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ECSU
THE COMPASS
VoL 1 Circulation 2,000 ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNTVERSITY’S AWARD WINNING NFSVSPAPER March 7,2008 No. 44
ECSU REVEALS NEW CLOCK
Bjr. Lenoia Coley
On Sat., January 19, a ceremony
unveiling a new clock tower and walkway that
is outlined with lights and additional benches
was held at Elizabeth City State University.
Chancellor Willie Gilchrist cind Elizabeth
City Mayor Steve Atkinson were present to
help imveil the clock tower located in the
New Student Union area.
The clock tower, which is in the center of
ECSU campus, vvrill give the area a new and
brighter look. Built by Fancy Street Clock
Company of Illinois, the tower is 18 -feet high,
black aluminimi, with four-faces trimmed in
the university’s royal blue. The ECSU logo
is in the middle. The clock rings every hour
and can be heard across the campus.
Along with the clock tower, the campus
also has a new 600-foot Viking pedestrian
WEiUcway with benches and new lighting. This
walkway vvrill give students, faculty members,
staff, and visitors a shorter distance to many
of the university ’s buildings. The new lighting
is expected to use less energy which soon
will be used in other areas of the university.
The Division of Student Affairs is
sponsoring a Viking Walk of Fame. Donors
will be able to have an engraved brick placed
in the walkway for $ 100.
Thoto appears coaitesjr oj ECSU University Relations &.Marketing. ECSU celebrates a new 15 foot, aluminum clock.The Fancy Street Clock
Company made this presidential model ojtheir street clocks. It plays chimes and displays roman numerals on the clock Jace. At ni^ht the
clock ij illuminated. The clock rests on theViking promenade deck which links the Ridley Student Center to area residence halls, the R.L.
Vait^n Center and the south side oJcampus.
Kiaberljr Bowens, Nealand Letvis,}^iUiam Allen Thomas, Steven Carter,Joy Clark, Nabia Rhobes, Julia Madison, Jamal Robinson, Khstynna
Olwek, Brandi Matthews and Garry Cameron
STUDENTS AND GAS PRICES TECHNOLOGY TRANSITION OF
By: Darell
High gas prices are affecting older
Americans as well as the yoxmger population.
“I think they started going up in 2004,”
says Elizabeth City State student Rodriguez
Humphrey. “I went from putting $10 in the
tank and being ok to putting $30 in, it’s
getting out of hand.”
In 2004 gas prices reached $2 a gallon
forcing a lot of students to carpool or even
walk. The reason for the rise in the prices is
because of the supply and demand of crude
oil. Many oil producing countries are facing
uncertain futures as the demand for gas in
the U.S. continues to grow
Because the gas prices are so high, a lot of
students don’t even use their cars. Students
spend a lot time studying cind going to class,
while others may be involved in clubs or a
sport. “It’s a struggle because when you’re
involved in extracurricular activities it’s
hard to get a job”, says Humphrey.
Students who live in other states such as
New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, and
Maryland find it hard to get to and from
Caldwell
school. Some are forced to take a bus or
train, while others may find rides with
other students. “It’s the worst traveling
from New York to Elizabeth City,” says
ECSU student Jeirell Davis.” It takes about
$50 worth of gas to make it to ECSU from
New York, and that’s not counting the tolls,"
Today’s cars are simple and there are even
gas-saving tips that can be useful to any
student. Getting your engine tuned can be
helpful, as not doing so can hurt gas mileage
by an average of 4.1 percent.
Also, keeping the tires properly inflated
can help against tire damage which could
cause your mileage to increase resistance
and make it more difficult for the engine to
move the ceir along the road.
Check your air filter and replace it every
12,000 miles. Most drivers believe that a car
just runs on gasoline. Cars rim on gas and
oxygen. If one of the filters is clogged then
the performance and fuel economy won’t be
as good.
THE FUTURE
By: BrandonYancey
The technology tremsition will arrive in
the future when all television stations will
cease analog broadcasts and switch to digital
broadcasts on Feb. 17, 2009. Megan Pollock
of Consumer Electronics Association made
the announcement in a December 2007 radio
interview from public relations firm Strauss
Radio Strategies (SRS).
In order to prepare for the transition.
Consumer Electronics Association wants all
television owners to purchase a new converter
box or own digital sets by the transition date.
Pollock stated that starting January 1, 2008,
households can request up to two coupons
from the National Telecommunication and
Information Administration. “Coupons are
worth $40 each and can be applied toward
digital-to-analog converter boxes," said
Pollock in the SRS interview.
Pollock also mentioned other options for
households such as subscribing to cable or
satellite to ensure they continue to receive
their favorite progrcimming, or purchasing a
new digital television to make certain they
are able to receive and enjoy the new digital
broadcasts.
The transition next year from analog
to digital television represents the most
significant advancement of television
technology since color TV was introduced.
For more information about the digital
television transition, visit dtvtrjmsition.org.
For more information about the Consumer
Electronics Association, visit www, ce.org.