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Oct. 30.2006 The News Argus
Ram students, faculty and guests introduce the land for the new dorm, Foundation Heights.
Photo courtesy of Lee Adams
New dormitory puts WSSU on the map
Tiphane Deas
MANAGING EDITOR
Construction officially
began on the new
Foundation Heights resi
dence facility at 11:45 a.m.
Friday, Oct. 6 during the dor
mitory's groundbreaking cer
emony. The event was on
site between Brown Hall and
the C.E. Gaines Center. Many
student participants and
community officials were in
attendance, reflecting the
large amount of student
involvement in the planning
and design of this building.
Kasseem Smith, senior
business administration
major, and Courtney Barfield,
senior sociology major, are
two members of the Student
Committee on Construction
who volunteered to work on
this project.
"The university's giving
me an opportunity to make
my voice heard. A lot of
schools wouldn't allow a stu
dent to be over $800,000
worth of interior designing.
They just build dorms with
out considering the students'
opinions," said Smith, who
served as the lead student on
the committee, and as chair
on the Interior Design
Subcommittee.
Barfield decided to join the
committee just before the end
of the last academic school
year when she received a
campus email seeking inter
ested students.
"I wanted to have a say in
something that would be
here after I was gone, some
thing that I could look at and
say, 'Hey, I helped,"' she said.
Foundation Heights, which
will be a 114,000 square-foot,
316-bed living facility, was
given its name in honor of
the Winston-Salem State
University Foundation and
its efficiency in meeting the
university's needs. Every
suite and apartment will
include a living room and
full-sized kitchen, and resi
dents will have access to a
community computer lab, fit
ness center and laundry
room.
It was up to student com
mittee members like Smith
and Barfield, though, to make
sure that each of these fea
tures were pleasing to the eye
and were able to help occu
pants feel comfortable, safe
and at home.
"We were involved in
every single bit; they asked
for our input," said Barfield.
"If we didn't like something
or felt students wouldn't like
something, we said so, and
they made adjustments. We
wanted to make sure that the
students would be comfort
able, so we thought about
what could be better.
Freshmen don't like the little
closets in Moore, so let's have
closets like in Rams
Commons," Barfield said.
Smith agreed that improv
ing on problems that stu
dents have encountered with
other dorms was a key focus,
so during construction meet
ings, he advocated for more
stable furniture, better beds,
better insulation against
sound and echoes, and
brighter lights in the corri
dors, all of which were grant
ed.
The committee seemed
highly concerned with seeing
that every detail was aesthet
ically pleasing, despite work
ing with fewer funds than
had been available on past
projects.
"Each wing has a different
color theme," Smith said.
"All the appliances are
black. We didn't have as
much money to work on
Foundation Heights as they
had for Gleason-Hairston, so
we had to try to find a way
to work on a tighter budget
and still make it nice."
But even with less money.
Smith was pleased with the
minor details that they were
able to get worked into the
blueprints.
"We got a fireplace in the
lobby," he added with a
smile.
The most innovative and
attractive aspect of this dorm,
however, is sure to be the
eight-person mega suites cre
ated for "academic interest
groups." Each suite will
include four bedrooms, four
bathrooms, one full kitchen,
and a more spacious living
room with two couches.
"[The mega suites] are
aimed at organizations and
social groups, like fraterni
ties, sororities, the SGA, or
The News Argus," Smith said.
The suites will not be des
ignated to any of these organ
izations, but they are avail
able if they decide that they
would like to take advantage
of then\. , , , ,, ■,
According to Smith and
Barfield, there are two main
reasons that the student body
should be excited about the
groundbreaking and con
struction of Foundation
Heights,
"Our university is actually
taking a step to improve the
housing situation on campus.
Smith said. "Students take for
granted what we have here.
The school is trying hard to
accommodate the students.
We may not have enough for
everybody, but we never will
[as the school grows]."
And as Barfield summed it
up: "It's a hot place to stay."
Foundation Heights is
scheduled to open its doors
Fall 2007.
Photo by Sharrod Patterson
The library is a great resource for students dur
ing final exams.
WSSU offers
studying services
Tiffany Ross
STAFF REPORTER
Anticipation to view
midterm grades can be
nerve-wracking for any
one. However, midterms
allow students to see how
effective their study
habits are and provides
them with enough time to
improve their grades
before the end of the
semester.
Students should
remember that studying
does not take place when
they leave class, but it
begins by coming to class
prepared, paying close
attention in dass, and
then reviewing and pro
cessing information after
class.
There are Web sites that
provide study tips for stu
dents such as www.how-
to-study.com and
www.studygs.net. How-
to-study.com provides
students with tips on tak
ing notes in class, good
listening skills in class,
strategies for reading text
books and how to over
come test-taking anxiety.
Studygs.net provides a
list of effective study
habits such as students
taking responsibility, cen
tering themselves on their
values and principles, fol
lowing up on priorities,
and doing their best.
Like many other stu
dents at WSSU, Sierra
Feaster, 20, jimior, says
she could use tips on
studying.
"Typically when I have
a major project or test, I
go to the library to read,"
she said.
"But I what to improve
my studying habits, so I
plan to study in advance,
by pushing myself to stay
focus and making sure
that I write down ques
tions I have for the next
class," she explains.
Several services on the
campus are available to
help students develop
better study skills.
Tutorials are held in
Hauser by the University
College in room 305.
Tutorial schedules are
posted on the WSSU web
site and are given for
courses such as math,
accounting, biology, bio
chemistry, and microbiol
ogy.
The writing center in
Hall Patterson provides
assistance to help stu
dents develop better writ
ing skills.
Student Support
Services on campus also
provides tutorial services,
offering tutoring for
courses in natural and life
sciences, reading and
English, computer science
and calculus.
Overall students should
set goals for themselves
and strive to do their best.
If students keep this as
their first prior they can
develop good study
habits in no time.
Advanced, from page 1
benefits to attending graduate school.
"If you wait one to one and a half years
and go to graduate school, what jobs want
to pay you will increase. It is a good invest
ment," he said.
An advanced degree can increase earning
power, the amount of responsibility stu
dents assume, and the freedom they have to
make their own decisions, as well as
enhance their job satisfaction, according to
"Graduate School and You: A Guide for
Prospective Graduate Students," a publica
tion by the Coimcil of Graduate Schools.
Hudson also agrees and recommends
going directly into graduate school because
students may face obligations such as mar
riage, children, family and bills. Olagunju
suggests that students get their degrees in a
different field than their current bachelor's
degree. "It makes you more marketable,"
he explains.
Both Hudson and Olagunju urge students
to not let financial resources be a hindrance
to deciding to seek a master's degree.
"[Undergraduate] student loans can be
deferred; loans [for graduate school] are an
investment in the student's future," Hudson
said.
"As a minority, if you are a good student,
you can receive scholarships. You need at
least a 3.5 GPA to receive money. Even if
you have a 3.0 GPA, you are still a good
student, especially with internships and
work experience," she adds.
For many professors and much of the
administration, students are the future pro
fessionals who will be taking their places.
"We serve as mentors and role models.
We need students who will be equipped to
replace us because there is a shortage of
those who come back to get advanced
degrees."
Olagunju says the greatest gift his stu
dents can give him is to go to graduate
school.
"Knowledge is power; you can never have
too much knowledge."
The School of Graduate Studies and
Research strongly encourages students to
participate in the Graduate and Professional
School Fair to learn more about and possibly
discover future opportunities.
According to Hudson, students applying
for graduate school should keep these tips
in mind to avoid common mistakes:
Apply early. Do not miss deadlines.
Get into prep classes for the Graduate
Reading Exam (GRE). Do not go unprepared.
Stay disciplined. Do not forget to practice,
practice, practice.
The following is a list of important ques
tions that students should ask graduate
school representatives at the fair.
What are your graduate admission require
ments? (Average GPA, standardized test and
average scores)
What programs are available at your
institution? (Department highlights and
strengths, facilities and internships)
What financial support is available?
(Tuition waivers, fellowships and
assistantships)
NASCAR, from page 1
isn't as diverse as we'd like it to be,"
Burton said. "I love my sport and if s
full of good people. However, we do
need to be better at diversity, and it all
starts with the youth. It's not going to
happen overnight."
Reaction was positive from students
in attendance, including Tierra
Berthau, a freshman sports manage
ment major.
"[NASCAR] is an industry that peo
ple will go into. A plus is that it's a
major that caters to exactly what the
industry is looking for," she said.
Donica Young, also a freshman
Sports Management major, echoed that
idea.
"I don't know much about NASCAR,
but anywhere opportunity appears. I'm
going to go," she said.
October 19, 2006, has a chance
to be looked back on as a great day in
the history of WSSU. The university
may one day be able to lay claim to
being the first Historically Black
Uruversity to offer a bachelor of
science degree in Motorsport
Management.
As Dr. Dennis Felder, WSSU
Director of Sports Management
said, "I'm happy about the turnout
from students, faculty, and community
leaders, and of the numerous media
outlets in attendance. This was a great
day."
Radar, from page 1
rear antennas. It also certifies
officers in handheld radar
detection. After course com
pletion, forms are sent to the
North Carolina Criminal
Justice Education and
Training Standards
Commission ip Raleigh.
Radar Operator Certification
lasts for a three-year period.
WSSU Campus Police
Department has five radar
certified officers: Sgt. A.
Pittman, Ofc. H. Thomas,
Ofc. P. Ansel, Ofc. M. Bowers
and Ofc. W. Garnett. These
officers completed radar
training, June 26-30, at
Davidson Community
College Criminal Justice
Center.
"In the near future, we
intend on having more offi
cers complete radar training
class," Police Captain V.L.
Thompson said.
"It's a good plan, as long as
campus police does not get
too wrapped up in giving out
tickets, neglect other safety
precautions, and regular
police responsibilities," said
Rashad Byrd, senior
Psychology major. "1 feel it
will decrease the number of
speed violators on Martin
Luther King, Jr. Drive,
because people tend to
remember places they get
speeding tickets at. As long
as they strongly enforce the
plan, it should be very
successful."
It is not certain if this radar
plan will be a success or a
failure. If it can prevent vehi
cle-pedestrian accidents, it
will make for a safer campus.
For questions or
comments concerning the
new plan, contact Captain
V.L. Thompson at (336) 750-
2918. For more info about
radar certification,
visit www.ncdoj.com.