C SPORTS )
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE CIAA?
LADY VIKINGS PLAY IN CIAA
Travis Billups
Over the years the Central
Intercollegiate Athletic Association
(CIAA) has been more than just
basketball. The tournament, which
is in its 58*^ year, has developed
into one of the largest social
events in the country. The 80,446
people who came to support the
CIAA did more than just watch
basketball.
The CIAA wasn’t just for
adults and college students. On
Thursday, the Raleigh Convention
and Conference Center hosted its
annual event. High School Day.
This year, 1,700 high school stu
dents, mostly juniors, came to
attend and learn about the ClAA’s
12 universities and colleges.
“Our focus is the high school
junior who has at least a 2.0 GPA
or above,” said Gladys Graves, a
1969 alumna of Shaw University
and the director of the North Caro
lina Teaching Fellows Scholarship
Program. “We want juniors be
cause we want to plant the seed
that you can’t wait to be when you
grow up.”
After the morning talks came
to an end, the high school kids
were taken to the RBC Center for
the afternoon games.
On Friday from 6-10 a.m., the
“hardest workingman in radio,” the
“Fly Jock” Tom Joyner was on
hand hosting this morning radio
show at the BTI Center. Joyner’s
show was the earliest of events.
CIAA participants say that it is not
to be missed.
“It’s indescribable,” said
Reekitta Grimes, Director of
Alumni Relations at Shaw Univer
sity. “It’s an early morning party.”
This year, the hype around
Joyner’s show is that he pre
sented Shaw University with a
check for being Joyner’s School of
The Month. Joyner is one of the
biggest supporters of historically
black colleges and universities.
Joyner has a foundation dedicated
to raising money for support.
“They won’t tell us how much
the check is for,” Grimes said.
Well, if you didn’t get up early
to catch the Joyner morning show,
don’t worry about it because later
on that Friday night, the CIAA held
its annual CIAA Step Show. This
gave Greeks a chance to repre
sent their respected fraternities
and sororities.
Dexter Scoot, the step shows
coordinator said, “It’s a tradition of
black fraternities and sororities
competing at the same time, show
casing their talent in unison in the
African tradition. It is high energy,
it’s really hot, and it’s like going to
a concert.”
The last day of the tourna
ment, “Super Saturday” was the
highlight of the tournament with
non-stop activities. The day started
at 8 a.m. with the 3-point shootout,
but the CIAA cheerleading compe
tition was a can’t-miss event. The
CIAA cheerleaders don’t do a lot of
high-flying stunts or pyramids, but
they make up for it in hurling in
sults in unison. During the Shaw-
St. Augustine’s basketball-^game,
the Falcon cheerleaders walked to
half court and said “Shaw is noth
ing, nothing.”
At the end of the cheer, St.
Augustine’s cheerleaders pulled
out little pompoms in Shaw’s col
ors and tossed them on the ground
“We really get into it, whether
our team is winning or losing.
We’re going to win,” said Sakinah
Shakoor, the head cheerleader.
And for the fashion gurus, the
CIAA didn’t forget about you. The
BTI center hosted a fashion show
that was sponsored by Bovanti
Cosmetics and Upscale Magazine.
Anita Bohannon, the executive
director of the show, said, “First of
all, we’re going to be featuring
African-American designers from
all over the world.” To spice the
show up a bit, Bovanti’s production
featured live music acts, including
a jazz ensemble, and dancers.
But let’s not forget the reason
why these events are taking place,
the CIAA Basketball Tournament.
For all you die hard basketball fans
that would rather see a nasty dunk
than a step show, then the RBC
Center is where you should have
been. Vivian Sansom, a former
education teacher at Shaw has
been going to the CIAA Tourna
ment since it started in 1946. She
said that other people go for the
entertainment.
“I go for the games,” Sansom
said. “I just enjoy them so much.”
EMMITT SMITH RELEASED
BY THE DALLAS COWBOYS
Anthony Griffin
On Thursday, February 19,
the Dallas Cowboys, after a
disappointing season, released
future hall-of-fame running back
Emmitt Smith. Smith is coming
off his least productive season
with 975 yards. He is known for
breaking Walter Payton’s old
rushing record (16,726 rushing
Maishia Parrish
When the Elizabeth City State
University women’s basketball team
got to Raleigh for the Central Inter
collegiate Athletic Association tour
nament this year, no one knew what
to expect-not the players, most of
whom were in their first major tour
nament, or the coach, Fred
Batchelor, who had never coached
in front of the throngs of people who
come to the tournament annually
Still, the Lady Vikings had high
hopes and believed that they could
win the tournament even if no one
else did.
The Lady Vikings opened the
CIAA tournament against Johnson
C. Smith University Lady Golden
Bulls on February 24.
During the first half both teams
led by as many as five points. The
lady Vikings came out with a 16-3
run in the second half that led to a
42-34 lead with 16 minutes to play
The teams battled back and forth
until Joi Surratt gave the Lady
Golden Bulls a 67-63 lead at the
4:01 mark.
Center Hope Riddick scored 18-
points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Freshman Venkia Jones scored 13
points while Sheneka Ellis helped
keep the Lady Vikings in the game
with three 3-pointers and 12 points
off the bench.
The Lady Vikings lost to the
Lady Golden Bulls, 79-72.
“I was pleased with how we
played most of the game,” said Lady
Viking’s head coach, Fred Batchelor,
M. “They [JCSU] played well enough
to win the game.”
This was coach Batchelor’s first
year leading the Lady Vikings.
“I felt a little pressure because I
just got here and had to play like a
veteran but it caused me to step up
on my game,” said point guard
Venkia Jones.
With a new head coach, injuries
to key players and an inexperienced
core of starters, the makeup of the
Elizabeth City State University Lady
Vikings basketball team was very
different this season.
This season the Vikings had four
new players: Angelica Dempsey,
Trevia Pittman, and Shaneka Ellis, all
juniors, along with Freshman Venkia
Jones. All four were playing in the
CIAA tournament for the first time.
Ellis had been to the tournament
before but never played until this
year. Pittman, on the other hand, had
never been. She had heard about the
games and always wanted to go.
Finally her opportunity came to play
in the tournament this year.
“It was a nice atmosphere, we
played harder then ever as a team,”
said Pittman. “Even though we lost 5
key players, 3 of them were post, we
pulled together.”
Though the season was filled
with difficulties and the loss of key
players, the team looks forward to
next season.
“We’ve lost players this season
and been through a lot, we just have
to continue to play hard, every
game.” said Ellis.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
yards) in a late October loss
against Seattle to become the
NFL’s all-time leading rusher with
17,162 yards. He was also the
all-time leading scorer for running
backs with 153 touchdowns, has
been league MVP and Super
Bowl MVP, led the NFL rushing 4
times, and has won 3 Super
Bowls.
Vike’ Nu Fashion Troupe
of Elizabeth City State University
Presents
“Mesmerized by Fashion...
Hypnotized from Alpha to Omega”
April 4, 2003
Fine Arts Auditorium
Doors Open: 6:00 p.m.
Show Starts: 7:00 p.m.
ECSU Students: $5.00
General Admission: $7.00
(Viking Idol will be the opening act)
ATTENTION MAY GRADUATES!^
FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE
TO POST THEIR MEMORIES OR
GOODBYES IN THE COMPASS,
PLEASE CONTACT ANTONIO
BARROW AT 331-7126, LAQUISHA
TISDAL AT 331-8743, OR VISIT
JOHNSON HALL ROOM 111.
J