62.3 spartan echo

SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: [email protected]

10.03.14Vol. 62, Issue 3

TopSTorieSi n S i d e

Norfolk State University (NSU) alumna Krystal Ja-cobs, a Virginia Beach na-tive and Kellam High School graduate, is the latest Spartan to make history by becom-ing the first African-Amer-ican female to be sworn in as a member of the Virginia Beach Fire Department on Aug. 25.Jacobs’ journey began when

she received her bachelor’s degree in mass communica-tions from Old Dominion University (ODU) in 2004. She then enrolled in gradu-ate school at NSU and earned her master’s degree in media and communications with an emphasis on media produc-tion in 2008.For Jacobs, becoming a full-

time firefighter wasn’t origi-nally a part of her plan. Using the education she received at both NSU and ODU, she went to work for NewsChan-nel 3 in 2008 as a full-time news editor where she held the position for five years. She was in charge of edit-

ing the 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m. news programs. In 2008, while at News-

Channel 3, Jacobs began working part-time for the Virginia Beach Fire Depart-ment in their Multimedia Shop. It was that experience that sparked her interest in becoming a firefighter.“It was the first time I had

been exposed to the fire de-partment. Last year [2013] was when I decided to go ahead and apply for the acad-emy,” Jacobs said. “I was actually able to see that the majority of their job is EMS related and helping people. I enjoy helping people and I told myself I could do that. It’s definitely a tough profes-sion to get into and you have to have a passion for helping people, which I do. It was just a good fit.”As expected, Jacobs en-

dured many challenges along the way. There are far more male than female firefighters and the toll that it takes on a person, both physically and

mentally, can prove to be too much for many.“You definitely have to

be in shape; they literally whipped us into shape,” Ja-cobs said. “Just having phys-ical strength is a big portion

of the job. It’s a little tougher for females. Naturally, we don’t have as much upper body strength as males, so I had to work on that. At the

NSU alumna makes history with the VBFDJason Gill

Krystal Jacobs was sworn into the Virginia Beach Fire De-partment on Aug. 25. Photo by Rayford P. Smith

Continued on Page 2

A full calendar of home-coming activities for the week.

...Page 4-5

Learn about Mr. and Miss Norfolk State University.

...0

210.03.14Spartan News


The New Lyceum Speak-er Series, a special event that introduced social work to students, had a goal of bringing connections to the students, while introducing them to all sorts of disci-plines.Throughout the series, Nor-

folk State was honored by three guest speakers who specialize in social work: Dr. Nadine M. Knight, Dr. Waldo E. Johnson JR. and Ms. Lisa M. Price.Dr. Knight is a professor

in the School of Business, director for the Office of Faculty Development, direc-tor for Discipline-Specific Honors Program (DSHP) and dean of the School of Extended Learning. During her presentation, Dr. Knight presented a lecture entitled “What Feels True: The Insti-tution, The Wire and Urban Prophecy.” She spoke about the Re-

search 101 institute, and her desire to get freshmen inter-ested in doing undergraduate research. Dr. Knight said the scholars in the program in-fluence students to do amaz-ing things.

The New Lyceum Speaker Series included (from left to right) Dr. Nadine M. Knight; Dr. Waldo E. Johnson, Jr.; and Ms. Lisa M. Price. Photo from nsu.edu

New Lyceum Speaker series influences NSUAntonio Garland, Melissa Dale, and Richelle Hammiel

Dr. Johnson talked about the mental health and social pol-icies of African-American males, and the programs he’s involved in that focus toward helping black males, includ-ing Urban Health Initiative, Politics and Culture, and Ad-olescent Male Seminar.“My hope is that these orga-

nizations will be successful in their efforts to improve the well-being [and] outcomes for African-American males. By doing so, they improve the broader community in the U.S.,” said Johnson.Johnson spoke on a father’s

involvement in their child’s life. Johnson stated that fa-thers are extremely vital to their daughter’s lives, which can develop their view on how men should treat wom-en.Johnson made references to

current topics like the Ray Rice incident, though he discussed domestic violence with men being both the per-petrators and the victims. He also spoke on the situation in Ferguson, Missouri and suggested that similar events could happen in other places. He talked about black males

picking up bad habits, and how the place a person grows up can affect what type of person they be-come. Johnson’s goal was to change perspective, opening eyes to the way others see things.“Black men get such a bad

rep,” said Johnson. “It maps on the problems of the whole group. Black males who have had challenges, were able to overcome them. They didn’t achieve all things, but they are further along than other people.”The final speaker was Ms.

Lisa M. Price, CEO of Car-ol’s Daughter. Price shared the story of how her hair care line that started in her kitchen in Brooklyn, which evolved into a thriving busi-ness. “When you pick that busi-

ness, you have to be pas-sionate about that business. The passion is going to drive you to keep working,” said Price. “You should be au-thentic, but at the same time, evolve your business.”She referred to herself as an

“accidental entrepreneur,”as she began her professional

career working in televi-sion and film production, most notably on “The Cos-by Show.” That experience showed her to love what she chose to do in life.“I knew what it was like to

work on something that I ac-tually adored and loved, so it didn’t feel like work,” Price said.When she started Carol’s

Daughter twenty years ago, it was advertised via cata-log. Today, it’s advertised on websites (including Tar-get.com, HSN.com and the Carolsdaughter.com) and mobile apps. Even with the changing times, Price urged students to always be true to who they are.She explained what intellec-

tual property was, explained how important it is to trade-mark your business and reg-ister with the government at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Her ad-vice to students who want to start their own business, but have limited funds to do so:“If you are starting a larg-

er business, then try to get an angel investor, which is someone who invests in startups. But you’ll have to have a plan so you can show them how they’ll get their money back,” said Price.Currently, Carol’s Daugh-

ter doesn’t offer internships, but those looking for a ca-reer with the company can email their resumes to [email protected].

beginning, I could barely do one pull-up and, at the end, I could do 16.” Jacobs said her biggest chal-

lenge came during “Hose Week” when they had to train with the different size hoses that are on the fire en-gines.“The 2 ½ inch hose was

kicking my butt. I don’t know if people realize it, but a charged fire hose is a whole lot more to handle than peo-

ple think,” Jacobs said.Jacobs’ family may have

had as much to do with her overall success than anything else.“I had 110 percent support

behind me. My mom was probably my biggest cheer-leader,” Jacobs said. “Her, along with my sister and a few relatives in the area, were the ones who pushed me when I wanted to stop at my bachelor’s; so I went and got my master’s. Then, when I toyed with the idea of be-

coming a firefighter, I told myself I think I can do that. I told my mother and she said ‘It’s a dangerous profession, but I believe in you’.”Jacobs is just one of the

most recent, in a long line of former Spartans, to break barriers. Doing so was never the plan, but rather the situ-ation she found herself in while reaching a personal goal.“I had heard it before, but

a lot of people don’t know that there have been a lot of

African-American females that have been in the acad-emy before,” Jacobs said. “They just never graduated for whatever reason. So I’m not necessarily the first, just the first to graduate. I think it’s pretty neat, but it wasn’t something I was going to do just because.” Although Jacobs has already

accomplished a lot, she still sets goals as she hopes to continue to expand her role in the fire department.“I’ve looked into some of the

positions in the fire depart-ment. The FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) team has a position called TIS (Tactical Informa-tion Specialist),” Jacobs said. “If I can get into a position like this, I can use my de-grees and I can go with the FEMA team when they’re deployed and document any-thing, whether it be video or pictures. I can still use my degrees within the realm of the fire department, so I’m looking forward to that.”

VBFDContinued from page 1

310.03.14 Spartan News


The popular BET College Tour arrived at Norfolk State on Sept. 12 to bring fun, en-tertainment and opportuni-ties to students. It was one of the several stops of its

BET makes a stop at NSUAntonio Garland, Melissa Dale and Richelle Hammiel

annual tour to different His-torically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).The purpose of the BET

College Tour is to create a cultural, interactive and

entertainment platform, as well as opportunities during and after students gradu-ate from college. It brings awareness, education and stresses the importance in the rate of African-Ameri-cans attending HBCUs go-ing up.The tour’s activity fair

brought in several sponsors including Denny’s, Hyun-dai, NASA and BET Mar-keting to bring in entertain-ment, marketing tools and introduce students to poten-tial future employers and build connections. It also touched on HIV awareness and encouraged students to get tested.NSU was an obvious choice

for the tour as it has several facilities that other HBCUs don’t have, making it one of the best to attend. BET also assisted in promoting NSU to help bring in young peo-

The Spartans show up and show out for the BET College Tour, hosted in the New Student Center. Graphic by Tykhari Coles

ple from around the country.Entertainment included

games, contests and mu-sic performances by Luke James, Samantha J, Justine Skye and Chris Bivins.“I think it’s a positive thing

for African-Americans; showing other colleges out there that this is also a good [school] to go to,” said Jalah Smith, a sophomore psy-chology education major.“It gives everyone a chance

to socialize, bond and be positively influenced,” said Tionna Outin, a sophomore political science major.BET has high regards for

NSU and sees it as one of the highest spirited HBCUs in the country.“I think Norfolk State has

tremendous school pride and that’s what we look for in the schools we visit for the BET College Tour,” said television producer Candace

Griffin.“I hope that they were dili-

gent and made connections with the sponsors that BET brought,” said Steve Brock-ington, who was in charge of branding and marketing.The BET College Tour

brought in opportunities and bridged gaps, which brought college students to-gether. Faculty hopes that the students will use the ex-perience to their advantage.“We want students to have

the best college experience possible. For entertainers to come in, and for students to take something positive, it’s a win-win,” said Tarrye L. Venable, Director of Stu-dent Activities.The Office of Student Ac-

tivities hosted the event, Black Entertainment Tele-vision sponsored the event and Grass Roots Production provided contacts.

According to Norfolk State University’s Office of Student Activities, there are over 100 activities and organizations on campus and many of them receive little or no recognition at all. Many of those that do, never really have their stories told about the impacts that they have on both the campus and community.The League of Extraordinary

Women (LOEW) was offi-cially registered as an organi-zation in March and is looking to reform its mission and goals to become more involved on-campus.“[We want them to] see how

they can help other organiza-tions on campus. More than one organization consists of

women and [we] can work together to better the Spartan family,” said Faith Fitzgerald, Advisor of the LOEW.To those who are curious to

know what exemplifies an “ex-traordinary woman,” it’s pretty simple.“We live by what we stand for.

Going to class, uplifting wom-en on campus, doing commu-nity service and knowing who she is,” said Ebone Thomas, President of the LOEW.Their off-campus activities

have included tutoring and mentoring for public schools, helping with food drives and participating in programs such as: Love Jones, introducing music, fashion and poetry, Kip Care, dealing with the children

of incarcerated parents and Elements of a Queen, which describes how a lady should be treated. They recently par-ticipated in a Lupus Awareness program in the Student Center and hosted a program on Sept. 18, called Cliché, which dealt with love and relationships.The League of Extraordinary

Men (LOEM) became an of-ficial organization on Apr. 7, 2012. Many people know of the LOEM, but they don’t truly know the mission behind it or why it was created.“To become an outlet for men

where they can be who they want and not be judged. I want-ed to give men a voice on cam-pus,” President of the LOEM Jeremey Simmons said.

This league also spends much of its time staying active in the community and being positive role models for other students. Some of those activities include volunteering at local schools, mentoring, tutoring, participat-ing in tour drives and coaching basketball coat drives.Besides helping build strong

communities, the LOEM builds responsible and respect-able males who will take the lessons they learn from their organization and apply them to everyday life. This is what makes a man “extraordinary.”“His actions, being able to

follow up his words with his actions, how he carries out his responsibility,” said Simmons.According to Simmons, two

of his goals are for the organi-zation to expand to a national level, and for the existing and incoming members to continue to become better people.New members are welcome,

but in order to become a mem-ber, there is a certain criteria that one must meet.“If you want to join, come

willing and have genuine in-tentions,” Simmons said.Though the LOEW and the

LOEM don’t participate in ac-tivities to be recognized or re-warded, but leaders deserve to have their stories told. These are only two organizations, but they set an example for others to follow.

Explore the leagues of the extraordinaryRichelle Hammiel

410.03.14Spartan Sports


For many college football players, making it to the National Football League (NFL) is a dream come true.Norfolk State University

(NSU) alumnus, and Detroit Lions safety Don Carey, made his dreams a reality. Playing the game since the age of fi ve, football was just something fun to do with his older cousins who helped de-velop and shape his style of play. The Norfolk native, who at-

tended high school at Booker T. Washington, didn’t be-come serious about the game until high school. “My last year I was a re-

ceiver, a safety, I was a kick returner, punt returner and I was a punter,” Carey said.He played varsity for two

years and fi nished his senior season with six touchdowns. That same season, he totaled eight interceptions, which tied for the team lead. As a result, he was named to the second-team All-Eastern District. He also maintained the second-highest GPA on the team and graduated with honors. Carey had been offered three

football scholarships: from Lehigh University, NSU and a partial scholarship to at-tend Yale. NSU eventually prevailed as the victor in his college decision.“It was free. It was a full

ride. It allowed me to stay close to my family,” said Carey.At NSU, he was a four-

year starter. His senior year, he tallied fi ve interceptions, which tied for the lead in the conference and earned him a second-team All-MEAC

honor. He was also a member of the NSU and MEAC All-Academic teams three times.Carey was the fi rst Spartan

to ever be invited to the East-West Shrine Game, and only the second to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine. “My favorite memory at

NSU [came during] my ju-

nior year. We were play-ing against long-time rival Hampton University. We hadn’t beaten them in a cou-ple years. My favorite mo-ment was blocking the extra point that won us the game against them…It was such a crazy experience because after the game the whole sta-dium came down to the fi eld and did the Cupid Shuffl e. It was a packed out stadium,” said Carey.Carey was drafted in the

sixth round (177th overall) in 2009 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Transi-tioning to the NFL from a collegiate program called for him to make major adjust-ments. “It goes from this [is] some-

thing that I do for fun, to this is how I feed my family. So naturally, the intensity is go-ing to be way higher, and the competitiveness is going to be way higher,” Carey said. “The technique and the skill that is demanded are going to be way higher.”He credits NSU as the place

where he became a man and honed his skills, helping him to grow as a person.“I came [into] the NFL my

fi rst year getting hurt and realizing that the NFL is an extremely cut-throat busi-ness…everyoneis on their ‘A game’ and you have to be on your ‘A game’ at all times,”Carey said.Being on his“A game” is

something Carey needed to do just to getto the NFL. Hehad to outwork guys that competed on a higher level collegiat-ely than NSU does. “In the draft,

you’re competing against a nation…so you have to give yourself a competitive edge. For me it was getting up three timesa week at 5:30 [a.m.] to work out with the track team, then go to class,

For more local information visit your closestArmy Recruiting Center or you can log on togoarmy.com/z019

From NSU to the NFL: Don Carey shares his journey from college to the pros

Paige Jefferson

come back to do my football drills, go outside to do per-sonal drills and thengo running with the track team after that. I did that nearly everyday, but three of those days, [I’d] get up in the morning and lift. Over my four-year career, I could see the exponential growth in just my technique, my physi-cal build and my knowledge of the game,” Carey said. Carey urges any NSU play-

ers that have NFL aspirations “to not focus on making it to the league, but focus on being the best player that you

2008 NSU alumnus Don Carey recalls his years charging on the fi eld of Dick Price Stadium and beyond. Photo from nsus-partans.com

can possibly be, and it’s the NFL’s job to fi nd you. If you can play in this league, they have plenty of scouts that will do just that,” Carey said.Carey has high hopes for the

Detroit Lions this season.“Our number one goal is to

win our division, make the playoffs and then you know, see what happens from there. In order to do that…we [have to] take care of each game one week at a time. So, our goal is to win or be the best team on Sundays, no matter who we’re playing,” Carey said.

510.03.14 Spartan Sports


If you know April Holmes as a person, if you know what she’s endured and ac-complished, if you know her message, then you will know that April Holmes exempli-fies resilience like no other. In 2001, NSU class of ’96

graduate April Holmes lost her lower left leg in a tragic train accident. “Initially, the accident left

me devastated,” Holmes said. As she lay in her hospital

bed looking through maga-zines, she discovered that she could continue to ex-press her love for track by competing in the Paralym-pic Games. She gave herself goals and made it her mis-sion to either achieve, or ex-ceed them. “My three goals were to

wear a U.S.A uniform, be

the best, and win gold med-als,” Holmes said. Needless to say, she did exactly that.Her career in Paralym-

pic track and field began in 2002. Since then, she has broken International Para-lympic Committee (IPC) world records 14 times and American records 18 times. She’s had multiple unde-feated seasons and won her first Paralympic gold medal in the 100-meter sprint at the 2008 Beijing Games. Holmes’ determination and

talent on the track, along with her captivating story, has attracted media attention from across the country. She has been featured on “NBC Today Show,” Fox, ESPN, Forbes and in Oprah Win-frey’s O magazine. Recently, NSU glorified April Holmes’ amazing story in the BE-

NSU alumna April Holmes shares her golden journeyKazahna Joyce

HOLD magazine, giving us a deeper look into her story and insight on some of her success off the track.Her non-profit organiza-

tion, “The April Holmes Foundation, Inc.,” raises the awareness of people with disabilities, as well as pro-vides scholarships and med-ical equipment to people with physical and learning disabilities. April’s efforts have land-

ed her a spot on the IPC’s top 10 women in Paralym-pic sports. Not only is she spreading the word about disabilities as a motivation-al speaker, but she’s also spreading some encourage-ment and knowledge in her book, “The Winning Way,” which she co-authored with Brian Tracy. “The Winning Way” was

listed on Amazon’s Best Sellers List. It highlights her message of living dreams and “training for transition.” Holmes plans to release her second book “Stop Limping Thru Life, Start Running,” a two-part book that gives readers steps on reaching success, and tells how she has been able to overcome the challenge of being an amputee. Support, hard work, and

the grace of God has led April to break records, fill book shelves, and educate millions. With her golden heart and gold medal, April Holmes continues to inspire and amaze the world, while making NSU students proud to be a Spartan.

April Holmes inspires all when she takes off on the track. Pho-to from nsuspartans.com

New coach takes on the tennis programPaige Jefferson

Worth Richardson has been named the head coach of both the men and wom-en’s tennis programs.Norfolk State University’s

athletic director, Marty Miller, announced the hire on Tuesday, Aug. 26.With him, he brings a lot

experience and a history of success as a player and a coach.Richardson was a four-

year starter for Christopher Newport University’s ten-nis team, where he gradu-ated from in 2006 with a degree in economics.He ended his collegiate

playing career with a re-cord of 45-24. At the College of William

& Mary, he recorded 17

wins as an assistant coach, which ended up being the fifth most in the school’s history.During his tenure at North

Carolina Wesleyan (NCW), he led the tennis team to a 15-0 record during the 2012 season. They ended that season ranked 20th in the nation. He also had the pleasure

of coaching two NCAA Division III National Dou-bles Runner Ups in Robert Kjellberg and Artsion Pros-tak. Individually, they were both nationally ranked and together, finished the sea-son ranked number two in the country.Prior to coaching NCW,

coach Richardson impact-

ed the tennis program, at Bucknell University, both athletically and academi-cally.In 2011-2012, the men and

women’s program saw a total of fifteen of its tennis players on the Honor Roll under his tutelage.Both teams were also

semifinalists of the Patri-ot League Tournament in 2012.Richardson plans to trans-

late his experiences to suc-cess at the NSU tennis pro-grams. “I think our goal is to

go out there and win the MEAC tournament. I think that’s the goal every year for both teams.” He is enthusiastic about

being apart NSU’s pro-gram, as it is set apart from any other school that he has ever worked for.“I would say, compared to

the other schools I’ve ever been at, that NSU seems to have the best school spirit. Everybody is always wear-ing the school colors. Oth-er schools I’ve been at, I don’t feel like there was a ton of support behind ath-letics from the campus and the community, so I’m re-ally excited about that,” said Richardson. “Coach-ing at a big state university is exciting. It’s got a little bit more of a big time feel to it.”

NSU hires Mr. Worth Richard-son as the new tennis coach for the 2014-2015 school year. Photo from nsuspartans.com

610.03.14Homecoming 2014


SPARTAN ECHO | Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504 | NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: [email protected]

Monday, October 6, 2014 Thursday, October 9, 2014

Friday, October 10, 2014

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Wednesday, October 8, 2014 NSUAA 19TH ANNUAL ALUMNICLASSIC GOLF TOURNAMENTRiverfront Golf Club5200 River Club DriveSuffolk, VA 23435Time: 8 a.m.Cost: $500 Cost: $500 Foursome/$125 Individual

Join fellow alumni for a fantastic day of golf. Contact Curtis Hurdle at (757) 374-1967 for more information.

(A)

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710.03.14 Homecoming 2014


NSU HOMECOMING PARADE Park Avenue and Virginia Beach Boulevard Time: 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Cost: FREE

This annual tradition features university and community organizations. It begins at BookerT. Washington High School on the corner of Park Avenue and Virginia Beach Boulevard.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

810.03.14Spartan Lifestyle


910.03.149 Spartan Lifestyle


On campus, there are homeless students whose stories are unknown to the general public. Joseph Brown, a sophomore jour-nalism major, is one of those students.Before starting college,

Brown was struggling to get by and pay bills before he decided he wanted more out of life.At the age of 28, he began

his college career at Es-sex County College in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey. He attended from the fall of 2012 to the spring of 2013. He then came to visit Norfolk, Virginia and passed by Norfolk State University. While walking around the campus, he fell in love with it and realized it was where he wanted to be.Brown enrolled, then went

to orientation to pay for his classes for the spring 2014 term and obtain his spartan card. He intended on stay-ing at Babbette Smith Hall, but couldn’t afford it. He then took an offer to stay with a janitor who worked at NSU, but that was short lived.Brown nearly lost his place

at NSU, becoming wary of the people trying to take ad-vantage of his situation. Af-ter being turned away from a hospital in an attempt to escape the cold, he called the police for assistance as his health began to weaken. After telling them that he was homeless and a military veteran, the police took him to a shelter.Brown met a fellow class-

mate, Deandrew Jackson,

who quickly became a good friend to Brown. Jackson offered to allow Brown to live with him in the Spartan Suites. In exchange, Brown bought Jackson food and helped him clean.Jackson introduced Brown

to other students who re-cruited him into the League of Extraordinary Men and encouraged Brown to in-crease his GPA from a 2.1 to a 2.5. The people he met applaued him for his deter-mination, let him use their shower and wash his clothes when needed.“In hindsight, Drew [Jack-

son] saved my life,” said Brown, who considers Jackson a part of his family. “If they’re not your friends, they’re not your family.”Brown returned to his

home of New Jersey this past summer to work and his league brothers helped him with transportation costs. Brown had to sleep in his car for six weeks, though he called it a hum-bling experience. Brown said when he fi rst

came to NSU, he struggled

with the choice of party-ing or concentrating on his school work.“Fun is short lived. Busi-

ness will take you further than partying,” said Brown. “When I look back, every-thing that I got, I can say that I [was the one who] got it. I got money from work-ing; I got good grades from studying. People want re-sults, not to hear about it, but to see it happen.”Brown said that despite the

hardships he’s faced to get where he is, he’s had an-gels—the people who took

him in when his own fam-ily refused to help—watch-ing over him the entire se-mester. He wants those who

Homeless NSU student perseveres

Joseph Brown comes to Nor-folk State with goals for a fu-ture in Journalism. Photo by Tykhari Coles

Antonio Garland

...“In hindsight, Drew [Jackson] saved my life,” said Brown...

are struggling to know that everyone has went through hardships at some point in their life.In the end, Brown wants

to leave behind a legacy for people to see that a per-son who came from a hard place, made a name for himself. His future plans are to become a social ac-tivist, especially regarding the plight of African-Amer-icans.

1010.03.14Spartan Lifestyle


Every academic year, new leaders are selected and crowned as Mr. and Miss Norfolk State University. Every candidate participates in a pageant in which the en-tire university is able to see their strengths and weak-nesses.“The process of becoming

Miss NSU took me out of my comfort zone; like the campaigning and talking to so many different people. It’s helped me grow a lot though because now I feel like I can do just about any-thing,” Miss Norfolk State University Quiana Hairston said.The royal court has been

around for many years and it has always been an activity that many students desire to be a part of. The members of

There is royalty among usMalaun House

the court not only represent their individual class, but they represent the entire uni-versity at events on campus,

games and other public ap-pearances. “Ever since I stepped on

campus as a freshman in 2011, being Mr. NSU has been a dream of mine. Now that I officially hold the title as a senior, it brings me great joy to uphold a great legacy of powerful men who have held the title before me,” Mr. Norfolk State University Derek Savage said. The court is normally rec-

ognized during homecom-ing because it participates in the parade and walks on the field during the football game. This year’s court is trying to evolve by setting new standards and traditions for the courts of the future. The court has many events planned for the year in which students will be able to inter-

act with the king and queen.“I like when the royal court

has events because you normally have to get really dressy and not many things on campus allow you to get super dressed up. I re-member the ball last year; we danced all night, liter-ally, and the food was very good,” sophomore elemen-tary education major Sarah Peters said. Even though the kings and

queens are regular students, they are also considered leaders on campus. Many kings and queens find that being considered royalty isn’t just about being popu-lar, but that it requires a consistent effort to do what is right, on and off campus because someone is always watching.

“Since I am a freshman I didn’t know anything about the royal court, but I met one of the queens on campus and she really made me feel welcome. She made me feel like I wasn’t just a new per-son and that maybe I could be a campus queen one day,” freshman Adeja Smith said. The court’s first event of

the year will be the King and Queen’s Ball, which will be held on Sunday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. in the Student Center. The attire is formal dress and all students that attend the university are invited. Students will be able to dance, eat, enjoy a live band and meet the 2014-2015 Spartan Emerald and Citrine Royal Court.

As a part of the royal court, Miss NSU Quiana Hairston and Mr. NSU Derek Savage at-tend the first football game of the season. Photo by Malaun House

Many students wait all year for what some call “The greatest homecom-ing in Norfolk.” The uni-versity’s campus is flood-ed with students, parents, alumni and locals for the week’s exciting events.“Homecoming is always

the best time of the year. It’s almost like classes are canceled because all week all we care about are the events, parties, and just hanging out,” junior psy-chology major Alex Rie-blen said.As homecoming ap-

proaches, students an-ticipate what events will occur during the week, which artists will per-

Not your typical homecomingMalaun House

form at the concert and what parties they will be making an appearance at. Tickets for all of the events can be purchased at the NSU Ticket Center. They usually offer a dis-counted package so that students can purchase tickets for the entire week at a cheaper price.“I’m excited for home-

coming because I’ve never experienced one in college. I know it’s go-ing to be nothing like high school, so I’m ready to make some memories,” freshman kinesiotherapy major Carlton Baker said.The homecoming com-

mittee consists of students

that are in charge of com-ing up with ideas for the week, based off of the stu-dent body’s vote. There is normally a lot of ruckus in trying to figure out which artists the students wants to perform; nevertheless, the students are usually very pleased with the dif-ferent selections. “After seeing the lineup

for this year’s concert, I can’t wait to go. I even invited my friends from back home. We had so much fun last year with Juicy J and August Alsina. I’m excited about seeing Bobby Shmurda,” sopho-more mass communica-tions major Tyla Smith

said. One of the greatest and

most eventful days on campus during homecom-ing is Saturday’s football game. Prior to the game, the homecoming parade takes place and many people come out to watch the floats and band as they come down the street. “Performing in the pa-

rade is always fun because you get to be in front of everyone and all eyes are on you. I cheer and it’s always so cold, but it’s so much fun. The alumni cheerleaders come back and it’s just like one big reunion,” graduate stu-dent BreTasia Stephenson

said.After the game, the

crowd moves behind the library where many peo-ple set up tents, tables and music for tailgating. Alumni from all over come and reminisce on the days when they used to run the campus.“I’m a die-hard Spartans

fan because my grand-parents were alumni. I’ve tailgated since I was a little boy. Though I didn’t go to Norfolk State, I was always somewhere to be found around home-coming time,” local fan George Donaldson said.

1110.03.14 Spartan Lifestyle


e d i t o r s

PaigeJeffersonSports Editor

Jason GillEditor-in-Chief

DanielleKirshOnline/Managing Editor

Tykhari ColesMulti-mediaEditor

TrentonFouche’Entertain-ment Editor

MalaunHouseLifestyle Editor

Antonio GarlandNews Editor

It’s not too late to get involved with the Echo!

We meet every Tuesday and Thursday in room 344 at 12:30

pm. ALL majors welcome.

Kallie GouldGraphic Design/Layout Edi-tor

Keith Johnson Jr.- 2011Creator of Nathaniel and Randolph: Custom Bow Ties and Pocket SquaresMajor: Health Services Management

Successful Spartan alumniMalaun House

Norfolk State University produces many successful graduates that go on to do great things in and outside of the commu-nity. Many have gone on to build businesses, pursue military careers, further their education and work for large companies. These alumni have proudly and positively represented the university. Their stories provide inspiration and can help moti-vate students to understand that they can also achieve great things.

Eiesha Horsley- 2004Miss Georgia America 2014Owner of M.A.D.E. “Making A Difference Everywhere” Today, Inc.,Major: Psychology

Damon Williams- 1988Vice President of Pro-gramming for Music Choice Major: Mass Communica-tion

Dorian Johnson- 2011Urban Community Counselor,Works with victims of sexual assault and domestic violenceMajor: Mass Commu-nication

James Harris Jr.- 1991Veteran of the US Army, served 26 years.2014 President of the NSU Alumni Association Major: Accounting

Joyce Hall Shambley- 1974Established Joyce & Harold Shambley Scholarship Endow-ment at NSU for Social Work Students Major: Social Work

1210.03.14Spartan Entertainment


Most students at Nor-folk State may recognize senior mass communica-tions major Brittni Stan-field for her colorful personality and unique sense of humor, but aside from her vibrant temperament inside of the classroom and on campus, she has become one of the most noted fe-male rappers throughout Hampton Roads. Known as Cata$trophic, Brittni blends social conscious-ness with an edgy hip-hop blend reminiscent of the 90s.“I feel like it’s a posi-

tive movement. I’m al-ways willing to perform at NSU and give back, so I feel if you really en-joy my music than you should support it,” said Stanfield. “Not only is it putting me on, but it’s putting [NSU students] on too because it’s NSU and we all go to the same

school. It’s a good look for us.”Stanfield has performed

NSU rapper gaining a buzz in Hampton Roads

Trenton Fouche’

locally as well as in Washington D.C. and New York. Her most re-cent mixtape, “Thrill of the Chase,” was released on Valentine’s Day and has been played over

Brittni Stanfield poses during photo shoot. Photo by Trenton Fouche’

Urban Control Entertain-ment Crew [UCEC] is a stu-dent ran organization that gives Norfolk State students an opportunity to creatively express themselves. The or-ganization focuses on dance, theater and poetry, and has already gained support from both students and faculty.“UCEC is an alliance of

people using their talents to relay positive messages,” said junior mass communi-cations major Shaun Thomp-son, founder of UCEC. “It benefits NSU by giving stu-dents something to do with their time, and using their talent to give back to the stu-dent body.”The group gained a fol-

lowing after their stage play “Red Cup Chronicles” be-came a hit last semester. The play focused on high risk behaviors students engage in on campus. The group has continued to perform throughout the area and have

Urban Control helps bring creativity to NSU

Trenton Fouche’

rapidly grown in member-ship.“I became a member of Ur-

ban Control in the spring of 2013. At that time, it was a very small group consisting of only dancers,” said senior English major Asia Smith. “I wanted to get back into dancing and I saw this group as a wonderful opportunity. Once I joined, we all real-ized we had multiple talents and began to expand. As the head of the acting depart-ment and being involved in the dance portion, it has helped me grow as a person and they have grown to be my family.”The organization has had

auditions for the fall of 2014, but is always looking for new talent. Students inter-ested may contact Dr. Patri-cia Saunders Nixon, or reach out to the group through its official Instagram page, @urbancontrolent.

Urban Control brings creativity to NSU. Photo from http://insta-gram.com/urbancontrolent

20,000 times on livemix-tapes.com. Although she has remained focused on her progression as a mu-sician, she stresses the importance of her aca-demic studies as well.“My junior year, during

the last semester, is when recording began to have an impact. It wasn’t that bad because I was still passing, but I just had a lot going on. I just felt music was what I wanted to do, but I know I’ve come so far in school that I know I need to focus on both,” Stanfield said.She is currently working

on her next mixtape and intends to connect with an even larger audience.“I want people to take a

positive message and re-alize these situations that I speak about in my mu-sic are situations we all go through,” Stanfield said. “I feel like it can bring us closer together.”

NSU SGA homecoming concertTrenton Fouche’

Every year, Norfolk State pushes the envelope with its annual homecoming concert. Coordinated by the Student Government Association (SGA), this year is expect-ed to be another success. Migos, K Camp and Bob-by Shmurda will each take the stage and perform their popular hits among an eager crowd of Spartans.“I’m going. I love Migos,”

said junior nursing major Lakeisha Robinson. “It’s a great time for school spirit

and for NSU students to come out and get rowdy. Fu-ture came last year and he was really good. NSU knows how to put on a show.”Despite the excitement sur-

rounding the concert, many students don’t realize the work that goes into planning the event.“Over the past summer, the

Homecoming Committee worked diligently to make this homecoming a great one,” said SGA Vice Presi-dent Tory Barner. “Count-

less hours were, and still are, being put towards the prepa-ration of homecoming. Ev-eryone should come out and support this year’s activities and always remember to be-hold the green and gold!”The concert will take place

in Echols Memorial Hall. Tickets for NSU students will be $15 and advance general admission will cost $25. For more information, please contact NSU Ticket Center at 757-823-9009.

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