THE GLOVES COME OFF At ringside, Delawareans givetheir candidate edge in bout

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Delawareans got their chance to listen to President Barak Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney argue their platforms directly to each other in the first of three televised presidential debates Wednesday.

The debate, which focused on the economy, health care and government’s role in people’s lives, were supposed to give people a view of the two men vying for the U.S. presidency. First Staters viewing the debate appeared to side with their party affiliation.

Ken Currie, 67, of Dagsboro, held a watch-the-debate party with about a dozen fellow Republicans at his house. And he and others there felt Romney was the winner.

“If you have to assign who won, they felt the governor certainly won,” Currie said. “I was very pleased with his performance. He had the facts, and he was articulate with them. He was intense.”

“Yes, it was logical and it was factual, but there was an emotional component.”

Kevin McAllister, president of Alpha Phi Alpha and a registered Democrat, hosted a crowd of about 50 people for a watch-party at Paradise Palms Restaurant in Wilmington. McAllister, 36, of Bear, a project manager for DuPont Co., said “President Obama won tonight simply because he was able to give details.”

He added that both men were eloquent, but “Obama had a real plan.”

Delaware State University political science professor Samuel Hoff, who viewed the Wednesday debate, gave it to Romney. He felt the men tied in several of the nine points brought up, but Romney won most of them and gave Obama only a single point. read more…

Concordia student talks about deadly Colorado shooting

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The Aurora theater shooting was nearly 3 months ago.  A Concordia College student was there when it happened.

Andrew Bowers is an Aurora native.  He says he, his girlfriend, and some friends were out for a fun night. He says they were seated just 20 feet from the shooter. Miraculously, they all made it out unhurt.

For millions of people across the country, July 20, 2012, marks a day of senseless violence and tragedy. But for Andrew Bowers, that nightmare is all too real.  Bowers takes us back to that night when James Holmes is accused of walking into a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises”.

“He threw something over our heads. It was making a hissing noise, looked like something was coming out of it. At the time, we didn’t know what it was,” Bowers said.

The next thing he knew Holmes started shooting.

“I turned to cover up my girlfriend as much as possible. We were in the third row from him. So were 20 feet away.”

In total, twelve people were dead and 58 injured before Holmes was taken into police custody.  Bowers and his friends were some of the lucky ones… All made it out safely.

“We definitely, as we got in the car, we realized just how much we loved each other.” read more…

CAU’s Hill scores teaching award

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Barbara Hill, assistant professor in the School of Education at Clark Atlanta University has been awarded the 2012 Vulcan Teacher of Excellence Award, which is presented annually by Vulcan Materials Company.

Hill has been on CAU’s faculty since 2010 and has worked at various times for the Atlanta, Fulton and Clayton school districts.

Vulcan Materials Company has been a sponsor of the Teaching Excellence Awards since 1991 through the Georgia Foundation of Independent Colleges. The award includes a $1,000 cash prize. more info…

Clark Atlanta University Lifts Suspension Of Marching Band After Hazing Investigation

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Clark Atlanta found no evidence of hazing or any illegal activity, according to a statement.

“After conducting a self-­‐imposed, aggressive and thorough investigation, which began August 30 in response to an allegation regarding the possibility of hazing, Clark Atlanta University today announces that there was neither hazing nor any illegal activity as defined by Georgia Code 16-­‐5-­‐61,” read a statement issued Tuesday. “Therefore, the University today is lifting its suspension of the ‘Mighty Marching Panthers’ Band.”

The university self-imposed a suspension on the Mighty Marching Panthers on Aug. 30, halting all performances. The school stated at the time there was no clear and immediate evidence of illegal activity.

Hazing at Historically Black Colleges & Universities, like Clark Atlanta, have been increasingly under the microscope after the death of drum major Robert Champion during a hazing incident at Florida A&M University one year ago. Champion was beaten in the dark on a bus after a football game, ultimately leading to his death. Champion was from Decatur, Ga., just outside Atlanta. read more…

Kennedy to address Claflin conference

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Dr. Thomas E. Kennedy, an author of many works of fiction and literary criticism, will give the keynote address and conduct a fiction workshop at the 11th Annual Claflin University Regional English and Language Arts Pedagogy Conference to be held in Ministers’ Hall on Oct. 3-4.

The two-day conference is sponsored by the Claflin University Department of English and Foreign Languages.

Workshops will begin at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 3, in Minsters’ Hall. The conference is set to conclude the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 4. Pedagogy is the study and process of teaching.

Registration for the conference is $50. The fee is waived for teachers. The public is invited to hear Kennedy’s keynote address at 10:45 a.m. on Oct. 3. Please note seating for non-registered audience members is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

A native New Yorker, Kennedy has traveled extensively throughout the world. He’s held executive and editorial positions, including editor and translator for Copenhagen’s Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims.

He has lived most of his adult life in Copenhagen and received his Ph.D. in American literature from the University of Copenhagen in 1988. Kennedy travels to the United States frequently for reading tours and to teach at the Fairleigh Dickinson University graduate school. read more…

Charles R. Drew University continues comeback, president says

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After regaining full accreditation, new leadership and financial support, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science is “stronger than it has been in quite some time” and is continuing its comeback, President and Chief Executive David M. Carlisle said Tuesday during his first “state of the university” speech.

The school is committed to helping fill the nationwide physician shortage, contributing to cutting-edge medical research and continuing its original mission to reduce health disparities and train students for work in under-served communities, he said to students, faculty and community members on the campus grounds.

After being placed on probation in 2009, the university was reaccredited by the Western Assn. of Schools and Colleges last year. The university also received new accreditation for an urban public health program and a nursing school.

“There was a time that our future was anything but guaranteed,” Carlisle said. “Those days are behind us.”

The university’s decline coincided with the problems at King-Drew Medical Center, which closed five years ago and is scheduled to reopen in 2014. Charles R. Drew was forced to close its residency program. read more…

1986 Cheyney University, then freshman, on death row

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Lawyers for condemned Philadelphia killer Terrance Williams today filed documents with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court opposing the reinstatement of Wednesday’s death penalty and asking Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille to recuse himself from the appeal.

The motion asking Castille to disqualify himself is based on Castille’s role as Philadelphia District Attorney in 1986, when a Common Pleas Court jury sentenced Williams to death for the 1984 murder of Amos Norwood.

Castille, as the city’s chief prosecutor, approved the decision to seek the death penalty and to defend the sentence after Williams’ lawyers challenged it on appeal.

The motion by Shawn Nolan, a member of the defense team from the Federal Defender’s death penalty unit, contends that Castille has declined to recuse himself in previous cases his office handled when he was district attorney.

“Should Chief Justice Castille decline to recuse himself, this motion [should] be referred to the full court for decision and that the full court direct Chief Justice Castille’s recusal,” the defense motion reads.

Art Heinz, a spokesman for Castille, said the justice would have no comment on the motion.

Officials of the District Attorney’s Office were not immediately available for comment.

Today’s defense filing was in response to a petition to the state’s high court by city prosecutors to set aside Friday’s ruling by Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, who stayed Wednesday’s scheduled execution of Williams, 46.

After two days of hearings, Sarmina ruled that the integrity of Williams’ death sentence had been undermined because the trial prosecutor and police withheld from Williams’ lawyer evidence of the victim’s sexual abuse of teenage boys. read more…

Central State to induct five into Hall of Fame; 1968 Olympian Carlos to be keynote speaker

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The Central State University Marauder Athletic Department has scheduled 1968 Olympic Bronze-medal winner and political activist John Carlos to be its keynote Hall of Fame Recognition Dinner speaker.

Carlos is a former track and field athlete and professional football player. He was the bronze-medal winner in the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics, and his Black Power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith caused much political controversy. John Carlos is the author, with sportswriter Dave Zirin, of The John Carlos Story: “The Sports Moment That Changed the World” published in 2011.

Five CSU Athletic Alumni will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the dinner to be held at the Holiday Inn Dayton Fairborn I-675 Conference Center 2800 Presidential Drive next Friday, Oct. 5 beginning with a cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner scheduled for 6:45 p.m.

The five inductees are: Kelly Adams ‘04 – women’s basketball; Vince Buck – football; Robert Grayer ‘64 -men’s track & field; Clarence Lane ‘69 – men’s basketball; Jeffery Smith ‘84 – baseball.

Tickets for the dinner are $60 / $500 per table. Proceeds to benefit the Central State University Marauder Athletic

Department. For tickets or more information contact: skelley@centralstate.edu or 937–376-6289.

The Central State University Athletic Hall of Fame dinner honors and recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the university through their athletic participation.

All-Ohio Cross Country Championships at Cedarville University on Saturday. read more…

Kentucky State Quarterback, Martez James arrested for sexual harassment before Chicago Football Classic

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A Kentucky State University quarterback in town for the 2012 Chicago Football Classic was arrested Saturday after police said he followed a housekeeper into a room at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place Hotel and rubbed his body against hers.

Martez James was arrested Saturday morning before he was to play in the football game against Albany State University at Soldier Field.

James, a 22-year-old senior from Detroit, allegedly made inappropriate contact with the female victim at the hotel at 2301 S. King Dr. about 10 a.m Saturday, according to Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer Daniel O’Brien.

James was charged with misdemeanor battery and issued a personal recognizance bond before being released from custody, O’Brien said. He is scheduled for a court appearance Nov. 15 at Belmont and Western avenues.

James was staying at the hotel while in town for the football game in which the Kentucky State Thorobreds lost 17-14 to Albany State University. The game began at 4 p.m. Saturday, according to the team’s website.

The annual game showcases two top historic black colleges and universities. Their schools’ football teams and marching bands are the focal point of weekend activities in Chicago, according to the classic’s website.

Rita James, the starting quarterback’s mother, told the Tribune that her son was not allowed by team officials to play in the game.

When reached Monday evening, she denied that her son had engaged in any inappropriate behavior. She did not make her son available for comment.

“What I want to say is that it did not happen and she is lying,” she said of her son’s accuser. “I’m very upset with the young lady who would lie on my son…I’m angry.”

She said she doesn’t understand how her son could be arrested when the hotel told the police there were no cameras that captured the incident.

“I will fight this with every penny I have, I will put my life on it that she’s lying – that’s how confident I am,” she said. “his really, really doesn’t make sense.”

She said her son went to get a towel, then got ice from an ice machine and went back to his hotel room. Read Full 

Fifth-Ranked Winston-Salem State Rolls Pass Bowie State

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Defending Central Interscholastic Athletic Association (CIAA) and 2011 NCAA semifinalist Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) scored 21 points in the second half and rolled to a 35-3 victory over Bowie State University (BSU) on Saturday Sept. 29 in Bowie, Md.

The Bulldogs fell to 3-2 overall on the season and 0-2 in CIAA play, while Winston-Salem State improves to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the CIAA.

The Rams struck first on their very first possession of the game, going 64 yards in five plays before junior quarterback Kameron Smith threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Jahaunn Butler. Kicker Alejandro Suarez, a sophomore, added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

Bowie State wasted no time cutting into the early first quarter Rams lead, taking the second possession 63 yards in six plays, but only managed three points on a 28-yard field goal by redshirt sophomore kicker Mario Diaz-Aviles at the 8:54 mark. Unfortunately, those would be the only points the Bulldogs would score for the rest of the game.

Winston-Salem State’s Smith tossed his second touchdown pass of the game, this time from 25 yards out to junior receiver Tehvyn Brantley early in the second quarter. Suarez converted the PAT to make the score 14-3 which is where the score stood going into halftime. read more…

Big Blues nab regional tennis tourney championships

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The men’s tennis team from Bluefield State College was tested by some of the region’s top individuals — and in some cases, by each other — and came out winners at the Atlantic Region Championship of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) on Sunday.

The three-day competition began Friday at Pennbriar Athletic Club in Erie, hosted by Mercyhurst University.

For the third consecutive year a BSC athlete has won the regional championship. Newcomer Vishwesh Sinha defeated teammate Jacob Carey 6-4, 6-1 for the singles championship.

Pitor Kruk and Carey combined to win the doubles. In the championship match, it was a three-set thriller against Sinha and Shikhar Kapur, the 2010 Atlantic Regional champion, but Kruk and Carey pulled it out by scores of 6-4, 4-6, 10-5.

It was the Big Blues’ second consecutive year winning the doubles title.

Sinha came into the tournament seeded no. 1 in the championship bracket and did not disappoint. Carey advanced to the finals as the no. 2 seed.

The Big Blues also saw success in the “B” bracket as Guatam Sreeram and Conner Pickering won the “B” doubles championship after defeating Gabe Seymour and Rico Williams from University of Charleston 8-3.

“Three out of the four semifinalists in singles were our players,” said BSC tennis coach Louis Belt. “I think it showed how deep our team is this year.” read more…

Bishop State Community College enrollment dips slightly

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Following a local trend of college enrollments, Bishop State Community College’s numbers slightly decreased this fall.

The two-year community college’s numbers went from 3,984 last fall to 3,708 students this fall.

Until this year Bishop State’s numbers had steadily increased over the past few years.

“All of our colleges are experiencing a downward trend,” said James Lowe, president of Bishop State.

While the economy is playing a role for some of the decreases, Lowe said changes in Title IV requirements are also contributing to the lower number of students. Title IV establishes rules involving student financial assistance programs.

Lowe said the school is already promoting spring enrollment, getting information out on Facebook and Twitter and other social media sources.

“What has helped us over time has been TV advertisements, radio and billboards.

“We’re getting a lot more inquiries on our Website,” said Bishop State spokesman Herb Jordan. Just from the Website alone, he said, the school is getting five to six inquiries a day. read more…

Aggies’ starting RB Drake to miss Bethune-Cookman game due to lower leg injury

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N.C. A&T starting running back Dominique Drake will be one of “three or four” Aggies players not making the trip to play Bethune-Cookman on Saturday due to injury, A&T head coach Rod Broadway said Monday.

Drake left last Thursday’s loss to Morgan State with an injury to his left lower leg, after landing awkwardly on a tackle in the third quarter.

The junior from Mount Gilead was helped off the field and could not put any pressure on his left foot. He spent the rest of the game on the sideline with crutches and a wrap around his left ankle.

Broadway said Thursday night that the initial prognosis for Drake was a sprain. He said Monday that the team didn’t yet know how long Drake would be out.

Drake, a backup running back for the past two years, won the starting job from two-time 1,000-yard rusher Mike Mayhew before the season and carried 43 times for 185 yards and four scores over the Aggies’ first four games. read more…

Bethune-Cookman University convenes first Board of Trustees meeting

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After a productive three day session, the Bethune-Cookman University Board of Trustees concluded its first meeting of the year under the leadership of John W. Harrington.  The 32 member board gathered on the Daytona Beach Campus to discuss the university’s strategic direction. Concluding its proceedings on Friday, September 28, the board was able to address critical issues regarding: institutional advancement; buildings and grounds; governance; finance; athletics; educational policies; and, student life. While engaged in the business of the university, the Board also welcomed new members, including Mrs. Michelle Carter-Scott; Rev. Annette Pendergrass; Bishop Kenneth Carter, Jr.; Mr. Russ Graves; Dr. La-Doris McClaney; and, Dr. Patrick David Roberts.

The Thursday session focused much of its attention on the selection of the presidential search firm. Trustees also discussed the role of the interim president is to heal the university from previous experiences; and, views the role of the new president as one who will lift the university to new heights. This includes evolving the student body, develop faculty, and build the endowment by locating funding sources outside of tuition costs. Trustee Hogan, Chair of the Search Committee, commented, “It is our desire to have a new President by the Spring 2013 commencement. However, we are in search of the best person to serve as President. Our timeline is flexible, and we will not let it constrain us in our pursuit of quality leadership.” read more…

Suspects accused in Five Points beating dismissed from Benedict College

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The three students accused of being involved in a recorded brawl in Five Points on September 23 have been dismissed by Benedict College.

Michael Jermel Kendrix, 22, John Cornelius Sumner, 22, and Stanley McBride, 22, are all charged with second degree assault and battery.

A spokesperson for Benedict College says the men have been administratively withdrawn from the school. In a statement, Assistant Vice President for Communications and Marketing Kymm Hunter wrote: “Students may be withdrawn administratively from the College at any time by the administration for the good of the College.”

She would not comment further.

Police believe that all three men were involved in a physical altercation with another male at approximately 2 a.m. outside of Pop’s NY Pizza at 707 Harden Street.

The suspects are accused of kicking the man and using their fists to repeatedly punch him in the head area causing lacerations and a broken jaw.

Incomplete cell phone video of the fight that surfaced on Facebook the next day shows a white male throw a punch before getting hit by at least three black men. It is unclear how or why the fight started. read more…

Romney’s message may be losing its luster in NH

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Mitt Romney is a part-time resident of this tiny state, and his fiscally conservative, socially moderate tenure as governor of neighboring Massachusetts once seemed a good match for New Hampshire’s independent and libertarian-leaning electorate.

Yet, Romney trails President Barack Obama in polls here, as he does in most other presidential battlegrounds, despite spending considerable time and money to lock up the state’s four Electoral College votes. Some New Hampshire voters say they are turned off by his shift to the right on issues like abortion, while others have absorbed the message from Obama campaign ads depicting Romney as a wealthy corporate titan who doesn’t understand the concerns of ordinary people.

“He’s just another rich, arrogant son of a gun,” said Norm Small, 61, a registered independent who runs a bowling alley in Berlin in northern New Hampshire. The town is home to many of the working-class white voters who have never embraced Obama, but interviews found many residents deeply skeptical of Romney’s fiscal policies and aura of privilege.

Small said he was offended by comments Romney made at a secretly videotaped Florida fundraiser suggesting that 47 percent of people see themselves as “victims” entitled to public assistance and are unwilling to take responsibility for their own lives. The Obama campaign is running a tough new ad in New Hampshire drawing attention to those remarks.

“The people who are getting help probably really need it,” Small said. “Romney says 47 percent of people are living off the dole? He should realize that lot of them are struggling.”

Polls until recently had shown Romney giving strong chase to Obama in a state Obama carried by nearly 10 percentage points over Republican John McCain four years ago. But a University of New Hampshire poll released Monday found Obama leading Romney by 52-37 percent among likely New Hampshire voters. read more…