march 12, 2009 issue

Campus news................................................2

Etoufee................................................4

Sports................................................5

Editorial............................................ 6-7

INDEX

COURTBOUILLON A DILLARD UNIVERSITY student production 12 March 2009 www.ducourtbouillon.com

3DU students show offtheir talents in SGA’spre-election showcase

NEWS

4International cuisine,tidbits about countriesoffered at DU event

ETOUFEE

NEWSFinancial Aid directorurges students to file asFAFSA deadline nears

2

OP-EDDillard students sharethoughts on Friday classin ‘Word on the Ave’

8

DU slam dunks way to victory

David Pittman | CourtbouillonDU junior point guard Autrail Manning of New Orleans shoots a jump shot during the Dillard-SUNO game

March 3 as David Manning, junior guard/forward of Dallas, looks on. The Bleu Devils beat the Knights 67-56. See Page 5 for more sports.

Runoffs set today for 3 SGA slotsBrittany N. OdomEditor-in-chief

Michael McField, a senior business man-agement major, was elected Mr. Dillard for 2009-10 in primary elections Monday, along with six officers of the Student Gov-ernment Association, three of whom were unopposed.

Less than 40 percent of the student body voted in the election. Of 851 students en-rolled for spring, 329 voted.

A runoff is scheduled today in down-stairs Kearny to decide who will be Miss Dillard, SGA president and vice president. Election results are expected to be released tonight, according to SGA President Cris-pus Gordon III, who said the organization didn’t expect to have to hold a runoff.

Voting for individual Class Council of-ficers will be held in April at a date yet to be announced, according to the SGA.

McField garnered 59.4 percent of the

vote, or 189, on Monday to best junior Marcus McNeil for the position of Mr. Dil-lard.

A candidates’ field of three was reduced to a field of two for the position as Miss Dillard. Psychology junior Carmelita Foster and biology/pre-dentistry junior Brandy Vincent received 42.9 percent (139 votes)

FridayclassescomingCharley StewardManaging editor

For the first time since Hur-ricane Katrina in 2005, DU will resume Friday classes in the fall semester, Dr. David V. Taylor, provost and senior vice presi-dent of academic affairs, has announced.

The decision was made de-spite the results of a faculty sur-vey that indicated 60 percent, or 24, of the 42 respondents pre-ferred the current schedule.

Instead of meeting twice a week on Monday-Wednesday or Tuesday-Thursday for 75 min-utes each period as is done cur-

As spring breaknears, thoughtsturn to fun awayTierra Nash

Spring break: nine days away from school, including weekends. A time when many student’s thoughts veer to va-cations, parties – anything but school. And that time arrives effective Saturday for Dillard students.

For New Orleans freshman Amy Tucker, a criminal justice

See Classes on Page 2

See Break on Page 2

See SGA on Page 3

COURTBOUILLONCampus&Local2 12 March 2009

COURTBOUILLONDILLARD UNIVERSITY

EDITORIAL STAFFEditor-in-chief.................... Brittany N. Odom

Managing editor...................... Charley Steward

Sports editor.................... Jeannine Cannon

Photo editor......................... David Pittman

Faculty adviser..................Cleo Joffrion Allen,

Ph.D., APR

Volume 72, Issue 3

CONTACT [email protected]

Features.......... [email protected]

Opinion......... [email protected]

[email protected]

Photos............ [email protected]

Advertising..... [email protected]

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ABOUT US The Dillard University Courtbouillon is produced by mass communication students at Dillard Uni-versity. The Courtbouillon publishes seven issues per semester. Publication dates for spring 2009 are Feb. 5 and 19; March 12; and April 2, 16 and 30.

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rently, a five-day week with classes scheduled Monday-Wednesday-Friday for 50 minutes and Tuesday-Thursday for 75 minutes will resume “with exceptions where noted and deemed necessary,” Taylor said.

The provost was out of the country at press time and unavailable to discuss the possible exceptions cited in a letter to fac-ulty dated March 2. He is expected to re-turn March 19.

Taylor’s letter said the change will bring closure to accommodations made for stu-dents and faculty following the reopening of Dillard University.

“It has been almost four years since the hurricane,” Taylor wrote. “In almost all respects the campus has return to normal operations with exception to the scheduling

of classes.”The provost said that since conditions

underlining the need for adaptations no longer exist, “we need to bring closure and to move forward.”

Dr. Alain Durocher, chairman of the Faculty Senate and assistant professor of religion and philosophy, said, “The faculty had room to express themselves and speak up.” He added that he holds no position one way or the other on the matter.

Durocher said that after a discussion during the Feb. 18 General Assembly, fac-ulty members were given the opportunity to decide what schedule would suit them best. He said he administered an academic schedule survey, to which 42 responded. Some 17.5 percent, or seven respondents, said they favored meeting once a week for three hours, and another 17.5 percent pre-ferred meeting classes three times a week for 50 minutes each day.

One teacher against the change wrote, “This schedule of meeting twice a week is helpful to both groups…With such high unemployment rates, students need to work to fill in some of the financial gaps.”

Other teachers supporting the status quo noted the opportunity for large chunks of time for out-of-class projects; for recruiting visits; and for handling administrative du-ties such as committee meetings.

A teacher in favor of the change wrote, “The students need more academic rigor. They graduate without the knowledge or skills to enter into the workforce with ca-reers related to their majors.”

The provost said in the letter that he had reviewed the survey and discussed the mat-ter with DU President Marvalene Hughes, her senior cabinet and deans before the decision was made to resume the five-day week.

ClassesFROM PAGE 1

major, this is her first college spring break, and she’s not sure yet what she and her friends will do.

According to Debbie Gibb of the Student and Youth Travel Association (www.syta.org.), Panama City Beach, Fla., and South Padre Island, Texas, remain top destinations for the college crowd. Also popular are Breckenridge, Colo., Miami’s South Beach, Lake Havasu, Ariz., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Las Vegas. Top destinations out-side the United States include Cancun, Acapulco and Puerto

Vallarta in Mexico, Jamaica and the Bahamas.

Atlanta, Biloxi and Daytona also are frequent choices for lo-cal African-American students.

For example, Rubila Smith of Chicago, a DU sophomore political science major, said, “We’re doing the usual and go-ing to the A [Atlanta].”

Panama City Beach expects more than 150,000 spring break-ers this year, including those in town for MTVU’s annual spring break party, March 9-22.

Nick Harris, a senior market-ing major from New Orleans, said, “People want to go there because that’s where the celeb-rities are going to be.”

Most college spring breaks

fall between March 8 and 22. That also appears to be when airfare peaks, according to Fare-cast.com, a travel search site. The Web site’s research found fares average $294 roundtrip to Las Vegas, $270 to Orlando, $314 to Miami and $350 to $500 for Mexico and the Caribbean.

For the best value and choice bookings, reservations should have been placed three to four months ahead, according to Amanda Webb of STA Travel, but you still can plan plenty of last-minute trips. Flying on weekdays and staying four rather than seven days increases last-minute options for flights and lodging, Webb said.

For those who aren’t inter-

ested in partying, some volun-teer opportunities exist that can garner a student community service hours.

Construction and cleanup projects in New Orleans spon-sored by Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together and other groups are popular alternatives. Students at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., partnered with Lutheran Disaster Re-sponse to work in hurricane-damaged areas of Biloxi, Miss., and New Orleans over spring break in 2006 and 2007, and they’re returning this year.

And if all else fails, there’s al-ways a very familiar spot: “I’m going home,” said senior biol-ogy Sean Daniel of Dallas.

BreakFROM PAGE 1

Serenity on campus

David Pittman | Courtbouillon

Reflected greenery and wildlife offer a tranquil scene at Dillard’s duck pond recently -- which was needed particularly this week during midterm exams.

Gabrielle BoykinMarch 31 is the deadline to

file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, and DU’s financial aid office has seven staffers available to help students get the job done.

Michael White, director of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, estimated 98 percent of Dillard students enrolled in fall 2008 received some form of financial aid to help pay the $13,000 in annual fulltime tuition (not including fees, room and board). The per-centage includes the maximum 232 students to whom Dillard can provide federal work-study jobs, he said.

FAFSA is a required appli-

cation for all federal and some state and institutional finan-cial aid. Both students seeking need-based aid and those inter-ested in non-need-based federal loan programs should complete FAFSA each year.

White also strongly encour-aged students to apply for Unit-ed Negro College Fund scholar-ships. He said Dillard students last year received less than 2 percent, or about $222,000, of the $14 million distributed.

He said students often don’t apply for scholarships even though they meet the require-ments; don’t file by the dead-line; and don’t take advantage of financial aid professionals on campus ready to help.

March 31 deadlineto apply for FAFSA

COURTBOUILLONCampus&Local

Mr., Miss DU hopefuls show their talentsJeannine Cannon

Two men and three women, the candidates for Dillard’s next king and queen, began their campaigns Feb. 18 with the 2008-2009 Mr. and Miss Dillard Showcase in Stern Amphithe-atre.

Elections for Mr. and Miss Dillard, along with Student Government officers, took place Monday.

The showcase was hosted by the 2008-09 Mr. and Miss Dil-lard and their royal court to let the student body know who the candidates for the next Mr. and Miss Dillard were and why they were running for the position. About 50 people attended.

Participants included Car-melita Foster, a junior psychol-ogy major of New Orleans; Brandy Vincent, junior biology major of Metairie; and Lauren Youngblood, junior music and business management major of New Orleans, all of whom were running for Miss Dillard.

Participants seeking the title of Mr. Dillard included Marcus McNeil, a junior business major of New Orleans, and Michael McField, a rising senior business management major of Los Angeles.

This year’s showcase, “A League of their Own,” was based on the 1940s era. Each candidate represented important figures during that time, including Rosie the Riveter, an aviator, a soldier, 1940s telephone operator and a 1940s home-maker.

The showcase consisted of an open-ing act, the introduction of each candi-date’s platform in business attire, a talent portion, formal wear and a question-and-answer section.

The candidates spoke on their inten-tions for running and platforms clear

during the business attire portion of the showcase. All the candidates said their main purpose for running for the future king and queen was to try to unite the student body and encourage students to become more involved in student activi-ties.

Foster’s platform included mentor-ships for local high schools and imple-menting her “YOU Promise,” which is explained on her campaign Web site. The YOU Promise offers community service opportunities, promotes student engage-ment and encourages mentorship, im-plementing her TEAM program: teach, encourage, advise and mentor. “Unity is the cornerstone of any effective move-ment,” Foster said. She said leadership is

an action, not just a title. Foster’s talent, a skit called, “Stereo-

typically Speaking,” explained just how much being Miss Dillard means to her, and how high heels and make-up are not everything. In Foster’s eyes, her “flats” are all she needs.

Vincent’s platform, “Sowing Seeds of Passion and Harvesting Resilience,” is based on building on Dillard’s legacy. He said Dillard has been known to be a university of unity, greatness and excel-lence, and Vincent said students should “build on that and keep the tradition alive.” She said students should inspire each other to bring togetherness back on campus.

Vincent recited the ending speech

from the movie “The Great De-pression” as her talent.

As an off-campus student, Youngblood said she wants to bring off-campus students closer. She said she also wants to increase community service events and make them accessible to everyone as well as promote increasing student enrollment as well. Youngblood performed “The Way” by Jill Scott.

McNeil’s “Take Pride” cam-paign focused on encourag-ing students to “fight from day one.” He explained that faces and numbers are the key to get-ting problems solved on cam-pus.

“I’m here for you,” McNeil said. “I am ready to give DU my all.”

McNeil recited a poem, “A Champion’s Creed,” while showing a slide show of promi-nent figures such as Martin Lu-ther King, Jr, Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama.

McField’s platform, “Manu-factured Servant: Man of Stan-dards, Man of Service, Man of DU,” is geared towards being

the male “voice” for Dillard. He said he plans to create a show on Facebook called “What Women Want” To give the men on campus an idea of what “edu-cated women” really want out of the Dillard men.

McField said touted plans to increase the male morale on campus and imple-ment a mentorship program for unfor-tunate children.

“I am an image of you,” McField said.

McField performed a boxing skit based on knocking down “MAN,” me-diocrity, apathy and negativity – three problems McField said Dillard needs to shed.

David Pittman | CourtbouillonCarmelita Foster, a candidate for Miss Dillard, sits during her skit “Stereotypically Speaking” during the Mr. and

Miss Dillard Showcase on Feb. 18. With her are, left, Shalesa Maxwell, a junior psychology major from Birmingham, Ala., and, right, Beatrice Flowers, a junior psychology major from Chicago. Foster is in a runoff against biology junior Brandy Vincent today.

12 March 2009 3

and 32.1 percent (104 votes) respectively to get to the run-offs. Music and business man-agement junior Lauren Young-blood received 25 percent, or 81 votes.

Two junior females are in a runoff to lead the SGA as president. Psychology major Chavalier Sharps and public health major Jasmine Johnson got 38.9 percent (126 votes) and 32.7 percent (106 votes) respectively. Accounting junior Cory Falade was third with 92 votes, or 28.4 percent.

In the runoff for SGA vice president will be Shaunessy Carr and Brandon Love, both soph-omore political science majors. Carr polled 44.2 percent with 144 votes while Love received 41.7 percent with 136 votes. Third-place Anthony Hingle, a psychology junior, got 46 votes (14.1 percent).

Six officers were elected Monday, three opposed. Un-opposed were political science sophomore Rubila Smith for secretary; sophomore account-ing major Jasmi Brown, treasur-er; and freshman biology major Terrance Moreau, historian.

In addition to Mcfield, other new officers include:

• Parliamentarian: Ebony Wooderts, a sociology and crim-inal justice major, won outright with 210 votes, or 66.3 percent, against biology pre-med ma-jor Laderica McNairy, who got 33.8 percent, or 107 votes.• Chaplain: Linda

Ramirez, a sophomore second-ary English education major from New Orleans, won over Andrew Augillard, a business management junior. They re-ceived 208 votes (66.2 percent) and 106 votes (33.8 percent) re-spectively.

Ramirez said she plans to continue to host Bible study at 6 p.m. Wednesdays in Room 105 Kearny.

SGAFROM PAGE 1

Advising scheduled for March 23-27Advising for the summer

and fall semesters has been scheduled for March 23-27, and students are being strongly encouraged to register with ad-visers before leaving for spring break.

This semester marks the last period when there are no reper-cussions for not being formally advised, according to Dr. Carla Morelon-Quainoo, director of undergraduate studies. A new system called Jenzabar, set to go live in July, will allow only certain people to be able to give students access to register for classes, she said.

The director said advising of-fers many benefits to students: Advisers can answer questions about the program of study and course availability. Students can discuss progress in their major and learn about summer intern-ships, research opportunities and graduate school.

Conversely, she said, stu-dents who are not advised and fail to register early face the risk of not getting classes they need at the time they’d like.

Morelon-Quainoo called fac-ulty a student’s “bridge.”

(Constance Edmond contributed to this report.)

Joy Ikechukwu

Arepas: baked corn pancakes from Venezuela. Pelau: chicken stew in caramelized sugar with coconut from Trinidad. Guara-na: a high-caffeine drink from a small red fruit from Brazil. And wagashi: traditional Japanese sweets that are healthful, in-cluding beans, potatoes, sesame and sugar.

Such was the feast of in-ternational flavors, provided with tidbits about the countries where they originated, as part of the “International Dialogue and a Dish” event recently in Room 106 DUICEF.

Seven Dillard University professors discussed their na-tive lands and offered dishes from home as part of the event attended by about 40 people, mostly students in foreign lan-guage classes.

Dr. Masako Dorrill, who teaches Japanese in Humanities, noted her homeland has more than 2,000 islands and 128 mil-lion people, the 10th-largest na-tion in the world. Dorrill, who brought the Japanese sweets, noted that her countrymen love President Obama, and many bought his best-selling autobi-ography.

Rafael Ioris, who teaches his-tory in Humanities and is from Brazil, recounted how Brazil actually bought the most slaves during the slave trade. He said Brazil is similar to New Orleans because it celebrates Mardi Gras and Carnival. Ioris brought the dish pao de queijo, cheese-puff

appetizers made with sour cas-sava flour.

Dr. Nazar Mustapha, who teaches in business and finance and is from Lebanon, dis-cussed the countries two ma-jor religions: Christianity and Islam. He said Christians call themselves “the Philippians” while the Muslims call them-selves “Arabs.” In Lebanese government, the president of the country must be Christian while the prime minister must be Muslim.

Mustapha prepared warak areesh, hot stuffed grape leaves filled with meat, rice and to-mato.

Other speakers and their dishes included:• Joanne Lozano, who

teaches foreign language in Hu-manities and is from Venezuela, brought arepas.• Dr. Randy Peters, who

teaches foreign language and is from Trinidad, brought pelau.• Jorgelina Garat, a

teaching assistant in Humani-ties who’s from Argentina, brought panqueques con dulce de leche, a popular Argentine crepe dessert. She also discussed the drink mate, which she described as a drink to be shared rather than drunk alone.

Other professors from other countries also brought addition-al dishes, such as Dr. Carla Mo-relon-Quainoo, who brought her husband’s Ghanaian jollof rice dish. Morelon-Quainoo also dressed in her native attire, as did three students.

While only one foreign stu-

dent attended the event, Dil-lard welcomed seven interna-tional students in the fall, down from 11 the previous year and a high of 20 in 2004. Six interna-tional students are enrolled this spring.

Meredith Reed, director of admissions at Dillard, is respon-sible for recruiting and enroll-ing international students, said the students come from all over the world, including France, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chile, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Reed said she works closely with Hobson’s Publishing Co. to provide prospective inter-national students with targeted and comprehensive informa-tion regarding Dillard. Hobson provides pamphlets, Web sites, and emails to prospective stu-dents to connect them with uni-versities that meet their criteria. Through Hobson, prospective students are able to directly e-mail faculty and staff of Dillard for further information. Hob-son also provides Dillard with weekly information regarding prospective students’ requests.

Reed also coordinates with other faculty and staff to travel to other countries and recruit students.

Reed said 60 international students applied for the current academic year, but only three were enrolled. Nevertheless, she said, interest is high: During November 2008, nearly 8,400 requests were made for infor-mation about Dillard on the Hobson Website.

EtouffeeCOURTBOUILLON

DU students, faculty celebrate international cuisine

4 12 March 2009

PelauPelau, rice layered with meats and vegetables, is one of those dishes that really exemplifies Trinidadian cuisine because it is an admixture of various cooking styles. 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 3/4 cup sugar (white or brown) 1 3-pound chicken cut into eights, skin removed 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup pigeon peas, pinto beans, or black-eyed peas 2 cups water 1 cup coconut milk 1 bay leaf 2 teaspoons green seasoning 2 carrots, chopped 1/2 cup chopped parsley 5 scallions, stemmed and chopped 2 cups long-grain rice (not instant)

2 cups cubed fresh calabaza or butternut squash 1 small Scotch bonnet pepper, whole 1/2 cup ketchup 1 tablespoon butter

Heat the oil in a heavy pot or skillet. With the heat on high, add the sugar and let it caramelize until it is almost burned, stirring constantly. Add the chicken (or meat) and stir until all the pieces are covered with the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Drain the pigeon peas and add them to the pot along with the rice, water, and coconut milk. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stir until well mixed, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. The pelau should be moist at the end of the cooking time.

Recipe from CaribbeanChoice.com

Jollof RiceJollof Rice is among the best known of West African dishes not only because it is deli-cious and easy to prepare, but because the ingredients are readily available in Western countries! Its origin, however, remains a bone of contention between several West African nations. There are many regional cooking variations—this version is my mother’s!

500 g (1 lb) lean beef or chickenSalt and ground white pepper, to tasteVegetable oil for frying1L (1-3/4 pt) stock or water with 3 crushed stock cubes3 large onions, finely chopped4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped2-3 chillies (hot peppers), finely chopped4 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled and blended or mashed45 g (3 tablespoons) tomato paste250 g (8 oz) each of assorted chopped vegetables, e.g. car-rots, green beans, mushrooms and capsicums (sweet or bell peppers)500 g (1 lb) long-grain riceLettuce, parsley or fresh coriander (cilantro) and hard-boiled eggs to garnish

Cut meat or chicken into 5 cm (2 in) cubes or small pieces and season with salt and pepper. Cover and allow to stand for 1-2 hours.Heat oil in fry-pan and fry the meat or chicken pieces until brown. Remove meat from oil and add to the stock in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Simmer on low heat until meat begins to soften, then remove from heat. Drain excess oil from fry pan leaving enough oil to fry onions, garlic and chillies (hot peppers) until golden. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, half the combined vegetables and 250 mL (8 fl oz) of stock from the meat mixture. Stir well, adjust seasoning and simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes. Add this vegetable sauce to the meat mixture in the saucepan and simmer gently. Finally, stir in the uncooked, long-grain rice. Adjust the seasoning again, cover and simmer slowly on low heat for about 15 minutes. Arrange the remaining vegetables on top of the rice and continue to simmer until the rice absorbs all the stock, softens and cooks, and the meat is tender. It may be necessary to sprinkle ad-ditional water mix to help the rice cook. If so use small amounts at a time of approximately 250 mL (8 fl oz) lightly salted water. Serve hot, garnished with chopped lettuce, parsley or fresh coriander (cilantro) and hard-boiled eggs.

Recipe and photo from: GlobalGourmet.com

SportsCOURTBOUILLON

DU ladies, men victorious at Bleu Devil ClassicJeannine CannonSports editor

After several losses, the Lady Blue Devils and the Blue Devils defeated the Xavier Gold Nuggets and the Gold Rush during the First Annual Bleu Devil Classic Feb. 28 at the UNO Lakefront Arena.

More than 1,500 Dillard and Xavier supporters attended. The girls won 49-48 after nine straight defeats by Xavier, and the boys won 72-65.

The Lady Blue Devils (5-13, 9-21) and the Gold Nuggets (13-5, 22-8) were neck-and-neck from beginning to end, but at the end, the Lady Blue Devils prevailed with a one-point win.

With 3:48 left, Ariel Mitchell made a shot to give the Lady Blue Devils a 47-45 lead. Seconds later, Lauren Daniel made both shots on the free-throw line to increase the ladies’ lead 49-45. At the end, Xavier’s last three-point shot was not enough to defeat the Lady Blue Devils.

The Xavier Gold Nuggets had defeated the Lady Blue Dev-ils nine straight games before the Lady Blue Devil’s long-awaited win.

This game was an important game for the ladies, especially the seniors.

“This was HBCU vs. HBCU,” senior Meaquell Lewis said. “We showed everyone that we are just as good as Xavier.”

Mitchell led the Lady Blue Devils with 13 points and seven re-bounds. Senior Joslyn Greenard, playing her last Dillard/Xavier game, contributed eight points and nine rebounds.

Jasmine Grant led the Gold Nuggets with 10 points. Meanwhile, the men’s Blue Devils (8-10, 11-17) defeated the

Gold Rush (11-7, 19-11) after losing seven straight games. The Blue Devils were having a hard time getting shots in the

first half and ended it with a 25-33 trail. The second half began to look similar to the ladies’ game as the Blue Devils’ trail became a tie at 33 with a little more than 15 minutes left.

With nearly 2: 40 left, David Manning shot a three-pointer to break a tie at 60. He later shot four free throws at 1:20 to give the Blue Devils a 67-61 lead. It was Manning’s free throws, making 14 out 15, and Cornice Wingate’s two free throw shots that secured the win for the Blue Devils.

Manning led the men with 30 points and five rebounds. Au-trail Manning scored 12 points while Joshua Mitchell and Kenyon Harper added seven points to the board.

Olumide Olafioye led the Xavier Gold Rush with 25 points and Kelechi Okoroha scored 14 points and had 8 rebounds.

The Blue Devils also won their first playoff game March 3 against LSU-Shreveport 67-56.


In photo above, senior forward Joslyn Greenard of Fort Worth, Texas, shoots a free throw in the Bleu Devils Classic ladies’ game Feb. 28 as the XU Gold Nug-gets wait for the rebound. Green-ard contributed eight points and nine rebounds. In photo at right, freshman guard Lauren Daniel of New Orleans shoots a free throw, bringing the Lady Bleu Devils to a two-point lead towards the end of the game. In photo below, Lady Bleu Devils freshman guard Cheyney Hill of Luling prepares to block as a Xavier Gold Nugget shoots.

12 March 2009 5

Jeannine CannonSports Editor

The Chris Brown/Rihanna story has been one of the most talked-about news stories in the United States recently, certainly among young African-Ameri-cans. Fans all over want to know if the young “ladies’ man” really beat singer/girlfriend Rihanna. It later was reported that she took Chris Brown back after her 21st birthday and is current-ly staying with him in Miami. The latest report says the “hap-py couple” is married although Brown has been indicted on two felonies in connection with the incident and faces up to nine years if convicted.

Can you believe it? Why would Rihanna take back some-one who allegedly beat her? Was she smart by agreeing to reconcile?

Women all over the world go through what Rihanna is going through every day. According to the Bureau of Justice statis-tics, one in four women in the United States will experience some kind of physical abuse by a spouse, former spouse or date. Unlike Rihanna, not many women report being abused by their spouse or significant other. Common excuses for not leav-ing a woman’s abuser include “I love him” or “It was my fault, anyway.”

College students especially are at risk for abusive relation-ships. A friend of mine who volunteers at a women’s shel-ter in Atlanta said most of the

women there who went to col-lege ended up dropping out because of abusive boyfriends accusing them of infidelity. In-security in a college relationship is common. College students expect many things out of the college experience, meet-ing new people, acceptance by peers, college parties and new relationships. College also can be a stressful time, having to go by a strict schedule, dealing with the many assignments giv-en by professors and the con-tinuous peer pressure. The last thing a college student wants is to deal with suspected infidel-ity from his or her significant other. The insecurity and hurt usually causes that person, es-pecially men, to build up anger until they finally explode.

Here are the statistics on re-lationship abuse from the Bu-reau of Justice:• Thirty-two percent of

college students report they have experienced dating vio-lence by a former partner.• Twenty-one percent

of college students report they have experienced dating vio-lence by a current partner.• Women ages 16 to 24

experience the highest rate of intimate violence, nearly three times more than any other age group.

When you really think about it, these numbers still are low. These numbers mean some women refuse to report their abusers. The main reason for this is “battered woman’s syn-drome.”

According to psychologists, women with early stages of bat-tered woman’s syndrome will not report being abused and usually are in denial about the beatings. The second stage oc-curs when the woman begins to blame herself for being abused. In this stage, she will try every-thing to keep her spouse or sig-nificant other happy; most of the time, nothing works, and she continues to get beaten. It is not until the third and fourth stage that a woman realizes her attacks are unjustified.

A victim of abuse should not have to wait until she is almost lifeless. College women have enough to worry about without having to worry about being beaten by someone she loves.

So women, please: Stop the denial, and get out of abusive relationships before it’s too late.

Our policyThe Courtbouillon is published by the students of Dillard University. Views ex-pressed on the opinion pages are those of the individual writers, and not those of the administration, faculty or student body. The Courtbouillon reserves the right to edit all writings for space and libel.

Opinion&EditorialCOURTBOUILLON

6 12 March 2009

Questions, comments or concerns? Voice them!! Letters to the editor should be no longer than 250 words. Send your letter along with your name/title, address, e-mail address, phone number and classification/major if you are a student to: [email protected] or mail to: Dillard University, 2601 Gentilly Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70122Room 146 Cook Center.

Letters to the editor

Jeannine CannonSports Editor

Chris Brown/Rihanna domestic violence caseprompts dialogue, warning against denial

Crime everyone’s fightOne-hundred seventy-nine:

That’s the recorded number of murders in New Orleans by the end of 2008, according to offi-cial reports.

Once heralded as a “mix-ing pot” of ethnicities, ideals, religions and traditions, people once held their heads high, proud to be citizens of the co-lossally unique city known as New Orleans.

In a September 2008 article from Foreign Policy, a webzine from The Washington Post and Newsweek, New Orleans was among five cities labeled as “murder capitals of the world.” Also on the list were Caracas, Venezuela; Cape Town, South Africa; Moscow, Russia; and Papua New Guinea, Port Mo-resby.

Officially branded with the highest crime rate in the coun-try in a report by the federal Bureau of Investigation, New Orleans has become known more for its streetside slayings and shoddy police than for the things that once made it so cul-turally known: the music, the food, the fun.

Even the fun seems to end on a bad note. Mardi Gras is a prime example.

While the city was crowded with tourists and in Mardi Gras fever to celebrate the last day of the carnival season, six shoot-ings happened. In the Garden District alone, a shooting left seven people wounded, includ-ing a 20-month-old child.

Later that night, as city and state officers and the National Guard were announcing the end of Mardi Gras and clearing out the French Quarters, gunshots rang out and officers found the body of a 21-year-old man on a sidewalk. NOPD Superin-tendent Warren Riley was only blocks away when the incident

happened.If Riley and his officers

were in the area at the time of shootings, why wasn’t a sus-pect found? Furthermore, why did the shooting even happen? Probably because they were too busy walking in a group like they were a marching band for a nice Times-Picayune photo-op.

Socio-economic factors play heavily into the crime problems that plague this city. About 20 percent of people were living below the poverty line in New Orleans in 2008; longtime stud-ies have shown that crime rates are higher in cities with high poverty numbers, especially among African-Americans. New Orleans is majority Afri-can-American.

Weak enforcement and little community support for a “crime-free” city have also earned the city its infamous la-bel.

The NOPD has fewer offi-cers post-Katrina. Overcrowd-ed prisons have forced the DA’s office and judges to give lighter sentences, releasing criminals back out onto the streets.

Citizens also are to blame. Neighbors and others turn a blind eye when crimes are com-mitted; suspects are left free to roam the streets because every-one is afraid to speak up. Com-munities don’t take action, don’t advocate for a city that’s not a murder capital.

So here’s a challenge all of our readers: Stand up.

When you see something, re-port it. Make your voice heard and say enough is enough. Shout it out to those on a lo-cal level and scream until you’re heard in Washington.

Make your wants and wishes heard – a wish for a stronger New Orleans, a better New Or-leans.

12 March 2009 7Opinion&EditorialCOURTBOUILLON

The column “18 Questions” is a popular one with many Dillard students, who may ask questions serious or facetious, insightful or inane. It is named after the year the university was found-ed,1869. The following questions were compiled by writer Jazmine Boutte from the offerings of various students recently.

If you have a question, send it to Boutte at [email protected] .

1. Why does Dillard only have one graduating term when most, if not all, other schools have a fall and a spring graduation?2. Will Dillard ever get a football team again?3. Why is the volleyball team trying to throw another Greek event? They didn’t learn from the first LAME one?4. Why are we constructing new buildings and haven’t fixed Straight and Camphor/Hartz-ell halls? (You can’t attract students if they don’t have a place to live!)5. Why have raccoons become the new cats on campus?!6. When will the Rihanna and Chris Brown situation blow over?!7. Why did we have to purchase tickets for the Dillard vs. Xavier game at the arena? Don’t

we give Dillard enough money?8. Why are those of us who will never see the recreation building, except as alumni, pay-ing fees for it?9. Why does it seem like many students hate the SGA?10. Why does the Senior Council announce meetings the day before and wonder why no one shows up?11. Will freshmen be allowed to stay in the Gardens again? (This answer should be NO for so many reasons!)12. Will there be seniors from the Class of 2009 working at Dillard next year? They are hir-ing!13. Why is the DU Athletics Department trying to add a track and field team when we have neither a track nor field?14. Why did Wild Wednesdays become once a month like First Fridays?15. Why does the grill serve the same stuff as Kearney?16. Why did National Panhellenic Council change probate to the fall?17. How do we go about reviving the yearbook?18. Why does the library close so early?

18 QUESTIONS

WORD ON THE AVE: How do you feel about going back to Friday classes?

“I feel that by reinstituting classes on Friday, it will prevent students from partici-pating in campus activities. I also feel that

classes on Fridays will take away the much-needed break that is required for students

to function properly and be successful.”

LaDerica McNairy:Sophomore

biology pre-med major,Dallas

“A well-balanced student knows how to have fun and still get his or her work done. Without Friday classes, I believe a student

has more time to have fun and do their work.”

Anthony Hingle:Junior

psychology major,New Orleans

“It will enable students to be more ac-tive on campus and their education.”

Roanna Stroman:Senior

mass communication major,Atlanta

8 COURTBOUILLON 12 March 2009

Hobley jersey retired at Classic


Mattie Hobley, third from right, the widow of DU alumnus and former coach Billy Ray Hobley, and nephew Elijah Hobley, fourth from left, hold Hobley’s old jersey, No. 23. Hobley, who also played with the Harlem Globetrotters, was honored during halftime at the 2009 Bleu Devil Classic. A scholarship has been created in Hobley’s honor. At left are Athletic Director Kiki Baker-Barnes and President Marvalene Hughes.

Officials say mold problem addressed; DU students disagreeJessica Forest

The recurrence of mold is the latest in a series of maintenance problems in Wil-liams Hall, following earlier issues with lack of hot water and air-conditioning malfunc-tions.

Officials say the problem has been ad-dressed, but mold has begun to reappear in at least one dorm room of the 61 rooms currently occupied.

In August 2008, when residents were be-ginning to move into Williams, mold was found in closets in several rooms.

Jennifer Taylor, the Williams Hall desk assistant who receives complaints from res-idents, said recently no one has complained since the issue was first addressed.

“Once the issues of mold were brought

up the rooms were treated, and the students were moved out. No further reports were made,” she said.

She encouraged any student who finds mold in their rooms to report it to the front desk so that maintenance can be called to fix the problem.

Despite the lack of complaints about mold this semester, mold remains present in at least one room.

Brandi Clay of Lafayette, a sophomore education major, had to be reassigned be-cause of mold in Room 234-A.

She said, “When I moved into Room 234-A, I immediately inspected the room for any discrepancies, and I found mold behind the closet.” Clay said the residence adviser was called, and she was assigned an-other room.

However, Shaunessy Carr of St. Louis, a sophomore political science major, said she’s still contending with the problem.

She said she found mold in her shower area, reported it and maintenance cleaned it immediately. However, she said, “Weeks later, the mold appeared again because it wasn’t cleaned thoroughly.”

Renovations to Williams Hall have been completed, but hot water and air condi-tioner problems still exist, students report. Williams residents also report being given an official apology from Facilities for the inconvenience students have been experi-encing.

Experts say that living with mold can cause several health conditions such as sore/hoarse throat, flu symptoms, nose-bleeds, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.

Five to compete in DU’s first Miss F.A.T. PageantKristi Coleman

Five Dillard students have registered so far to compete in the first Miss F.A.T. Pageant, rescheduled from Feb. 26 to 7 p.m. April 2 in downstairs Kearny Hall.

The term “F.A.T.” stands for “fabulous and thick,” and the idea of the pageant to motivate woman size 12 and larger came from the comedian Mo’Nique, according to Iesha Ison, the Social Com-mittee Chairwoman of Gamma Sigma Sigma, which is sponsoring the event.

Ison said the purpose of the event is to encourage individu-als who may receive ridicule about their weight and to help larger women feel a sense of comfort in their own size.

She identified the competitors are being:• Latasha Bell of Chicago, a senior psychology major.• Shaunessy Carr of St. Louis, a sophomore political ma-

jor.• Chrishira Perrier of New Orleans, a freshman theater ma-

jor.• Damalia Simon of New Orleans, a sophomore mass com-

munication major.• Rubila Smith of Chicago, a sophomore political science

major.Participants must be at least a size 12, of good character and

show confidence, Ison said. The competition will include four rounds: an intro, talent segment, personality and style and a for-mal wear segment. All participants are expected to perform a joint community service project before the pageant.

The winner will receive a certificate for dinner for two at Zea’s restaurant, a bouquet of roses, and a crown and sash. All partici-pants will receive certificates.

Admission is $3 in advance and $5 at the door. Door prizes will be awarded, with a special intermission door prize planned, Ison said.

For more information, call Ison at (773) 744-4970.

Thelisia DavisSophomores have until

March 16 to apply for the In-stitute for International Public Policy Fellowship Program, one of the nation’s most prestigious programs for minority students interested in international af-fairs.

Students must have a 2.7 or greater GPA and be in good financial standing with the university, according to Lynn Strong, director of undergradu-ate research.

DU student Cedric Blair of Modesto, Calif., a junior eco-nomics and finance major, was one of the 14 cohorts selected nationwide in 2008. He cur-rently is in Seville, Spain, as part of the Council on International Educational Exchange and will return at the end of the semes-ter. Blair is the sole recipient from Louisiana and one of six from an Historically Black Uni-versity, Strong said.

So far, Strong said she ex-pects at least two applicants this year from Dillard.

Through the program, cre-ated 15 years ago and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the United Negro Fund’s Special Programs Corp. enhances U.S. national security and global competitiveness by promoting excellence and inter-national service among a broad, representative cross-section of the America citizenry, according to the Web site (www.uncfsp.org). The goal is to have fellows come out proficient in a foreign language and ready to compete in the global marketplace.

These opportunities are of-fered through a five-year, six-component program, including a sophomore Summer Policy In-stitute; junior year study abroad; junior Summer Policy Institute; Summer Language Institute; an internship; and a graduate de-gree program in international affairs.

To learn more about the program, go to www.uncfsp.org/IIPP. To learn more about studying abroad, contact Strong at 816.4446 or [email protected].

Five-yeargrants upfor grabsDU student Cedric Blairin Spain as ‘08 recipient

march 12, 2009 issue

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