Stillman Freshman wins MacBook Pro

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Stillman College was recently named one of the “15 most wired campuses in the country” by US News and World Report. The private liberal arts institution’s president Dr. Ernest McNealey aims to keep Stillman at the “forefront of use of Apple technology.”

In keeping with that goal, the college recently awarded a new Apple MacBook Pro to Charvla King, a freshman from Marietta, Ga., who plans to become an anesthesiologist. To win students needed to have a friend enroll. King knew the perfect person – Karina Salazar, a friend from high school who had been thinking of attending Stillman.

“I told her to come and be my roommate,” she said. ” I knew it would be easier to make the transition from high school to college if I knew someone from home, and I also was excited about winning a computer.”

Stillman was recognized for its technological advances as far back as 2002, when the college received the National Innovation in Technology Award by Apple Computers. McNealey also had an opportunity to discuss ways college campuses could improve technology with Steve Jobs, prior to the Apple founder’s illness. read more…

SU Chief in Hot Seat with Faculty

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Southern University System President Ronald Mason spent much of a Board of Supervisors meeting Friday fending off attacks from faculty accusing him of orchestrating a systemwide power grab.

The issue started shortly before the board’s decision to reclassify the director of human resources position at Southern’s Baton Rouge campus as the vice president of human resources at the system office.

Mason explained that four-year Southern employee Lester Pourciau, who already handles human resources duties for Southern’s main campus, law school and agricultural center, would take on the same duties at the university’s Shreveport and New Orleans campuses while drawing the same $98,000 salary.

Mason said centralizing the human resources department under the system office would save campuses money while eliminating duplication of services.

There have also been discussions about centralizing Southern’s finance and information technology departments.

The Southern System is trying to stay afloat after years of declining enrollment and $48 million in state budget cuts since 2008, including a $7.1 million reduction this year.

Southern’s Baton Rouge campus was hit particularly hard and had to declare a financial emergency, called exigency, in October allowing layoffs, employee furloughs and program cuts.

But faculty members in the audience didn’t buy Mason’s argument. They described the job reclassification as the opening shot in a plan by Mason to strip authority away from Southern’s five campuses.

Diola Bagayoko, a professor of physics on the Baton Rouge campus called it a “flagrant violation” that could hurt the university’s accrediting process. He also accused Mason of creating a situation where both campus and system offices could pass the blame to each other when problems occur.

“We were told when the president came, he would raise money,” Bagayoko said. “Now we see his time was spent plotting a takeover.”

Southern University of New Orleans Faculty Senate President Joseph Bouie called the consolidation of positions Mason’s way of “creating a fiefdom under the guise of efficiency.”

Southern Baton Rouge Faculty Senate President Thomas Miller said there was some question whether the school would pass the LA GRAD Act when the system office was handling the paperwork. Those questions disappeared when the campus took over, he said.

The 2010 GRAD Act ties 15 percent of state funding to schools that meet certain performance targets, and also gives campuses permission to raise tuition by up to 10 percent each year.

“We took the initiative to disagree with the system and we passed the GRAD Act. If not, we’d be in an awful, awful, awful situation,” Miller said “Chancellors should have full authority over campuses.”

The chancellors were largely apathetic to consolidating their human resource departments with Southern Law Center Chancellor Freddie Pitcher saying the move wouldn’t affect the law school much at all. read more…

Felton’s Legacy at SCSU

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Discussions aplenty abound about the Felton Laboratory School at South Carolina State University. A past, a present, and a future existence fuels major discussions about it. While the discussions are mixed, they are favorable to Felton’s legacy.

Felton’s stakeholders must see an article in The Harvard Business Review (September 2012): “Better Customer Service – in Real Time.”  Situations that influence customers’ attitudes and behaviors are cited in it. Felton’s enrollment decline could be felt in the piece.

What really impacts Felton’s enrollment? First, S.C. State faculties and local families now are much different. Numerous faculties live in the Summerville, Columbia, and Charleston, etc., areas but work locally.  Orangeburg is their revenue stream. Second, as schooling options expand, prospective enrollees migrate. Third, Felton does not award scholarships.

Felton’s leadership must capture and expand on its legacy based on visionary schemes. Attorney Thomas Sims said: “The school has built a legacy and a tradition. To take those away at this time would be devastating to the community.” He is correct.

Does the Orangeburg area desire a Felton experience? Could the Felton legacy be better carried out within a charter school context? It is conceivable the area could provide for a renewed Felton as well as other community educational options.

Here are seven suggestions for S.C. State to consider on behalf of Felton: read more…

Pastor earns degree from Selma Seminary

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Raymond Franklin, pastor at Rock Elvy Missionary Baptist Church in Shady Grove, recently earned an Associate of Arts degree in Bible and Theology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible and Pastoral Ministry.

In addition to being a pastor and working a full-time job at Sikorsky Aircraft Manufacturing in Troy as a Senior Aircraft Processor, Franklin attended Selma University after work and on weekends, earning those degrees from the fully-accredited Selma University School of Seminary in May 2012.

Franklin is a 1976 graduate of Goshen High School and served in the National Guard from 1976 to 2000 in the transportation division.  Franklin retired from Appleton Wire in Montgomery as an industrial electrician after graduating from Trenholm Technical College.

He has also been active in the church after answering the call to the ministry in 1997 under the late Rev. H.L. Price.  Franklin began serving Rock Elvy as pastor in 1999.

Both Franklin and his church are active in the Alabama State Missionary Baptist Convention and the Southeast District Baptist State Convention.  In January 2012, Franklin was nominated and elected Moderator of the Helicon Baptist District Association, in which ten churches are in this district located in Pike and Crenshaw counties. read more…

Savannah State recruited two players from American Samoa to help on the offensive line

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Could that be a war chant?

It’s what Savannah State coach Steve Davenport thought he heard one morning as walked from his office to preseason football camp at T.A. Wright Stadium.

Sure enough, Epafara Moananu and Ioane Ioane — two Tiger signees from American Samoa — had their teammates riled up with a little slice of island tradition.

“It was like what you’d see on TV, and the kids were eating it up,” Davenport said. “It went on for three or four-minutes.”

Davenport and the Tigers expect Moananu and Ioane to make an impact on the football program for the next four years.

Moananu and Ioane used a recruiting service called Field House 100 to find a place to play football collegiately after starring in high school football in American Samoa.

“I looked on the Internet and Savannah State looked like a good place, very friendly,” Moananu said.

Davenport said they played on a Samoan all-star team that competed against the Australians.

“A trusted friend from UAB (where Davenport had been an assistant coach) told us they were good kids, and they would be fine this far away from home,” Davenport said. “We saw film and liked them both. They’re good-sized kids, and that doesn’t grow on trees.”

Ioane, known to his friends as John John, is a 6-foot-5, 320-pound right tackle who was slated to start for the Tigers before suffering a left knee injury.

Moananu, nicknamed Epa, is a 6-3, 285-pound right tackle.

“They still have some learning to do,” SSU offensive coordinator Terance Mathis said. “It’s not a total surprise. The game goes fast for them right now, but they play with great energy and great enthusiasm.”

And they came a great distance. Savannah State University’s slogan is “you can get anywhere from here.” The Samoans’ arrival could change that slogan slightly to a more fitting — you can get here from anywhere. American Samoa is located in the south Pacific about 2,300 miles south of Hawaii and 2,000 miles north of New Zealand.

From the Samoan Islands, the players took a plane to Hawaii before heading to Los Angeles. From L.A., they flew to Texas where Epa had an uncle. They drove from Texas to Savannah.

“It’s a good school, and it was a good opportunity to play here at Savannah State,” John John said. “We give thanks to all the coaches and staff. Thank you.” read more…

Former SSU golfer returns to lead Savannah City Amateur

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Jon Lehman, a former Savannah State University golfer, is playing in the 2012 Savannah City Amateur to keep his game sharp.

Danny Nelson, who donated a kidney to his wife, Kathy, in June 2011, is playing to prove that he can make a successful comeback. The three-time City Amateur champion (1990, ’92, ’98) took eight months off from the game and did not begin playing regularly until this spring.

Both golfers are in contention for the championship, which will be determined today at Bacon Park Golf Course.

Lehman, 28, is the leader after shooting a 2-under-par 69 in the first round Saturday.

Nelson, 50, shot a 1-under 70 and is tied for second place with Doug Hanzel, a five-time City Am champion (2001, ’03-04, ’06-07).

“It’s definitely a goal of mine to win it,” said Lehman, who is playing in the event for the first time.

A 2008 SSU graduate, Lehman was encouraged to play in the City Am by his former SSU teammate, Zac Gelow, who also is competing. Gelow’s father, Art, is the golf coach at SSU and he coached both of them. Lehman now lives on St. Simons Island and works as a caddie at three golf courses on Sea Island.

“The front (nine) was a little rough,” Lehman said of his round. “I had kind of a slow start. I shot 3-over through seven holes so I was kind of struggling. But I hung in there and stayed patient. Birdied No. 8, got it to 2 over on the front and started hitting on the back side a little bit. Bogeyed No. 11. That should be a birdie hole. But take that hole out and I’m pretty happy with my day.

“I was hitting the drive pretty solid all day, putting myself in good shape on the fairway. And my putter felt pretty good. That’s always the key.”

Wet conditions have made the course challenging.

“It’s been very difficult,” tournament director Bob Elmore said. “We’ve had over 20 inches of rain here in August, so we’ve really been under the weather.”

Elmore noted the field, which started Saturday with 68 players, includes three women.

“It’s a lower (total) number than we normally have,” Elmore said. “It’s a little bit higher than the last couple of years. We used to have 168-170 players. But economy-wise, people are just kind of cutting back nowadays.”

Saturday’s weather was sunny with a light breeze. A similar forecast is expected today.

“It sounds like it’s going to be a nice day,” Lehman said. “Jack Hall, Doug Hanzel, Danny Nelson, I know those guys are playing good, so I know I have to do something to keep pace with them.” read more…

Partnership between ADP and local schools recognized by the Technology Association of Georgia

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A partnership between Automatic Data Processing and three local colleges was recently announced as one of six finalists for the first annual STEM Awards, sponsored by the Technology Association of Georgia and the TAG Education Collaborative.

ADP gave Augusta Technical College, Augusta State University and Paine College $600,000 in 2009 to establish the ADP Scholars Program, a scholarship and mentoring program that is open to students studying science, technology, engineering or math. ADP renewed the program this year for another three years, awarding $675,000 for the three colleges to use for more scholarships.

The program has helped more than 100 students, according to TAG Education Collaborative chief operating officer Melanie Brandt, and was selected as a finalist because of the cooperative aspect between the three schools and the program’s community-wide impact. The judges also appreciated that scholarship recipients were not only helped financially, but were also set up with mentors and advisors.

“It seems to be having the kind of impact we like to see,” Brandt said.

The STEM Awards were started as a way to provide positive recognition for institutions working to solve the “STEM crisis,” the growing need for qualified workers in science, technology, engineering and math. Brandt said Georgia will need to fill 211,000 STEM-related jobs by 2018.  read more…

NCCU Eagles Rally Pass HU Pirates

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The Winthrop volleyball team pulled out a thrilling 3-2, five-set victory Friday in its season-opening match over the Hampton University Pirates in the 2012 North Carolina Central Volleyball Invitational.

“I’m happy with the win,” coach Julie Torbett said. “We all know that we have work to do to get better, but it was good to see our competitiveness tonight to grit out a five-set victory.”

Winthrop came out strong to start the first set, jumping out to a 7-1 lead. Hampton fought back to get within three at 12-9, but a 6-3 run by the Eagles opened an 18-12 advantage. Winthrop was able to hold off a late charge from the Pirates to take the first set 25-20.

The Eagles were unable to find a rhythm in the second set and neither team was able to gather a real edge before Hampton took a slim 18-15 lead. Winthrop pulled to 20-19 before the Pirates took the last five points to take the second set 25-19. Hampton took the momentum of its second-set victory into the third as it rolled over the Eagles 25-12 to take a 2-1 set lead.

Winthrop was not going away quietly as the Eagles forced a decisive fifth set with a 25-21 fourth-set victory. After an even opening 20 points of the fourth set, Winthrop opened a slim 18-14 lead and once again staved off the Pirates’ attack to take the fourth set.

Hampton came out the aggressor to start the fifth set, taking an early 7-4 lead, but the young Winthrop team persevered to come back and tie the set at 9-9. The two teams remained tied at 11-11, before the Eagles took the final four points of the match behind the serve of sophomore Jennica Mullins. read more…

Republicans working hard to make it harder to vote

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Dreams of a vote deferred?

The year 1929 saw the stock-market crash and the beginning of the Great Depression, the global economic disaster which remains the only one in history that dwarfs the one in which we now find ourselves. It was also the year of the birth of Martin Luther King Jr., who wouldn’t live to see 40. And it was the year that Langston Hughes graduated from Lincoln University, outside Philadelphia.

The grandson of abolitionists and voting rights activists, Hughes was an African-American writer. His most famous poem, “A Dream Deferred,” begins:

“What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up

like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore —

And then run?”

Hughes left Lincoln University, one of the 105 historically black colleges and universities in the U.S., and spent the rest of his life campaigning for civil and human rights. He died in 1967, two years after President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law.

Almost 80 years after his graduation, Lincoln students eagerly awaited the opportunity to cast their vote, many no doubt for Barack Obama, the first major-party African-American presidential candidate. For years, the Chester County Board of Elections and Department of Voter Services had accommodated the students and community by establishing a convenient polling place on campus, in the gymnasium. In 2008, however, it was moved to a community center, described by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania as “more than a mile from the Lincoln University campus on a winding country road and is virtually inaccessible for students without a car.” Many waited up to seven hours, at times in the rain, to vote. Some who wanted to vote never got to.

The ACLU and several other groups sued on behalf of students and community members, alleging “inconvenient and inadequate polling facilities.” The Board of Elections settled, and the polling will occur again on campus.

The county bureaucrat who engineered the 2008 voting debacle, Carol Aichele, no longer has that job. Not because she was fired, though.

Pennsylvania’s Republican governor, Tom Corbett, appointed her to serve as the secretary of the commonwealth. She now oversees all elections in the state of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania has long been considered a swing state, even though it has gone to the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since 1992. Following the 2010 Republican sweep, giving the GOP control over many state legislatures and governorships, the nation has seen a wave of new laws that make it harder to vote. In Pennsylvania, for example, there is a new law imposing strict requirements that people show photo identification in order to vote.

While publicly touted as a law intended to inhibit voter impersonation at the polls, its real intent was explained in a rare moment of candor by Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, who, when going over a checklist of legislative accomplishments, bragged, “Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania: Done.” read more…

Cheyney Hoping To Take Steps Forward In 2012

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It’s been a struggle on the gridiron for quite some time for Division II Cheyney University. But as the 2012 season approaches, hopes are high that the Wolves may be ready to finally breakthrough.

“Things are going great in camp,” Cheyney head coach Ken Lockard tells KYW Newsradio. “We have the most number of guys that we’ve had at camp since I’ve been here, this is my fifth camp (two as head coach, three as assistsant). It’s great having the competition and having so many bodies out there to keep fresh legs on a regular basis. I think we’re coming along very well.”

The Wolves went just 1-10 in 2011, but they gave Millersville (10-7 loss) and East Stroudsburg (10-6 loss) all they could handle while making West Chester (23-7 loss) and LIU-Post (42-27) sweat.

Cheyney’s brightest star is junior running back Marcus Jones who has rushed for more than 1,500 yards in his first two seasons.

“He’s a staple in our backfield,” Lockard says. “He’s done a great job in just becoming a leader in everything in the backfield, on the offense and on the whole team.

“He’s just an extremely hard runner and he’s very tough to take down in the box. Just exciting to watch. Any given play, Marcus can pop through the line and just be gone. He’s done a lot of work on his speed and gotten faster and his vision just keeps getting better and better, seeing the seems.”

A running back needs the guys in front of him to open up holes, and Lockard says his offensive line is a bit of a work in progress.

“They were all underclassmen (last season), they’re all underclassmen again. So that’s always a concern when you’re coming in with an offensive line that’s all underclassmen. read more…

Charlotte theater director wins $75,000 prize, headed to JCSU

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Sometimes, people give you money because you’re cool.

You run a respected, struggling arts organization for a few years, trying to get people to notice. Then $75,000 drops from the sky like manna – not for your company, but for you.

You don’t have to fulfill any commissions or spend any of it on a production. You get guaranteed income for 18 months. You’ve become an “early career leader,” and to justify this expenditure, all you have to do is become a smarter version of yourself.

That magic wand has tapped Quentin Talley. The founder and artistic director of On Q Productions, Mecklenburg County’s African-American theater, has won one of six One-on-One awards in America, paid for by the Andrew Mellon Foundation and run by Theatre Communications Group.

A Leadership U(niversity) program will pay him $75,000 over 18 months, starting in September. Up to $14,500 more is available for professional development or life needs, such as health care or medical expenses.

Even better, Talley will hook up with a veteran in his field: Lou Bellamy, founder and director of Penumbra Theatre Company in Saint Paul, Minn.

So Talley gets his bills paid and his mind elevated. On Q gets a higher profile nationally, on the brink of its fourth season: “Kiss My Black Angst,” a pair of one-acts by Amiri Baraka and Adrienne Kennedy, begins Sept. 14 in the Arts Factory at Johnson C. Smith University. read more…

ASU Drops Two on Opening Day of ISTAP Collegiate Cup

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The 2012 season did not start exactly how the Alabama State University (0-2) volleyball team wanted it to as they dropped their first two games of the ISTAP Collegiate Cup.

In the final game of day one, the Lady Hornets fell to Tennessee State (1-1) 3-0 as the young Lady Hornets played too inconsistent to compete with the more seasoned Lady Tigers.

TSU won game one 25-15, and in game two the Lady Hornets actually led 6-4 before their youth and inexperience began to show. TSU went on a 15-4 run to build a 19-10 lead before cruising in for the 25-16 win. TSU finished the match with a 25-14 win in game three for the straight game win.

Naomi Watts had 14 kills and Sherryce Butler had 12 as the Lady Tigers ended the match hitting .413. Erika Moss had 32 assists.

Chelsey Scott had eight kills and Rachel Smith added seven for ASU. Brooke Beasley had 24 assists and Smith also chipped in with eight digs.

The Lady Hornets started five freshmen and a sophomore and their libero was a junior so the youth of the team showed during their first day of matches, but they also showed some glimpses of the talent they have.

“I think my kids are starting to understand the up tempo of division I volleyball,” head coach Penny Lucas-White said. “They see how fast the game is, they have to catch up to the game, but I am more pleased with how they competed in the second game verses earlier today.”

“Tennessee State is a very well seasoned team and we are going to have to learn how to endure in staying in one ball in one point at one time. We showed a lot of signs of our youth, but even in showing their youth they showed signs of greatness and it really doesn’t matter because that is what preseason is all about. We make our mistakes, we make our adjustments so we will come back and make quite a few adjustments and I think you will see a better Alabama State team.” Read more… 

Howard Football players declared ineligible for season-opening games, including Nations Classic

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Up to 14 Howard University football players have been declared ineligible to participate in season-opening games by the NCAA, the result of the organization’s continuing investigation into the student-athletes’ improper use of their textbook allowances.

“Right now, it’s not a distraction,” Bison Coach Gary Harrell said Thursday. “We understand the situation. Whatever the ruling is, whatever the NCAA’s plan, we have our plan as well.”

The names or the exact number of the players who will miss time were not immediately made available by the school or the NCAA, but those players will miss one to three games, depending on the extent of the violation. Harrell said the affected players will be able to practice while they wait to regain eligibility.

Howard opens the season Sept. 1 against rival Morehouse at RFK Stadium.

Harrell said the list of ineligible players could include sophomore quarterback Greg McGhee, the reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rookie of the year, and senior linebacker Keith Pough, the MEAC preseason defensive player of the year. If McGhee were to miss time, Harrell said quarterback duties would fall to junior Randy Liggins Jr. and freshman Jamie Cunningham. Read More Washington Post

Morris Brown College facing foreclosure

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Morris Brown College is facing foreclosure of its property on Sept. 4, the African Methodist Episcopal Church said Tuesday.

According to a news release, a creditor of the historically black college, a corporation which holds $13.1 million in college bonds secured by its downtown Atlanta property, has called the loans and the college is unable to pay.

In a statement, Preston W. Williams II, chairman of the board of trustees of Morris Brown, said he will announce the school’s formal response on Saturday, Aug. 25, at 1 p.m. at an event on the school’s campus. Leaders are calling for people to gather at the school’s gymnasium to hear the plan and pray for the school’s survival.

Morris Brown College once joined Spelman, Morehouse and Clark Atlanta University among highly acclaimed historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). But in 2002, Morris Brown lost accreditation and federal funding following mismanagement of the school’s finances.

Enrollment numbers, once topping 2,500, have now dropped to around 50 students. Some of the campus buildings are boarded up and abandoned.

Still, Morris Brown continues to function; Wednesday was the first day of classes and the school website posts a full calendar for the year. Read More

 

WSSU Alum Makes the Cover of Popular Charlotte Magazine

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Winston-Salem State University alumnus Donald Cureton Jr. is featured on the latest edition of Charlotte’s The Paradigm Beauty & Barber Magazine.

The 34 year-old Mecklenburg County District Court judge sports a fresh haircut in the cover photo, but Paradigm writer Rashad Phillips says it was his former Garinger High School (Charlotte) classmate’s achievements, not his sense of style, that made Cureton a great candidate for the quarterly publication’s feature story.

The magazine seeks out positive stories about African Americans to offset all the negative media images, and Cureton, a graduate of Howard University School of Law, fit the bill, Phillips said.

“Our magazine’s called Paradigm. We’re trying to be a catalyst for a paradigm shift,” he remarked. “We definitely have to shift that way of thinking so that people can see that these (careers) are possibilities.”

Phillips, an alumnus of Johnson C. Smith University, remembers Cureton as a standout athlete, and said Cureton surprised many when he passed up the chance at college ball glory by opting for an academic scholarship over an athletic one. Read More

NSU Coaches Adrian, Giles Receive Contract Extensions

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Norfolk State University Athletics Director Marty Miller announced Thursday that Spartan football coach Pete Adrian has received a two-year contract extension through the 2015 football season and director of track and field programs Kenneth Giles has received a three-year extension through the 2014-15 school year.

Adrian has led the Spartans to one of the most successful periods in the school’s football history. NSU is 43-36 in seven years under Adrian’s direction and has notched winning records in four of the last five seasons, including three in a row. The Spartans won their first-ever MEAC football title in 2011 and appeared in the Division I FCS playoffs for the first time. Adrian is a two-time MEAC Coach of the Year (2007, 2011) and was named FCS National Coach of the Year last fall by College Sporting News.

Giles, who oversees both men’s and women’s track and cross country programs, has also served as NSU’s head men’s cross country coach for the last 13 years and head men’s track and field coach for the past nine. His men’s cross country program has won the last four MEAC championships and 11 of the last 12. On the track, the Spartan men have swept the conference indoor and outdoor titles the past seven academic years, a MEAC record. Giles’ teams have won 25 MEAC titles in his tenure, giving him 25 MEAC Most Outstanding Coach awards.  Read More..