Black Women Leaders Face ‘Double Jeopardy,’ Harsher Criticism Than Others: Study

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In the corporate world, it looks like women are making significant strides. This year’s Fortune 500 list boasted 18 female CEOs, more women to make the list than ever before.

But despite those gains, black women aren’t faring quite as well, facing harsher penalties than other leaders when organizations fail.

It’s a reality that professors Ashleigh Shelby Rosette of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Robert W. Livingston of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management say exists whether an organization is performing negatively or not.

In a study conducted by Rosette and Livingston, 228 participants read fictitious news articles about a company’s performance, including permutations in which the leader was black or white, male or female and successful or unsuccessful. What they found was that black women who failed were viewed more critically than their underperforming white or male counterparts — even those of the same race.

The findings, which were published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology this month represent a case of “double jeopardy,” the study authors say, or the product of being neither white nor male.

According to a report called “Risk and Reward” released by the League of Black Women Global Research Institute last year, professional black women made up only one percent of U.S. corporate officers, despite the fact that 75 percent of corporate executives believed that having minorities in senior level positions enables innovation and better serves a diverse customer base.

Similarly, black women held just 1.9 percent of board seats in the Fortune 500 compared to 12.7 percent for white women, numbers that The Huffington Post said compounds overall dissatisfaction among black women in corporate jobs.

The disparity, along with limited opportunity for upward mobility might also explain the shift black women have been making from corporate America to entrepreneurship, with black women starting their own businesses at three-to-five times the rate of all businesses. read more…

New anti-hazing efforts revealed to FAMU student body

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It’s a new beginning for many students and staff at Florida A&M University. Since former
president James Ammons announced his resignation July 11, 2012, FAMU’s Board of Trustees
has created opportunity for progressive change.

Interim President Larry Robinson was welcomed to the university at his convocation Friday,
Sept. 7. But the true purpose of the event was to introduce www.StopHazingAtFAMU.com, a
website whose name says it all.

In wake of the sudden death of the ‘Marching 100’ drum major Robert Champion last year
November, Robinson is continuing the work that Ammons has done to combat hazing among
the student body.

“Everyone on campus needs to be unified in the fight against hazing,” said FAMU Interim
President Larry Robinson. “We will continue to enact change, positively empower our
students and provide resources going forward to ensure that we provide a safer and healthier
environment for learning.”

Along with maintaining a safe, hazing-free environment, Robinson wants students to be able to
use the website as a liaison and put an end to hazing.

The revised anti-hazing policy on the website reminds students that hazing not only violates the
university’s regulations, but in the eyes of the state of Florida, hazing is punishable by criminal
prosecution.

In fact, students must now sign an anti-hazing pledge before registering for classes in the
Spring 2013 semester. All clubs/organizations and Greek letter organizations must attend
meetings and agree to sign the new anti-hazing policy as well.

Meanwhile at the convocation, many students left confused, including Ana Sims, a first year
business student. Ana said that due to the lack of communication among FAMU administration
and the student body, she does not feel FAMU is making an adequate approach with the
website.

“It’s another tool, but is it really going to stop the students from doing it?, says Sims,” and what
happens if we don’t sign the pledge before the Spring semester? Are they really going to deny
students to be able to register for classes?”

FAMU has approximately 1,000 less students compared to the 2011-2012 academic year,
according to Robinson. Biology student Shar Donalds believes the dwindled student body has
something to do with the anti-hazing efforts.

“I feel the website will be effective, but I also know almost every organization hazes,” says
Donalds, “They [administration] need to hold the clubs and the Greek letter organizations more
accountable with the anti-hazing policy so students will feel free to pursue whatever.”

The website has a section entitled, ‘my PLEDGE’ which requires all to students to sign before
Spring semester. Only a few students have pledged, but this may be due to the lack of
promotion of the website and lack of communication to the students.

The website features subsections which define hazing, how to stop hazing, and also how to
report it to the university—along with several other anti-hazing resources which link to third party
entities.

“We encourage our students, faculty and staff to bookmark the website, visit it frequently and
utilize it if they are aware of any incidents of hazing,” said Robinson. “We want to help educate
the campus about what constitutes hazing and the destructive force it can be.”

FAMU plans on hiring on designated individual to the ‘Stop Hazing At FAMU’ website who will
also run the social media accounts. 60 applications have been received so far.

By Gionni Crawford

N.C. A&T agrees to 4-year football series with Elon

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N.C. A&T will play a four-year, home-and-home series against in-state FCS foe Elon from 2013 to 2016, Aggies director of athletics Earl Hilton said Wednesday morning.

Hilton said the two sides agreed to the contract last year, but nothing had been announced until Elon coach Jason Swepson told the Burlington Times-News about the series Tuesday.

The Aggies played Elon yearly from 1999 to 2006, splitting the eight meetings. The last game between the two teams ended in a 45-0 Elon win on Nov. 11, 2006.

Hilton said the Phoenix are coming to Greensboro next year, followed by two games at Elon, then a return to Greensboro in 2016.

The two schools are about 20 miles apart.

“It makes sense in so many ways,” Hilton said. “There ought to be a natural rivalry between the two schools. We certainly expect for us to draw fans, and for them to as well. It’s a win all the way around.” read more…

HBCU Football Review: Clark, B-CU, Morehouse, SCSU, FAMU, Norfolk, UAPB, Lane, and Alabama A&M

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Morehouse runs past Edward Waters

David Carter ran for 208 yards with three touchdowns to lead Morehouse College past Edward Waters College 39-18.

Carter became the Morehouse Maroon Tigers’ all-time leading rusher with 3,848 career-rushing yards as he past John David Washington (2002-05), who had 3,669.

Edward Waters (1-2) tied the game at 7-7 on Ralph Shuler’s 14-yard touchdown run with 11:06 to play in the first quarter.

Morehouse (1-1) responded with 21 straight points behind two Donnay Ragland rushing scores and another from Carter to lead 28-7 in the second quarter.

Shuler finished with 123 yards for the Tigers of Edward Waters. Morehouse ran for 414 yards compared to 283 for Edward Waters. Shelton Hamilton added 118 yards rushing for the Maroon Tigers. Phillip Teamer added 72 yards rushing and Brandon Turman 106 total yards for EWC.

Tony Goodman led the Tigers defensively with 14 total tackles while teammates Chris Maxwell had 11 and Bertrand Belfour had 10 with an interception.

South Carolina State falls to B-CU
Bethune-Cookman came from behind to beat South Carolina State 27-14.

South Carolina State (1-1, 0-1) led 14-0 in the first quarter after touchdown runs from Asheton Jordan and Jalen Simmons.

Bethune-Cookman (2-0, 1-0) tied the game at 14-14 after Isidore Jackson’s four-yard score with 7:23 to play in the second quarter.

B-CU took a 17-14 lead on Sven Hurd’s 28-yard field goal with 2:01 to play in the first half. The Wildcats never trailed again.

Jackson led B-CU with 81 yards rushing and a score. Simmons led South Carolina with 73 yards rushing with a score.

Jackie Wilson added 125 yards passing, Rodney Scott 42 yards rushing with a touchdown, David Blackwell contributed 60 yards receiving and Dion Hanks had two interceptions for the Wildcats.

Richard Cue added 60 yards rushing and 62 yards passing for the Bulldogs.

Oklahoma blows out Florida A&M
Oklahoma eventually put away Florida A&M with a 69-13 win in front of 84,852 fans in Norman, Okla.

The FAMU Rattlers, who compete in the Football Championship Series, competed with the fifth-ranked team in the larger Football Bowl Subdivision.

Damien Williams ran for 156 yards with four touchdowns to lead Oklahoma.

Oklahoma (2-0) got a pair of touchdown runs from Williams in the first quarter to jump out to a 14-0 lead.

Florida A&M (0-1) got on the board with a 41-yard field goal from Chase Varnadore in the second quarter to make it 14-3.

Damien Fleming connected with Travis Harvey for a 75-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to get FAMU within 28-10.

The Sooners responded by scoring 28-points to put the game out of reach at 56-10.

Fleming threw for 133 yards with a touchdown and an interception while Harvey had four catches for 118 yards with a score for FAMU.

Landry Jones also threw for 252 yards with two touchdowns for OU.

Norfolk State rallies past Liberty
Big plays in the second half helped Norfolk State come from behind to beat Liberty 24-17.

Brandon Reddick ran for 153 yards with three scores to lead the Norfolk Spartans.

Liberty (0-2) held a 17-7 advantage at halftime with 235 yards of total offense. The Spartans’ defense held the Liberty Flames to 107 total yards of offense in the second half.

Norfolk State (2-0) took a 19-17 lead on Keith Johnson’s 83-yard punt return touchdown with 10:03 to play in the third quarter.

Liberty retook the lead at 24-19 on Kevin Fogg’s 77-yard punt return with 6:07 to play in the periods. Norfolk then took over the lead at 25-24 after Riddick’s two-yard score with 12:45 remaining.

Marcel Coke’s 41-yard fumble return put the Spartans up 31-24 with 3:30 to play. Nico Flores also accounted for 138 total yards for the Spartans.

Norfolk is ranked the No. 1 team in all the HBCU polls and is ranked No. 24 in the FCS polls.
Brian Hudson threw for 144 yards with a touchdown, Aldreakis Allen ran for 130 yards, and Pat Kelly had 75 receiving yards for the Flames.

Alabama A&M tops Arkansas Pine Bluff
Kendarius Lacey ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns to lead Alabama A&M to a 14-10 win over Arkansas Pine Bluff.

Arkansas Pine-Bluff (1-1, 0-1) led 7-0 in the first quarter after C.J. Branch’s one-yard score.

Alabama A&M (2-0, 1-0) took the lead at 14-10 on Lacey’s 43-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

The Alabama Bulldogs took the lead for good on Lacey’s 43-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

The Golden Lions were stopped by the Bulldogs’ defense on their final four possessions, including a fourth and short failed run conversion and an interception by Alabama’s Julian Williams.

Deonte Mason added 97 yards of total offense and Justin Billings ran for 68 yards for the Bulldogs.

Brandon Anderson threw for 189 yards and ran for 80 while Tyler Strickland kicked a 36-yard field goal for the Golden Lions.

Clark Atlanta edges Lane
Charles King’s one-yard touchdown run with 4:55 remaining lifted Clark Atlanta University over Lane College 20-17. read more…

NCCU’s Sound Machine Band suspended while allegation of hazing investigated

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N.C. Central University has suspended the drum line of its Marching Sound Machine band while it investigates hazing allegations.

The suspension went into effect on Monday, and it means members of the drum line are not allowed to participate in any band-related activities until further notice.

Drum lines in marching bands at historically black colleges and universities such as NCCU are known for their crowd-pleasing stick work and rhythmic antics.

NCCU’s football team will drop in on Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday when it plays Duke in the Bull City Gridiron Classic. Sound Machine is scheduled to perform, but the band will be without its drum line.

“NCCU has a zero-tolerance policy on hazing,” according to a statement from NCCU. “Hazing is a criminal behavior, as well as a direct violation of the university’s Student Code of Conduct and North Carolina General Statutes.”

Former Sound Machine tuba player Delbert Jarmon, after reading an online story from another media outlet about the situation, said he is growing eager to find out exactly what NCCU having no tolerance for hazing means for the drum line.

“I’m very curious to see what the outcome is going to be,” Jarmon said. “This is the heartbeat of the band.”

Jarmon’s son, Jalen, is a Sound Machine tuba player.

The allegations against Sound Machine’s drum line come after the hazing-related death of Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion.

Champion died in November 2011 after participating in an initiation ritual that entailed getting beaten by other members of FAMU’s band. The beating occurred on a bus in Orlando, Fla.

A number of FAMU band members face criminal charges, and the situation led James Ammons to step down as president of FAMU.

Ammons used be NCCU’s chancellor.

FAMU is included in the wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Champion’s family, but FAMU representatives said Champion, a 26-year-old man, knew what he was getting into.

Late last year, NCCU formed a task force to review the university’s guidelines on hazing, according to the statement from the school. NCCU created a committee on hazing, bullying and student harassment that is charged with developing new guidelines and strategies to ensure the campus is free from hazing and student abuse, the statement said.

Delbert Jarmon said he was unable to reach his son by phone during the day on Wednesday, probably because Jalen Jarmon was at band practice. Delbert Jarmon said he wants to ask his son if he’s been hazed and find out what he knows about the allegations against the members of Sound Machine’s drum line.

“I will definitely have a conversation with him,” Delbert Jarmon said. “If it was my child who got hazed, somebody at North Carolina Central University’s band would be seeing my face, and they would not be happy.”

During the 2011 football season, a couple of Sound Machine band members were escorted from the field at NCCU’s O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium after a dustup involving Savannah State University football players.

Some of the Sound Machine musicians perceived disrespect when Savannah State’s players cut through the band’s formation on the way off the field after warm-ups. A Sound Machine drum major raised his baton to fend off football players protected by their big pads and helmets.

Law-enforcement officials and NCCU leaders prevented the situation from getting out of control. Nobody was arrested, but the matter was referred to NCCU’s student judicial council.

Recently retired NCCU chancellor Charlie Nelms, who was in charge when the Sound Machine members got into that scrap, was appalled at the conduct of the band members.

Some NCCU fans were cheering for the band members during the skirmish with the football players.

“If that’s what we need to do to have a band, then we won’t have a band,” Nelms said days after the Savannah State game.

Read more: The Herald-Sun – NCCU s Sound Machine faces hazing allegations

Kentucky State University ranks among the country’s top liberal arts institutions

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Kentucky State University ranks among the country’s top liberal arts institutions, which emphasize undergraduate education, according to the 2013 U.S. News and World Report rankings.

U.S. News and World Report also ranked KSU 26th among historically black universities in the nation.

The rankings were released today on the magazine’s website, www.usnews.com. The results also will be included in the magazine’s September issue, which will hit the newsstands September 18.

Based on data submitted by the individual colleges and universities, U.S. News and World Report compiles its annual America’s Best Colleges rankings, which it releases each summer. The rankings are based on each school’s score with reference to graduation rates, class size, faculty qualifications, standardized test scores, incoming freshmen’s grade point averages in high school, acceptance rate and the alumni giving rate. The book helps prospective students determine the best higher education institutions to meet their needs. The Princeton Review compiles a similar list, which named KSU a Best College in the Southeast in August. read more…

Morgan State University shooting & stabbing leaves one injured

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Morgan State University was placed on emergency lockdown and classes were canceled Wednesday night after a man was shot on campus — the latest in a series of violent incidents that have touched the region’s schools this fall.

Many students had just gotten out of class for the day, and others were preparing for evening lectures around 4:15 p.m. when gunfire rang out in Morgan’s student center, rattling the Northeast Baltimore campus.

A message sent through Morgan’s campus alert system soon aired a warning: “EMERGENCY!!! STAY INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS! LOCK DOORS & ONLY OPEN THEM FOR POLICE OR EMERGENCY SERVICES!”

The victim, whom police did not identify, was in critical but stable condition late Wednesday. He was not a student, according to university spokesman Clint Coleman, and officials do not believe the shooter was either. The assailant remained at large.

Download The Baltimore Sun’s iPhone app.

 

Nonetheless, many students worried about how the incident would affect Morgan State’s reputation. Others worried that the campus is too easily accessible to outside troublemakers.

“I feel like it’s a bad look for our school’s reputation,” said Darius Brock, a freshman civil engineering major from Baltimore who was in his nearby dorm when he received an alert that the campus was on lockdown. “People drive past and all you see are cop lights and reporters, and you know something bad happened.”

The shooting comes on the heels of several other school-linked incidents in the area. In one, an Essex middle-schooler allegedly threatened his teacher and other students with a gun. Another saw a Perry Hall High School student shot, allegedly by a fellow student, on the first day of school.

Also Wednesday, a man who had been shot by Baltimore County police fled and was found on the grounds of Catonsville High School.

At Morgan, students said they believed such an incident could happen anywhere, but questioned efforts at the university to improve safety.

“It’s nothing new. It’s not a cultural shock,” said Brandon Parker, a sophomore business major from Baltimore. “They make it seem like they’re working towards making our campus better, but nothing ever happens. … Less talk and more action is kind of what I’m speaking for.”

Coleman emphasized that the shooting was not a random act, and he said the university took the precaution of “combing every building on campus.”

“We believe this young man knew his assailant,” Coleman said. “A verbal exchange was heard just before the shooting. We believe this young man was targeted.”

Minutes after the shooting, the campus sent out the first in a series of alerts about the violence. An alert posted to the university’s website at 5:43 p.m. notified students that classes were canceled.

The lockdown was called off at about 6 p.m., according to campus police, and classes were set to resume Thursday morning.

Morgan’s emergency alert system was in the news earlier this year, when some at the university said they were unsure whether the university had properly warned them about an incident involvingAlexander Kinyua. Two weeks after an on-campus assault arrest, Kinyua was accused of killing a family friend and eating parts of his body at a Harford County home.

The university did not send out an alert after Kinyua’s assault arrest, a decision Police Chief Adrian Wiggins later said was based on the fact that the suspect had been “apprehended in a rather rapid fashion.”

Wiggins was recently promoted to the new post of campus chief public safety officer.

Coleman said the victim of Wednesday’s shooting was found outside the student center, but offered no further details about why he had been on campus.

Anthony Belton, a junior studying architecture, said he was relieved to find that the shooting was not a random attack. “Otherwise, our sense of safety would be purely limited.”

He said he’s never felt that the campus was unsafe but is concerned about crime in nearby neighborhoods. Several times a week last year, he said, the university sent out emails alerting students of armed robberies.

“You’re never certain who goes here, or who doesn’t go here,” Brock, the freshman civil engineering student, said. “Anyone can walk into the Morgan bookstore, buy a Morgan hoodie and be on Morgan’s campus.”

Baltimore City Councilman Robert Curran, who represents the area, went to Morgan’s campus after the shooting and met with university President David Wilson and other officials.

“My concern is we have issues with folks coming onto the campus to bring this type of violence,” Curran said. “I don’t want to see violence from the neighborhoods spill into the school.” Read More

ECSU seeking more support for athletics

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Elizabeth City State University is hoping that a change in direction at the top of its athletic department will invigorate contributions from former athletes and graduates.

That was the objective behind ECSU’s announcement last week to demote then-athletic director Thurlis Little and open a national search for a new athletic leader.

Chancellor Willie Gilchrist said it was a hard decision to remove Little.

“We’re at a point in the life of this university where it was time for more outreach for former athletes,” he said. “Not just spiritual support, but financial.”

He had no negative comments about Little.

“I really don’t want to say anything negative,” Gilchrist said.

The timing of the announcement in early September took a lot of people by surprise, 
including Little.

Little said he had no indication that his dismissal was coming.

“No … no … no, not at all,” he said.

Gilchrist admitted that the timing of a major decision is always an issue.

“Timing is everything,” the chancellor said. “Could this have waited? Yes it could. But the longer you wait, the further away you get. Do you wait until December? Then you’d be into basketball season. Do you wait until spring? Then you’d be in the middle of recruiting season. Timing is never perfect.”

Angelia Nelson was named interim athletic director.

Like Little, she earned her four-year degree at ECSU. read more…

UPDATE – Video | Howard University Cafeteria suspended by Health Department, Suspension Lifted

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By Russ Ptacek

Health Dept suspends cafeteria at Howard University. Health violation for Operating without Hot water for cleaning. Photo: Inside Howard University kitchen suspended for imminent health hazard in research bldg at 1840 7th St NW. Six violations cited including no hot water.

Heres what people are saying..

Updated 9/15

D.C. health inspectors closed a “cafeteria” kitchen at Howard University for health violations and Montgomery County officials suspended a Chinese restaurant in the Leisure World area for a mice infestation.

The suspended Howard University kitchen is just across the street from the Howard-Shaw Metro stop at 1840 7th St. NW. Inspectors declared an imminent health hazard inside the Howard University research building where the kitchen is located.

The District Department of Health cited six violations including no hot running water for cleaning.

Employees at the building say there is no food service at the building.

When our Food Alert crew got off the elevator, it opened right up into the kitchen, but there is no seating or service area.

“It is a kitchen used primarily for ‘to go’ items including baked goods,” said Howard University spokeswoman Kerry-Ann Hamilton. “As soon as we became aware of the issue, we worked swiftly to repair and restore hot water to the small satellite kitchen facility.”

According to health department records, inspectors were called to the “school cafeteria” on a complaint.

Hamilton said the kitchen does not serve the hospital and the closure “did not impact our cafeterias or dining facilities.”

The kitchen is operated by a contractor named Sodexo, which didn’t offer comment. Inspectors ordered food detained or destroyed because reports say it was prepared while the kitchen was operating with no hot water for cleaning. In Montgomery County, inspectors closed Spring Garden, 3830 International Drive in Silver Spring near Leisure World Boulevard. When we arrived, the manager said it was all cleaned up and invited us inside to inspect the facility. The inspection report identified mice feces at the food prep area and on utensils. We didn’t see any signs of mice and didn’t identify any violations during our tour. Both kitchens have since passed re-inspections and they’re back in business.

 

Top 10 College Graduate Debt List Includes Clark Atlanta, Johnson C. Smith, Bennett, & Delaware State

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The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College and The Short List: Grad School to find data that matters to you in your college or grad school search.

Most students do not take on six-figure debt to go to college, a new study by financial aid expert Mark Kantrowitz has found. But, according to school-reported data, some students are still leaving college with much higher levels of debt than the national average.

[Read about rising student loan debt.]

Students who borrowed for college and graduated in 2011 left owing $26,224 on average, based on statistics reported by 1,035 schools in an annual survey to U.S. News. For graduating classes with the highest average debt, student balances were roughly $18,000 to $28,000 more.

In 2011, La Sierra University‘s graduating class had the highest average debt of any school in the country. That year, students with loans left the Riverside, Calif., institution owing an average of $54,885. read more…

Apple has done it again! iPhone 5 on Sale Sept 21 – Five is alive | Pictures etc

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After almost two years of waiting, Apple fans can finally say it: Five is alive.

At a media event in San Francisco on Wednesday, Apple introduced the long-awaited iPhone 5, a redesigned iPhone that is taller and thinner than last year’s iPhone 4S and that adds a larger, 4.0-inch display. That boost in screen size represents the first-ever change to the longstanding 3.5-inch display that graced the original iPhone in 2007 and every iPhone after it — and is perhaps a response to the larger displays on Samsung and HTC smartphones.

Indeed, the iPhone 5 is full of cosmetic changes: At 7.6 millimeters thick and weighing 112 grams, the iPhone goes from a relatively heavy and short smartphone to one of the thinnest and lightest available. It is now closer in screen size and dimensions to the larger, more lightweight Android smartphones that have been chasing it for years.

The iPhone 5 also has multiple internal and software changes, including 4G LTE capability, which will allow it to connect to the faster cellular network that carriers like Verizon and AT&T have been aggressively advertising; a new A6 processor, a chip that Apple’s Phil Schiller claimed was twice as fast as the A5 processor in the iPhone 4S; iOS 6, the next-generation mobile operating system with new maps and improvements to Siri detailed in June; and enhancements to the battery life as well as the speed and quality of the rear camera.

Apple also, as expected, changed the size of the dock connector on the bottom of the phone, making it 80 percent smaller. The connecting cord (which Apple calls “Lightning,” as a companion to its Thunderbolt connector) is far smaller than its predecessor, a wide, thick connector that debuted with the original iPod. For old iPhone and iPod accessories like speaker docks and car chargers that use the “classic” connector, Apple will sell an adapter. The adapter will sell for $29, or $39 for an adapter with a short cable.

Though the iPhone 5 was certainly the star of Apple’s show, the Cupertino company unveiled a few other new products, too. The iTunes desktop application has been overhauled with a new layout for the iTunes Store, easier playlist management, and integration with iCloud. It will be available for free download late October.

A thinner and lighter iPod Nano, with a larger touchscreen display and home button, also debuted, as did a new iPod Touch, which will come with the same 4-inch Retina display as the iPhone 5, improved front and rear cameras, and a faster graphics processor. The new iPod Touch will start at $299 for a 32GB model, while the new iPod Nano comes with 16GB storage for $149. Both will go on sale in October.

Apple also introduced an update to its iconic, yet oft-ridiculed, line of headphones. It has redesigned its “earbuds” into what it calls “earpods,” which will be included with new iPods and iPhones and are also available as a standalone purchase.

The immediate focus after the event, however, will likely be on the cosmetic changes to the iPhone 5: the new height, a new two-tone design on the back cover, and the larger screen. Many expected Apple to unveil the “iPhone 5,” a device that would rethink the design of the iPhone 4 and bring a larger display, at last year’s iPhone event. When Apple instead introduced the iPhone 4S — an iPhone with internal improvements and Siri, but no real exterior changes — many were disappointed. This year, however, Apple did indeed change up both the design and the size of the display.

The iPhone is Apple’s most important product financially, making up about 60 percent of its revenue. Having been surpassed in single-product sales for the first time by Samsung’s Galaxy S III last month, and with Microsoft and Nokia committed to spending on advertising for the new Lumia 920, Apple will need consumers to embrace the redesign as much as they did the non-redesign of the smash hit iPhone 4S. (That is, perhaps, why the company chose to name its newest phone “the iPhone 5,” and not simply “the new iPhone,” as it did with the iPad. Since phone-shoppers have been waiting for “the iPhone 5” for well over a year, it a Read More…

BSC tennis edges Concord for second win of season

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The Bluefield State College women’s tennis team earned their second win of the season Tuesday afternoon with a 5-4 win over in-county rival Concord University in their home opener at Bluefield City Courts.

The Lady Blues (2-1 WVIAC) grabbed a 2-1 lead after doubles action as their No. 1 (Isabella Cubillos/ Marijana Gjorgevska) and No. 2 doubles teams (Tafadzwa Mawisire/ Marta Briales) won their matches convincingly 8-1 respectively.

The Mountain Lions (0-2 WVIAC) were able to stave off a BSC sweep in doubles with a win an 8-4 win by Kirby Mustard and Christine Knable at No. 3 doubles flight.

In singles play, Cubillos remained undefeated for the season, winning the No. 1 singles match 6-0, 6-1. Gjorgeivska extended BSC’s lead to 4-1 with a 6-3, 6-0 win in the No. 2 singles match. read more…

Roland Hayes Museum Committee set to host Morehouse Glee Club

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The internationally renowned Morehouse College Glee Club will perform in concert on Sunday, September 30 at 4 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church, 1170 Rome Road SW.

The event is hosted by the Roland Hayes Museum Committee, a division of the Harris Arts Center.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children and may be reserved by calling 706 629-2599.

2011 marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of Morehouse Glee Club. Some career highlights are: sang at Atlanta’s Symphony Hall with soprano Jessye Norman in 1993, performed the National Anthem with Natalie Cole for Super Bowl XXVIII, participated with Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan and Trisha Yearwood in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, recorded the spiritual “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” for Spike Lee’s movie “Miracle at St. Anna” in 2008, performed with Aretha Franklin for the 88th Birthday Tribute to the Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery in 2009, and performed for events leading to the dedication of the King Monument on the National Mall in 2011.

Dr. David Morrow has been a member of the Music faculty at Morehouse College since 1981. He served as Assistant Director of the Morehouse College Glee Club until 1987, when he succeeded Dr. Wendell P. Whalum as Director.

David is a sought after guest conductor for high school honor choirs and all state choruses. Dr. Morrow’s choral arrangements of spirituals and other African American folk music have been published by Alfred Music Publishers, Hal Leonard Music, and Oxford University Press with music recently accepted for publication by GIA Music Publishers. read more…

Spelman College named top HBCU

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Spelman College is considered the No. 1 historically black college in the U.S.

The 131-year-old Atlanta school took the top spot on the 2012 U.S. News & World Report list of the nation’s best Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs).

Nearby Morehouse College also fared well; it ranked No. 3 on the list. Clark Atlanta University tied with North Carolina’s Bennett College and Johnson C. Smith University, and Mississippi’s Tougaloo College for the No. 15 spot.

Other Georgia schools on the list include Fort Valley State University (tied for No. 27), Albany State University (No. 32) and Paine College (tied for No. 36). more info…

Revisiting the Impact of the HBCU Chapel

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The Washington Post last week profiled Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel services, one of the iconic traditions in all of HBCU culture. For its spiritual impact on students and community, and its platform for leading Black voices across social, political and cultural planes, the Rankin Chapel services remain a strong link between HBCU necessity past and present.
Similar stories are present at Black colleges throughout the nation. The Rankin Chapel, along with Tougaloo’s Woodworth Chapel, Sisters Chapel at Spelman and Allen Chapel at Paul Quinn are campus centers for spiritual enlightenment and community mobilization. In an age where morals and values are overwhelmed by popular culture and negative images of HBCUs, the value of the HBCU chapel is more pressing than ever.
Given the historic link between church and HBCU, is there room for the HBCU chapel to reemerge as the campus “living room?” Through HBCU chapels, can we reinvigorate the partnership between Black colleges and Black churches to foster a new commitment for financial and ethical support? Schools like Saint Paul’s College and Morris Brown College are facing critical times over the next few months, but while churches have lent support in the form of checks, have they championed for these schools from their pulpits and media reach? read more…