FEBRUARY 13, 2008
1801 Fayetteville Street
Durham, NC 27707
North Carolina Central University
PHOTO FEATURE
VOLUME 99, ISSUE 9
919 530 7116/campusecho@nccu.edu
WVWV.CAMPUSECHO.COM
Campus
1-6
CAMPUS PAGE
A&E
BEYOND
Beyond
7
Do you remember what
NCCU exhibit pays
Barack Obama
Photo Feature..
89
it was like getting your
homage to
keeps winning
A8£
KVll
first tatt? Was it fun or
acclaimed artist
primaries. See the
Classified
13
unbearable?
Gordon Parks.
latest coverage.
Sports
15
Opinions
16
Page 5
Page 11
Page 7
Staff photographer
Sebastian Frances
went to L.A. and took
his camera to the
Disney Concert Haii
Pages 8-9
Campus Echo
SGA postpones elections
By Shelbia Brown
ECHO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
More than 50 percent of stu
dents who applied for SGA posi
tions have been disqualified,
causing the postponement of
Student Government Association
elections.
According to JOlanda Kindell
and Deja Waymer, co-directors of
elections and transition, students
were disqualified from running
for SGA positions because their
GPAs or credit hours did not meet
requirements, or because they
had financial holds on their
accounts.
“They didn’t meet the qualifi
cations in the handbook,” Kindell
said.
SGA president Tomasi Larry
was tight-lipped on the matter.
He said he regarded the exact
number of disqualified students
as “confidential” and would not
comment on it.
Waymer also said that the
number of disqualified students
is something she couldn’t discuss.
“[Confidentiality is] a part of
our policy,” Waymer said.
According to the SGA hand
book, a student must have a 2.5
GPA and be in good academic and
disciplinary standing with the
University.
■ See SGA ELECTIONS Page 2
Lake Michie near the town of Bahama, Durham’s primary source of water, Is showing the effects of the state’s severe drought.
The man-made lake was created by a dam built in the mid-1920s. The lake Is currently about 17 feet below normal levels.
Sebastian Frances/Ec/to Stajf Photographer
Drought drags on and on and on
By Vanessa Jackson
ECHO STAFF WRITER
Durham, along with most of
North Carolina, still needs rain.
The drought that grips the state
has now lasted twice as long as
previous droughts.
Durham is listed as being in a
condition of exceptional drought,
along with 67 other North
Carolina counties.
Stage IV restrictions were
implemented Dec. 3.
These mandatory restrictions
require businesses to reduce
their water usage by 50 percent.
Residents are prohibited from
watering lawns, washing cars in
driveways, and filling swimming
pools. Restaurants are not to
serve water unless requested.
Currently, 143 days of easily
accessible premium water
remain.
This is up from October when
Durham had just 75 days of premi
um water.
Premium water is water that
can be inexpensively processed
into drinking water.
Water levels at Lake Michie,
the primary source of water for
Durham, is 17 feet below normal.
Little River Reservoir, another
source of water for the city, is 27
feet below normal.
James Lim, a Durham conser
vation coordinator, said the
drought has forced Durham to tap
into the Teer Quarry to augment
water supplies from Lake Michie
■ See DROUGHT Page 2
Film unveils hidden 'Black Magic’
Documentary explores how racism held back black b-ball players
By Alexis Crumel
ECHO STAFF WRITER
The injustices endured by
black basketball players and
coaches at historically black col
leges and universities during the
civil rights movement were exam
ined Monday at the premiere of
“Black Magic” in Durham.
The film was hosted by the
Durham-based Full ^ame
Documentary International Film
Festival, which runs April 3-6.
The documentary, directed by
Dan Klores, examines the dignity
and courage of black players during
Jim Crow. The film is narrated by
Samuel L. Jackson, among others.
This is Klores’ fifth documen
tary. His film “Crazy Love” was a
hit at the 2007 documentary festi
val.
“The film I am trying to make,”
said Klores, “is centered around
what ope player in the film said: T
can remember when it went from
“What do you want?” to “How may
I help you?”’
The film is produced by Earl
“The Pearl” Monroe, a legendary
Winston-Salem State University
basketball player who was named
one of the 50 greatest players in
NBA history.
“We are excited that Dan has
chosen Durham to premiere his
new film,” said Peg Palmer, execu
tive director of the Full Frame
Documentary Film Festival.
The Durham festival is one of
the largest documentary film fes
tival of its kind in North America.
I See BUCK MAGIC Page 15
Worici Pramiere of
NC audit
digs dirt
I state audit finds that
/| assistant provost biiked over
$36,000 intended for
minority heaith research
By Natalia Nichole Farrer
ECHO STAFF WRITER
N.C. Central University’s assis
tant provost and associate vice-
chancellor of academic affairs
scammed the University out of
more than $36,000 in grant funds,
according to yesterday’s special
review from the State Auditor. ,
A University news release stat
ed that, “the Assistant Provost has
been dismissed from his adminis
trative post at the university, bik
currently remains a faculty mem
ber.”
Franklin B. Carver was listed on
NCCU’s web directory as assistant
provost and associate vice-chan
cellor for Academic Affairs on Feb.
12. At press time, his name had
been removed. ^
The audit saiJ the assistant
provost authorize^ graduate assis
tant contracts and honoraria pay
ments to individuals who didn’t per
form the tasks they were paid for.
The audit found that the assis
tant provost directed students to
cash University checks, keep small
sums and kick the remainder back
to him.
A total of nine payment authori
zations were issued from money
designated for minority health
research.
The assistant provost falsified
signatures and information on the
forms, according to the audit.
He also violated University pol
icy by not reporting his “amorous
relationship” with a student when
it began in 2003, the audit said.
He offered this student two grad
uate assistant contracts totaling
more than $20,000, although she
never worked at the University.
The assistant provost is also
accused of charging personal
expenses to a University credit card.
According to the News and
Events section of NCCU’s web site.
Carver was appointed assistant
provost in 2005.
The story first appeared in the
News & Observer, Feb. 12.
lliba
update
Still ujiclear:
How thieves got in
By Geoffrey Cooper
ECHO STAFF WRITER
N.C. Central University police
continue to investigate the larceny
. of 11 sousaphones from the band
room located in the basement of
the Edwards Music Building.
Six sousaphones, which belong
to NCCU’s Marching Sound
Machine, were discovered missing
in November. The other five were
reported stolen after winter break
in January.
One unanswered question is
how the burglar(s) were able to
gain access to the band room,
located in the basement, if keys
are issued only to specific music
department personnel.
In a police report filed by assis
tant band director Samuel Rowley
on Jan. 8, Rowley said that on Jan.
7 before practice, he noticed that
five sousaphones were missing
from the band room, with their
cases left behind.
The police report also stated
that there were no indications of
forcible entry to the doors of the
side basement entrance or the
■ See SOUSAPHONES Page 5