April 4 issue by The A&T Register

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Grad tickets spark campus fury KELCIE C. MCCRAE Editor-in-Chief

Campus was ﬁlled with excitement last Wednesday as news hit that First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver the commencement address. Now a week later, a new feeling is present — rage. Per a university delivered email, graduating seniors are now up in arms over a new mandate that requires ticket access to the commencement ceremony on May 12 in the Greensboro Coliseum. Originally six tickets were to be allotted, however after further review from the administration, graduates now have eight tickets to dispense amongst family and friends. Previously, the ceremony was a public event. “I was devastated when I found out,” said Sabrina Hagood, a biology major from Columbia S.C. “Graduation is not going to be the same to me at all because the past four years there

has been ups and downs, and I’m ﬁnally done with a biology degree and I want all my family to be with me.” Hagood is the ﬁrst grandchild to graduate from college, and she has over 20 people that have booked to come to the ceremony. She says she has no idea how to choose who will be able to actu-

“This is my day, and I feel as

though they’re making her the big show.” -JacQuetta Williams, graduating senior ally see her cross the stage. This change comes only a month before graduation is set to take place — a change that JacQuetta Williams, says is untimely. “If Michelle is causing this much of a controversay now,

then I can do without her,” said the social work major from Durham. “This is my day, and I feel as though they’re making her the big show.” Williams has about 20 family members coming to see her graduate. This is the first time that the university has authorized a ticket requirement for a commencement of any size. The reasons for the new measure according to Nicole Pride, associate vice chancellor for university relations, is to account for security. “With our new speaker, a lot of people from around the community want to be involved,” she said. “We want to make sure our students and their families get in first. They are the VIPs for the day.” N.C. A&T is now working hand in hand with the White House to ensure that the coliseum is secure for the first lady’s arrival. They had to create and submit a seating diagram to secret service for approval.

Election day ends in victories and run-offs

The Greensboro Coliseum has a seating capacity of over 20,000, however due to the stage set-up, seats for the graduates, faculty, golden-year graduates, as well as distinguished guests that number is decreased. According to Pride, there are now 15,000 seats available for guests. The majority, 12,000, will be for guests of the students, and then 3,000 will be split between faculty, staff, alumni, and the Greensboro community. As of today, the process of distribution of tickets to the community has not been determined. Over 1,000 students are set to graduate in May, and for many of them, eight is still not enough. “I feel like it should be ticketed because of who our speaker is,” said Brittny Johnson, a sports science major from Wilmington, N.C. “However there has to be more tickets because I have people who have worked overtime, [hours] they didn’t have to work just so they can come to my graduation.”

Contributor

Eager Aggies rallied at the student union Monday to campaign and vote, after the Student Government Association elections were postponed from its original date on March 28th. The elections were pushed back after a concern arose that the online election ballot could have been tampered with. “We want to make sure everything is secure,” said Shakira Redd, chair of the election committee. Previously, students were asked their banner I.D. number in addition to their birth date to cast their vote on the online election ballot. That raised a concern because certain students on campus have access to that information and could use it to falsify the vote. The new measure required students to enter a unique pin code to vote. As expected, the physical turnout for voting in Stallings Ballroom was not as big as previous years due to the option for

“We want to make sure our students and their families get in ﬁrst. They are the VIPs for the day.” -Nicole Pride, associate VC for univeristy relations

through the Internet for an electronic petition sheet. “I saw how upset the seniors were about this decision,” Bingham said. “So I decided to do something to get the university’s attention.” So far over 400 people have

LILIANE LONG Contributor

PHOTO BY NECOLE JACKSON • THE A&T REGISTER

the student body to vote online. This alternative made it more convenient for students who have jobs and other priorities, giving them an opportunity to cast their vote. “Students will be able to vote today for run-off elections from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Exhibit Hall. The election process is online and students are given a password sent to their email,” said Redd. Each candidate running for a 2012-2013 position, along with friends who were assisting with campaigning, posted his or her materials on tables at the rear of the union. “Becoming SGA President has been a goal of mine PHOTO BY NECOLE JACKSON • THE A&T REGISTER since before arriving at A&T. I believe that no other student STUDENTS campaign and support other candidates behind the Union, before people went in to vote would ﬁght and care for the on April 2, 2012. university like I would,” said “I want to win the position at the union to vote enjoyed Allahquan Tate, an architecture of Miss A&T because I know I the election festivities as they engineering major. However, after all the chant- would bring a positive change assembled around along the ing, free food and block parties, that others did not know was steps. “Voting is an important the run-offs to determine the needed. Being the female rep- aspect of being an Aggie, stuofﬁcial positions of Miss A&T, resentative of our university dents say they want change but Miss Sophomore and Editor- would be a honor,” said Cath- some don’t take the time to do In-Chief of The A&T Register erine Hamlin, journalism and so,” said Jasmine Rucker, a mass communication major. will be held today. Students who did gather  See ELECTIONS on Page 2

A crowd of N.C. A&T students, family members and friends gathered in front of Holland Bowl Tuesday to welcome new members to the Greek world. The new initiates were from Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc. Probate season will continue over the next two days with coming out shows from additional members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council as well as the Greek Life Council. This is the ﬁrst time in years that the probate show has been held outdoors. Previously, probates were held in Corbett Sports Center.

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SURVEYS AVAILABLE

EMERGENCY SIREN TEST

GRAD TICKETS SPARK ANGER

STUDENTS DUKE IT OUT IN MARTIAL ARTS

IT’S AGGIE FEST YALL!

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

An emergency siren test is scheduled for next week.

Managing editor Sylvia Obell discusses her disappointment over the ticket allotment for spring commencement.

A spotlight on martial arts the club.

Check out the ins and outs of this year’s Aggie Fest.

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“Probates being outside goes back to being traditional and very historical,” said Tres Savage, a senior ﬁnance major from California. “I think it gives students a chance to see it in a different light, to see how it used to be done and to not be so crammed up in the gym.” Greek members however did not seem to like the new lay out. “I don’t like probates being outside,” said D’yana Mack, an animal science major from Raleigh, and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. “I would rather be inside because I have really bad allergies and they should have a side for Greek seating.” Many A&T students did not  See ELECTIONS on Page 2

PHOTO BY KENNETH L. HAWKINS, JR. • THE A&T REGISTER

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PAGE 2

 See Tickets on Page 2

PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY, INC. leaves after revealing their new 2012 initiates.

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penned their name to the web site. Bingham says she hopes the university takes heed to what the students want. “My mom is very upset over the decision,” she said. “She already has her plane and hotel booked, and she doesn’t want to call my other family members and tell them that they can’t come anymore.” Bingham has about 15 family members coming from Chicago for graduation. They all have booked their travel arrangements. “I signed the petition and I think that it’s good that the students are uniﬁed,” said Williams. “Hopefully they hear us.” SGA president Christian Robinson says that he has been voicing the concerns of the students to the administration. “My job is to be here for the students,” he said. “When I was in those meetings, I made sure I let them know what the students were saying.”

Spring 2012 probates have change of venue

STUDENTS holds signs, pass out candy and food to potential voters on April 2, 2012.

LATISHA FREEMAN

Outraged by a decision, Synnaman Bingham, a senior psychology major from Chicago took it upon herself to start a petition against the ticket allotment. After researching ways to get signatures fast, Bingham found the web site www.change.org to house her cause. This site is designed to connect people

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, April 4, 2012

ELECTIONS From page 1 nursing major with a minor in psychology. Kyla Boykin, a sophomore, exercised her right to vote and said, “I voted for Michele Delgado and Reginald Johnson for Miss & Mr. A&T because I felt as though they are more genuine about the campaign and this is not a popularity contest for them.” The run-off elections are for today from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Results SGA President: Allahquan Tate Vice President for Internal Affairs: Canisha Cierra Turner Vice President for External Affairs: Ryan Marcus SGA Secretary: Patrick Malichi SGA Treasurer: Desiree Simmons Miss North Carolina A&T (Run-Off):

THE A&T

District #1: Khalyn Jones

Catherine Hamlin and Michele Delgado Mr. North Carolina A&T: Reginald Johnson Senior Class President: Alisha Fairfax Miss Senior: Stanita Thomas Miss Junior: Tiffany Carson Mr. Junior: Jonte Douglas Sophomore Class President: Jawari Boyd Sophomore Class Vice President: Ambrose Wallace

TICKETS From page 1

District #2: Tevin Milton, Peter Akinleye, Danielle Peterson, and Randolph Brown District #3: Guinyard, Melanie Thompson, and Taya Gaskins-Scott

Isiah

District #4: Allison Townes and James Haynes Editor-In-Chief The A&T Register (Run-Off): Jonathan Erik Veal and Karmen Robinson

Miss Sophomore (Run-Off): Amber Woodard, Madison Gibbs and Kamaria Ellerbe Mr. Sophomore: Dorian Davis Sophomore Class Treasure: Asha Brown

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: Tracy Durandis

After the increase of tickets, Robinson says that it is a step in the right direction. “This is progression,” he said. “It’s really a move in the right step.” Although Robinson ex-

presses his happiness for the increase, he says he understands that students will probably never be satisﬁed with having to choose who can come to the ceremony. “Nothing is ever going to be satisfactory with the students I assume,” he said. “But I’m grateful for this progression.”

There will be a meeting with chancellor Harold Martin on April 9 at 7 p.m. in Corbett Sports Center for students to voice their concerns regarding commencement. -kcmccrae@ncat.edu and follow her on Twitter @Kelcie_McCrae

PROBATES From page 1 seemed to appreciate the new arrangement. Nevertheless they felt the energy was as high as it would be if the probates were to be relocated inside. “I prefer probates inside, it’s more comfortable,” said Nicole Reynolds, a senior business major from Winston-Salem. “I feel like more people could see it because the view was better when it was inside, but it’s still the same excitement. ” Filled with tradition, the gentleman of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Inc. kicked off the event welcoming three new members to their organization. This is a group that promotes the advancement of music. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. came out paying homage to the Florida slain teen Tray-

PHOTO BY KENNETH L. HAWKINS, JR. • THE A&T REGISTER

NEW INITATES of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Incorporated shout black power.

von Martin by wearing black hoodies as the teen did. According to Harold Baldwin II, a sophomore and member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., the new initiates made him “proud.” Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. welcomed ten new mem-

ADVERTISING& BUSINESS MANAGER: Courtney Jackson BUSINESS STAFF: CONTENT DIRECTOR: Anjan Basu FACULTY ADVISER: Emily Harris

bers into their brotherhood. The day’s probates ended with a presentation from Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. who welcomed ﬁve new members. The Probates will resume today at 5 p.m. -lilong@ncat.edu and follow us on Twitter @ATRegister

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, April 4, 2012

inBRIEF

Emergency siren test is scheduled for next week on campus A series of tests will be conducted on April 11. N.C. A&T’s emergency sirens and Aggie Alert system from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Three tones will sound within the hour to signal various meanings. Tone 1: a continuous tone and will signal the campus and surrounding community to seek shelter and be alert for more information. Tone 2: a high-low tone and will signal to evacuate the area while tone Tone 3: a “whoop” tone

and signal all clear. Each tone will be threefive minute activation. Aggie Alert messages will be sent entailing all of this information when the sirens go off. The university will also share the information via Twitter, Facebook, WNAA 90.1 FM, University E-Mail, AggieNet, Aggie Info Line, and the University website.

Chancellor Harold Martin Seven students selected to attend special conference receives high award Virginia Tech has given the Influential Black Alumni award to A&T’s Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. Martin was one of several alumni

awarded in six categories. He received the career achievement award. Martin received his Ph.D in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech.

Richard B. Harrison players present “An Evening of Classics” The N.C. A&T department of visual and performing arts between April 12-15 and April 19-22 will present “An Evening of Classics.” The award-winning Richard B. Harrison Players in Harrison Auditorium will perform the

play, adapted by Frankie Day. The price for general admission is $15 and senior citizen is $10. N.C. A&T students get in free with their Aggie One Card. To purchase tickets please contact the box office at (336) 3347749.

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After an on-campus interview process, the International Organization of Black Security Executives (IOBSE) has selected seven A&T students to attend its annual meeting. The meeting will take place in Hoffman Estates, Illinois from April 18-20. Karlos Glenn, Meshach Jackson, Patrick Jackson, James G. Smith, Avery McKoy, Derrick Bradshaw and Patrick Mosley are the students chosen to receive an all expense

trip to the annual meeting. IOBSE , in partnership with its corporate sponsors, provides eligible students access to a network of security professionals with paid internships and careers. The annual conference is a vehicle to bring students and professionals together to support minority interest in the security field. The nonprofit organization that was established 1982.

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

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Penn State trustees seek to rebuild communications GENARO C. ARMAS Associated Press

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Keith Masser was busy enough running his 4,600-acre potato farm before his schedule got even tighter the past couple months. In January, he became the vice chairman of Penn State’s Board of Trustees. He likened the time he’s put into the leadership position to that of a second full-time job. Masser and other board leaders are working to foster openness and ease tensions on a campus on the mend from the scandalous aftermath of child sex abuse charges against retired assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, who was arrested last fall. Eight of 10 boys he is accused of abusing were attacked on campus, prosecutors allege. The trustees remain a target of criticism from vocal alumni watchdog groups angered by what critics have called the board’s rash decision to fire longtime coach Joe Paterno, days after Sandusky was charged. Masser hopes increased interactions with students, faculty and other university groups are helping repair the rift. Board leaders recently met with some of the groups as part of an ongoing listening tour. “A key component is accessibility,” Masser told The Associated Press in an interview this month. “We’re making ourselves ac-

cessible to them,” he said. “It creates transparency and openness, which is relieving some of the tension.” The board has begun an internal investigation of the Sandusky case led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, but some critics have complained about a lack of transparency that they say has raised questions about trustees’ motivations. “We’ve heard it all. We got grilled in some of these listening groups,” Masser said before a recent trustees meeting in Hershey. Masser assumed his post in January, when banking executive Karen Peetz was also elected chairwoman after their predecessors stepped down. “The biggest issue is keeping the difference between the Sandusky matters and the crisis ... and keeping focused on the future,” Peetz said. “A lot of what we’re working on ... is to keep us focused on the future. That’s an incredibly important role for the trustees as we deal with what’s current, but we focus on where we go.” Peetz has stressed three themes early in her tenure: changes in the board’s committee structure related to governance; a continued focus on “justice for the victims”; and increased transparency. The listening tours appeared to have quelled dissatisfaction among some members of one interested group, the University Faculty Senate, which in Janu-

ary had voted down a largely symbolic vote of no confidence in the board by a 2-to-1 margin. The measure sought to chastise the board for its handling of the scandal. There are lingering concerns among some faculty about the independence of Freeh’s investigation, said dairy and animal sciences professor Daniel Hagen, the Faculty Senate chair who is also a member of the investigations committee. Overall, though, Hagen has said, Peetz and Masser have stressed openness with the faculty. The Faculty Senate has also established a committee to look at the functions and responsibilities of the trustees in interacting with various university constituencies. That report is due May 31. Freeh’s report is also expected to be ready later this year. Peetz also points to the formation of a new trustees committee focused on outreach as a way to increase communication. Skeptics remain. One watchdog group, Penn Staters for Reforming the Board of Trustees, has said its mission is to amend the school’s charter to change the structure and functioning of the board. Trustee candidate Joanne C. DiRinaldo, an educator and researcher, said this week the board has shown “from my eyes, incremental baby steps. I would like to see more drastic attempts with transparency.”

She suggested potential changes in bylaws that govern rules of confidentiality of dissent on the board, and to open up trustees meeting to public participation. Unlike other vocal critics on social media, DiRinaldo said she does not favor the entire resignation of the board because she could not judge how they made their decisions behind closed doors. “I will say they arrived at their decision hastily and without due process.” Another candidate, former Penn State defensive back Adam Taliaferro, called the board’s recent efforts to communicate “a step in the right direction, more than what’s been done previously. ... I’m sure there’s more that can be done.” He suggested an interactive podcast, or live video chats, to talk with more alumni. “They just want to know what’s going on and be informed,” he said. “The more things we can do to inform the alumni, the better.” Candidates who win election should prepare to spend a lot of time getting to work, trustee Paul Silvis said in Hershey. “When individuals get on the board, they see things with a different set of eyes, they see what goes on,” he said. “We welcome them to come on in, get ready to spend some time.”

Two rescued from yacht off Calif. coast AP

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two injured British sailors off the California coast Sunday from a yacht that was hit by a monster wave while participating in an around-the-world race. A rescue boat reached the battered yacht about 200 miles off the coast and transported the sailors to a Coast Guard cutter, Petty Officer Caleb Critchfield said. The two were being treated aboard the cutter and will receive additional medical aid when the vessel reaches San Francisco Bay, said DeeDee Taft, a spokeswoman for the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race. The injured were Jane Hitchens, 50, a doctor from Kent, England, who may have suffered broken ribs, and Nik Brbora, 29, a software engineer from London who may have suffered a pelvic strain, Taft said. The nearly 70-foot Geraldton Western Australia was hit by a huge wave Saturday when

it was about 400 miles from a finish line in San Francisco Bay, knocking out its steering mounting. “We were making good speed, sailing with the third reef in the main, surfing at 15 to 20 knots,” said Juan Coetzer, skipper of the yacht. “Then ... just before the sun came up, a monstrous foaming swell broke over our stern.” The sea was so rough on Saturday that rescuers couldn’t parachute down to the yacht and rescue the injured sailors. The Coast Guard was only able to drop medical supplies until the cutter arrived to assist the crew. Thirteen people were aboard the yacht. Two others who suffered minor injuries decided to continue sailing, Taft said. The crew was expected to arrive in Oakland’s Jack London Square on Monday. The crew planned to fix the yacht and continue two more legs of the race, which began in Southhampton in England and will finish there July 22 after nearly a year at sea. The Geraldton Western Australia is among 10 yachts participating in the race.

Do you like to write? Do you like to talk? Then do it online at www.ncatregister.com

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Droid users now can add Scholarships are a student’s best friend to pay for college Instagram to app list claudia buck

Associated Press

NEW YORK — IPhone-less hipsters rejoice: The popular photo-taking and photo-sharing app Instagram is now on Android. The app has already been available on the iPhone and iPod Touch, where it’s been

downloaded more than 30 million times. Free to use, Instagram lets people apply various filters to the photos they snap with their mobile devices. Some of these make the photos look as if they’ve been taken in the 1970s or on Polaroid cameras. Photo apps such as Insta-

gram are gaining popularity as mobile phone cameras continue to improve. Instagram said in a blog post Tuesday that the app for Google’s Android system will have the same look and feel as the application available on Apple Inc.’s iOS operating system.

Degree and debt becoming one in same Alan J. Heavens MCT Campus

PHILADELPHIA- Americans are graduating from college today with mountains of debt that will take years to dig out from under. Two-thirds of 2011 graduates of four-year colleges accumulated an average of $34,000 in debt each, according to FinAid.org _ more than triple the amount of a 1992 graduate. For those who went on to medical or law school, the final cost could be 10 times that amount. Until they get rid of the debt, “it is inconceivable that they’ll ever be able to buy a home,” said Steven M. Dunne, a Philadelphia consumer-bankruptcy lawyer who last year paid $36,000 to chip away at his student loans, $5,000 of that interest. “When I graduated from law school, I knew I couldn’t make the payments with one job,” said Dunne, “so I’ve had two for the last three years. “The impact is that I can’t afford to buy a house or a car,” he said. Essentially, “I have two

mortgages to pay every month, but I don’t have any real estate to show for it.” His friends and a huge number of his clients are in a similar position, thanks to skyrocketing educational costs _ some attributed to workers seeking retraining as high-paying jobs are outsourced. “In the last 20 years, tuition has risen 130 percent, four times the rate of inflation,” Dunne said. “Private colleges typically cost $38,000 a year with room and board. “It is putting the economy in a dangerous position, delaying life-cycle events like homeownership, marriage, and having children,” he said. The result has been fewer household formations, on which the demand for housing _ both existing homes and new construction _ depends. With fewer first-time buyers in the pool, current owners who want to move cannot sell. With so many heavily indebted graduates moving back with their parents, people who thought they had emptied the nests cannot buy smaller houses.

“It boggles the mind how anyone can allow someone without a job to accumulate $200,000 in debt,” said Mayfair real estate broker Christopher J. Artur, who spent much effort over the years ensuring that his children graduated from college debt-free. Dunne, a 1999 Pennsylvania State University graduate who got his law degree from New England University School of Law in 2005, started his firm, Dunne Law Offices P.C., in 2009, “believing that I could help others even though I couldn’t help myself.” Of the legions in precarious financial straits because of high debt levels, many in this area find themselves sitting across from Dunne after defaulting on student loans. William E. Brewer Jr., president of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, said that the amount of student borrowing crossed the $100 billion threshold for the first time in 2010, and that total outstanding loans exceeded $1 trillion for the first time in 2011.

MCT Campus

SACRAMENTO- When it comes to snagging college scholarship money, Connor Quinn gets a solid “A” for effort. In the last year, the 18-yearold high school student applied for more than 80 individual scholarships, offered by everyone from Best Buy to a Buddhist foundation. How’d he do? So far, Quinn has collected 22 awards totaling $22,700. “The money’s out there. You might as well try,” says the Fair Oaks, Calif., resident, who graduated from high school last week. With college tuition rates increasing and financial aid tightening, finding scholarship money is even more pressing for many students and their families. The average annual tuition and room/board for a fouryear public school is $16,100 next year and $36,900 for a private university, according to CollegeBoard.org. That’s what makes scholarships so appealing. Unlike student loans or financial aid, scholarships are free money that doesn’t have to be repaid. According to various financial aid estimates, there are annually more than 1 million scholarships dangling more than $3 billion to worthy students. But it takes some effort to land it. To get advice on how you or your student can pursue scholarship dollars, we spoke with Mark Kantrowitz, a national college financial aid expert and author of “Secrets to Winning a Scholarship.” He’s also the founder of two websites, FinAid.org (college financial aid tools) and FastWeb. com (a scholarship-matching service). Overall, Kantrowitz has three words: Don’t give up. “You’ll get far more rejections than you win. But the more you apply for, the more you rack up.” And it’s never too late. There are scholarships for ninth-,

tenth- and eleventh-graders, as well as for those already in college, he noted. If you’re in the hunt, here are more of his tips: Even it’s only $100, apply. Students tend to scoff at small scholarships, but they can add up. For every $100 you might win, that’s $100 less you’ll have to borrow, said Kantrowitz. On the average student loan, he said, you’ll pay nearly $2 for every dollar borrowed. Don’t overlook small, local scholarships: Rotary, veterans groups, fraternal organizations, PTAs, community groups, local sororities. Quinn followed that route himself. Of his 22 scholarships, 13 are local, including those from an African-American sorority, a Jewish foundation, SAFE Credit Union and the Orangevale Rotary Club. They’ve ranged from $500 to $4,000. _Don’t freak on the essay. Whether they want one paragraph or several pages, most scholarship applications require some sort of written words. And often the topics tend to be similar: How have you helped improve your community? Describe a pivotal event in your life. What have been your extracurricular roles outside of school? “It isn’t as much work as it seems. The first few will take maybe one hour per scholarship,” says Kantrowitz. “But after you do your first half-dozen, you can adapt one essay to the next one. So instead of taking one hour to write an essay, you’re taking 20 minutes.” Quinn found that he could reuse some of his essay topics because similar topics kept popping up. (It helped that he also had a compelling story to tell about his monthlong volunteer job last summer in a povertystricken region of South Africa.) But be careful. Kantrowitz has encountered applications where students re-purposed an essay but forgot to change the scholarship name in their entry letter. (i.e. “I am interested in your ABC scholarship ...,” when it should have been

“XYZ.”) Those kind of gaffes will instantly plop you in the reject pile. If the essay calls for 300 words, don’t submit 301, says Kantrowitz. Be sure it’s clean of spelling errors and grammatical mistakes. Don’t rely on spell check. Print out your essay and read it aloud. If you stumble on a sentence, chances are the scholarship reviewer will, too. _Clean it up. Same as when you’re applying for a job or even college itself, it’s smart to delete any inappropriate online photos or posts. That means removing any YouTube videos, Facebook photos or blog posts that might put you in an embarrassing or notso-favorable light. Google your name to see what comes up. Kantrowitz recalls a student who recently emailed him, via Facebook, asking for help with an application. The student’s Facebook profile photo? A toilet. “What does that say about him?” asks Kantrowitz. The author, who has sat on several scholarship review committees, says that when it’s down to three equally qualified candidates, the committee will definitely Google a student’s name to see what pops up. The higher your GPA, the better your odds of winning. But there are many scholarships that don’t require a 4.0-andbetter GPA. Quinn, for instance, earned all of his scholarships with a 3.7. “There are a fair number of scholarships that look for something other than academic talent,” noted Kantrowitz, citing examples like the $10,000 StuckatProm.com scholarship for the best prom attire fashioned from duct tape. There also are scholarships for left-handers, for those whose last name is Zolp, for kids who’ve battled cancer. There are even “duck-calling” scholarships for students with the best duck-hunting whistle. Kantrowitz recommends getting a separate file folder for each scholarship. Create a checklist of deadline dates and paperwork requirements,

Donation for college education Michael muskal MCT Campus

LOS ANGELES _ Donations to U.S. colleges and universities rose 8.2 percent last year as institutions of higher education improved their financial condition after some tough economic years, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Council for Aid to Education. The survey showed that charitable contributions reached $30.3 billion in 2011, the second time the total had crossed the $30-billion mark_but it was

still down from the $31.6 billion record in 2008. Adjusted for inflation, last year’s increase is 4.8 percent over 2010, according to the Voluntary Support of Education survey. The good fundraising news doesn’t automatically mean that parents and students won’t face tuition increases. According to the council, 13.6 percent of the giving went to capital purposes such as endowments and buildings, while 4.7 percent went to operations. Because not all dollars can be used to defray current-year ex-

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penses, last year’s giving accounts for 3.8 percent of expenditures, one of the major drivers in tuition. As is common in such giving, rich universities will continue to get richer while the less wellendowed will have to enjoy college spirit, rather than money. Of the $30.3 billion collected, $8.2 billion was raised by the top 20 institutions, about 2 percent of the 1,009 respondents in the annual survey. Fundraising in the top tier grew by 15.3 percent over the year before. The top quarter of those responding to the survey accounted for 86.3 percent of all giving, while the bottom quarter received just 1 percent. It is not surprising that the rich schools gets richer and draw more contributions. The top schools read like a who’s who of educational ties. They tend to graduate alumni who move into the top spots of their professions and are able to give at that level. In addition, those schools are the ones with the most cuttingedge research and reputations, hence they can attract charitable dollars at a faster rate. Once again, the top fundraising school was Stanford University, followed by Harvard University, the one-two combination in 2010 and 2006. Yale University, which had fallen to seventh in 2010 returned to its No. 3 perch. Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Columbia University round out the top five. Even though it was the top school receiving $709.4 million, Stanford’s take was down 22.1 percent from 2006. By contrast, MIT received $534.3 million last year, up 126.8 percent from 2006 when it ranked 21.

3/27/12 10:46 AM

theWORD

The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Whose graduation is it anyway? An email went out from University Communications that sent the graduating senior class into an uproar on Monday at 12:50 p.m. 39 days before spring commencement. The email contained ﬁve bullet points of information about spring commencement, the most important being that graduation would not only be ticketed, but each graduating senior would only receive a mere six — yes count them — six tickets for his or her guests. The email contained no detailed explanation as to why the university was forcing us to go from an unlimited amount of guests to six, no indication of who made the decision, and no apology by the administration for the tremendous inconvenience imposed. The fact that N.C. A&T had the audacity to send us a number so low and think we were not even owed an explanation has to be one of the most insensitive, and disrespectful things this university has ever done. Our families have booked hotel rooms as far back as last year. Flights from all over the world have been conﬁrmed for months. Personally, I have at least 15 family members who have paid for their travel and lodging here in Greensboro and now A&T expects me to tell them what exactly? Then the next evening, Nicole Pride, Associate Vice Chancellor of University Relations shared with The A&T Register staff that the ticket count has gone up to eight and the chancellor will hold a town hall meeting on Monday with the graduating class to discuss any concerns. How they plan on relating that information to the

rest of the university, I don’t know. What I do know is that isn’t enough and in my opinion the numbers still don’t SYLVIA make sense. Ill feelings OBELL and bad PR aside, I can understand that the logistics of spring commencement are not totally in A&T’s hands. With the honor of having First Lady Michelle Obama as our keynote speaker comes the burden of all of The White House Secret Service’s rules and regulations. However, what we do know is that A&T was given 15,000 seats according to Pride. Here are the facts: 15,000 seats for guests. According to a university press release there are “a little over 1,000” students graduating this spring. Let’s say there are 1,200 graduates. Eight tickets per graduate equal about 9,600 tickets. Pride said 3,000 are reserved for faculty, staff, alum, and community members. That comes to 12,600 seats, leaving 2,400 seats unaccounted for. Who’s getting those tickets? Why are random people in the community who don’t know or care about anyone in our graduating class getting tickets while our families and friends are forced to miss this major life accomplishment? I think everyone needs to remember whose graduation it is. We have dedicated countless years, money, and hard work to get to May 12. We deserve the chance to share that moment

with the family and friends who helped us get to that day. The general public did not help me, the mysterious group of invited alumni did not help me, and to be honest neither has the staff. It is our graduation and our university needs to put our needs ﬁrst. That being said, the graduates should receive 10-15 tickets for their guests. The mysterious 2,400 seats can give us at least two more tickets apiece and that’s not counting all those seats being given to community members. College graduations are a big deal, especially in the AfricanAmerican community. Let’s be totally honest, the sad truth is for a lot of our families this is one of the few, if not the ﬁrst, college graduations they will be able to attend. Eight tickets barely cover the immediate family. We are in the age of the blended family. A lot of us have step-parents, step-siblings, and half-siblings we grew up with in addition to our biological parents. That combined with the four grandparents equals 10 tickets for immediate family alone. Is having our immediate family there too much to ask for? That’s not even including our friends and fellow Aggies who have become family to us all during this tough journey. A&T always endorses and encourages the Aggie family but now they’re being thrown to the wind without so much of a thought. Administration also needs to know that viable solutions do exist. They could and should have taken the time to come up with ways to please both the White House and us. For example, if there is no way

around the eight tickets, why not have the students and their eight guests there for the program up until Michelle Obama speaks. Once she’s done with her speech she can leave and there can be an intermission where the rest of our guests are allowed to come in and watch us cross the stage. That eliminates the threat of those just coming to see Obama because only our family and friends will want to watch us cross the stage. Another idea would be to somehow utilize the War Memorial building at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. If nothing else, they should at least offer a viewing of the ceremony there on a big screen to compensate family members, who have already spent their money to be here, to watch. I will admit, I know my family would not have come all the way to North Carolina to watch me on TV, but it is better than nothing. Whether you like these solutions or not, the point is that there are solutions and they need to be explored. This is not how I hoped to end my time here at Aggieland. After four years of fighting for financial aid, scholarships, rightful grades, and more, I never thought I would have to fight for my own family to see me graduate, but I will. And if I’m sure of anything, it’s that my graduating class feels the same way, as they made it quite clear on Monday that the class of 2012 will not take this sitting down. Sincerely, a graduating senior. -smobell@ncat.edu And follow her on Twitter @YngBlkAndFancy

What voters really want to know (with help from Google) LANCE FILLER

MCT Campus

If you want to understand what the regular folks are pondering in this presidential election, you could read the endless scribblings of political junkies. Or you could type the candidates’ names into Google, without pressing “enter,” and see the top searches related to each. This won’t work with personalized engines like Google Chrome, which knows me so well that if I merely type “e” it immediately suggests I search for “escape adult obligations by faking your own death,” but if you use plain old Google, the results are quite enlightening. Try “Romney” and you get “dog,” “Etch A Sketch,” “vs. Obama” and “sons.” “Dog” hearkens back to the time Romney drove for 12 hours with the family pet in a crate strapped to the car roof. Etch A Sketch is the toy Romney’s adviser compared the campaign

to, explaining how they would erase everything he has said in the primaries and start over in the general election. “Vs. Obama” suggests Republicans keep checking to see how Mitt is polling against the president before they hold their nose and vote for him. And “sons,” based on the family fortune, suggests women checking to see which young Romneys are marriageeligible. Do “Santorum” and the top results are “definition,” “Dan Savage” and “wife abortion.” “Definition” and Savage are related: Years ago, columnist Savage was so offended by Santorum’s attacks on gays that he unleashed a devastating “Google bomb,” effectively defining the word “Santorum” online, for all eternity, as the grossest substance ever described. “Wife abortion” applies to the fact that before they met, the ex-Pennsylvania senator’s wife dated an abortion doctor 40 years her senior.

“Gingrich” pulls up “polls,” “ethics violations” and “wife,” which do pretty much define him. He’s a slave to opinion polls, a master of ethics violations, and his tendency to leave ill wives for mistresses is his most interesting trait. Type in “Paul” and the suggested searches are for “McCartney,” “Rudd,” (actor) “Smith” (a clothing line) and “Pierce” (basketball player). You must add “Ron” to come up with “polls,” “wiki,” “2012” and “racist.” If folks are searching for info on septuagenarian musicians and clothing designers more than your candidate, that’s bad. If the only specific search term related to your full name is “racist,” because you lent your name to nasty propaganda years back, don’t quit your day conspiracy. Searches under “Obama”? “Approval rating,” “sings Al Green,” “birth certificate,” and “Obamacare.” Folks want to make sure he’s an American,

and make sure he can deliver a soulful rendition of “Let’s Stay Together” on command. What we want to know about candidates is who they are as people. Searches for information on their tax policies, stances on Iran or level of belief in Keynesian economics are rare. Voters are looking for a president we trust and relate to more than one we agree with on everything. That’s why, so often, we vote for the candidate we’d be most comfortable going camping with. Ideas, particularly among politicians, change. So we try to divine character in the hope that it won’t. It also tells us that right now, Obama’s crushing these guys. If you’re only understood in the simplest of terms, “fair to middling R&B singer” deﬁnitely trumps “guy who strapped dog to car,” “frequently leaves ailing wives for mistresses,” “synonymous with icky ﬂuids” and “racist.”

How do you feel about the results from SGA elections? Guy #1- I think next year’s officers will have a lot of work to do that I’m not sure they will be able to handle. I think they have potential but then again they have already shown a lot of weaknesses. Look at the man just elected president. He’s not even in office yet and he is already getting angry and having to make apologies on Twitter. I think with that kind of leadership we are going to see a lot of problems within SGA next year. Guy #2- I’m rarely on campus so I’m not sure who won but I do know that SGA a lot of times is a popularity contest. With the exception of homecoming, I don’t put much faith in my student officers to make a lot of changes that we all need to see. I think next year will be full of highs and lows just like every other year. I didn’t vote but then again if you did I hope everyone is satisfied with who won because regardless of how you feel, it is what it is. Guy #3- I was satisfied with it at first. But now that I have seen how the president feels about many of the students who have taken a few years to graduate and now I am not so sure how I feel about next school year. If he cracks and shows his colors this early, then imagine what he will do later. And if the president is like that, just imagine how the people under him will act. I know most men afraid to admit their fears. However, would you mind sharing one fear you have as a black man. Guy #1- My biggest fear is failure. It is one of those things that is unavoidable in this life, however I think I will never get use to it. Failing at anything makes me stronger, but it also takes a lot out of me. I never want anyone to see me as a failure. The feeling of defeat is something you never get use to because when you do all you can, and you come up short, you begin to start questioning youself. So I think that is my biggest fear because it not only effects others, it effects your outlook on yourself as well.. Guy #2- My only fear is God. The Almighty has shown

me that he can be my best friend, or he can make me fear him for my life (literally). I’ve seen so many things in this life that the only fear I have is the wrath of God himself. Maybe I should fear more things, but at the end of the day, when God decideds it’s time for me to go, then he will take me out. And since I feel that way, he’s the only thing I fear. Just like the Bible verse goes, “as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...” Guy #3- My biggest fear is, was, and forever will be, black women. These are the most unpredictable creatures on God’s green earth. One moment they are cool; next moment they are bleeding for a week, angry, and in rage. I think black women should be praised, but at the same time I don’t trust them because they can flip at any minute, What’s a good age to start having children? Guy #1- You can’t put an age limit on that. It’s all about maturity. Some people can have kids at 25; others at 30. If you decide to have a child then I just hope you are ready to take on all the responsibilities of being a mother or father. For me, I plan on having children after being married for 7 years before I let a drop of my babies enter any woman. Guy #2- I say no earlier than 25 and no later than 30. You still want to be young enough to have fun with your kids, and still old enough to have the maturity to be able to guide your children to become better than yourself. I got a few more years before I have any children so I hope by the time I finally settle down and start having them, I am where I need to be in life. Guy #3- Well I had my first son when I was 16. That was way too young. I love my son to death, but it made things very difficult for my girlfriend and myself. However, I can’t put an age limit on when to start. It all depends on when you’re ready. A human life, not just a baby, is now depending on you to grow up and know right from wrong. The responsibility is great, however I say everyone should wait until both parents can undoubtedly agree that the time is right.

AggieLife

Mad about something? Got something to tell us? Want something else in the paper?

Well, write for us! Contributor’s Meeting Every Wednesday

5 p.m. in GCB Room 328 And follow us on Twitter @ATRegister 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, April 4, 2012

Students fight it out to get in shape MEAGAN JORDAN

Many people have heard of “Fight Club” that takes place in the New Science Building every Thursday. But many people do not know that there is an actual ﬁght club. Martial Arts club that is. What started off as a wellknown and respected club of self-discipline and control has now become unknown amongst many Aggies. Many students are unaware that N.C. A&T holds a martial arts class every Monday and Wednesday in Campbell Hall. Sensei Marquita Casterlow, is the only female Sensei and one of the very few who attend the class. “Karate is a family tradition starting from my father who started this program in 1968,” she said. Marquita is the daughter of the martial arts club founder Dr. Gilbert Casterlow. Gilbert was a math professor at A&T. “Karate is a great way for me to workout, [and] it forces me to eat healthy,” said Marquita. “It has been apart of my life since I was three.” Sensei Samuel Casterlow, brother of Gilbert, who started martial arts in the 1970s is also a professor at A&T. “I was always interested in Martial arts. I wasn’t really interested in other sports because other sports didn’t really ﬁt me well. I was small but had a lot of strength which made me an target, but I was in shape.” Sophomore Aaron Neal is

AGGIE RUNDOWN BASEBALL

one of the students who atteneds the class regularly. “My reason in taking the class was for discipline, to get a good workout, and it also has a lot to say about my work ethic. The Martial Arts club has quite an interesting background. People even in their sixties attend the class. Sensei James Lacewell who has been a correctional officer for 29 years is a veteran of A&T’s martial arts club. “I started in the 70’s when I was in my mid twenties,” said Lacewell. He continued to say he wanted to get in shape and to learn self defense. “Martial arts has helped me because I learned discipline for my everyday life,” Lacewell said. “I learned how to respond in panic situations.” Interestingly enough, Ronald McNair, the astronaut killed in the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986, also participated in the martial arts club as a student at A&T with Gilbert. “Martial arts is a great way to work with one another and learn the art of karate,” said Sensei Samuel Casterlow who has been partaking in Martial arts since 1976 and is also a professor at A&T. Martial arts is also a healthy practice and limits cardiovascular problems. Martial arts is about “fighting aggression not fighting with aggression,” said Samuel. -msjordan@ncat.edu and follow us on Twitter @ATRegister

TEAM

MEAC

OVR.

Northern Delaware State Norfolk State MD Eastern Shore Coppin State

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

15-12-1 10-16 2-23 0-21

Southern Bethune-Cookman North Carolina Central Savannah State North Carolina A&T Florida A&M

6-3 6-6 4-4 4-4 3-6

17-11 8-22 11-17 11-18 6-24

MEAC

OVR.

THIS WEEK’S GAME: Saturday vs. Florida A&M War Memorial Stadium 1 p.m. Sunday vs. Florida A&M War Memorial 1 p.m., DH NEXT WEEK’S GAME: Tuesday vs. Campbell Buies Creek, N.C. 6 p.m. Wednesday vs. Radford War Memorial 6 p.m

SOFTBALL TEAM

Northern Delaware State Howard Coppin State Hampton Norfolk State Morgan State MD Eastern Shore

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

13-11-1 6-18 12-14 13-23 12-15 7-13 0-22

Southern Bethune-Cookman North Carolina A&T Savannah State Florida A&M South Carolina North Carolina Central

PHOTO BY TRACY DURANDIS • THE A&T REGISTER

DERWIN NEWKIRK AND JOSHUA STACKER warm up in the martial art club at Campbell Hall on March 26, 2012. .

Baldwin jumps to field athlete of the week NECOLE JACKSON

Jared Baldwin, a senior computer engineering major from Greensboro, NC placed first in the triple jump at the University of South Carolina Weems Baskin Invitational on March 16-17 earning him the MEAC field event athlete of the week. Baldwin has been running track and field since high school and this was his first MEAC award since being here at A&T. “I was surprised because I didn’t expect to receive an award and it wasn’t my best performance either,” said Baldwin. “I am honored though to receive the recognition.” Even though it’s Baldwin’s senior year, he does plan on making a bigger name in track. “My goal for the rest of my track career here at A&T is to qualify for the NCAA track, outdoor championships and U.S. Olympics. This award is only a stepping stone to my career.” Although track is a love, he does not plan on running after graduation. Baldwin’s focus can be found on engineering and while participating in some meets. With the support of the other 50 footers, Kennan Smith, Kendrick Smith and Michael Brown, Baldwin knows that his team can go far. “Jump squad is over looked and we may be the only group possibly able to produce 4 fifty footers in triple jump. I know that we will do amazing things.” “I am extremely happy for Jared and Jenea, they have both been working very hard this season and their early season performances are indicative of such,” said interim director of track and field programs James Daniels in a press release. Junior Jenea McCammon was also honored by the conference as the Track and Field athlete of the week. -nmjackso@ncat.edu and follow us on Twitter @ATRegister

3-0 3-0 2-1 1-2 0-3 0-3

16-21 10-17 13-19 14-22 11-19 3-32

THIS WEEK’S GAME: Friday vs. Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla. 4 p.m. Saturday vs. Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla. 1 p.m., DH NEXT WEEK’S GAME: Tuesday vs. Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla. 2 p.m., DH Saturday vs. Savannah State Savannah, Ga. 1 p.m., DH

AROUND SPORTS LEXINGTON— A Kentucky man’s foot was amputated after he was wounded in a shooting incident early Tuesday, Lexington police said. The victim’s name was not immediately available, and police were looking for the person who shot him. The victim, who is from Louisville, has “outstanding felony warrants” pending from another state, said police spokeswoman Sherelle Roberts. Lt. J.J. Lombardi said the incident occurred about 2:15 a.m. near the area where there were celebrations after the University of Kentucky’s NCAA national championship victory over Kansas. The victim was in a vehicle with friends, he said. “They were up here for the celebration,” Lombardi said. Throughout the night, firefighters answered almost 60 fire calls, Davis said, 55 of them involving “nuisance fires” started by people celebrating the Wildcats’ victory. Most of those involved couches or trash that had been set on fire, he said. “I was probably standing about 40 feet from it,”Ed Davis said, spokesman for the fire department. Davis said a fire engine was involved in a minor collision with a pickup at Lime and Virginia about that time, and he was there to do a report. Two garages also caught fire on State Street, Davis said, and one was heavily damaged. The second garage was damaged slightly by a firecracker that struck the eave of its roof and then started a small fire, he said. Davis said the department also made 25 ambulance runs during the evening, all of them involving minor injuries except for the shooting.

hotlist

theSCENE The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, April 4, 2012

PHOTO BY KENNETH L. HAWKINS JR

April 4th to 10th The A&T Register’s guide to what’s going this week in arts and entertainment.

PHOTO BY MAURICE GARLAND • BIG KRIT PHOTOGRAPHER

PHOTO SUBJECT J Cole at Homecoming Concert in 2010 at the Greensboro Coliseum.

BIG KRIT performing at “4evaNaDay” video shoot.

Aggies get ready to hear good music TRUMAINE MCCKASKILL Opinion Editor

In 2006, hip-hop legend Nas released a single entitled “HipHop is Dead.” The song gained much attention throughout the hip-hop world and really encouraged many artists to step up to the plate and bring originality, skill, and dedication back to a genre that was lacking all three. Five years later, J. Cole released “Cole World: A Sideline Story” and in 2012 Big K.R.I.T released his mixtape entitled 4eva N a Day. Both artists and albums are living proof that hiphop, especially southern hiphop, is anything but dead. On April 21, 2012, both Cole and K.R.I.T will grace the Greensboro community with a concert that will show the world that hip-hop is anything but deceased. Yet for those of you who have never had the pleasure of witnessing a Big K.R.I.T or J.

Cole experience, here’s what you can expect from both artist. I’ve been following Big K.R.I.T for quite a few years now. And to not much surprise, the Mississippi native continues to wow his fans and critics by showing them that many of the legends of the south may be dead or gone, but he is surely the rebirth of something special. His unique southern drawl has made him a target by some critics; meanwhile his energy, undeniable talent, dedication, and catchy hooks have made him undoubtedly one of the best new rappers the game has seen in a very long time. The quality and range of topics in his music makes him easily one of the best kept secrets of the rap world and has put him in a great position to release a highly anticipated debut album dropping sometime this year. Last year for Aggie Fest, K.R.I.T had Corbett Sports Center on its feet jumping up and

Melanie lives the ‘MF Life’ COURTNEY JACKSON Business Manager

Grammy award winning singer Melanie Fiona is back with her sophomore album The MF Life. Fiona brings her listeners genuine soul, Hip Hop, rhythm and blues. She offers a delicate range of music with explosive lyrics. Fiona’s music has a story and a personality, something many female R&B artists are lacking these days. Featured artist include hip hop legend Nas, B.O.B, T-Pain, John Legend and one of the most talked about rookies in the game, J. Cole. The clarity and strength in her vocals blend effortlessly over soul striking ballads and sweet melodies. The songstress belts out pure passion on songs like “The Wrong Side of a Love Song” and “Gone and Never Coming Back.” You can’t help but to feel chills as the artist sings her, and maybe a little bit of your, heart out. Fiona offers her listeners honest music. With songs like “I Been That Girl” and “Can’t Say I Never Loved You” she proves that she isn’t afraid to be vulnerable. Fiona explains in her bio courtesy of melanieﬁona.com that “the key thing I want to impress upon anyone who listens to The MF Life is the idea that it’s possible to learn from everything that comes at you.” Fiona gives us a soundtrack for our personal love and growth journey and proves that she is right there on those hard,

QUESTIONS

happy and sometimes heartbreaking roads with us. The MF Life is full of love songs but Fiona was sure to give the ladies a conﬁdent sexy anthem in “Watch Me Work.” The MF Life is refreshing. Fiona is slowly carving her own niche in the music industry. She provides just enough radio catchy tunes to get spins but also gives an equal balance of songs that highlight her uniqueness. Fiona challenges her listeners to grow with her on songs like “Break down These Walls” and “L.O.V.E” featuring John Legend. Fiona is unafraid to show listeners what The MF Life is all about and this relatable quality ﬂows from song to song. The MF Life is sure to make audiences wonder if the singer has caught a glimpse of theirdiaries or even their tweets. -cjjackso@ncat.edu and Follow us on Twitter at @theATRegister

+ B

down in excitement when he was rapping about that Country S**t. This year, although I amsure an artist of his consistency has not stepped too far away from his southern roots, there is no telling what K.R.I.T has in store. With the new mixtape “4eva N a Day” just being released, I encourage fans to become familiar with tracks such as Country Rap Tunes, Boobie Miles, King 2, 1986, Yesterday, and the rest of the mixtape because I would hate for anyone to be left out when the Big K.R.I.T experience hits the Coliseum. And although I am sure K.R.I.T fans will show their favorite artist plenty of love, let’s not fail to mention that this is a homecoming for the N.C. native, J. Cole. While K.R.I.T has been taking over the underground world, J. Cole has risen to the top of the game and shown everyone that Petey Pablo may have been the

ﬁrst to come out of N.C. and make it to the big lights, but Cole wants to put N.C. on his back and represent the Tar Heel state perhaps better than Petey did. In just a few short years, J. Cole has rose from the unknown Fayetteville rapper that everyone should know, to now being one of the biggest names in the industry. From his connections to JayZ, down to his undying dedication to stay true to the craft that has made him famous, J. Cole has proven he is more than hype; he’s the truth. J. Cole may have opened up for Drake in 2010 for GHOE, however this year it’s his homecoming and the N.C. native will not disappoint. Although his time on stage was far too short last time he was in Aggie Land, since then he has released an album, received more radio spins with songs such as “Nobody’s Perfect,” “Can’t Get Enough”, and

“Workout,” and is ﬁnally headlining for the Greensboro community. Nobody’s perfect, but I can almost guarantee that when the show is all said and done, J. Cole will deliver the exclamation point on a night that will surely be nothing less than epic. This concert promises to bring a unique blend of hiphop’s best underground rapper with hip-hop’s best new rapper. Even if you are not a hip-hop fan, there will be other local and regional artists of other music genres. At this point, maybe it is too early to compare these two to a heavyweight duo such as JayZ and Kanye West. However, from what I have seen of these two artists in the past, I can guarantee they will surely leave the crowd satisﬁed and glad we spent our money on a two of the biggest stars coming out of the south today. -Tmccask@ncat.edu and Follow him on Twitter @TrumainewasHere

Dancers survive the stage NECOLE JACKSON Staff Reporter

On Saturday, March 31st at Harrison Auditorium, the E. Gwynn Dancers of NC A&T gave students, faculty and the community a cultural aspect of slave dance. This year’s theme was “Follow the Sugar Cane: Dances of Survival” which was inspired by Brazil, Jamaica and slavery. The show started a little at 7:30 and started with a dedication to Eleanor Ray by song. After thank you’s and background information, the show started with “Harvest.” Ladies came out in African garment carrying baskets, singing songs and dancing. To add to the feel, experienced African drummers played to the beat which gave the audience and dancers enthusiasm. This set the tone for the rest of the night. The most elaborate and different dance was called “Jonkonnu.” Students dressed up as different characters and created a miniature parade on stage. Students were dressed up as devils, soldiers, fan girls, police and pregnant woman. Some dancers even danced with doll houses on their head which amazed the audience. The cheerful music along with the danced aimed to each character made everyone feel as though they were in another country. The performances also contained singing, poetry, bell

but have never been trained and this was a whole new ballgame for me. We did a lot of dances I didn’t know about and I had to get used to the moves and style of the company. In the end, we did great.” The show sold over 100 patron tickets. All proceeds go to study abroad opportunities and scholarships for dance students. It also helps pay for the elaborate costumes used in the show. Dr. Eleanor Gwynn, Chair of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts and Professor of Dance at A&T, is the Artistic Director and Founder of E. Gwynn Dance Company. The inspiration, Brazil and Jamaica, came last summer when she took students to study abroad. “It took a year for me to prepare for this,” said Gwynn. “I start at the beginning of the semester and focus on it all school year.” When asking Gwynn about the performance she thought it was close to perfect. “I have an aesthetic vision so I could see some things that were not PHOTO BY TRACY DURANDIS in my vision, but the dancers GWYNN DANCER performs at Saturday show. surprised me that night. They came alive.” players and live pictures from Dr. Gwynn has already the different countries of inspira- started thinking about next tion. The show was exciting and year’s show noting that it will everyone including, Chancellor be completelydifferent. Harold Martin and his wife, appeared to enjoy the show. This was one of the many showcases -nmjackso@ncat.edu and Follow that displays the great talent on us on Twitter @TheATRegister. campus. Regardless of the struggles, dancer Terrell Davenport, a junior dance concentration major from Warrington, N.C. thought they did well. “I have danced

1. So who probated again yesterday? 2. Did they look better than the Worldstar SGRhos? 3. How was your view from the cafe? 4. Were you outside wishing everything was in Corbett again? 5. Don’t we all just want to fast forward to the Alpha probate and go home for Easter? 6. Did your candidate win their SGA position? 7. Did you catch the new SGA president’s twitter rant? 8. Do you even follow that guy on Twitter? 9. Can we get “Chris Rob” back for another term? 10. Are we asking for too much? 11. If it’s not, can seniors get more than 8 tickets for graduation? 12. Can they trade Michelle for the GE man and open seating? 13. Are you going to just tweet about the issue or act on it? 14. If you don’t act, but just complain does that make you a Twitter thug? 15. Are you team Diggy or Team J Cole? 16. Did you even know they were beefin? 17. Isn’t Diggy too young to be talking about sex? 18. Are you ready for Lent to be over? 19. Did you know we got official word that seniors will end up getting 15 tickets? 20. Could you tell that was a belated April Fools’ joke?

ON SCREEN TITANIC 3D is back! The record breaking, award-winning film is being released in the form of 3d. The ship who was known for being unsinkable, indeed sunk and fans are able to now see this in the most clear defined way ever. Though the film is three hours and 14 minutes, you will get all the aspects of a good movie: love, drama, action and great acting. If you are a fan of this historic film go and see this film to compare to the original release, or go see the great film redefined for the first time

ON SHELVES NICKI MINAJ is releasing her new album this week. It has since been leaked on the internet, and has not been getting good reviews so far. Reviews have said her album is “all over the place,” and “too much.” The album features singles “Starships” and “Champion.” Buy at your own risk if you’re a real fan.

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PRESS PLAY

Nicki Minaj ft. Nas, Drake, Young Jeezy “Champion”

Nicki is back to rapping meaningful bars over a nice beat that fans can vibe to. She also has some of hip-hop’s greats joining her on this track. This song is definetly something she needed to remind fans why they liked her in the first place. This needs to be added to everyone’s playlists.

PRESS PAUSE

Justin Bieber “Boyfriend”

Justin Bieber may be the next little hearthrob for the tweenies, but this song just leaves listeners confused. He is not singing, nor rapping; it seems like he’s trying to stray from his clean image, but we’re not a fan of this new track.

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