Cqmpus Echo
Thursday, October 28,1999
Campus
3
North Carolina Central University
Alum association seeks support
The alumni association
raised $1 miiiion iast year
and projects $2.5 million
this year
By Curlyn Smith
ECHO STAFF WRITER
Hidden away like a pearl in an oys
ter in the basement of the William
Jones building, up the hallway from
the Community Service office, is N.C.
Central University’s Alumni
Association.
Inside, in a blue dress shirt and a
floral print tie, is Alfred Richardson,
director of fund raising. Some say he’s
the hardest working man on campus.
His job is to raise money for NCCU by
the way of alumni and friends of the
university.
Last year those working inside the
oyster raised $1 million from alumni
giving. North Carolina provides
approximately 30 percent of the uni
versity’s budget, according to
Richardson.
That means that in order to operate
70 percent must come from tuition and
outside sources, such as alumni sup
port. This year they hope to raise $2.5
million.
There are 39 U.S. chapters in four
regions: West, Northeast, Southeast
and a division exclusively for North
and South Carolina.
“We all have the same kind of alum
ni. What we don’t have is an apprecia
tion for giving back in our groups ver
sus theirs,” said Richardson when
comparing NCCU’s alumni to those of
other universities such as Duke, N.C.
State and UNC-Chapel Hill. “Their
booster clubs booster clubs can even
pay the coaches salaries.”
At Central the coaches are paicf out
of state funds.
Alumni for any university is critical.
They are often the biggest group of
fans to support sporting and cultural
events. When they are absent an event
looks bare.
Some alumni have even written
NCCU into their will. They understand,
according to Richardson, “ ...' that if
you don’t give away some of this
money, you're going to have to give it to
Uncle Sam in taxes. So which would
you rather do, support the university
and African-American students who
you can help get an education? Or do
you want to give it to the federal gov
ernment and have it used as welfare?”
According to Richardson during
their college years students often don’t
recognize that they will face many
obstacles, that things are never perfect
at any university. “You have to get
awful old before you get intelligent,”
says Richardson. “I am my brother’s
keeper.”
Central alumna gives advice,
encouragement to successors
By DeShelia Hall
ECHO STAFF WRITER
On Oct. 19, alumna Toni
Tupponce spoke to students
about becoming involved in stu
dent activism. The meeting took
place in room 144A of the
Student Union.
Several people attended the
discussion and took advantage of
the great wisdom of a North
Carolina Central University grad
uate. Tupponce said she is con
cerned with what is happening to
the university and wants to make
sure students are getting what
they want out it.
Tupponce listened attentively
as students expressed their prob
lems and frustrations regarding
the university, and she advised
them on possible solutions to
overcome the challenges they
face.
Tupponce encouraged stu
dents to find an alumnus who
can help them reach their goals
in life and to be persistent. She
said she feels that NCCU is an
excellent institution.
“It’s your responsibility to
make North Carolina Central
Crystal Foreman/Staff Photographer
NCCU graduate Toni Tupponce
speaks to students at the Student
Union about their concerns .
University be the great institu
tion that it is,” said Tupponce.
Tupponce said she wants stu
dents to learn from their experi
ences and not to be afraid to try
new things.
Justin Higgins, a sophomore
political science major said, “We
as students need to challenge the
administration and faculty to
make North Carolina Central
University the best place to be,
so let your voice be heard and
not shunned, be proud to be an
eagle.”.
Tupponce was very active in
her major, sociology. She was a
“young life” counselor who can
vassed for voter registration.
'Tupponce was “Miss Choir” in
1974 and Ms. Alumni in 1976.
While living in Durham ,
Tupponce became active with the
Durham Committee on the
Affairs of Black People. She
received her master’s in regional
planning from the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Tupponce served on the
National Nominating Committee
for two years. She was recently
elected to the board of directors
of Catholic Social Services for
the Charlotte Diocese.
On the side, Tupponce is a
professional singer and has trav
eled to St. Croix in the Virgin
Islands, Los Angeles, Palm
Springs, and Ireland.
Cliff Notes
from the
president’s
desk
By Clifton Gray
SGA PRESIDENT
O nce again, it’s home
coming at NCCU! I hope
that you are as excited
as I am about
our last homecoming of jhe
20th century. Therefore, let’s
work to make this one of the
best yet.
We dedicate the week’s
activities to the life and work
of Coach John McLendon, an
Eagle legend whom our gym is
. named for.
The Student Government
Association, Student
Activities Board, University
Choir, Bon Vivant Fashion
Society, Pan-Hellenic Council,
and Worship & Praise
Inspirational Mass Choir have
worked countless hours to
ensure the success of this
week.
This year the cafeteria has
agreed to open for breakfast
right after pre-dawn.
So, there is no excuse for us
not to be at the parade on
Saturday.
I would like to also take
this opportunity to welcome
our alumni back to campus.
I’m sure that you are happy to
find that the hills are still
sloping, the greens are still
verdant, the lovely blossoms
still show beautifully, and the
Eagle is still no common-ordi
nary barnyard fowl!
However, all is not well in
the camp.
Can you believe that there
was a proposal to charge cam
pus groups $50 an hour/to use
the Walker Complex?
I know it’s ridiculous and
I hope that you are as
excited as I am about our
last homecoming of the
20th century.
unacceptable as long as I am
president of this association.
Did you know that Miss
NCCU and Bon Vivant could
no longer have a runway in
B.N. Duke anymore? That too
is ridiculous.
How dare university offi
cials sacrifice years and years
of tradition? And did you
know that we had to have a
demonstration just to get air-
conditioning in the communi
cations building? Ridiculous!
Did you know that the MC
was screaming in the micro
phone for security at the
Apollo Show last week, and
security just looked at him
and did not move?
Alumni, I can go on and on
about the ridiculous things we
have to fight for at Central
today. Yet, I’m sure you know
that we will continue fighting.
However, I’m baffled now.
At a time when school spirit is
supposed to be at its peak, I
can’t help but question: What
is happening to North
Carolina Central?
I don’t know what’s happen
ing, but I know that we will do
everything in our power to get
our North Carolina Central
back.
That is why we have
demanded a few things
around here. Some of our
demands have come to
fruition, like the extension of
main computer lab hours; oth
ers have to wait until the
Board of Trustees meets in
November, like the extension
of co-ed hours.
Something else disturbs me
as well. The Internal Affairs
office within the Student
Government Association is
responsible for two very
important things among oth
ers. One of those is the resi
dence hall tour.
I implemented the resi
dence hall tour in September
so that students can have an
opportunity to communicate
their concerns with SGA offi
cials, but we have got to go to
the lobby on the Monday night
when SGA is in our residence
halls.
Student Government won’t
know what bothers us unless
we communicate it. Does our
low turnout at the tour mean
that we are satisfied with
everything that goes on here?
I would hope not.
The second responsibility is
the supervision of the Council
of Presidents. The director of
Internal Affairs has informed
me that the organizational
presidents are not showing up
to the council’s meetings, as
they should.
If you are in a registered
student organization on this
campus, you need to question
your president as to why he or
she is not fully representing
your voice on the council.
Well, that’s enough of my
preaching for this issue, and
by the way Ed and Echo staff,
the paper is outstanding!
Ed BoYCE/Editor-rn-Chief
Dr. Beverly Bryant helped develop NCCU’s hospitality and tourism program
along with Dr. Sunday Okeiyi. The program now has 65 majors enrolled.
Hospitality
program gathers
momentum
By Danisa Baker
ECHO STAFF WRITER
The hospitality and tourism
program was approved Nov. 14,
1997. It admitted 12 students in
the spring of 1998. Now in its
fourth semester, the program has
over 65 majors for a B.S. degree
in hospitality and tourism admin
istration.
Dr. Beverly Bryant, director,
and Dr. Sunday Okeiyi, assistant
professor, are the two faculty
members who developed the pro
posal for the program in this
area. NCCU’s chapter was
inducted last spring.
The purpose of the Hospitality
and Tourism Administration
Program is to prepare students
to assume leadership and entre
preneurial roles and to obtain
management positions in the
lodging, food service, recreation
and travel/tourism sectors.
“It is like the saying ‘a new
tide steers the boat,”’ said
Okeiyi. “The program is new and
projection and industry support
has led to re-engineering of the
program in the state.”
The program in constructed
under the Department of Human
Sciences. It requires 128 hours
for completion; with 21 hours of
business and business adminis
tration. Business prerequisites
include principals of accounting
I & II, finance and cost control,
micro- and macro-economics,
principals of marketing and man
agement.
There is a requirement of
three internships within the
major offering 1,000 hours upon
graduation.
Students may choose from
four concentrations within the
program:
•hotel management
•restaurant/food service manage
ment
•international hotel management
•tourism management.
Okeiyi said: “I feel a student
should be multi-skilled for the
next millennium.”
Career opportunities in this
field of study range from parks,
hotel management and nightclubs
to air travel and cruise lines.
'The Hospitality and Tourism
industry is the largest-growing
sector of employment in the
world and it employs more peo
ple than the agricultural, auto,
electronics, steel, and textile
industries combined.
“We know there is a job for
our students when they gradu
ate,” said Bryant.
NCCU will graduate the first
class of hospitality and tourism
administration degrees in Dec.,
2000.
Stephanie Jones, business
administration major, said, “This
is the only program at NCCU
with built-in internship that
offers 1,000 hours. With gradua
tion you not only get a degree,
but you get experience.
Networking is endless.”
Okeiyi said: “This program is
designed for minority students
and is the most comprehensive.
That is what makes it unique.”
Rankings
Continued from page i
•UNC-Pembroke, which is
ranked in the third tier of the
regional university listing, with
a 2.7 rating.
•Fayetteville State
University, which is in the
fourth tier, has a 2.1 rating.
NCCU fared better in other
areas. Compared to the other
five historically black universi
ties in the UNC system, NCCU
had the highest freshman reten
tion rate, the highest percent
age of classes under 20, and
best student-to-faculty ratio.
North Carolina A&T
University enrolled more stu
dents in the top 25 percent of
their high school class, and
their incoming freshmen had
higher SAT/ACT scores.
Fayetteville State University
had the highest alumni giving
rate, and Elizabeth City State
University had the highest
graduation and full-time faculty
rate.
Barton College, with an aca
demic reputation rating of 2.7,
Elizabeth City State University
(2.6), Johnson C. Smith (3.0),
Shaw University (2.6) and St.
Augustine’s (2.8) were among
those ranked in the third tier of
regional liberal arts colleges.
In the listings for the top 50
national research universities,
Duke was ranked 7th, UNC-
Chapel Hill 27th and Wake
Forest University 28th.
IN BRIEF
Choir marks 12 years of
worship and praise
T he N.C. Central
University Worship &
Praise Inspirational Mass
Choir will be celebrating its
12th Anniversary on Oct. 31 in
the B.N. Duke Auditorium at
3:30 p.m.
The Inner-City Mass Choir, of
Charlotte, will be the featured
guests.
Advance prices are $3 for
students ($5 at the door).
Tickets may also be purchased
at the NCCU Ticket Office.
—Campus Echo staff
Smoidering Eiders Cafe
deadiine is today
S tudents interest in per
forming in the Smoldering
Embers Cafe need to sign
up by Oct. 28. Students can
show off their talents — singing,
reciting, playing instruments,
or other creative outlets — at
the event.
The Smoldering Embers Cafe
is sponsored by NCCU’s
Women’s Student Organization.
The event is at 8 p.m. Thursday,
Nov. 4 in Baynes Hall Lounge.
Tickets are $3. Contact
Precious Vines, WSO president,
at 530-2636 or 530-2608.
—Campus Echo staff
Biack History Month
entries due Dec. 15
S tudents and faculty inter
ested in submitting
entries for Black History
Month February 2000 should
contact Oscar Williams, assis
tant professor, in the
Department of History.
The theme is “The African
American Legacy and the
Challenges for the 21st
Century.”
The deadline for submis
sions is Dec. 15. Williams can
be reached at 530-7134.
—Campus Echo staff
It’s that time again,
students of English
T wo-part comprehensive
exams are required for all
English majors and minors
at the end of their sophomore
year.
The composition examination
is scheduled for Nov.4 in the
Communications Building, room
311 from 4-6:30 p.m..
The literature exam is sched
uled for Nov. 11 in the
Communications Building, Room
311.
Students should register for
the examinations in the English
office, in room 307 by Fhiday. Oct.
29.
—Campus Echo staff