November 9 issue by The A&T Register

HEY AGGIES

Murray found Guilty in Michael Jackson case see story page 4

have you registered for next semester yet? Class registration closes Nov. 28

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NoveMbeR 9, 2011

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Perkins elected mayor DAsHAWn FleMinG Register Reporter

Tuesday’s municipal elections had citizens throughout Guilford County taking to the polls at over 100 voting locations, naming Robert (Robbie) V. Perkins as Greensboro’s new mayor. Perkins has moved up the political latter within the Greensboro City Council over the last few years and has successfully been elected as the city’s mayor, winning with more than 56 percent of the vote. Eight other city council positions were declared as well. Yvonne J. Johnson is now among the three Greensboro’s Council-At-Large members. City Council Member for District 1 is now T. Dianne Bellamy-Small. The new city council Member for District 2—which is where A & T lies—is Jim Kee, the opponent of C. Bradley Hunt II, a current A & T student. Kee won with more than 75 percent of the votes. District 3 incumbent is Zack Matheny and District 5 incumbent is Trudy Wade, all councilmen who were re-elected for a second term. District 4, in contrast to the other districts, had the closest race. Mary Rakestraw, incumbent councilwoman, and Nancy Hoffmann were the two candidates. Ultimately Hoffman won against her two-term opponent taking 51.7 percent of the vote. Mayoral candidates for other cities within the Triad [Jamestown, Burlington, High Point, Lexington, etc.] were also on the ballot and elected. The polls opened Tuesday morning at 6:30 am and closed at 7:30 pm. In Guilford County there are about 205,000 registered voters, but only a little over 42,000 of them voted in the municipal elections. And 5,800 of these voters voted in early elections that began Nov. 3. In fact no precinct throughout the entire county had a voter turnout of more than 50 percent. A large number of these precincts had a voter turn out that ranged from 10 to 20 percent. One of those precincts was on campus in Exhibit Hall in the union. This location only had a voter turnout of 4.76 percent. Te’Ana Mason a ﬁrst time voter and a junior psychology major believes that, “voting is essential and it matters in making a change.”  See eleCTiOnson Page 2

Aggies prepare for flu season CHeRi FARRiOR

It is that time of the year again where stuffy noses, sore throats, and body aches take over college campuses. Sebastian Health Center is now on a mission to help Aggies combat the ﬂu by providing ﬂu shots. Sebastian offers the shot at no charge to students who have the university’s student insurance plan and $25 for students who are not insured. There are also several local health clinics where students can go to get the shot as well. University health edu-

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tor Janet Lattimore said that students should get a ﬂu vaccine each year. “It is just a good health measure in general and becomes a habit later in life. It also provides protection for other people as well, especially elderly people and young children who already have weaker immune systems,” said Lattimore. With the holiday season right around the corner, the likeli-

hood of catching the ﬂu is great. Sebastian receives the most ﬂu cases in February. Lattimore added, “They [students] go home into different communities and come back to school being exposed

to a lot of things.” “Body aches, fever, laziness, sore throat, headache, chills, and fatigue are all flulike symptoms,” said university health educator Kaye Ziglar. Ziglar also offered some additional advice for protection against the flu. “Using hand sanitizer is okay, but soap and water is better. It’s also important to cover your mouth when you cough. Also, if you’re sick do not go out in public.” Both Lattimore and Ziglar agree that a lot of people do not get flu shots because they have needle phobias. However, Sebastian Health Center has expert nurses on staff that use special techniques to create a painless shot for those students who are scared. Another solution for those who are intimidated by shots would be to bring a buddy along and support each another. Charity Staton, a junior

business major, has

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management said that she not received the ﬂu shot before because she has heard so many mixed reviews about

“I haven’t been pressed about getting a flu shot because I’ve heard that people still get the flu and that they can get sick from it.” Representatives from Sebastian Health Center added that one of the biggest misconceptions about the flu shot is that the flu shot can actually cause the flu. However, that cannot happen because the flu shot is a dead virus and it is impossible for a dead virus to cause a live flu case. It is also important to know that flu shot side effects, if they occur at all, are minor. The benefits of having a flu vaccination outweigh the possible side effects that come along with getting one. Sebastian Health Center recommends the following strategies under the current flu conditions, provided by the

oIP hosts graduate Aggie royalty show ‘black Girls Rock’ school info session Jenell MCMillOn AnD neCOle JACKsOn to have a darker complexion Register Reporters and took necessary steps to do

KelCie C. MCCRAe Editor-in-Chief

Students wanting to take their studies abroad post graduation got an opportunity to explore the possibilities on Tuesday. The Office of International Programs hosted an international affairs graduate school information session featuring representatives from Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, Princeton, and Tufts Universities to discuss options available at their respective institutions. “We all are about outreach and letting the students know about the opportunities we have available,” said Sidney Jackson, director of admissions at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. “We each put these sessions in our schedules to find good applicants from different schools, and promote diversity for our programs. Diversity is real important to us.” For a little more than an hour, each representative led a brief discussion on the programs and course options available in their graduate schools. They discussed course out-

lines, payment arrangements, as well as career paths to follow. “I plan on being a diplomat of some sort,” said Chris Duncan, a freshman political science major. “I’m a planner, so I want to get all the info I need now so I can make it out in my plan.” Duncan says that out of the schools presented, he is leaning more toward Johns Hopkins mainly because of the campus located in Bologna, Italy. This team of recruiters has been traveling the country over the past few weeks as an effort to see the nation’s best and brightest students according to Jackson. They have set aside four weeks to tour the southeast region of the country, which also had stops at N.C. State as well as Wake Forest University. Jackson went on to add that they made it an effort to stop at least one historically black college and universities if they were in the area. “A lot of students [at HBCUs] just don’t know about us,” he said. “Once we talk to them, and that light bulb goes off they realize that this is  See OiP on Page 2

“I rock because no one gets in my way to get things done in order to succeed…Black Girls Rock!” said Soijett Blue, sophomore biology student. Black Girls Rock is not just an event but also a movement started by Beverly Bond. Miss Junior, Michele Delagdo, and Miss Ladies of Excellence, Hannah Jefferies, hosted a panel discussion and viewing of the show “Black Girls Rock” on Nov. 6 in Stallings Ballroom. The mission of Black Girls Rock is to prevail the negative bias toward young black females and find ways to achieve a powerful generation that runs the world…GIRLS! When ladies entered, they were free to grab BET promotions including buttons, bookmarks, wristbands, door hangers and posters. Starting the program at 7 p.m, Delgado and Jefferies introduced a panel of women that represented some of the many organizations on campus. The ladies were Jasmine Gurley, Miss. N.C.A&T State University; Courtney Young, Miss. Sophomore; Canisha Turner, Miss. Alpha Lambda Delta; Te’Ana Mason, Miss. Metro Aggies; and Carla Saunders, Miss N.C. A&T State University 2010-2011. When Gurley was asked about one of her insecurities, she discussed how she wanted

so. She finally realized that her color was beautiful and that she needed to have confidence in herself. The ladies on the panel emphasized that all girls are beautiful inside and out. The inﬂuence of “Teen Mom” was also discussed. Young explained that she initially viewed the show as positive because it showed teens the struggles of motherhood, but soon became negative due to the fame the characters wanted to gain. BET marketing representative Jade Harrison brought the concept of the event to Delgado. “She wanted to gain exposure for the show, so I thought it would be great to get involved with another campus queen,” said Delgado. “Since Ladies of Excellence was a womenbased organization, I thought it would be a perfect fit.” Jefferies was looking to gain expose to her organization, so she agreed instantly. Both thought the program had a great turnout, especially being on a Sunday night. “The concept of the show is great because there are positive women that are promoting that black girls are beautiful and do rock,” said Jefferies. “It’s all about mentoring young girls and promoting positivity and that’s what we did tonight.” Tracy Ross and Regina King hosted the show and who

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

ASABE hosts symposium to get Aggies to go green.

Check out this month’s column on relationships with those still at home.

The Aggie volleyball team falls to the Rattlers in their last home game.

A new sneakerhead king has been crowned in Greensboro. Check out who won.

www.ncatregister.com

Centers for Disease Control and Guilford County Health Department: Those with ﬂu-like illness should stay away from class and limit interactions with other people, except to seek medical care, for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever; practice social distancing by avoiding crowds until you have been without fever; do not go to athletic facilities while ill (exercising while ill can make you worse); if close contact with others cannot be avoided, the ill student should be asked to wear a surgical mask during the period of contact; rest and stay hydrated; and seek care at the Sebastian Health Center or a local health care provider for assessment or treatment if needed. Although Sebastian encourages appointments, walk-ins are welcome. Come in and get ﬂu shot from 8 a.m. -5 p.m. MondayFriday or for more information you can contact Sebastian at 336-334-7880. -cnfarrior502@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @ATRegister

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began with saying how much females rock in politics, business, athletics, human rights, entertainment and many more. It was time to redefine the meaning of “MAD Black Women,” which now stands for women “Making a Difference.” The M.A.D girls that rock were Leanna Archer, Dyci Manns, Mari Malek and Edna Sanna. These girls have found ways to help their communities and the world grow. Sales from Archer show that her own hair care product line has been able to feed over 120 children in Haiti while Manns organization, “Book Bags for Basics,” has helped over 1,000 students in Nicaragua, Uganda and the U.S. have school supplies. Women that are M.A.D are stand and change the world for the better. Black Girls Rock celebrated the brilliance of seven phenomenal black women: Shirley Caesar (Living Legend), Angela Davis (Icon), Taraji P. Henson (Star Power), Shot Caller (Laurel J. Richie), Tatyana Ali (Young, Gifted and Black) and Imani Walker and Malika Saada Saar (Trailblazer). All of these women have accomplished great things in their lives from Laurel J. Richie being the first black woman as president of the WNBA to Ali graduating from Harvard University in education and using  See ROCKon Page 2

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68° Low: 44° High:

ThuRsdAy: Rainey | High 58° fRidAy: Mostly Sunny | High 52°

events

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, November 9, 2011

inFOCUS

elections From page 1 “I think students have a voice,” said Elicia Sashington a senior electrical engineering major. Although she is from Chicago, Ill. she

rock From page 1 her knowledge to help youth around the world. Girls rock everywhere. Regardless of ethnicity, we can all make a difference in

insisted that, “voting has an effect on the citizens of Greensboro” which ultimately will effect out-of-state students who will reside in Greensboro while attending school. -drflem@ncat.edu and follow everything we do. This show celebrates the character black women and what they do to help others. -jenell_mcmillon@yahoo.com and nmjackso@aol.com and follow us on Twitter @ATRegister

Wednesday

9 Bull Fest

OIP From page 1

Photo by Tracy Durandis• the a&t register

I AM Music & Media and Entoruage Sneaker Head event also included a DJ Battle and art show on Nov. 2, 2011.

something that they can do, it’s all the more worth while.” This is the first time this group has stopped at N.C. A&T since 2009. According to Brittany Haney, program assistance of the Office of International Programs, it is a session that was needed and wanted. “This was a great presentation and it provided hope to students who think they cannot go to schools like

Princeton or Georgetown,” she said. “I’m very happy that the students who came out were generally interested in traveling abroad and with these schools.” The Office of International Programs offers a variety of different information and sessions regarding educational opportunities abroad. “More people need to know about studying abroad,” said Toni Siler-Holloman, a senior sociology major. -kcmccrae@ncat.edu and follow her on Twitter @Kelcie_McCrae

Exhibit Hall 7 p.m.

thursday

10 NSBE Full Body Meeting McNair Faculty Lounge 6:30 p.m.

C.C. A Presents Poetic Expression Merrick Hall Auditorium 6:30 p.m.

SUAB Fitness Night Exhibit Hall 7 p.m.

friday

Reading is fundamental . . . . . . and so is writing. The A&T Register holds contributors meetings every Wednesday @ 5 p.m. in GCB A328.

11 Veterans Day Celebration Stallings Ballroom Noon

Oxfam Hunger Banquet Exhibit Hall 6 p.m.

saturday

No events scheduled

sunday

13 Home Vollyball game Corbett Gym Noon

monday

14 Mental Health Wellness Series Proctor Auditorium 3:30 p.m.

theBLOTTER November 2 1:50 a.m. Benbow Road-Expired Registration-Citation 2:58 a.m. Pride Hall-Communicating Threats-Further Investigation 3:30 a.m. East Market Street-Expired Registration-Citation 9:45 a.m. Laurel Street- Expired Registration-Citation 12:30 p.m. Craig Hall-Larceny-Further Investigation 2:45 p.m.

The A&T

Laurel Street-Vehicle Accident-Closed/Cleared 4:30 p.m. Ward Hall-Warrants for Arrest-Closed/Arrest November 3 2:05 a.m. Laurel Street-Expired Registration-Citation

Service-Closed/Leads Exhausted

4:20 p.m. Morrison Hall-Drug Weapon Violation-Student Referral

8:30 a.m. Benbow Road-Expired Registration-Citation

11:35 p.m. Student Union (Sit In)-Lost Property-Further Investigation

8:00 a.m. Student Union (Sit In)-Larceny-Further Investigation 10:35 a.m. East Market Street-Driver’s License Revoked-Citation

7:00 p.m. Harrison Auditorium-Sick Call-Closed/Info

3:10 p.m. Benbow Road-Call for

Hines Hall Auditorium 6 p.m.

8:00 a.m. Dudley Street-Expired Registration-Citation

November 4

November 5 1:55 a.m. Sullivan Street-No Operator’s License (NOL)-Citation

12:40 p.m. East Market Street-Driver’s License Revoked-Citation

International Food Night

November 7

8:34 a.m. Bluford Street-Order for Arrest-Closed/Arrest 3:15 p.m. Salem Street-Order for Arrest-Closed/Arrest 4:36 p.m. Williams Cafe-LarcenyClosed/Arrest

tuesday

If you ever see anything suspicious or need assistance call Campus Police (336) 334-7675

November 6 2:00 a.m. Curtis Hall-Sick Call-Closed/ Info

editor in chief: Kelcie McCrae Managing editor: Sylvia Obell opinions editor:Trumaine McCaskill sports editor: Karmen Robinson scene editor: Ashley Vaughn NCATregister.com editor: Jonathan Veal copy editor: Chuck Johnson Copy editor: Justine Riddick photo editor: Kenneth Hawkins staff photographers:

editorial cartoonist: Evan Summerville reporters: advertising& business manager: business staff: CONTENT DIRECTOR: Anjan Basu faculty adviser: Emily Harris

Mental Health Wellness Series Proctor Auditorium 3:30 p.m.

Ladies of Excellence

Merrick Hall Auditorium 6:30 p.m.

Gate City Chapter Meeting The Memorial Room 6:30 p.m.

I.A.M.M. Full Body Meeting Hodgin Auditorium 7 p.m.

The A&T Register is published every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters by students at North Carolina A&T State University. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Register’s newsroom (subject to availability). All subscription requests should be directed to the Business department. The A&T Register has a weekly circulation of 5,000 copies on-campus and in the community and is a member of The Associated Press, The Associated Collegiate Press and the Black College Wire.

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, November 9 , 2011

Symposium gear Aggies to go green Jenell McMillon Contributor

“If you don’t want to touch it then don’t put it in your recycling bin; it’s plain and simple,” said John Hylton, senior biological engineering student, at the fall symposium on Nov. 3. Members of A&T’s American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) hosted the event to discuss ways to make Greensboro a greener community. The fall symposium is geared to show that new events or plans are in the making for a sustainable community. Speakers ranged from students to professionals.

The presenters were Elaine Stover of Green Schemes; Joseph Frierson of Beloved Community Center; Reyes, a biological engineering professor at A&T; and John Hylton. Despite the small turnout, students remained engaged with each presenter providing questions and ways to network with their specific organizations. Stover used her poster to demonstrate Green Schemes and the purpose of the organization. This organization uses three components of human ecology, ecological design and participatory design to restore ecological balance and human connection in the environment.

This organization been successful throughout the years and is now beginning to help the city of Greensboro. The next presenter was Frierson. He stated the benefits of growing a garden and the ways it is used for many homeless people who come to the center. Beloved Community Center decided to make a sustainable community garden in order to allow homeless people a way to show their potential and the work that can be done to be build up this community. Beloved is an agent for positive and social change and in order to facilitate the city of Greensboro people have to become more engaged.

Reyes’ goal for the symposium and practice is to enhance urban sustainability through the practice of natuculture. Natuculture is any human made system that mimics nature in human disturbed landscapes. Next year, A&T will be the co-chair in the 3rd Conservation Agriculture Conference in Pattaya, Thailand under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Soil and Water Association on May 14-18, 2012. This is an opportunity for students to bring technology to Southeast Asia in a time where it is much needed. Many students under the leadership of Dr. Reyes such as

Naysa Sturdivant, a junior biological engineering student, believed, “[this]symposium connects back to the community and what is going on around campus and city of Greensboro like the green roof in Stockwell hall and the garden to go green.” Hylton, an alumnus of A&T, was last to come to the front but still had one of the most important messages for students around campus. “A clean environment starts with knowing the do’s and don’ts of recycling,” said Hylton. Many people throw anything into their recycle bins without understanding the danger that it can cause.

Batteries, electronics and oils like antifreeze should not be thrown into recycle bins. These items are household hazardous and should be taken to the nearest Ecolab. The first thing to remember is the three R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle. The best thing to do is reuse items before recycling. Recyclable plastics will only get recycled once and then it will join other garbage in a landfill. It is better to not generate trash but find alternatives like reusing bottles. -jenell_mcmillon@yahoo.com and follow us on Twitter @ATRegister

An appreciation for Joe Frazier TIM DAHLBERG

AP Sports Columnist

LOS ANGELES— Joe Frazier, the heavyweight boxing champion who in 1971 became the first fighter to defeat Muhammad Ali, then lost two epic rematches including a ferocious battle known as the “Thrilla in Manila,” died Monday night. He was 67. Smokin’ Joe, as he was known, died in Philadelphia, said his manager, Leslie Wolff. He had liver cancer. It was a golden age of heavyweight boxing in the 1970s, when fight fans filled massive arenas and boosted the sport’s television ratings to watch the likes of Ali and Frazier and George Foreman, Jerry Quarry and Ken Norton. In his 37 professional fights, Frazier won 32 times _ 27 by knockout _ and lost only four, with one draw. But he never really accepted his 1-2 record against Ali. “I whupped him three times,” Frazier said many times over the years. They met for the first time on March 8, 1971, in New York’s Madison Square Garden, with each fighter guaranteed $2.5 million. Ali, then 31-0, had been stripped of his heavyweight titles when, as Cassius Clay, he refused to be

inducted into the military after being drafted for the Vietnam War. Frazier, at 26-0, had captured the title of undisputed heavyweight champion in 1970 with a technical knockout of Jimmy Ellis. It was a brutal battle, rated by many as the “fight of the century” and considered the best boxing match of all time at any weight. When Frazier knocked Ali down in the 15th and final round and won on points, both received rave reviews for their performances. Both also went immediately to the hospital. Before they could be paired again in the ring, Frazier defended his title four times, most notably on Jan. 22, 1973, against Foreman in Kingston, Jamaica. Even the burly, fearsomelooking Foreman, who was 4 inches taller, admitted that the thought of getting into the ring with the brawling fireplug Frazier frightened him. “Every time he swung at me,” Foreman said, “it scared five years out of my life.” Nevertheless, in the second round, Foreman caught Frazier with a right uppercut that sent the fighter from Philadelphia to the canvas. Sitting ringside for the boxing telecast was announcer

Howard Cosell, by now inte rnationally known for his boisterous and opinionated broadcast style. When Frazier, the champion, hit the deck, Cosell stole the moment and the show with his dramatic bellowing of the call: “DOWN GOES FRAZIER! DOWN GOES FRAZIER! DOWN GOES FRAZIER!” It was as if he was calling an airplane crash rather than a boxing match. It not only stuck with Frazier, who got to his feet too late to avoid being counted out, but it is a mocking call to this day among boxing fans for all such spectacular knockdowns. After Foreman took Frazier’s title away, Frazier fought Ali twice more, losing in a more subdued battle in the Garden in 1974, when Ali kept Frazier away more effectively with holding and clinching, and a year later, after Ali had gotten his title back by beating Foreman in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). It was for this third match, on Oct. 1, 1975, in Quezon City, the Philippines, that Ali predicted he would have an easy time with Frazier. In the pre-fight promotions for what was dubbed the “Thrilla in Manila,” Ali called

Photo by Philadelphia Daily News• MCT Campus

Pictured in this 1981 file photo, Joe Frazier, the former heavyweight champion, has died. He was 67.

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You may be eligible to take part in a UNC research study that seeks to learn how adolescents and young adults manage everyday life with congenital heart disease. Study participants will complete three forms and take part in an interview (during the interview, you will be asked to share your story about living with congenital heart disease). Completion of the forms and interview will take about 2 hours. You may participate in this study if: ♥ You are currently between the ages of 19 and 29. ♥ You have been diagnosed with congenital heart disease. ♥ You are able to speak, read, and understand English. All data collected will be kept confidential Study participants will receive $25 to thank them for their time. To take part in this research study or for more information, please call the Young Hearts Study at (919) 914-3938 or send an email to: younghearts@unc.edu

Frazier an “Uncle Tom” and a “gorilla” and repeatedly ridiculed him. The fight was anything but easy, and Ali later likened it to being “the closest thing to dying.” By the 14th round, both having hit and been hit too many times to count, Frazier’s eyes were nearly swollen shut and he couldn’t see Ali’s punches, even though he had stood in and flailed away for several rounds right through his near-blindness. Finally, after the 14th round, his veteran trainer, Eddie Futch, over loud protests from Frazier, threw in the towel to end the fight. “Sit down, son,” Futch told Frazier. “It’s all over. Nobody will ever forget what you did here today.” Frazier and Ali had fought 41 rounds and served up a boxing trilogy for the ages. Frazier fought only two more times. In 1976, he lost to Foreman in a fifth-round knockout, announced his retirement, then finished for good in 1981 after a 10-round draw with Floyd Cummings. Joseph William Frazier was born Jan. 12, 1944, in Beaufort, S.C. He was the youngest of 12 surviving children of Rubin and Dolly Frazier and lived his early life on a farm, where his parents worked as sharecroppers. He was inspired to think about being a boxer when somebody told him he was built like a young Joe Louis, and when he was 15, he moved north to Philadelphia to stay with relatives and find work. One of his first jobs was in a slaughterhouse, where he would pummel the hang-

ing slabs of beef for exercise. Years later, Sylvester Stallone borrowed from that scene for his “Rocky” movies. Frazier worked his way through the ranks of local Golden Gloves competition in Philadelphia and lost only once as an amateur, to Buster Mathis, who beat him out of the heavyweight spot on the U.S. Olympic team for the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo. But Mathis was injured before the Games, Frazier won the spot back and took home a gold medal. After his boxing career ended, Frazier purchased a gym in Philadelphia, where he lived in his later years. Along the way, he sang with a group called the Knockouts and had a clothing brand, a restaurant and a limousine service. He dabbled in investments and real estate. The tension between Ali and Frazier remained for decades. Frazier could not forget the taunts and the insults Ali always said they were nothing more than fight promotion hype and when Frazier was interviewed shortly after Ali, shaking and feeble from dementia and Parkinson’s disease, lighted the torch to begin the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, he said he wished Ali had “fallen into the fire.” But in an interview in Jet magazine later that year, and in some subsequent interviews, an aging Frazier said he no longer held a grudge. “It’s like we were fighting the Vietnam War,” he said. “We should meet and hug.” Frazier, who was divorced from his wife, Florence, is survived by 11 children. His son Marvis was a heavy-

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Nicaragua’s Ortega takes early lead in vote FILADELFO ALEMAN Associated Press

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Onetime Sandinista revolutionary Daniel Ortega took a big early lead in presidential elections Sunday, amid reports of protests and international observers being blocked from voting stations. Ortega, the incumbent and heavy favorite, had 66 percent of the votes compared to 25 percent for his nearest challenger, Fabio Gadea. Conservative Arnoldo Aleman, a former president, was a distant third with 7 percent. The result came with roughly 7 percent of the votes counted, but electoral council President Roberto Rivas said a quick count representative of the entire vote gave Ortega a large advantage as well. The methodology of the quick count was not immediately available, however. The ruling Sandinista party declared victory and caravans of thousands of supporters ﬂooded the streets shouting “Daniel! Daniel!” International election observers reported problems with access to voting stations and with one national group of observers, Let’s Have Democracy, reporting 600 complaints of voting irregularities, a handful of injuries in protests and 30 arrests. The head of the Organization

of American States observer mission, Dante Caputo, said its observers were been denied access to 10 polling stations, which would account for 20 percent of the statistical material they had planned to collect for their analysis. “They have prevented our people from being there at the precise moment they should have been there and that is not remediable and will affect our ability to do our jobs,” Caputo said. “We are navigating without radar.” The European Union said some of its teams also had problems but that they eventually were resolved and they were allowed access, according Luis Yanis, head of the mission. The Ortega government, meanwhile, reported smooth voting in 90 percent of the country. “We have seen a civil day of voting,” Rivas said during a news conference, emphasizing the lack of violence and calling it the cleanest Nicaraguan election had had observed in recent years. Gadea, who went into election day trailing Ortega in the polls by 18 points, thanked voters in a brief press conference for coming out en masse. “The attempt to discourage voting and create difﬁculties has failed,” said Gadea of the Liberal Independent Party. “No one

or nothing will alter the will of the people.” Since returning to power in 2007, the 65-year-old Ortega has boosted his popularity in Central America’s poorest country with a combination of porkbarrel populism and support for the free-market economy he once opposed. He seeks a third term — his second consecutive one — after the Sandinista majority on the Supreme Court overruled the term limits set by the Nicaraguan constitution. His opponents fear that if he wins more than 50 percent of the vote, it will allow him to change the constitution to run in perpetuity. The independent Let’s Have Democracy reported problems in various municipalities located between 50 and 70 miles outside of the capital of Managua. Besides injuries and arrests, observers reported a polling place set on fire, election officials obstructing voters from opposing parties and protests by voters who didn’t receive their credentials. The sporadic incidents didn’t seem widespread enough to throw the official results into question. But it was unclear whether the OAS would question the results because of lack of access to polling stations. Claims of widespread fraud in the 2008 municipal elections

Bomb attacks possible in Nigerian capital JON GAMBRELL

Associated Press

LAGOS, Nigeria — After a weekend of violence and fear, U.S. officials warned Sunday that luxury hotels frequented by foreigners and Nigeria’s elite may be bombed by a radical Muslim sect as the death toll from attacks in the country’s northeast rose to more than 100. The warning by the U.S. Embassy shows how seriously diplomats take the threat posed by the outlawed Islamist group known locally as Boko Haram, which previously bombed the United Nations headquarters in the capital, Abuja, killing 24. The unusually specific warning from the U.S. Embassy identified possible targets in Abuja as the Hilton, Nicon Luxury and Sheraton hotels. With popular restaurants and bars, the hotels draw diplomats, politicians and even reformed oil delta militants. The embassy said an attack may come as Muslims in the oil-rich nation celebrate the Eid al-Adha holiday and that its diplomats and staff had been instructed to avoid those hotels. Still, Nigerian officials continued to downplay the threat posed by the militants, hoping to reassure Africa’s most populous nation that everything remains under control in a country often violently divided by religious and ethnic differences. “We’re all expected to live in peace, but as a nation, we have our own challenges,” President Goodluck Jonathan said in a speech televised nationally. “During this holy period, we still have incidents happening here and there,” added Jonathan, a Christian, who appeared wearing a prayer cap and the traditional robes of the country’s Muslim north. U.S. officials offered no other details about how the embassy received the threat information. Deb MacLean, a U.S. Embassy spokeswoman in Abuja, declined to comment Sunday. It wouldn’t be the first time Abuja saw itself targeted by Boko Haram, which has waged

an increasingly bloody sectarian fight against Nigeria’s weak central government. A suicide bomber claimed by the group attacked the U.N. headquarters in August, while another bomber targeted the federal police headquarters in June. Still, most attacks have targeted Nigeria’s arid and impoverished northeast, so any strike against hotels in Abuja would be an escalation that shows the group’s ability to strike at will — even against foreigners and its elite. The warning came as a Nigerian Red Cross official said more than 100 people were killed in a series of attacks Friday in the northeast. Ibrahim Bulama said he expected the death toll to rise in Damaturu, the capital of rural Yobe state. He said mourners quickly buried some bodies in line with Muslim tradition, making a precise count difficult. While the hard-hit city remained calm as its Muslim inhabitants celebrated the religious holiday Sunday, army and police units manned roadblocks and streets remained largely empty, Bulama said. The state government announced a duskto-dawn curfew for the entire state. Meanwhile, a police inspector was killed Sunday in Boko Haram’s spiritual home of Maiduguri about 80 miles (130 kilometers) east of Damaturu. Sect gunmen stopped the officer’s car at gunpoint as he neared a mosque to pray with his family, police commissioner Simeon Midenda said. Gunmen ordered the family away, then shot the inspector, Midenda said. World leaders from the United Nations to Pope Benedict XVI have called for an end to the violence, though Nigerian officials largely have downplayed the threat. Jonathan has repeatedly said that all countries in the world face terrorism, while others have urged local journalists to exercise restraint in their reporting in the name of patriotism. Despite the bombings and

gun battles in northeast Nigeria, Defense Minister Mohammed Bello told journalists Sunday that “a lot of progress” has been made there. “I believe our security agencies are doing very well in containing the situation,” Bello said. Nigeria’s history, however, shows the government often waits until crises escalate out of control before responding with harsh military crackdowns. In 1980, the government suppressed a radical Muslim sect called the Maitatsine only after its members rioted, with the violence and subsequent crackdown leaving 4,000 dead. Rumors had persisted then that the Maitatsine received aid from Nigeria’s elite, but became too much for politicians to control. Similar rumors now surround Boko Haram, which wants the strict implementation of Shariah law across Nigeria, a nation of more than 160 million split largely between a Christian south and Muslim north. Other analysts suggest Jonathan, a Christian who took power after the 2010 death of an elected Muslim leader, remains unsure of his grip on the nation. The April election that saw Jonathan cement his hold on the presidency also sparked political and religious rioting across Nigeria’s north that left 800 people dead. Boko Haram’s name means “Western education is sacrilege” in the local Hausa language. It rejects Western ideals like Nigeria’s U.S.-styled democracy. Followers believe that democracy has destroyed the country with corrupt politicians. The latest attacks occurred ahead of Sunday’s celebration of the feast of sacriﬁce, when Muslims around the world slaughter sheep and cattle in remembrance of Abraham’s near-sacriﬁce of his son. An Associated Press count shows the group has killed at least 361 people this year alone.

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led Washington to cancel $62 million in development aid. Nicaragua’s 2006 election drew more than 18,000 observers. This time election observation is much more difﬁcult and local observers were denied credentials. The OAS and the European Union negotiated access to Sunday’s vote, but the Georgia-based Carter Center decided not to observe because of the restrictions. Ortega led the Sandinista movement that overthrew dictator Anastasio Somoza in 1979, and withstood a concerted effort by the U.S. government, which viewed him as a Soviet-backed threat, to oust him through a rebel force called the Contras. The ﬁery, mustachioed leftist ruled through a junta, then was elected in 1984 but was defeated after one term in 1990. After two more failed runs, he softened his rhetoric, took a freemarket stance, and regained the presidency in the 2006 election. If the left seemed to be rolling in Nicaragua on Sunday, a rightwing former general promising to get tough on rampant crime won presidential elections in the fellow Central American nation of Guatemala. Otto Perez Molina of the conservative Patriotic Party won 55 percent of the vote, topping tycoon-turned-political populist Manuel Baldizon of the Democratic Freedom Revival party,

who had 45 percent. Perez, 61, is the ﬁrst former military leader elected president in Guatemala in the 25 years after the end of brutal military rule. While that concerns some international groups, Guatemala has a young population, and many don’t remember the war. Witnesses say hundreds of villages were obliterated by the army’s scorched-earth policy. Perez has said there were no massacres or genocide. He has never been charged with any atrocities and was one of the army’s chief representatives in negotiating the 1996 peace accords. Outgoing center-left President Alvaro Colom, who can’t run for re-election, urged both sides to respect the results. More than half of Guatemalans live in poverty in a nation 14 million overrun by organized crime and Mexican drug cartels. The country has one of the highest murder rates in the world, a product of gang and cartel violence, along with the legacy of its 1960-1996 civil war in which the army, police and paramilitary are blamed for killed the vast majority of 200,000 victims — most of whom were Mayan.

Reading is fundamental . . . . . . and so is writing. The A&T Register holds contributor’s meetings every Wednesday @ 5 p.m. in GCB A328.

Murray faces probation to 4 years ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES — If convicted, Dr. Conrad Murray faces a sentence ranging from probation to four years in prison in the death of Michael Jackson. Some of the factors related to sentencing: — Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor would have complete discretion to decide the sentence. He would receive a probation department report on Murray recommending a sentence. Both prosecution and defense attorneys also would ﬁle recommendations. But the decision would be his and his alone. — The judge could consider that Murray is a defendant with no prior criminal record, a circumstance that might mitigate in favor of probation. — Because of AB109, a recent California prison realignment bill, Murray probably would not go to state prison. If given a prison sentence, he would most likely serve it in the county jail because of prison overcrowding. There has been speculation that he would be allowed to serve a term of house arrest. — The penal code calls for a convicted defendant to be sentenced in 20 days, but he could waive that time while his attorneys prepare a motion for new trial and an appeal. He could remain free on bail during that period. — Murray would lose his medical license.

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Foreign vineyards keen to tap China wine market KELVIN CHAN

Associated Press

HONG KONG â&#x20AC;&#x201D; As growth slows in their traditional markets, wine makers from around the world are eager to tap demand in China but industry players say the increased competition and a lack of wine drinking culture mean it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be easy money. Thousands of people attending a major wine and spirits trade fair last week in Hong Kong sipped and spat countless vintages made by producers ranging from boutique vineyards in New Zealand to famed chateaux from Franceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bordeaux region. Others were in town to attend a wine conference that featured speakers including Hollywood director Francis Ford Coppola. Many are keen to get a foothold in Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wine market, which has taken off in recent years, particularly at the high end, as newly wealthy collectors splurge for bottles of ďŹ ne French wines at auctions in

Hong Kong. The southern Chinese city abolished wine import duties in 2008 in a bid to become a regional wine center and imports surged by nearly 60 percent in the ďŹ rst nine months of 2011 to $940 million. In September, a private Chinese buyer paid 4.2 million Hong Kong dollars ($541,000) for a 300-bottle collection of Chateau LaďŹ te Rothschild consisting of 25 cases spanning 1981 to 2005 at a Christieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s auction. That was the highest price for a single lot of wine at auction this year in a sale that raised $7.7 million in total. China is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest growing market for still light wine and is forecast this year to overtake Britain as the ďŹ fth biggest market, according to a September report by UK-based International Wine and Spirit Research. The report forecast that Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wine consumption will double to 250 million 12-bottle cases by 2016, from 125 million in 2010. If growth rates

remain unchanged, the country could become the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest wine market in the next 20 years, the report said. The tantalizing prospect of such rapid growth drew Daniel and Lesley Jackson, husband and wife owners of Redoubt Hill Vineyard, a boutique winemaker in New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marlborough region â&#x20AC;&#x201D; famed for its sauvignon blanc â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to the trade fair for the ďŹ rst time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The traditional markets, apart from Australia, are a bit stressed at the moment â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Europe, Britain, America. Asia, obviously their economy is doing really well,â&#x20AC;? said Daniel Jackson. The Jacksons were trying to ďŹ nd a distributor in Hong Kong and China for bottles of their sauvignon blanc and pinot gris, which retail for $35 New Zealand dollars ($28). They were among nearly 1,000 exhibitors from 37 countries hoping to cut deals with the 2,750 buyers expected to attend the fair. For the ďŹ rst time, vine-

yards from countries not usually known for their wines, including Georgia, Israel, Latvia and Malta were in attendance. Winemakers are hoping growth in China will offset ďŹ&#x201A;agging sales in traditionally key markets such as Europe, where a long term decline in wine drinking has been exacerbated by the continentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s government debt crisis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People think that because China has 1.4 billion people, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to come here and sell wine, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the catch,â&#x20AC;? said Pancho Campo, president of the Wine Academy of Spain. Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s status as the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest and fastest growing consumer market has drawn many foreign businesses in pursuit of big proďŹ ts. But some, retailers in particular, have found that size alone doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t guarantee success, forcing them to pull out or change marketing strategy amid tough competition â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and in some cases after misreading local preferences.

Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wine market is split between the high end, where the wealthy spend thousands of dollars on bottles as an investment or to drink at restaurants on special occasions and the low end, dominated by local and foreign producers selling wine for just a few dollars a bottle or in large containers. The middle market doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really exist, said Campo, who is also president of the Wine Academy of Spain. That will be a particular challenge for so-called New World winemakers from countries such as Australia, South Africa, Chile and Argentina, who will face tougher competition on prices, said Antonio Gaudioso, export manager at Vecchia Cantina di Montepulciano, a cooperative in Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tuscany region. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because in China, when it comes to foreign wines, red wine from France is prized much more than those from other countries â&#x20AC;&#x201D; even those from other Old World producers Italy and Spain.

Regardless of their origin, winemakers will have to work hard to educate Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new middle classes about wine and spend money promoting their vintages as they develop the middle market, both Campo and Gaudioso said. A key challenge will be adapting to a different culture of imbibing at meals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has nothing to do with food pairing, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just to do with ganbei,â&#x20AC;? said Campo, referring to the Chinese equivalent of â&#x20AC;&#x153;cheers.â&#x20AC;? The word is a common utterance at formal banquets where diners take turns toasting each other with baijiu, a clear sorghum liquor with more than 50 percent alcohol content â&#x20AC;&#x201D; usually until everyone is blind drunk. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If these people, whenever they have a dinner and they can include wine as one option to baijiu, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking about millions of barrels that can be consumed throughout China,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Judge considers $410 million settlement in BofA lawsuit CURT ANDERSON

Associated Press

MIAMI â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A federal judge was asked Monday to give ďŹ nal approval to a $410 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit affecting more than 13 million Bank of America customers who had debit card overdrafts during the past decade. Attorneys for the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank and the customers both told Senior U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King the agreement was fair and reasonable, even though customers would only receive

a fraction of what they paid in overdraft fees. It was not clear if King would rule Monday in the 2Â˝-year-old case. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really undisputed that this is one of the largest settlements ever in a consumer case,â&#x20AC;? said Aaron Podhurst, a lead attorney for the customer class. The consideration of the settlement comes a week after Bank of America backed off a plan to charge a $5 monthly fee for debit-card purchases. The outcry prompted other major banks, including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co., to cancel trial tests of their

own debit card fees. Bank attorney Laurence Hutt said 13.2 million Bank of America customers who had debit cards between January 2001 and May 2011 would get some payment. Those who still have accounts would get an automatic credit and the others would get a check mailed to them. No one would have to take any action or ďŹ ll out any paperwork. Hutt said only 46 customers ďŹ led formal objections to the settlement and 350 decided to opt out, meaning they could take separate legal action on their own.

WE ARE

AMERICAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very easy for people to say on the sidelines, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I could do better,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Hutt said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Never is a settlement at 100 percent of what somebody thinks they can receive at trial. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always a compromise.â&#x20AC;? Customers will receive a minimum of 9 percent of the fees they paid through the settlement, Hutt added. The bank has already paid the money into an escrow account. The lawsuit claimed that Bank of America processed its debit card transactions in the order of highest to lowest dollar amount so it could maximize the overdraft fees customers paid. An overdraft occurs when the account doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enough money in it to cover a debit card transaction. Similar

lawsuits have been ďŹ led against more than 30 other banks.

Despite the settlement, Bank of America insists there was nothing improper about the processing sequence. New regulations enacted following the recent ďŹ nancial crisis prohibit banks from charging overdraft fees on debit cards without ďŹ rst getting customer permission. Many of the objections concerned the fees for the team of class-action attorneys, which would amount to about $123 million as currently proposed. Lawyers for people opposed to the settlement said that amount should be cut down by at least $50 million, with the money going back to the wronged customers.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The best use is to provide compensation to the class members,â&#x20AC;? said Elliott Kula, who represents some of the objectors. Another complaint concerns missing records for customers from 2001 through 2003, which has made them impossible to identify. The settlement would take about 14 percent of the total â&#x20AC;&#x201D; representing an estimate for the fees paid by those customers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and put the money into nonproďŹ t ďŹ nancial literacy programs. In addition, the 32 original named plaintiffs who represented the larger class will get bonuses of up to $5,000 each, $2,500 each if both plaintiffs are a married couple.

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Gas exploration fuels economy, but also divisions KELVIN CHAN

Associated Press

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RALEIGH, N.C. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A visit to Pennsylvania shows that a 200million-year-old shale deposit of natural gas in North Carolina could fuel lawsuits and divisions even as it is helping the economy. The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Sunday (http://bit. ly/s9hbe9 ) that North Carolina ofďŹ cials recently visited rural southwestern Pennsylvania to learn about its experience with gas exploration. North Carolina is in the beginning stages of exploring. The Legislature passed a law this year to study whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s called â&#x20AC;&#x153;fracking,â&#x20AC;? which uses water and chemicals underground to release natural gas trapped in shale. Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing is currently not allowed in the state. Geologists have identiďŹ ed promising deposits of natural gas in North Carolina. Some of the most promising territory for drillers involves likely gastrapping shale at depths of less than 3,000 feet near Sanford in Lee and Chatham counties. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Think about what it delivers: Long-term economic growth and prosperity,â&#x20AC;? said Sen. Bob Rucho, a Mecklenburg County Republican who spent several days touring drill sites in Pennsylvania with fellow Republican Rep. Mike Hager. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is energy independence and economic independence.â&#x20AC;? But fracking has generated years of debate on the Marcellus Shale, the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest known natural gas reservoir beneath Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and Ohio. More than 3,000 wells have been drilled in the last three years and thousands more are planned.

The industry has created more than 200,000 jobs in Pennsylvania alone, including pumpers, drillers, truckers and pipe layers, according to state labor data. But the drilling has drawn opponents who fear it is polluting public water supplies, damaging public health and ruining the quality of life in rural communities. In Pennsylvania, rural homesteads host lucrative wellheads and storage tanks, while lesslucky neighbors switch to potable water trucked in to reďŹ ll 550-gallon tanks after the family well goes bad and has to be sealed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;North Carolina, watch your step and look out,â&#x20AC;? retiree Paul Parker of Hopewell Township, Pa., told the newspaper. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It turns neighbor against neighbor. A lot of friendships we had out here are lost because of the greed of the dollar.â&#x20AC;? He has refused to sell underground gas rights to his 7 acres, barring gas companies from drilling under his land. He estimates passing up on up to $100,000 in signing bonuses and royalties. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Doing business with the gas company is like doing business with the devil,â&#x20AC;? he said. However, his neighbors Bill and Sheila Black expect to be paid more than $1 million a year in gas royalties after the eight wells on 10 acres of their farm begin producing. The retirees praise the industry as saving family farms, paying college tuition and ensuring comfortable retirements. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of these dairy farms we have here were running almost two years in arrears in paying their bills,â&#x20AC;? Bill Black said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now I could show you new tractors, new storage sheds. The

struggling farmer now holds his head up high. Not a one of them has had an issue with contaminated water.â&#x20AC;? He acknowledges some concern about water quality, but says drilling for natural gas is much less invasive than mining for coal by blowing up mountain tops and risking minersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives and polluting the atmosphere. Hydraulic fracturing on his land began last week and is expected to continue for several more. It took crews two years to clear the land, drill the wells and remove the sludge. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Kevin Sunday said the industry comes with risks, but the problems represent a very small percentage of the activity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It also represents a tremendous economic opportunity for the state,â&#x20AC;? he said. In North Carolina, the amount of natural gas trapped in the Cumnock Formation is an estimate. A more exact ďŹ gure from the U.S. Geological Survey may not be released until next year. Still, independent gas companies already have signed decades-long leases in Lee County covering more than 9,000 acres, according to public records. The companies are paying several dollars an acre for the North Carolina land leases. That compares to leases starting at $5 an acre in Pennsylvania around 2005. The peak there was nearly $6,000 an acre before leveling out at about $2,500. But the big money will come in royalties, if the wells produce. Some land owners became opponents after they signed leases but the wells didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t produce, leaving access roads and well pads and little money in

theWORD 6

The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Why do fools fall in love? “Back Home Boos”

SYLVIA OBELL

Managing Editor

With holiday breaks quickly approaching I thought I’d take the opportunity to talk about the infamous “back home boo.” You know that person back home who you never quite had closure with. They could be your high school sweetheart, a past summer fling, or maybe even someone you connected with after high school but never gave it a chance because of the distance. Whatever the situation, we all have one. I discussed this topic with a mixed group of both male and female Aggies and they agreed that the love interests back home can be separated into two categories: The “back home joint” and the “girl/boy next door.” The Back Home Joint: Someone who knows up front what the situation is. When you’re home you spend time with them and when you’re not home you’re seeing other people. There’s a sort of friendship bond at the base of it because you two have known each other for a long time. They could be an ex, or someone that you tried something with but ultimately figured out that nothing could come from it. He/she is usually still at home because they went to community college and have yet to finish, had a baby, or for whatever reason they just couldn’t make it out of the neighborhood. The Girl/Boy Next Door: A person back home that has the potential to be more. You know how the song goes, “If I would have knew the girl next door would have been you...” In this case the only reason it hasn’t been taken to the next step is because of the distance. He/she is usually attending college somewhere else and your hometown is the only common base. No matter what your particular situation may be the situation should always be handled with care. In situations such as these you do not want to make things too messy so honesty is always the best policy. During the discussion one man pointed out, “Never mess up the back home joint because they’ll always be there. She’s the one joint I’m most likely not to lie to.” So what happens when you find yourself in a relationship? How do you handle going back home for break knowing that you’ll run into your “back home

boo?” After some debate, the men and women were able to agree on a few cardinal rules: 1. Let the “back home boo” know before you get home that you’re in a relationship. “Most of the time she’ll be able to handle it because she knows the deal. She’ll be upset that you messed up the flow but at the same time she wants you to be happy. In the back of her mind though she’s probably thinking it’s only a matter of time before your new girl bites the dust like the ones in the past,” said one guy. 2. No matter what, don’t let the back home boo mess up your functional relationship. There’s a reason why they are just a boo or “joint.” It won’t work and you’ll find yourself alone. “I wouldn’t get back with my ‘back home joint’ because we broke up for a reason,” another man said. 3. Don’t put yourself in situations during break, where you and him/her will be alone. “I usually work it so my boys know not to leave me alone with her. It’s inevitable that we’ll run into each other because we have a lot of mutual friends, its just about making smart decisions,” said the third young man. 4. Know that the situation works in reverse as well, you too can very well be the back home boo. Always know your place and don’t be naive to the fact that 9 times out of 10 there are other people involved. Also, it’s crucial that you don’t slip up and get too attached during break. Don’t get all caught up in the holiday season and forget that it’ll be back-to-reality come January. Because as sure as a new year will begin, you’ll have to come back to Aggieland, and you two will once again have to go your separate ways. On the flip side, if you’ve been at school for a couple years and still haven’t found anyone who compares to them, that could be a sign that you two should go ahead and take that plunge. With good communication, dedication and a little creativity, a long distance relationship could work. You don’t have to see a person everyday for it to be a healthy relationship. This is especially true with the “girl/guy next door” because sometimes, as one young lady pointed out, that’s where you’ll end up after graduation. “At the end of the day I’m not staying here in Greensboro, I’m going to find a job closer to back home.”

We need to vote to save our future

“If it’s not the presidential election, I’m not voting.” Why is this mentality so common on our campus? I just do not understand it. Students refuse to vote for local elections, but will come out in record numbers to vote for the next president. Yes, the presidential election is one of the most important elections in this country, but it is not always the most important. Students need to realize that the legislators in their local government make some of the most important decisions that affect their lives. It is crazy to me how the campus can be in such an uproar to get people out to vote for the next president, but when it is the local election season we barely hear about it. I wonder how many people on our campus knew who was actually running in this election. I wonder how many students actually knew that voting day was Nov. 8. I wonder why no one sees this as a problem. Why are we not constantly

trying to educate our fellow students about the candidates for the local election? Why do we not dorm storm just as hard when MICHELE it is time to DELGADO vote for our next mayor? Why do we not inform others on the views of each party so they can make a real choice when choosing a political party? Why do students not know about the issues that actually affect us? Ridiculous bills, like the Voter ID bill, are created every day and a lot of them actually are passed because college students are not aware and do not vote. College students always want to take action when it is too late or close enough. I want us as whole to stop waiting until last minute to want to take action. I want us as students to become more aware

Contributor

Herman Cain and Arnold Schwarzenegger don’t have a lot in common, but there is this: Both were hit with allegations of serious sexual impropriety in the midst of their campaigns for high ofﬁce. Voters forgave Schwarzenegger, who was easily elected governor in 2003. The same could still happen to Cain. In the weeks before the California gubernatorial election, the Los Angeles Times published a series of stories airing allegations from at least 16 women who said they had been inappropriately touched or sexually humiliated by Schwarzenegger over the course of 30 years.

Schwarzenegger’s response, like Cain’s, was to blame his political opponents and the media, but he also accepted some responsibility. “I know that the people of California can see through these trash politics,” he told a crowd in San Diego after the ﬁrst article appeared in The Times. “Yes. And let me tell you something a lot of those, what you see in the stories is not true. But at the same time, I have to tell you, I always say that wherever there is smoke, there is ﬁre. That is true. So I want to say to you, yes, I have behaved badly sometimes. ... And to those people that I have offended, I want to say to them I am deeply sorry about that, and I apologize, because this is not what I tried to do.”

complete. There is still work to be done and it is our duty as citizens that we elect the right people into ofﬁce to make this dream come true. We cannot depend on a small group of people to do everything. We need students to get other students involved and to continue the trend until most of the campus is involved. That is what I hope to see one day and that is what I hope to see during the next election. For those who did not vote yesterday, just remember that you do not have any right to complain later if a horrible change occurs. The moment you silenced yourself was the moment you let your community down. Your vote was supposed to be a vote for a change and a vote that shows your concern for the community. It is too late now, but I just hope that next time you have a change of heart. -msmicheledelgado@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @ATRegister

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going on in that party, I just add that to the long list of nonsense that is going on with those guys and girls. I can’t even keep up anymore with the stuff. This scandal is just another reason why I think we can’t afford to lose a president like Obama. The Republicans are messing up and trying to bring him down, but they can’t even keep themselves together.

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5 p.m. in GCB Room 328 Or follow us on Twitter: @ATRegister

Herman Cain should stop and come clean MCT CAMPUS

and be proactive in political awareness and involvement. I want for students to realize that the issues that we complain about could have been stopped at an earlier point if only we were involved from the very beginning. I commend the student leaders that are trying to solve this problem by getting people registered and marching to the polls. I also commend the organizations that hold programs to educate our students on politics and local issues. However, I also have some kind of sympathy for all those I have just commended. Sympathy because their numbers are slim to none. When Obama was running for president, everyone was involved and trying to help. Why is that same enthusiasm and that same strength in numbers not present for local elections? Why did the spirit of change die after one person was elected? The goal of change and making a difference is still not

The charges against Cain aren’t as well documented as those against Schwarzenegger, but they may be uglier because he is accused of making unwanted advances toward women who worked for him at the National Restaurant Association, which if true would be a gross abuse of power. Of course, only the participants know whether the claims are true, and if they aren’t, Cain has nothing to apologize for. But blanket denials were wearing thin Monday after former NRA employee Sharon Bialek came forward alleging that Cain reached under her skirt while she was seeking his help ﬁnding a job.Cain’s three other accusers haven’t revealed their identities two of them reportedly agreed to remain silent after receiving

settlement payments from the restaurant group and the details of their allegations are unknown. But Bialek claims to have told two other people about the groping incident shortly after it happened, an important corroborating factor if true. For the sake of his own campaign, and because Americans deserve better than the racebaiting, blame-shifting, conﬂicting explanations Cain has offered to date, he should stop stonewalling, answer hard questions and seek to release his accusers from their promises of silence. Candidates’ consensual sex lives are nobody’s business but their own, but when there are harassment or assault victims involved, it’s everybody’s business.

Guy #1- I think it could have been better, but overall I love the concept behind it. You don’t see too many, if any at all, programs strictly about empowering black women. Therefore, I support the show. It would be incredible to see more shows about empowering black women, black men, Hispanic women, Hispanic men, etc. I will support BET more if they supported everybody. Guy #2- The fact that BET showed it blew my mind. The same network that aired BET UnCut for years is supporting black women now? The same network that showed Daddy’s Little Girls (a movie that shows a black mother who treated her daughters like less than scum) right before they aired the program? The same network that has continuously exploited black women for years ironically is showing Black Girls Rock now? I don’t support the show, simply because BET can’t even be consistent enough to prove to me they are sincerely supporting black women. Guy #3- I didn’t like it. It was boring to me. I think it could have been better but then again it was on BET; what do you expect? How do you feel about the Herman Cain scandal? Guy #1- I think it is all another way to just bring another black man’s credit down. I don’t know much about his policies and plans but I know a lot of the media see a black man trying to make a difference so they want to bring him down through scandals and things like that. Guy #2- This whole scandal just adds to the pile of stuff that is going on with the Republican party. With so much

Guy #3- It shows just how scandalous our American government is. The only thing interesting about him is the fact that he got caught. Our government is so messed up that I am sure they are all doing something dirty but he just so happened to make someone mad and let the story get out. I think Herman Cain is no different than any other political ﬁgure. Who is your favorite man in history? Guy #1- Jesus Christ. I live my life by the lessons he taught the world. Without him I would be absolutely nothing. He made miracles, taught lessons, and inﬂuenced the world for over 2,000 years later. Guy #2- The African American slave is my favorite man in history. To see the fact that these men came from absolutely nothing, to now have a legacy that has led to them becoming the president of the United States, that means a lot to me. The American slave is the strongest man I know. Guy #3- I think every man in history that we learn about in our World and American history classes are all strong because they all have strong stories to tell. I think those men are remembered because history will never, no matter what, ever forget their names. Men from George Washington to Malcolm X, from Andrew Johnson to Martin Luther King Jr. These were my favorite because they were great.

AggieLife

Crystal Pratt 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, November 9, 2011

Aggies get rattled by FAMU at home Meagan jordan

This past weekend, N.C. A&T’s volleyball team played hard games but it wasn’t enough to beat Florida A&M on Nov. 4 and Bethune Cookman on Sunday. The Aggies have not had the best season but have improved from last year in hopes to become champions. This past weekend the Aggies played Florida A&M on in Corbett Sports Center. They lost both games. “We played a very strong FAMU team that made us play out of system. We competed but did not rise to the challenge. We played inconsistently against Bethune-Cookman. They are a good team and when playing a good team you can’t make simple mistakes,” said head coach Hal Clifton.

“Jenea Daniels continues to score most of our offense points but Andrea Evans and Tatiana Cooper are starting to add to our offense side we still make too many errors,” said Coach Clifton. “When it comes to my performance I felt like I played with a lot of heart and just came ready to play. I felt like Sunday was a great team effort. Friday’s performance didn’t show our full potential but we turned it around by Sunday and were able to fight and execute,” said sophomore Tatiana Cooper. To improve the team Coach Clifton is implementing fundamentals and working on technique. Some think the volleyball team is in a bind. The team hascome a long way since August. They are now able to change their defense and their offense continues to grow. This struggle will not last

Contributor

This season, the men’s basketball team seems to be looking up, literally. Last year’s big man Thomas Coleman, had a big role on the team being the most prominent man in the middle. But this season is a whole different story for the Aggies basketball team. Head coach Jerry Eaves has brought in four new standout players. “We are going to have to fight like teeth and nails in the paint.” Coach Eaves said this about this upcoming season. But it doesn’t

seem like they are going to have to fight too much, considering that the four new standouts they brought in are 6’6” or taller. Anthony Estes, standing at 6’6”, is packed with a great jump-shot along with his height. He is what the Eaves calls, “physical by nature and loves to bang bodies.” “I don’t think there is another team that is as athletic as us that can really match up with us. I don’t think any team in our conference can,” said Estes confidentally. It doesn’t stop with Estes though. Waylan Siverand (6’7”) is considered by Coach Eaves

TEAM Norfolk State Bethune-Cookman Florida A&M Morgan State South Carolina State Howard Hampton North Carolina A&T North Carolina Central Savannah State Delaware State

MEAC

OVR.

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

8-2 6-3 6-3 5-4 5-4 5-5 5-4 4-5 2-7 1-8 2-7

MEAC

OVR.

10-0 8-1 7-1 7-4 6-3 6-4 5-5 4-6 3-5 3-7 1-7 1-10 0-9

19-6 10-12 16-14 9-18 13-16 11-12 9-14 5-21 3-23 4-19 1-26 5-22 0-24

THIS WEEK’S GAME: Saturday vs. S. C. State Williams-Brice Stadium 1:30 p.m. NEXT WEEK’S GAME: Saturday vs. NCCU Aggie Stadium 1:30 p.m.

-msjordan@ncat.edu and follow us on Twitter @ATRegister

volleyball Photo by kenneth L. hawkins jr. • the A&T register

A&T’s Ian thompson and andrea evans jump to block Bethune-Cookman’s spike.

as one of the best he has ever recruited shooting and jumping wise. He not only performs on the basketball court, but he performs well in the classroom too. Siverand graduated from high school with 3.6 grade-point average. Junior Jordan Herrera (6’6”) is an awesome defender and offensive rebounder. Like Estes, he too likes to get physical. He isn’t afraid to go to the basket and rebound with the big boys and try to attract body contact. At his previous school, Cloud Community College, he averaged 11 points a game along with 5 rebounds per game.

AGGIES RUNDOWN football

for long though the season is almost to a close the Lady Aggie’s volleyball team and coaches have future goals to meet. “We will continue to build on what we’ve learned so far. We still have a lot of volleyball left to learn but we are slowly progressing. We have to understand the game a little better. We need to read better defensively and to continue to work on our first contacts both offensive and defensive. We are looking forward to getting in the weight room and getting a lot stronger,”said Clifton. The next match will take place this Friday at Savannah state in Savannah, GA at 6 p.m.

Men’s basketball is really looking up this season kimberly fields

Jacob Carson, (6’9 1/2”) is another player to look for, just not now. Due to an ankle injury from high school, Carson will be red shirted. Picking up where Carson cannot will be upperclassmen Jean Louisme and Nic Simpson who will have to open up the floor. As long as these guys can step up and show direction, Kam Shepard, can do the rest. Eaves mentioned that five years ago he had the best team and this season, the team will be playing like the team from five years ago. With the starting line up still

incomplete, one spot is still up for grabs. The team will play its first game at Creighton college Nov. 11. “I will be trying to stir the ship at the right speed and right pace but, at the same time, as John Wood would say, in their mind’s eye they will understand and get it and the team will evolve as they mature,”Coach Eaves said. -knfield1@ncat.edu and follow us on Twitter @ATRegister

Your career is our business.

TEAM MD Eastern Shore Florida A&M South Carolina State Morgan State Bethune-Cookman Hampton Norfolk State Howard North Carolina Central Delaware State North Carolina A&T Coppin State Savannah State THIS WEEK’S GAME: Friday vs. Savannah State Savannah, GA 6 p.m. Sunday vs. South Carolina State Orangeburg, S.C. 3 p.m. NEXT WEEK’S GAME: MEAC Championships TBA

Visit Wake Forest Tuesday, November 8, Noon to 3:00pm at the Graduate and Professional School Fair on the A&T campus.

Find out how you can turn your passions into a career with a graduate business degree from Wake Forest University. Master of Arts in Management This intense, 10-month program, designed exclusively for recent liberal arts, science and engineering graduates, provides the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a broad range of fields. It’s time to make your move. Apply today – gain a competitive edge and find your dream job.

Find more information about our programs, contact Lance Bennett at 336.758.3849 or visit business.wfu.edu.

Master of Science in Accountancy This nationally ranked, 12- to 18-month program prepares students for a variety of careers in accounting and financial management. Students consistently achieve 100% employment at graduation and have the highest first-time CPA pass rates in the nation for five of the past six years. Your road to success starts today.

The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Aggies Str8Kick it in Stallings!

#TRENDING TOPICS

hotlist

theSCENE

Nov. 9th to 15th The A&T Register’s guide to what’s going on this week in arts and entertainment. @ThtsWut_SheSaid: smh they lockin MJ’s doctor up, but R. Kelly is still running free????smh #ColdWorld

PHOTO BY TRACY DURANDIS • THE A&T REGISTER

ALEXIS WHITE & JOLIEE HAVNER Contributors

In a room full of snapbacks and kicks, ‘swagg’ spoke louder than words. Entourage, I Am Music and Media (I.A.M.M.) and My Unlimited Style teamed up to host “#Str8kicknit” in Stallings Ballroon on Nov. 2. “The purpose of the event was to crown the King of Kickz. Each person had a display of at least 15 pairs of shoes that deﬁned their style,” said James Gerrald, CEO of My Unlimited Style. His inspiration for this event came from the diversity that he witnessed around campus. “My team and I started talking about hosting an event surrounding sneakers and Entourage and I.A.M.M. wanted to be a part of the movement,

@taildog13 E. Cohen: Dang....Jackson doctor goin down @TerrenceJ: Guilty @ Naturalove50: Lol smh RT @Honcho_07Z: Casey anthony prolly at the crib like dang Conrad @MR_NCAT: Guilty ???!??? The verdict .. @DR_Alston: ..they aint waste no time...judge said he remains in custody of the county...they put the cuffs right on him

so we collaborated and had a successful event,” Gerrald continued. The contestants were not the only ones who had a chance to shine. Venders also came out to support the event. One vender, Sole Quest, informed students of other sneaker events as well as sneaker scholarships offered to the winners of these competetions. Along with the men, females displayed their fresh kicks too. “Being one of the only females in the competition I wasn’t intimidated and I had just as many shoes as the men did,” said Ashley Mitchell, a senior at North Carolina Central University. Michelle had an advantage on the other ladies when it came to certain sneakers. “I wear size 7 ½ or 8 inch shoe in men’s sizes,

so I can buy all the shoes that the men can buy,” continued Mitchell, as she smiled. “I have over 100 pairs of sneakers and I only displayed 22 pairs of shoes.” Students were so interested in the array of sneakers exhibited that they even purchased them. “The event was great! There were a lot of people buying sneakers. I even thought about getting a pair for myself,” said David Johnson, a senior engineering major. Johnson also said he would deﬁnitely come out and display his own sneakers. DJ’s were also able to compete and hype the crowd with their mixture of music. “I think this is a great opportunity to show my skills. I love music and I also love fashion, so this event made sense to attend and

participate in,” said DJ Cuttz , an alumnus of Winston-Salem State University. Eminet Taitt , a senior from Winston Salem State University, was crowned the King of Kickz. “I was very happy I was crowned the winner of this competition. There were a lot of collections here that were dope but I guess mine stood out.” The program attracted a diverse crowd of college students. “This was such a success that we will do this event again. I am grateful to have had such a great turn out and supporters. So everyone should come back next semester to kick it with us,” said Gerrald, as he smiled. -Email us at TheAtRegister@gail. com and follow us twitter @TheATRegister

ON SCREEN IMMORTALS The brutal and bloodthirsty King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) and his murderous Heraklion army are rampaging across Greece in search of the long lost Bow of Epirus. With the invincible Bow, the king will be able to overthrow the Gods of Olympus and become the undisputed master of his world. With ruthless efficiency, Hyperion and his legions destroy everything in their wake, and it seems nothing will stop the evil king’s mission.

@NegusNique: Conrad shouldn’t have been MJ’s comrade!!

“Puss in Boots” scratches to the top DERRICK LANG

Associated Press

The DreamWorks 3-D animated film, distributed by Paramount Pictures, earned $33 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. The PG-rated film centering on the swashbuckling feline voiced by Antonio Banderas from the “Shrek” series surprisingly toppled the weekend’s two new releases, bringing its total haul to $75 million. Universal’s PG-13 revenge romp “Tower Heist” starring Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy palmed $25.1 million in the No. 2 spot, while the Warner Bros. R-rated sequel “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas” with John Cho and Kal Penn unwrapped $13 million at No. 3. Paul Dergarabedian, boxoffice analyst for Hollywood. com, said family films are tough to beat out. “From the re-release earlier this fall of ‘The Lion King’ to ‘Dolphin Tale’ and now ‘Puss in Boots,’ it seems that the family audience is the one you can really count on right now,” said Dergarabedian. “I think the cavalry is definitely on the way though. We’ve got ‘Immortals’ and another ‘Twilight’ coming up, as well as a bunch of big releases in December.” Anne Globe, head of worldwide marketing and consumer products at DreamWorks, said the decision to move up the opening of “Puss in Boots” to last weekend is one reason why the film experienced just a 3-percent drop, the smallest

QUESTIONS

ever for a non-holiday film, ahead of the 10-percent dip for “Twister” during its second weekend of release in 1996. “To be No. 1 again is really extraordinary,” said Globe. “It’s really an unparalleled hold driven by our two-weekend release strategy, which was pretty unprecedented in and of itself. That and the amazing word of mouth has given us tremendous momentum into November, which is a better play period for an event-level movie like ‘Puss in Boots.’” Another animated film dominated outside of North America. “The Adventures of Tintin,” which is being distributed overseas by Sony Pictures and Paramount Pictures, scooped up $40.8 million as it grew from 19 to 45 international markets. The 3-D film, directed by Steven Spielberg and adapted from the Belgian comic series, opens Dec. 21 in the United States. The 20th Century Fox scifi thriller “In Time” starring Justin Timberlake fell to No. 5 in U.S. after opening at No. 3 last weekend. “In Time” clocked better numbers overseas, earning $16.6 million in 53 markets for a secondplace finish behind “The Adventures of Tintin,” while “Puss in Boots” scratched out third place with $15 million in five international markets.

ON SHELVES BOOK REVIEW:THE BLACKER THE BERRY

The Blacker the Berry, the sweeter the juice?

COURTNEY JACKSON Business Manager

Author Wallace Thurman takes on interracial prejudice in his 1929 novel, “The Blacker The Berry.” The main character is Emma Lou Morgan, a color conscious blue-black girl, who tries to ﬁnd herself in a world where black is damned and light is right. Thurman is unafraid to expose the idea that there is no place in this world for “tar babies,” “kinky-head pickaninnies,” or “blue-gummed, pinklipped coal haulers.” According to Emma Lou’s mother, “a black boy could get along, but a black girl would never know anything but sorrow and disappointment.” Thurman’s satirical approach was refreshing. He mocked allblacks for conforming to white supremacy. A bright light is shone on those who are preoc-

cupied with being accepted by white society. Thurman also does a great job of presenting many views from the black characters on the subject. The skin color battle is deeper than random self-hatred. Thurman delves into job placement, education, relationships and politics, which are all issues affected by the color and tone of an individuals ﬂesh in the novel. The light skinned or “blue veins” of society married light so that their children would get whiter and whiter with each generation. The brown skinned characters did everything to make sure they did not appear darker. The damned black characters invested in powders and lye to lighten their wretched skin. For the majority of the novel a relatable Emma Lou is of college age. She transitions from one setting to another with the energy of her youth and with just enough naivety to make necessary mistakes. This novel is a must read because interracial prejudice views still exist in 2011. Outof-date sayings such as ‘you’re pretty for a dark skinned girl’ are still being murmured on HBCU campuses as compliments, in the 21st century. Thurman opens your grandmother’s kitchen window and eavesdrops on the color heavy criticism of the ole black woman in church and her nappy, screaming black babies.

Thurman could have done more with descriptive language to further his points but the uncensored sensitive topic holds enough weight to elicit national Twitter rants. The old African American folk saying, ‘the blacker the berry the sweeter the juice’ is relentlessly put to trial in the court of black opinion. “The Blacker The Berry,” a novel described as a “lost classic,” is a page-turner about truth, beauty, and blackness along with ﬁnding a place for it all in American society. -Email Courtney at Courtneyjjackson@yahoo.comand follow us on Twitter @TheATRegister.

1. Who watched the ignorant wives of Atlanta? 2. Did the season premiere get too hyped up? 3. If you were dead would you want to be in musical hearse? 4. Does anybody else think Sheree’s body is shaped like a man’s body? 5. Isn’t there only one person married on the show? 6. Why was Kim ever on the show? 7. Has Kim closed her legs to married men yet? 8. Basketball wives or Housewives of Atlanta? 9. Why does Jackie brag about being married to Doug Christie? 10. Have you seen him? 11. Did you feel bad for Dr. Conrad Murray? 12. Why he have to kill MJ? 13. Why is Casey Anthony still running around as a free murderer? 14. Is it because she’s white? 15. Don’t we all know OJ really did it? 16. Why did we waste our energy cheering for the football team again? 17. Has anybody ever dropped from the top to the bottom so fast? 18. Will they ask Santa for a real winning season next year? 19. How about we all skip finals this year? 20. Or are Aggies really trying to graduate?

DRAKE is finally releasing his album “Take Care” which many of his fans have been anticipating. The LP features huge artists such as Rihanna, Andre 3000, The Weekend and of course the given guest appearances like Nicki Minaj and Lil’ Wayne. The album is projected to be another success for the star on Nov. 15.

ON STAGE UNIVERSOUL CIRCUS is a family event that is sure to be a guaranteed fun night. The circus is making its way to the Greensboro area Nov. 9 to the 13. This event is different than any other normal circus because it is catered to the African American culture. Other than just seeing the regular circus animals the circus showcases musical acts like drumlines, and also comedic acts. This event has various discount prices for big groups on specific days, so be sure to check out the website for all the details.

Come be a part of theScene Contributor’s Meetings every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in GCB 328A