September 21 issue by The A&T Register

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Law enforcement take on Benbow road more than 30 law enforcement agents participated in the click it or ticket checkpoint. keLcie Mccrae & katherine whitt A&T Register

Students running late for Tuesday morning classes may have run into a roadblock in getting there on time. From 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the intersection of Benbow Road and Bluford Circle, more than 25 law enforcement officers filled the streets for a Click

it or Ticket checkpoint on campus. “At first I thought something had happened, and when the police checked my license I found out what was going on,” said senior Precious Walker. “I think it’s pointless other than for making me late for class.” Every year, the North Carolina Governors Highway Safety Program sponsors a series of checkpoints throughout the state designed to encourage vehicle safety. Lt. Walter Heaviland, the program coordinator, says there are between 20 and 30 checkpoints scheduled throughout any given year.

The Click It or Ticket initiative started in 1993 as a way to increase seat belt and child safety use rates. “Under the Click It or Ticket program what we’re looking for is seat belt enforcement and motor vehicle violations,” said Heaviland. “What you saw out there were officers working together stopping and checking to make sure you were wearing your seat belt, and if you weren’t then we took enforcement action.” With the checkpoint happening on campus, it created a stir amongst students. Walker says that she as well as her friends

were shocked in seeing so many officers at one time. Although the primary focus was to address the use of seat belts, the officers were also on the lookout for suspended licenses, warrants, expired tags, and other traffic violations. Throughout their two-hour enforcement stint, officers issued 85 traffic citations. There were the following violations: 19 seatbelt, 19 registration, 15 driving while driver’s license revoked, 14 driving without a license, 10 traffic, and eight inspection.  See checkpoint on Page 2

Photo by kenneth hawkins jr. • the a&t register

GreensBoro police and state troopers stop cars at the corner of Bluford street and BenBoW road on tuesday, septemBer 20, 2011.

new academic building officially open; it will house three separate programs courtney jackson Contributor

Photo by kenneth hawkins jr. • the a&t register

a&t students listen to the speakers following their protest march of the White street landﬁll on september 20, 2011.

students protest city landfill

The campus of North Carolina A&T is continuously growing and it is evident through the opening of a new academic building. Dozens of individuals gathered in front of the New Academic building Sept. 15 for the ribbon-cutting of this 88,000 square-foot facility. “A&T has always been a place for first-timers and bigtimers,” said Patricia Zollar, Board of Trustees vice chairwoman, in her greeting while explaining the areas that are housed in the building. This new building will house the university’s Center for Academic Excellence, the Office of International Programs and the Honors Program. Representatives of A&T, such as SGA President Christian Robinson and Chancellor Harold Martin, welcomed the intimate audience to the outdoor occasion and shared words of gratitude. The Honors Program is located on the building’s main

floor, the Office of International Programs can be found on the second floor, and the Center of Academic Excellence is on the third floor. Chancellor Martin said that ,“with the alignment of some of the most important student support programs on this campus, this environment creates a place that is the hub for, in my mind, student success on this campus in the freshmen and sophomore years.” Tameka Alston, a senior graphic communications student, said, “I love the building. I love the ceilings, the open floor plan; I just love everything about it, the stairways, the lighting, all of the aspects.” Kevin Turner, from the architecture firm The Freelon Group and designer for the project, explained that, “right from the first day we were looking to make this building as comfortable and energyefficient as we could, and then we selected materials in the building that are environmentally sustainable.” Noting the “green” aspects of the space, Alston also said,

On Tuesday, 200 North Carolina A&T students convened at the A & T Four statue to embark on a march to city council in an effort to protest the re-opening of the White Street landfill. “We are students against the White Street landfill and we are rallying because this landfill directly affects us,” said senior Eboni Chambers. Chambers is a member of Ignite Greensboro, which is a student-run, led social action organization, comprised of area college students. The White Street Landfill has been the subject of much controversy in recent months because of its location in a predominantly African-American neighborhood. Protestors believe that re-opening the landfill will continue a legacy of environmental racism, and bring foul odors and an increased volume of traffic into the residential area.

“The landfill has been an issue for years,” said senior Starlyn Robinson and member of Ignite Greensboro. “By rallying and protesting we want to show that students are concerned about local issues.” If the city were to reopen the landfill they could potentially save up to $3 million, which the city currently spends to dump the trash in Montgomery County. The group Caka!ak Thunder created a spectacle on the streets of downtown Greensboro while the protesters, the majority being A & T students but including Bennett College students and other Greensboro residents, shouted, “White Street landfill, keep it at a standstill!”. This was after the announcement that Gate City Waste Services, the company that would have been contracted to run the landfill, had backed out of the deal which is a huge victory for protestors. The march ended at the Mel-

vin Municipal Building, where community leaders held a rally for support before the city council meeting. Many of the speakers bragged the students for making such a statement by being there. Among the speakers was A & T Senior Cherrell Brown, who had a major role in organizing the event. Brown is also a member of Ignite Greensboro which is the organization responsible for organizing the event. Depends on city, staying informed and staying vigilant on white the city council does on White Street. The official public hearing was cancelled due to Gate City’s withdrawal, though the city council still assembled to discuss other issues. “We were thrilled, ecstatic,” said Robinson. “This is not the end though, we still wanted to march to show people that we are still opposed no matter who the contractor is.”

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“I was very impressed, especially learning you can grow greenery and trees and things on the rooftop.” “This is an exciting building,” said program manager for construction Mason Kenyon. “Honestly, you can see the different shapes in the building. It’s a tough building to build and I give it to Freelon, they designed a very beautiful space. But as far as the construct ability, it’s a tough building” Joseph Daniels, a junior and a member of the Honors Program, said, “I am proud to be an Aggie seeing all of this growth. It symbolizes that A&T has not become stagnant so it continues to grow and as we continue to grow and be better then the future for tomorrow is going to be a lot brighter for us.” Dr. Tracey Ford, director of the Center of Academic Excellence, said, “It feels like this is our building. I get to manage our building and that is the wonderful part about it because what we’re really looking for is a collaboration with our stu See new BuiLdinG on Page 2

Photo by kenneth hawkins jr. • the a&t register

chanceLLor harold martin and other campus representatiVes cut the riBBon at the riBBon cutting ceremony for the neW academic Building on thursday, septemBer 15, 2011.

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, September 21, 2011

inFOCUS

checkpoint From page 1 A&T may have a reputation of being a party school, but no arrests were made on alcohol, drug, or weapon possessions. “However many cars went through this in a two-hour time now are aware of what’s going on,” said Heaviland. Although the checkpoint happened at A&T, the campus police department was only a small part of the operation. “We were required to participate,” said campus police chief Glenn Newell. “A&T had nothing to do with facilitating it.” Though Benbow Road and Bluford Circle run through North Carolina A&T’s campus, they are considered City of Greensboro streets. Because

NEW BUILDING From page 1

Photo by kenneth hawkins jr. • a&t register

Students and guest local artist perform and dance at the SUAB Block Party at the corner of Bluford street and Laurel street on campus on Thursday, September 15, 2011.

protest From page 1 Although the public hearing was cancelled, the City Council still convened. The matter of the landfill was just left out. The meeting room was filled to capacity, and although extra chairs were provided in the lobby for people to view the meeting via monitor there was only standing room. The city council is led

by Greensboro’s Mayor Bill Knight, who decided that due to the large number of speeches, exactly seventeen, the normal public speaking time of three minutes should be reduced to two minutes. Protesters gave several biting speeches in opposition to the landfill, and were met with applause and the sound of Mayor Knight’s gavel. The students involved in Ignite Greensboro also used the event to promote voting among

students for the upcoming elections. The student votes could play a large role in swaying the politics of Greensboro and start a trend of unity between the University community and the city. “Everyone was very excited about how it turned out. I think it was a really positive step towards improving the city of Greensboro for everyone,” said Robinson.

dents our faculty and staff so that this is the place where all of us can thrive. Where teachers can be better teachers and students can be better learners.” The Assistant Vice Chancellor of Facilities, Andrew M. Perkins, Jr., is responsible for all construction on campus and has been for the past 11 years. “I’m very pleased I was able to lend my minor expertise,” Perkins said.

of this, A&T’s police department teamed up with Greensboro police, Guilford Sheriff’s Department, N.C. Highway Patrol, and High Point, Gibsonville and UNCG police departments in this initiative. “What we have is the synergistic effort of all the agencies in Guilford County working together providing resources and manpower,” said Heaviland. “The whole purpose is to enforce motor vehicle laws.” Despite the annoyance felt by students like Walker, both Newell and Heaviland agreed that it was a successful checkpoint. “It went well,” said Newell. “A lot of people are driving with revoked and that’s a problem. If you’re not licensed to drive you shouldn’t be behind the wheel.”

Perkins worked with all parties in the project, from designers to construction contractors. He said it was “extremely important for our University that we can show that we do attract the best and brightest.” Churchill Banks III, the project architect said, “I want the students to come here and use this as a tool to get to the next level. Similar to what all of the speakers said today, it is an extension of your tool belt. I mean a carpenter is only as good as his tools and this building will be that.”

Contributor

Ashford Thomas, a Greensboro native and Howard University graduate, is the executive producer and main character of the satirical comedy, Howton University. “The series was made with the purpose of illustrating the social experiences of three roommates that attend Howton University, an HBCU,” said Thomas. The first episode, “Mission Difficult,” begins in a classroom when roommates Jay (played by Ashford Thomas) and Taylor both attempt to set up weekend dates with two attractive female students at the end of class.

Jay’s attempt is unsuccessful due to his over-confident swagger and his under-developed communication skills. After lying about his encounter with his “date,” Jay encourages Taylor to try his chances with another attractive female in the classroom. Taylor’s innocent schoolboy pitch proves successful as he sets up a “study time” with the girl for the weekend. Jay and Taylor receive terrible news when their nerdy roommate, Alex, tells them that every dorm on campus has lost visitation privileges. Jay assures his “understudy” Taylor that he can work his way around the situation and devises the elaborate blueprint for “Mission

Photo courtesy of ashford thomas

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Difficult.” The gang of underclassmen geeks refuse to let this potential once in a lifetime opportunity bypass them. Throughout the episode Jay, Taylor, and Alex attempt to flawlessly execute a plan to secretively navigate the dorms of the girls they encountered in class. The plan does not run as smoothly and efficiently as hoped. Some unexpected obstacles and challenges present themselves as the boys must use sharp thinking and good improvisational skills to elude a few close encounters. Overall, “Mission Difficult” is a hilarious and thought-provoking episode. Thomas definitely provided viewers with a typical situation occurring on HBCU campuses around the country. It is obvious that Thomas seeks to highlight the laughable events that take place every day in the black college environment. There were no glaring weaknesses or significant needs for improvement in the episode. A few audio and visual concept corrections in the episode could have made it a little sharper. His charismatic personality and a strong work ethic are two factors that will promote the success that Thomas will see in his acting and producing career. Thomas has also created a user friendly website (www. howtonu.com) that allows viewers to evaluate every element of the show. An interesting Student Union section gives users the ability to learn more about the cast’s background. The Mess Hall provides viewers with some funny outtakes and mess-ups. Thomas provides his background information and ambitions as he tours various HBCUs around the country in the Pre-Orientation section. Howton University logo tees can be purchased using the Book Store tab.

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:

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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, September 21, 2011

Missouri college sued over set drug testing mara rose williams MCT Campus

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Linn State Technical College’s first-inthe-country, mandatory student drug testing that could lead to no-refund dismissals has been challenged in court. The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Eastern Missouri this week filed a federal lawsuit accusing the two-year publicly funded college in Linn, Mo., of “violating the constitutional rights of its students by forcing them to submit to mandatory drug tests as a condition of their enrollment.” On Thursday, a judge in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, where the lawsuit was filed, granted a temporary restraining order to stop the testing and analysis of any samples already collected and to block release of any results garnered from the testing. Donald M. Claycomb, president of Linn State Technical College, and members of the board of regents are named as defendants. Officials at the college east of Jefferson City declined to comment and referred calls to their attorney, Kent Brown, who was not available for comment. The drug testing policy was

adopted earlier this month and requires all students _ first-year and those returning after at least a semester-long break _ to pay a $50 nonrefundable fee and submit to urine test. The college has 1,176 students. According to the ACLU, students were pulled out of classes for testing the day after the policy was enacted. Those who refused the drug test were told they would be dismissed from the college. A student who fails the test has a second chance to pass it. A second failure would result in dismissal, the ACLU statement said. “It is unconstitutional to force students to submit to a drug test when there is zero indication of any kind of criminal activity,” Jason Williamson, staff attorney with the ACLU Criminal Law Reform Project, said in a statement. “The college has demonstrated no legitimate need to drug-test its students that outweighs their constitutionally protected privacy rights. This is an unprecedented policy, and nothing like it has ever been sanctioned by the courts.”

Photo by KENNETH L. HAWKINS Jr. • THE A&T REGISTER

Hundreds of students attend the Fall Career Awareness Fair in Corbett Sports Center. The career fair was held on Wednesday, September 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Big turn out at A&T career fair Victorri Taylor & bobbi pompey Contributors

North Carolina A&T hosted its annual Career Awareness Fair last week. Its purpose was to give the students a face-to-face opportunity to meet with professionals. With the theme, “Designing Your Own Tomorrow”, over 96 companies set up in Corbett Sports Center to speak to students about internship and job opportunities and even accept their resumes. “It’s been going better than previous years,” said junior computer engineering major, Shelby Kilgore. “It seems more organized and less crowded for this time of day.” As students walked in, they had to check in with the Office of Career Services in which they were given a name tag with their particular major on them. Students were also given a bag with a book of the list of companies present and an A&T note pad and pen. “It was a great incentive to get motivated as we walked into the career fair,” continued

Kilgore. Professors prep students for career fairs each year; this year was no different. Students came dressed appropriately to make great first impressions. “I’ve done other career fairs and the turn out is nowhere near the capacity of A&T students,” said Amber Shuler of Fox 8. Although all majors are welcomed at the career fair, most companies were geared toward engineers and business majors. “I find it intimidating because I am a sports science major and there are more qualified here,” said sophomore Rashad Perry. Still, there may be something for everyone. Companies were open to just talking with students and handing out their business cards. John Deer Inc. was one of the companies that participated in this event. John Deer has been a participant in the career fair since 2001, and they continuously have NC A&T students and alumni in intern and fulltime positions. Last year, John Deer hired 12 students in intern positions and 4 in full-time positions. Their goal for 2012 is to

double the amount of NC A&T students that they hire. John Deer comes to NC A&T to find the best talent. NC A&T alumni know the potential within the students here, and want John Deer to recognize this talent as well. “The talent level at A&T is great. There is a lot of drive within the students of Aggie Nation,” said Brandon Banks, Testing Engineer and Product Verification at John Deer. Banks graduated from A&T in 2009 and has been working with John Deer for over four years. John Deer also held an interest meeting in Webb Hall the night of the career fair at 6:30. At this meeting, 24 employees from John Deer spoke about becoming the John Deer team. The session began with a short informational video, then the floor was opened for questions, and it was ended by a demonstration showing students how to create a profile on John Deer’s website. Overall, students were excited about the potential to work for John Deer. “There are plenty of opportu-

Cheerleaders forced to cover up erica rodriguez MCT Campus

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ORLANDO, Fla. – After decades of allowing cheerleaders to wear skimpy skirts and sleeveless tops to class on game days, some schools are cracking down and requiring the uniforms to meet strict dress codes. In Lake County, Fla., cheerleaders with uniforms too skimpy for the code are being asked to wear long shorts or pants under their skirts and a Tshirt under the sleeveless tops, according to a district memo. Principals at two of Lake’s eight high schools _ Leesburg and Lake Minneola _ aren’t allowing the outfits in school at all. Michelle Thomas, a varsity cheerleader at Leesburg High School, was disappointed when she learned she couldn’t wear her outfit to school on game days. “It shows that we’re a team just like all the other sports,” she said. Most Central Florida schools allow principals to have the final say in spirit clothing. Schools in Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties allow the uniforms to promote school spirit. Even in Osceola County schools _ where all students are required to wear uniforms _ cheerleaders can wear the outfits during class.

But in Lake, neither varsity nor junior varsity cheerleaders get a pass on the dress code. “During the educational portion of the day, they have to meet the dress code just like every other student,” said School Board Chairwoman Debbie Stivender, who ordered the staff to bring the outfits into dress code compliance. School administrators elsewhere believe allowing the uniforms during class pumps up school spirit, which boosts game attendance and brings excitement into the classrooms. “It develops and enhances school pride,” said Gene Grace, director of the school safety office in the Seminole County school district. “When students are proud of where they go to be assisted with their education, then they respect the grounds, their instructions ... it develops a camaraderie.” Cheerleader midriffs are banned across the state by the Florida High School Athletic Association, but no state rules address cheerleader mini-skirts. Sheila Noone, a spokeswoman with the cheerleading uniform company Varsity Brands, says the outfits haven’t become more revealing over the last 10 years, but the short skirts are designed to help the girls jump and kick. “Cheerleading is athletic,” Noone said. “There’s a lot of jumping, so you won’t want a knee-length skirt that might

hamper a toe touch.” Many parents are upset that some of the pricey uniforms _ which can cost several hundred dollars when shoes and jackets are included _ can no longer be worn during school. “They’re now banning it like it’s a something inappropriate or pornographic,” said Lisa Milligan, whose daughter cheers at Mount Dora High School. “If you’re going to allow them to wear them to the game, then why not allow them to wear them to school?” Superintendent Susan Moxley said it would be unfair if cheerleaders were permitted to wear the short skirts and sleeveless tops during school while other students couldn’t. Lake principals say they’ve never had complaints. Most cheerleaders were sad to hear the news, but say they’ll comply with the rules. Even male cheerleaders, whose pants and tops meet dress code, chose not to wear their outfits to show unity. “I understand, because they are kind of short,” said Holly Bishop, 14, a Lake Minneola High School cheerleader about her miniskirt. “It would’ve been really, really cool to wear them to school.”

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nities there,” said Brandon Loftin, a senior Applied Engineering and Manufacturing Systems student. Loftin has been a John Deer Scholar, and will be applying for an internship for the summer of 2012. He enjoys the company environment, benefits, and career longevity offered at John Deer. There will be a John Deer Day in March. They plan to continuously come back to the career fair in the future, and bring in more talent from the Aggie Nation, and the students plan to be a part of this company. “I look forward to being a part of the John Deer Company,” said Travis Dawson, a senior Manufacture ring student who will be working for John Deer full-time after he graduates. The Office of Career Services is always open and offers help to students all year. They also post internship and job openings for each major on their website www.careerserv.ncat.edu/. – Email victorrij.taylor@yahoo. com & bapompey@ncat.edu and follow us on Twitter @ATRegister

theBLOTTER September 13 4:30 pm Luther St. PVA- Hit and Run Case Closed September 14 9:16 am 8:30 am Nocho St.- Vehicle Accident Case Closed 12:00 pm Cooper Hall- Peeping Tom Case Under Further Investi tion 2:30 pm McNair Hall PVA- Hit and Run Case Under Further Investigation 2:58 pm Laurel/Bluford St.- Gambling Case Closed September 15 11:27 am Laurel St. PVA- Hit and Run Case Closed 5:00 pm Student Union- Larceny Case Under Further Investigation 7:20 pm Aggie Sit In- Larceny Case Closed September 16 2:10 am East Market St.- Wanted Person Case Closed with Arrest

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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Muslim students disrupt speech AMY TAXIN

Associated Press

SANTA ANA, Calif. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ten Muslim students broke the law by shouting down a speech by an Israeli diplomat at the University of California, Irvine, in a carefully drafted and executed plan that ďŹ&#x201A;outed repeated warnings by campus ofďŹ cials, a prosecutor said Monday. In closing arguments at the trial that stoked ďŹ erce debate about free speech, prosecutor Dan Wagner told jurors that emails among the students revealed they knew they could be arrested when they got up, one by one, and shouted pre-scripted statements to interrupt Israeli Ambassador Michael Orenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk on U.S.-Israel relations in February 2010. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The right to free speech is not absolute,â&#x20AC;? Wagner said before a packed courtroom of more than 180 people in Orange County, with more observers waiting outside. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If hecklersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; vetoes were allowed, then nobody, nobody, none of us would

Soldier may face execution JILL MILBURN

Associatetd Press

TOPEKA, Kan. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; An Army sergeant accused of killing four fellow soldiers and a Navy ofďŹ cer at a mental health clinic on a military base in Iraq two years ago should be tried for murder but should not face the possibility of execution because he suffers from serious mental illness, a military judge recommended. Sgt. John Russell, who opened ďŹ re at the combat stress center at Camp Liberty near Baghdad in May 2009, should be held accountable for his actions and face a court martial on the ďŹ ve counts of premeditated murder he faces, Col. James Pohl wrote in his recommendations issued Friday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, in my opinion, the accused (sic) undisputed mental disease or defect make the death penalty inappropriate in this case,â&#x20AC;? wrote Pohl, who presided over a four-day preliminary hearing in August at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. An Army general will decide whether to accept Pohlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendation or not. A time a place for a court martial to begin had not been set. Russell, 46, is accused of carrying out the deadliest act of soldieron-soldier violence in the war in Iraq as he was nearing the end of his third tour in 2009. Before the shootings, Russell had visited the mental health center because he had expressed that he was considering harming himself. His attorneys used testimony at the August hearing to suggest that Russell was under stress from multiple deployments in Iraq and frustrated with what they have described as inadequate mental health treatment. Government attorneys sought to show that whatever stress he faced, Russell remained coherent enough just before the shootings in May 2009 to reďŹ&#x201A;ect on his actions. Russellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case has raised questions about the mental problems for soldiers caused by repeated tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and whether the Armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mental health care is adequate. The case led to an investigation and a critical report. Killed in the shooting were Navy Cmdr. Charles Springle, 52, of Wilmington, N.C., and four Army service members: Pfc. Michael Edward Yates Jr., 19, of Federalsburg, Md.; Dr. Matthew Houseal, of Amarillo, Texas; Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, 25, of Paterson, N.J.; and Spc. Jacob D. Barton, 20, of Lenox, Mo.

have the right to free speech.â&#x20AC;? Defense attorneys were expected to argue later in the day on behalf of the students, who face misdemeanor charges of conspiring to disrupt a meeting and disrupting a meeting. If convicted, the students â&#x20AC;&#x201D; many who have now graduated from UC Irvine and nearby University of California, Riverside â&#x20AC;&#x201D; could face sentences ranging from probation with community service and ďŹ nes to a year in jail. The case also raised questions about prosecutorial discretion, with some members of the public calling the trial a waste of taxpayersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; money. Other community members have said the defendants were being singled out because they are Muslim. Wagner said students acted as censors to block the free ďŹ&#x201A;ow of ideas and infringed on the rights of 700 people who had gone to the suburban campus that evening to hear Oren. The interruptions â&#x20AC;&#x201D; combined with cheering from supporters, admonishments from

university ofďŹ cials trying to regain control, and a forced break in the meeting â&#x20AC;&#x201D; absorbed more than half the event, he said. A question and answer period where dissenters could have challenged Oren was cancelled because of limited time, Wagner said. Defense attorneys have argued that Oren was able to ďŹ nish his talk after students and their supporters walked out, and that the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; remarks, including phrases such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;propagating murder is not an expression of free speech,â&#x20AC;? accounted for less than ďŹ ve minutes of his time. Some community members have also said the aftermath of the demonstration should have been handled exclusively by the university. The students were initially cited, released and disciplined at UC Irvine, which revoked the Muslim Student Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s charter for a quarter and placed it on two years of probation. Nearly a year later, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas ďŹ led criminal

charges against 11 students. The move prompted an outcry from the American Civil Liberties Union and a host of Jewish, Muslim and campus groups. The ďŹ ling also sparked a media frenzy, and Superior Court Judge Peter J. Wilson eventually issued a gag order to prevent prosecutors and defense attorneys from arguing the case outside the courtroom. The charges against one defendant were later dropped. On Monday, Wagner showed video clips of university ofďŹ cials pleading with demonstrators to behave and respect academic freedom. He also showed numerous emails among members of the Muslim Student Union planning the disruption and calculating who was willing to get arrested. The correspondence, Wagner said, reveals students knew the risk of their actions and later tried to cover up that the organization was involved in the protest. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was always a plan to break the rules,â&#x20AC;? he said.

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October 5, 2011

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theBIZ

The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Young people take hit as poverty rate increases Matt O’Brien

MCT Campus

Joblessness pushed another 2.6 million people into poverty last year as 15.1 percent of Americans and 16.3 percent of Californians were living under the poverty line _ the highest rate since 1993, according to 2010 U.S. census statistics released Tuesday. “I never thought it was going to be this bad,” said Celina Lopez, a single mother of two young children who has moved in with her grandmother in El Sobrante. “My situation is pretty scary, in terms of housing, kids and being able to provide for them. I didn’t think it would be this hard to find a job.” The national poverty rate rose from 14.3 percent in 2009, and it increased most dramatically for children and the youngest working-age adults, those between 18 and 24.The number of people who did not work at all last year was “the single most important factor” causing the poverty spike, said Trudi Renwick, chief of the Census Bureau’s poverty statistics branch. “It’s just a wretched time to be starting out in your career,” said Kristen Lewis, co-director of the nonprofit American Human Development Project. “Unfortunately, it’s been tremendously difficult for people trying to get their first job.” About 46.2 million people were in poverty in 2010, the highest number since the government began tracking poverty

Zinc plant to be built in Western N.C.

Photo by Olivier Douliery • MCT Campus

Lisa Banks was laid off in May 2009 and has searched for a job without success since then. She describes herself as frustrated and depressed because of her unemployment situation.

in 1959. For a family of four with two children, poverty means making less than $22,113 a year. The U.S. poverty threshold is $11,344 for a single adult younger than 65, Advertisement and advocates have long pointed out that an income at that level amounts to even less for residents of the Bay Area, with its high cost of living. The grim statistics come as President Barack Obama battles Republicans over the effective-

ness of attempts to stimulate the economy and a new jobs bill he proposed last week. Real median income dropped by 2.3 percent to $49,445. The largest income decline was for households with young people between the ages of 15 and 24, while the second highest decline was for households with people in the 45-to-54 age group. Lopez, 27, is one of many working-age adults who found refuge in an elder relative’s home after struggling to find a job.

The poverty rate would probably be much worse had millions of American families not doubled up over the course of the 18-month recession that began in December 2007, Renwick said. Of people between ages 25 and 34 who are living with their parents, just over 8 percent live in a poor household, Renwick said, but if they depended on their own income and lived on their own, close to half of those 25- to 34-year-olds would be classified as poor.

SPINDALE, N.C. — A Pennsylvania company that extracts zinc from waste generated through steel mini mills said Monday it will build a new plant in Rutherford County that will generate 250 jobs. Horsehead Corp. will build a zinc production facility in Rutherford County near Forest City, Gov. Beverly Perdue announced in a news release. The company plans to invest $350 million to develop an operation that will make zinc-based products through recycled materials and utilize what’s labeled as a lowercost, environmentally-friendly technology. Perdue’s office said the overall average salary for the new jobs will be more than $41,000 — above the county’s average of about $28,400. The company said it decided on building in North Carolina because of electric power costs and the incentives provided by state and local government. Horsehead plans to seek state corporate tax incentives for recycling facilities, Perdue’s release said. “We believe this location is ideally located among our four recycling facilities and will be within one-day deliver distance for the majority of our customers,” Horsehead President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Hensler said in a statement released through Perdue’s office. “We look forward to becoming an important part of the local economy, providing construction jobs over the next two years and manufacturing jobs thereafter.” Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, who is from Rutherford County, called the plant good news for a region harmed by the loss of manufacturing jobs. The plant will also be able to remove metals such as silver, copper and lead from recycled materials, Horsehead said in a news release. Company officials said Monday an existing smelter in Monaca, Pa., which employs about 600 people, will continue to operate until the new plant is finished in late 2013. Horsehead said it plans to continue non-smelter operations at the site about 25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh and is “exploring alternative uses for the facility.”

come in the census statistics, but not food stamps, tax credits and other government help. Although all generations experienced a decline in median income, seniors had the lowest poverty rate increase, in part because Social Security recipients received costof-living increases of 2.3 percent in 2007 and 5.8 percent in 2008. “Elderly are the most protected from falling into deep poverty in this country,” said Lewis, who proposes investments in education and jobs creation that could help get Californians out of poverty. It is a social crisis as much as a monetary crisis, said Lewis, because “jobs are about more than just a paycheck. They matter for your physical and mental health, your family’s stability.” “Poverty feels intractable to a lot of people, but when we as a country put our mind to it and try to do something about poverty, we really make headway,” Lewis said. The poverty rate grew for all racial groups except for AsianAmericans and was highest for African-Americans and Latinos, at about 27 percent. The new director of the Alameda County Social Services Agency said more people of all walks of life have come to her office for cash assistance, food stamps, paid child care and guidance in finding jobs. Lori Jones said she wants to break down the “stigma around social services” that has prevented many families on the edge from seeking help. “There are more people in need of temporary assistance, a hand up,” Jones said.

As economy sputters, Obama’s approval rating continues to sink David Lightman MCT Campus

Associated press AP Exchange

Nearly 41 percent of all female-headed households are poor. Lopez said she and her children, 6 and 4, are “pretty much homeless,” because her grandmother’s home is in foreclosure and they have been moving from place to place. She is cleaning houses and studying at Diablo Valley College in hopes of improving her likelihood of getting a full-time job. She hasn’t had one in more than a year. Her best year economically was 2008, “when I was working, I was doing really good. I had my own place. Everything was really stable,” she said. Concord cosmetologist Monica Kicki, also a mother of two, said her income today is half what she made two years ago. She had hoped to send her son to private school after his neighborhood public school closed this year. He was disappointed to learn she couldn’t afford it. The 36-year-old mother had a steady job at Macy’s until the spring and has been working since she was a teenager. “When I go on Craigslist, I see all these jobs, but when you apply, they want so much from you but pay very little,” Kicki said. “They want you to have all this schooling, all this experience.” She has considered going back to school but is not sure it is worth the cost. Income from unemployment and Social Security benefits counts toward total personal in-

WASHINGTON— President Barack Obama’s job approval rating has plunged to a dismal 39 percent, the lowest of his presidency, as increasing numbers disapprove of his handling of the nation’s ailing economy, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll. The low job approval rating among registered voters, down from 44 percent last month, suggests enormous trouble for a president who faces re-election in 14 months. The 52 percent who disapprove of Obama’s performance represents the first time that number has climbed over 50 percent. “These numbers could typically spell doom for an incumbent,” poll director Lee Miringoff said. Even the president’s remedies for the economy are being received coolly. One-third approved and 61 percent disapproved of his handling of the economy. Sixty-one percent said the worst was yet to come for the economy, while 64 percent said that Obama’s $447 billion jobs plan, which he’s been pushing hard for days, didn’t go far enough. The poll surveyed 1,042 adults _ 825 of them registered voters _ last Tuesday and Wednesday. The margin of error for the entire sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points; for registered voters, it’s 3.5 percentage points. The president unveiled his jobs plan, which faces trouble in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and among liberal Democrats, before a

joint session of Congress on Sept. 8. On Monday, he detailed a longer-term program for reducing deficits. Congress is expected to begin considering the jobs package next month. The plan is aimed at bringing down the nation’s 9.1 percent unemployment rate and boosting an economy that’s barely growing. It would cut Social Security payroll taxes dramatically and increase spending on infrastructure and education, and it would impose higher taxes on the wealthy by limiting their itemized deductions. Few see the plan as the antidote for the staggering economy. Seventy-eight percent of Democrats said it didn’t go far enough. Fifty-four percent of Republicans and 59 percent of independents felt the same way. Add that to the ongoing pessimism about the economy, and Obama’s personal numbers fell. At the start of his presidency, from April to October 2009, his approval numbers ranged from 53 to 56 percent. He won 52.9 percent of the popular vote in November 2008. The president pushed a huge stimulus package through Congress within weeks of his inauguration, but the slow economic recovery eventually took its political toll. Obama’s job approval rating fell to 46 percent in December 2009 and hasn’t gone above 48 percent since. Miringoff warned, though, against drawing conclusions about Obama’s fate next year. The president’s favorability number remains higher than his job approval, and his opponent is still unknown.

Obama propses Postal Service bailout with service cuts & postage increases value of the U.S. Postal Service to the town of Millington, Ill., is one nation’s commerce communications, of a couple of small town post and as well as the urgent offices slated to close as a re- need for reform to ensure its future visult of dire financial problems ability.” Unless the govfacing the U.S. Postal Service. ernment acts quickly, he said, the service will be insolvent by Steven Thomma the end of the month, MCT Campus when it will have used up its cash reserves, will have WASHINGTON — President reached its government Barack Obama on Monday mandated borrowing limit proposed bailing out the of $15 billion, and will be U.S. Postal Service, urg- unable to make a required ing that it be allowed to cut $5.5 billion payment to its mail delivery to five days a retiree health program. week and raise the price of Obama also proposed postage. restructuring the Postal He also proposed al- Service’s pension plan and lowing the service to get a allowing it to sell non$6.9 billion refund from an postal goods to bring in overfunded pension fund. more money. “Bold action is needed,” Tucked into his broader Obama said. proposal to cut federal “The administration budget deficits, Obama’s recognizes the enormous plan said the Postal Ser-

l The post office in the

Photo by Chuck Berman • MCT Campus

Postmaster Cheryl Kuntz takes a broom to the entryway for some cleanup, Thursday, September 8, 2011 in Millington, Illinois.

vice is beset by long-term problems brought on by the recession and the loss of mail services to email. Mail delivery has plummeted, with 43 billion fewer pieces sent this year than just four years ago. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe has proposed closing hundreds of post offices and mail facilities and eliminating Saturday mail delivery to save costs. But many members of Congress are fighting plans to close postal facilities in their districts. And a prominent House Republican said Monday that he opposes Obama’s plan. “The president’s proposal is not what taxpayers or the Postal Service needs,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.”

theWORD 6

The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Slavery: The Game stirs up internet drama For the past two weeks, several people posted links via Facebook to a website that had a trailer for a game called Slavery: The Game. The trailer allows gamers to go back to the 17th Century, telling players to “buy slaves, discipline them, exploit them (and) become the most powerful slave trainer.” The video displays several weapons to choose from in order to discipline the slaves. The trailer was shocking and it was hard to believe that anyone could even think that slavery should be turned into a game. Because of the controversy of the website there was a press

release last week where it was revealed that the trailer and the game are both fictional. They also added that fact to the actual website, where it had previously stated that the game was slated for release in the spring of 2012. The press release also explained that it was all a part of a Dutch viral ad for a documentary series about slavery that will air on Dutch public broadcaster NTR. NPR claimed the purpose of the video was to confront slavery as well as to inform people that the issue is still in existence today. Carla Boos, editor in chief of public broadcaster NTR said,

“It was by no means our intention to hurt people with the trailer.” While the trailer was effective in drawing attention to the TV NOMA series, it was VILANE done in poor taste. NPR was perfectly aware of what they were doing. For the better part of two weeks, people believed that the game was either an ill-conceived joke or an actual product. If it had explained that the video

was advertisement for a show from the beginning, people probably would not have gotten as upset about it. NPR was most likely working under the belief that all press is good press. The stir that was created brought a large amount of traffic to the website. It also caused a lot of commentary from bloggers and others. However, NPR sat back for a couple of weeks before they tried to backpedal and do damage control with the press release. “Right from the moment of its seeding on September 1st, the trailer spread like wild fire across the internet; it was even

ACLU’s ‘Don’t Filter Me’ campaign makes sense MCT CAMPUS Contributor

The Trevor Project is an organization devoted to preventing suicides among gay and lesbian teenagers. But some students have been barred from accessing the group’s website using school computers, even though the schools allow them to view all sorts of other sites. This censorship of gay-themed, non-sexually explicit sites has resulted in an American Civil Liberties Union campaign called “Don’t Filter Me!” The original culprits in this snafu are not the schools but commercial Internet filtering programs that block gay-themed

sites, however innocuous, along with more explicit sites that may include material heterosexual or homosexual that would be inappropriate for students. It’s the schools, however, that make the final decision on what is filtered. Some schools may have consciously banned sites such as the Trevor Project on the erroneous assumption that students can be shielded from discussions of homosexuality. Either way, the result has been censorship. Filtering programs also have blocked the sites of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian &

Straight Education Network, another White House honoree). That’s fine with some social conservatives, who see such sites as propagating a “homosexual agenda,” a fair charge only if one defines the agenda as preaching respect for gay people. But even if one sees such sites as polemical, the same is true of anti-gay-rights websites such as the Family Research Council and the National Organization for Marriage, which students are free to view. As a result of the “Don’t Filter Me!” campaign, some providers of filters are changing their software, and several school districts have agreed to unblock

non-sexual, gay-themed content. The ACLU is also suing a school district in Missouri over its filtering policy, arguing that it violates students’ rights under a 1982 Supreme Court decision preventing schools from removing controversial books from their libraries. Within sensible limits (such as a restriction on sexually explicit material), allowing students to browse the Web expands their horizons and, in the case of sites like the Trevor Project, could save their lives. It shouldn’t take a warning letter from the ACLU to convince school administrators of that proposition.

Got a question for Ask a Black Guy?

Well, send it to us! theatregister@gmail.com

NCAA should pay the athletes that make them rich Just prior to every college football season the debate on whether college athletes should be paid or not arises and draws various reactions. Numerous figures state their opinions but only a few actually present suffice points to support their stance on the controversial issue. I feel that student-athletes should be provided with a salary from the NCAA each semester that begins at $1200 for freshman and increases by $200 for each academic year completed. The salary will cover the living expenses of each of the student-athlete while providing an incentive for remaining in college. The most recent NBA collective bargaining agreement took place during 2005-06 season. Unlike previous years when high school players could go straight to the NBA, the deal held that players must be 19 years of age during the calendar year of the draft and have been one year removed from high school to become eligible for the draft. The NFL requires that a player be three years removed from high school to be deemed eligible. The NCAA obviously viewed the growing trend of high school players making the leap from the high school ranks to the pros as a problem. Their concern is understandable when you consider the numerous players who tried, but demonstrated that they were not ready for the professional ranks. Many of the unsuccessful NBA players who made the transition would have benefited if they would have harnessed their abilities at the collegiate level. A simple $1200 salary to college athletes would guarantee a change in the trend of players going pro early. Many of the players who do decide to go pro after their first year with the program base their decision mainly on the financial need. The concept is simple. If you give the student-athletes enough money to maintain a financially adequate lifestyle,

the financial motivation for going pro will evaporate. The $200 raise per academic school year incentive will not only e n c o u r a g e KALYN players to remain in col- HOYLE lege, but will also influence student-athletes to pursue the academics phase as well. Athletes who do not apply themselves academically have scholarships revoked and lose eligibility, subsequently losing their salaries. Take into consideration Denver Broncos running back Willis McGahee’s story. While playing football at the University of Miami McGahee sustained a knee injury in which he tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL. McGahee, a college football phenom, was forced to recreate himself as a football player and change from an elusive speedster to a powerful short yardage back. Though he was arguably one of the most dominant running backs in college football at that time, he was drafted late in the first round because of the serious knee injury. There was a good chance that McGahee might not have ever been paid to play football after the injury. Many of the players take into consideration the possibility of an injury eliminating any opportunity to make money in the future when making the stay or go decision. Student-athletes should be compensated for the revenue they bring their respected schools and the risk of injury they face. When it concerns a professional career, it would be foolish and unwise for a player projected to come off the draft boards early to return for another season. The risk of injury will always make players lean towards going pro early. The $1200 salary will help players understand that their contributions are appreciated and that they are not putting their physical health on the line for noth-

ing. McGahee, amongst other players filled the University of Miami’s stadium every Saturday and had one of the highest selling jersey numbers, making the university a great deal of revenue. If McGahee had never been able to suit up again he would have made Miami a fortune and would not have made one penny. The principal of a significant injury risk with no possibility for a monetary reward for athletes is evidence that the NCAA’s business practices are corrupt, but on the other hand the NCAA has no risk along with a guarantee of reward. Another problem brewing in the college ranks that has heated in the past few years is studentathletes taking improper benefits from boosters, agents, and outside influences. Recently, former Ohio State quarterback Tyrelle Pryor was reportedly involved with the selling of memorabilia and the exchanging of autographs for money and tattoos. Jim Tressel, Ohio State’s “prestigious” coach during the incident supposedly knew of the illegal transactions but covered up for the star quarterback Pryor. The story was the hot topic for an entire two month period. Pryor and Tressel eventually made decisions that landed them both outside of Columbus and both were scrutinized by the NCAA and the entire Ohio State body. Situation’s like Pryor’s have become a part of the culture of college sports over the past few years. A few notable athletes in similar situations are the University of Southern California’s Reggie Bush, coincidently Ohio State’s Maurice Clarrett, and Auburn’s Cam Newton. Analysts often point to the players for not playing by the “rules.” The truth is that many student-athletes feel that because of their contributions to the program they are entitled to the money and privileges they bring in from improper benefits. What young adult wouldn’t? If the NCAA would give stu-

dent-athletes salaries, I would be in favor of making stricter rules for players who take impermissible benefits. But until then I cannot place the entire blame on the student-athlete for these reoccurring incidents. Though he was wrong for the breaking the NCAA rules, Tyrelle Pryor rightfully deserved every dime that he got from the whole situation. Pryor boosted the Ohio State brand at a very high level from the second he signed his letter of intent. Pryor was used as a tool to win football games and produce revenue for the university. Reportedly, Pryor posted a dismal score of 7 on the NFL’s Wonderlic Test, proving that Pryor never developed the mental acumen to process information efficiently. A score of 7 on the Wonderlic Test is far below average for any position player, let alone a quarterback. It should be understood that his intellectual progress was not on the minds of the coaching staff at Ohio State. Now is the time that a person or a group of individuals take notice and make efforts to take notice and change the way in which student-athletes are taken advantage of. The student-athletes produce billions revenue for the universities across America each year, not to mention the NCAA contracts that exceed $20 billion for just football and basketball alone. The NCAA is engaging in unethical and immoral business practices by allowing players to “eat the crumbs” allowing them to be supplied wit just a scholarship and no living expenses. Keep in mind that a studentathlete is incapable of working a full-time job and a part-time job would be a great challenge. A small $1200 back-loaded contract format with the purpose of providing living expenses to student-athletes can only do good for the student-athletes and for the NCAA. -kalynhoyle@live.com And follow us on Twitter: @ATRegister

mentioned on international radio and television. The video has been watched for over 400,000 times on YouTube and hundreds of websites and blogs wrote about the disputable topic,” said Carla Boos in the release. In response to the press release, the motives of NPR have been questioned. They claimed that the video was released as a well-intentioned way to educate people about slavery. Several statements that Carla Boos made in the release have aided in the questions. At one point she said, “We chose this approach to create maximum awareness for

slavery in general.” Looking at how the video was presented, one wonders how NPR did not see controversy looming and if the NPR went too far. They feel like they did what was needed to make people think. The documentary series was created to educate the Dutch about their past and present involvement with slavery. The Dutch series “De Slavernij” or “Slavery” will air every Sunday from September 18th until November 2nd. -nlvilane@gmail.com And follow us on Twitter: @ATRegister

Ask a Black Guy The following is a Q&A column that will answer the many questions that are presented to black men. The questions, as well as the answers, are completely anonymous. However, the questions are directed towards black men on this campus. Therefore, we assure you that the answers are exclusively from black men on this campus. Do you think strong black women intimidate some black men? Guy #1- Of course not. I think black women believe that because it’s easy for them to use that instead of saying “I have a bad personality.” I think a black woman who thinks she intimidates a man only feels that way because she does not understand men and what we like. No man wants a woman who thinks she can intimidate him anyway. A woman is strong when she has confidence in herself. Not bossy. Guy #2- Definitely. A lot of black men don’t know what a strong black women is. A lot of black men want a woman they can intimidate and push around so they can feel like they are the man of the house. However, I feel you need a strong black woman that won’t always give what you want, but still hold you down at the same time. Guy #3- I think some but not all. I think some black men are just weak anyway so a strong black woman is too much for them. But not all black women are strong black women so this does not apply for everybody. Some women just try to be strong to hide the fact that they have bad people skills. Guy #4- I think they do because guys are used to being the dominant gender throughout history. A female in control might make a guy feel inferior. So I believe some men would be afraid to even consider talking to a woman who has a strong personality and strong sense of self love. Do you think black men should take some blame for so many black women no being married? Guy #1- Not at all. I think for black women to even say that is nothing but an excuse for them not having a man. The fact that black women are at the bottom of the marriage list is not the fault of black men. It is the fault of black women and black women alone. I love my sisters. I plan on marrying a black woman in the future, but for them to try and put the blame on us is a weak way out. Most of the time it is the fault of black women. So I think black men should take no blame. Guy #2- I think we should take about 1/3 of the blame. Women make the decision for

what they want in their life. And most of the time women pick the guy who is not right for them. They pick what they want to see from the media, oppose to what they really need to see. Girls want to mold a man instead of accepting him for who he is. Guy #3- Not really. Black women might be waiting for black men to marry them, but when that does not happen we live in a world full of billions of men. You can find someone else besides black men. Because, obviously, black men are finding other women besides black women. So I don’t think the blame falls on us. Guy #4- I don’t think they should. I feel like you determine your own fate. Rather it be relationships, careers, parenthood, etc. We all make our own decisions. So if you are single, that falls back on you. You cannot blame an entire race of men on your relationship difficulties. Black men have always played a major role in the up building of our nation. What things do you see black men doing today that would show they are still being progressive? Guy #1- With the exception of Obama, I don’t see it. A crazy number of black men are in jail, we lead in unemployment, we focus on Ray J and Fabolous beef, and ignore real global news. I think we could be doing a little worse, but as of right now I don’t think we are progressing in a way that our generation could be proud of 50 years from now. Guy #2- Well for starters we have a black president, and that speaks volumes. To have someone of our race running this country is a tremendous symbol of progress. Besides that, I think we are improving, but we can do more. We lack unity in our community. Men are competitive already and instead of trying to uplift each other, we tear each other down sometimes. We could be doing better, but I think we are doing fine now. Guy #3- I think black men are making advancements but we just can’t see it because we are living in it right now. We are playing more roles in politics, economics, history, and almost every other field than our parents. Years from now we will look back and see our impact. But right now we are living in the midst of our movement so it is hard to judge our own impact. Guy #4- We are running magazines, networks, major companies and industries. We run everything from the White House to the street corner. We continue to make strides not just for the advancement of colored people, but people as a whole. Our influence is all around us at all times. So that’s all I have to say.

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 are 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, September 21, 2011

Mayweather remains untouchable Trumaine MCCaskill Opinions Editor

You can never leave your guard down in a boxing ring. In perhaps one of the most controversial endings to a pay-per-view fight in recent years, Floyd Mayweather Jr. ended Saturday night the same way he entered it, undefeated. “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, 34, took on “Vicious” Victor Ortiz, 24, in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The fight opened with an introduction from the legendary announcer Michael Buffer. And in the tale of the tape, the slight advantage went to the taller, heavier, and younger Ortiz. However, before the opening bell, Mayweather appeared to be extremely confident. In any event, the opening round began slow as the two fighters sought to catch a feel for the other’s fighting style. Even with a slow start,, there appeared to be no “ring rust” for the 34-year-old “Pretty Boy” who was coming off a 16-month lay off. In round two, the action picked up. Mayweather’s

speed began to take form, and he began to take control of the fight. The art form and foot work began to take over and the great counter puncher seemed to hit with extreme accuracy. Ortiz was the aggressor, however Money Mayweather still appeared to be in control of the fight. By round three, Mayweather’s dominance became more and more apparent when he landed four times as many punches as Ortiz. Mayweather became increasingly difficult to hit and going into round four, Ortiz looked tired from chasing the quicker and more skilled Mayweather. Early in round four, Mayweather landed a hard shot that appeared to hurt Ortiz. For the majority of the round, Mayweather maintained control, until stumbling late in the round. The fight was delayed due to a dirty head butt by a frustrated Ortiz, followed by a controversial and dramatic ending with a devastating two-punch knock out combination by Mayweather with one second left in the fourth. It took two seconds for the punches to land, yet it kept Ortiz on the ground for the rest of the night.

In the fight, Mayweather landed 73 punches, which was 35 percent of his punches thrown. While Ortiz found it difficult to touch his opponent and only landed 26 shots, which was only 18 percent of his punches thrown. A two-punch combo that Ortiz never saw coming was a topic of debate for a brief moment. In the post fight interview with Larry Merchant, Money Mayweather avoided the topic of the controversy of the final punches. “I was victorious. If he wants a rematch he can get a rematch,” was all Mayweather had to say when asked about the dramatic finish. However, perhaps the most memorable part of the night was the post-fight interview with Larry Merchant where Mayweather cursed out HBO’s longtime boxing commentator in front of millions of fans. “You ain’t s***,” Mayweather called to Merchant after the legendary sports commentator claimed he took a cheap shot at Ortiz. Boos from the crowd may have shown the disgust of the controversial ending and post fight interview.

In all, the dominant performance by Mayweather was completely overshadowed by the controversy that surrounded the late moments in the fight and the harsh confrontation that followed it. The night

definitely ended leaving boxing fans with more controversy than anyone expected to see. -tlmccask@ncat.edu and follow him on Twitter: TrumaineWasHere

Contributor

Although it was a cold and wet Saturday morning, many people believed it was perfect weather for Cross Country during the Elon Invitational. The Lady Aggies Cross Country Team finished 8th in the invitational with a team score of 206 points and their overall time was 1:49:32 in the 5K competition which consists of 3.1 miles. Elon’s Women Cross Country team finished in 1st place with a score of 26 points and they had four of their runners to finish in the top seven. Jenessa Benn lead the Lady Aggies Team as she finished 45th with a time of 20:33. “I think we did a good job as a team and we can’t wait for the next meet. We’ll just use this one as practice and we’re hoping to continue to do better”, said Benn. Tony Veney, the Director of Track and Field for A&T was pleased with the Lady Aggies performance, but assures the team that they should not get complacent and continue to look forward to the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Cross Country Championships at the end of October. “I was pleased with the effort. However, we still got another six weeks to go before we go to MEAC (Mid-Eastern Ath-

MEAC

North Carolina A&T 0-0 1-0 Hampton 1-0 South Carolina State 0-0 Delaware State 0-1 Howard 1-0 Norfolk State 0-0 North Carolina Central 0-0 Morgan State 0-0 Savannah State 0-1 Bethune-Cookman 0-1 Florida A&M

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North Carolina A&T Hampton South Carolina State Delaware State Howard Norfolk State North Carolina Central Morgan State Savannah State Bethune-Cookman Florida A&M MD Eastern Shore Coppin State

Photo by jacob langston• MCT Campus

floyd mayweather jr. roars at the crowd after winning a previous boxing match.

Wallace Miles is on the verge of becoming the first Aggie football player in history to lead the team in receiving for four consecutive seasons. “Leading the team in catches for three consecutive seasons is cool, but we’ve also had three consecutive losing seasons,” Miles said. “I’d rather win.” Initially the A&T wide receiver was going to attend Howard University to play soccer for the Bison, but instead decided to come play for the Aggies in 2007 as a field goal kicker. Miles showed his ability to catch a football his freshman year and since then has played at wide receiver. In high school, Miles didn't start playing football until his junior year where he shared the field with the 2011 NFL first draft pick, Cam Newton. The 6-1, 193 pound senior

is currently third on A&T’s all-time receptions list as well as seventh all-time in receiving yardage. He has also scored two touchdowns. “Wallace has really done well and stepped up,” said Head Coach Rod Broadway. “We need another receiver to take the pressure off him.” “I’m looking for one of the younger guys to step up because I can’t always be the one to catch the ball,” Miles said as he emphasized the talents of sophomore wide receiver Demonta Brown. "It takes more than just what we do in practice and more than just what the coaches teach us," Miles said. A&T’s primary wide receiver has already received 307 passing yards and snagged 14 catches in just two games. “I just hope he brings the cats and leaves the dogs at home,” Broadway jokingly said at his weekly press conference after hearing the comments of Coastal Carolina’s head coach, David Bennett,

referring to his players metaphorically as cats that need to act like dogs. The Aggies are up against the Chanticleers (2-0) who currently have three NFL draft scout prospects. David Duran, Josh Norman, and Andrae Jacobs. Norman, senior cornerback, will be defending Miles. “I like the direction the coaches are leading us, and if we collectively come together and do what they’re teaching us, I see a lot of positivity ahead of us.” The Aggies will host the Chanticleers Saturday, Sept. 24. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. It will be the sixth time in school history that A&T will play a Big South team. -klrobin2@ncat.edu and follow her on Twitter: @ KayRob_

Wallace Miles runs after receving the ball from Lewis Kindle against Virginia University of Lynchburg.

letic Conference), so they will get consistent training in,”said Coach Veney. A&T Men’s Cross Country team finished 7th overall in the 8K race with 211 points and a time of 2:27:27. UNCG’s Paul Chelimo, finished first and set a course record with a time of 23:40. Paris Simmons led the Aggies in the race finishing 44th with a time of 28:10. He missed all of last season due to an ankle injury, but was excited to be back and is looking forward to a great season. “The race today was pretty straight. It’s been horrible watching for a year. It feels good to run again.” Simmons stated that his goal this year is to be a two time All-American indoor and outdoor. Also he plans on making it to the Olympic trials. “I’m just looking to get better each meet,” said James Daniels, Associate Head Coach. He also commented on having Simmons back this year. “I’m real pleased with Paris. Paris is never pleased with himself and I always got to calm that down inside of him, but I’m real pleased with it (Paris Simmons performance). The Aggies next meet will be the Greensboro XC Invitational at Hagan Stone Park on Saturday, Sept. 24th. -todaye@ncat.edu and follow him on Twitter: @ATRegister

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volleyball

Sports Editor

tirelle daye

football

NEXT WEEKS’ GAME: Saturday vs. Morgan State Baltimore, MD 4 p.m.

karmen robinson

Cross country runs at Elon

AGGIES RUNDOWN

THIS WEEK’S GAME: Saturday vs. Coastal Carolina Aggie Stadium 4 p.m.

Senior A&T wide receiver says,"I'd rather win."

Photo by Kenneth l. hawkins jr.• the A&T Register

Aggies fall to Citadel in competitive match PASHARA BLACK Contributor

Last Thursday the Aggie volleyball team played their first home match of the season against The Citadel Bulldogs in Corbett Sports Center. The military college of South Carolina gave the Aggies a run for their money in an intense three set game. The team that wins the best 3 out of 5 matches prevails and this past Thursday, it was the Bulldogs. With several strong spikes and a few throw away points, Citadel took the first match 25-13. The Aggies came back strong in the second game, meanwhile 40 minutes into the game and well into the second match ONE “line caller” referee shows up (who is actually A&T’s swim coach). The second game went to Citadel 25-15. After a break, the women come back into the game full throttle and gain their first lead of the evening with a score of 8-7. The Aggies are able to keep their lead due to careless Citadel mistakes. More than half way through the set, an intense rally between the teams filled with extreme

hits and vicious digs by both sides took place. With the point going to the Aggies, A&T kept their lead 18-15. After a time out, the Aggies lost their lead (20-19) and the game shortly after ties (24-24). The crowd was hype and any hope of staying in the game was on the line for the Aggies. The match ends with Citadel winning the last game 2725. Junior Andrea Evans led the Aggies with five kills and four block assists. Sophomore Jeana Daniels added five kills and a season-high 11 digs. Although the Bulldogs had 14 players on roster whereas the Aggies have 6, the women “worked hard and showed a lot of heart,” said Devonte’ Reese, A&T sophomore outside hitter. Six players are needed on the court at all times, so the A&T’s women didn’t get a break the entire match. The team, composed of mainly sophomores, is still young and trying to gain their game chemistry. Sophomore player Tatiana Cooper felt that “a lot of heart and effort” was left out on the court. She went on to say how great she thought it

was that “everyone was out there getting experience.” Although the team loss, their spirits were still high and the women are optimistic about the remainder of the season. Head Coach Hal Clifton still remained confident in his players, “they played with a lot of intensity and sustained the intensity.” He went on to express how excited he was to be here for the first home match and then gave kudos to the “good crowd and great atmosphere.” When asked about the team only having the six players required to play, Coach Clifton explained the team has four more possible players coming onto the roster, but they are going through NCAA regulations at the moment. He has hopes to have the new players on the team as soon as possible. The next home Aggie Volleyball game with be Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. against the UNCG Spartans. -pcblack@ncat.edu and follow her on Twitter: @ATRegister

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THIS WEEK’S GAME: Wednesday vs. UNCG Corbett Sports Center 6 p.m. Friday vs. NCCU Durham, NC 7 p.m. NEXT WEEKS’ GAME: Tuesday vs. Norfolk State 6 p.m.

AROUND SPORTS PHILADELPHIA _(MCT) Michael Vick still has to clear a number of NFL-mandated postconcussion tests, but the Eagles did not rule out their quarterback for Sunday's home opener against the New York Giants. If he can't go, Andy Reid will have to decide between Vince Young and Mike Kafka as the replacement, although signs point to the Eagles coach going with Kafka. Vick suffered his concussion in the third quarter of Sunday night's 35-31 loss to the Falcons when he was pushed into teammate Todd Herremans, and they banged helmets. He left the game with what was originally described as a neck injury and did not return. Vick, playing against his former team for the first time as a starter, pleaded with the team's medical staff to allow him to reenter the game, Reid said. But even though the Eagles considered the concussion mild they could not allow him to play again once he was diagnosed. Eagles head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said Monday that Vick's concussion barely registered on a baseline brain test he took at the Georgia Dome not long after the incident. When Reid and Burkholder met with reporters at the NovaCare Complex, they had yet to see Vick since landing in Philadelphia early Monday morning. "He was absolutely fine last night," Burkholder said. "He was very far along last night." Still, Vick can't play until he undergoes a series of tests and is cleared by an independent neurologist. The current protocol was enacted by the league in December 2009. "The test, that won't lie to us. The test is what it is," Reid said in reference to Vick's concussion. "That's what it is, so you go by that. We're not going to fudge anything. If he's injured he's injured, and we move on." "It's a complicated defense that's coming in. They run a lot of different things against you, and so you would like the guy that's starting to get as many reps as he possibly can," Reid said. "On the other hand of that, Michael has played against them, and I think they've given you about every look they could possibly give you over the last couple of games."

The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, September 21, 2011

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Double-feature a treat for all ages nia smith

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@TheProperQue: If I got beat up by moesha baby brother i’d kill myself... @Nxlevel: Ray J runs the west coast? @ AndreThe2nd: Imagining Fab headbutting someone tickles me. @Yo_Crob: Ray J is a thug: What is the world coming to? @Yo_Crob: RT @AGuyWithNoLife: #ThingsTougherThanRayJ Fantasia’s spelling test.

Soon the stars of the Theater department will make their fall debut in a two for one special of “Cinderella and “The Country Mouse and The City Mouse.” This play is a delightful treat for anyone young and old. The theater department received a grant from the Roanoke Island Festival Park to do a children’s series this summer. The two plays were done over the summer and were a great success so they decided to bring them to A&T. Professor Donna BaldwinBradby, the plays director, really made “The Country Mouse and The City Mouse” her own as opposed to the usual Aesop fable. She completely modernized and made it into an incredibly entertaining comedy. This story is all about two mice who are cousins. There’s Junior, the country mouse, and Ace, the city swindler played by Nick Turner, a senior Professional Theater major from Winston Salem, NC. “Nick really developed the character. It was a five to six page script and nick really made it what it is,” said Professor Bradby.

@Nxlevel:RT @JcamofYouNeek: #ThingsTougherThanRayJ getting into a @ Nxlevel ghoe party @WLRowe11: RT Teddy3D: #PeopleTougherThanRayJ Jordan from Bernie Mac @ LawrenceWiggins: Ray J started out with 7 Rolls Royce at the beginning of the interview and ended it with 6. #smh lol

From the hip hop number to the line dancing Ace is sure to leave vewiers lighthearted. In the end, after the laughter ceases there was a lesson to be learned. Despite their differences Ace and Junior realize that they don’t have to enjoy the others lifestyle as long as they remember what’s important, and that’s family. This was the lesson Director Bradby wanted to convey. “When I was a girl I loved the country mouse and the city mouse but they always made it seem like the country was better I thought that was unfair so this story does not end like that.” After that play ended the theater department surprised the audience with an intermission filled with snacks and children’s activities. Then it was time for every girl’s favorite tale, “Cinderella”. Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, the tormented motherless girl swept off her feet by a dashing prince and in the end they live happily ever after. Cinderella just keeps getting better with this short adaptation of the mesmerizing Disney movie. Not only are characters like the prince, Fairy Godmother, evil stepsisters and of course Cinderella true to tradition, but Cinderella and the prince even

Contibutors

Thousands of people gathered in Greensboro for the 37th Annual Greek Festival at the Greek Orthodox Church off of Friendly Ave. A person who has never been to a Greek Festival before might be quite apprehensive about what to expect. It was surprising to see the diversity of people who came to enjoy the 3-day event. From crafts and games for

kids to live entertainment and delicious food, there was plenty for everyone to do. The Greek meals were very affordable. Popular menu items included gyros, chicken pitas, and Greek fries. The gyro—which you can generally find in the northern U.S. (i.e. New York)—was made out of seasoned beef, lamb, and tomatoes in pita bread topped with a tasty tzatziki sauce. Trying anything that has lamb in it might turn one off, but it was actually quite enjoyable. It tasted almost like a Mexican gordita. The chicken pita

‘Circle of Life’ in another dimension

Contributed photo

THEATER students kick off their season with “Cinderella” and “The City Mouse and The Country Mouse.”

sing for us! Their voices are amazing and the number really adds to the whole play. The director, Professor Frankie Day, assured that her version is the classic story of Cinderella’s journey from rags to riches. The stepmother is mean; the stepsisters mean, ugly and dumb; Fairy God mother is quirky and fun; and Cinderella is just humble, sweet, and gorgeous. Janaya Hudson, a professional theater major from Charlotte, NC as well as the Fairy godmother in Cinderella assures that Aggies are in for a treat.

“We worked really hard at our children’s series and it’s no way anyone will be disappointed. It’s so much going on with the theatre department that I’m looking forward to sharing with the aggie world this year!” These two plays are a must see for everyone especially those who have a little one to share it with. The play will be showing Sept. 22- 25 and Sept. 29-Oct. 22. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and students of other schools, and children 12 and under are $5. Admission for A&T students is free with an aggie one card.

After 17 years the classic Disney movie, “The Lion King,” returned to theatres in 3D this past weekend. While the movie’s original story line remains the same, some parts get brought to life. In the beginning scene with all the animals and the presentation of Simba, it was as if one could reach out and touch Zazu as he flew through the sky to meet Musfasa at the top of Pride Rock. The scene where Scar is in the elephant graveyard with the hyenas singing, “Be Prepared,” had the same affect. In both scenes, one feels like they are next to the characters signing the songs. Also in all the raining scenes, it appeared as though the rain was falling on the audience. Aside from these three main parts and the opening title “The Lion King,” the movie did not seem to be in 3D at all. Parts of the movie had bad quality. An example of this would be when Pumbaa was in the cave with the hyenas trying to save Timon and Zazu. When Pumba ran in the cave it was as if the screen was shaking and the picture became a blur. Further instances of this shaky, blurry picture occurred in most of the fighting and action packed scenes. Although the movie lacked as many

was also tasty. The only difference between the chicken pita and the gyro was the meat. The Greek fries were ok but of course with ketchup they were a lot better.The festival did a good job of making non-Greeks comfortable by having American food or food that was easily recognizable such as hotdogs and Greek salads. Those with a sweet tooth were appeased too. There were several pastries to choose from for dessert, but the one that appeared to be favored by all was the Loukoumades. Loukoumades are Greek-style donut holes deep-fried, dipped

in syrup, and sprinkled with cinnamon. They taste similar to funnel cake. Guests were entertained by people of different age groups opa dancing in the center of the outside dining area. The opa is a traditional Greek folk dance. Guests cheered the dancers on as they joined in by clapping and some even got up to join the popular Greek line dance. The Greek Festival was a great opportunity to learn and experience another country’s culture and what they have to offer.

Bad guys always get the brunt Alexis White Contributor

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

movie review: straw dogs

movie review Kelsey merritt

Sept. 21st to 27th

37th annual Greek festival a tasty success cheri farrior & deshawn fleming

Photo by Mct campus

legitimate 3D parts as there could have been and had bad quality at times, “The Lion King” was great as it has always been. The audience can still sing-a-long to the “Circle of Life,” “Hakuna Matata,” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” Simba’s pain is still felt when his father dies as is the excitement when Simba returns to take his rightful place as king. Viewers can still get the same warm feeling they did as children watching the movie with or without the 3D because overall there are no main differences. People can choose to enjoy it in a movie theater or just watch it at home.

Grade:

hotlist

thescene

The provocative and violent remake of 1971 “Straw Dogs” was released Sept. 16. The movie features X-Men star, James Marsden, as a Hollywood screenwriter named David Sumner and Kate Bosworth as his wife, Amy Sumner. This movie also stars Alexander Starsgard as Charlie, the handsome ex-jock and Amy’s childhood boyfriend; James Woods as Tom Heddon, a former football coach and the loud-mouthed town drunk who instigates the violence; Laz Alonso as the town’s sheriff; Drew Powell as Bic; Billy Lush as Chris; Rhys Coiro as Norman, Dominic Purcell as Jeremy Niles, the town’s mentally challenged man; and Willa Holand as Janice Heddon. David Sumner is a conservative, well-educated man who listens to classical music and can’t fix a roof or tire. \He visits with his wife to her hometown Blackwater, Mississippi. The small town is full of Christian believers who trust everyone that lives there. When not being pretentiously polite, Charlie and his friends are usually ill mannered and leer at David’s wife. Although David tries to adapt to their ways by becom-

ing interested in their hobbies, Charlie becomes excessively jealous of David and begins to take advantage of him. Amy, caught in between her husband and the people she grew up with, sends Charlie false signals of still wanting him, which leads to Charlie acting inappropriately toward her. Ultimately, after fighting for his life along with defending his wife and Niles, David becomes the man the town thought he wasn’t. He overcomes his polite passive ways when pushed to the limit. “Straw Dogs” captivates viewers’ from beginning to end. I would greatly recommend this movie to viewers who enjoy psychological thrillers. “Straw Dogs” deserves an A+ for staying true to the first movie, capturing the audience’s attention throughout the picture, and the thrill seeking climax that lead to a shocking and action-packed ending.

Grade:

A+

1. Did you pay for the fight? 2. Were you mad it only lasted four rounds? 3. Would you pay more to see the fight between Fab and Ray J? 4. Is Ray J slapping somebody really considered fighting? 5. Don’t girls do that? 6. If Ray J was in handcuffs how did he call the radio station? 7. Where is Ray J getting all this money from to have seven Rolls Royces? 8. Did Ray J’s hissy fit convince anybody that he was trill? 9. What is Fab thinking right now? 10. Did Ray J ever hit puberty? 11. What if he actually beat up Fab? 12. Who went and wasted money to see Lion King 3D? 13. What exactly was in 3D? 14. Oh, less than three scenes? 15. Did you feel like you were at a HBCU eating on paper plates and plastic silverware in the cafe Friday? 16. Did that stop you from eating the fried chicken? 17. How many people had a bad day because they were caught in the police license check? 18. Who was more scared about parking services finding their car in the parking lot with no parking pass on it? 19. Has Fab called the radio and apologized yet? 20. What happened to the last two questions from last week?

on screen Killer elite stars Jason Statham, Robert De Niro and Clive Owen in the action thriller based on Ranulph Fiennes’ best-seller “The Feathermen.” Inspired by real events, the story follows a group of former British special forces members who are being hunted by assassins. Statham will play a former Navy Seal who is forced out of retirement to save his closest friend. The movie has a starpacked cast with an interesting plot and from the reviews so far, it is a must see.

on shelves Mary j blige plans on taking it back to the essence with her upcoming album My Life II: The Journey Continues, due October 4th. The Queen of Hip Hop Soul, who released My Life in 1994, has enlisted production and writing from Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Bangladesh and DJ Premier, while the sole guest artist so far is Fabolous.

on stage Cinderella and The country mouse and the city mouse is being turned into a play from two cartoon classics starting tomorrow and lasting through mid October. The Robeson Theatre will be hosting these shows for students, families and friends in a two-for-one special. For Aggies this show is free, but for other students and senior citizens the tickets are $10, and for adults they are $15, and for children under 12 years old, the tickets are only $5. This production is something to go see by your Aggies.

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