S(‘pt'iiilH'r l-'{, iOlii
Foatures
Tin; VoK K, P’or Stiuiciit.s, liy Students 5
What is OCAP?
gann—arrp
n f/ftf ff!
TRiO
By Shirley Townsend
OCAP is the Office of College
Access Programs, a program offered
by Fayetteville State University, that
solely focuses on middle and high
school students' academic success.
OCAP is comprised of three
separate programs Gear Up, Edu
cational Talent Search, and Upward
Bound. Each program has their own
goals and agendas but are under the
umbrella organization OCAP.
Gear Up is a community partner
ship program that is funded by the
U.S. Department of Education. The
Gear Up program provides early
college preparation and awareness
services through mentoring, tutor
ing, counseling, outreach, and other
supportive services for students,
educators and parents. Gear Up’s
goal is to seek services that can help
enhance students' academic skills
and involve parents in the education
of their children. The Program seeks
to significantly increase the number
of low-income students enrolling in
and completing college. Gear Up
hosts a number of events during the
year and summer. The students get
the opportunity to attend a residential
camp where they attend workshops,
academic classes, receive tutoring
and connect with student mentors.
Nikki Massey is the Program
Director for the Upward bound
Program and it is also funded by
the U.S. Department of Educa
tion to serve students coming from
low-income families. The Program
provides academic support ser
vices to high school students who
meet the federal eligibility crite
ria. Fayetteville State University's
Upward Bound Program is designed
to serve four targeted high schools
in Cumberland, Hoke, and Robeson
Counties in North Carolina. Upward
Bound currently serves 56 partici
pants who are striving to enroll in
college after completing high school.
Each student is provided with
academic assistance while enrolled.
Upward Bound hosts a wide variety
of programs for the participants dur
ing the summer and school year. The
participants get the opportunity to
experience college life by attending
residential camps during the summer
at FSU as well as informative events
held at FSU during the school year.
The Educational Talent Search
program is also funded by the U.S.
Department of Education for the
purpose of providing educational
and academic support services to
low-income students in middle and
high school who reside in Cumber
land, Robeson, and Hoke Coun
ties. Fayetteville State Universities
Educational Talent Search program
is to prepare students for college.
ETS strives to create a close relation
ship with its members and Interim
Driector Cheryl Adams assures its
progress. The staff is required to do
constant checkups on each member
and provide them with any assistance
needed. ETS also provides numer
ous programs and events during the
summer as well as the school year.
Events such as “College Readiness
Retreat” and STEM Camps are al
ways available to the members along
with others.
The Office of College Access
Programs at Fayetteville State Uni
versity
can be reached in the Helen T.
Chick Building, Room 120 Hours:
M-F, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Phone: 910-
672-1351 Fa.x: 910-672-1699
The AmeriCorps
Vista Project
By Shirley Townsend
Fayetteville State Univer
sity students were a part of the
first AmeriCorps Vista Project
this summer. The students used
their summer to help support the
OCAP programs by serving as
AmeriCorps Vista Summer As
sociates. AmeriCorps VISTA is
the national service program de
signed specifically to fight pover
ty. The program operates through
the service of volunteers.
Authorized in 1964 by Presi
dent John F. Kennedy, and
founded as Volunteers in Service
to America in 1965, VISTA was
incorporated into the AmeriCorps
network of programs in 1993.
VISTA has been on the front lines
in the fight against poverty in
America for more than 45 years.
The AmeriCorps Vista Project's
summer associates helped assist
academic programs, events, and
also served as mentors and tutors.
By serving through VISTA, the
summer associates had the oppor
tunity to gain new skills, friends,
and experiences as well as help
youth in the community. Dur
ing their service, they received
a modest living allowance, health
care, and other benefits. Each summer
associate demonstrated a passion for
giving back and helping youth in the
community.
Left: AmeriCorps Vista
Summer 2012 Associates
Richard Wall, Troy Pickens,
Appiffany D. Joiner, Tyson
McDowell, Daivd Antoine,
Danareyn Hamlett, Hydeia
Hayes, Trea D. Landry and
Shirley Townsend
Golfing in the Fight
Against Cancer
Courtesy o/AmeriCorps Vista
By Barron Jamel Green
Lauringburg - A loud pinging sound
silenced the geese flopping over the first
hole of the Cypress Creek Golf Links
course during the opening of the relay
for golf tournament Sept. 8.
This golf tournament, organized by
the Butler Manufacturing/BlueScope
Building teams, was one of several teams
of local businesses and organizations in
Lauringburg. that are holding fundraising
events leading up to the city’s relay for
life on Sept. 21 at Scotland High School
The American Cancer Relay for life
is national phenomenon in which com
munities gather together and walk laps
around tracks to raise money and aware
ness, as well as honor those who have
suffered from cancer. Relay for life also
reaches across the globe with 4 million
people in more than 20 countries partici
pating, according to the American Can
cer Society (ACS) website.
Proceeds from the event were raised
through the $200 entry fee per four -man
team, advertising and donations from
businesses.
In total, 12 teams showed up with
the intentions of battling, but not with
one another or the challenges of the
course, but cancer, which will kill nearly
600,000 in 2012 alone, according to the
ACS website.
The tournament kicked off at 9 a.m.
with the crackling of hundreds of clubs
that banged together in a motorcade of
golf carts speeding to the opening hole.
Nearly 50 men and woman played
the 18-hole course that presented differ
ent obstacles to overcome, including the
captain’s choice, lingo for a method of
playing golf and utilizing the teammate’s
golf ball in the four man team that has
the best position after every shot.
Charles Haywood, BlueScope’s qual
ity manager, orchestrated the event to
include first, second, and third place
trophies, door prizes, and lunch follow
ing the tournament. Players sat down to
steak dinners with all the trimmings to
conclude their long day of golf
Mr. Haywood said, that this year’s
tournament was a success. Every year
that the tournament was held the number
of participants have i®;teascd. The But
ler Manufacturing/BlueScope team has
organized four events but not consecu
tively. The last tournament was 2008 and
raised $7,000, according to Laurinburg
exchange.com . “The economy has ev
eryone in a financial crunch.” he said.
But. Mr. Haywood fexpressed that he “can't
wait till next year to play again”.
For more information about cancer facts or
area relay for life events go to the American
Cancer Society’s webpage relayforlife.org.