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THE A&T
REGISTER Drug violations see increase free
VoLUMe LXXXV no. 17
SERVING THE AGGIE COMMUNITY FOR OVER 80 YEARS
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF NORTH CAROLINA A&T
TOP FIVE REPORTED CRIMES IN 2011
70
69
60 50 40
23
30 20
12
10
7
2 Aggravated Assault
Burglary
Weapons Violation
Liquor Law Violations
Drug Violations
0
Marijuana is the most common drug amongst violators KELCIE C. MCCRAE Editor-in-Cheif
Drug violations are seeing a slight increase on N.C. A&T’s campus. In 2010 there were 40 cases of drug violations with 38 resulting in arrests, and two in disciplinary action. Last year, there were 69 cases of drug violations including both arrests and disciplinary actions — an increase of more than 25 cases. Although it is easy to assume that drugs are becoming more popular on campus, A&T Police Chief Glenn Newell says more people are getting
caught with drugs because of an increase in patrol throughout campus. “We’ve contracted more officers,” he said. “With an increase in enforcement, that is more people that are being detected and handled accordingly.” Since 2008 roughly 20 additional officers both sworn and non-sworn have been contracted by the university with an aim to combat crime. There are now 34 sworn police officers on duty, and over 35 in-house security guards. “We now have more eyes to see if there is anything out of the ordinary,” Newell said. “If you are out on campus at 2
or 3 a.m. you will see security officers patrolling the grounds and if anything unusual happens they can contact UPD immediately.” With the addition of officers, there also has been an increase of coverage hours. Prior to 2009 security officers only had eight hours of campus coverage. Now there is 24-hour coverage particularly in female residence halls. “Prior to 2009, we were primarily in police vehicles patrolling campus,” said Newell. “Now we have police on foot, bicycles, Segways.” With this increase in both sworn and non-sworn officers,
lead patrol officer Olen Gerald says it is easier to detect violators. “With us having the security inside the residence halls during the day and night, a lot of times they will walk into the dorm and smell something in the hallway,” he said. “They inform us, and we come over and pin-point the area it’s coming from. We catch a lot of stuff with the help of them.” Gerald goes on to add that marijuana is the most common drug that violators are getting themselves in trouble with. Nearly all violations are due to people smoking this drug. “It’s in the resident halls. They like to sit in their rooms
and smoke,” he said. “Smoking marijuana is the most popular thing to do; they do it more than they drink.” According to crime statistics from 2011 there were 23 liquor law violations. That is less than twice the amount of drug violations reported. Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the U.S. according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This dry, brown and green mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves has been in the forefront of controversy as its more vocal users have urged to legalize the drug. “I don’t see a problem with
this drug,” said an occasional marijuana user who asked to not to be named. “There are way worse drugs out there that have worst affects on people in general.” According to Gerald, party drugs that are typically associated with college campus such as ecstasy, acid, or mushrooms are not typically found at A&T. “The party drugs, we don’t have that much here,” he said. “Smoking marijuana is pretty much what they like to do.” -kcmccrae and follow her on Twitter @Kelcie_McCrae
Mr. A&T gets ready to compete for Mr. HBCU pageant Aggies get a taste of DMV SHANEA PHILLIPS
Aggies across campus came together last Sunday to bid Mr. A&T farewell as he goes on to compete into the annual Mr. HBCU competition in Jefferson, Mo. Jordan Brunson, a senior chemistry major from Columbus, Ohio gave the audience a preview of his talent that he will be showcasing at this competition slated for Saturday. “I’m too excited,” Brunson said about the competition. “This is my first real competition, and to be able to do it on behalf of the university is just an exciting experience. I’m really ready and I hope to bring home the trophy.”
Master of Ceremonies, Todd A. Porter II, who is the former Mr. A&T 2010-2011, along with other former and fellow members of SGA, hosted the evening. Brunson started the night off with an oratory performance. Dressed in a Victorian inspired outfit, he strolled onto the stage in a top hat, tail suit, and a black cane to pull it all together. The audience sat quietly, and very attentive, as Brunson stood before the crowd, speaking in a very clear and articulate manner. Junior, Monica Womble from Charlotte said she enjoyed how well Brunson handled himself on stage. “He spoke in such a strong manner; he commanded the attention of the room.” Before moving on to the
second portion of the program, Jordan King, the first runner up for Mr. James B. Dudley performed a scene from the movie, ‘The Great Debaters.’ King is currently enrolled as a student in the early college program at A&T. The presentation of the talent portion of the program was much anticipated by the crowd, as many wondered what Mr. A&T would present as his talent. Brunson made his way onto the stage and after being given a brief synopsis of what he would be performing, he automatically got into character. He chose to act out a scene from Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun.” “I think that Jordan did extremely well during his performance. It felt like
I was watching a scene from a play by a professional actor” said junior, Staphon Snelling. When asked what qualities he feels one must possess to take on the title as Mr. A&T, he replied “approachability and being personal with the students. When a lot of students see a person in a leadership position on campus, they tend to shy away from them because of the preconceived notions that they think they are better than everyone else when that’s not the case at all; we are just students just like they are. I believe that it is just being able to show the students that you are there for them.” The ladies of the F.A.B.B.
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SHAWN JACKSON Contributor
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See MR. A&T on Page 3
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Contributor
A mouth-watering aroma of fried chicken filled Exhibit Hall where the Metro Aggies’ held their 4th annual Chicken and Mumbo Sauce event. Last Thursday, guests received three pieces of chicken and french fries for a fee of $3. The most appealing part of this meal was the slightly sweet and tangy sauce D.C., Maryland, and Virginia natives call mumbo sauce. The room was filled with excited students who were eager to experience a taste of the DMV. “I think this event was very well put together. The mumbo sauce is very good, and I am enjoying the entertainment
while getting a feel of what D.C. culture is like,” said Sascha Gibson, a junior accounting major from Newark, Del. Loud GoGo music filled the room creating a vibrant atmosphere for the guests. Although there were many round tables and seats, many students were left standing as it became crowded. “The event went very well even though we didn’t get to publicize as much; however, every year we have received a huge turn out,” said Metro Aggies President Janae Crockett, a junior finance major from Maryland. Chicken and mumbo sauce was not the only attraction See DMV on Page 3
WEATHER
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59° Low: 41° High:
thUrsdaY: Rainy | High 56° fridaY: Sunny | High 58°