Civil Rights Hall of Fame bill clears legislature

State Rep. Alan Williams’ House Bill 523, which would establish a Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame, has passed the Florida Legislature. The bill will require the Florida Commission on Human Relations to make recommendations to the governor for members to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“I am proud to be among the freshman members to pass legislation and to have received bipartisan support from colleagues of both parties on this bill,” Williams said. “I am thankful that my colleagues in the Legislature joined me in passing this important legislation to ensure that the hard work of these visionaries is given the recognition that it deserves. Our state will benefit tremendously as we remember those who led the way for us to be where we are today.”

In recent years, America has lost towering Civil Rights Movement heroes and heroines such as Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Benjamin L. Hooks, and Dorothy Height. The Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame, which would be located inside the capitol building, would preserve the memory of courageous citizens who fought and bled for social justice.

The bill now heads to Gov. Charlie Crist for his signature.

Crestview Ed Center builds on FAMU's health science mission

This legislative session, Sen. Durell Peaden (R-Crestview) secured the remaining money required to open FAMU's Crestview Education Center.

Peaden, who previously netted $2.5M for the project, recently steered another $8.5M into FAMU’s budget to cover the costs.

$7M of the new appropriation consists of noncurring funds that will go toward renovating Crestview’s Alatex building for FAMU’s use. The 40,000-square foot, two-story brick building was constructed in 1937. At first, it was home to the Smith-Johnson garment company and the local City Hall. Smith-Johnson left after a couple of years and was replaced by the Alatex Textile Company, which remained until the 1980s. Then, Rainbow Apparel moved in and ran the facility until the mid-1990s.

The remaining $1.5M is recurring money designated for hiring faculty and staff for the center.

Crestview’s city council is in the process of removing asbestos and other contaminants from the building. Once the cleanup is complete, the building’s title will be transferred to FAMU.

FAMU's Crestview Education Center will be an interdisciplinary campus. According to the authorizing legislation, the center will offer "instructional programs leading to the PharmD; B.S. or M.S. nursing; master of public health and doctorate of public health; and health care management, health administration, occupational therapy, and physical therapy."

The legislation adds that "it is the intent of the Legislature that students trained at this facility be provided the opportunity to receive field experience in county health departments, federally qualified health centers, hospitals, clinics, and local pharmacies. Such training shall focus on preparing students for health care careers in rural and underserved areas."

The Crestview center will be FAMU Pharmacy’s first degree-granting satellite location. The pharmacy school’s campuses in Jacksonville, Miami, and Tampa do not offer full degrees. They are used as clinical training divisions for advanced students.

The University of Florida already currently operates four-year pharmacy degree satellites in three cities: Jacksonville, Orlando, and St. Petersburg. A brand new pharmacy school is also slated to be opened at the University of South Florida Polytechnic at Lakeland.

FAMU scores big in 2010-2011 budget

Having the right leadership in place makes a difference. It makes a damn big difference.

FAMU President James Ammons, Director of Governmental Relations Tola Thompson, and the university’s legislative delegation are bringing home big dollars from the capitol. What began as a year filled with fears about drastic cuts and layoffs has turned into a year filled with opportunity and optimism.

General Revenue

The 2010-2011 fiscal year budget developed by the Florida Legislature’s conference committee boosts FAMU’s general revenue by almost $10M over last year. FAMU began last year with $87M general revenue dollars, but lost $4.1M during the special session. Next year, FAMU will start out with $92.6M.

Educational Enhancement

FAMU’s educational enhancement appropriation, which comes from lottery dollars, is up by more than $2M. The final installment of federal educational stimulus dollars gave FAMU another $8,460,902.

Facilities

There’s also lots of good news for campus facilities. FAMU got $23M toward the estimated $30.9M price tag of Phase II of the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences building. Electrical upgrades, capital renewal and other infrastructure projects received $7M.

Two senators who are on their way out due to term limits delivered big for Florida’s only public historically black university. Sen. Durell Peaden (R-Crestview) netted the remaining $8.5M required to launch FAMU’s Crestview Educational Center. Sen. Al Lawson negotiated $6M for special outreach projects.

Tuition/Fees

The two chambers both mandate an eight percent tuition increase. FAMU also has the option to heap an up to seven percent “differential” hike on top of that figure.

The legislature’s tuition and fee hike revenue projections continue to utilize “fuzzy math.”

As Ammons noted last year, the legislature bases its tuition and fee projections on the assumption that every student will take a full course load. This is a serious problem because most of FAMU’s students take smaller course loads as college gets more expensive. That directly slices into overall tuition revenue.

The conference bill now awaits a final vote in each chamber of the legislature. It will then go on to Gov. Charlie Crist's desk.

FAMU wants to rescue Jax dental clinic

FAMU aims to rescue a University of Florida dental clinic that is slated to close on June 30, 2010.

The facility, which UF has operated for 23 years, offers low-cost dental care to poor patients. It charges about 30 percent less than the regular market price.

“People come as far as Tallahassee, Florida,” said Benita Ross, a dental assistant. “We've had patients come as far as Tennessee. People just love the comfort, the care that we give them.”

According to UF, the Jacksonville clinic is housed in “a 2-story, 13,000 square foot building. Completed in 1987, the first floor houses the educational programs and patient care services. There are 12 dental operatories, two radiology rooms, a dental laboratory, a conference room and required clinic support services spaces. The second floor primarily consists of office space for the college.”

UF plans to close the clinic at the end of this fiscal year. It is looking for another university to sponsor the operation.

Sen. Alfred “Al” Lawson, who recently netted a special $6M appropriation for FAMU outreach projects, said the money could go to help FAMU take over the dental clinic.

Moving into the Jacksonville building would significantly reduce the start-up costs associated with opening a FAMU College of Dental Medicine. FAMU could begin its program in Jacksonville until it acquires a facility in Tallahassee. After that, the Jacksonville clinic could become a residency site.

FAMU’s dental school proposal already has an enthusiastic endorsement from the Jacksonville Times-Union.

Meek polls well in 3-way contest

With $3.7M in cash on hand, Congressman Kendrick Meek is ready for what many political experts predict will become a three-way contest for Florida’s junior U.S. Senate seat.

Gov. Charlie Crist, who is trailing behind former House Speaker Marco Rubio in the race for the Republican nomination, is expected to enter the general election as a candidate with no party affiliation. A recent Daily Kos poll showed Rubio leading Crist 58 percent to 30.

“[If] [t]he governor makes a decision that he's going to run as an independent, automatically, I become a factor in this race," Meek said in an interview with CNN’s John King. "There will no longer be debates with just the two of them. I would be invited as another major candidate in the race. So to say that it will just be a two way battle, that it will continue, it will turn into a three way battle.”

In a three-way general election race, Rubio leads with 32 percent with Crist netting 29 and Meek receiving 27.

If the match-up were just between Rubio and Meek, the former House Speaker would get 41 percent to Meek’s 40.

FAMU lands $6M for “outreach” project

Once again, Sen. Alfred “Al” Lawson has shown why he’s one of the most effective legislators in recent Florida history.

Following negotiations led by Lawson, the Florida Legislature’s budget conference committee agreed to allocate $6M for a FAMU “outreach” project.

Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander was mum about the specific purpose for the line item. When questioned by a Jacksonville Times-Union reporter, he simply answered: “some outreach missions that we thought were close to FAMU's sort of niche in the world.”

According to the Fort Myers News Press: “At an early morning conference meeting, before the deal was announced, a smiling FAMU President James Ammons worked the room and huddled with conferees.”

Newspapers speculate that the $6M deal came after Lawson and other members of the Florida State Conference of Black Legislators agreed to go along with a GOP redistricting plan. Lawson said the Republicans have agreed to changes that will protect minority districts.

The $6M FAMU outreach project matches the same amount of money allocated to create a new pharmacy program at the University of South Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland (one of Alexander’s top priorities).

Lawson told the Tallahassee Democrat that "some of the money likely would help FAMU assume command of a dental clinic in Jacksonville that the University of Florida no longer wants to administer. Some of it would also likely go to the FAMU pharmacy school."

This year, FAMU requested $1.5M to help it plan a new College of Dental Medicine. Pharmacy Professor Donald E. Palm is leading the on-campus planning committee.

Rattler Country has a big reason to SMILE!

Vann to join 49ers

FAMU kick return ace LeRoy Vann will wear the San Francisco 49ers uniform next year.

Vann’s agent, Karim Lawrence, told the San Francisco Press Democrat that Vann has agreed to terms with the 49ers organization.

49ers Head Coach Mike Singletary personally observed Vann’s workout at FAMU’s Pro Day in Tallahassee and, according to Lawrence, “came away impressed.”

Press Democrat sports reporter Matt Maiocco commented, “Vann (5-8, 188) can also play cornerback, but his value to the 49ers is as a return man. He could have a very good opportunity to win a roster spot and be a contributor in the return game.”

FAMU pharmacy making international impact

FAMU's College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty, Henry Lewis III, PharmD, professor and dean of the College along with Hong Xiao, Ph.D., associate professor and director, economic, social and administrative pharmacy, housed in the College, recently traveled to Beijing, China to participate in the 2009 China-Japan Pharmacist International Forum. The China-Japan pharmacists’ international forum (CJPIF), sponsored by China-Japan Medical Science and Technology Exchanges Association, Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, and Japanese Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

CJPIF's mission is to promote the international exchange and cooperation of Chinese and Japanese pharmacists, as well as, other pharmacists from other parts of the world. It attracted more than 1,400 pharmacists from all over Asia, the US, UK, Australia, Germany, and South Africa. Both Lewis and Xaio made presentations at the CJPIF. Lewis’ presentation was entitled “Drug Policy in the United States.” Xaio’s presentation title was “Pharmacy Administration in the United States.”

Lewis and Xiao also had an opportunity to visit the Peking University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Beijing, where Xiao attended pharmacy school and met with members of the faculty where they discussed pharmacy education and pharmacists’ responsibilities in China and the United States.

Lewis said, “Participation in the 2009 China–Japan Pharmacist International Forum and the developing collaboration with Peking University for the research and intellectual exchange is directly related to FAMU’s goal of becoming a Global University. Reaching out across continents spreads the FAMU message and positions in to be a major player in international education, economic development and partnerships.”

FAMU SBI heads to Gainesville for recruitment reception

The Florida A&M University School of Business and Industry will be presenting scholarships to qualified students and dispensing plenty of information at the FAMU Student Reception in east Gainesville.

It will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Monday at Springhill Missionary Baptist Church, 120 SE Williston Road.

Gainesville City Commissioner Scherwin Henry suggested students come prepared with their transcripts to share with FAMU officials and get feedback to make sure they're on the right track academically.

"FAMU is seeking juniors and seniors," Henry said. "The School of Business and Industry, or SBI, is highly recognized and it's recruiting highly qualified and highly academic students."

At the reception, Dr. Shawnta Friday-Stroud, the dean of the School of Business and Industry, recruiter O'Hara Hannah, school advisers, and FAMU students will be available to talk about the school and what it has to offer.

Topics to be addressed will include degree offerings, domestic and international internships, scholarships, relationship-building through networking with key executives, and a strong alumni network.

"Our program focuses on developing cultural thinking, communication skills, and sharpening professional development skills," Hannah said. "We put emphasis on total development of students in our program."

Read the full article here at the Gainesville Sun.

AJC: Vann is NFL draft sleeper

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

LeRoy Vann was "Mr. Everything" for the Florida A&M Rattlers.

In addition to returning punts and kickoffs, he played wide receiver, running back and cornerback. But his return skills have caught the attention of NFL teams. He's projected as a middle- to late-round draft pick when the league holds its draft Thursday to Saturday.

Vann, who was not invited to the NFL scouting combine, has had private workouts for Tampa Bay and Jacksonville. San Francisco sent coach Mike Singletary to Florida A&M's pro day on March 18.

Vann, who's considered one of the small-college sleepers in the draft, does a good job of setting up a return and then making a slashing cut to the open field. He returned two punts for touchdowns against Howard and Winston-Salem State last season.

"I just see lanes," Vann said. "I have to be patient, and I'm not really scared. Most of the returners are scared when the ball is in the air and the ball is coming down.

The Rattlers' playing field was wet and muddy during Vann's pro-day workout, and his times reflected the slow track. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds and the 20-yard shuttle drill in 3.96 seconds.

Vann believes he can add value to an NFL team.

"I can give a team great field position, and I can go the distance," Vann said. "I can score anytime that I touch the ball. I can change the game."

New Orleans, Seattle, New York Jets, Chicago, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Oakland, New England and Tennessee were on hand.

Vann hopes he will be drafted, but believes he'll get a shot at making a NFL roster, even if he has to go the free-agent route.

Read the full article here.

iSTART could boost tax collections on remote sales

State Rep. Kevin Ambler (R-Tampa) has a simple, private-sector solution to Florida’s difficulty with collecting taxes due on remote purchases made over the internet: have credit card companies collect and remit the taxes on Florida’s behalf. If approved, his proposed legislation could pump much-needed money back into the State University System of Florida and help FAMU’s shrinking budget.

Ambler is sponsoring a bill to implement Internet Sales Tax Automated Revenue Tracking (iSTART) in Florida. The iSTART bill calls on the Department of Revenue to contract with a company to develop software that credit card companies would use to automatically charge the sales tax due for internet purchases. The software would automatically exempt purchases that are not subject to the sales tax, such as groceries and medicine.

According to some estimates, Florida misses out in as much as $2B in revenue each year by failing to collect the sales tax due on items bought over the interent. The iSTART bill would fix this problem and also reduce Florida’s sales tax by a penny after internet collections surpass $5B.

Ambler believes his idea is better than the proposal for Florida to join the Streamlined Sales Tax Project because the later simply depends on internet and out-of-state retailers to voluntarily collect the sales tax.

For years, the Florida Retail Federation has called on state legislators to improve the state's remote sales tax collection process. "We are, certainly, for collecting those taxes that are legally due and not collected now from these remote sellers," said FRF president Rick McAllister. "The current situation is totally unfair to brick-and-mortar retailers."

iSTART (HB 1443) already has a companion in the Florida Senate (SB 2552) sponsored by Sen. Thad Altman (R-Viera), chairman of the finance and taxation committee. Rep. Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff (R-Fort Lauderdale), chair of House’s finance and tax council, has also signaled that she is very interested in the iSTART initiative as well.

Ambler's bill is another revenue-creating option that FAMUans could support as way to save the university from worse budget cuts.

Turner conducting $3.8M in NSF research

Ralph Turner wears lots of hats on FAMU’s campus. He’s a distinguished professor of chemistry, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, and…a multimillion dollar grant researcher.

Turner, who has taught at FAMU since 1967, is the principal investigator for $3,800,997 in active grant projects for the National Science Foundation. They consist of the following:

FL/GA Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation: $1,826,997.

FAMU is hosting the Florida-Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (FGLSAMP). Its goal is to increase the number of minority students who earn baccalaureate and graduate degrees in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines. The program provides its students with a variety of innovative educational support activities specifically designed to boost their retention and graduation rates.

FGLSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate: $1,974,000 (two grants of $987,000).

These grants assist the 2009-2011 FGLASMP Bridge to the Doctorate Program. Based at the University of South Florida, the Bridge to the Doctorate program aims to increase the number of minorities who earn STEM doctorates.

This grant includes money for Bridge to the Doctorate fellows to use for entrance exam fees, research, travel, and laboratory costs as they pursue their PhDs.

Students blast trustees for playing dirty with DRS

A growing number of FAMU students are upset about the dirty Board of Trustees politics that are placing the Developmental Research School's future in jeopardy. Some are voicing their disappointment in the campus newspaper.

In a FAMUan column entitled “Accountability dead at DRS,” staff editor Brian Wiggins observed that: “Many are questioning whether the FAMU Board of Trustees actually cares about the academic welfare of the school or their own status and position.”

Wiggins further explained: “Under the supervision of Superintendent Ronald Holmes, whose brother is FAMU trustee R.B Holmes, Jr., the school has dropped from a ‘C’ to ‘D’ grade on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test last year. Enrollment has only reached 544 students as opposed to the projected 600 for the new facility.”

As Rattler Nation reported, many FAMUans suspect that R.B. Holmes played a big role in getting his brother hired. There was no doubt that as one of the seven critical votes that James Ammons needed to become FAMU’s president, Holmes had the power to twist Ammons’ arm and make personal demands during the selection process.

Ever since R.B. Holmes threw his support behind Bill Jennings’ 2009 reelection bid for the BOT chairmanship, word has spread on campus that there’s an understanding that Holmes’ brother will not be summoned before the BOT to answer tough questions about the increasingly bad situation at DRS.

“Under-the-table politics are believed to have played a role in the school’s fall from grace,” Wiggins said.

FAMUan staff editor Samara Ferraz agreed in her column entitled "DRS Political Battle Affecting Children's Academic Progress," asking: “With speculations of nepotism and grimy politics, how will the [DRS] children withstand the bureaucratic turmoil?”

“A way to deal with this situation until the issues at FAMU DRS are resolved and a consensus is made between the school’s administration and the BOT, is for parents to encourage their children to keep striving to improve their grades and study habits,” Ferraz wrote.

She included words of encouragement for the students who are suffering under Ronald Holmes’ reign.

“It also important that the students are given consolation about how men when in power sometimes are egocentric and often oblivious to the fact they may hurt someone while on their power trip,” Ferraz said.

Jax Times-Union smiles at FAMU’s dental school proposal

FAMU’s proposal for a College of Dental Medicine has received an enthusiastic endorsement from a major state newspaper.

The editorial board of the Jacksonville Times-Union thinks FAMU is the right institution to run Florida’s second public dental school. It says the new college “would give FAMU a chance, as it did with its pharmacy school, to expand on its reputation of excellence in health programs, as well as bolster the state's woefully low supply of dentists.”

FAMU already runs a pharmacy school satellite campus in Southside Jacksonville. The city would likely be a top choice for one of the future dental school’s clinical training sites, as well.

From the Times-Union editorial board’s “FAMU: Building smiles for kids”:

When it comes to the future, Florida A&M University is looking westward.

There are no dental education programs in the Panhandle, but lots of people - children especially - are suffering from dental problems in that largely rural area.

Their struggles are probably one of the reasons behind the F that the Pew Children's Dental Campaign recently gave the state for not doing enough to meet their oral care needs.

FAMU already has plans to do something about that.

Sen. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, and Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, have filed a bill to establish a dentistry school at FAMU.

Its dental education program would cater to the underserved in Northwest Florida.

Many of them have to travel as far as Gainesville for care, its president, James Ammons, recently told The Times-Union's editorial board.

If the Legislature approves, it hopes to take its first students in five years, he said.

A dental school would help children and adults in the Panhandle take better care of their teeth.

And it would give FAMU a chance, as it did with its pharmacy school, to expand on its reputation of excellence in health programs, as well as bolster the state's woefully low supply of dentists.

That's a formula that is bound to leave everyone with a healthy grin.

FAMU Competing for Home Depot HBCU Grants

FAMU needs your vote as it competes against other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to win $150,000 in campus improvement grants from The Home Depot. One $50,000 major grant and ten $10,000 minor grants will be awarded.

FAMU made the first cut in the “Retool Your School” competition. Proposals must be for initiatives that make “lasting positive transformations that are visible” on campus.

For the major projects grant, FAMU is proposing to remodel the old TV Room in the Student Union Building, converting it into an environmentally friendly oasis where students can socialize, have a healthy snacks, fill up their water bottles with free purified water, and watch television. The project must be completed during summer 2010.

“Our campus improvement proposal should save FAMU money by making the space more energy efficient,” said Ryan Mitchell, senior environmental specialist in the FAMU Department of Environmental Health and Safety. “We propose installing motion-controlled LED lighting, adding fresh plants, repainting the walls to eliminate harmful chemicals, and installing a indoor waterfall that also works as a humidifier.”

For the $10,000 grant, the planning team is proposing to install cisterns for catching rainwater off campus buildings and diverting it to water the grounds near the women’s dormitories. The project must be completed fall semester 2010.

To win either the $50,000 or one of the $10,000 grants, FAMU must receive more online votes than any other school in the competition. The winning team must also receive the votes of a separate panel of judges, who will determine whether the proposal is doable, transformative and environmentally friendly.

Online voting is now open and ends Saturday, May 15, at 11:59 p.m. Each individual may vote once each day until the deadline. To vote for FAMU’s grant proposals, click here

You can also sign up to receive updates on the status of the competition and purchase special “Retool Your School” commemorative gift cards that feature inspirational moments on HBCU campuses. The Home Depot will make a donation equivalent to 5 percent of the value put on the card to the program, up to $150,000.

MBA Student to appear on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

FAMU MBA student Gabrielle McMahan will be a contestant on the “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” hot seat with guest host Steve Harvey today, Friday, April 16. Meredith Vieira normally hosts the show. “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” can be seen in the Tallahassee area on WTXL (ABC), weekdays at 12:30 p.m.

“FAMU prepared me for this show simply by the way I presented myself and how I showed the casting people that I would be the person for the show,” said McMahon, 22, a Springfield, Va. native.

McMahon is in her last year in the MBA program. With the tough economy, she is anticipating that it might be difficult to find a job, so she is hoping that a big win in the “Millionaire hot seat” will help relieve the pressure.

After graduation, she wants to get a degree in baking and pastry arts at a culinary school. Gabrielle said that if she wins big on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” she will pay for culinary school, save money for a bakery and buy a new van for her 75- year-old grandmother.

In 2008, McMahon also appeared on the Jeopardy! College Championship show.

“I just see the opportunity,” McMahon said about her appearances on the game shows. “I watch them and think, ‘I can get on that.’ When the opportunity arose, I took it. It was fun and a great way to win some money.”

OT: Inner City Chicago School has 100% college acceptance rate

Countering the "soft bigotry of low expectations", the all male Urban Prep Chicago Charter School has achieved 100% college acceptance for its graduating class. These students are kept busy learning all day, which also keeps them out of trouble. In comparison, public school students are on the streets in the early afternoon with no supervision, employment or athletics.

By contrast, the graduation rate for African-American boys in Chicago is about 40 percent, and only about half of all students are accepted to some form of college. The chances of young black men going to college – particularly young men from the poorest neighborhoods – are not good.

To be sure, the year's class of 107 boys is Urban Prep's first graduating class, but just 4 percent of the public charter school's seniors were reading at grade level as freshmen. Still, it's a remarkable achievement for any urban high school, but particularly one with a population that some people are inclined to write off.

Rose to keynote commencement

A Tony Award winner, alumna, and star of Walt Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” will keynote Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) Commencement Exercises during the 2 p.m. session at the Alfred Lawson, Jr. Multipurpose Center Teaching Gymnasium on May 1.

Anika Noni Rose, a product of FAMU’s theatre department (BA), who go on to receive international acclaim for her professional accomplishments in the visual and performing arts. Rose earned an MFA in drama from the American Conservatory Theatre.

“We are immensely proud of Ms. Rose and all of her accomplishments in the visual and performing arts. She is a graduate who has tested unchartered waters and excelled.”,” said President James H. Ammons.

In 2004, Rose won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in the Broadway show, “Caroline or Change.” Her other awards include the Theatre World Award and the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress. In 2006, she starred in “Dreamgirls” as Lorrell Robinson and portrayed Mma Grace Makutsi in HBO's Peabody Award Winning “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency”. Her role in Disney's latest animated feature “The Princess and the Frog,” is historic as she represents the first black-animated princess, Tiana. The movie recently received three Oscar Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award nomination for the best-animated feature.

In addition, Rose has earned multiple 2010 Image Award nominations including Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for “The Princess and the Frog” and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency” and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama for “Dreamgirls.”

The colleges and schools scheduled to graduate during the afternoon session are: the College of Arts & Sciences, the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, the College of Law, the School of Architecture, the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication and Environmental Sciences.

Florida’s first-try bar passage rates slide

FAMU was the only accredited law school in Florida that did not experience a decline in its first-try bar examination passage rate in February 2010.

FAMU went from 52.6 percent in July 2010 to 55 percent in February 2010, when 11 of the law school’s 20 first-try test takers passed.

Ave Maria led overall with a 100 percent passage rate; it had one student who sat for the bar and passed it. Florida State was second with 84.8 percent, down from 91.4 percent in July 2009.

The national average first-try passage rate was 72.2 percent. Ave Maria, FSU, Nova Southeastern, and the University of Florida were the only law schools that surpassed that mark.

Many FAMU law students take the bar exam two to three times before passing. The law school’s overall passage rate is close to 80 percent.

Source: sunEthics.

Branker out; Alston in

The last remaining FAMU trustee who voted “no” against James Ammons’ presidential candidacy is gone.

Yesterday, Gov. Charlie Crist replaced Trustee Laura Branker with Torey Alston. Alston’s term began on Monday and, if he is confirmed by the Florida Senate, will continue until January 6, 2015.

Branker is special assistant to the director at the District of Columbia Department of Health. She previously served as a deputy chief of staff for former Gov. Jeb Bush, who appointed her to FAMU’s Board of Trustees.

With Branker’s exit, FAMU only has two remaining trustees who were originally appointed by Bush: R.B. Holmes, Jr. and Bill Jennings.

Holmes’ term ends on January 6, 2011. Jennings’ term runs out on January 6, 2013.

Alston is chief of staff for Broward County Commissioner Al Jones. His brother, Corey Alston, served on FAMU’s board from January 2006 until his resignation that June.

Crist also reappointed Trustee Solomon Badger, III to a term that ends on January 6, 2015.

Lawson, Williams have dental school bill on track

Sen. Alfred “Al” Lawson and Rep. Alan Williams have formally introduced companion bills to authorize a dental school at Florida’s only historically black public university.

Senate Bill 2564, filed by Lawson, and its companion House Bill 1439, filed by Williams both state: “A program for a doctoral of dental medicine degree is hereby authorized at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.”

FAMU’s push for a dental school comes at the same time that the legislature is weighing Florida Atlantic’s request for a college of medicine and the University of South Florida’s request for a pharmacy school.

The Florida Board of Governors is officially backing FAU and USF’s proposals but has yet to even schedule a vote on FAMU’s. The BOG’s inaction comes in midst of a severe statewide dentist shortage.

The legislature still holds all the cards when it comes to establishing new health professional programs in the Sunshine State.

Even though the BOG can approve new programs, it has no authority over the state boards which grant health professional licenses. Those boards are all part of the Florida Department of Health, which operates under the laws passed by the legislature. The state’s health boards will only grant licenses to students from legislatively-certified programs.

Although the BOG has not recommended a dental school, FAMU can still ask the legislature for certification to train dental students who will be eligible to receive licenses from the Florida Board of Dentistry.

During the days of the Board of Regents, FAMU had to go above the board’s head and get legislative approval for Institute of Public Health and the restoration of the College of Law. The BOR objected to both proposed programs.

VP of Student Affairs to retire

Roland Gaines, VP of Student Affairs, confirmed, this evening, his intention to retire from FAMU effective June 30, 2010.

Gaines told Rattler Nation, in an email, that after "42 years in higher education, he thinks it is time for some 'me time'". Gaines has spent 36 of his 42 years working at FAMU.

"I started working in the registrar's office right out of high school that summer-even before I started going to school," he said. Gaines, a FAMU grad, continued to work there as a student, and after graduating, got a full-time position in the office. He said there until he was promoted to associate vice president of student affairs in 1997.

He worked closely with current President James Ammons, who was the university's provost, and then-President Fred Humphries. This association led Ammons to take Gaines with him to NCCU in 2001 when Ammons became chancellor.

Since coming back to FAMU, Gaines is credited with restarting the student recruitment program and increasing the number of National Achievement and Scholars enrolled at the university. He also increased the number of community college transfers coming to FAMU.

Gaines said, "Ammons took me away from retirement twice. I tried to retire from FAMU in 2001 and again in 2006 from NCCU.

Study: Jeb's One Florida a failure

No surprise here, ten years after Florida banned affirmative-action admissions, minority enrollment in the State University System hasn't kept pace with the number of minorities graduating from high school, an Orlando Sentinel analysis found.

In 1999, a bit more than 20 percent of the state's high-school graduates were black, as were 17.5 percent of university freshmen. By 2008, the last year for which a racial breakdown is available, blacks accounted for 19.5 percent of high-school graduates — but only 14.9 percent of university freshmen.

Similarly, in 1999, Hispanics made up 14.7 percent of high-school graduates and 13.8 percent of university freshmen. By 2008, Hispanics were 21.4 percent of graduates and 19.1 percent of the freshmen class, a wider gap.

By contrast, white and Asian students were overrepresented among college freshmen in 1999 — and still were in 2008, according to the Sentinel's analysis.

"One Florida hasn't been anything but a smoke screen. It really hasn't produced anything," said state Sen. Tony Hill, D-Jacksonville, who has long railed against the plan pressed by then-Gov. Jeb Bush as a "race-neutral" replacement for affirmative action.

Frank Brogan, who was Bush's lieutenant governor in 2000 and later president of Florida Atlantic University before becoming chancellor of the State University System last summer, said One Florida has abolished "quotas" and "set-asides" and found race-neutral ways to open doors to more black and Hispanic students.

"There's no question that our numbers are up in terms of minority enrollment in the State University System," Brogan said.

But those increases mask the fact that minority enrollment has failed to keep pace with growth in the state's student population.

From 1999 to last fall, freshman university enrollment increased 25.4 percent, from 28,542 to 35,784.

Universities attribute the stagnation in part to the fact that over the past decade Florida A&M shrank. Freshman enrollment dropped from 2,313 to 2,119.

Still, that doesn't explain the marginal growth or even decline in the number of black freshmen at several other universities since 1999, notably Florida State University — down 92, to 478 in 2008 — and the University of South Florida.

The University of Central Florida saw steady growth of minority students during the decade, enrolling 616 black freshmen in 2008, a 67 percent increase. Hispanic enrollment jumped to 948, up 103 percent.

Patricia Marin, a higher-education-diversity researcher at the University of California at Santa Barbara, said the numbers show that One Florida has done little to improve access for minorities.

To date, Florida has been the only state to abolish affirmative action without a statewide ballot initiative or court order.

Read the entire story here

Seminole gaming compact will pump millions into education

Last week, the Florida House took a big step toward resolving the huge differences between its 2010-2011 budget and the Senate’s.

The House's Select Committee on Seminole Indian Compact Review gave a thumbs up to a compact that will provide Florida with $1B in Seminole gambling revenues over next five years.

Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Senate both included hundreds of millions from anticipated Seminole gaming payments in their proposed FYE 2011 budgets. However, the House initially turned a cold shoulder to the plan. As a result, the House budget was significantly smaller than the governor’s or Senate’s.

The House called for drastic cuts to education while Crist and the Senate called for increases. In the House budget, FAMU takes a $1.8M cut in general revenue and received only $3M toward the estimated $30.9M price tag for Pharmacy Phase II.

The compact gives the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to Vegas-style slot machines outside Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. It also gives the Seminoles exclusive rights to banked card games such as blackjack at five of its seven casinos across the state.

According to the Naples News, “The agreement was forged after concessions were made to non-Indian pari-mutuels that will allow them to extend their hours and offer no-limit poker. It also allows them to operate up to 350 video bingo or historic racing machines per facility. A separate bill would reduce the tax rate on slot machines in Broward and Miami-Dade counties from 50 percent to 35 percent.”

While the compact will pump at least $280M into next year’s budget, the House and Senate still have big differences to resolve. The House budget still lacks two big items included in the Senate’s: $880M in supplemental Medicare money and $349M from a proposed statewide school board property tax increase.

Pictured: Gov. Charlie Crist with Seminole Tribe Chairman Mitchell Cypress.

The official anthem of "Be Out Day" 2010

FAMU students march to protest budget cuts

FAMU's Student Government Association (SGA) led a Thursday march from the University Commons Building to the steps of the Florida Capitol in order to protest the proposed state budget cuts to education.

“When they cut back, we strike back,” said Gallop Franklin, II president of FAMU’s SGA.

FAMU President James H. Ammons, Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor, state representative and FAMU alumnus Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, and others joined the students during the event.

“We can’t let this be the only time you come to the state Capitol,” Bullard told the students. “In anything you want, you have to demand it.”

Calvin Hayes, vice president of SGA, told the students to walk and talk like Rattlers as they lobbied on behalf of the university.

“Go in that building and let them know FAMU means business,” Hayes said.

OT: Obama gears up to nominate Stevens’ successor

Yesterday, U.S. President Barack Obama acknowledged the news of Justice John Paul Stevens' retirement by thanking the jurist for service.

“Justice Stevens has courageously served his country from the moment he enlisted the day before Pearl Harbor to his long and distinguished tenure on the Supreme Court,” Obama said. “During that tenure, he has stood as an impartial guardian of the law. He has worn the judicial robe with honor and humility. He has applied the Constitution and the laws of the land with fidelity and restraint.”

Although nominated by former U.S. President Gerald Ford (a Republican), Stevens became the leader of the liberal wing of the High Court. He will turn 90 this month.

Stating that he views the process of selecting a Supreme Court nominee as one of his “most serious responsibilities as President,” Obama expressed his hopes that the Senate will “move quickly in the coming weeks” to confirm the nominee to be seated in time for the fall term.

Stevens’ successor will be Obama’s second Supreme Court nomination. Earlier in his term, he tapped Sonia Sotomayor to succeed David Souter.

The New York Times reports that: Solicitor General Elena Kagan and Appeals Court Judges Diane Wood and Merrick B. Garland are all leading contenders for the nomination.

AD search extended

The Rattlers eagerly awaiting the name of FAMU’s new athletic director will have to wait a bit longer.

In an interview with the Tallahassee Democrat, President James Ammons announced that he is re-opening the application process.

"I want to make certain that we have reached all the talent for this position," Ammons said. "I just want to make sure I have a pool that is broad enough and rich enough to make this important decision."

Interim AD Michael Smith will continue to serve until a permanent hire is made. Ammons said that Smith is free to apply for the permanent job.

In February, Derrick Magee and Mary McElroy were named as finalists for the AD position. Although Ammons did not mention any problems with either candidate, he said he still wants to consider new applicants.

He also emphasized that no one has an “inside tract” to the job.

"It's a national search and it is competitive and it's open," Ammons said. "Nobody has an advantage except the person who has all the qualifications that we are looking for and, at the end of the day, I believe can lead our athletics program."

Meet Kendrick Meek

See the full video by clicking here

Modified Lynn bill rehashes old tier plan

Sen. Evelyn Lynn’s SB 2442 is beginning to look more and more like the old tier plan introduced by former State University System Chancellor Adam W. Herbert.

Lynn’s bill began as an effort to designate the University of Florida as the state’s de facto “flagship” institution. Now, following a public outcry, Lynn has stricken all “flagship” language from proposal and modified it to create a two-tier system that would also give Florida State and South Florida a privileged status.

Herbert’s three tier proposal placed UF, FSU, and USF into a “top tier.” Florida Atlantic, Florida International, and Central Florida were in the “middle tier.” FAMU, West Florida, North Florida were in the “bottom tier.”

In its revised form, SB 2442 creates a two-tier system which uses the classifications established by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to determine which public universities receive special treatment.

The bill now reads: “A nationally recognized and ranked university that has a global perspective and impact shall be afforded the freedom to pursue an agenda on the global stage in fair competition with other institutions of other states in the highest Carnegie classification.”

FSU President Eric Barron, who lobbied against the original version of the bill, supports the changes. “Florida State University is a Research University (Very High Research Activity), as are the University of Florida and the University of South Florida,” Barron wrote in an email to FSU supporters. “All three would qualify for the operational flexibility and benefits contained in SB 2442.”

Carnegie classifies FAMU as a “Doctoral Research University,” the third highest category. The second highest category is “Research University (High Research Activity).”

The privileged status for “first tier” universities would place a negative mark on all “bottom tier” institutions and make it more difficult for them to compete for state funding, federal research dollars, and new academic programs.

At this time, there is no Florida House companion for SB 2442. Rattlers should call their state representatives and senators and ask them to vote “no” on this proposal.

Sex tape producers to pay FAMU $105,000 in damages

Florida A&M University reached a settlement with RK Netmedia, Inc. regarding a pornographic video posted on its Dare Dorm website, which university officials said damaged the reputation and name of the university.

RK Netmedia agreed to pay FAMU $105,000 in damages. The money will be used to fully fund two scholarships. RK Netmedia also agreed to pay FAMU an $15,000 in attorney fees and issue a press release offering its regrets and apologies for releasing the video. In addition, RKN will exercise a reasonable and good faith effort to prevent and stop any and all other persons from displaying the video.

FAMU filed a complaint in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida against RK NetMedia, Inc. on March 16 after discovering that the sexually explicit video with references to FAMU, its mascot and school colors were displayed on a website name “Daredorm.com.”

The video suggested that it was filmed on the university campus and individuals depicted were FAMU students. According to university officials, this settlement is historic for FAMU and all of the colleges and universities across the nation.

“The timely resolution of this lawsuit not only benefits FAMU and its students, but creates a legal precedence and a landmark opportunity for other state and national universities to legally protect their name, trademarks and reputation,” said President James Ammons.

Ammons’ DRS crisis parallels Gainous’ AD problem

FAMU President James Ammons’ administration has been wounded by two big problems that also hurt his predecessor, Fred Gainous. Those problems are: bad trustees and Rattlers who seem determined to help those bad trustees shift all blame to Lee Hall.

Back in 2004, thousands of FAMU supporters signed a petition calling for Gainous’ removal. The first two charges against the president read:

“1. Allowed others to make a decision about FAMU football that bought dishonor and ridicule to one the nation’s greatest athletic traditions as a result of a decision to move to Division 1-A without a due diligence report on the merits of such a move.”

“2. Abandoned his responsibilities on behalf of the athletic program that allowed a $2.8 million surplus to be squandered, leaving the athletic budget with a deficit of more than $700,000 to begin the 2004-2005 academic year.”

FAMUans knew who was behind the athletic department mess: Board of Trustees Chairman James Corbin. Corbin admitted to the Tallahassee Democrat that he “suggested” that Gainous hire his friend J.R.E. Lee, III as interim athletic director. The chairman also pulled the strings which led to the 1-A fiasco.

However, after Gainous was fired, most of the individuals who signed the petition did not join the public fight for Corbin’s removal. They simply sat back passively and let Corbin continue to do as he pleased on the BOT.

Corbin and his buddies Bill Jennings and R.B. Holmes, Jr. collaborated to bring Castell Bryant in as the interim president. Everyone knows what happened next…

The public lobbying campaign for Corbin’s removal (which succeeded in 2005) never attracted the same level of support in Rattler Country as the petition for Gainous’ firing.

There are many FAMUans who simply have no interest in holding the BOT accountable. Any time there is a problem on campus, they will blame the president and no one else. It doesn’t matter how many signs of trustee micromanagement are in plain sight. These individuals will still say it is all the president’s fault and ignore the bad trustees.

Holmes and Jennings are taking advantage of the “blame the president only” tendency in Rattler Country, today. When confronted with questions about whether a trustee had micromanaged the hiring process for FAMU DRS’ superintendent, they denied all knowledge and pointed their fingers at Ammons.

Rattlers must ask themselves: “If FAMU trustees know that most of us will just blame the president for any and all administrative problems (even those which seem to be associated with trustee micromanagement), can we really be surprised when we continue to see hiring decisions that benefit trustees’ friends and family members?”

People tend to be very bold about doing the wrong thing when they know they can get away with it.

Budget negotiations carry high stakes for FAMU

The two chambers of the Florida Legislature have passed starkly different 2010-2011 budgets and are now preparing to negotiate a compromise.

The House’s spending plan (HB 5001) has $2.7B less than the Senate’s (SB 2700) because it excludes: $880M in supplemental Medicare money, $349M from a proposed statewide school board property tax increase, and more than $400M from a gaming compact with the Seminole tribe.

If the Senate budget prevails, FAMUans can breathe a temporary sigh of relief. But if the House plan becomes law, FAMU is headed for a disaster.

Here are the highlights (click the picture above for a larger view):

Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO)

PECO money, which comes from utility taxes, is the biggest source of construction funding for the State University System.

FAMU’s top PECO priority for 2010-2011 is $8M for utilities, infrastructure, capital renewal, and roofs. FAMU officials have warned that without the money, critical building code and electrical safety upgrades will be stalled.

Both the House and Senate appropriate $7M for this line item.

The second and third PECO priorities are $30.9M for Pharmacy Building Phase II and $17M for FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Phase III, respectively. Construction delays could negatively affect those programs’ re-accreditation processes. Pharmacy and Engineering colleges are required to meet certain lab space requirements in order to remain in good standing with their accreditors. FAMU pharmacy goes up for re-accreditation in 2010.

The Senate appropriates $25M for Pharmacy Phase II. The House only gives $3M.

FAMU/FSU Engineering Phase III received $4.1M from the Senate versus $2.8M from the House.

General Revenue and Stimulus

Any further cuts to FAMU's general revenue are likely to result in layoffs. In his 2010 State of the University Address, FAMU President James Ammons noted that 78 percent of the university's budget supports personnel.

FAMU is currently using about $7.4M in stimulus funds to help save jobs. Both chambers allocate an additional $7.4M in stimulus money.

Layoffs are certain under the House budget. FAMU had $82.8M left in general revenue after last year’s special session cuts. The House's 2010-2011 budget reduces that figure by about $1.8M.

The Senate budget provides FAMU with $87.4M, a more than $4M increase over last year’s final number.

Tuition/Fees

The two chambers both mandate an eight percent tuition increase. FAMU also has the option to heap an up to seven percent “differential” hike on top of that figure.

The legislature’s tuition and fee hike revenue projections continue to utilize “fuzzy math.”

As Ammons noted last year, the legislature bases its tuition and fee projections on the assumption that every student will take a full course load. This is a serious problem because most of FAMU’s students take smaller course loads as college gets more expensive. That directly slices into overall tuition revenue.

Pictured: House Speaker Larry Cretul and Senate President Jeff Atwater.

FAMU, UCF challenging SUS hierarchy

Between the Board of Trustees vote to hire him in February 2007 and Larry Robinson’s appointment as FAMU’s acting CEO that May, James Ammons essentially served as president of two universities at the same time.

While stilling leading North Carolina Central, Ammons personally came down to Tallahassee to fight two anti-FAMU proposals that interim President Castell Bryant would not: Florida State’s attempt to take over the joint College of Engineering and the Pappas Plan.

University of Central Florida President John Hitt (pictured) joined Ammons in opposing the Pappas Plan. The report, written by a consulting firm hired by the Board of Governors, called for FAMU and UCF to become baccalaureate-only institutions.

UCF’s campaign against the Pappas Plan (supported by many powerful Orlando politicians and campaign donors) pushed the BOG to quickly shut up its discussions about turning any current state university into “baccalaureate-only” school, which benefited FAMU.

FAMU and UCF were targeted by the Pappas Plan because they threaten the current State University System hierarchy. FAMU and UCF’s graduate and professional programs provide affordable alternatives to those at the University of Florida. UF seems to be more concerned about enhancing its elitist magazine rankings by rejecting large numbers applicants than increasing low-income and middle class access to those areas of study.

UCF is an especially big problem for UF due to its location. Orlando is home to many politically influential individuals who want a first-rate public university in their backyard. Orlando’s central position in the state also makes UCF a convenient option for thousands of families who want their children to attend college close to home. And, “Disney World” is a much more appealing living area than “The Swamp.”

UF knows that UCF wants to knock it down from its privileged perch and become the best funded university in the state. UCF already took a critical step toward that goal by snatching UF’s crown as the SUS institution with the largest student body.

UF initially planned to decrease its freshman enrollment this year to help its “selectivity” and faculty-student ratio rankings. However, the Gators backed off after finding that they could not afford the likely multi-million dollar hit in state enrollment funding this move would have caused.

State Sen. Evelyn Lynn has now proposed a bill (SB 2442) to help UF get past this problem. It would designate UF as the de facto “flagship” of the SUS and set the stage for it to receive special treatment in funding. It would also require the BOG to rank SUS schools in tiers based on the "quality of their students, faculty, national reputation, and amount of funded research."

Lynn’s bill says that: “A nationally recognized and ranked university that has a global perspective and impact shall be afforded the freedom to pursue an agenda on the global stage in fair competition with other flagship institutions of other states.”

UF is the only public university that could qualify for this "flagship" distinction under the terms set by the proposed legislation. The bill requires Florida’s “flagship” be an institution that “brings over one-half billion dollars per year into the state economy through external grants and contracts.”

Lynn’s bill would place UF into a top tier and every other state university into a bottom tier. Her proposal is another example of placing elitist ranking games above the state’s economic needs. Florida should reward universities which prioritize student access, not those which try to up their magazine rankings by turning away large numbers of applicants.

Pharmacy alums win national awards

FAMU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science (COPPS) alumni Rhonda Norwood, PharmD, Class of 2004, and Rashida Hudson, PharmD, Class of 2003, both received the One-To-One Patient Counseling Recognition Program Award at the American Pharmacist Association (APhA) meeting held in Washington, D.C.

Norwood, a pharmacist with the Veterans Affairs (VA) Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Delray, Fla., said, “Following up with patients and providing one-to-one counseling is important. I see the difference with my own two eyes. Patients who know that they will have to see me again in a month are motivated to do the right thing.”

Before moving to the VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic, Norwood managed a community health center ambulatory care clinic for three days a week, focusing especially on helping clients manage diabetes. Norwood has been known to help uninsured patients who could not afford regular treatment.

“The key to assisting patients with achieving such successful outcomes, is to treat the patient and not the chart,” said Norwood. Her colleagues have described Norwood as “a pharmacist who is dedicated to improving the lives of her patients through diligent disease management.”

Hudson, a pharmacist for Kroger Pharmacy in Nashville, Tenn., said, “Outside the pharmacy is where the real work begins. You have to get out into the community where the people are, especially when they don’t have insurance and are unable to see doctors. The community is where you reach the people who care the most.”

The colleague who nominated Hudson for the one-to-one recognition said, “Hudson is driven and motivated by knowing that her purpose in life is to help those who cannot help themselves.”

Hudson called patient counseling her passion and ministry.

“I just love it so much that there are some days I have to force myself to stop working,” she said.

Henry Lewis III, dean and professor said, “We are extremely proud that ‘two’ FAMU pharmacy graduates received national recognition for the jobs they do in serving our communities. To have not one, but two recognized at one of the largest meetings of practicing pharmacists in the country highlights the training received here in Tallahassee.”

Earst challenges FAMU students to be critical thinkers

FAMU hosted its annual Honors Convocation Thursday, April 1, in Perry-Paige Auditorium.

Makeba Earst, owner and operator of All About Smiles dental practice, served as keynote speaker. She challenged the honor students to be critical thinkers.

“When I came to FAMU in 1991, life was great,” said Earst, who earned her bachelor’s degree from FAMU in chemistry. “Professors here transformed me into a critical thinker.”

She said the one thing that separates the successful people from the unsuccessful people is the way they think.

“Please know that you are all great thinkers,” Earst said. “I challenge you to pursue your goals; surround yourself with critical thinkers.”

A native of Tallahassee, Earst was the senior class valedictorian when she attended FAMU-Developmental Research School. At All About Smiles, she and her staff work diligently to provide the best in quality dental care as well as enhance the quality of life for those in need of dental treatment.

“I was born a Baby Rattler to a Mama Rattler and a Papa Rattler,” the charismatic Earst said. “It feels so good to be back. There’s no place like home.”

Barbara Thompson, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs, presented Earst with the President’s Award.

Outstanding University Honors Program students were also recognized during the ceremony.

Provost Cynthia Hughes Harris said she was proud of all the students for their achievements.

“This group truly got the memo,” she said to the students. “They know how to have fun in school, but to make sure to reach that goal in the end.”

Big artists on line-up for Haiti benefit concert

Grammy award-winning rapper Common (pictured with girlfriend Serena Williams) will be back on The Hill for a special fundraiser to help the Republic of Haiti.

The FAMU 39th Student Senate will host a Haiti Relief Benefit Concert featuring three of this generation’s hottest performers Thursday, April 15, at 7 p.m. in the Lawson Center.

In addition to Common, who is a former FAMU student, there will be performances by singer Trey Songz and rapper Fabolous.

“It should be a good one,” said Saundra Inge, director of student activities. “We wanted to do something very big to help.”

Proceeds from the event will go toward FAMU's Haiti Relief Effort.

FAMU has been very active with its role in helping the victims of Haiti following the catastrophic earthquake, which occurred on January 12, 2010.

Subsequently, the university launched a mobile campaign and collected clothing, food, hygiene products and medical supplies to donate.

“We've also set up a resource center for our students from Haiti, so if they need items that we have collected, they can get them,” said Inge.

FAMU is also sponsoring an essay contest open to all high school students in the Big Bend area. Three winners will be selected to receive two VIP passes to the benefit concert and have a meet-and-greet with Trey Songz, Common and Fabolous.

“Many people use music as their outlet of expression,” said Tyler Cheatham, CEO of the District 7 Production Group and promoter for the concert. “The contest will introduce local students to the positive side of the music industry and allow them the opportunity to speak one-on-one with artists in the industry.”

Tickets are $25 for FAMU, Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College students, and $33 for non-students and the general public. Tickets can be purchased at the Lawson Center from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

FAMU showcases black doll collection

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Carrie Meek-James N. Eaton Sr. Black Archives Research Center and Museum at FAMU presented the “Black Like Me: The Dr. Annie B. Henry African-American Doll Collection.”

“Women of color have contributed tremendously to American history and Florida history, and we certainly wanted to celebrate the women of Florida A&M University,” said Murrell Dawson, archivist and curator of the Meek-Eaton Black Archives. “It was an honor to end the month with this particular celebration.”

Henry’s collection of more than 350 dolls and figurines represents yet another example of a woman’s struggle to find self-representation and equality in all things including one of civilization’s oldest toys — the doll.

“There are so many messages that these dolls represent,” said Henry, a Jacksonville native. “If these dolls could speak, what would they say?”

Henry earned her master’s degree from FAMU in 1969 and then her doctorate in philosophy in education from Florida State University. She received her first black doll as a graduation gift.

This doll was named “Dr. Annie” and was the beginning of Henry’s love and search for black dolls.

The collection included famous African Americans, rag, wedding, darkey, Topsy Turvy and slavery dolls.

“You cannot tell me we are not gorgeous and intelligent; I wanted to show that through the dolls,” Henry said.

Dawson says more than anything, she hopes the doll collection will inspire, motivate and encourage students to continue in their endeavors.

“It certainly is something that makes you feel good about yourself — about being a person of color,” said Dawson. “I thank Dr. Henry for the gift and I think it’s going to be used for many years not only at FAMU but throughout our local community, the state and our nation.”

Henry added that the dolls serve as an educational tool.

“We are each other’s keeper,” Henry said. “It’s important to give the dolls to the next generation. I love to see the kids looking at the dolls. It’s like Christmas for them; it’s amazing.”

The Dr. Annie B. Henry African-American Doll Collection has been displayed throughout northern Minnesota and in several Florida cities.