Rams to lambs:
Listen up to
‘seniorly’ advice
pg2
Hurricane
Katrina recovery
continues
pg5
Vicl case raises
questions about
responsibility
pg 6
The News Argus
www.thenewsargus.com
Winston-Salem State University’s Student Newspaper
Sept. 17, 2007
Wear, tear and drought has taken
a toll on the Rams’ practice field
By Steven J. Gaither
EDITOR IN CHIEF
For all but the most hardcore-col-
lege football fans, practice is an after
thought. As long as players perform
well on Saturdays, most casual fans
could care less about what goes on at
practice.
The field on which the players prac
tice is even less of a concern.
This summer, however, the practice
field for Winston-Salem State has
taken an extreme beating and could be
dangerous for players.
A close look at the practice field
reveals sizable patches of dirt, stripped
of the grass that once blanketed it.
When stepping off the grass and on to
the dirt, there is a small, but noticeable
drop. Some stretches of bare soil run
15 to 20 yards.
The brutal summer heat that has
blanketed Winston-Salem and the
Triad for much of the summer has
hardened the exposed earth. Throw in
an occasional summer shower, and the
Rams' field of dreams can be a poten
tially dangerous area for players.
The Rams have been forced to prac
tice at their current location, just below
•I .“SS- ».• iM-
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-fti
Photo by Sharrod Patterson
Summer drought has taken a toll on turfgrass and soil moisture.
the Gaines Center , as a result of
WSSU's recent exponential growth.
Their old practice field has been
turned into a parking lot. The good
news for the Rams is that their current
practice field is only a temporary
home. A new practice facility will be in
the Civitan Park area near Bowman
Gray Stadium. It will have both 100-
and 50-yard fields. However, the new
facility will not be ready until 2008.
See STADIUM, page 6
W
k
\
k
Photo by Sharrod Paterson
WSSU’s practice field gets heavy use by the football team and other athletes, as well as the marching band.
;' T*' * ■''f
W. ■
Photo by MCT Wire Services
The “Jena Six” saga has gathered national attention.
Jena Six picking
up student support
By Vanessa Rozier
BLACK COLLEGE WIRE
A year ago, Mychal Bell was known in Jena, La.,
simply as a 16-year-old sophomore at Jena High
School and a winning starter on its football team.
Today he stands convicted of aggravated second-degree
battery and faces up to 22 years in prison.
^ He is nationally known as one of the young men called
the Jena Six.
' A rally is scheduled in Jena on Sept. 20 in conjunction
with universities and individuals who wish to support the
six.
According to accounts of the developments, their case
began on Aug. 31, 2006, when a black student in Jena asked
permission to sit underneath what was understood to be
the "white" tree at school — and he did. The next day, three
nooses were found hanging from the tree. Three white stu
dents were held responsible and the principal recommend
ed that they be expelled. The school board and superinten
dent, however, decided that an in-school suspension would
suffice.
Outraged, black students organized a protest and, again,
sat underneath the "white" tree. Two incidents took place
the next November weekend.
On the Friday night, Robert Bailey, one of the six, was
punched and kicked at a party attended by mostly white
students. Then, Saturday, a confrontation took place
See Jena Six, page 3
WSSU conference addresses
reasons for shortage of
African-American nurses
By Charlene Wheeler
Argus Staff
Since the School of Health
Sciences at Winston-Salem
State University is currently
the fourth-largest producer
of nurses in North Carolina,
one might think that there
would be a large number of
African American nurses.
Think again.
"There has always been a
shortage, and I feel that it is
increasing," said Dr. Lenora
Campbell, interim associate
dean of the nursing pro
gram. "There's no shortage
of who wants to be in the
program. There is a limit in
the enrollment of the pro
gram. So, it is like a compe
tition, where who has the
best GPA and SAT scores,
those are the ones who will
get in."
A video conference took
place at WSSU Sept. 13 to
address the issue. The
theme was "The
Endangered Species: African
American Registered
Nurses." The free confer
ence was available to HBCU
deans, directors, faculty and
graduate students.
The WSSU nursing pro-
Photo by Garrett Garms
The historic shortage of
black nurses continues.
gram is a community-based
program. Nursing students
and faculty are active in the
African American communi
ty. Their services include
hosting health fairs, work
ing with grandparents who
are raising grandchildren
and working with Piedmont
Park Public Housing
Community.
See NURSES, page 3