February 12, 2014

What do you plan to do for Valentine’s Day? See what Meagan Jordan has to say about the day some people dread on p. 6

SEX AND ‘THE T’

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REGISTER volume lXXXVII No. 15

february 12, 2014

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English student presents for scholarship karmen robinson Editor-in-Chief

Kashian Scrivens travelled to Princeton, N.J. to deliver a presentation entitled Just Like Music: Using Hip-Hop As A Means to Understand Poetry.

He is one of eight students to receive the ETS Presidential Scholarship for HBCU Students, which pays each winner’s tuition for the entire academic school year. One of the terms of accepting the

scholarship required the is scholarship in students to give an oral hip-hop despite presentation on a topic the fact that it is a related to their field of heavily criticized study at the Educational genre of music,” Testing Service’s headhe said. quarters in Princeton.

He presented Scrivens, a senior in front of ETS English student with a members and concentration in African- Scrivens Princeton repreAmerican studies, chose sentatives as well to explain the correlation as college and between hip-hop music and high school students. poetry.

“His presentation was re“I wanted to show that there ally exceptional. It was clear

that he had such a command and knowledge of his subject,” said Lenora Green, senior director of the ETS Center for Advocacy and Philanthropy.

“These scholars are truly tomorrow’s leaders. I believe that it is important for people to know that this is the caliber of students that HBCUs are producing.”

ETS is a nonprofit organization that administers and scores tests including the GRE, SAT, PSAT, and many others,

and according to Green, it has collaborated with HBCUs for 30 years.

This is the 6th year this scholarship has been awarded to students. Green explained that an external committee selected the winners based on their GPA, campus leadership, and community service among other areas.

Hope Jackson, an A&T English professor received u See SCRIVENS on Page 2

Historically Black: Closed Underfunded or

LACI OLLISON

Register Reporter

Founded in 1837 as the Institute for Colored Youth, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is known as the first institution of higher learning for African-Americans. Today, the university is still functioning and offers baccalaureate degrees in over 30 disciplines and master’s degrees in education.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for many Historically Black Colleges and University. Some HBCUs have closed their doors over the years due to a decline in enrollment and proper funding.

According to a study conducted by the United Negro College Fund, HBCUs make up just 3 percent of the nation’s colleges and universities, but produce 50 percent of Black public school teachers, 80 percent of Black judges and 40 percent of bachelor’s degrees awarded to Black students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. For more than 175 years, historically black colleges and universities have served the Black community. Although they offer rich culture and history along with strong academic programs, they still struggle financially.

Last fall, as many colleges reopened their campuses to new and returning students, one university remained silent. In the old colonial town of Lawrenceville, Va., St. Paul’s College shut its doors after over a century of operation. At its closing, the historic college only had 111 students enrolled.

The closing of St. Paul’s College comes as a wakeup call to many HBCUs. The news of this university closing came around the same time that a Howard University board member wrote a letter about the financial state of Howard, gaining much public attention. In her letter to her fellow trustees, Renee Higginbotham-Brooks warned that Howard University would not be around in three years if “we don’t make some crucial decisions now.”

54 private schools Financial issues are also taking over the campus of A&T’s neighbor, Bennett College for Women. On Nov. 22, Bennett announced that it would be forced to close one of its dorms and lay off nine of approximately 200 staff members to bridge a budget gap of $2.9 million.

So, what about A&T? According to Akua Matherson, the financial state of the university is “quite solid.”

“While we have faltered on our enrollment over the last few years, we have offset this with budget reductions and realignments,” Matherson explained. Matherson is A&T’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, and formerly served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Budget and Planning for 14 years.

“As a constituent institution of the state of North Carolina, we must remain in strong financial health each year when we close the current

51 public schools budget year. We have increased overall our endowments and interest income funding in support of the total University. This is what allows us to increase the amount of scholarships and other aid that we grant to students.”

According to Matherson, A&T is financially stable. “These are tough economic times and A&T like most organizations has had to realign itself to streamline and become much more efficient in its operation and use of resources. This has translated as cuts to programs, cuts in personnel and overall reduced expenditures for some activities.

But these strategic decisions are what make the University financially stable. We are not continuing to spend and allocate resources where we don’t have them or on programs that will not yield positive benefits.”

The 2012 financial report also noted that the university will continue to look for financial resources

14 closed schools to supplement state appropriations and help maintain the level of services required for academic support functions, financial aid needs, and research activities.

“A lot of people give back to their schools. It’s how most of schools stay in operation,” said Wesley Morris, an A&T alumni who has done research on the state of HBCUs. “But we also have to hold our elected officials accountable for the type of policies they put in place. I do think that HBCUs are important tools in our African-American communities as far as giving back and growing our students academically, socially and spiritually.”

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed Executive Order 12232, which established a federal program “to overcome the effects of discriminatory treatment and to strengthen u See HBCU on Page 2

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

Some universities specifically track graduates in order to know how successful their jobs are.

See what black males on A&T’s campus have to say about Valentine’s Day.

Silver takes over the NBA and picks up where David Stern left off.

This week theSCENE examines the lack of diversity at New York Fashion Week.

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Wednesday

PAGE 7

Valentine’s Day treat for departments ZIRIS SAVAGE

Register Reporter

The Aggie Opus Old School Boys will be making this Valentine’s Day a little more special for 10 of N. C. A&T’s departments.

A partnership with WNAA-FM 90.1 has decided to treat 10 lucky departments with an old-school serenade by the Aggie Opus Old School Boys.

Arthur Stewart, James Griffin, Robert Melvin, and John Wilson make up the group.

This four-part assembly of men, three of them staff members at A&T, all stemmed from a group that started back in 2007.

Stewart and Griffin founded the Aggie Opus Project as a way to raise scholarship and community service for students. In the first three years of its founding, the group performed 21 times.

This Valentine’s Day, the performances will be made to keep the campus “happy.” As Griffin said, “We want to appreciate where we work and have fun.”

Though they call themselves boys, they sing the R&B love ballads of the old school’s finest talents. Singing the songs of Luther Vandross and Midnight Star, the Aggie Opus Old School Boys’s hope is to “lift the morale for the campus through song.

To receive a sweet melody from the group, the process is pretty simple. All students, faculty, or staff have to do is email the radio station with a brief explanation as to why their desired department should receive a special musical treat. Make sure the email specifies the department location, email address, and a contact number.

After review of the submissions, the Aggie Opus Old School Boys will sing to 10 departments on Valentines Day. As a bonus, all submitted entries are eligible to be selected as the one winner of a pair of Rickey Smiley Valentine’s Day Comedy Show tickets.

The winner of the tickets will be announced at noon today and will also be posted on the station’s website.

D. Cherie’ Loftin, operations manager of the WNAA radio station said the partnership was a great idea.

“In today’s society, people go through so much. When these guys can go singing to show that they care, it can really make a difference.”

For their upcoming performances, the Old School Boys have only practiced once. They aren’t worried, though. These men grew up in the time of the music they sing.

When asked why they sing, Arthur Stewart said it best.

“All of us have one thing in common: when we sing, the greatest joy we get is the transformation of a woman going from a frown to a smile.”

To get your entry in, please email wnaafm@ncat.edu and visit the station’s website at wnaa-online.ncat. edu.

—Email Ziris at zasavage@aggies.ncat. edu and follow The Register on Twitter @TheATRegister

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, February 12, 2014

SCRIVENS From page 1

inFOCUS

Photo by symone’ austin • The A&T Register photo editor

unsung heroes Maurice Townsend speaks at the Unsung Heroes Luncheon on Friday, Jan. 31. He along with three other students were selected to receive recognition.

The A&T Register is NOW accepting applications for Reporters Photographers Copy editors until Feb. 28 @ 5 p.m. stop by GCB A328 to apply.

an email from ETS about the scholarship and notified Scrivens. He was the first person she thought of when she read the requirements and was aware that he was looking for additional funding and academic support.

Scrivens was forced to support himself and take on more financial responsibilities after his father passed away just a month after he began his freshman year.

“My sophomore and junior year I didn’t have enough money to stay in school. I remember getting letters that said if the money wasn’t paid, then I’d have to leave.”

He was leaving work on a summer night when he read the email from ETS on his cell phone that said he would be receiving the scholarship. “As soon as I opened it, my eyes went straight to congratulations,” the Newark, NJ native said. “I bawled. It was a sigh of relief.”

Jackson was one of the first people Scrivens called when he found out. “When they sent him an email, he called me just emotional like ‘I can’t believe this is happening.’”

Jackson is his academic adviser and also taught him last year in her African-American

hbcu From page 1 and expand the capacity of historically black colleges and universities to provide quality education.”

Today, The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities works to connect the Initiative to the resources inside the federal government to maximize the benefits to HBCUs. President Obama currently has a 2020 goal which requires the nation to have 8 million more graduates between now and 2020; 2 million of these graduates being African Americans, and of that 2 million, an extra 167,000 students must graduate from HBCUs. “I think that HBCUs have

film and culture class.

Initially, Scrivens was skeptical about applying.

Students were required to have a minimum GPA of 3.5 as well as a letter of recommendation from their school’s president. Scrivens, who has a 3.67 GPA, was only concerned about the letter.

“I didn’t think I would get the scholarship, and I also didn’t think he would write me a recommendation because he didn’t know me personally,” Scrivens said.

Despite his concern, he met Chancellor Harold L. Martin and began to follow up with him, and sure enough, the chancellor gladly wrote him a letter of recommendation.

“I’m thrilled that Kashian Scrivens received the ETS Presidential Scholarship. His commitment to excellence and academic achievement have indeed prepared him for scholarly success,” Martin said. “I admire him for his high standards and strong work ethic. Students like Kashian consistently set the bar high.”

Scrivens is the third A&T student to receive the scholarship.

—Email Karmen at klrobin2@ aggies.ncat.edu and follow her on Twitter @KarmenLRobinson

events

2

wednesday

12

State of the Black Union Proctor Auditorium 6:30 p.m.

NAACP Founders Program Merrick Auditorium 7 p.m.

THURSday

13

Parking Forum

Williams Dining Hall 6 p.m.

a bright future.” Morris said.

“We have excellent students, faculty and alumni. However, it’s frightening that our schools might not be here and the opportunities that they provide are being jeopardized.”

Although Matherson reassured the A&T community that there is no need to worry about the future of the university, she did however warn of future precautionary measures and explained that people should be prepared for any necessary adjustments that the university must make in order for A&T to progress during challenging economic times.

—Email Laci at lkolliso@aggies. ncat.edu and follow The Register on Twitter @TheATRegister

VERGE VDAY Program Merrick Auditorium 7 p.m.

SATURday

15

Blue & Gold Drill Classic Corbett Sports Center 8 a.m.

Blue & Gold Cookout Campbell Lawn 10 a.m.

MONday

Resume Building

17

Proctor Auditorium 5:30 p.m.

Black Girls Rock

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Carver Hall, Rm 104 6:30 p.m.

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Barbee Hall Drug Violation/ Poss-Con Weapon Closed 11:50 pm Pride Hall Disturbing the Peace Prosecution Declined February 10 4:15 pm Ward Hall Service of Warrants Closed 11:24 p.m.

Aggie Village 3 Drug Violation/ Drug Paraphernalia Closed

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DAYTON, Ohio — College students invest years and potentially thousands of dollars into their education, so more of them are asking an important question: Will this degree lead to a job?

Amid horror stories of unemployed or underemployed recent college graduates and crushing student loan debt, colleges and universities have turned more attention to answering that question with hard data to prove their alumni are finding work.

“What’s most important is that we can answer the questions with documented data that are always top of mind for parents and students, and increasingly government,” said Mike Goldman, director of career services at Miami University in Ohio.

“When I graduate, will I get a job? Will I get into graduate school or professional school?

Will I be able to pay off my student loans, if I have any?”

Miami went further this year than ever to track down their recent graduates, and found 91 percent of them were employed or in graduate school, and nearly one-third had a starting salary between $50,000 and $60,000.

The University of Dayton and Wittenberg University, in Ohio, are even more candid: they share graduates’ job titles and employers whether a student used their political science major to become a campaign manager or ended up a barista with an international studies degree.

“We believe in transparency,” said Jason Eckert, director of career services at the University of Dayton.

“It’s to our advantage if our students are doing well to talk about those things,” he said.

“Clearly you’re going to see some examples that weren’t tremendous ... but I’d rather be transparent.”

For now, colleges are not required to report the types of jobs or salaries of new alumni, but the federal government is ask-

ing for more information.

The average earning of graduates who borrowed federal student loans will soon be added to the College Scorecard.

“There is a push nationally for colleges to become more and more accountable for the outcomes of graduates,” Eckert said. “Part of that has to do with the really sincere problem of college student debt. Students are increasingly asking. ‘What is the return on investment?’”

Americans owe more than $1 trillion in student loans, and Ohio’s graduates in 2012 who borrowed took out an average $29,000, according to the Project on Student Debt.

Samantha Luebbers, who graduates from Miami in May with a double major in biomedical and mechanical engineering, already accepted a job offer from a company she met during a campus career fair. She said Miami’s 91 percent success rate is reassuring to students.

“It’s really important because you go to school to get a job,” the Cincinnati native said. “A lot of undergraduates are worried about the market right now, so when you see something like that, it’s really comforting because you think you have a shot.”

Miami found 3.4 percent of recent graduates were unemployed by fall 2013 if they graduated between August 2012 and May 2013.

“We can clearly demonstrate to parents and students, and the government, that there’s a return on investment in a Miami education,” Goldman said. “A very high percentage of our students are working in their major, the starting salaries are extremely competitive ... so we’re fulfilling that responsibility.”

It can be difficult to track students after they leave campus, the colleges say.

Only 40 percent of University of Dayton graduates had responded to a survey when the school started making phone calls about it, Eckert said. Eventually, they found 96 percent of

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students were either working, in graduate school or in a service program within six months of graduating in spring or summer 2013.

Nationally, 87 percent of graduates from 2011 were employed or in graduate school six months after graduation, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. About 59 percent were employed six to eight months after graduation, according to NACE. Eckert said those graduates who do not have a job when contacted can receive help from the university.

It’s difficult to compare the success rates of different schools because some, such as Dayton, survey students six months after graduation while others, such as Wittenberg, do so after one year.

Nearly 98 percent of Wittenberg graduates from the class 0f 2012 were working full-time, enrolled in graduate school or were “voluntarily unemployed.”

“It helps to sell the academic programs,” said Wendy Smiseck, director of career services at Wittenberg. “It helps to sell the viability of the degree that student is getting.”

Ohio’s Cedarville University plans to join Wittenberg and Dayton to post the job titles and employers of graduates, said Jeff Reep, director of career services. He noted that many schools just “have brochures with their five or six super stars.”

He said Cedarville also points to other measures to show prospective students its value, including its 0.8 percent student loan default rate.

Wright State University in Dayton plans to put more resources toward tracking graduates. The university currently surveys students at graduation before some even begin their job search, said Joe Slater, interim associate vice president for career and workforce development.

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Cuts to be made in Brazil’s poverty KEVIN G. HALL

MCT Campus

WASHINGTON —Brazil is confronting numerous challenges this year, from international investors fleeing developing nations to the slowing economy in China _ a major trade partner _ to local protests over Brazil’s preparations to host the World Cup in June.

None of that fazes Tereza Campello. She’s Brazil’s social development minister and an architect of the country’s much-

praised decadelong program to eradicate extreme poverty, called Bolsa Familia, or Family Allowance. The cash transfer program pays the rural and urban poor small sums in exchange for their keeping kids in school and receiving government health services. Dropout rates and infant mortality have declined sharply as a consequence.

Campello is part of a small group that converted a leftist party into Brazil’s mainstream Workers Party, which has won

the last three presidential elections. She met with McClatchy recently, and evidence of her status was clear when she interrupted an interview briefly to take a call on her cellphone. It was Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s president.

Campello fielded a wide range of questions about South America’s largest economy.

Here are her answers, edited from the original Portuguese for brevity.

Q: Here in the United States, income inequality is a big issue.

In Brazil, you’ve narrowed this gap?

A: The reduction of income inequality that’s existed forever in Brazil happened in a short period. Ten years is not sufficient to eliminate 500 years of inequality, but we will not need 500 years for this to occur. (As one example, she cited Brazil’s minimum wage, which has increased 72 percent above the rate of inflation since the spring of 2002.)

Q: Is economic growth the reason for this narrowing of the

Russian ceremony brings frustrations BARBARA BARRETT MCT Campus

SOCHI, Russia — For hundreds of visitors to Adler district’s Leisure Park on Friday night, the live presentation of the Olympics’ opening ceremony almost didn’t happen.

That’s because at first, police weren’t letting many people in.

Spectators, many of them wearing badges showing they were volunteers or tourists with tickets to coming events, crowded against a makeshift fence or, exasperated, walked away angrily.

“Why can’t we go in? This is Russia, that’s why,” one woman said.

A man yelled out, “Sochi doesn’t want the Olympics anymore!”

It turned out, according to one of the officers, that there weren’t enough police to work the metal detectors at all four entrances, just another example of the ongoing problems faced with the 2014 Winter Olympics.

But eventually, with patience, those who wanted in, got in. They didn’t fill the outdoor park, but several hundred waved flags and cheered for their country’s big moment as the ceremony was broadcast live on a giant screen.

When Team Russia stepped

out onto the stadium floor, the crowd roared.

When the Russian ballet danced to Tchaikovsky, they gasped. They cheered at the representation of the Statue of Minin and Pozharsky in Red Square. And when the Soviet hammer and sickle appeared, some sang in unison to the old anthems.

“This is very beautiful,” said Arkadiy Petrosyan, a 15-yearold from Adler who said he and some of his classmates were chosen to participate in the closing ceremony in two weeks.

“Oh, it’s very great.”

Small children, bundled in snowsuits, sat on their parents’

shoulders or pulled on cotton candy.

There were carnival games, though no one played. Adults stamped their feet as they jostled for hot tea. Many in the crowd wore knit hats with “Sochi” stitched on the side.

Sergey Kornierko, waving a Russian flag through much of the ceremony, said he had been worried about whether everything would come together.

He worked for one of the companies that helped build parts of Olympic Park using recycled materials.

He is happy, he said, with how it turned out.

Mexican woman births outside hospital TIM JOHNSON

MCT Campus

HUAJUAPAN DE LEON, Mexico — The pangs were quickening when Nancy Salazar Lopez arrived at a hospital in the remote city of Huajuapan de Leon in Oaxaca one recent Sunday. She felt her baby was coming.

But doctors did a cursory check and said she wasn’t ready. They asked her to return in a few hours. She did, again and again. They kept turning her away, the last time after her water had already broken and

blood dribbled down her legs.

“They said there weren’t enough doctors,” said Salazar’s mother, Jesus Ofelia Lopez Cisneros, a 47-year-old ethnic Mazatec, one of 15 major indigenous groups that live in the southern Mexican state.

Her daughter gave birth that evening on the hospital’s concrete steps, unable to gain entry.

As the birth took place, a crowd gathered. The father swaddled the newborn in a cloth. A physician emerged after more than five minutes.

“They were shouting at him.

They said he was an idiot, that he should help her,” Lopez said. The physician asked for forceps to clip the umbilical cord. A second doctor emerged and helped lift the mother onto a gurney.

The birth of Salazar’s child Jan. 26 on the periphery of the main state hospital here is far from unusual. Seven times since mid-2013, women have given birth on the lawns or steps of hospitals or health clinics in the states of Oaxaca and Puebla. The cases are known largely because bystanders

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snapped photos or took videos, and later posted images on the Internet.

The cases almost always involve darker-skinned women _ mostly indigenous, as Mexico’s native groups are known _ and they’ve laid bare the discrimination that some patients say underlies Mexico’s health-care system. A cardboard sign taped to the wall outside the General Hospital here says, “Enough of racism!” But the cases also expose shortcomings in policies that have swamped hospitals with routine pregnancies.

1/30/14 9:56 AM

income gap?

A: Brazil grew in some periods at very high rates: the 1960s, the sugarcane cycle, the gold cycle, the coffee cycle. We had growth at scandalous rates, and never in our history managed to grow and lower inequality. This had never been done, and it did not happen because of growth.

Reducing inequality requires political decisions.

Q: Investors have been leaving Brazil and other emerging markets. Is this going to force budget cuts, particularly on so-

cial programs?

A: We have made a strong decision that social areas will not be cut. I think the message that Brazil brings to the world is that notwithstanding an international crisis, the option of cutting social spending and reducing protection (for the poorest) never led us to growth. ...

A decision to cut spending on the poorest, in our opinion, only leads us deeper into problems. It is not a sustainable decision, or one for the short-term either.

Turkish protestors clash over Internet MCT Campus

ISTANBUL — Demonstrations against a restrictive new Internet law grew violent Saturday night, as hundreds of protestors clashed with police near Istanbul’s main Taksim Square.

Anti-government demonstrators, who erected barricades near the square, battled police with rocks and fireworks. Police fought back with water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets.

Protestors set up barricades near the square, on a street between two hospitals. There were reports of numerous ambulances in the area, as well as many arrests. One press photographer was reported to be injured, and many money machines vandalized.

Opposition groups had called for a rally in Taksim

Square to denounce the Internet law, but Police closed off the square. Thousands of demonstrators chanted for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to step down.

On Thursday night the Turkish parliament approved amendments to its Internet regulations that allow the government to block websites without a court order and mandate Internet service providers to store data for up to two years.

The law must still be signed by President Abdullah Gul. The European Union criticized Turkey for introducing tighter Internet controls, urging a revision to comply with standards in the bloc that Ankara hopes to join.

The Internet law would compound a dismal record on press freedom.

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Middle-class kids affected by student loan crisis LOS ANGELES TIMES MCT Campus

Last October, in between arguments over the debt ceiling, the federal government somehow found time to send me an email. My student loan payment was 70 days past due, the message read, so the government had negatively reported me to each major credit bureau and would continue to report me until my account was brought current.

I’m betting the government sent out a lot of those letters to people like me: college graduates from middle-class families who didn’t qualify for much in the way of scholarship aid and had parents who couldn’t afford

to pay for their schooling.

Research published last month in the journal Sociology of Education shows that students from middle-class families are bearing the brunt of the student loan crisis.

Jason Houle, a sociologist at Dartmouth College, analyzed the student loan debt of about 9,000 men and women, focusing on how socioeconomics, including family income and parents’ educational background, influenced student debt.

What he found was that young adults from the socioeconomic top-tier tended to be safeguarded from debt because their parents had more accurately anticipated college costs, did more financial planning

SEX AND ‘THE T’ Redesigning the meaning of Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day, a day that was designed to recognize the one you love has been a dreadful experience for many single girls such as myself. A day meant for an overall celebration of love and happiness for all has been monopolized by society, concluding that one must have a significant other in order to enjoy the day.

As a single person, I have experienced the process in which one subconsciously thinks of the possibility of getting a card that reads “from your secret admirer” or MEAGAN an “I will always love you.” When your JORDAN subconscious is wrong, you create a plan B. Plan B usually consists of pampering yourself with the necessities that you would want your lover to do.

These activities are followed by the stereotypical activity of eating a tub of ice cream and watching the “Notebook.”

From the time of grade school when everyone’s mother went out and purchased the 24-pack of Valentine’s Day cards to pass out in class, I have been anticipating a secret letter that read, “ From your Secret Admirer.” Of course that did not happen! The closest thing to a Valentine that I have ever experienced was my freshman year in high school. At lunch, my friends got three guys to each give me a dollar because I was the only “loser” without a boyfriend. I was without a boyfriend still but I was three dollars richer so I guess that was cool! Now that I look back on it, was being single on Valentines Day a result of needing charity?

My junior year of high school is when I realized that I officially hated Valentine’s Day. It was after I made a homemade card to the best of my non-artistic abilities for my high school “boo” and at the end of the card I wrote: “Be my Novio?” (Boyfriend) like the Spanish champ I was. Not only did my card fall apart by the time I gave it to him, but he ate the candy that was attached and told me “no” in English.

Although we all have different Valentine’s Day tragedies, I am sure some of us can relate to feeling rejected. I am not saying that every woman needs or desires to have a valentine but we certainly would not be upset if a person who we were interested in took the initiative to pursue us.

Last year, I just knew I was over the idea of a valentine.

I wrote an article about fun and quirky things to do as a couple and as a single. As a current single woman, I planned to implement my teachings. After hours of waiting, I figured my surprise valentine should have come, but he did not. Since I was alone, I decided to make myself dinner, took the hottest bubble bath of my life, and curled in bed and listened to Shirley Murdock come clean about her affair in “As We Lay.” Yeah, I was definitely over it. The point was to “pamper” myself but I was doing the exact plans that I secretly daydreamed of “my man” doing, which only caused me to dwell on how lonely I felt. I concluded that my issue, as well as a lot of females that I have conversed with was confidence. I did not have enough confidence to accept me and be comfortable with the idea of being by myself. Who said Valentine’s Day required a boyfriend or male figure?

Over the past year I have learned a valuable lesson; selflove and confidence is the most important thing in any relationship. The first relationship you should be eager to get in is the one with yourself. If you do not have balance in with yourself first other people will either not be enough or will be overbearing.

The overall point to Valentine’s Day was to show appreciation and gratitude to the one or ones you love. Although society has created a stereotype that Valentine’s Day was only designed for couples to celebrate, it is time to redesign the overall meaning.

I encourage all my single folk who can relate to the feeling of neglect on this day to redesign the meaning of Valentine’s Day to fit their wants and needs. Do something you love and enjoy doing whether it is giving back to your community or indulging yourself into your favorite hobby. If you want to go out and have fun, do so! Plan a gathering for singles only and network. If you do something exhilarating and fun your confidence is bound to explode. But whatever you do, do not throw a pity party for you and your miserable friends. Misery loves company and the two together are not cute. After all no one can boost your confidence and love you better than you.

—Email Meagan at theregister@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @itsme_agannn

for college and contributed more money to their children’s education. Students from lowincome families had access to financial aid other than loans.

Students from middle-income families, meanwhile, took on far more debt than their lowerand higher-income peers.

A big part of the problem, of course, is that college is just too expensive. The Delta Cost Project at American Institutes for Research examined rising college costs and concluded that, in recent years, a combination of state funding cuts, overspending by research universities and decreased donations have led to tuition spikes at both public and private schools.

And middle-class families often

earn too much to qualify for financial aid or federal grant money, which has dried up.

Borrowing, and borrowing too much, can feel like the only choice.

In August, President Obama announced that over the next 18 months, the Department of Education will create value-based college rankings that should make it easier for all students to avoid excessive debt. B“The greatest irresponsibility is on the part of government and schools,” said Anthony Carnevale, director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce.

Getting a car loan, for example, requires proof of income. Not so with student loans. And too

many students have little idea what kind of earnings they can expect from a particular field of study, and so take on debt they may not be able to repay when the time comes.

And schools know what they are doing, to some extent. A survey by Inside Higher Ed and Gallup, published in October, touches on a range of student debt issues, including how much student debt universities consider reasonable. (A lot.)

But the most interesting finding concerns “gapping” the practice of admitting students to college without providing enough aid for them to enroll.

Private colleges are 27 percent more likely to practice gapping than public colleges, but both

do it. Troublingly, 53 percent of public college directors said gapping was ethical, along with 74 percent of private college directors.

As a result, many students new to managing finances are left alone to decide whether to take out loans, and later, with the consequences of being stuck in deep financial holes.

Considering how close the government came to defaulting, politicians should be able to relate to the plight of those with delinquent student loans. They, and schools, can take a first step by acknowledging their role in the student loan crisis.

They can sit in the hole with us for a while.

Do students know the importance of our institution’s history?

DEVIN MCALLISTER Contributor

We have now entered another Black History Month.

Usually, this month is full of campus programs, students studying iconic figures, and tweets full of black history facts.

Unfortunately, these activities usually last no longer than two weeks. As Aggies, this is a time where we can critically analyze our history as a college and also our current condition as an institute.

We all know that our homecoming is well known and the engineering field is thriving—but what else does our campus have to offer, and what type of legacy do we truly possess?

I am sure both questions would vary depending on who you ask. In November, The Black History Club stood

behind the Student Union and asked students if they knew who Willie Grimes was, and how he lost his life.

The majority of the students either did not know who he was, or did not realize there was a statue commemorating his life right in front of them.

Black History Club E-Board member, Masu Fahnbulleh, says “I think the question we need to ask ourselves is as a black historical institute, have we failed in teaching all forms of black excellence that our campus has encountered?”

In 1969, there was a three day confrontation between A&T students, and the Greensboro Police Department and over 600 National Guardsmen.

This is a part of our history that may not be “pleasant,” but is important for students to know.

Struggles like these show that Aggies have always fought

back in more ways than one— and the fact that many students say that they are unfamiliar with the name “Willie Grimes” is alarming.

While A&T is moving towards a transition as an institution, it is important that we clench on to our history, and are able to reveal these events from our own mouths.

If we are unable to feed the information to our people, then someone else will and most likely distort our history.

“History is not everything, but it is a starting point. History is a clock that people use to tell their political and cultural time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography.

It tells them where they are but more importantly, what they must be.”

Historian John Henrik Clarke understood the power of knowing your own history.

Over the years there have been many suggestions on how to retain our legacy as a black institution. A&T Student, Kamal Bell, says that “by bringing more accredited speakers and recognizing the black influence in history” will need to be one of our first steps in creating this development on campus.

North Carolina A&T State University has a rich history.

As students, we must take it upon ourselves to maintain the legacy that has been created.

We do not need to be a top ranked institution in our state, with a failing graduation rate.

We are much better than that.

Nevertheless, while our institution is in constant change, let us not forget about our communities, our trials—and our pride as black men and women.

—Email Devin at theregister@ gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @theatregister

Do you feel Valentine’s Day is a holiday strictly for girls or both sexes?

If you were single do you go out or want to go out? If so how do you choose whom to go out with?

Guy #1 Girls. If I do not get my girl anything I am in trouble, but if she does not get me anything it does not really matter.

Guy #1 No, but if I were to go out, I would choose whoever I like the most.

Guy #2 I would like it to be for both sexes, but girls have monopolized the holiday.

Guy #2 I am single and not looking to hook up. So, when Valentines Day comes around, I do not want to go out with anyone to avoid confusion. People can be sensitive, so I am cognizant of that.

Guy #3 I personally feel like it is beneficial to both sexes. Most men feel like they are “obligated” to do something for the woman in his life, but really the opportunity to even be able to share the holiday with someone that cares about you is reward in itself. Of course I will tell my girlfriend the holiday is for her, but seeing her happy makes me happy.

Do you want to get taken out on a date? If so, where would you want to go?

Guy #1 I would rather take her out on a date, but if she had to take me out I would let her choose.

Guy #2 No. My grandma always told me never let a woman take you out or buy you expensive things not unless you are married. So when you want to leave it makes it easier and you do not feel like you owe her anything.

Guy #3 It’s usually the guy that does the date planning, but if I were to choose a date for myself and my lady I would want to go to a go-cart park. It is guaranteed good times for both parties, and a battle of the sexes is always bound to heat up on the track.

A little adrenaline and friendly competition is good for the soul in my mind.

If you gave a gift and did not receive a gift would you be mad?

Guy #1 Secretly, I might wish I got one but I would not bring it up.

Guy #2 No, I would not be upset. I see Valentines Day as a “female” holiday and just another opportunity for guys to do something nice.

Guy #3 No, because I am the type to not ask for anything and be completely fine.

Guy #3 I just had this conversation with the guys last week. If you are single and you want a date, you just shoot straight for the crush. That girl you have been noticing in the cafe everyday or that good friend that you just can not seem to open up to. I would choose her (good friend) if that is the case, and it can still just be a date between friends. There is no need to make it an awkward situation if you can not handle the pressure.

What is the expectation after the date?

Guy #1 Showing gratitude and sex.

Guy #2 I do not expect anything. I went out for Valentines Day last year and we had fun and after I dropped the young lady back to her dorm and told her good night and thanks for the good time.

Guy #3 I expect for the person I am interested in to know how I feel about her. If I went out with a best friend we just going to do the same ole same ole because I do not want her in that way.

Do you care about Valentine’s Day? Why or Why not?

Guy #1 I do not care honestly. It is just another day to be doing what you should have been doing all year long.

Guy #2 I would not say I do not care but it is not a necessity in my eyes. I feel like if you do not have a girlfriend/boyfriend what is the point of being someone’s valentine? It is a holiday for lovers and soon to be lovers.

Guy #3 Not really it is not a day for me. I feel it is a time to cater to females but if a male chooses not to do so I do not think it means he loves his mate any less. It is a holiday based on perception.

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 12, 2014

Adam Silver takes over mct campus

NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver had sat next to David Stern for many negotiating sessions, meetings, league events and news conferences.

It’s been Stern’s show, but Silver has taken over.

Stern stepped aside as NBA commissioner on Feb. 1, ending a mega-successful 30 years in office. Now, it’s Silver’s signature on the NBA ball and Silver’s turn to sit in the big chair and try to take the game even higher.

“It’s a long distance between this seat and that seat, and I’m feeling it already,” Silver said.

“But the league will continue.”

Stern helped transform the NBA into a multibillion-dollar entity that is huge internationally. He’s leaving the league in great shape, but by all accounts, he’s leaving it in great hands, too.

Silver, 51, said he’s both “nervous” and “excited,” but he’s been groomed for this.

He’s in his 22nd year with the NBA. He’s held five positions and has worked directly with Stern. Silver replaced Russ Granik as deputy commissioner in 2006 and already has implemented some changes in the game.

“Adam has learned from David,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said. “He will have the complete Stern tool chest available to him, but he also will bring his own business ideas, which I think will be great for the NBA.” Stern and Silver have very different styles.

Stern can be forceful and blunt and has a commanding presence. Tall and thin, Silver is more soft-spoken and unassuming, but he’s effective and respected. The NBA Board of Governors unanimously ap-

proved his promotion to commissioner.

Silver, a Duke alum, has listened to the teams, owners and players and said that will continue. He was behind the increased use of video replay to try to make sure officials got calls right, and changing the NBA Finals format to 2-2-11-1 to match the other playoff rounds.

Silver helped negotiate the last few collective-bargaining agreements and two television contracts, and he plans to continue to grow the game outside of the United States.

“He’s been the commissioner for the last 10 years,” Stern said. “They just haven’t given him the check. Everything we’ve done for the last 22 years we’ve done together, so it’s a piece of cake.”

Granik said: “Adam knows the business so well now and has the obvious intellect to be able to deal with problems that come across. I think he’s perfectly prepared for it.”

Like Stern, Silver is a New York native and was a lawyer first. Stern once worked with Silver’s father at prominent sports and entertainment law firm Proskauer Rose, and brought in Adam to be special assistant to the commissioner in August 1992.

He shared Stern’s visions but added some of his own.

It was like old school meets new school. Silver helped the league’s popularity by fully embracing technology and the digital age.

“Adam is next generation,” former NBA point guard and first vice president of the players’ union Keyon Dooling said.

“Where David had to be stern, Adam can be more innovative, creative.”

Silver launched NBA TV, the first league-owned network,

and NBA.com, which has more than 60 websites, including 14 international sections of NBA. com.

The NBA boasts that it’s the No. 1 sports league on social media with more than 500 million Facebook likes and Twitter followers across all league, team and player platforms.

“He understands the world we live in today with Twitter and Instagram and all these different things that are relatively new and how you get your message out,” NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn said. “I think he’s going to do great.”

One of the first things Silver has to do is name his successor. He also will be responsible for negotiating the NBA’s new television deal.

The contract runs through 2015-16, but sometime during this calendar year, the NBA likely will extend the deal with ESPN and Turner that currently is worth $937 million annually.

As for the game itself, Silver has proved he’s open to change.

The NBA draft lottery could undergo some tweaks. Silver also said the NBA’s competition committee will evaluate whether having divisions to separate teams geographically in each conference still is prudent.

“The league is operating at a wonderful state right now, so I want to be cautious about making any changes,” Silver said.

“But invariably, we will make changes over time.”

Stern looks forward to seeing where Silver takes the NBA next. “To have somebody who’s been part of the team for 22 years, who’s known and respected by his colleagues who will continue to follow him because he’s really led them is a terrific thing,” Stern said.

Success for women ski jumpers mct campus KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia — They strapped on their helmets and goggles, boldly raced down a steep icy ramp, and then, like pioneer aviator Amelia Earhart 80 years ago, the female ski jumpers of the 2014 Winter Olympics took flight and made history Tuesday night at the RusSki Gorki Jumping Center.

More than 150 years after the first documented ski jump by a woman _ Ingrid Olavsdottir Vestby of Norway, wearing a skirt, soared 20 feet in 1862 _ 30 women from 12 countries competed in the inaugural Olympic women’s ski jump after a long battle for inclusion.

One by one, they flung themselves off the ramp, just like their male counterparts, defying suggestions the sport is too danger-

ous, unhealthy and unladylike.

The world did not come to an end. Nobody’s uterus fell out (U.S. team member Lindsey Van said a detractor once suggested that might be a consequence of women entering the sport). In 2005, Gian Franco Kasper of Switzerland, president of the International Ski Federation, said the sport “seems not to be appropriate for ladies from a medical point of view.’’

On Monday, Russian ski jump coach Alexander Arefyev said in the newspaper Izvestia: “I admit, I’m not a fan of women’s ski jumping. It’s a pretty difficult sport with a high risk of injury. If a man gets a serious injury, it’s still not fatal, but for women it could end much more seriously.

“If I had a daughter, I’d never let her jump it’s too much hard labor. Women have another purpose to have children, to do

housework, to create hearth and home,” After fighting an uphill battle for the past decade, and filing a lawsuit four years ago, the easy part for these women was zooming downhill and flying through the air at 60 mph, about 10-15 feet off the ground, for the length of a football field.

Carina Vogt of Germany won the gold medal with 247.4 points _ scoring is based on a formula combining distance, speed and jump style points. Daniela Iraschko-Stolz of Austria won the silver with 246.2 points, and Coline Mattel of France (245.2) took bronze. Iraschko-Stolz made a double statement as a female ski jumper and an openly gay woman winning a medal in a country that has been under fire for its anti-gay propaganda law.

Warm-weather nations look far to find their Olympic athletes mct campus SOCHI, Russia — The children of Togo’s diaspora can be found in the mountains of Russia skiing.

Cross-country skier Mathilde Amivi Petitjean and alpine skier Alessia Afi Dipol are members of the sweltering West African nation’s first Winter Olympics team, even though their feet have barely touched Togolese soil.

Petitjean, 19, has a Togolese mother, grew up in the French Alps, skied for France, and was recruited by Team Togo via Facebook. Dipol, 18, is an Italian who used to ski for India. But to Togo Olympic Committee Vice President Kelani Bayor, these athletes bleed Togolese yellow, red and green.

“These are true blue Togolese,” Kelani insisted in French.

“They don’t live in Togo but

they are part of the diaspora.”

Togo’s of-the-country-butnot-necessarily-from-it Olympic team is one of seven mostly warm-climate nations in Sochi participating in the Winter Games for the first time.

One- and two-person teams from Dominica, East Timor, Malta, Paraguay, Tonga and Zimbabwe marched with Togo in the parade of nations at the Sochi Games’ opening ceremony on Friday.

“If I was told I would one day compete at the Olympic Games, I would never have believed it would be in the colors of Togo,” Petitjean, who was a French junior-level skier, told the International Olympic Committee last December.

But because of a lack of mountains, snow, ice facilities or knowledge of winter sports, some of these Olympic newbies have stretched the limits

of passport and citizenship requirements to field teams.

The Dominica husband and wife cross-country ski team, for example, hails from Staten Island, N.Y., not the Caribbean island the couple are representing in Sochi. Gary and Angelica di Silvestri, accomplished skiers in their 40s, performed philanthropic work in the tiny Caribbean nation and were granted citizenship in return.

Some of the new Olympians were born in the country they represent, but they didn’t stay there long. Paraguayan slopestyle skier Julia Marino was born in Paraguay, adopted by an American family and moved to the United States before she was less than a year old.

The Boulder, Colo., resident, who skied for the United States until last year, has visited Paraguay just once.

WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? BECOME A GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS TEACHER (IN JUST 12 MONTHS).

GCS is now seeking teacher candidates in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The district offers a 12-month path to licensure for those with at least a 3.0 GPA in a STEM content area.

7

GRADUATES RECEIVE:

• $2,000 signing bonus • North Carolina teaching license • Customized professional training • Strong opportunities for employment with the state’s third-largest school district • Continued coaching and support

FIND YOUR CALLING IN THE CLASSROOM. HELP CREATE TOMORROW’S STEM LEADERS BY BECOMING A TEACHER. “A universal goal for all teachers is to steer our young people down paths that shape them into noble citizens, professionals, pioneers and positive change agents in society.”

- Eugene Grant, math teacher at Southeast High and GCS 2013 Teacher of the Year

CONTACT CHRISTIAN HILL, GCS STEM LATERAL ENTRY RECRUITER AT (336) 419-5056 OR Hillc5@gcsnc.com

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Is white still the new black? sage and was not afraid to drop the names of designers she knew were not casting black models. After her letter several designers including Calvin Klein, Rodarte, and Rag & Bone made efforts t include more black models in their line up.

Since the letter many have aided Harrison with her message including Iman, Beverly Johnson, and Naomi Campbell.

However, many ask what about the designers who use black models? Here is the root of the problem, how many Black models are in the business?

And of that group you manage to see the same faces at a time each season.

Competition between Black models is tough considering some designers only cast one model of color as if to meet quota and argue that they are diverse. One Black model, and a sprinkle of Asian models are not going to cut it. Young model, Chanel Iman was once quoted in the Times of London recapping memories of being turned away by designers.

Chanel even noted being told, “We already have one Black girl. We don’t need you.”

Last season, designer Rick Owens used all Black models for his September show.

However, many argued that the show had nothing to do with diversity as the designer claimed and was more about the appropriation of a black culture reference and using it for more attention.

kourtney pope Scene Editor

Year after year, people from all walks of life gather in the tents at Lincoln Center for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

All ages, genders, and nationalities gather to receive a glimpse and anticipate what is to come for the next season.

The crowds are a melting pot, but many are often baffled when runways continue to be a mosh of pale faces.

Some may argue that African Americans and other people of color are simply not interested in fashion. This is quite the contrary. In fact, Black Enterprise predicted in 2013 the African American buying power is due to rise to $1.1 trillion dollars by 2015. Our buying power tops that of both the Hispanic and Asian market.

So if African Americans are large consumers in the retail market, where are our representatives on the runway? This is a question that many people including fashion pioneer, Bethann Hardison, often ask.

Bethann is a member of the Diversity Coalition, whose goal is to promote the stronger presence of women of color on major designer runways. She shook up the industry in 2013 with her open letter to fashion councils across the globe noting the lack of black models on the runway and challenging them to do better.

Hardison stood by her mes-

All the models featured in the show wore baggy, ill fitted garments, no makeup, wild hair, and grit faces as they yelled and stepped aggressively. While some praised him for being innovative others questioned his authenticity.

When I sat down with Beth Newcomb, a professor in the fashion department of North Carolina A&T, about the state of diversity in the fashion industry she had a lot to say.

Newcomb made a valid point that the industry lacks diversity as a whole when it comes to gender, race, and sizing. “ The diversity in racial and ethnic background is one that particularly in the mainstream, such as New York Fashion Week, you do not see a lot of diversity. Very few African Americans get the spotlight. It’s not that they are not there, they just do not get the spotlight.”

When asked if or how this affects the way she teaches fashion at an HBCU she made it very clear that her style does not differ from the way she might teach at an PWI. “ I think that fashion professionals and industry professionals need to have the same set of skills no matter their background,” Newcomb replied.

She does however acknowledge that students do seem to realize if they are going into a sector of the industry where there is little diversity they do have to do things in order to stand out more. Newcomb also noted that she believes that stu-

dents coming from fashion programs based at an HBCU give them an edge.

“For the fashion industry to be progressive in some things, they really do lag in others,” noted Newcomb.

Fashion is supposed to evolve and be innovative. One of its main priorities is to be with the times. Instead is has not. Industry people of color have been playing in the background for a long time.

Not many are aware that it was a black costume designer, Zelda Wynn Valdes, who created the first-ever Playboy Bunny costume. Anna Cole Lowe, another black fashion designer, was the mastermind behind Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ wedding gown for her nuptials to JFK. Once finally credited she was only mentioned as “a Negro.”

Overall, the strides being made are not in vain. Many designers have stepped up to the plate and challenged the status quo. Others have remained silent.

Bethann Hardison knows that it will take time and consistency. Perhaps one of her greatest quotes on diversity read, “ Diversity is not difficult. The resistance to do so is intriguing.” Her watchful eye is always on the runway.

— Email Kourtney at theatregister@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @KPOP_OfColour

hotlist

thescene

Feb. 12 to Feb. 19 The A&T Register’s guide to what’s going on this week in arts and entertainment.

on screen vampire academy Rose Hathaway is a half vampire and half human breed known as a dhampir. She is apart of a group other dhampirs at St. Vladimir’s Academy, a school for other vampire teens. While in training, Rose must band together with her other classmates to defeat the Strigoi, a group of vicious vampires who aim to wipe out humans and other dhampir. It will take courage, strength, skill, and teamwork if these group of teens hope to save their academy and their race.

Photo COURTESY OF mct campus

MOVIE reviewS

Way too many ‘Awkward Moments’ cora taft

Register Contributor

“That Awkward Moment” is a romantic comedy about a bromance between three, late single guys in their late 20s living in New York City. They are former college buddies who eventually became longtime friends. Now, they are trying to figure out what the future holds.

Jason, played by Zac Efron, Mikey, played by Michael B. Jordan, and Daniel played by Miles Teller, have their ups and downs as friends and in relationships. When Mikey suddenly becomes single again, they all decide to take on the city one woman at a time.

The motto of the movie is “nothing good comes after the word so, especially if a woman is saying it.” Jason, who is very arrogant, constantly repeats their motto throughout the movie. Mikey is an emergency room doctor who struggles to reconcile his relationship with his wife. All while Daniel is secretly falling for his best girl pal.

The plot of the movie could have been deeper because an hour and a half did it no justice. This film is a basic guide on guys. It is nothing that you would not catch while hanging around a group of guys.

It is also a good movie for anyone to go see, young or old, male or female, everyone will get a laugh out of it.

It is a comedy, so be prepared to laugh throughout the film. There is even a tear jerking

moment. “The balance between comedy and sweet romance is not perfectly calibrated -- the film leans too heavily on bathroom humor -- but the guys seem to be having fun together,” said Claudia Puig, USA TODAY. The acting was great. The actors had a natural, realistic bond with each other as if they all had been friends for years.

The stylist of the film did a very good job at dressing the actors and actresses. Numerous movie critics have seen it as the male version of “Sex in the City.” The movie trailer contains a few spoilers.

“That Awkward Moment” lacked the hype of the trailer. It is a good Valentine’s Day movie to go see that is not a chick flick.

If you go to see the film, make sure you stay around for the bloopers.

— Email Cora at theatregister@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @TheATRegister

+ C

“Lego Movie” posts biggest opening of the year amy kaufman

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles ­— All the pieces connected for “The Lego Movie” at the box office this weekend, as the 3-D animated release far exceeded industry expectations to post the biggest opening of the year.

The family film premiered with a robust $69.1 million, according to an estimate from distributor Warner Bros., after pre-release audience surveys heading into the weekend indicated the picture would open at about $50 million.

Meanwhile, George Clooney’s latest directorial effort, the World War II tale “The Monuments Men,” had a respectable premiere weekend of $22.7 million. The only other film debuting nationwide this weekend, the teen fantasy “Vampire Academy,” showed no signs of life, with a dismal $4.1 opening.

Before “The Lego Movie” hit theaters, it was clear that the film was resonating with critics: The picture had a 95 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But moviegoers loved it too, assigning it an average grade of A, according to market-research firm CinemaScore.

With word-of-mouth, the movie could end up grossing close to $200 million _ especially given that the next family film, Disney’s “Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” isn’t due until March. “The Lego Mov-

ie” opening surpasses “Ride Along,” which broke January box office records by taking in about $48 million on the fourday Martin Luther King Day weekend last month.

The “Lego” success is a major win for Warner Bros., which isn’t a huge player in animation. The studio said it financed the film for about $60 million, a sum considered cheap for a genre in which movies cost upward of $150 million to produce. Warner’s hasn’t released an animated film since 2011, when its “Happy Feet Two” ended with a lackluster $64 million domestically.

The strong performance of “The Lego Movie” all but guaranteed a sequel _ one that could even prove competitive enough to open in the summer or holiday season, said Dan Fellman, the studio’s president of domestic distribution.

“Animation is a big part of our business, and as a market leader in the industry we should be in that footprint,” he said. “The Lego brand is cherished all over the world, and you’ll see a lot more from us down the road.”

Written and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller _ creators of the “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” franchise _ “The Lego Movie” was made with cooperation from the world’s second-biggest toy company. The film follows an upbeat construction worker (voiced by Chris Pratt) who is whisked away

from his humdrum job by a nonconformist (Elizabeth Banks) for an adventure.

Filmgoers over age 18 constituted 59 percent of the audience, indicating that “The Lego Movie” successfully drew adults as well as children. About 55 percent of the audience was male. About 35 percent of those who saw the film were willing to shell out a few extra bucks to watch it in 3-D. Meanwhile, an older crowd settled in for “The Monuments Men.” About 75 percent of the audience for the Sony Pictures and 20th Century Fox co-production was older than 35, about equally split between men and women. The film earned a B-plus CinemaScore and will need to generate strong buzz if it is to make up for its $70 million budget.

The film’s opening is the best by far for Clooney, who co-wrote the script with producing partner Grant Heslov.

Of the four films the actor directed previously, the biggest hit was the 2011 political thriller “The Ides of March,” which launched with $10.5 million and went on to gross $41 million.

“Adults have a lot of love for George in terms of what he represents and the films he has chosen to embrace,” said Rory Bruer, Sony’s distribution president. “He has the whole package going for him.”

VALENTINE’S DAY EDITION

POPPIN’

OR NAH?

1. Applebee’s for date night? 2. Not getting a text? 3. No dinner plans at all? 4. Weaves as Valentine’s Day presents? 5. Your ex-boyfriend trying to get back together? 6. Your Dad being your Valentine? 7. The mail center losing your package? 8. Edible Arrangements? 9. Valentine’s Day proposals? 10. Couples photo shoots? 11. Matching tattoos? 12. Blind dates? 13. Being the only single friend? 14. Double dates? 15. Long distance relationships? 16. Skype dates? 17. Going to the bar with your single friends? 18. Drunk dialing your ex? 19. Bitter Twitter rants? 20. Watching “Waiting to Exhale?”

on ITUNES shakira ft. rihanna “Can’t remember to forget you” Shakira, who is known for her sensuality, has produced a steamy video for her new single which features the sassy Rihanna. The video contains high heels, hair throwing, and swaying hips.

This collab gets an “A.”

on TV The walking dead Rick, Carl, Mishon, and the rest of the camp all find themselves in desperate times after losing their camp in the beginning the of midseason premier of “The Walking Dead.” After The Governor ambushed their home, the group is now split up and tries to figure out how they will survive. As zombie clusters continue to migrate and spread, tensions flare between characters. Desperation is the perfect word to describe the midseason premier’s first episode.

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