Stones of hope for the next generation . . . Page 4 50 Cents
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Vol. 37, No. 36: Section 01
Tallahassee, Florida
Sept. 8 - Sept. 14, 2011
FAMU College of Law achieves largest enrollment in school history with 2011 entering class
Moore to Love
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Pernell balances law and life Person of the Week
Dean LeRoy Pernell By Terrika Mitchell Outlook Staff Writer
Dr. LeRoy Pernell, dean of Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) College of Law, was just the man to prepare the resurrected law school for full American Bar Association (ABA) accreditation in just 18 months and he has the 15-page resume to back that up. “He’s the longest standing African-American dean in America,” said Jeremy Levitt, FAMU’s College of Law associate dean of International Programs and professor of international law. “He has a track record of excellence and he’s just been a major force in diversifying the legal academy.”
Justice E. C. Perry, Florida Supreme Court (left), administers the Oath of Professionalism to FAMU College of Law first-year students during Fall 2011 orientation. Students also participated in the Oath of Professionalism - a tradition which sets the standard for conduct at the FAMU College of Law. The oath was administered by the Honorable James E. C. Perry, Florida Supreme Court
Justice, to students participating in the day program, and by the Honorable Hubert Grimes, 7th Circuit judge, to evening program students. The 2011 entering class brings an academic background
that is as diverse as the FAMU College of Law, which has consistently been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top five Most Diverse Law Schools in the Nation since 2007 – achieving the top rank on three See LAW, Page 2
Edward Waters College: The Tigers’ tale By Terrika Mitchell Outlook Staff Writer
Amid financial distress, fickle leadership and plummeting enrollment, the Edward Waters College (EWC) community is still undefeated in morale. “We have a president now who’s actually doing something,” said Kendra Randall, a fourthyear psychology student at EWC. “It really makes a difference and the school as a whole is happier.” Randall, 21, is referring to the college’s 29th president, Nathaniel Glover Jr. After nine months of serving as interim president, the EWC alumnus accepted the permanent position as president in February 2011. According to an article published on Jacksonville.com, Glover credits his alma mater for providing opportunities he may not have experienced without attending EWC. “It all started with Edward Waters College,” he said. Glover’s statement is fact, in more ways than one. EWC was established in Jacksonville in 1866 as Florida’s first historically black college for emancipated slaves. Today, after being destroyed by a city-wide fire in 1901 and being rebuilt in its present Kings Road site, the college remains grounded in African Methodist Episcopal values. “Edward Waters has been around since 1866, and has al-
Nathaniel Glover Jr. will be inaugurated as EWC’s president this October. ways held strong to its values, traditions and mission to provide a holistic education to its students,” said Glover. “Our first priority is and always will be to further enhance our students’ experiences inside and outside the classroom.” Unfortunately, EWC has experienced a drastic decrease in enrollment as a result of a 2005 accreditation challenge by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). According to collegestats.org, enrollment is just more than 800 students. “News inaccurately spread that our institution lost its ac-
See POW, Page 2
creditation,” Glover said. “As a result, our enrollment dropped significantly, which led to an internal restructuring and a temporarily unstable budget. However, in September 2010, we successfully submitted SACS’ Fifth Year Report and are certain that we will receive favorable feedback as we continue to move forward as a financially and academically stabilized institution.” Graduation and retention rates have declined as well. Tirelessly though, the EWC tigers are “on the rise.” With a balanced budget, community support and a solid course of action, the college is surely on its way to being a collegiate powerhouse. “We recently increased our enrollment standards, which now allows us to acquire a new caliber of student. We are also attentively refining our nine degree programs,” Glover explained. “I believe we have the means and talent to make that goal a reality, but it is going to take a couple of years for our reputation to spread that our forthcoming niche programs are second-to-none.” While attracting students to the college is a top priority for the administration, current students are unmoved in their Tiger pride. Student Government Association President Mikeeta Ephraim said the college’s family atmosphere is one of its key elements. “We all have our differences See EWC, Page 2
Providence neighborhood traces its history By Ashley Hogans Outlook Staff Writer
The Providence neighborhood is close to Florida A&M and Florida State universities and has a rich history. Some of the first homes were built in the late 1940s to early 1950s. During this time period, Providence established its roots as a thriving community and created its ground as a viable economic force. “It’s hard to believe this community has been around for so long,” said Susan Taylor, a resident of Providence. “It just goes to show you that this neighborhood has grown a lot over the years and we are still in the process of growing.” The residents that lived in this southside neighborhood at the peak of its development consisted of carpenters, farmers, teachers and skilled workers. Then, Caucasians populated the neighborhood with some African Americans, but in the late 1980s the neighborhood quickly transitioned to a predominately
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The Florida A&M University (FAMU) College of Law began the 2011-2012 academic year with the largest enrollment in its history, 721 students. This includes an entering class of 276 full-time day and part-time evening students. Classes began Aug. 15 following a week of orientation activities for the incoming class. During the week of orientation, students had the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the law school environment. Activities included preview classes, introductions to various law school departments, legal writing diagnostics and an introduction to the legal profession during a panel discussion featuring area judges and attorneys. Comparable sessions are held to accommodate the 207 students in the full-time day program and the 69 students in the part-time evening program.
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Providence is surrounded by CSX railroad lines, Iamonia and Hillsborough Streets, Levy Avenue and Hutchinson Street, and Lake Bradford Road and Stuckey Street. African-American community. Providence is surrounded by the CSX railroad lines to the north, Iamonia and Hillsborough Streets to the west, Levy Avenue and Hutchinson Street on the south, and Lake Bradford Road and Stuckey Street to the east. Some of the street names derived from previous residents that lived in the neighborhood several years ago. Stuckey Street, for example, was named in honor of landowner Kate Stuckey, a wellknown resident involved in the community.
Historically, Providence was named Bloxham Heights in honor of William D. Bloxham, who was governor of Florida in 1880. Although the neighborhood was formally named Bloxham Heights, the residents who lived in the area referred to it as “Allen Hill.” The Providence community is very diverse as it relates to age. According to the U.S. Census, 59 percent of residents are children and young adults under the age of 24. Since the neighborhood is close to both universities and FSU’s Alumni Village and Inno-
vation Park, college students account for 33 percent of the neighborhood’s population. Charles Smith, who moved in the neighborhood in 2010, said the location was very convenient. “I was going to FAMU at one point in time, so I was trying to get closer to school,” said Smith, who attends Lively Aviation School. “It’s an alright community and everyone pretty much stays to themselves.” Family households account for only 35 percent of the neighborhood while more than half of those families with children are single-parent households. Today, Mothers In Crisis, Inc., a non-profit corporation that helps individuals facing obstacles including drug and alcohol abuse, is located at one of the oldest homes in the neighborhood known as the Bishop’s house, who was once a well known resident. Ashley Hogans can be contacted at ahogans@capitaloutlook.com.
Inside LOCAL / STATE 3 OPINION / 4 EDUCATION / 5 RELIGION / 6 COMMUNITY NEWS/ 7
Briefs
Merit pay law raises questions for Florida’s specialty teachers The state’s new teacher merit pay law kicks in this school year and the idea behind it sounds simple: the better students perform, the more teachers can earn. But in areas such as art, music and physical education, it’s raising more questions than answers. The law mandates up to half of a teacher’s raise be based on how well students do on standardized tests, but there is no state criteria to evaluate specialty teachers. Districts will have to come up with that this year. Dip in Florida consumer confidence points toward recession Consumer confidence among Floridians decreased to a near record-low in August, according to a new University of Florida survey. This month’s mark of 62 is only three points higher than the record-low 59 set in June 2008. “Although none of the index components were at record lows, the combined decrease in confidence across all five components is remarkable,” said Chris McCarty, director of the Bureau of Economic and Business Research. “If past history of this index is any indication, we are in, or at least very near, a recession. We are not likely to know for certain until after the fourth quarter.” When can an insurer drop you? Floridians who have been ditched by their home insurer often ask whether that’s allowed and if so, how it’s possible. State law allows it in certain situations. Here’s a guide at weblogs. sun-sentinel.com/business/ realestate/housekeys/ blog/2011/08/when_can_your_ insurer_drop_you.html. See also the Florida statutes governing Insurance Rates and Contracts at leg.state.fl.us/statutes/.
This Week’s Word “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 (KJV)