Recent FAMU grad empowered by high school, mother

Jacksonville Times-Union blogger William Jackson, a teacher in the Duval County School System, recently reflected on the journey of Fall 2010 FAMU graduate Darryl McClenton (pictured).

From his blog post:

I attended my first Florida A&M University graduation.

My journey only took several hours, the accomplishments of Darryl "TopShelf" McClenton his journey started after graduation from Raines High School in Jacksonville, Florida.

I should correct myself the journey is not just his, but his family that supported him to matriculation. His mother Cheryl laboured, not just worked, but laboured to see her sons graduate college and put aside her dreams of a college diploma as so many mothers do to support their children. The eldest is a graduate of South Carolina State University; the youngest attends Tallahassee Community College.

The focus is on Darryl and his accomplishment, graduating Cum Laude from Florida A&M University. What a testament to the foundation of success laid by a solid education from Raines High School, the prayers, sacrifices of a determined mother who worked sometimes multiple 12 hour shifts as a nurse and at times had two jobs. Driving to the University a day early making sure Cheryl saw another son graduate. Just as my mother saw me graduate from college, more mothers need to see their children graduate and more fathers need to support their children's quest to be educated.

There are too many mothers alone, while fathers "claim" to help, do nothing, try to take unearned credit. Thank you to the fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers and men that are stepping in and contributing.

During our journey we talked about the achievements of our children and sacrifices as parents. My oldest is a freshman at Florida A&M and my youngest is a high school freshmen. Cheryl and I share our hopes, dreams and expectations for our children's success and paths in life.

Read the full blog post here.

A day in the life of a FAMU photojournalist

Lettman-Hicks, NBJC applaud DADT repeal

On December 22, 2010 FAMU alumna Sharon Lettman-Hicks, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, attended the White House ceremony at which U.S. President Barack Obama signed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" (DADT). DADT was a 17-year old law prohibiting gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the military.

In response to this historic moment, Lettman-Hicks stated:

“By repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ President Obama, along with the American people, has added a new chapter for civil rights in this country by officially putting an end to legalized anti-gay discrimination within the military. With the stroke of a pen, the President is strengthening our military by opening its doors to the untold thousands of gay and lesbian citizens, who previously have chosen not to serve out of concern that they would be dishonorably discharged. In these tough economic times, repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ creates job security for thousands of service members who have lived in fear that they might be expelled for characteristics that are outside of their control and that have no effect on their ability to perform their duties.”

The NBJC is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. NBJC played a leading role in lobbying the White House and Congress for DADT's repeal.

Barbarino named strength, conditioning coach

Russell Barbarino is the new director of strength and conditioning at FAMU. He is responsible for the supervision of more than 300 student-athletes from FAMU’s 18-intercollegiate athletics teams and coordinating all strength and conditioning programs.

Prior to FAMU, he was a successful business owner and nationally certified fitness and athletic performance specialist in Tallahassee and surrounding areas, including owning and operating Anytime Fitness of Tallahassee-Mahan Drive and Anytime Fitness of Crawfordville, Fla.

Earlier in his career, he worked as director of strength and conditioning at Tulane University in New Orleans from 2005-2006, director of strength and conditioning at the University of Delaware from 1999-2005, and assistant strength and conditioning coach at Florida State University from 1995-1999.

Barbarino is Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) by the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA). He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Certified Advanced Personal Trainer by the International Fitness Professionals Association (IFPA), and a Certified Primary Aerobics Instructor by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). He is also a member of the U.S. Weightlifting Federation (USWF) as a coach.

In February 2006, Barbarino was finalist for the 2006 National Strength and Conditioning Association College Professional of the Year Award. This national award is presented annually each July, at the NSCA national convention. This marked the sixth year in a row that Barbarino had been honored with this distinction. He was a finalist for this award in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.

A former football letter winner at Kean University in New Jersey, Barbarino earned a bachelor's degree in adult Exercise Science/Adult Fitness from the school in 1995 and added a master's degree in Athletic Administration from Florida State in 1997. He and his wife, the former Jennifer Engelbrecht, have two boys named Kyle and Bryce.

FAMU installing new energy-efficient lighting

FAMU’s campus is undergoing a major renovation with the installation of new, outdoor LEDs (light-emitting diodes) across its campus.

In July 2010 FAMU began an electrical service upgrade across the entire campus, which comprises 156 buildings spread over 422 acres. The project includes an upgrade to campus lighting. The lighting upgrade centers on the installation of more than 750 new luminaires and decorative posts.

Many of the newly installed luminaires utilize highly efficient LEDs as their source technology. The upgrade will include the use of a control system that wirelessly interconnects the entire outdoor lighting system on campus.

FAMU is using Acuity Brands Lighting products for the upgrade. Jack Ries, an Acuity vice president, said that the LED technology will help FAMU reduce its C02 emissions. Precision optics with tight tolerances in the new LED luminaires direct light where it is needed to maximize energy savings and help ensure design effectiveness.

Ries added that the company’s ROAM control system aid campus safety by permitting physical plant officials to control and monitor the lights from a central location. The secure ROAM Web-portal interface allows FAMU to schedule its lights’ on/off times, as well as proactively address system maintenance, helping improve safety and reduce operating and maintenance costs.

Alum named interim athletics director at UAH

FAMU alumnus Antoine Bell has been named interim athletic director for The University of Alabama in Huntsville following the death of Jim Harris, the university’s athletic director for the past 15 years.

Bell joined the UAHuntsville athletics staff in 1998 as Sports Information Director and was later promoted to Associate Director of Athletics for Media Relations. During his career, he has worked two years at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, and six at Alabama A&M University. His career began as a student assistant at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Fla., in 1985. He served in that capacity for four years. Bell earned a degree in broadcast journalism from Florida A&M in 1989.

In 2008, Bell was appointed to the NCAA Statistics Advisory Board.

In addition to his work in sports information, Bell has worked in several other areas of communications. He was Sports Producer at WO9BI-TV in Tallahassee. He also was an on-air personality at WAMF Radio as well as a staff intern at the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper.

While at Alabama A&M, Bell hosted several television and radio sports shows. He also served as color analyst on the basketball radio broadcasts. Bell has also done some play-by-play on the UAH basketball broadcasts on the radio as well as the internet.

A native of Birmingham, Bell and his wife Gwen, also of Birmingham, have one daughter, Ariel Monet.

Have a Merry Christmas!

The Rattler Nation team wishes you and your family a Merry Christmas! May the season bring happiness, joy and peace to you and your loved ones.

And a special holiday greeting and virtual hug to the dynamic advertisers who helped make Rattler Nation happen.

Skerritt: Obession with secession is dangerous for America

Andrew J. Skerritt, an assistant professor of journalism at FAMU, worries about where the "We want our country back" crowd and Confederate re-enactors want to take America.

From his recent column:

The triumphant e-mail arrived in my in-box a week or two ago. It announced a re-enactment of the Florida Secession Convention on Jan. 8, 2011, in the old State Capitol building, where the original event took place 150 years before.

"This will be an early event of the Sesquicentennial of the War Between the States as Florida was the third state to leave the Union," wrote the sender.

The Florida Secession Convention event is just one of many such spectacles planned over the next five years as the children of the Lost Cause revive ghosts of the Civil War. In Georgia they will re-enact the state's 1861 Secession Convention. Alabama will hold a mock swearing-in of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. People in Charleston, S.C., have organized a gala ball with period dress.

My fear is that what's happening is a classic example of history repeating itself. During the Civil War, poor white folks acted against their economic self-interest and waged a war that could only have benefited the landed aristocracy. The race card blinded poor Southern whites from seeking solidarity with their natural allies: Southern blacks.

The regions of the country with the strongest opposition to health care reform are areas with the highest uninsured rates: the states of the former Confederacy. Six weeks ago, many people voted for smaller, less activist government during a time that calls for innovative, daring leadership.

"This last election made no sense," said Abel Bartley, director of Pan African Studies at Clemson University. "In a time of economic recession, people voted for people who say they are for doing less for you, not more."

The same people who sacrificed the most and lost the most will do so again. A century and a half later, one thing is certain: The Confederacy was un-American yesterday. It's still wrong for America today. No re-enactment party can change that.

Read the full column here at The Root.

Martin featured on WCTV-6 cooking show

FAMU Bowling coach Sheila Martin was the guest chef today on the Morning Show on WCTV Channel 6 in Tallahassee. Martin cooked up a dish she called “Cherry Delight.” The tasty snack featured marshmallows, cherries, cherry sauce and whipped cream.

When asked why she chose the dish, Martin replied, “It was the first thing my mother ever taught me how to make.” The three-minute segment on WCTV invites local figures to share their recipes, which are later posted to the Website for public consumption. Former guests include Joe Bullard (WHBX/Marching “100), Dr. Otis Kirksey (FAMU School of Pharmacy), Ernie Sims (Detroit Lions), and Tammy Hartsfield (American Red Cross).

Martin has been the bowling coach at FAMU for three years. In that time she has led the team to heights unseen. Last season’s squad attained the first-ever national ranking, ending the season as the No. 17 team in the Ten Pin national bowling poll. With a strong team of returning kegglers, the Rattlers are currently ranked No.18 in the Ten Pin poll.

The Lady Rattlers will host the MEAC Southern Division bowling championship on Jan. 8-9, on the FAMU campus at the Galimore Lanes. The Lady Rattlers are the defending MEAC Southern Division champions.

FAMU law students propose child custody bill

Three FAMU College of Law students are working with Jim Kallinger, Florida’s Chief Child Advocate, to compose a proposed bill that, if it were to become law, would require parents of children in state custody to pay child support to the State of Florida.

Kallinger, who is the director of the Governor’s Office of Adoption and Child Protection, has received a draft of the proposed legislation prepared by third-year law students Heather Barry, Keith Boykins and Julian Jackson-Fannin. The law students are legal interns with the FAMU Legal Clinic Program, and are supervised by adjunct professor Linda Rohrbaugh, clinic law instructor Eunice Caussade-Garcia, and clinic director and assistant professor Ann Marie Cavazos.

“The Governor’s Office has had a long-standing partnership with the FAMU College of Law and with the assistance of their professors and outstanding students, we are able to explore the efficacy of good public policy that would improve the well-being of Florida’s children,” Kallinger said.

The intent language in the bill states that the purpose is to defray some of the costs the State of Florida and taxpayers incur with the care and education of children in the foster care system. The proposal supports the state’s increased emphasis on adoption and child abuse prevention.

Kallinger's office was created in 2007 to establish a comprehensive statewide approach to the prevention of child abuse and neglect, the promotion of adoption, and the support of adoptive families. Introducing such legislation is directly in line with the goals of the Governor’s Office and the mission of the FAMU College of Law to serve the underserved.

“Through this proposal, our law students have once again demonstrated the real-world value of blending classroom theory with practical experience in our legal clinic program,” said LeRoy Pernell, dean of the FAMU College of Law.

Once a final draft of the proposed bill is agreed upon and a legislative sponsor is identified, Florida would be the first state to enact this type of legislation requiring financial support from the parents to the state in dependency cases, if it were to become law.

“The state is undertaking a burden of being the surrogate parent when a child is placed in foster care,” said Cavazos. “The objective is for children to be raised by their parents. However, when this responsibility is abdicated to the state, then parents should contribute to the expense of raising the child in order to prevent a pervasive incentive.”

The FAMU College of Law's Legal Clinic Program offers third-year law students an opportunity to serve traditionally underrepresented clients under the supervision of faculty, the bench and the bar. The clinical program offers a variety of in-house clinics and externships that allow students the opportunity to explore various career potentials and handle problems that arise from poverty, inequality, and other social ills.

Rattlers propel East win in HBCU Bowl

Coach Joe Taylor and the FAMU football coaching staff spent the second half of the 2010 regular season making adjustments at halftime to overcome opponents. Saturday’s display at the 2nd Annual Russell Athletic HBCU Bowl, was another prime example of how Taylor and staff have set the FAMU records of 25 wins in their first three seasons. The East squad, which was coached by the Rattler staff, came back from a 14-0 deficit, to win 28-16 in the end.

Official stats weren’t readily available, but Philip Sylvester had a productive day at running back. Sylvester ran for a total of 50 yards rushing, including the go-ahead touchdown and caught a pass for another 20 yards. Sylvester scored the go-ahead touchdown on a run off the right side. The East was led by S.C. State veteran quarterback Malcolm Long. Sylvester and Long were also the captains for the East squad.

FAMU defensive end Kendrick Washington scooped up a fumble in the fourth quarter and ran it in to seal the victory 28-16 for the East, with 15 seconds left.

FAMU to honor lieutenant governor-elect

FAMU and Al Lawson & Associates are partnering to honor Florida’s first African-American lieutenant governor-elect, Jennifer Carroll (seated in center with her husband and children).

The university will host a black-tie gala for Carroll at on January 2, 2011 at 7 p.m. in the Alfred Lawson, Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium.

Carroll was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad West Indies and emigrated to the United States as a young child. She served her adopted nation honorably and with distinction with the United States Navy for over 20 years. She is a graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Political Science and received her M.B.A. from St. Leo University. Carroll moved to Florida in 1986 and since living in the state started a business, 3N. & J.C. Corp., where she is president. She ran for the Florida House of Representatives in 2003 and after winning she became the first African American female Republican in the Florida Legislature’s history. As a legislator, she was appointed Deputy Majority Leader by Speaker Johnnie Byrd from 2003-2004 and served as Majority Whip from 2004-2006.

The lieutenant governor-elect is married to Nolan Carroll (left seated) of Miami and they have three children. The Carrolls currently live in Fleming Island, Florida.

Tickets to the event are $50 per person and must be purchased in advance by calling 850.222.1286.

CESTA prof conducting research in Japan

Ramesh Katam, a member of the research faculty at the FAMU Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research, has been selected to participate in a two-month visit to Tsukba, Japan by National Institute of Crop Research to conduct research on grape and peanut proteomics (the study of proteins). The program is funded by a grant from Japan Science Foundation which invites eminent scientists in the field of expertise across the world to promote science and motivate the scientists in functional genomics.

Katam's travel to Japan began on November 17, 2010 and will end on January 15, 2011. During his visit, he will attend and make two presentations, one at the International Symposium on Frontier in Agriculture Proteome Research, Tsukuba, Japan, and another at the Conference on Biochemistry and Microbiology Conference, Kobe, Japan. He will also visit several other institutions in Japan such as National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Mitsubishi Space Software Corporation and Maebashi Institute of Technology in Japan. Katam will conduct workshops and deliver lectures at these institutions on recent trends of functional genomics in agriculture. Currently, he is collaborating with one of these institutions and ascertains that his travel to Japan will bring to FAMU more collaboration from different institutions in Japan which will enhance the research and academic environment at FAMU. Students and faculty at the Center for Viticulture and in CESTA will have more opportunities to develop scientific studies on functional genomics which include transcriptome, proteome and meatabolome.

This unique opportunity also provides the potential for long-term research partnerships through exchange of students and faculty, funding opportunities, and faculty enhancement through research oriented teaching, and the development of new research areas in cutting edge technologies. This will also present access to their resources such as plant materials, equipment and technical know-how which can be incorporated into US agriculture to enhance productivity, quality and market values of US crops.

FAMU coaches, seniors ready for HBCU Bowl

Head Football Coach Joe Taylor and his assistants are in Atlanta to lead the East team in the 2010 Russell Athletic HBCU Bowl. His squad includes FAMU seniors Curtis Holcolmb, Marquiste Ramos, Qier Hall, Phillip Sylvester, Isaac West, and Kendrick Washington.

HBCU all-star game selects the top 100 draft-eligible seniors (including 10 alternate players) from all HBCU Football Conferences, the MEAC, SWAC, SIAC, and CIAA to participate in the contest. Once that list is set, scouts from the NFL, CFL, UFL, and Area Football evaluate the quality of players available during a one day Official Combine administered by National Football Scouting. Last year 32 teams attended the week's practices and Saturday's game.

The 2009 NFL Draft produced two HBCU draft picks and 16 sixteen HBCU Football Student Athletes signed free-agent agreements. Each one of those 18 players participated in the 2009 Russell Athletic HBCU Bowl.

Kickoff time is 2:00 p.m.

FAMU being considered for Princeton Review honors

FAMU is currently being considered to be featured in The Princeton Review’s 2012 edition of its best-selling guidebook, The Best 373 Colleges, which is featured online at its website, www.princetonreview.com.

As part of this process, FAMU students are being asked to complete The Princeton Review’s Student Survey. The link to the brief online questionnaire is available here. Students must log-in using their famu.edu email addresses.

FAMU’s selection as the 1997-1998 College-of-the-Year by the TIME Magazine/Princeton Review College Guide was a crowning achievement in the university’s history. The positive national publicly attracted a flurry of new applications and helped FAMU break the 12,000 student mark for the first time in Fall 2008.

The College-of-the-Year articles highlighted the accomplishments of the administration led by President Frederick S. Humphries and then-Provost James H. Ammons. FAMU was the recognized as the #1 producer of blacks with baccalaureate degrees and the #1 recruiter of National Achievement Scholars.

FAMU fell from its healthy state during Humphries years after a group of trustees that included James Corbin, Bill Jennings, and R.B. Holmes, Jr. took control of the university. The lowest point came when the interim president they appointed, Castell Bryant, destroyed the recruitment program and got FAMU into hot water with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Rattlers finally succeeded in running Castell and most of her Board of Trustees supporters out of town in 2007. Newly appointed President James H. Ammons quickly cleaned up Castell’s mess. He returned FAMU to good standing with SACS and now has enrollment on track to reach 14,000.

The Princeton Review’s renewed interest in featuring FAMU shows that the university has practically come full circle from the dark years of 2002-2007.

MLK III to keynote King Day Convocation

Martin Luther King III, son of the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., will keynote FAMU's annual Martin Luther King Convocation on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 10:10 a.m. in the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium.

As the oldest son of the late Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III is carrying the torch lit by both of his parents into the 21st century. His dedication to creating and implementing strategic nonviolent action to rid the world of social, political and economic injustice has propelled him to the forefront as one of the nation’s most ardent advocates for the poor, the oppressed and the disillusioned.

In 1986, King was elected to political office as an at-large representative of more than 700,000 residents of Fulton County, Ga. His tenure on the Board of Commissioners was marked by strong ethics legislation, purification of the county’s natural water resources, legislation regulating minority business participation in public contracting and stringent hazardous waste disposal requirements.

King is committed to the personal and educational development of youth and has initiated several programs throughout the years to support and nurture young people. Among them are the King Summer Intern Program designed to provide employment opportunities for high school students; Hoops for Health – a charity basketball game held to increase public awareness of newborns suffering the affects of substance abuse; and A Call to Manhood – an annual event designed to unite young African-American males with positive adult role models. One of King’s ongoing collaborations is with the annual Kindness and Justice Challenge sponsored by Do Something, Inc.

King received his bachelor of arts degree in political science from Morehouse College, and is the recipient of numerous awards and several honorary degrees. In addition to being the president and chief executive officer of The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in Atlanta, Ga., King is married to Arndrea Waters King and they are the proud parents of a young daughter, Yolanda Renee.

Brazile to grads: Agitate for change

Veteran Democratic political strategist Donna Brazile told more than 700 Florida A&M University (FAMU) fall graduates during FAMU’s Commencement Ceremony that they must struggle to reach their respective goals.

“It is a special day and I know you will be excited for tomorrow,” Brazile said. “There are barriers you are destined to break. Who here today will break new ground? Who here today will beat the odds and make FAMU proud? My secret is that we are meant to struggle. We grow by our struggles. We mature by how we handle adversity. FAMU has prepared you to go out there and conquer the world.”

Brazile, a New Orleans native, admitted that a lot has changed since her childhood.

“But it is not as different as you think it is,” she said. “We were young and restless, but we made noise. Agitation for change is the duty for youth. This is your mission. We owe our freedom to those who laid down their lives. It’s now your fight to secure the future for your children’s future and for your grandchildren’s future. It’s your moment—seize it. It’s your future—claim it.”

Markashia Jeter, who earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism, said graduation felt surreal to her.

“We worked so very hard throughout our four years at FAMU, and on Dec. 10, it all paid off,” said Jeter, an Atlanta, Ga. native. “FAMU taught me to be a preserver. I made sure my nephews were a part of the experience with me, and hopefully, it will encourage them to attend FAMU one day. Donna Brazile’s words were insightful. Brazile embodies wisdom and I’m glad she shared her story with us.”

FAMU President James H. Ammons presented Brazile with the President’s Award. He later encouraged the graduates to make their marks on the world.

“Go out and change the world,” said Ammons.

FAMU prepares students for high-demand fields

The students in FAMU’s School of Business and Industry, Department of Computer Information Sciences, and College of Engineering will be competitive job candidates despite the nation’s limping economy.

According to results of a new survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers are most interested in hiring new college graduates with bachelor’s degrees in the business, engineering, and computer science fields.

Nearly 62 percent of the organizations taking part in NACE’s Job Outlook 2011 survey cited plans to hire accounting graduates. Other popular degrees at the bachelor’s degree level included finance (57 percent of respondents), electrical engineering (53.5 percent), computer science (53 percent), mechanical engineering (53 percent), and business administration/management (52 percent).

“The results are not surprising,” says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director. “These degrees are consistently cited by organizations involved in college recruiting and hiring as among the most sought-after.”

Employers in accounting services, government, and finance, insurance, and real estate companies look like “best bets” for jobs for accounting graduates. Finance, insurance, and real estate companies also expressed strong interest in finance, computer science, and business administration majors.

FAMU grads leave with $27,253 in debt; highest in SUS

FAMU has the worst student debt problem in the entire State University System of Florida. The members of FAMU’s Class of 2009 graduated with an average debt of $27,253.

Statewide, public and private college debt averaged $20,766. The national average was $24,000.

U.S. President Barack Obama invested billions more into federal Pell grants to help students and families weather tuition increases and a tough economy. The program’s total funds have climbed from $16.4 billion in 2008 to $25.3 billion in 2009 to $32 billion in 2010. The money still is not nearly enough, though.

“Despite the recent increases, the College Board found that the maximum Pell grant now covers just 34 percent of the average cost of attending a public four-year college, down from 45 percent twenty years ago,” said Lauren Asher, president of the Institute for College Access & Success. "The share of state grant aid that is tied to students’ financial need actually declined from 81 percent to 72 percent over the past decade. It is good news that public colleges are using more of their own aid to meet financial need, but they still haven’t crossed the halfway mark: only 42 percent of public college grants went to meet financial need in 2009-10, up from 28 percent ten years earlier.”

FAMU’s housing shortage makes college very expensive for the student body. Most students come from families that make $30,000 or less per year. 81 percent of FAMU students take out loans to help pay for their education.

Average Student Debt for Class of 2009*

FAMU $27,253
USF $25,115
FGCU $21,247
FSU $19,364
FAU $17,338
UCF $17,044
UF $15,932
UNF $15,619
FIU $14,912
NCF $14,794

*2009 data was unavailable for UWF.

Source: Project on Student Debt.

85% of college seniors plan to move home with parents

They’re being called Boomerang Generation. Most of America’s college graduates are moving back home with their parents after walking across the stage.

A recent poll by the marketing and research firm Twentysomething, Inc. reported that 85 percent of college seniors plan to move back into their parents’ houses after they receive their baccalaureate degrees. That is up from 67 percent in 2006.

Today’s college graduates face high unemployment (approximately 15 percent) due to a tough job market. They are also struggling to pay back the student loans they were forced to take out as a result of skyrocketing tuition and insufficient need-based grant money.

The Project on Student Debt reports that college students who graduated in 2009 carried an average of $24,000 in student loan debt, up six percent from the previous year. Meanwhile, unemployment for recent college graduates climbed from 5.8 percent in 2008 to 8.7 percent in 2009 – the highest annual rate on record for college graduates aged 20 to 24.

FAMU Biology Department adopts seven families

Members of FAMU's Biology Department adopted seven families this holiday season.

Thursday, they provided lunch for the family members, and handed out Christmas presents to each person. The kids in the families say they got exactly what was on their wish list.

Thirteen year old Syndney Hall said, "I got an MP3 Player, which I really appreciate because I'm really bored. So, I can now listen to music and have fun. It was very nice that everybody came together to help out. I really do appreciate all these presents."

To buy the gifts, members of FAMU's Biology Department sold raffle tickets, and raised more than $3,000.

The group comes together to help area families every year.

via WCTV

Wesley publishes book on black hospitals

Nathaniel Wesley, Jr., a former FAMU employee for more than 10 years, has published the book, “Black Hospitals in America: History, Contributions and Demise.” The book is a comprehensive review of the more than 500 black hospitals of the 20th century.

“After many years of study and research on this subject, I decided that I should put it all together and tell the story of the contributions and achievements of black hospitals in America,” said Wesley.

According to Wesley, the book is organized in a manner that makes for easy reading. The first chapter attempts to respond to some of the academic questions and professional issues that surrounded the black hospital community over the years. Chapter two the presentation of the black hospitals listing of more than 500 hospital facilities that have existed during the 20th century. Chapter three is a presentation of 50 articles and editorials from newspapers, magazines and journals addressing the challenges of black community hospitals. Chapter five is an accumulation of historic highlights and recognition of individuals and events that contributed to the achievements of black hospitals.

Wesley worked at FAMU from 1994 to 2006 as a faculty member in the School of Allied Health Science, as the associate director of the Institute of Public Health and the director of the Division of Health Care Management. He has been involved in the study and research of black hospitals in America since 1977, and has been a hospital administrator, health management consultant and advisor and counsel for professional development in the health profession.

Wesley is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a life member of the National Association of Health Services Executives. He received his bachelor’s degree from FAMU and a master of hospital administration degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.

FAMU DRS rebounds to “C” grade

The FAMU Developmental Research School (DRS) has rebounded to the grade it received before former Superintendent Ronald Holmes’ first full year.

DRS earned a “C” combination grade on its 2009-2010 Florida School Accountability Report.

Six months after the FAMU Board of Trustees approved Ronald Holmes’ three-year contract in late 2007, DRS received the good news that it had improved from an “F” in 2006-2007 to a “C” in 2007-2008.

The school grade dropped down to a “D” after Holmes’ first full year in 2008-2009. DRS supporters faced a very tough road on their way to reversing that school grade slump.

DRS faculty members struggled within an atmosphere of fear following a series of highly publicized scares concerning their employment. Holmes’ failure to recruit enough students to satisfy the demands of the 2009-2010 year’s budget threatened nine teaching jobs. FAMU President James Ammons saved those nine jobs from Holmes’ layoff ax by providing a $425,802 bailout for the school.

Morale plummeted during the Holmes years at DRS. Rattler Nation learned that frustrated DRS stakeholders who approached Holmes said he often dismissed their criticism as if he was “untouchable” and knew he wouldn’t be held accountable by any one. Ronald Holmes is the brother FAMU Trustee R.B. Holmes.

Dedicated teachers, parents, and community volunteers still worked hard and did their best to prepare students for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test despite the lack of leadership from the former superintendent.

The healing began when Ammons accepted Holmes’ resignation last summer and appointed an experienced K-12 principal, W.E. “Bill” Johnson, to lead DRS on an interim basis. Word has spread on campus that R.B. Holmes is angry about the way his brother’s exit was handled is trying to make life hard for Ammons, but this will not be a problem if Gov.-elect Rick Scott denies reappointment to Holmes on January 6, 2011.

Miss FAMU collecting suits for young men in need

Miss Florida A&M University Kindall Johnson believes there are so many college students who would dress professionally if they only had the means to do so. In an effort to give them a helping hand, Johnson’s current initiative, “Miss FAMU Has Suits For You: Suits for Our Sons,” will give Rattlers the opportunity to take care of their fellow Rattler.

Johnson is asking alumni and local professionals to donate a new business suit or reach into their closets and donate a gently used suit. She is collecting suits, shirts, ties, blazers, slacks, polos, khakis, belts, hard bottom shoes and any other professional wear for young men.

“I saw that there was a need to increase the professionalism of young men on campus,” said Johnson, 21, a senior journalism student from Tampa, Fla. “Right now, my vision is to help our young men. I believe that their professionalism will set a standard that will cause young ladies to rise to the occasion. Nonetheless, I would be happy to receive and distribute any items I receive for women.”

Suits can be dropped off at the Hansel E. Tookes Sr. Student Recreation Center on Wahnish Way, Monday through Thursday from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Johnson will distribute all collected suits the first day of the spring semester, Jan. 5, which is the giveaway day.

“I am targeting freshmen men,” said Johnson. “However, any man on campus who has an interview, wants to improve his image or just needs a nice suit for church is welcome.”

“To the FAMU alumni, I would like to say, there’s more than one way to give back,” she said. “We look forward to future contributions that will benefit not only the men of FAMU, but the black community and the world.”

Angelou to speak at FAMU

FAMU will welcome one of the most renowned and influential voices of today, Maya Angelou, Wednesday, January 26, 2011 in the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m.

Angelou will perform as part of the 2010-2011 FAMU Lyceum Series.

“We are so excited to have Ms. Angelou to be a part of our lyceum series,” said FAMU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Cynthia Hughes Harris. “She has been hailed as a global renaissance woman. I am confident that our faculty, staff, students, alumni and the Tallahassee community will be graced with wisdom that will leave them speechless.”

Angelou is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker and civil rights activist.

A trailblazer in film and television, Angelou wrote the screenplay and composed the score for the 1972 film Georgia, Georgia. Her script, the first by an African- American woman ever to be filmed, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

She continued to appear on television and in films including the landmark television adaptation of Alex Haley’s Roots (1977) and John Singleton’s Poetic Justice (1993).

In 1996, she directed her first feature film, Down in the Delta. In 2008, she composed poetry for and narrated the award-winning documentary The Black Candle, directed by M.K. Asante.

Angelou has served on two presidential committees, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000, the Lincoln Medal in 2008, and has received three Grammy Awards. President Bill Clinton requested that she compose a poem to read at his inauguration in 1993.

Angelou has received more than 30 honorary degrees and is the Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University.

The FAMU Lyceum Series has been a part of the FAMU tradition since the university’s early beginnings.

Throughout the history of the series, FAMU has enriched campus life and shared with the community the artists, performers and lecturers of the day.

Enhancing FAMU students’ exposure to culture is essential to the selection of performers. The campus is also committed to exposing the Tallahassee community to a variety of cultural experiences through the series.

FAMU on track to reach 14,000 students

FAMU is on track to hit the 14,000 student mark as early as summer 2011.

Over the past two years, FAMU has recorded a net increase of more than 1,200 students between the fall and summer. FAMU posted its highest ever fall enrollment at the beginning of this school year with 13,284. The university only needs 716 more students to reach 14,000 by the close of the fiscal year ending (FYE) on June 30, 2011.

The university completed FYE 2009 with an unduplicated headcount of 13,146 students, an increase of 1,289 over Fall 2008. FAMU completed FYE 2010 with an unduplicated headcount of 13,642 students, an increase of 1,395 over Fall 2009.

Fall headcounts are generally lower than the year-end headcounts because some FAMU students do not register for classes every semester. Nontraditional students who balance school and fulltime work are part of this group.

The current student body is still smaller than FAMU’s classroom capacity. In 1997, President Frederick S. Humphries and then-Provost James Ammons announced their goal of expanding FAMU’s student body to at least 15,000 by 2003. After the Board of Regents approved the plan, FAMU based its classroom building construction on that anticipated number.

When Ammons took over as president in 2007, he recommitted FAMU to getting its enrollment up to 15,000, the number it was supposed to reach years ago.

The enrollment boosts are a critical part of Ammons’ strategy to increase the university’s budget and save as many faculty and staff jobs as possible. FAMU is using funds from this year’s enrollment increase to provide a $1,000 base salary raise for its personnel.

Recent Enrollment Trends

Fall 2008: 11,857
Total FYE 2009: 13,146
Net Increase: 1,289

Fall 2009: 12,274
Total FYE 2010: 13,642
Net Increase: 1,395

Fall 2010: 13,284

Source: FAMU Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) reports.

Disney executives share expertise with SBI students

Florida A&M University business students got some tips for success, recently, when executives from Walt Disney World paid a visit.

Anthony Connelly, senior vice president and chief financial officer for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, US, and Cindy Luttrell, vice president of financial systems and business operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, visited Florida A&M University as part of FAMU’s “Forum Series,” a program that brings executives to campus to provide practical advice for the business leaders of tomorrow.

During his presentation to more than 130 business students, Connelly shared insights about the importance of mixing creative expertise with sound financial judgment in business decisions.

“Walt Disney came up with so many amazing creative ideas and his brother Roy worked closely with him on the business side to find ways to turn Walt’s dreams into reality,” said Connelly. “My challenge to this next generation of business leaders is to use the skills they acquire in school to work through the financial complexities that great ideas sometimes present in order to bring those ideas to life, the same way Walt and Roy worked together to do so many great things.”

Connelly also urged the students to be a partner and a collaborator in business, while following their passion with a positive outlook.

During their two-day visit to FAMU, Connelly and Luttrell fielded questions from a panel of graduate business students on a televised campus talk show. After the taping, the Disney executives were treated to a student presentation of a case study that won awards earlier this year at a Black Executive Supply Management Summit.

Ammons, Horne congratulate football team

The FAMU Rattlers football team got a pair of emphatic visitors last week, as president James H. Ammons and athletic director Derek Horne stopped by to speak with the group during their end-of-season meeting.

Ammons brought in a group of orange and green balloons and a card that read, “Congratulations Rattlers, on your win on Saturday. See you next year. Your friend, Trudie Kibbie Reed, president of Bethune-Cookman-University.”

To the players Ammons emphasized the importance the game has on many aspects of the university, not just athletics. “I want to congratulate you on representing this university so well. Even though we didn’t make the playoffs, we don’t need the NCAA to validate us,” he concluded.
Ammons concluded, “I want to congratulate you on making history down there. Coach Joe Taylor is the first coach to win 25 games his first three seasons. I always say, we have this era’s Jake Gaither; and now he’s done something Jake didn’t even do.”

The players got a treat they often miss on gameday. During pre-game, when the players are working on their plan, Ammons performs the trademark Rattler charge. He teased the players by saying “There were some dark clouds over the Citrus Bowl during the first half, but you prevailed.” The players began to beat on the lockers like drums near the end of Ammons’ speech, indicating a call for the charge. Ammons obliged, to an emphatic roar.

“To finish this season, the way you started…you are mighty Rattlers,” Ammons told the proud players. After concluding his speech, Taylor invited Dr. Ammons to be the first person fitted for the championship rings. The players were riled-up by the appearance of the ring-sizing apparatus.

Horne then took the stage, to congratulate the players on behalf of the department of athletics.

He spoke of the positive impact the game on national television has for the university. He also commended the players for their travel demeanor. He said “ When you travel, you conduct yourselves like young men. That’s what we hear from our host hotels in those different locations,” he added.

Horne’s parting words were very direct. “We don’t want another co-championship, we want to win outright,” he said. Horne was then invited by Taylor to be the second person fitted for his MEAC championship ring.

Online degrees get green light

At yesterday’s Board of Trustees meeting, FAMU administrators received the green light to launch the university’s first online degree programs.

FAMU is partnering with HBCUs Online, a subsidiary of Tom Joyner Online Education company, to tap into the rapidly growing market of online education. FAMU trustees approved tuition rates for three online programs: a master of business administration, master of nursing, and master of public health.

Hampton University, Tennessee State University, and Texas Southern University are also participating.

Media mogul Tom Joyner recently told FAMU faculty members that HBCUs Online is an effort “to take our students back” from institutions like University of Phoenix which currently enrolls nearly 200,000 black students.

On June 15, 2009, Rattler Nation reported that FAMU was in danger of losing its 12-year crown as the top producer of blacks with baccalaureate degrees. An article published ten days later by Diverse Issues in Higher Education broke the news that Phoenix awarded the largest number of baccalaureates to blacks in 2008. FAMU remains the top not-for-profit producer of blacks with baccalaureates.

Tom Joyner Online Education plans to spend at least $13M to provide services such as marketing, recruitment, technical support, and enrollment management for the online programs.

FAMU Director of Instructional Technology Franzetta Fitz told the The FAMUan that the initial slate of online programs will target nontraditional students such as active military personnel and former college students who were unable to complete their degrees.

The new online programs are part of President James Ammons’ plan to develop new revenue streams to offset the severe budget cuts FAMU has taken since 2005.

Student filmmakers to debut documentaries

Four years ago, FAMU Professor Kenneth Jones hosted an event to showcase film documentaries produced by 10 of his senior broadcast students. Then, thirty people showed up.

Lately, the event has drawn standing-room-only crowds in its original venue, and tonight will open in a brand new much bigger home -- Charles Winter Wood Theatre at 7 p.m., and Saturday, December 4, at 2 p.m. Also, the event has been re-branded as the " J-School Journals" will debut “Through the Lens,” four powerful documentaries written and produced by four teams of senior student filmmakers who are in FAMU's broadcast journalism program. The general public is invited and admission is free.

The documentaries will take a look at events ranging from everyday smiles, to the tears shed behind the Gulf oil spill, to the hopes of a Heisman candidate and the challenges of interracial relationships.

The documentaries to be featured this semester are as follows:

Each documentary will run about 15-minute each and students were encouraged to select their own topics of interest, work in teams of two, conduct the research, and plan and execute the filming and editing for a finished product.

Hall, Holdren lead five Rattlers on All-MEAC team

The FAMU Football Team placed five Rattlers on the 2010 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference All-Conference Team, announced today by the conference office, voted on by the conference head football coaches and sports information directors.

Both Qier Hall and Brandon Holdren earned first team all-conference honors, while Philip Sylvester, Christopher Sands and Curtis Holcomb, earned second team all-conference accolades.

Hall, a 6-2, 175, senior cornerback from Cocoa, Fla., currently has 54 tackles (34 solos, 20 asst) and 4.5 tackles for a loss of 36 yards and one interception. He was named the MEAC defensive player of the week on September 20 of this year for his performance against Howard University.

Rounding out the cast of first team all-conference performers is Holdren , a 6-2 sophomore punter from Jacksonville, Fla., who has garnered 2,507 yards on 62 boots with his longest punt being for 61 yards.

Leading the Rattlers second team all-conference performers is Sylvester, a 5-9, 205 senior running back from Marianna, Fla., who has rushed for 822 yards on 144 carries averaging 102.8 yards per game. He is currently ranked fourth in the Rattler record book in rushing yards with 2,852 career yards. He just needs 178 more yards to become the first Rattler back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, since 2005.

Sands, a 6-8 red-shirt senior from Tallahassee, Fla., who help opened many holes for Sylvester. Anchored an offensive line, that currently ranks fourth in the conference in scoring offense (20.3 points per game) and sixth in total offense (278.1 yards per game).

Rounding out the second team all-conference is Holcomb, a 5-10, 175, senior defensive back from Miami, Fla., who has tallied 38 tackles (30 solos, 8 asst) on season and currently leads the team in interceptions with three.

Scott should deny reappointment to Holmes

R.B. Holmes, Jr.’s term on the FAMU Board of Trustees expires on January 6, 2011. Gov. Rick Scott should replace him with a new appointee who is fully committed to making the university’s Developmental Research School (DRS) into an “A” institution.

Lack of objectivity

Holmes showed a lack of objectivity over the past three years by failing to ask tough questions about the crisis his brother, former DRS Superintendent Ronald Holmes, created at FAMU’s K-12 school.

R.B. kept his mouth shut while Ronald let the DRS school grade slide backwards from a “C” to a “D” on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). He also offered no public criticism when Ronald failed to boost DRS’ student numbers enough to bring in the money required for the 2009-2010 year’s budget. Enrollment only reached 544 after Ronald projected 600. The new DRS building is designed for 764 students.

Ronald announced plans to lay off nine DRS teachers in January 2010 to help close the budget hole. R.B. did not raise a public stink about his brother’s decision.

President James H. Ammons eventually stepped in to save the nine DRS faculty jobs by proposing a bailout for the school. On January 29, 2010, FAMU trustees accepted the university administration’s recommendation to use $425,802 from the FAMU DRS Trust Fund to cover projected deficits at DRS.

Rattlers near and far are now shaking their heads at the inconsistency in R.B.’s criticism of layoffs. R.B. recently bashed Ammons for planning to hire three new employees at a time when dozens of personnel salary lines are on stimulus dollars that will expire at the end of this fiscal year. FAMUans are asking how R.B. can claim to be truly concerned about job cuts when he never publicly criticized his brother for trying to lay off teachers at DRS.

Holmes defenders don’t care about DRS

There are some FAMU employees who still defend R.B. despite his record on DRS issues. Many of these people want R.B. to stay on the Board of Trustees because they are personally on good terms with him and think he can help keep their names off any future layoff lists.

Scott should ask the students, parents, teachers, and alumni of DRS what they think about R.B. Holmes. He should also read the recent opinion columns about the Holmes brothers that were published in The FAMUan newspaper. He will find that the real DRS supporters are angry about how R.B. has dealt with FAMU’s K-12 laboratory school and want a better trustee to be appointed in his place in January.

The three other developmental research schools in Florida are all at public universities (UF, FSU, and FAU) with trustees who would never excuse any backtracking in the FCAT grades or enrollment numbers. That's a big reason why they are all scoring "As" on their School Accountability Reports. FAMU should have trustees who have the same commitment to quality when it comes to FAMU DRS.