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FALCON FORUM
VOLUME 2, No. 5
Enlightening minds. Broadening perspectives. Informing a community.
The Student Newspaper of Saint Augustine’s University | www.thefalconforum.com
February 2016
Student center planned for Baker Hall
By Adonica Stewart
Baker dormitory, the
women’s dormitory that
was closed in Spring
2014, will be brought
back to life as a student
center, according to uni
versity officials.
The Center will be
housed on the first floor
of Baker and wiU include
four rooms, according to
Dr. Paul Norman, Dean
of Men and Director of
First-Year Experience.
Along with areas for stu
dents to interact with one
another and watch televi
sion, the center wiU have
equipment for playing
cards, bUliards, and Ping-
Pong, Dr. Norman said.
The new student cen
ter is expected to open
in late spring, but Dr.
Norman cautioned that
structural problems that
contributed to the dor
mitory’s closing could de
lay its opening.
Baker had problems
with its utUities before it
closed. Also, the building
may have faUen into dis
repair, he acknowledged.
The building wUl have to
undergo inspections by
fire officials and other au
thorities, he said.
“Based on the number
of inspections and repairs,
this may push back the
expected date to open,”
Dr. Norman explained.
Dr. Norman declined
to discuss cost, but he
said a 110,000 donation
secured by Assistant Pro
fessor}. Peder Zane of the
Department of Media
and Communication is
helping to fund it. “I am
delighted to help make
this student center a real
ity,” said Mr. Zane. “Our
students shouldn’t spend
aU their time studying.”
Students’ interviewed
by the Falcon Forum re
acted enthusiastically to
the news.
“I’m very excited about
this new student center,”
said Gentel Blair, a senior
majoring in Journalism
and Mass Communica
tions. “I think it will give
students the opportunity
to engage more with each
other and have fun. I just
hope that this project wiU
be done before I graduate
this spring.”
At the same time,
some students are wor
ried about the conditions
inside the old dormitory.
Charles GUchrist, a ju
nior, majoring in Journal
ism and Mass Communi
Plans call for vacant Baker Hall to become a student center with recreational facilities.
cations, said, “I am more
worried about my health.
WiU there be inspec
tions happening before
they open this student
center? WiU there be air
conditioning once tem
peratures become high?
If not, then I don’t think I
wUl be going in there.”
Work already has
started on the project.
Jaquan Leary
Dr. Norman said. Work
ers are getting rid of old
belongings and furniture.
The new center wiU get
an aU-around makeover,
he said. It wiU have new
waU paintings and be
more aestheticaUy pleas
ing, he added.
“It wiU not be a brand
new situation, but it wiU
be better than what we
have right now, and right
now we have zip,” Dr.
Norman stated.
The Student Govern
ment Association and
Campus Activities Board
met with administrators
and gave input on the
Center to ensure that it
wiU have what students
want. Dr. Norman said.
Quiet on the set!
Students create SAU version of MTV show
By Anthony Dixon
Lights! Camera! Action! These
words are usuaUy associated with Hol
lywood studios, but these days they are
being heard here at Saint Augustine’s
University as part of a new television
show, “CoUege Code.” Inspired by
MTV’s popular programs “Girl Code”
and “Guy Code,” the show is shot at
the Seby Jones buUding and features
students on campus sharing their expe
riences and wisdom on situations that
everyday coUege students may face.
Topics so far have included dating,
balancing relationships and friendships,
different types of food students can
make in their dorms, the “Freshman 15,”
sports, fashion and the best places to eat
The show is produced by Saint Au
gustine’s University students; Aaron
“Magic” Thomas, a senior majoring in
Journalism and Mass Communications,
is the producer and director, and Will
Darden, a junior Journalism and Mass
Communications major, is the assistant
producer. Thomas said he is “really ex
cited about the show coming out.” He
added, “It’s something fun and relatable
to college students everywhere.”
Darden said the show has been a real
team effort. “The students worked hard
to come up with the topics for the show,”
he said. “They also spent the time to se
riously think about their responses to
each question because the show is not
scripted.”
COLLEGE CODE, Page 2
^enfel Bfair discuss campus dating on
ollege Code^
New health center
serves SAU, community
By Kendall Morrison
The old Tuttle Day
care Center on Tarboro
Road will reopen as the
Tuttle Public Health
Center, a facility that
wiU serve the university’s
health programs and help
the public. Saint Augus
tine’s University officials
announced Jan. 26.
That announcement
was made during a cer
emony at the Center that
included a ribbon cutting
and comments by Presi
dent Everett B. Ward and
other officials.
“The ribbon cutting
was to allow students, fac
ulty and the community
to know that Saint Au
gustine’s University has
a lot in store not only for
our university but for our
community,” Dr. Ward
stated. He spoke about
the university’s historic
role in the community’s
health, especially the his
toric St. Agnes Hospital
on campus, which Dr.
Ward said he continues
to hope can one day be
restored.
“The Tuttle Center
could be starting force
for a bright future,” Dr.
Ward said.
The Center’s focus
wiU be eUminating health
disparities, according
to Dr. Derrick L. Sauls,
chairman of the Depart
ment of PubUc Health
and Exercise Science.
The Center’s purpose wUl
be “to support the un-
TUHLE, Page 2
Dr. Everett B. Ward cuts the ribbon on the new Tuttle Public Health Center in'
ny on Jan. 26.The facility will serve the university’s health programs as well as the public.
Jaquan Leary
Alumni Spotllaht:
Grod finds importance of being in right place at right time
The Falcon Forum in
troduces a new feature:
Alumni Spotlight. We will
shine a light on Saint Au
gustine’s University alum
ni andfind out what they
are doing with their lives.
By Johna Mitchell
One of the first les
sons April QuaUs learned
after graduating from
Saint Augustine’s Uni
versity in 2012 was the
power of networking.
QuaUs majored in theater
and wanted a career in
entertainment, but after
returning to her home in
Los Angeles she was hav
ing a hard time breaking
into the business.
Her luck changed
when some friends told
her about a party that
would include the cast
and executives of the
hit TV show “Empire.”
QuaUs made sure to at
tend.
At the party, she man
aged to impress someone
connectd with the show,
who arranged an inter
view with an executive
responsible for hiring. It
turned out the position
was in Chicago and she
made it clear that she
would be willing to relo
cate there. Two days later,
QuaUs packed up her life
into her car and drove 36
hours straight to Chicago
from Los Angeles.
The former Blue Chip,
BeUe J’Adore model and
Campus Activities Board
member is a writers’ pro
duction assistant on Fox’s
hit musical drama. The
series, which is set to re
turn to air when the new
season begins on March
30, stars Terrence How
ard and Taraji R Henson.
The experience taught
QuaUs some lessons
about finding the kind of
job you want.
“You definitely have to
surround yourself vvdth
people who are Uke-
minded and also people
who are successful at
what you wish to do,”
she said. “I made sure to
be around like-minded
young adults and people
who had already started
their career in the enter
tainment industry. This
industry is aU about who
you know; that’s why net
working is so important.”
QuaUs is not a big-
time executive yet. Her
ALUMNA, Page 2
April Qualles (center) works with prodution personnel for
the Empire television show..