and more at nike.com
As the weather changed and the New Year approached, one show made its strut back to television. “Love and Hip-Hop” is known for bringing more drama then World Star videos. For season three, Mona Scott Young raised her standards and brought together an all-new cast with a few veterans back to New York City. The new cast includes Yandy Smith, Mandeecees Harris, Erica Mena, Rich Dollas, Jen the Pen, Consequence, Olivia, Joe Budden, Tahiry Jones, Raqi Thunda, Lore’l, Winter Ramos and Rashidah. Like every season of “Love and Hip Hop,” the bad boy of the group is rapper Joe Budden. Caught up between his friendships with Raqi, his ex Tahiry, and dating his new fling, Budden stirs the pot on the first episodes. Although his friendship with Raqi is dead, she has hope that they will reunite someday. “My friendship with Joe is sad because I wanted show that a hip hop artist can be friends with a girl and not be sleeping with her.” “However, reality shows are all about drama. Maybe next season we can mend our friendship.” Raqi like many of the other cast mates this season is not the typical cast mate. They actually have careers and jobs in the rap game. “I wanted to be on radio since I was a little child,” said Raqi. “I showed up at the radio station and called everyday to get a position with them. Lore’l or “L is Real” is also not your average cast mate. She is the only female rapper to be featured in the series.
“I started out singing and I felt like all of the girls were doing that,” said Lore’l. “People told me my voice is unique and I should rap. After many times writing verses, I improved and love it.” Even though this show is not scripted and these women are ambitious ladies, when put in situations, it is up to them on how they will handle them. Some situations have good results and others show us their real identities. “I feel like Erica is a disgrace and you see that,” said Lore’l talking about her character. After the argument that ended the questionable friendship, Lore’l perception of Erica is clear as day. “[She’s] a supposed single mom and she doesn’t take care of her kid.” “For her to be out there right now and use her platform to look crazy instead of good, I just don’t understand it.” “Viewers see that whether it be her drinking or bathroom trips to do undisclosed things, she is not to be trusted.” Another well-known controversy that brought the show more attention is Raqi’s racial altercation with Consequence’s girl, Jen. After bringing the housewife aboard for a business opportunity at a radio station, viewers see that both yearned for the spotlight and only one could obtain it. Raqi still regrets that decision on bringing her on. “Had I not been on a reality show, I would have never picked Jen to do a radio show with me,” said Raqi.” She is a taken care of woman, not a worker.” When discussing the situation on the show, Jen commented saying that she was white and could make it anywhere. This still rubs Raqi the wrong way.
Kourtney Pope
The “Beyhive” buzzed in anticipation Saturday night for the premier of Beyonce’s HBO documentary “Life is But a Dream.” Timelines and newsfeeds flooded with anxious fans predicting what was to be expected. From Twitter, @ DeeDeeJae said, “who else has the power to make all of us stay in the Beyonce house on a Saturday Carter night when we could be somewhere pregaming?” Also from Twitter, @shortsNstilettos tweeted, “Ready for BEYONCE!!! #LifeIsButADream.” Would viewers see the baby bump up close? Is she finally going to open up about Jay and their relationship? Is this just going to be a publicity stunt to promote an upcoming album? In the end, Queen Bey de-
20
Questions
livered. It was the personal videos that were included in the film that made Beyonce` feel obtainable to her fans. Family footage of her with her sister Solange Knowles and Kelly Rowland bouncing and singing made her seem like one of the girls. Even hearing her accidently curse every once in a while humanized her. This documentary gave a better understanding of this multifaceted woman. Seeing Beyonce` in a more personal light took her down from the pedestal many of her “stans” put her on. Some of the most surprising aspects of this film included shots Beyonce` she filmed herself. Perhaps the most anticipated was of her in the bathroom examining her newly visible baby bump. Fans also got to hear Beyonce` open up about the miscarriage of her first child for the first time. Raw emotion and depth was expressed throughout the entire documentary. An even more touching was the footage revealing interactions between Mrs. Carter and
“Who else has the power to make all of us stay in the house on a Saturday night..” @DeeDeejae
“Life is but a Dream” her husband. The documentary showed a private dinner for Jay-Z’s birthday in 2006. Surrounded by family and friends, Beyonce` poured out emotions of love and gratitude to her husband. It is these private moments that solidify the love these two shares and makes their relationship more real. Viewers get to see Beyonce` come into her own as an independent businesswoman. Many can remember the split she made in 2012 from her father, Matthew Knowles, as her manager. Intimate couch interviews revealed her true feelings on the split. With this newfound power, Beyonce` was able to take hold of her brand and clear her own path. Her fans get to see the work and dedication it takes to main-
Feb. 20 to 26 The A&T Register’s guide to what’s going this week in arts and entertainment.
on screen
Photo Credit by VH1 Winter Ramos poses from the “Love and Hip Hop” promotional pictures. “I am a woman of color and I hustled to get to where I am today.” “People say that antagonized her or pushed her, but a lot of what she said was edited.” Some cast mates that try to steer away from the drama and see themselves in a positive light. Winter, in particular, found herself playing the relationship guru while watching herself on the show. “Because of the editing and the format of the show, I am seen as the relationship expert and this is not me all the time.” But who needs the show to bring the her own heat. Winter has released news about a tell all book that is being compared to Superhead’s book. What’s the difference between her and the modern day
scarlet letter? “I have a lot of work experience and never shook my [behind] for anything,” said Winter. “Once you read the book and compare me to her, you will see.” With talking to few of the ladies from Love and Hip Hop, two thing are certain. No rules apply and leave expectations at the door. Cast mates may come on set one way, but editing and Mona can lead you to look another. As Erica flips her hair through the club, Jen flaunts her never struggling skin color and Tahiry sips drinks with Budden, we know that these ladies will never win drama’s game. Check out season three of “Love and Hip Hop” Mondays on VH1 at 8 p.m.
Beyonce` shows fans her life is more than just a dream Register Reporter
hotlist
thescene
tain the empire she has built. She was even quoted in saying, “To whom much is given, much is required.” Just when you thought the emotional ride was over, fans got to see Beyonce` take on a completely new role in her life. Witnessing Beyonce` as a new mother was probably the most profound part of this film. After all the speculations, viewers caught a glimpse of the infamous Blue Ivy Carter. The look of euphoria on Beyoncé’s face as she coddles her child brings her to life. After what we discovered about her struggle with her miscarriage, it is easy to understand the effort she put into protecting her pregnancy and her then unborn child. Overall, HBO did a wonderful job of capturing the true woman behind the brand. Fans got to see her as a human being and a woman instead of a voice or a product. There is no longer any confusion between Sasha Fierce and Beyonce` in this film. All the moments captured were truly Mrs. Carter. Even more touching is the message left by this film. Beyoncé’s moments of clarity and sound advice could easily be
applied to anyone’s goals and aspirations. After seeing this documentary, you will be left inspired. Beyonce` is much more than a face. She is a mother, a daughter, a wife, an empire, but most of all, a newly complete woman. - the atregister@gmail.com and follow @ATRegister on Twitter.
Beyonce ‘s Press Play & Pause
u
press pLAY
I miss you This song was mostly played on “Life is but a Dream” and we still can’t get enough of it.
II
press pause
Dance for you This album has been out for two years and this is still is over played on the radio. Don’t ruin it!
1. Who woke up at the hotel across the street for Lovers and Friends (cough, cough)? 2. Which side joints just got taken out for Valentine’s day? 3. Do you feel special? 4. So whose tuition paid for the new shuttle bus? 5. Is that more important than redoing the road on Bluford Street? 6. Have we been mean this semester? 7. Do you think we really care? 8. How many thirsty people contacted the eligible Aggies in last week’s paper? 9. Are you thirsty or are they thirsty for subjecting themselves? 10. When is Aggie Fest? 11. Will it be wack? 12. Or will it be wack? 13. Are those lame Iotas going to host the stroll off again? 14. Will the twerkers be making a surprise appearance for this grand occasion? 15. Does wearing suits everyday make you official for your position on campus? 16. Do you still think Beyonce` didn’t have her baby? 17. If you said yes, do you believe in the Easter bunny too? 18. Who started from the bottom now they’re here? 19. Is your whole team here in college too? 20. Are you convinced that Wayne takes molly on a regular basis?
Snitch starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shows what a caring and loving father would go through to save his son’s life. An attorney, played by Susan Sarandon, gives Johnson a deal to save his son after being falsely accused and convicted for a drug charge. He must go undercover and expose an infamous drug lord. By taking this deal, Johnson’s character is risking his life to protect the one he loves. This movie will keep viewers on the edge of their seats debuting Feb. 22.
on shelves Dead Game, Emily Stone’s new series, is a great thriller to keep viewers company through the winter. A twisted killer target video gamers and Lopez and Stone decide to take on the case. They soon enter a world they find to be unbelievable and ultimately become targets themselves. Will they make it out alive?
on tv Smash makes its way back on TV this week bringing all the music, love and drama. Starring former American Idol contestants Katherine McPhee and Jennifer Hudson along with Debra Messing, this grown and sexy “Glee” will have viewers wishing they were a part of this show. Check out second season on NBC Tuesdays at 10 p.m.
Come be a part of theScene Contributors Meetings Wednesday 5 p.m. GCB 328