60.12 Spartan Echo

Spartan Echo The Voice of the Spartan Community

Vol. 60, I ssue 12

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Stories Inside

4.23.13

SpartanEcho.org | 700 Park Avenue. Norfolk, Va. 23504

Lincoln freed the slaves? Not in Hampton Roads A Civil War Sesquicentennial Feature

Men’s basketball to lose seniors. See page 4.

Photo credit: Photo credit: www.nsuspartans.com.

Rick Ross and Lil Wayne causes controversy over lyrics.

See page 3.

Photo Credit AP Photo/Keystone/Ennio Leanza, file)

Girl Meets World, the sequal to Boys Meets World?

See back page.

Photo credit: www. facebook.com/boymeetsworldseries.

By Mia Monk In 1863, when Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Norfolk, Virginia and surrounding local areas were among the few places that were exempted from the document. As a result, slavery remained legal in our local region, the area known today as Hampton Roads.

“A lot of people have been miseducated to think the Emancipation Proclamation had the legal ability to eliminate slavery. It did not. The Emancipation Proclamation was just a legal war document designed to allow the union government to treat enslaved people in territories that were in rebellion as free people,” said Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander, a history professor at Norfolk State University and director of the Joseph Jenkins Roberts Center for African American Diaspora Studies.

With such a flourishing city during 1863, why did Lincoln keep our area locked down and enslaved?

“Norfolk was an occupied city,” said Dr. Newby-Alexander. “If it (slavery) was eliminated in Norfolk, which was under union control, then the fear was the same standard would apply to any union controlled territory. Lincoln was afraid, if he took a bold stance against slavery at that point in time, he would frighten the border states into seceding.”

While fearing that the re-

maining border states wouldn’t remain on his side if he put an end to all slavery, Lincoln wanted to keep the remaining states from thinking the union government was trying to eliminate slavery.

Lincoln’s main objective was to keep slavery under union control.

“As long as it was in union control, everything would be the same: slaves would remain slaves,” Dr. Newby-Alexander said.

In fear of upsetting top Democrats in states who supported the continuance of slavery and wanted it to remain in those states, Lincoln kept the border states and union occupied cities like Norfolk, Virginia enslaved and unable to attain freedom.

Although Norfolk was exempted, they did earn some privileges and benefits from the Emancipation Proclamation.

“Even though we were exempt, the occupation allowed for enslaved people to have a lot of freedoms,” said Dr. Newby-Alexander.

African Americans who were enslaved began working for the Federal Government as sailors on the USS Monitor, trained and organized soldiers in the Civil War, along with a host of other jobs.

See Slave freedom in Hampton Roads, page 2

Students use the Office of Veterans Affairs for tuition assistance. Photo credit: Brittany Elmore | The Spartan Echo.

Military branches reinstate tuition assistance programs

By Alyssia Luster On March 1, the Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Army all suspended their tuition assistance programs.

The programs were suspended as a result of automatic budget cuts, due to sequestration.

The Navy, however, did not suspended their benefits program for tuition assistance.

The Hampton Roads area See assistance programs , page 2

NSU to make change in tuition

By Renee McDonald Every spring, college students across the nation begin that never ending process of finding money to help fund their goal of receiving a college degree. Now, Norfolk State has decided to take their tuition process in a new direction, from credit based to flat rate. This shift was one of the many initiatives led by President Atwater and his team to ultimately keep students on a four-year graduation plan.

This is a permanent change approved by the Board of Visitors in December 2012. They

have yet to vote on the actual cost, according to Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management Terricita Sass.

This was reiterated at Dr. A’s Student Forum where the discussion was revolving his “15 to Finish” campaign.

“In the long-term, this action, along with several other strategies, will support enrollment growth through improved retention and on-time graduation,” Sass said. “More stuSee tuition change, page 2

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Spartan News

2

Slave freedom in Hampton Roads ■ Continued from front page

(Above) This 1864 F.B. Carpenter painting was a depiction of the first reading of the Emancipation Proclamation on July 22, 1862, by President Abraham Lincoln before his cabinet. From left to right: Edwin Stanton (Secretary of War), Salmon P. Chase (Secretary of the Treasury), President Abraham Lincoln, Gideon Welles (Secretary of the Navy), Caleb B. Smith (Secretary of the Interior), Montgomery Blair (Postmaster General), Edward Bates (Attorney General) and William H. Seward (Secretary of State). Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

The Emancipation Proclamation also called for the creation of the United States Colored Troops (USTC), which were regiments of the US Army during the Civil War composed of African American soldiers. By December of 1863, in Norfolk and Portsmouth, eight regiments of the United States Colored Troops were formed, including the 1st and 2nd Colored Cavalry units.

Lincoln was trying to get the Thirteenth Amendment passed before the war ended so that once the states re-entered the union, they would have to ratify the Amendment. The Thir-

teenth Amendment to the United States Constitution outlaws slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. It was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, by the House on January 31, 1865, and adopted on December 6, 1865. The Civil War ended on April 9, 1865.

For more information on the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War you can go to http://www.c-spanvideo.org/ event/187556. Dr. Newby-Alexander is featured in this panel discussion from the campus of Norfolk State University.

Spartan Echo makes correction The article, “NSU's Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity ends 7-year suspension, crosses line of 29,” printed in Issue 11, featured a misprinted headline. The

Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity actually crossed 31 members. The Spartan echo appreciates the organization for doing the interview and apologizes.

Assistance programs ■ Continued from front page houses a lot of sailors. Local sailors were frantic that their benefits would be suspended like the other military branches.

“I plan on enrolling in a local college for the fall semester,” said Seaman Shawn Cleophat. I joined the military for various reasons, but most importantly I joined for benefits purposes. If I lose my benefits, I’d have to question myself as to why I joined the military in the first place.”

The Chief of Naval Personnel says the Navy wants to keep the service’s tuition assistance program funded through the remainder of this fiscal year according to the Associated Press.

This all changed, however, when Senator Jim Inhofe and Senator Kay Hagan produced an amendment to exempt tuition assistance from sequestrian budget cuts. President Obama signed the amendment into law on March 27.

“Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, James Cody,

said that the Air Force will reinstate tuition assistance around mid-April. Like the Army, the Air Force will fully reinstate the program with no new limitations or restrictions” stated the Norfolk State University Veteran Affairs Office in an email to its benefit recipients.

The email also stated that The Marine Corps announced that they will also reinstate tuition assistance, but with some new limits. The new policy will effectively reduce the funding.

Members of Congress demanded that the Defense Department reinstate the program through the end of the fiscal year. The continuing resolution, signed by President Obama, requires the services to keep providing tuition assistance, but left it up to the services to manage the rules and funding for the program.

Tuition change ■ Continued from front page dents graduating on time will improve NSU’s reputation and support increased funding support from federal and state agencies.”

This change will have a great effect on the money that NSU students are spending. Commuter students can save as much as $3,300, and students living on-campus can save as much as $11,400 during their time at NSU. This also reduces loan debt for families and also supports

students exhausting their Pell Grants (reduced to 12 semesters or 6 years) before they graduate.

Many of the surrounding universities like Virginia State, Hampton, VCU, Virginia Union, Howard, Morgan State and NCA&T are already using flat rate based tuitions.

By making this shift NSU looks to increase graduation and retention rates, while also staying up-to-date with the competition.

4.23.13

A letter from Krysta Ricks Being the Editor-in-Chief of the Spartan Echo was no picnic in the park. At times, missed deadlines and stubborn reporters made the Echo newsroom the last place on Earth that I wanted to be.

As a reporter and a news editor, all I did was write. I wanted to be Editor-in-Chief so I could assign articles to my staff and then sit back until it was time to edit.

I was in for a rude awakening. I had to have schedules made months in advance, write back-up articles when stories fell through and be the face of the paper even when things weren’t going so great.

I believe that my biggest accomplishment was bringing the staff together. As a news reporter, I observed the lack of camaraderie among the staff and vowed that if I became Editor-in-Chief, I would change that.

Initially, I couldn’t get the staff members to open their mouths at meetings. By the second issue, I could barely hear myself think for all the chatter in the office. Mission accomplished!

Now that graduation is around the corner, I’m both happy and sad to pass on my leadership position. The Echo staff has grown journalistically, and I am confident that it will be left in more-than-capable hands when I leave.

I will definitely miss running the meetings every Tuesday and Thursday, and I don’t know what I would do without 101 emails flooding my inbox daily. Though there were some stressful days (and weeks), the Echo has made me a better writer and an overall better person, and I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world.

SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: spartanecho@nsu.edu

Spartan Opinion

4.23.13

3

Lil Wayne, Rick Ross under fire for insensitive remarks

By Krysta Ricks People all over the country are disgusted with some disrespectful lyrics from rappers Rick Ross and Lil Wayne.

Ross spits on his “U.O.E.N.O.” track about having sex with a woman after drugging her.

“Put molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it / I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain’t even know it.”

Rozay told New Orleans radio station Q93 that all the accusations are a misunderstanding because he never used the term “rape.”

Really, Rozay?

So I guess on the track “Hold Me Back” when he said “I call

up my slime, I need a kilo tonight,” he didn’t really mean drugs because he never actually said the word “cocaine.”

Lil Wayne, whose degrading remarks about women keep him in hot water on a seemingly daily basis, stuck his foot in his mouth yet again when he said “Beat that p—y up like Emmett Till” on Future’s “Karate Chop” remix.

Emmett Till’s brutal murder is a part of African-American history and should be referenced with the utmost respect for both the victim and his family. However, Lil Wayne thought it was smart to compare that vicious killing to what

he does to the most sacred part of the female anatomy.

Common sense should tell artists what not to discuss in music. If this is socially acceptable, where are all the Jewish rappers making light of the Holocaust?

Other artists like Kanye West have teetered on the fence of simple references and disrespectful allusions.

On his track “Through the Wire,” Kanye West said, “And just imagine how my girl feel/ On the plane scared as hell that her guy look like Emmett Till.”

The lyric upset some activists, but ultimately the conversation was dismissed because

Kanye’s mention of Emmett Till was not considered disrespectful.

Freedom of speech is one thing, but why use your position as an influential artist to spread messages about violently invading a woman?

This leads me to believe Wayne and Rozay knew exactly what they were doing when they produced those songs: boosting sales and stirring up controversy. After all, any publicity is good publicity, right?

When did socially insensitive remarks become disguised as artistic freedom in the hiphop world? Is America too prudish, or are the artists really

showing complete disregard for topics that shouldn’t even be touched?

Age, sex and music preference will garner different responses to those questions, but the artists have forced us all to come to one conclusion: sex with Lil Wayne and Rick Ross is most likely not consensual and very painful.

Were Lil Wayne and Rick Ross out of line for their lyrics? Tweet us your thoughts to @Spartan_Echo using the hashtag #InsensitiveLyrics.

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Spartan Sports

4

4.23.13

Slow start leads to strong finish

By Marian Brooks

Exiting seniors leave lasting impression on mens basketball team. Photo credit: www.nsuspartans.nsu.edu.

Seniors leave unforgettable mark on NSU basketball

By Leonard Fairley Four college basketball careers crossed paths in 2011 and will forever be tied together.

Forward Rob Johnson had a stellar freshman season at Marist University, but saw his playing time diminish. Johnson transferred to NSU and was reunited with head coach Anthony Evans who recruited him at Edison Prep in New Jersey.

“When you experience losing years after you’ve won everywhere you’ve been, you learn to appreciate winning more,” said Johnson.

Guard Kris Brown had several offers to play football, but decided to follow his dream of playing college basketball. After persevering through seasons of not playing much, Brown became an impact player.

St. Anthony’s High School in New Jersey has a renowned program in the country. One unsung player, A.J. Rogers, enrolled at St. Joseph’s University, and after a 9-23 conference record and little playing time, Rogers found a new home at NSU in 2010.

“I researched conferences that had post players around my size, and I found the MEAC,” said Rogers. “I saw many familiar faces such as Kyle [O’Quinn] and Coach Jones. I decided it was the place for me.”

College of Charleston maintained a solid program, but after never winning a league title and not seeing much playing time, Quasim Pugh transferred

to NSU reuniting with his former AAU coach and current NSU assistant coach Robert Jones.

Johnson became the team’s most vocal leader and most versatile player earning a third team All-MEAC selection.

“To continue winning, you must stay true to the game,” said Johnson. “You get out what you put in, and when you put in hard work, you get winning results.”

Brown stepped up and delivered as a key reserve for the Spartans this year. He brought more athleticism to the Spartan lineup contributing four double-digit scoring games.

Pugh and Rogers made their impact in the 2011-2012 season as key reserves. Pugh had three double-digit scoring outputs.

Rogers had a career-high 13 points in a regular season win over Florida A&M in 2012.

“As a basketball player the goal is to win, and to win you have to sacrifice,” said Rogers. “It worked out the best for me because I won a ring and played in the NCAA Tournament and the NIT. That’s all a basketball player can ask for whether they are a star or not.”

When Johnson, Rogers and Pugh joined Brown on campus two years ago, not many outside the program foresaw the results, but they had goals to take NSU basketball to new heights. For that, they will always be remembered as winners.

After being selected to finish second in the MEAC Northern Division, the lady Spartans had a rocky start winning seven out of their first 19 games. Since March 23, they have been on four-game winning streak securing both wins against MEAC opponents Coppin State and Howard University.

“We had a slow start, but conference play has been pretty smooth,” said sophomore firstbasemen, pitcher and hitter Robyn Mitchell.

The lady Spartans must improve their defense to make a run in the MEAC. “We need

more consistency on defense,” said Mitchell.

Junior catcher Kathy Cortez added that the team has to play one game at a time.

“We want to finish as regular season champs and use that in the tournament to win because anything can happen,” said Cortez.

Cortez believes the team worked hard in the offseason so they will be successful during the season.

“Everybody is putting in the work,” said Cortez. “We are all for the team and are going out there to do our job.”

The Spartans have focused on getting along and rely heavily on acting as a family. Players are hitting the ball powerfully and producing. Adding agilities to their preseason training, in addition to lifting three times a week, helped significantly.

“The agilities helped us get better and shoot up our PR’s,” said Cortez.

Mitchell credits the team for staying true to their motto

See Strong finish, page 7

Returning to winning ways

By Leonard Fairley After a disappointing 2012 season, NSU football is looking to return to their championship form.

The Spartans began spring football in February, marking a fresh start for a team that returns 14 full-time starters and welcomes 11 redshirt freshmen.

The third ranked defense in FCS football returns six starters led by standout AllMEAC linebacker Lynden Trail. Trail finished ninth in the nation for tackles for loss and was an honorable mention FCS All-American.

“I’m trying to take the role of captain,” said Trail.

“I am focusing on becoming better mentally. Although I am going hard in the weight room and on the field, mental mistakes are what really hurt last year.”

The Spartans will have to rely on some new faces as well as improve weakness-

es if they want to return to prominence defensively.

“Deon King, who plays on the other side of me, is young, very athletic and plays well in space which should really help next year,” said Trail. “Our defense has been emphasizing communication between each unit and working together to accomplish our goals.”

The offense returns eight starters and is hoping to rebound after struggling to produce last year. The Spartans will also rely on running back Brendon Riddick, who had a breakout season.

“This year my role is a lot bigger because our two senior backs are gone,” said Riddick. “I will be more involved in the offense because my abilities of blocking and catching the ball will be utilized. I have also grown to understand defen-

sive alignments.”

The Spartan offense is filled with talent. With stability and some productive newcomers, they should be able to showcase some of that talent this season.

“Tight end Jim Lynch, running back Aaron Daniels and wide receiver Isaac White are all newcomers that are looking good so far,” said Riddick. “The offense is looking to use its strengths more. We have playmakers at every position and plan to take full advantage next year.”

“They are adjusting fairly well so far,” said outside linebackers coach Hasan Craig. “Anytime you switch to a whole new system on offense, you have to get acclimated to all new plays See Winning ways, page 7

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4.23.13

Spartan Sports

5

Women’s track and field makes improvements in 2013 outdoor season

By Mariah Goodrich

The women’s track team has made great improvements since last year. They are more competitive, together and focused.

“From last year, I think we did way better, everybody wants to win the title this time,” Cunningham said.

The team started the 2013 outdoor season at the Shamrock Invitational, hosted by Coastal Carolina University. The Spartans notched three top-10 finishes. Freshman thrower Kiara Howell was key to two of the top-10 spots. Howell received fourth in the shot put and sixth

in the discus. Coming in fourth in the pole vault by clearing 10 feet was sophomore Tiara Davis.

At the Tribe Invitational, March 23, the Spartans took 3 wins as well as 11 top-10 finishes. Junior Champagne Bell had two relay victories and a first-place finish in the long jump. The Spartans field athletes received six of the 11 top10 finishes. Howell and sophomore Kayianne McKenzie had two top-10 spots each. Howell was runner-up in both the shot put and discus throws. Mackenzie’s achievements were fourth

place in both the long jump and triple jump. Freshman Navia Howell received seventhplace in the javelin. In both the 4x100 and 4x400 relay races; the Spartans came out with the win. Sophomore Qua’Nesha Wallace was third place in the 100 meters, sophomore Torie Cunningham was fourth in the 400 and sophomore Ra’Shaun Combs was sixth in the 800.

The team had its second straight 4x100 relay win April 1 at the U. Va. Invite, when sophomore Brittney McCants joined Wallace, Bell and Cunningham for the relay. This was

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not the Spartans only achievement; freshman Rachel Webb was ninth in the meters, and freshman Jazmine Vaughan was fifth in the hurdles. Kiara Howell managed to keep strong placing fourth in the shot put and fifth in the top heave of 150-11. McKenzie was fourth in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump.

How exactly did they make these improvements?

Taking care of their bodies is very important especially during the season.

“I make sure I eat dinner, see Dr. Joe and get rest,” Webb

said.

“I drink a lot of water and Gatorade, stretch a lot and watch my eating habits especially when we are on the road,” Cunningham said. “I take ice baths at the hotels. We can’t eat a lot of beef because it will sit on our stomach the next day. We can’t eat meat 72 hours before a meet. We can’t eat sweets or a lot of bread. We mostly eat pasta.”

Will the Spartans come back even stronger for the 2014 season? We will have to wait and see.

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4.23.13

Lifestyle

6

Undeclared majors face obstacles when seeking interships

By Desiree Jenkins Finding an internship can be one of the most difficult tasks for a college student; it is even more difficult for students without a major.

According to USA Today, securing internships comes down to having a set plan. The three basic steps of your plan needs to be formatted around, pursuing skill sets/interests, utilizing networks, and being able to conduct a good interview. These tasks are simple but they are also often underestimated or overlooked.

Showcasing already established skills allows for a future employer to view your potential. Once this foundation has been laid, begin marketing yourself.

Networking, in this generation, is something we do constantly, so take advantage of it. By following, reposting or liking certain companies or people, you are likely to find internship opportunities.

Finally, it comes down to the interview portion.

Practicing interviewing etiquette such as appropriate dress and responses is vital to self-confidence and the interview process as a whole.

California State University at East Bay emphasizes using on campus resources such as faculty, professional organizations, and peers. Because professors have already experienced what it was like to be a student, they often have insight on the dos and don’ts when it comes to finding an internship.

Professional organizations or clubs allow for individuals to become more refined and more conscious of their professional selves. Peers also play a significant role by giving instant feedback to others as they go through the process.

NSU also has on site resources such as Career Services. There, you have the chance to do many things such as improve resumes, get linked in to job opportunities and find internships. Also, the staff is more than willing to assist in cultivating interview skills.

Overall, the undeclared student does have more work cut out for them.

They must be more knowledgeable and be able to sell themselves more to potential employers.

Providing scholarship Opportunities: taking care of your debt

By Jasmine Battle Trying to find scholarships can be an agonizing pain and discouraging to those who feel unworthy of receiving benefits in any way. Many times students overlook the opportunities that the university has to offer, and as school comes to an end, students and graduating seniors have to prepare themselves for the debt that has accumulated from their college career. Scholarships are intended to provide assistance to those who are in need of economic help.

Every year Norfolk State holds a Scholarship fair for students to seek the appropriate grant that applies to their academic achievements or career goals, but not many students are taking advantage of these services.

“If it is not an event going on that has to do with a party,

students do not really look into it,” said junior kinesiotherapy major Moyatu Ebba.

Scholarships come in many different forms, Such as writing an essay or personal statement, your GPA may also be a benefiting factor, also scholarships are out there for first generation college students. In other cases where students have been in college more than two years, believe that scholarships don’t apply to them or that they are not available to them.

“Upper classmen have this view that if they are not freshman, they don’t have access to the scholarships out there,” said Ebba.

Summer is a great time for students to seek scholarship funding so they are prepared for the upcoming semester.

Some students will complain of financial problems in deal-

ing with grants or loans, yet spend refund checks on numerous things and don’t save it for college debt.

Norfolk State’s Academy for Collegiate Excellence (ACCESS) helps students take advantage of financial aid opportunities and other resources.

Finance major Brittany Fulbright receives a scholarship from the School of Business and was a volunteer at the scholarship fair this semester.

“Maybe you don’t have a great GPA or strong writing abilities but it doesn’t hurt to still try. All you have to do is go out there and look for it,” said Fulbright.

For more information on the financial aid opportunities you may be missing out on, visit ACCESS office in the Student Services building.

Online shopping becomes trendy

By Ciara Simmons College is the time to learn who you really are and become more of an individual. This can come from your choice of friends, classes and style.

Online shopping is not just being left to getting inexpensive textbooks. More and more college students are using the shopping trend to expand their wardrobe with pieces that could set them apart. It sometimes requires a little searching to find closet staples or trends at more reasonable prices.

With sites like Daily Look, JustFab, HauteLook, Ebay and Amazon, the ability to find

stylish pieces for great prices is easily accessible.

According to a study by SheerID, posted December 2012, 77 percent of college students reported shopping online within a 30 day period.

That was a 13 percent increase from the previous year. The study also showed that with the high use of social media, like Facebook and Twitter, more students are taking advantage of the advertised sales and the opinions and shopping updates of their friends.

NSU student Diana Cole says she uses online shopping

mainly because of lack of transportation.

“I also like that I can take my time to navigate the system and see what kind of stuff they have online because some of it is not available in stores.”

Whether you are an online shopper or not, the constant rise of new internet boutiques shows that this is a business that will have some longevity.

Will you take that leap and join the trend?

SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: spartanecho@nsu.edu

4.23.13

Lifestyle

SGA newly elected officials map out future plans

By Desiree Jenkins Started from the bottom now [we’re] here, the opening lyric from the popular song of the same name, seems to echo the sentiments of Shandré Earl and Eboné Thomas, the new Student Government Association President and Vice President.

After a grueling two weeks of campaigning, I was able to sit down and have the honor of interviewing the two. The officials have many plans for the future. “[We] are going to establish a strong Executive Board,” Earl said. “We would like for students to come out and apply to the available positions in the SGA Suite. However, we would also like to emphasis the fact that the interview process

will be stringent. We want the people interviewing for each position to be qualified and committed not only to SGA but NSU as a whole.”

Homecoming was and still is for some a hot button issue.

The entertainment was lackluster and frankly did not cater to majority of the student body.

As a result, this administration has vowed to create an impartial committee.

“Firstly, we recognize that everyone wants the best homecoming possible and that last year’s events were less than stellar,” Thomas said. “The purpose of SGA, however, is to represent broader issues that our fellow Spartans face such as tuition and housing rates.

Therefore we will implement an impartial homecoming committee composed of average NSU students. This will give students the chance to actively participate in SGA and understand that their voice matters greatly.”

One thing that is important to Earl and Thomas is NSU’s image. They believe image comes from within. The officials plan to work with other organizations such as Student Activities to effectively create a stronger sense of Spartan unity. Both the President and Vice President agree SGA does not belong to a certain subset of students, but to all Spartans.

They advise students to come to them or stop by their offices if any issues occur.

Is Obama black enough?

New Lyceum speakers address the issue

By Tony Batchler, Jr.

As a part of the New Lyceum Speaker Series, Drs. Harry and Michele Elam of Stanford University visited Norfolk State last month and talked about President Obama in regards to how he is perceived by society.

During his first term, there were questions and doubts, just like there would be for any first term president. Since President Obama was the first black president, he was attacked from a racial side as well. From the cartoon drawings, the “Is he the kind of black person we want?” questions to the hanging Obama doll during the 2012 election in North Carolina, it just seemed to get worse.

Along with the racial at-

tacks, every decision or move he made was judged critically because it was his first term not only as president, but as an African-American president.

Dr. Harry Elam adds ‘that old edge that black people have to be better than the white people, you didn’t have to be just as good but better.’”

When asked if Obama will get more leeway in his second term, Dr. Harry Elam said, “Generally, presidents in their second term have more leeway… So, truly Barack Obama has to seize the time, the things that he brought up in his second inaugural address; hopefully, those are things that can come into effect.”

Dr. Michele Elam added, “I think that there is more pressure on him, but hopefully, more possibility that he can actually sort of push through some of the more progressive reforms that he wants to do in terms of racial and social justice…because he is [in his] second term.”

Dr. Harry Elam wrapped up by saying, “Yet still, you have a congress that is not on the same page with him[Obama], so working with that it is going to be an interesting two, three and yes four years.”

For the full interview check it out at www.spartanecho.org

7

Winning ways

editors Krysta Ricks Editor-inChief

■ Continued from page 4

and calls. Defensively, we haven’t changed the system since I played, so they don’t have to worry about much changing there. It’s pretty basic.”

As spring begins, the Spartans are poised to succeed as one unit and return to the top of the MEAC. A strong productive spring will go a long way in overcoming the nightmares of last season.

Strong finish ■ Continued from page 4

established early in the year.

“This year it [motto] is ‘until the end.’ We will take it inning by inning until the end of the season,” said Mitchell.

“Most of us have played since we were five or six, so fundamentals are key,” said Cortez.

Playing highly competitive opponents before MEAC play such as Monmouth, Campbell and Morehead State were by design to provide challenges and force the team to compete.

According to NSUSpartans. com, Coach Heidi Cavallo said “Our schedule is one that we know we can succeed in,” and success is what they are beginning to achieve.

Brittany Elmore Online/ Managing Editor

Jasmine Battle Lifestyle Editor

Marian JonesBrooks Sports Editor

Keith Offutt Multimedia Editor

Tony Batchler Jr. Entertainment Editor DeVanique Riley Graphic Design/ Layout Editor

Interested in writing for the Spartan Echo? Join our team! Meetings are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30 in NSC 344.

SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: spartanecho@nsu.edu

Spartan Entertainment

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4.23.13

5 Newcomers to lookout for in 2013

By Tony Batchler, Jr. With the latest lists coming out recently MTV’s Hottest MC and XXL Freshman class, we at the Spartan Echo decided to come up with our own list of “new” artists to look out for the rest of the year and beyond.

1. Luke James NOLA native Luke James first started off writing for artists like Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Britney Spears and Keri Hilson. James broke onto the scene with his Grammy nominated single “I Want You” which was included on his 2012 mixtape Whispers in the Dark.

His much anticipated debut album titled Made to Love is expected to be released sometime this year. @whoislukejames 2. Ab-soul West coast rapper Ab-soul may have been overshadowed by fellow label mate Kendrick Lamar, but he really started to get the industry talking with the track ILLuminate off of his sophomore album Control System. Along with being on

XXL’s 2013 Freshman list with label mate Schoolboy Q, he is expected to release a joint album with singer/songwriter/ producer JMSN titled Unit 6 to be out sometime this year. @ abdashsoul 3. Sevyn Ex Rich Girl member Sevyn not only penned for stars like Chris Brown, Brandy, Alicia Keys and Estelle, but also has her own hot single I Like It playing on radio stations everywhere. She is currently working on her debut album; fans are hoping for a late 2013/early 2012 release. @sevyn 4. Logic Gaithersburg, Maryland native Logic, aka Young Sinatra, shocked many by being included on XXL’s 2013 Freshman List, but this was no fluke. He has put in work with the mixtape game, and received tons of positive feedback after his second mixtape especially for the track All I Do, which was his first to reach over 1 mil-

lion views on YouTube. He is expected to release his fourth mixtape, Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever, later this year. @Logic301 5. Kino Beats NSU’s own Markino Hay, aka Kino Beats, isn’t a rapper or a singer but is a hot new producer. Having produced for artists such as Julz Santana, Wiz Khalifa, 2Chainz and Soulja Boy, Kino is definitely on his way up. Expect to see “Produced By: Kino Beats” on a lot more records in the future. @Kinobeats 6. James McClain Another of NSU’s own and 757 native James McClain received praise with his recent single Back to Da Real that gives fans a feel of some old school hip hop. McClain will be releasing his debut mixtape Unfinished Product April 26. @jamesmcclainII

Boy Meets World 2?

By Tony Batchler, Jr. 90s babies remember the hit show Boy Meets World that ran 1993-2000. Young boys crushed over Topanga, and we all remember the lessons of Mr. Feeney. We all witnessed Cory and Topanga grow up to get married all while learning life lessons.

Just when we thought the door was closed on the memorable series, news of a spinoff surfaced late in Tarantino’s a 2012 andDjango was received confirmed 2013 Oscar bid. Photo credit: by Ben Savage (Cory) and www.facebook.com/unDanielle Fishel (Topanchainedmovie.

Boy meets world enters a new age with spinoff Girl Meets World focuses on Cory and Topanga’s family. Photo credit: www.facebook. com/boymeetsworldseries.

ga). The spinoff titled Girl Meets World will be set a decade later and centered around the youngest of Cory and Topanga’s two children Riley Matthews and the lessons she faces in life. The role of Riley Matthews will be played by Rowan Blanchard, who also starred

in Spy Kids: All the Time in the World.

It has also been confirmed that William Daniels (Mr. Feeney) will be involved in the new spin-off. Shooting for the show has already started, and the show is expected to debut sometime this year.

Sexism in video games

By Jules Dean Sexism in video games is hardly a new discussion, but it is always an important discussion that gets people talking. Anita Sarkeesian has recently brought up the discussion by creating a new web-series called “Tropes vs Women in Video Game”. She got a lot of buzz for the show since she decided to get crowd funding from kickstater.com.

Her original goal of $6000 was met in the first day, and she went on to raise about $158,000.

Although she currently only has one video on the subject, the series already has people talking about sexism in video games. There is constant debate about video games being tailored to a male audience since the opinion is that men are the ones to buy and play most of the video games. However, there is definitely a female audience that, for the most part, is completely ignored by marketing campaigns or even other video gamers.

For example, the newly released Bioshock Infinite features a female and male protagonist, but only the male hero is seen on the front cover.

When Norfolk State freshman Mahogany Waldon was asked why she thought publishers advertise more toward men, she said, “more boys play

video games than girls. Girls are not that interested.”

That might be exactly what a lot of people think; however, according to a study done by the Entertainment Software Association in 2012, 47 percent of video gamers are women. In fact, when Waldon was asked if she plays video games, she responded with an excited “yes.” She explained that her favorite types of games are action-adventure or sports games.

Another female student gamer, Tirecka Mackall, said her favorite game is Grand Theft Auto.

“GTA is about empowerment,” she explained, “and it makes me feel in total control.”

So the problem is not that girls do not play video games or that girls do not play ‘guy games,’ it is that the opinions about who plays video games are wrong. Will women be better represented in video game culture? Only time will tell.

To find out more about Anita Sarkeesian, her web series can be found on Youtube.com under the channel Feminist Frequency.

For more information about the Electronics Software Association study results, visit Theesa.com.

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