Mobilizing HBCU Students Against Amendment 1 in North Carolina

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Over the years HRC has been tasked with defeating legislation and ballot initiatives that directly target at LGBT equality across the US. And as a part of the staff I take great pride in my ability to lend a hand in the efforts towards defeating these attacks on our community and gaining full LGBT equality.

HRC, a coalition partner with Protect ALL NC Families, is helping with the final push in North Carolina to turn back the constitutional amendment that will define marriage in the state as that between one woman and one man.   On May 8 the people of North Carolina will be faced with deciding if all families in North Carolina deserve protection and legal rights.  I am working at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to ensure that students there vote against Amendment 1.

The fight against Amendment 1 is sizzling because students from colleges all across the state are demanding their voices be heard. Students from Winston Salem State University, Central University, Bennett College, North Carolina A&T State University, and others have been spreading the word about the harms of Amendment 1.  At Winston-Salem state this week, students in the gay-straight alliance, together with students from the NAACP student group, invited Rev. Dr. William Barber, President of the North Carolina NAACP chapter, to talk about the importance of voting. The event has hit press all over the state and now other colleges are putting together similar events to spread the word about the harm of the Amendment. Here is a link to the press segment that went viral on the evening news after the rally

HBCU’s have played a big part in getting the word out—as institutions they have put their names behind the coalition in the fight to protect ALL North Carolina families. North Carolina Central University and North Carolina A&T State University have both released statements condemning the discriminatory Amendment.

Early voting began on April 19 and we joined the college community of Greensboro, now known as Join the Revolution, in a march to the polls aiming to get 40 percent of the college vote on the first day of early voting. Students joined in from every college in Greensboro to march to the board of elections to be the first to vote against Amendment 1. Between now and May 8 students from across the state will be coming together to make sure that people know that this Amendment is not just about the LGBT community, it’s about the discrimination against of all people in the state of North Carolina. Referenced from hrc

NCAA proves flexible with HBCUs Announcing to do More Work

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When the NCAA announced its new Academic Progress Rate standards last May, the only high-profile school impacted by the hike was Connecticut. But there were a handful of historically black college and university athletic programs impacted by the rule, and NCAA president Mark Emmert announced that the NCAA would do more to work with such schools to help them avoid such penalties in the future.

On Thursday, per an NCAA release, that’s exactly what the organization is going to do:

After the enhanced APR standards were adopted by the Board last fall, the Committee on Academic Performance recommended the creation of a limited-resource advisory group to evaluate and provide input on issues specific to limited-resource and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The resulting group’s recommendations to CAP included allowing limited-resource institutions more time to make meaningful changes for teams that need additional help in the classroom, while still holding institutions accountable for progressing toward a 930 APR (which predicts about a 50 percent graduation rate).

“We have an obligation to work with HBCUs and limited-resource institutions to make sure their student-athletes have every opportunity to be successful academically,” Emmert said. “It’s important to look at a variety of options and be as deliberative as we can to ensure our actions facilitate success, not limit it.”

You can already imagine the Connecticut fans — not to mention plenty of pandering politicians — evincing outrage. How could the NCAA give HBCUs more time, but not UConn! Why are the Huskies stuck with different rules? This isn’t fair!

You know what? Maybe it isn’t. But it isn’t fair that Connecticut has its wealth of recruiting resources, not to mention its academic staff, or its big-time conference affiliation, or any of the other things that separate elite Division I men’s basketball programs from the likes of Grambling and Jackson State. HBCUs and other low-resource schools operate in an entirely different world, with an entirely different mission. You know what? Maybe it isn’t. But it isn’t fair that Connecticut has its wealth of recruiting resources, not to mention its academic staff, or its big-time conference affiliation, or any of the other things that separate elite Division I men’s basketball programs from the likes of Grambling and Jackson State. HBCUs and other low-resource schools operate in an entirely different world, with an entirely different mission.

These teams aren’t competing for national championships. They’re competing for the experience of playing in the first round of the NCAA tournament, if they’re lucky. But really, more than anything, they’re competing to exist. These teams play guarantee games just to maintain a men’s basketball program, so they can in turn offer scholarships to kids who might otherwise never have had the opportunity to go to college. As Roy S. Johnson wrote last summer, that’s the primary, if not the sole, mission of the HBCU. But that requires a shoestring budget. There are fair reasons why an HBCU might not be able to afford its students the army of tutors and regimented academic support staff available to a program like Connecticut, or any other high-major entity. Comparing the two is silly.

At the end of the day, Connecticut had few good excuses for why it couldn’t do what pretty much every other Division I program managed to do, which was consistently maintain an APR score high enough to preserve NCAA tournament eligibility in 2013. Historically black college and universities and other low-resource institutions have those excuses, not that they’d be eager to use them. In fact, they’re not even excuses. They’re simply the way things are.

Connecticut fans might be eager to call the NCAA’s new policy toward such schools “more NCAA hypocrisy.” I think it’s just being reasonable — and admirably so. Referenced from ESPN

Full List of HBCU Athletes Signed to the NFL

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Full List of Signed HBCU Athletes

Baltimore Ravens
Morgan State Tight End -Wide Receiver Lamont Bryant

Dallas Cowboys
Prairie View A&M DE-LB Adrian Hamilton

Green Bay Packers
Winston-Salem State RB Nicholas Cooper

Houston Texans
Grambling WR Mario Louis
Bowie State DE/OLB Delano Johnson

Indianapolis Colts
Hampton CB Micah Pellerin

Jacksonville Jaguars
Bethune-Cookman LB Ryan Davis
Florida A&M WR Kevin Elliott
South Carolina State LB Donovan Richard

Kansas City Chiefs
Bethune-Cookman S Jean Fanor

Oakland Raiders
Fort Valley State P Marquette King

San Diego Chargers
Mississippi Valley St. WR Paul Cox

San Francisco 49ers
Florida A&M WR Brian Tyms

Washington Redskins

Howard University WR Willie Carter

S.C. State’s Thompson Holds Lonely Spot as the only HBCU Athlete drafted in the 2012 NFL Draft

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SCSU SID/Kendrick Lewis)

When Christian Thompson transferred from Auburn to South Carolina State after his freshman year, he joined a powerhouse Bulldogs squad that succeeded on total team efforts.

Ironically, Thompson found himself all alone this weekend when he was the only HBCU athlete selected in the 2012 NFL Draft.

The Baltimore Ravens took the free safety in the fourth round as the 130th overall selection.

Thompson became the highest Bulldog draft selection since Raleigh Roundtree was taken in the fourth round (109th) in 1997 by the San Diego Chargers.

In Thompson, the Ravens get one of the top free safeties in the country. After the NFL combine, Thompson finished sixth out of 71 free safeties invited, running a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash and recording a vertical jump of more than 31 inches.

The 2011 All-MEAC first-teamer had 66 tackles and two interceptions in his senior year. For his junior season, he recorded a career-high six sacks, to go along with 46 tackles. In 2009, after his tranfer, he made 29 tackles on special teams. Referenced from examiner

Alabama A&M football assistant Ben Blacknall found dead

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HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Alabama A&M defensive line coach Ben Blacknall was found dead this morning, The Times has learned.

Sources says Blacknall, a longime diabetic, died due to a diabetic coma. School officials are expected to release a statement later today.

Blacknall just completed his sixth season as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator with the Bulldogs. Before coming to A&M, Blacknall worked in the business world. Prior to that, he spent four seasons as the head coach at Delaware State from 2000-2003, compiling a 20-25 record with the Hornets. He was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Coach of  the Year in 2000.

Blacknall and A&M head coach Anthony Jones had a  long relationship.

Blacknall coached Jones at Wichita State and they later coached together at South Carolina State and Morehouse College before Backnall came to A&M.

During Blacknall’s tenure at A&M, he coached a number of All-Southwestern Athletic Conference defensive linemen, including Jeremy Maddox, Chris Traylor and Corey Hart. Referenced from al sports

NC A&T’s Patricia Cage-Bibbs Takes Job At Grambling State

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GREENSBORO, April 20, 2012 — Patricia Cage-Bibbs has resigned as the head women’s basketball coach at North Carolina A&T. Bibbs, a graduate of Grambling State University, was announced as the school’s next head women’s basketball coach today.

The legendary coach spent the last seven seasons at A&T, where she compiled a 130-88 record. Bibbs’ .596 winning percentage is the best in school history, and her win total is second all-time behind Tim Abney. She recently became the first women’s basketball coach in history to win 500 career games exclusively at a Division I historically black college or university.

“The wonderful and kindhearted people at North Carolina A&T will always be a part of my extended family,” said Bibbs, who has a career record of 501-294. “There are not enough words to express my gratitude for all Aggie Nation has meant to me and my family.

At this time in my life however, I want to be closer to my immediate family,” the Louisiana native continued. “I’m looking forward to the fortunate opportunity I have to coach at my alma mater again. I will miss the A&T fans and my players so, so much, but I will cherish all the outstanding memories we shared.”

A&T fans have a lot to cherish. The A&T women won just 37 games in the six seasons prior to Bibbs’ arrival in April of 2005. By season three, Bibbs turned the Aggies into the MEAC’s premiere team. The 2007-08 season started a string of three consecutive MEAC regular-season championships. A&T compiled a dominant record of 44-4 in conference play during that span. The team solidified its place in history by winning the 2009 MEAC Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 14 seed. At the time, it was the highest seed ever earned by a Division I HBCU. The 2008-09 team also won a school-record 26 games.

The following season, the Aggies made even more history under Bibbs. They won their first two games of the 2010 postseason WNIT, and became the first Division I HBCU to win two consecutive games in a NCAA-sponsored postseason tournament. Bibbs boasts wins over Wake Forest, Charlotte (twice) and Clemson during her time at A&T. Five of North Carolina A&T’s 12 1,000-point career scorers are Bibbs signees. She won MEAC Coach of the Year in 2008 and ’09.

Bibbs’ 27 seasons of collegiate coaching include a 13-year stay at Grambling State and a seven-year stint at Hampton University. She has made nine postseason appearances, won 12 regular-season titles and 10 conference tournament titles. Her teams have won 20 or more games 13 times, have finished in first or second place 19 times and she has won conference coach of the year on 10 separate occasions.

Two of Bibbs’ most memorable milestones came as the Aggies head coach. A&T defeated UNC Asheville 88-62 at UNC Greensboro’s Fleming Gymnasium on Nov. 23, 2007 to secure Bibbs’ 400th career win. Win No. 500 occurred on Feb. 27, 2012, as the Aggies defeated Savannah State 88-74 in Savannah, Ga.

“We had the privilege of being in the presence of a true college basketball coaching legend,” said A&T Director of Athletics Earl Hilton. “We are honored that many of coach Bibbs’ milestones were achieved at North Carolina A&T. Those moments will always be a part of our storied history. What cannot be overlooked in the midst of all these accomplishments is the fact that Patricia Cage-Bibbs is a great champion for women’s athletics. We wish her continued success at Grambling State.” read more digtraid

Nation’s capital becomes classroom for Howard students

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Tyson Jones, a Howard student, participates in discussion in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Contributed)

For a group of students from Howard School, an end-of-year subject test wasn’t administered on paper.

Instead, the students were graded as they communicated goals for Howard’s future to top officials at government agencies in Washington, D.C.

Earlier this month, members of Mason West’s Talented Tenth leadership program spoke and debated before panels at the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education. The group also participated in discussion and debate at the Howard University School of Law and Sidwell Friends School, the private school attended by President Barack Obama’s daughters.

The weeklong trip was the culmination of a yearlong project in which the students devised a plan for transforming Howard into a K-12, year-round, career-technical school. Down to the curriculum goals for each class, the group said they dreamed of a school where students could transition smoothly between grades and discover ways to turn ideas into realities.

“We want each student to create a vertical alignment for themselves, because as we go through school, a lot of times we don’t fully master a subject,” D’Angelo Foster, a sophomore, said. “We want to create a seamless connection for students so that there won’t be any gaps between kindergarten and graduation.”

For many in the group, the trip was their first to the nation’s capitol. It almost didn’t happen, though, as funding was $5,000 short weeks before departure.

With the possibility of missing the chance to apply their learning in a setting outside the classroom, the students found themselves pitching the trip to members of the Chattanooga business community as an opportunity for investment rather than charity. In a matter of three days, the final dollars were raised.

Jessica Cummings, a freshman who plans to attend law school, said that although she had felt prepared to discuss her plan with government officials, the process of dialoguing with donors helped prepare her even more for experiences the trip would bring.

“We got to present our goals in front of local people who were important, so when we got there, we were prepared to answer questions from people who were very important,” she said. “I believe that standing in front of them helped us get prepared for that.”

West, who champions “expeditionary learning” as part of his teaching philosophy, said he hoped the trip would provide an applicable, real world experience for his students, of which many come from cycles of poverty or are members of marginalized families.

“At this age, you have to give them a real world example of how far this can take them,” West said. “It’s less about what you memorize than what you can apply. Everything they learned about how federal, state and local government works, they can apply that in a plan. I hope when they present their plan, people invest in it.”

Updated @ 10:54 a.m. on 04/24/12 to add more information as it became available. Read More: Nooga

Why Obama’s push on student loans is critical for black college students

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Lisa Haynes, 23, listens as President Barack Obama delivers the Commencement address at Hampton University May 9, 2010, in Hampton, VA. Haynes is graduating with a degree in Accounting. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

An estimated 1.5 million black students could see interest on their student loans increase unless Congress and President Obama reach an agreement to keep current rates in place.

Obama will give speeches at the University of North Carolina and the University of Colorado Tuesday, pushing his proposal to prevent a scheduled hike in rates for subsidized Stafford Loans. In 2007, Congress and President Bush agreed to gradually reduce the interest rates of these loans from 6.8 to 3.4 percent, but that provision expires in July, and new loans would be issued with the 6.8 percent rate if legislation is not passed.

The Department of Education estimates the increase would result in about $1,000 in additional loan costs for each student. African-Americans carry the highest levels of high student debt among demographic groups, as 16 percent of black graduates owe more than $40,000 in loans, according to a recent Philadelphia Inquirer report.

About eight million American students use subsidized Stafford loans each year, most of whom are in households with income below $50,000. These loans have particular appeal because the federal government pays the interest rates on them when students are in college, while students are responsible for the interest of unsubsidized federal Stafford Loans as soon as they start borrowing. Read Full article at theGrio

Maryland Center at Bowie State University Partners with Industry to Develop Community Based Care Transition Program

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BOWIE, Md., April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ — The Maryland Center at Bowie State University has formed a partnership with Intelaform, Inc., and VisualMED Clinical Solutions Corporation, market leaders in healthcare information and communications, to develop a Community-Based Care Transition Program (CCTP) for the state of Maryland.

Care transitions occur when a patient moves from one health care setting to another. In the instance, that people living with serious illnesses move from the hospital to home or a nursing center, they may be at risk for readmission to the hospital if they develop a complication. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has launched an initiative to reduce hospital readmissions by 20% by 2013. To begin with, the agency plans to spend $500 million -or half of the $1 billion earmarked in the Affordable Care Act for improving patient safety- to help hospitals and their community partners decrease readmissions over a five year period ending in 2016.The Maryland Center Transition Care Program (The Program) will focus specifically on the needs of elderly patients transitioning from a hospital setting back to the home environment.

According to a 2007 report of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, readmissions to the hospital are estimated to cost Medicare approximately $15 billion, nearly $12 billion of which is for causes considered preventable. In Maryland, hospital readmissions are estimated to cost $300 million annually. The Program is designed to assist the patient during the critical transition period and thereby significantly decrease the number of preventable hospitalizations.

The Maryland Center, an affiliated foundation of the University System of Maryland, has as its charter to eliminate disparities, including those in health, and simultaneously enhance research and development on behalf of Bowie State University. Its new public/private partnership with VisualMED Clinical Solutions Corp., and Intelaform, Inc. will have as a primary goal the development of a CCTP. The initial program will focus on Maryland, and could be expanded across the entire National Capital Region.

The MD Center CCTP is the first of its kind in Maryland. The program will focus on five key areas for aging patients, cardiovascular, diabetes, urological, pulmonary, and dermatological and seek significant reductions in each.

This program is unique among CCTP programs in that it will provide patient surveillance and “concierge” services to transitioning patients and will integrate the latest technologies in managing health information to enhance the capabilities of all involved parties – hospitals, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers – to respond to the needs of the transitioning patient.

Intelaform will provide patient surveillance and concierge services, treatment management and patient care management systems to monitor and individually manage each patient’s needs. VisualMED Clinical Solutions will provide mobile medical applications and the patient treatment infrastructure with secure access and tracking capabilities to enable real-time collection, aggregation, and sharing of information.

“As designed, this landmark program can be quickly replicated across the United States, reducing Medicare costs by billions of dollars and adding to the quality of life of millions of elderly patients and their families,” said J. Randall Hoggle, PD, Chairman of the Board of Intelaform, Inc.

“The Transition Center is an innovative program with the potential to permanently transform transitional care for millions of the most vulnerable citizens in our community. The Maryland Center is proud to be a part of this historic partnership,” remarkedTerry Lawlah, executive director of the Maryland Center at Bowie State University.

“Transitional care and reduction of readmissions can truly be implemented in a safe and effective manner when using mobile medical and nursing applications” stated Gerard Dab, CEO of VisualMED Solutions Corp.

About The Maryland Center at Bowie State University
The Maryland Center at Bowie State University, Inc is a non-profit organization that is an affiliated foundation of the University System of Maryland located on the campus of Bowie State University. As an affiliated foundation, the Center engages in and supports activities to further enhance the educational, research or service mission of Bowie State University. Through this collaboration, The Maryland Center and Bowie State work in concert to increase the research capacity of the University. For more information, visit www.themarylandcenter.org.

About Intelaform
Intelaform, Inc. is a global leader in emergency preparedness and response planning and deployment, medical and biosurveillance and a premier source for healthcare product monitoring and surveillance. Intelaform is a Delaware C-Corporation founded in 2007 as a spin out business of Health Pathways, Inc. with intellectual property from a series of global government agencies and private sector emergency preparedness and response projects and healthcare asset management and monitoring programs.  Intelaform global headquarters are in Rockville, Maryland, USA. For more information, visitwww.intelaform.com.

About VisualMED
VisualMED markets smart EHR with Clinical Information Systems (CIS) and Computerized Physician Order Entry that meet the new regulatory environment ushered in by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Health Reform Act of 2010. VisualMED offers a powerful technology platform both scalable and interoperable, developed at a cost of some $40 million and tested over many years in tertiary care and ambulatory environments. VisualMED solutions help medical facilities reduce mortality and morbidity due to medical errors, increase provider efficiency, and bring down operating costs. The key clinical components are a core solution in the new agenda to promote greater patient safety and reduce risks due to medication errors. For more information, visit www.visualmedsolutions.com.

Media Contact: Ina Ramos Maryland Center at Bowie State University, 301-860-4306, iramos@bowiestate.edu

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

Fox Family: Kelly Wright Honored at Morehouse College

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Fox News Anchor and Reporter Kelly Wright was honored at Morehouse College, the only all male historically black college in the country, with his induction into the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Sponsors.

Watch the candid interview with Wright, and go inside the historic college and the true meaning behind the award.
Read more: AND VIDEO –  http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/community/2012/04/23/fox-family-kelly-wright-honored-at-morehouse-college/#ixzz1syx8oA5m

Winston Salem State Advances Past Bowie State to CIAA Softball Championship

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Once the Winston-Salem State (WSSU) Lady Rams got the lead, there was little debate who was going to get the ball.

It didn’t matter that WSSU pitcher Brittany Lane had just come off a 13-inning gem only two hours before. Her team ahead entering the third inning, Lane got the call.

And that was it.

Lane earned her second win of the day – she also picked up a save in the Lady Rams’ first game of the day before noon – working five innings in relief as defending Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) champion Winston-Salem State punched its return ticket to the championship round after a 4-1 win over Bowie State (BSU) in the semifinal on April 20 in Petersburg, Va.

Infielder Francesca Edgerton belted a tremendous two-run home run over the left-center field wall to push the Lady Rams (28-17 overall) to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, prompting Lane’s return to the hill in relief of starter Monet Daly, who worked two scoreless innings to start the game.

Lane, who finished the day having worked a staggering 20 innings, earned the victory in a thrilling 4-3 13-inning affair with Chowan in an elimination game just hours before taking on Bowie State, which lost for the second time in two games on April 20.

Bowie State sophomore infielders Haley Snyder and Kiara Washington led the Lady Bulldogs with a pair of hits each. Freshman pitcher Haley Flint took the loss (5-6) for BSU, lasting only one and a third innings and gave up three hits and three runs. Read more Afro

Bowie State student charged with killing roommate released on $250,000 bond, ordered to stay home.

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The Bowie State University student accused of fatally stabbing her roommate was released on bond and ordered to remain at her District Heights Home — without visitors — ahead of a summer trial, according to authorities and court records.

Alexis Simpson, 19, had been held on a no bond status in the September 2011 slaying of 18-year-old Dominique Frazier. Prosecutors and police have said Simpson stabbed Frazier after the two got into fight over music playing on an iPod in their shared suite in the Christa McAuliffe Residence Hall. But on April 5, court records show, Prince George’s County Circuit Court Judge Sean D. Wallace set Simpson’s bond at $250,000. The records show that she posted the bond the next day, though John Erzen, a spokesman for Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks, said jail records indicate her release as coming on April 10.

One of Simpson’s defense attorneys told The Washington Times, which first broke news of the woman’s release from jail, that Simpson was “being threatened and intimidated by her roommate” and could argue she was acting in self-defense.

Erzen said prosecutors disputed those arguments and urged the judge at the April hearing to continue holding Simpson without bond because of the nature of the crime.

“We’re going to make an argument that it was not self-defense,” Erzen said. He declined to discuss specifics of prosecutors’ case.

Simpson’s trial is scheduled for August. Court records show that Wallace ordered her to stay in her District Heights home with her mother and not receive visitors as conditions of her release.

Simpson’s defense attorneys could not immediately be reached for comment Friday morning.

Read more: The Post’s crime coverage

Bowie State Softball Splits Series with Elizabeth City State

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Freshman Cassandra Clayborne leads BSU in split series vs. ECSU (Courtesy Photo/BSU, Lawrence Johnson)

Bowie State University (BSU) women’s softball team lost only its second Central Interscholastic Athletic Association (CIAA) game of the year as they split wins and losses with the Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) Lady Vikings in two games on April 14 in Elizabeth City, N.C.

The Lady Bulldogs won game two with a 5-3 victory, but they lost the first game, 3-2, ultimately snapping a four-game winning streak for Bowie State.

Tied at 2-2 at the end of the sixth inning, the Lady Vikings claimed victory in game one by hitting their way through the top of the seventh inning. ECSU right fielder Christen Pelton hit a leadoff double and second baseman Raneka Thompson followed Pelton by hitting a single, which advanced Pelton to third base. When infielder Tynesha Jackson hit an infield single on the next at-bat, Pelton ran home to set up the win.

But the Lady Bulldogs bounced back in game two with their own stretch of hits in the late innings of the game. Tied at 3-3, BSU sophomore catcher Adria Lewis led off the top of the seventh inning with a double hit, and ran in for a scored run when pitcher Shelby Snyder hit a double on the following at-bat. Snyder then scored the final run of the game when freshman shortstop Raenelle Taylor hit a sacrifice fly ball on the next at-bat.

Bowie State’s (16-12 overall, 12-2 CIAA) final game of the season is scheduled against Washington Adventist on Monday April 16 in Bowie, Md.

Public radio station to go on the air in Delaware, University of Delaware and Delaware State University

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DOVER — Until now, Delaware has been the last state without its own public radio station.

That will change this summer.

Delaware First Media, the University of Delaware and Delaware State University plan to go live with a statewide public radio station — WDDE-FM, 91.1 — from Dover this summer.

DFM will own the station, and operate it as an extension of its online newsgathering operations, DFM News, said Micheline Boudreau, DFM president. DFM is a not-for-profit online news organization that started up in 2010.

There are multiple public radio stations whose signals find their way over Delaware’s borders, but this will provide original programming relevant to the state’s residents, Boudreau said.

“Having a signal wash into a state isn’t the same thing as serving a state,” said Boudreau, a former news director at WHYY television.

The station will be housed at DSU. Both universities, which are considered lead institutional sponsors of the station, are providing multiyear financial support. UD will provide $75,000 annually, and DSU and its own private donors combined for an additional $100,000 donation per year in dollars and in-kind contributions.

The station’s signal will be strongest in Dover, and the plans are to amplify the signal throughout the state, Boudreau said.

But at the beginning, others in the state, and elsewhere, can also get the station via the Internet, she said. There is no date set for going on air; Boudreau said they are targeting early summer.

The universities will not play a part in editorial decision-making, but will get a nod as sponsors, said David Brond, vice president for communications and marketing at UD. Read More Del

Central State embarks on $33M Student Center

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Central State University has begun construction on a $33 million student center.

The university will build a 90,000-square-foot facility to house a 600-seat dining area, bookstore, computer lab, study and meeting rooms, recreational space, a theater and ballroom.

Central State received $14.5 million in 2008 from the state of Ohio for the facility. The funds allowed the university to design and engineer the building and prepare the construction site, which included demolition of Banneker Hall, road realignment and utility relocation, the school said.

The new student center is expected to open in the spring of 2014.

Central State is the eighth largest school in the Dayton region with more than 2,500 students enrolled. Referenced from BizJournals

Al Sharpton coming to Bennett College

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The Rev. Al Sharpton will be the guest speaker for Bennett College’s annual baccalaureate service at 7 p.m. May 4.

It will be held in the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Chapel.

The baccalaureate service is a religious convocation that precedes the commencement exercise, which is set for 10:30 a.m. May 5 on the campus quadrangle with Alexis Herman, a workforce expert and former secretary of labor, as keynote speaker.

Both events are free and open to the public.