Usher’s Stepson – 11year old Kile Glover Passes Away Following Jetski Incident

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We were heartbroken to learn that Tameka Raymond’s son Kile, Usher’s 11-year-old stepson was unable to overcome the injuries he suffered during an accident earlier this month.

Kile died after being taken off life support today. this was his last tweet


According to TMZ reports:

Usher’s 11-year-old stepson has passed away this morning from injuries suffered in a tragic jetski accident in Georgia earlier this month … TMZ has learned.

Doctors removed 11-year-old Kile Glover from life support after it was determined the injuries were too severe to overcome. We’re told Kyle’s mother, Tameka Foster, struggled tremendously with the decision.

According to our sources, Tameka is understandably devastated.

Glover was injured on July 8 … as he was riding in an inner tube that was connected to a pontoon in Lake Lanier. According to authorities, a family friend who was riding a jetski behind the pontoon lost control and collided with Glover’s tube.

The accident is currently under investigation.

Q & A | Correlation/similarities between the African-American retention rates at PWIs vs HBCUs

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Is there any correlation/similarities between the African-American retention rates at primarily white institutions (PWIs) versus historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs)?  What are the factors, if any, causing and/or preventing students from graduating and accomplishing and undergraduate graduation on time (within 4-5 years)?”  I was told I would receive a response and be connected with a student government officials so these questions could be answered and overall concerns I have, they we may both have, could be discussed.

 

Question From,

TJ Watters

Undergraduate | Indiana University

Thurgood Marshall College Fund Announces Huge Partnership for HBCU Community

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A huge partnership has been announced by a giant in the HBCU community to provide public secondary schools to more effectively prepare blacks for college.

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) will partner up with Baltimore-based Connections Education, to create TMCF Collegiate Academies that will combine traditional classroom learning with online learning techniques to engage students in rigorous college preparatory curriculum, while also addressing 21st Century learning needs.

The goal of the tuition-free, open enrollment secondary schools is to “pipeline” students into college, according to TMCF spokesperson Juontonio Pinckne .

“We’ve heard the call for educational reform,” he said. “We believe that this is a market where we can have a cradle-to-the-grave pipeline in order to support our schools, strengthen the talent that is coming into our institutions…and essentially [create] a better, more qualified, globally competitive member of society in the end.” Says Pinckne.

The secondary academies, which organizers hope to launch by the 2014-15 school year, will be established on or near various HBCU campuses. The partners hope to open as many as ten academies in the next five years with the first Academy projected for Southern University in New Orleans, where discussions are already underway.

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About TMCF: The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is named for the U.S. Supreme Court’s first African-American Justice. Established in 1987, TMCF supports and represents nearly 300,000 students attending its 47 member-schools that include public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), medical schools and law schools. TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization and for more information about TMCF and its initiatives, visit: www.ThurgoodMarshallCollegeFund.org.

About Connections Education: Connections Education® is an accredited provider of high-quality, highly accountable virtual education solutions for students in grade K–12. Connections Education is now part of the global learning company Pearson. We are committed to expanding quality education through technology and helping students achieve both academic and personal success. For more information, visit www.ConnectionsEducation.com.

 

Senators propose cap on “overload” college fees for CSU students, and others

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State Sen. Tom Sawyer, D-Akron, with support from State Sen. Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering, proposed a bill Tuesday, July 17, 2012 that would limit fees college students pay for taking extra credit hours on top of a full-time load.

Students who decide to take more credit hours to graduate early, or who wish to double major, will benefit from Sawyer’s Ambition Penalty Relief Act if passed, which aims to cap what a university considers a maximum full-time course load.

Central State University students pay full-time tuition for courses they take between 12-18 credit hours. Above those hours, however, students pay an additional “overload fee” of $144 per credit hour.

“I don’t think that a student should be basically fiscally punished for being willing to take on a heavier load than the average student is,” said Lehner, chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee.

For more information, please visit the Dayton Daily News:

Howard University Freshman Leadership Academy Summer Studies in China and Japan

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From July 23rd though August 10th, members of the Howard University Freshman Leadership Academy (FLA) will participate in an intensive cultural exchange to China and Japan. This will be the first year the FLA includes studies to Japan and the second year the group will travel to China.

The FLA participants will have the opportunity to visit universities, businesses, and historic sites while learning about global trends, Chinese and Japanese history, education and leadership.

“The Freshman Leadership Academy’s studies and cultural immersion in Asia builds on President Ribeau’s vision for expanding Howard’s international footprint and answers the call of President Obama’s 100,000 Strong Initiative,” said Barbara Griffin, Ph.D., vice president for Student Affairs. “Today’s students must become globally competent citizens in order to be competitive and truly effective in our increasingly interconnected world.”

In China, tours and excursions will include visits to the Shanghai World Financial Center, Beijing Normal University, major local corporations, and organizations. In Japan, students will visit cultural sites and learn about the history through visits to the largest city in Japan, Tokyo, as well as two smaller cities, Hakone and Nikko.

Currently the FLA has eight students studying abroad from countries ranging from Cape Town, South Africa to Granada, Spain.

About the FLA: The Freshman Leadership Academy (FLA) was created during the 49th Administration of the Howard University Student Association to expose 1st year students to the specific duties, responsibilities, opportunities, and challenges associated with all aspects of student leadership. The Academy is open to all freshmen and transfer students at the university. The mission of the Freshman Leadership Academy is to develop individual leadership skills in a group environment through developmental training, service opportunities, and relationship building.

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ABOUT HOWARD

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. Since 1998, the University has produced two Rhodes Scholars, two Truman Scholars, a Marshall Scholar, 30 Fulbright Scholars and 11 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, call 202-238-2330, or visit the University’s Web site at www.howard.edu.

Harlem’s ‘Queen of Soul Food’ Sylvia Woods dies at 86

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New York’s legendary “Queen of Soul Food” Sylvia Woods, whose iconic restaurant drew dignitaries and ordinary folk from all over the world to Harlem to taste her fried chicken, died Thursday at 86.

News that she died broke just as Mayor Bloomberg was paying tribute to the 50th anniversary of “Sylvia’s” at a gala reception at Gracie Mansion.

“We lost a legend today,” the mayor said. “Generations of family and friends have come together at what became a New York institution.”

The Woods family said she was surrounded by loved ones when she lost her battle with Alzheimer’s.

 Tributes quickly began pouring in.“Sylvia’s has been more than a restaurant, it has been a meeting place for black America,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, who recalled dining there with everyone from President Obama to Caroline Kennedy.Rep. Charles Rangel said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of a friend.

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Jada Pinkett-Smith Fights Against Human Trafficking

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Actress Jada Pinkett Smith jetted to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to testify before Congress about the need to combat human trafficking.

The star, accompanied by her movie icon husband Will and 11-year-old daughter Willow, met with officials on Capitol Hill during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting and appealed to legislators to step up their fight, arguing, “Slavery robs us of the thing we value most: our freedom.”

The 40-year-old also announced plans to launch a new campaign to help victims, according to the Associated Press.

Willow Smith took to Twitter.com about her time in the U.S. capital, sharing a photo of herself seated behind one-time U.S. presidential nominee John Kerry’s placard and tweeting, “I’m getting radical on human trafficking.”

This isn’t the first time Pinkett Smith has spoken out against the illegal trade of human beings – she recently teamed up with fellow actress Salma Hayek to make a new video for the Don’t Sell Bodies campaign, which fights against the exploitation of women and children around the world. referenced

VIDEO: George Zimmerman Interviewed By Fox News’ Sean Hannity; Says Events Were “All God’s Plan”

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Fox News’ Sean Hannity sat down in a recent interview with George Zimmerman, who has admitted to the shooting and murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman used the interview as an opportunity to provide his version of what happened in the critical moments leading up to the shooting. His lawyer was there by his side, and during the interview he said “it was all God’s plan”.

VIDEO | FAMU Robert Champion’s Roommate on HBO’s

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Violent Band hazing at FAMU. Real Sports debuts Tues., July 17 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO. For more information on HBO Sports, visithttp://itsh.bo/HKXeb8.

Watch HBO Sports series and events online at HBO GO®http://itsh.bo/mqq7g6.

Connect with HBO Sports on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/hbosports

St. Aug Hosts YMCA for Fifth Year

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For the fifth consecutive year, Saint Augustine’s College’s has opened its doors and campus to the YMCA and various local youngsters during its summer camp. “Saint Augustine’s College is the perfect fit for our camp,” said Dexter Hebert, senior director of Community Outreach at the YMCA. “Not only are we serving the community but we’re giving kids a chance to be on a college campus. St. Aug is our home.”

 

The YMCA’s summer camp is a fairly inexpensive camp despite the various amenities offered to campers. “We host community fundraisers, receive donations for locals and St. Aug doesn’t charge for hosting the camp, which has allowed us to subsidize the camp’s costs.”

 

“We are not just a typical summer camp. We are intentional in all the activities and character building we do in this camp. We believe in skill development of our kids and understand the academic challenges our kids face, so we have tried to incorporate an academic component to help them in every area of their lives.” During the camp, participants are taught to play various sports such as lacrosse, but also the campers have reading hour, participate in math activities and a weekly devotional with local ministers.

 

In addition to offering a wide variety of activities both academic and physical for the campers, the YMCA being on campus has also afforded many St. Aug students employment opportunities. “A number of our counselors are Saint Augustine’s College students and we’ve gone on to hire many of them post college,” said Hebert. Each counselor is required to undergo an interview process and 30 hours of staff training.

 

Furthermore, the YMCA and St. Aug hosted Healthy Communities Day, Thursday, July 12, in MLK Conference Center, an annual event focused on providing health screenings for the campers. For more information on the YMCA’s Summer Camp, click here.

Bowie State Students Mentor High Schoolers in Computer Camp

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Fifteen high school students are learning how to build robots and create mobile apps during the 4th annual CPU Computer Camp for African-American Boys at Bowie State University.

For the first time, the camp – started by Dr. Daryl Stone, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science – received a grant from the Mid-Atlantic Consortium-Center for Academic Excellence, which is providing $10,000 each year for five years to support the cost of BSU undergraduate and graduate students who work as camp counselors.

Eight more students are learning computer programming in a complementary “Girls Who Will” camp for girls, under the direction of Dr. Quincy Brown, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science. Dr. Stone said his work on his dissertation prompted him to start the CPU Camp. In an examination of “clogs” in the pipeline of African-American males entering science, technology, engineering, and technology (STEM) fields, he found that educators need to introduce African-American boys to STEM fields in middle and high school to make a significant difference.

Often, because African American students aren’t introduced to the possibilities in STEM careers until college, they may not have taken the most challenging math and science classes or taken their class seriously, which limits their opportunities in STEM careers, he said.

“What we try to let them know is that there’s a big gap in the number of jobs available in STEM and the number of people who are majoring in STEM,” Dr. Stone said.

Not only do the male campers learn about STEM fields, they also participate in lessons twice a week on what it means to be a man, like a recent session on managing a household budget.

The camp has yielded positive outcomes. Three past participants are in college now, and two are studying in STEM fields, Dr. Stone said. Last year, 26 out of 30 participants said in post-camp surveys that they would consider applying to Bowie State.

The BSU camp counselors are also getting a lot out of the experience. Kourtney Ramseur, a BSU senior in computer technology, said one of her favorite lessons was when a Microsoft-certified professional showed them how to create an app that notifies the user of a new post on a blog.

“Really, this is all new to me. I’m learning right along with them,” she said.

Justin Edwards, BSU senior in computer technology, also sees the impact of the camp on the high school participants. “It sparks something inside of them. As camp counselors, we’re telling them about the experiences we faced in college and giving them the idea that you need to be focused when you get here.”

Referenced from BSU

PVAMU Business Students Compete in NABA Competition

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Four students from Prairie View A&M University are enjoying their summer sharpening their skills, engaging in entertaining social activities, and networking with several recruiting partners from Fortune 500 companies.

PVAMU juniors Dorothy Gordon, Jonathan Amos and Clarencia Weeks, and senior Ariel Walker, all accounting majors, were given the opportunity to compete at this summer’s National Association of Black Accountants convention in Phoenix, Arizona. Each student was selected by accounting firm KPMG, a professional service network, to participate in the competitive Case Study Competition.

One of nine universities contributing in the competition, the PVAMU group focused on American multinational Banking Corporation JPMorgan Chase & Co. By conducting extensive research, the students learned some of the company’s basic fundamentals, and received in depth insight on its accounting structure.

The group traded business cards with Fortune 500 companies, other competition participants from different institutions, and submitted resumes to companies such as Google, Coca-Cola, and accounting firms PWC, Earnest Young, and KPMG.

About Prairie View A&M University: Established in 1876, Prairie View A&M University is the second oldest state-sponsored institution of higher education in Texas, and provides equal educational opportunity to increasing numbers of persons from under-served populations.

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Central State Students and Faculty Summer Research in Senegal

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With funding from the National Science Foundation, faculty and student from Central State University will take part in a summer trip to Senegal in the summer of 2012 and 2013 for environmental research projects.

The Ohio State University graduate students and Dr. Richard Dick, Professor of Microbiology from the School of Environmental and Natural Resources at OSU will be accompanying the team as well.

The trip will begin by the team traveling to Dakar, capital city of Senegal, West Africa and then travel to eastern Sahel region for two months to study improving agricultural productivity threatened with desertification, which is essentially soil degradation.

The group’s objective will be to study how the woody Sahel shrubs co-exist with row crops. In addition, they will be able to lift water hydraulically from more than 30 meters below the soil surface.

CSU students, OSU graduates and local scientists will be conducting experiments examining the role of soil microorganisms in this biologically based cropped agrecosystem.

An experienced interdisciplinary team in molecular microbiology, soil physics, plant ecology and agronomy have  assembled and ready to take on this project since the spring of 2011.

CSU faculty that will be traveling with the students include Drs. Cadance Lowell, CSU Biology Professor, and Krishna Kumar Nedunuri, Chair of the Department of Water Resource Management. Both professors are working with senior Water Resource Management major and recent graduate Thaddeus McCants, senior Biology major Owen Cofim and sophomore Biology major Ariel Jackson throughout the past year in preparation for the trip.

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Spelman Student Named Dalai Lama Fellow for 2012-2013

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Thekia Cheeseborough, Class of 2013, was recently named a Dalai Lama Fellow for the 2012-2013 academic year at Spelman College. The Dalai Lama Fellow is a program that is dedicated to working across differences, protecting the environment, diminishing violence and promoting peace and alleviating poverty.

This program is consistent with addressing pertinent and perplexing problems in our society today. It also identifies itself as a perpetual membership in a community dedicated to ethical leadership in an interrelated world. This program is devoted to displaying an intrinsic love toward the people and entities that need it the most, people who the masses neglect.

Cheeseborough is the first Spelman student to participate in this program. This speaks volumes to the HBCU community because of the effect that a young black woman can have in our world full of violence and poverty. She will receive $10,000 to build a project pertaining to the eradication of poverty.

Cheeseborough says, “I am constantly engaged in discussions about how I am going to change the world in the future.” “I wanted to seize the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of teenage girls in my surrounding community by encouraging educational attainment,” said Cheeseborough. “Education is the key that unlocks doors of endless possibilities.” Interestingly, the education that Cheeseborough is receiving at Spelman is unlike any education anywhere else. One must remember that HBCU’s are dedicated to preparing students for social justice in our world of injustice. This program makes social justice for Cheeseborough beyond theoretical but, practical.

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