CAMPUS CONNECTIONS
THE COMPASS - SPRING 2008 7
Sisterly Advice
Money Matters: Bouncing Back From Holiday Spending
Words of Encouragement
Bjr: Kimberly Powell
The holidays are gone and now the New
Year is underway. Most of us have made
resolutions to lose weight and get in shape.
The New Year is also a perfect time to get
your financial status in shape. If Christmas
left you broke do not panic, it will not be
back for another 12 months. Here are a few
tips to start your yezu" off with “money in the
bank” and to avoid bad habits that could cif-
fect your finances in the future. The first tip,
school refund checks. If you are entitled to a
refund spend it wisely. A few extra hundred
dollars may sound like a lot to start yotir
spring semester off but can swiftly be spent
if you do not budget your spending habits. If
you do not have a savings account, now is a
great time to start one. Most banks offer free
checking and saving accounts for students.
Save at least half of your check, possibly sev
enty five percent if you do not have any im
mediate bills. Tip number two, please do not
use your entire refund to update your spring
wardrobe. It's a new seiison and we all want
to look fly but if you must go shopping look
for sales. Do not spend all of your money
on a sale, either, even though you may re
ceive more for your money, in the end you
are still left broke! Shop for new accessories
or shoes to accentuate pieces of clothing you
already own. Tip nvimber three, stay away
from credit cards. It may soimd cliche but it
is really good advice. As college students we
are constantly tempted with offers to sign up
for credit cards to receive discounts or a free
pizza. A credit card may seem like a good
idea at the moment but later when the bill
arrives you will regret it. Tip number four,
cut back on dining out. Even if you cire only
eating from the dollar menu it can be sur
prising how two or three five dollar meals
during the week can add up when looking
back at your monthly expenses. The major
ity of college students have a meal plan. Start
utilizing your meal plan, especially since you
have aJready paid for it. The last tip, find a
part time job. If you have some extra time,
even if it’s only for the weekends, try to
work at least 10-15 hours a week. School
work and grades come first so only work a
few hours so you will have plenty of time
to study. Also, check with you financial aid
counselor to see if you qualify for work study
or if there are any on campus jobs available.
Finding a job on czunpus is great because it
saves you time and gas money.
Make 08 your year to achieve financial sta
bility and independence.
HBCU’S and STD’S
By: A.J. Joshua
How can you prevent yourself from con
tracting STD and HIV? Although this may
seem like a simple question it is one that
many students oior campus can’t complete
ly answer. Several students on the campus
were recently asked a few questions dealing
with STDs and properly protecting them
selves against them. Even though the ques
tions were seemingly simple to some, the
answers of the students fluctuated. Based
on the information obtained by the survey
it is easily seen that not cJl students know
how to keep themselves protected, nor
do many know the truth about how many
people are actually infected. First students
should know that STDs and HIV can be
transmitted through oral, anal, or vaginal
sex. There are many myths about this but
having orjil sex does not prevent you from
contracting diseases. The American Social
Health Association (ASHA) states that you
can contract STDs and HIV from oral sex
just like you can obtain them from anal and
vaginal. Myths like this and other are par
tially responsible for the Jimoimt of people
continuously contracting these diseases.
More than half of all people vitII have an
STD/STI at some point in their lifetime,
is another statement given by ASHA. They
also say less than half of adults ages 18 to
44 have ever been tested for an STD/STI
other than HIV/AIDS and that about half
of all new STDs in 2000 occurred among
youth ages IS to 24, with HIV and himian
papilloma virus (HPV) accounting for 90%
of the total cases.
So were does this leave our school, well
after the answers given its clear some stu
dents don’t how to protect themselves. Stu
dents should know that STDs and HIV are a
serious reality and that the only 100% way of
protection is not having sex. Llnfortimately
many students fail to see this until it was too
late. Jonathan Perry, a HIV positive alum
of Johnson C. Smith University stated what
he felt was happening because of the lack
of knowledge in an interview vwth MSNBC
‘ It’s affecting the futirre.” MSNBC reported
“ many historically black colleges (are) find
ing of a spike in HIV infection rates among
black students more than 20 years into the
AIDS epidemic. Experts attribute the rise
to a potent mixture of recklessness, ho
mophobia, lack of information and denial .”
Here on campus there are several ways to
help with questions and concerns you may
have about STDs and HIV Student health
services provide a few ways to help students
with their problems, including HIV testing
and coimseling, safe sex packages and lim
ited pharmaceuticals. After you have prop
erly armed yourself with adequate informa
tion on STDs and HIV you can far better
equip yourself for a health lifestyle both on
campus md off. ,
Bj:Tia
There once was a little boy with a ball in
one hand, and a bat in the other As the little
boy headed outside to play ball he said to
himself, “ I am going to be the best hitter that
people have ever seen in baseball.” Well as
the little boy said this he threw the ball into
the air, only to swing, and miss. Well then
in response the little boy said, “this must be
a bad ball.” Thus he threw the ball in the
air again, only to swing, and just as before
he missed again. He said, “ this must be a
messed up bat.’ He decided that he would
try one last time, and just as before he missed
the ball. Then he began to think, and he said
to himself, “ after jJl this I have realized that
I am the best pitcher that people in baseball
Friendly
have ever seen, look at how I can throw the
ball.” (Source: Llnknovm)
I have told you this story to encoiu^ge you
that things are not always as they seem. That
you hold the power to change, if not the situ
ation, your mind, or your perception about
the situation. Sometimes change comes in
the mind, or the mind set, not in the situ
ation This goes back to the age old saying
that we have all heard, “ When life gives you
lemons, make lemonade.” (Source : Un
known)
You have the power to produce change
now what are going to do with it.
Be blessed & Be Encouraged!
Albemarle Museum: stiii a work in progress
By: Shavaun Dorsey
The Albemarle Museum (MOA), after
having yeeirs of planning, is still imder con
struction. The museum opening wis spring
2006. Over $14 million was invested into
the 50,000 square-foot museum. Another
$1.5 million was raised over a period of 3
years to support “ Our Story,” which is ex
pected to open spring 2008. MOA is located
on SOI S. Water Street.
Two years since its opening, it’s still not
complete. Some local residents are disap
pointed that the museum is not complete.
Devon Mayfield a local said “ They had more
artifacts at the old museum, than at the new
one.” The former building site MOA was lo
cated on U.S. Highway 17 South. At the for
mer MOA staff members complained about
the lack of space. Stciff members needed
more space to display the artifacts. Ian Wreg-
gelsworth, a receptionist said, “In the long
run the museum will be a good investment.”
Wreggelsworth compared the old MOA to
the new MOA and said, “It vvtU be unfair
because MOA is stiU under construction.”
Diaz Joyner, a tourist, believes they wasted
money in the museum, “They have no good
exhibits.”
The MOA consist of 3 floors with the 3rd
floor restricted to board room meetings and
staff members. “ Our Story” is located on the
2nd floor and closed off because of construc
tion. Most of the au-tifacts are located on the
1st floor, in the exhibit Quilts “Patches in
Times." The Shad artifact is located in the
lobby hcinging from the ceiling.
From Tuesday through Friday the MOA
averages 60 visitors and weekends 100 visi
tors. During the simimer they average 100
visitors.
Denny’s, Joyner Single Parent
Scholars Announced
By: Lenora Coley
Elizabeth City State University,
the Tom Joyner Foxmdation School
for February has awsirded students
who are single parents have received
scholarships designed to help single
parents enrolled at historically black
colleges and universities. The Joyner
Foundation made the announcement in
early February.
The recipients of the $1,500
scholarships, courtesy of Deimy’s and
the Tom Joyner Foundation are, Tammy
Smith, a Commimication Studies major,
Sharon Walton, a business major, and
Saysha Grizzle, a biology major.
Asked about the Joyner Foundation
special awards, ECSU Garry Cameron
said, ‘ 1 think it’s beneficial to our single
parents because it allows them to go
back to school and get their education
and be role models for their children.”
Ebony Addison, another student
agreed the scholarships will be beneficial
and added, “It’s fair because it gives
single parents opportxmities to pursue
their education."
Student Uniquiea Wade said, “Single
parents struggle on life, struggle
through decisions, struggle to support
their children and struggle as being
single parents, and that’s why 1 think
its good for them to be able to receive
scholarships for their education.’
ECSU was also named Tom Joyner
Foimdation School of the Month in
2003.