Rattler Nation

Alford elected to 2012 MEAC Hall Of Fame

2012-01-29T00:01:00.002-05:00

FAMU softball standout Amber Alford is slated for induction into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's (MEAC) Sports Hall of Fame.

Alford, a star pitcher, guided the FAMU Lady Rattler softball team to three straight MEAC titles from 1997-1999. She was named MEAC Rookie of the Year in 1997 and followed with MEAC Player of the Year accolades in 1998. Alford concluded her collegiate career with a 75-47 record and a 2.19 ERA while striking out 487 batters. Alford is atop the FAMU softball history books with 43 out of 49 complete games pitched in 1998. She also earned All-American honors and MEAC Tournament Outstanding Performer accolades twice during her career.

Head softball Coach Veronica Wiggins is elated about the induction. "I was ecstatic when I got the call last night. It's overwhelming seeing kids that come to you and they grow into maturity over the time you are associated with them. She graduated in 2000 and she should get recognition for actually putting FAMU softball on the map. The MEAC's level of overall play can be attributed to what she and her teammates brought to the table."

The Hall of Fame class will be honored on March 9th in Winston-Salem, N.C. during the 2012 MEAC Basketball Tournament.

SBI alum named director for corporate development at Global Payments

2012-01-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

FAMU alumnus Aaron Gray has joined Global Payments as director for Corporate Development and will help drive the company’s domestic and international corporate development and mergers and acquisitions initiatives for worldwide expansion and growth.

Global Payments is one of the world’s largest electronic transactions processing companies. Gray began his career as an investment-banking analyst for Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., where he evaluated strategic alternatives for clients across the technology, media and telecom sectors.

“It felt amazing when I received the job offer,” said Gray. “I was glad that my collective work experiences in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and my operating experience at a number of other firms positioned me well for the role.”

Prior to joining Global Payments, Gray served as manager, strategic business development/corporate strategy for The Home Depot. He executed extensive research on market trends to identify key issues and their impact on core business strategies and also provided analysis and recommendations on strategic business and operational initiatives to the executive leadership team.

Gray has also served as business development analyst for Fandango, Inc., where he performed detailed merger analyses and through his competitive intelligence and
identification of strong strategic partners, was responsible for the execution of major deals for the company.

Gray graduated with honors from FAMU’s School of Business and Industry (SBI) and has a master’s in business administration from Harvard Business School.

“FAMU and the School of Business and Industry prepared me for this job because I learned my core accounting and financial principles in class,” he said. “I was also exposed to great professors who encouraged me to read outside of class to gain an edge of my competition for jobs. Additionally, the professional development taught in SBI helped me become comfortable presenting to c-level executives. As we speak, I am in Asia with our senior vice president of mergers and acquisitions as well as the company’s international president and I feel totally at ease. I have a lot to be thankful for.”

USNWR names FAMU 14th most popular national university

2012-01-27T00:01:00.003-05:00

FAMU has been named the 14th most popular national university in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. FAMU is the only historically black college or university, and the only university in Florida ranked among the Top 15.

The list is compiled by the yield of students who enroll in a university after being accepted.

According to the U.S. News and World Report’s website, one of the best indicators of a school’s popularity among students is the school’s yield—the percentage of applicants accepted by a college who end up enrolling at that institution in the fall. In fall 2010, FAMU accepted 4,993 and the first year enrollment was 2,815; therefore, 56.4 percent of the students who were accepted were enrolled as part of the fall 2010 class.

Women's flag football team wins eighth national championship

2012-01-26T00:01:00.002-05:00

Over a 10-day period, the FAMU Simply Marvelous Women’s Flag Football team posted an 11-0 record and won two national championships. That is a record-setting eight national championships in five years.

Simply Marvelous, managed and coached by FAMU alumni Marvin Green Jr. and Derrick Folson, won the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) National Campus Championship Series (NCCS) National Championship. FAMU previously won this tournament in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Simply Marvelous reached the championship rounds by first winning the NCCS Regional Flag Football Championship December 2-4, 2011 at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss. In the Regional Championship game, FAMU defeated Southern University with a score of 13-0. The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association of the National Campus Championship Series National Championship was hosted by Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. FAMU went 5-0 and defeated the Texas State Blazers 7-0 to win the championship.

FAMU's Erika Collins was named most valuable player and named to the Women's All-Tournament Team, along with teammates Sharonta Williams and Tynequia Roberts.

On December 31, 2011, Simply Marvelous also won the American Collegiate Intramural Sports (ACIS) 32nd Annual National Flag Football Tournament in Pensacola, Fla. FAMU previously won this tournament in 2007, 2009 and 2010. ACIS Flag Football is a series of campus flag football regional and national championship tournaments that provide college student-athletes with the opportunity to compete in high-quality, nationally promoted intramural events.

FAMU's Simply Marvelous reached the National Championship round by winning the 2011 Swamp Bowl hosted by the University of Florida. FAMU's Simply Marvelous came out of this tournament, where some of the best teams in the Southeast were represented by defeating the University of South Florida in the championship game 19-0. Erika Collins was named tournament Offensive Most Valuable Player. Kimbryana Lewis was named tournament Defensive MVP.

Over the course of 11 games, FAMU scored 368 points and only allowed one touchdown -- a National Women's Flag Football record. Simply Marvelous will next participate in the ESPN Weekend Women's Flag Football Tournament held in Orlando, Fla., March 1-4 at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex.

FAMU dismisses alleged “Clone” hazers

2012-01-25T00:15:00.000-05:00

FAMU has expelled four students who are charged with Marching 100 members who attempted to join the unauthorized “Clones” group associated with the clarinet section.

Denise Bailey, Brandon Benson, Hakeem Birch and Anthony Mingo were all booked last Thursday and taken to the Leon County Jail. Officers released them after they all posted bond.

An arrest report states that pledges were slapped, punched, and paddled during a hazing process at Benson and Birch’s residence. The alleged incident is not connected to the Nov. 19 homicide of drum major Robert D. Champion.

Under university rules, the four dismissed students may appeal their expulsions to a judicial committee of the Division of Student Affairs.

“We encourage anyone who has been a victim of hazing to come forward. We will promptly and thoroughly investigate every complaint and seek prosecution for all cases to the fullest extent of the law,” Sharon P. Saunders, FAMU's chief communications officer, said in a statement.

Reed resigns as Bethune-Cookman president

2012-01-24T23:59:00.003-05:00

Trudie Kibbe Reed is leaving the presidency of Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU). The school’s Board of Trustees accepted her resignation Jan. 20 by an overwhelming margin of 30 to three.

Larry Handfield, the trustees chairman and steadfast Reed supporter, is also stepping down from his leadership position on the board although he will remain a member.

Handfield told the Daytona Beach News-Journal that Reed’s exit has nothing to do with the approximately one dozen lawsuits against the school, including wrongful termination actions filed by former football coach Alvin Wyatt and former basketball coach Clifford Reed.

There were numerous other controversies during Reed’s seven and half year tenure. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) accused her of violating academic freedom and formally censured her administration in June. The AAUP previously censured Reed trampling academic freedom when she was president of Philander Smith College in Arkansas.

In 2008, Reed also turned many heads by hiring former FAMU interim president Castell V. Bryant as her interim vice-president of academic affairs. Castell nearly cost FAMU its accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 2007.

Alumni, faculty, and student anger against Reed surfaced in a very public fashion in 2009 with the launch of a website that called for her termination. It accused her of hiring incompetent administrators, unfairly dismissing employees who stood up to her, trying to dismantle the School of Social Sciences, and endangering the entire university’s accreditation.

Rufus’ “clout” with Scott not translating into money for FAMU

2012-01-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

Rufus Montgomery continues to brag nonstop about having Gov. Rick Scott’s ear. But his so-called “clout” has not helped FAMU gain anything from the Florida Governor’s Office.

Scott appointed Rufus to the FAMU Board of Trustees on March 23, 2011. Less than two months later, the governor line item vetoed all the funds that lawmakers appropriated for FAMU’s Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) projects. Scott took away $2,014,769 for electrical and technology upgrades on FAMU’s campus and another $500,000 for FAMU’s Public Health Entomology Research and Education Lab in Panama City.

At the same time, Scott gave a thumbs-up for $35M in PECO dollars for a new construction on the campus of the University of South Florida Polytechnic.

If Rufus is really a big-time powerbroker with Scott, why couldn’t he save a mere $2.5M in PECO money from the governor’s veto pen? Why didn’t Scott show him the same respect that he showed his top political supporters in Lakeland?

Rufus is proving to be equally ineffective in the struggle to find enough money to complete Phase II of the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences building. Scott’s 2012-2013 budget does not include any of the money FAMU needs to finish this project, which is essential for the program’s accreditation. FAMU needs $6,049,000 to finish up Pharmacy Phase II. The university has received $25,000,000 toward the total $31,049,000 required for the project.

Scott clearly has a one-sided relationship with Rufus. Rufus just does what he is told with no questions asked. FAMU has gotten absolutely nothing out of this deal.

The governor has shown that protecting FAMU’s flagship health sciences school is not one of his priorities. His priority is attempting to call the shots concerning who will serve as FAMU’s president with Rufus’ help.

Rufus has been the go-to trustee in Scott’s efforts to get rid of President James H. Ammons. Even though Rufus failed to deliver on the task of suspending Ammons, Rattler Nation has learned that the fight to help Scott take control of FAMU’s presidency is just beginning. Steps are already being taken to make sure that the results of Ammons’ performance evaluation will please Scott.

For a trustee who boasts about being the FAMUan with the best relationship with the governor, Rufus is obviously useless in bringing the money home.

Pharmacy Phase II’s future uncertain as PECO well runs dry

2012-01-23T00:01:00.003-05:00

With state economists projecting that the Florida will not have any additional Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) dollars for at least the next two years, the future of FAMU’s pharmacy school expansion project has become uncertain.

FAMU needs $6,049,000 to finish up Pharmacy Phase II. The university has received $25,000,000 toward the total $31,049,000 required for the project. Without that money, the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences might be in jeopardy of failing to meet the laboratory and classroom space requirements of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

Florida’s PECO Revenue Estimating Committee recently lowered its projections for the program’s maximum amounts. PECO funds come from gas, communications, and utility taxes and go to public education building projects. Those tax collections are down due to the dismal housing market and increase in the use of energy efficient appliances and cell phones (rather than landlines).

Scott asks schools to return unspent PECO dollars
Matters have gotten even worse now that Gov. Rick Scott is asking public K-20 institutions to return $250M that the Florida Legislature previously appropriated for PECO projects. State University System of Florida Chancellor Frank Brogan sent a memo informing public universities that payments for new projects will be suspended. The suspension does not apply to projects that are already under contract.

Lady Rattlers beat UMES to remain undefeated in MEAC; Rattlers down Hawks on road

2012-01-22T00:01:00.003-05:00

The Lady Rattler hoopsters remained perfect in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with a 54-49 victory over the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) on Saturday.

FAMU improved to 13-6, 6-0 MEAC. The Lady Rattler were paced by the double-double effort of Antonia Bennett (pictured), who posted 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Qiana Donald, who lead the team in scoring with 14 points.

UMES trailed for most of the game, with FAMU taking command early in the first quarter with an 11-0 lead after three minutes of play. The halftime score saw FAMU up by seven, 25-18.

The Lady Rattlers lead nearly slipped away in the final quarter when the Hawks narrowed a 13-point deficit to one possession with less than a minute remaining. But FAMU would eventually run out the clock as the Rattlers posted their 10th consecutive win to stay atop the MEAC standings.

Rattlers beat UMES 68-63
Despite being out rebounded 50-33, the FAMU Rattlers road a shooting percentage just shy of 54 percent for the Rattlers to claim a 68-63 road victory over the UMES Hawks Saturday night.

The Hawks had 34 total offensive rebounds, and scored 31 second-chance points compared to the Florida A&M's 18. The Hawks also scored 31 points off its bench, which 55 percent of could be contributed to Hines.

FAMU committed 20 turnovers with UMES finishing with 11 steals. But the Rattler defense held the Hawks to lowly 31 percent shooting from the floor and 59 percent at the free-throw, just shy of their team average.

“Red Tails” brings Tuskegee Airmen story to big screen

2012-01-21T02:18:00.002-05:00

It is opening weekend for the “Red Tails,” executive producer George Lucas’ action film about the Tuskegee Airmen.

Anthony Hemmingway, best known for his work in HBO’s “The Wire” and “Oz,” directed the movie. Actors Terrance Howard (“Iron Man” and “Pride”) and Cuba Gooding Jr. (“Jerry Maguire” and “Boyz n the Hood”) headline the star-studded cast.

Lucas, best known for his multi-billion dollar “Star Wars” franchise, said he had to personally fund “Red Tails” because major studios told him they did not think a big budget movie without any major roles for whites could turn a profit.

“I showed it to all of them and they said no,” Lucas said. “We don't know how to market a movie like this.”

Lucas poured $58M into the production “Red Tails” and another “$35M into its distribution. He says he understands his movie carries high stakes for the future of big budget black films.

I realize that by accident I've now put the black film community at risk,” Lucas said in an interview. “I'm saying, if this doesn't work, there's a good chance you'll [the black film community] stay where you are for quite a while. It'll be harder for you guys to break out of that [lower-budget] mold. But if I can break through with this movie, then hopefully there will be someone else out there saying let's make a prequel and sequel.”

Movies are made or broken by their opening weekend performances. Let’s all go out and make “Red Tails” a box office success.

2012-01-21T00:30:00.000-05:00

We're updating the HBCU Blog often: NCCU may eliminate programs to deal with budget cuts

Cheaper than the FAMU Bookstore, over 225 FAMU T-shirts and speciality items to choose from we are bound to have one just for you online at: Florida A&M Team Store

NAA calls on alumni to "Renew the FAMU in You"

2012-01-21T00:01:00.000-05:00

The 2012 FAMU National Alumni Association (NAA) Annual Convention is scheduled for May 17-20 in Charlotte, N.C. The theme for this event is “Renew the FAMU in You.”

“It’s imperative that we get recharged and renew our commitment to FAMU as we celebrate the university’s 125th anniversary,” said FAMU’s National Alumni Association President Thomas L. Mitchell Sr.

The three-day event will be filled with workshops and activities that will re-ignite, renew and re-energize the “Ole Rattler” Spirit.

There will be multiple opportunities for alumni to interact, have fun and get training to help strengthen the alumni association, its chapters and the university.

FAMU President James H. Ammons is scheduled to speak May 18. A town hall meeting has also been planned to discuss the university’s future. An array of functions are scheduled to ensure that guests have an opportunity to reconnect with friends, classmates, fraternity brothers and sorority sisters while taking pleasure in the many offerings of “The Queen City” called Charlotte.

“In May, we want to see thousands of Rattlers converging on Charlotte to make a difference at Florida A&M year-round,” said Gregory Clark, FAMU NAA Convention Committee chairman and first vice president. “We will be reminded of our time on ‘The Hill’ and inspired to rededicate ourselves to serving our beloved university.”

Four band members arrested for “Clones” hazing

2012-01-20T12:56:00.005-05:00

FAMU police arrested four Marching 100 members for an alleged hazing incident that occurred around September 1, 2011. Denise Bailey, Brandon Benson, Hakeem Birch and Anthony Mingo were booked for misdemeanor hazing and taken to the Leon County Jail on Thursday.

Bailey, Benson, and Birch left custody after posting $500 bonds. Mingo posted a bond of $1,500 due to the fact that he also faces charges for possessing marijuana and paraphernalia.

Officers charged the students with hazing five Marching 100 members who attempted to join the unauthorized “Clones” group associated with the clarinet section. The arrest report states that the pledges were slapped, punched, and paddled at Benson and Birch’s residence.

FAMU police launched their investigation into this alleged hazing incident on November 15 after receiving a report from former Director of Bands Julian E. White. It is not connected with Robert Champion homicide that took place on November 19 in Orlando, Florida.

Photo credit: WFTV Eyewitness News (ABC) in Orlando.

Ammons warns that hiking STEM degree tuition could hurt minorities

2012-01-20T00:01:00.001-05:00

FAMU President James H. Ammons joined two other State University System of Florida (SUS) campus leaders in discouraging an across-the-board tuition hike for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. He, along with the presidents of Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Florida International University (FIU), says that such a move would make it harder for low-income minorities to obtain STEM degrees.

"I think the one way that you don't get people into areas where you need them is to charge them more," Ammons told the House Education Committee. "I think what we need to be doing, on the other hand, is to find ways to encourage and support students, especially those from under-represented groups, to go into STEM."

Fewer than 20 percent of SUS students are pursuing majors in STEM fields.

Last week, the presidents of the University of Florida and Florida State University urged lawmakers to consider charging students more for STEM degrees, which are in high demand in today’s job market. STEM programs are typically more expensive than social science or liberals programs.

“A STEM degree person should pay more for that than they would, say, an education degree,” UF President Bernie Machen told the education committee. “If you look at return on investment after graduation, look at the pent-up demand for STEM hires, you can make a good case that since that program costs more you ought to have a (higher) tuition for those programs.”

Ammons, FAU President Mary Jane Saunders, and FIU President Mark Rosenburg all disagree with an across-the-board mandate for higher STEM tuition.

"If anything, tuition should be lower," Saunders said. "If you want to bring people into these programs, you should incentivize them, maybe with more scholarship money."

Ammons said that he supports a tuition bump for certain graduate and professional programs. Students in those schools are college graduates who have an opportunity to get jobs with their baccalaureate degrees and save money before returning to school.

Lawmakers consistently point to Florida’s low tuition as a justification for cutting the SUS budget and requiring students to pay more their education. Even though Florida’s tuition is lower than most other states, the lack of on-campus housing forces students to face a very expensive cost-of-living. The legislature constantly requires universities to expand their enrollments but does not pay for housing construction.

Williams makes plea for workers hurt by cuts to corrections department

2012-01-19T00:01:00.002-05:00

Gov. Rick Scott has announced plans to save tens of millions of dollars by shutting down seven prisons and four work camps in Florida on July 1, 2012.

But Rep. Alan Williams (D-Tallahassee) is expressing concern about the employees who will be displaced as a result of the closures. A total of 1,300 filled and vacant positions will be eliminated as a result of the changes.

"I am saddened and disappointed with Governor Rick Scott's decision to close several correctional institutions that are economically vital to our rural communities,” Williams said. “I care about and have great concern for the people who work at these facilities, their families, and the small businesses that have relied upon the employment and economic opportunity that these prisons have brought to these fiscally constrained areas of our state.”

Two of closures are slated to occur in Williams’ district. They are the River Junction Work Camp in Chattahoochee and the Jefferson Correctional Institution.

Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ken Tucker said that the closures are justified by the declining number of prisoners. Florida’s crime rate is currently at its lowest level in 40 years.

“Declining prison admissions has led to a surplus of prison beds, allowing us to pare down our budget shortfall by consolidating and closing our older, less efficient facilities,” said Corrections Secretary Ken Tucker. “We are committed to placing as many affected staff as possible in vacant positions for which they are qualified.”

Williams is asking the governor’s office to rework its plans for the state’s correctional institutions.

“I believe the governor's staff should reconsider the manner in which it is handling all these prison closings,” Williams said. “Rather than fully closing all seven of these facilities, I wonder if it wouldn't be more appropriate to consider restructuring the facilities, or even taking a closer look at the state's privatized prisons.

Bus owner: Lawsuit targeting company’s high insurance limit

2012-01-18T00:01:00.002-05:00

Last week, sparks flew between the attorneys representing FAMU’s former band director and the family of Robert Champion, a university drum major who died as the result of a possible hazing incident on November 19. Fabulous Coach Lines, the company that transported the Marching 100 on that day, is also entering the public wrangling in order to defend itself from a pending lawsuit.

The Champion family has announced plans to sue Fabulous Coach Lines for “negligence and wrongful death.”

“The bus company has some liability. They knew or should have known that hazing was occurring on the bus,” said Christopher Chestnut, the attorney retained by Champion’s mother and father.

“We want to know what bus employee was assigned to this bus, how did the students get on, how did the bus get turned on, how was the air conditioner on, how were they able to stay on the bus long enough to beat Robert Champion to death,” Chestnut added.

The Medical Examiner of the Ninth Judicial District of Florida has confirmed that Champion died from injuries “sustained during a suspected hazing incident.” But investigators have yet to release a report on the details of the hazing.

In an interview with CNN Reporter George Howell, Fabulous Coach Lines President Ray Land defended his company’s actions on the day Champion lost his life.

“To own and operate a fleet of buses like this, Fabulous Coach Lines maintains a high insurance limit,” Howell reported. “And Ray Land believes that is the reason his business is being targeted. He believes the lawsuit is misguided.”

“I understand their mission is to end hazing. Suing my company is not going to end hazing. It's not going to do anything to affect hazing,” Land said.

In December, Land told the Associated Press that the bus driver was not operating the vehicle when Champion collapsed on the vehicle. She was outside assisting the band members who were unloading instruments. He says she and the rest of the drivers did everything they could to help after they learned that Champion was hurt.

Land created the Facebook group “We Support Dr. White & Marching 100” following the dismissal of former FAMU Director of Bands Julian E. White. Fabulous Coach Lines transported the Marching 100 to numerous performances during White’s time as head of the program.

Chestnut says he’s heard that hazing might have previously occurred on Fabulous Coach Lines vehicles that were serving the FAMU band. Land told CNN that he has “never seen this kind of behavior” by Marching 100 members in the past. His lawyers are currently reviewing documents they have received pertaining to the Champion incident.

Rattlers & Lady Rattlers beat SCSU

2012-01-17T00:02:00.003-05:00

For the second time this year, the Rattlers and Lady Rattlers scored conference wins on the same evening. This time the Rattlers beat South Carolina State 86-69 in the night cap, as the Lady Rattlers beat the Lady Bulldogs 70-62.

The Rattlers improved to 4-15 overall, 2-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Amin Stevens scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Rattlers. FAMU also got 18 points from Reggie Lewis. Lewis was 7 of 15 from the field, with all of his baskets coming from behind the 3-point arc. Lewis made all of Florida A&M's 3-pointers, as the Rattlers shot 50 percent from long range.

Nathaniel Drayton chipped in 10 points for Florida A&M, which snapped a two-game skid and won for just the second time in 10 games.

The Rattlers attempted 17 more shots than South Carolina State (75-58), making nine more (37-28).

Lady Rattlers
The Lady Rattlers completely dominated SC State in the first half, stretching its lead to 15, 34-19 with a little over four minutes remaining. The Lady Rattlers maintained a double-digit lead for the remainder of the half and enjoyed a 14 point lead heading into the half up 38-24.

FAMU remained aggressive to start the second half and used a 12-4 run to increase its lead to 22, 50-28 by the 15:54 mark. The Lady Rattlers continued to press extending its lead to 23, before going on to capture the17 point victory (79-62).

Antonia Bennett scored a game-high 27 points including 11-of-14 from the field to lead Florida A&M. Tameka McKelton scored 12 and Jamie Foreman scored 10 as the Lady Rattlers improved to 12-5 overall and 5-0 in the MEAC. Regina Smiley pulled in nine rebounds and Kimberly Sparkman scored nine points in the victory.

McKelton honored as FAMU's best three point shooter of all-time

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Tameka McKelton was honored after a recent matchup against North Carolina A&T for being the top three-point leader in Lady Rattler history. During the contest, she surpassed previous title-holder Q'Vanda Curry.

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

FAMU co-sponsoring "A Tribute to African-American Film"

2012-01-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

In honor of Black History Month and in celebration of FAMU’s 125th anniversary, the university's Lyceum Series, Office of Student Activities, Tallahassee Film Festival (TFF), Tallahassee Film Society (TFS) will present "A Tribute to African-American Film" beginning February 3 through February 29, 2012.

"We have been working in conjunction with several local groups to not only pay tribute to a segment of African-American culture, but to highlight FAMU alumni and staff contributions to the entertainment field as we celebrate FAMU’s 125th anniversary," said Sharon Saunders, executive assistant for Communications at FAMU and the Tribute to African-American Films Planning Committee Chair. “We believe that we have movies and events the entire community will enjoy.”

One of the most anticipated events will be the red-carpet, advance screening of FAMU alumni Will Packer and Rob Hardy's upcoming film “Think Like a Man.”

Other scheduled events include a lecture titled “African-Americans and the Oscars: Decades of Struggle and Achievement” by noted author and professor Edward Mapp and screenings at All Saints Cinema of Alley Pat and Dare Not Walk Alone, with Producer/Editor Tom Roche in attendance for Q & A.

Additionally, there is a panel discussion February 8 at Turner Auditorium on the Tallahassee Community College campus titled “Succeeding in the Film Industry.” The panelists include Anthony B. Major, former director/stage manager/actor and current director of the Zora Neale Hurston Institute for Documentary Studies at the University of Central Florida; Lewis "Jiggs" Walker, props manager; Melvin Johnson, film and television casting director; Valerie Scoon, professor, former producer with Harpo Studios and current Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts faculty member; Akil DuPont, a student Emmy-winning short film director/co-writer; Rosalind Stephenson, long-time, award-winning publicist; and Robert Stephenson, hair stylist for major motion pictures and personal stylist to Samuel L. Jackson.

FAMU welcomes MBA distance education students

2012-01-14T00:21:00.006-05:00

For married couple Richard B. Johnson II and Tiffany T. Johnson, completing the FAMU Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Distance Learning Program is going to be about setting goals and teamwork.

The couple, who met as undergraduates at FAMU, were on campus January 5-8, 2012 as part of the School of Business and Industry’s (SBI) distance education orientation.

“I researched the program first,” said Tiffany Johnson, who received her bachelor’s degree in agribusiness in 2005. “We had both set goals to attain our MBA. With us doing the program together, I realized, ‘How awesome it is to have that support behind you.’ Right now it’s all about teamwork.”

Launched in 2011 as part of the FAMU partnership with Tom Joyner Online Education (TJOE), the MBA online program is one of three online programs that FAMU offers. The other two programs, nursing and public health as well as the MBA, were selected as the pilot programs because of their high demands.

“We are truly elated with our second online MBA cohort that consists of new and returning Rattlers,” said SBI Dean Shawnta Friday-Stroud. “Just like our inaugural cohort, all 33 students have impressive resumes. But more importantly, they are excited about embarking upon the journey of enhancing their academic and professional opportunities by obtaining an MBA from FAMU’s SBI. We are thankful that they have been selected to be a part of FAMU’s and SBI’s rich legacies and traditions.”

This semester’s incoming MBA class consists of 33 students in careers in cities all around the nation. Some of those students include: Antonius G. Barnes, an educator and politician from Panama City, Fla.; Natasha Moody, who works for the National Basketball Association Team New Orleans Hornets in New Orleans, La.; and Tylana Hill, an accountant in Orlando, Fla.

“You are going to be giants with very strong shoulders for others to stand on,” Vice President for Academic Affairs Cynthia Hughes Harris said to the students during a welcome reception. “You are going to be the hallmarks of our online MBA program.”

Hill, who received her bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1995, currently co-owns a Certified Public Accountant with her husband. She said it was important for her to enroll in the program so that she would have the opportunity to broaden her skill set and the program’s convenience.

“This online program is very convenient because I don’t have to be in one place on a set schedule,” said Hill, a native of Los Angeles, Calif. “That was very important for me in picking an MBA program.”

During the orientation, Florida Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, reminded the students that they are now ambassadors for the university.

“You are now coming into a program that is deep in tradition,” said Williams, a graduate of the SBI five-year program. “We want this program to grow.”

Director for Instructional Technology Franzetta D. Fitz said the incoming students’ stories speak to why the online MBA Program is needed.

“It was a lot of work to put this program into fruition,” she said.

Evidence of hate crime against Champion warrants federal review

2012-01-13T02:15:00.000-05:00

The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is right to encourage the federal government to ask tough questions about whether Robert D. Champion’s civil rights were violated despite his family’s insistence that his homicide was not a hate crime. Federal officials are the only authorities who are actually qualified to make such a determination.

At a news conference, Champion family attorney Christopher Chestnut admitted that some of the witnesses he has interviewed said Champion was beaten worse than the other FAMU Marching 100 members who were hazed on November 19 because he was gay.

But despite that evidence, he insists that the homicide cannot be classified as an act of anti-gay hate.

“This is not a hate crime. This is a hazing crime,” Chestnut said.

If witnesses have come forward to say that Champion was singled out for an ultimately deadly beating because of his homosexuality, how can Chestnut be so sure that it wasn’t a hate crime?

NABJ has asked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service and Civil Rights Division as well as the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights to launch probes into Champion’s death. Even if those agencies decline that request pending the outcome the criminal investigation led by Florida officials, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida should review all of the witness accounts claiming that Champion was brutalized because of his sexual orientation and file any appropriate federal charges.

The individuals who killed Robert D. Champion should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If they committed a federal hate crime, then they must pay the price.

Anti-homophobia groups call for federal hate crime inquiry into Champion homicide

2012-01-12T00:55:00.007-05:00

FAMU alumna Sharon Lettman-Hicks, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), is requesting a federal investigation into the homicide of FAMU drum major Robert D. Champion. Champion parents say the hazing incident that took their son's life might have been motivated by the fact he was gay.

The NBJC, a civil rights organization dedicated to fighting racism and homophobia, has responded with a petition drive that urges “the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service (CRS) and Civil Rights Division, in addition to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, to launch an immediate investigation into Mr. Champion’s death as a potential anti-gay hate crime.”

“Anti-gay violence is not only a civil rights issue; it is a Black issue. It is a Black issue because violence against gay and transgender individuals is disproportionately affecting our Black youth. The civil rights community can no longer stand on the sidelines while our sons and daughters continue to suffer in silence. Mr. Champion is one of our own and his death will not be in vain,” Lettman-Hicks said.

Christopher Chestnutt, who is representing Champion’s parents in their planned civil lawsuit against FAMU, insists that anti-gay sentiments were not the main reason behind the assault.

“This is not a hate crime. This is a hazing crime,” Chestnut said.

But despite Chestnut’s statement, the NBJC is standing behind its call for a federal inquiry. The NBJC request is steadily picking up support among other advocacy groups that battle intolerance based upon sexual orientation, including the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Central Florida.

“Even if his sexual orientation was not the sole factor in the hazing incident, the fact that is was even a partial factor makes this a hate crime and we fully expect the State Attorney to treat it as such,” said Randy Stephens, executive director of the community center.

Hobbs, Chestnut clash over motive for Champion’s hazing

2012-01-11T00:01:00.005-05:00

Weeks after investigators announced that FAMU drum major Robert D. Champion’s homicide was caused by hazing, the exact motive for the hazing remains unknown. This lingering question has led to a war-of-words between the Champion family’s attorney and the legal team for FAMU’s former director of bands.

On the CBS Morning News, Champion family attorney Christopher Chestnut said that it was possible that the assault was motivated by the fact that Champion was gay.

Charles Hobbs, an attorney for former band director Julian E. White, said this new information could prove that his client bears no fault for what happened to Champion.

“Assuming that the assertions of the Champion family and their attorney Chris Chestnut are true, then it is entirely possible that Champion's tragic death was less about any ritualistic hazing and more tantamount to a hateful and fully conscious attempt to batter a young man because of his sexual orientation,” Hobbs said. “As such, the efforts Dr. White expended to root out and report hazing could not have predicted or prevented such deliberate barbarity.”

Chestnut fired back with a statement that said White is trying to excuse his negligence.

“It’s an attempt to exonerate the band and the band administration for their negligence, for their part in Robert’s hazing by saying because of sexual orientation, this is a hate crime,” Chestnut said in a quote published by the Washington Post. “This is not a hate crime. This is a hazing crime.”

“Robert’s being gay may have been a reason for his hazing, but it wasn’t the main reason,” Chestnut said in a statement to the New York Times.

At a news conference, Chestnut admitted that some of the witnesses he has interviewed said Champion was beaten worse than the other band members who were hazed on November 19 because he was gay. But he says the Champion family believes their son was beaten mainly in retaliation for his commitment to the university’s anti-hazing rules. They also think November 19 was the first time he was ever a victim of hazing.

Detectives and prosecutors have not stated whether they believe Champion voluntarily submitted himself to hazing or was hazed against his will. Last month, The FAMUan newspaper reported that more than one dozen Marching 100 members said they saw Champion being forced onto a bus in the hotel parking lot.

According to the New York Times: "If the death is tried as a hate crime, it could carry harsher criminal sentences. But in a civil lawsuit, it could undermine the family’s argument, allowing the university to distinguish a hate crime from a longer tradition of hazing, Mr. Chestnut said."

The dispute over the motive in the Champion case could pit Chestnut against Willie Gary, the man he calls his mentor. Gary is the co-counsel on White’s legal team. The biography Chestnut posted on his law firm website says: “Mr. Chestnut has had the rare experience of participating in multi-million dollar civil trials with his mentor, famed civil litigator, Willie Gary. At his mentor’s encouragement and following his example, at the age of 26, Christopher formed The Chestnut Law Firm, LLC, a civil litigation firm based in Florida.”

Waters to keynote MLK convocation

2012-01-10T02:19:00.000-05:00

Congresswoman Maxine Waters will serve as the keynote speaker for FAMU's 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation.

Currently, Waters is a senior member of the House Committee on Financial Services, serving as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises. She also serves on the subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity, and the subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. In addition,

Waters serves on the House Committee on the Judiciary, where she sits on the Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet Subcommittee, and the Immigration Policy and Enforcement Subcommittee. An integral member of Congressional Democratic Leadership, Waters serves as a chief deputy whip and as a member of the Steering and Policy Committee.

Waters is considered by many to be one of the most powerful women in American politics today. She has gained a reputation as a fearless and outspoken advocate for women, children, people of color and the poor. Elected in November 2010 to her 11th term in the House of Representatives with almost 80 percent of the vote in the 35th District of California, Waters represents a large part of South Central Los Angeles, the communities of Westchester and Playa Del Rey, and the diverse cities of Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood and Lawndale — all in California.

A native of St. Louis, Mo., Waters was the fifth of 13 children raised by a single mother. She began working at age 13 in factories and segregated restaurants. After moving to Los Angeles, she worked in garment factories and at the telephone company. She attended California State University at Los Angeles, where she earned a bachelor of arts degree.

Waters is married to Sidney Williams, the former U.S. Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. She is the mother of two adult children, Edward and Karen, and has two grandchildren.