Newspapers / Elizabeth City State University … / Nov. 25, 2002, edition 1 / Page 14
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The Compass Monday, November 25, 2002 14 ^ORE COLLEGE NEWs) THE BOWLING TEAM IS TALKING WITH DR. KNOCKING THEM DOWN JOHNNY HOUSTON Jason Mitchell jymitchell @ hotmail.com Recently, the Elizabeth City State University bowling team moved up in the rankings from number three to recently number two in the confer ence. Head coach Jody Williams leads the team. Tracey Ward feels that the bowling them will definitely take position in the CIAA tournament and bring some glory home to ECSU. “I feel very confident in the team. Although we’ve lost a few players I Damion Lewis Despite the fact that Dr. Carol Jones is only working a part time position, Elizabeth City State University’s Honors Program, continues to prosper. The program has been at ECSU since 1984. Many students do not know exactly what the Honors Program’s purpose is. It is a university-endorsed program that is designed to enhance students’ education through additional course assignments. It also acts as a prerequisite for graduate studies. “The Honors program Is used to give students a rigorous and challenging education. It is also used to prepare them for graduate school, i.e. the senior thesis,” says Dr. Carol C. Jones. Contrary to what some students might think, the University’s Honors Program does not overwork its partici pants. Instead, students are encouraged to take full responsibility for their educa tion. For first year students, an important task is to create their own personal statement, which compels the student not only take a deep look at themselves, but also at their decision to further their education. “Through writing a personal state ment it allows you to visualize your growth and observe the maturation of particular areas in your life,” says Quinten Powell a freshman Honors student. Students admitted into the Honors program become members based on the following criterion: 1. Students must graduate from High school with a minimum 3.0 (B) grade point average along with satisfac tory SAT or ACT scores. To remain in the honors program, students are required to have and maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average. 2. To graduate students must suc cessfully complete there particular colloquia classes (classes for honors students only that assist students during there matriculation). They must complete the required honors GE courses. 3. They must complete any required course work in their chosen department. 4. Finally they must complete and defend their senior honors thesis. In light of all the aforementioned think we will be victorious,” Kristal Hedgebeth said. Team members say that bowling is fun and teaches you a lot that will help you in the real world. They also feel that bowling helps you work on your attitude and sportsmanship. The key strategies for the ECSU team are to concentrate on their spotting and staying focused. Two teams stand in the way of ECSU meeting their goal of a CIAA Bowling Championship: North Carolina Central University and Fayetteville State University. information, there are still many students whom find the Honors program a bit intimidating. “Some students are afraid that they will be labeled a nerd or brainy, and find it hard to be sure of themselves and their capabilities,” says Dr. Jones Despite the trepidation some may feel, there are students who are not intimidated and find the Honors Program extremely challenging and beneficial. Among the perks these students find as rewards for demonstrating excellence includes prioritized/private housing and the opportunity to study abroad. In an article published in the Fall 2002 issue of the ECSU Magazine, Dr. Jones said that the international travel experience her program affords students is immeasurable. Honor Students qualify by earning a 3.0 or better grade point average, having record of an impeccable, mature charac ter, and by submitting an essay. The Honors Program spends approximately $50,000 to pay for trans portation, lodging, and the cost of courses they take. Regular destinations include Scotland, England, Ghana, Italy, Australia and New Zealand, lasting anywhere from four to six weeks. Stu dents divide their time between foreign classroom discussions. “I thoroughly enjoyed visiting Scot land, especially when I toured some of the actual castles I have viewed on television. I saw Queen Elizabeth I! for myself, at the 50'" Jubilee Celebration. This was the first Royal Jubilee she attended in her 50-year reign,” said LaQuisha Tisdal, a senior English major. “There is no substitute for the value of students seeing different standards of living. On foreign soil, students fully grasp the concepts boldfaced in their textbooks,” said Jones. Perhaps the Honors program is for the elitist, those who are considered elite as they strive for excellence in all their endeavors. Maybe you are an elitist, and maybe you have what it takes to become a member of the Elizabeth City State University Honors Program. Some information was used from the ESCU Magazine published in Fall 2002. Heather Malone cmalone @ adelphia.net “If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it.” This quote by Margaret Fuller describes Dr. Johnny L. Houston, Senior Research Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science here at Elizabeth City State University. Dr. Houston’s candle has been lit for many years and a multitude of candles have caught their wicks aflame, thanks to his desire to teach and his commit ment to become a “life long learner”. Dr. Houston is the author of many publications, and has spoken at count less scholarly presentations. He speaks three other languages and has traveled to all 50 of the Untied States, as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Dr. Houston has also traveled to more than 30 countries on the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. He has been presented with several awards, including an Excellence in Teaching Award. He has also been a guest speaker and keynote speaker at numer ous conferences and congresses. He was also a member of Phi Delta Kappa. Dr. Houston was born and raised In Georgia. While attending college in Atlanta, he had the opportunity to meet and rally with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When asked to describe the meeting with Dr. King, he said, “That was almost indescribable. He was the symbol for the civil rights movement in America.” Hous ton was able to attend a church where both Dr. King and his father preached. Dr. Houston earned his B.A. degree in Mathematics at Morehouse College, then went on to receive his M.S. degree in Mathematics at Atlanta University (CAU). He also attended Universite de Strasbourg in France, and then the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. Dr. Houston received his Ph.D. in Mathemat ics at Purdue University in W. Lafayette, In. He is always busy, even during the sum. From August 20 - 28, 2002, Dr. Houston attended the International Congress of Mathematicians in Beijing, China. He was invited to give a presenta tion, and was also a part of a limited audience able to listen to a presentation given by John F Nash Jr., the only mathematician to ever win the Nobel Prize. An adaptation of Dr. Nash’s life story is portrayed in the recently re leased movie “A Beautiful Mind.” During the congress. Dr. Houston and Dr. Nash met. “It was a very refreshing meeting,” Dr. Houston said, “You can meet a lot of people who have done a lot of things, but you meet very few people who are in a class by themselves. He was in a class by himself.” Of the many accomplishments Dr. Houston has achieved, and of which he is duly proud, one of his most important may be his involvement with founding The National Association of Mathemati cians (NAM). NAM is an organization that has two missions: to promote excellence in the mathematical sciences and to promote the mathematical devel opment of under-represented American minorities. Dr. Houston and 16 other mathematicians met in 1969 to discuss the idea of founding an organization where the voices of the minorities could be heard. Dr. Houston was elected the first president, then, after receiving his PhD, he was elected as the first and only Executive Secretary, a position he held for 25 years. Today, the organiza tion is known nation wide, and involves other countries, including Canada and Africa. Though the membership fluctu ates, there is currently about 1, 000 members. Among Dr. Houston’s other accom plishments are his induction in Who’s Who in Technology, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the South and Southwest, Who’s Who in Georgia, Who’s Who Among Black Americans, World Directory of Mathematicians, and American Men and Women of Science. These, and his other accomplishments and awards were earned in part by perseverance in excellence. “It’s the person who thinks he can that makes the difference,” Dr. Houston said. Other positions that he has held include Coordinator of Computer Sci ence at Fort Valley St. College in Fort Valley, Ga., Director of Black Cultural Ctr./Assistant Director PMU at Purdue University, West Lafayette, In., and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at Eliza beth City State University. Dr. Houston is married and has two daughters. His eldest, Mave T. Houston, is following in her father’s footsteps. She attends school at Auburn University where she also is a mathematician; she is studying computer science. Besides teaching here at ECSU, Dr. Houston continues to speak at conferences and give presentations. One of his main goals is to inspire students to achieve and go beyond expectations by igniting the desire within them. When asked what drives his obsession and love for mathematics, he directed this writer to a quote he wrote and included in his biographical entry published in Who’s Who in America: “Around the Banquet Table of Life, there are no reserved seats. Initially, one accepts what is allotted. As Life unfolds, one understands that Life affords all of us opportunities. Where we eventually sit around the Banquet Table of Life can be greatly influenced by how we utilize our opportunities to negotiate life.”-Dr. Johnny L. Houston. The hour has ended and Dr. Hous ton affords himself a precious moment to sit back, looking and feeling entirely comfortable with the quote and philoso phy of how life should be lived to the fullest. Then he glances at his watch. The ever-involved professor of Math ematics has another engagement. HONORS PROGRAM IS MORE THAN WORK Travis Billups Coach Anzell Harrell has been on the ECSU campus for five years, and during that time he has seen some mighty changes in the university’s student recreation program. Until last year Harrell’s office Campus Recreation Ser vices, was known as Intramural Sports. “The name changed a year ago when Dr. Jean Holt came to campus and she changed it Cam pus Recreation,” Harrell said, “because there are a realm of things that go up under the title of Campus Recreation.” Campus Recreation sponsors a numbers of intramural sports such as basketball, flag football, and softball which are the most popular when it comes to intramu ral sports, but according to Harrell, Campus Recreation are adding new additions to its program. “When I first took over the program in 1997 it had basketball, softball and flag football,” Harrell said, “but now in the fall alone we have intramural volleyball and we’re trying to get soccer started this year both sports will be played indoors.” But getting these two sports up and running are very difficult due to the fact that a lot of stu dents can’t play or don’t under stand the rules of these two sports. Due to the renovations that take place in the spring semester, basketball games will be played this semester. According to Coach Harrell, in the spring the program intentions are to increase with more activi ties. Harrell said, “In the spring we will have powder puff football for the females and then we will have a swim meet to cap off the spring semester.” Harrell is not only responsible for bringing these sports to ECSU, but he is also responsible for the participation of students. “I’m charged with getting eight teams per sport which can go up' RECREATION to as many as 150 students per sport,” Harrell said. Harrell also added that getting students to participate can be very hard and frustrating. “We’re trying to get students to come out and participate. The thing that is annoying is that our students sit around and say that there’s nothing to do, but we offer these sports for them to play and come out and have a good time basically,” Harrell said. But Harrell also feels this program gives students who do not make the varsity team and opportunity to stay active and hopefully one day play on the varsity team.
Elizabeth City State University Student Newspaper
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Nov. 25, 2002, edition 1
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