Read The FAMUAN's Wednesday, March 30, 2011 edition online
8
Sports Sports | 8 Wrestler Melanie Andrade provides leadership in a sport dominated by men. Lifestyles | 6 Lifestyles FAMU Essential eatre gears up for “Ain’t Misbehavin,’” which premieres this Friday. 66 www.TheFamuanOnline.com VOL. 112 ISSUE 22 Wednesday,March 30, 2011 THE STUDENT VOICE OF FLORIDA AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL UNIVERSITY “The Number 1 HBCU Newspaper” According to the Black College Communication Association Student stable after shooting SIMONE WRIGHT DEPUTY SCHOOL NEWS EDITOR SIMONE WRIGHT FAMUANNEWS@GMAIL.COM A Florida A&M student was shot late Sunday night on campus, according to university police. The student was shot near Palmetto South apartments around 11:30 p.m. or 12 a.m. Sunday night, said Lt. Angela Kirkland of the FAMU Department of Public Safety. Kirkland said she was unable to release any information on the victim because of the ongoing investigation. The victim was in stable condition from a single gunshot wound on Tuesday, Kirkland said. FAMU police said that no one has been arrested. Dorm residents reported hearing shot fired. “I was in the kitchen when my roommate opened the front door to leave, and that’s when we heard the gunshot from outside,” said Bonita O’Banion, 20, a second-year computer science student from Chicago. “My roommate closed the door and said they were shooting outside.” FAMU PD is not releasing any more information on the investigation due to the sensitivity to the case and possible danger of the victim, Kirkland said. The shooting marks the second weekend in a row that crime has hit the campus. On Friday, March 18, a FAMU employee was robbed and assaulted near Truth Hall, according to FAMU PD. Two days later, a FAMU student was robbed at gunpoint near FAMU DRS by two armed suspects. Witnesses are encouraged to call FAMU PD at 599-3256 or Crime Stoppers at 891-HELP. FAMU transportation system has plans for improvements The Student Government Association is revving its engine about making improvements on the transportation system at Florida A&M. Breyon Love, a third-year accounting student and vice president of SGA, had a lot to say about improving The Venom, FAMU’s transportation system powered by StarMetro. “We are looking into the possibility of getting away from StarMetro and getting our own busing system so we can have total control of all of our transportation options,” Love said. “That’s something that we are looking into now, owning our own transportation system.” One of the features Love said he wants to add if given the possibility would be a system of night transportation to take students around to different clubs in the vicinity. Love said that having the night system could limit the number of people drinking and driving. But along with reducing the amount of drinking and driving, Love said that the overall safety for students can be improved by having a night transportation system. Qadira Williams, a third- year nursing student, said something similar to the Night Nole would be a great addition to the Venom routes. “The time frame is inconvenient. I don’t leave the library until 10: 30 p.m. so by that time I have to walk home. It’s dark and unsafe,” Williams said. “We should definitely have something similar to the Night Nole.” StarMetro representative Heather Teter explained that if students at FAMU want a similar system to FSU, then talking with TRANSPORTATION 4 SHARI KARESH STAFF WRITER Graphic by Jeffrey Morris WEATHER Friday 81 55 TALLAHASSEE (AP) — The Senate’s tentative budget would spend nearly $3.3 billion more than the House version. The proposed spending plan that was released Monday totals $69.8 billion for the budget year beginning July 1. The House budget bill released last week would spend $66.5 billion. SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWS BRIEFS LOCAL After months of speculation, President James Ammons dropped the news on Monday: about 200 employees will be laid off at the end of June and 22 academic programs will be cut as part of a major restructuring proposal to deal with the current money crunch. The layoffs will mostly affect clerical and administrative staff, however some faculty positions will be lost, Ammons said. “With the plan that we have developed, we are hoping that this will be at least a two-year plan so we won’t have to come back here next year with this kind of discussion,” Ammons told a small but somber crowd at Al Lawson Center. “But we won’t know until the legislature finishes.” According to administration officials, since 2007, Florida A&M has experienced a MATTHEW RICHARDSON AND KRISTEN SWILLEY SCHOOL NEWS EDITOR & STAFF WRITER Budget cuts deep On a cold, rainy Tuesday morning, hundreds of students and workers took to the State Capitol Complex voicing their disapproval of Gov. Rick Scott and recent legislative actions. Students and citizens from different backgrounds and political affiliations stood together in unity. “I refuse to be silent while this legislature wants to take me back to the Stone Ages,” said Jamaal Rose, a pre-law student at FAMU who spoke to the crowd. “We’re facing difficult times here in Florida,” said Vincent Evans, a political science student from Jacksonville. “Despite our problems, education must remain a priority and a right of every single Floridian,” Evans said. This week, Florida A&M President James Ammons announced that 200 university employees and a number of academic programs would possibly be eliminated from the university, due to budget cuts in Florida. Other state universities are also expected to take similar measures in the future. “I went to the President’s Forum yesterday, and I was disturbed by what I heard,” said Ralph Jones, 17, a mechanical engineering student from Atlanta. “I am even more disturbed by some of the actions of our governor; especially, against our historically black colleges and universities which, for me, have provided an unparalleled experience.” “If we cut our programs we can’t produce the same amount of bright scholars that we do RALLY 3 RESTRUCTURE 4 MARCUS JOSEPH STAFF WRITER Keenan Doanes The Famuan Families, workers, students and citizens protest budget cuts Gov. Rick Scott at the State Capitol. Floridians fight back TODAY’S ONLINE CONTENT: “Activist blazes political trail” by Clarece Polke “‘Fight Back Florida’ photo gallery” by Keenan Doanes Today 76 65 Thursday 75 49
Transcript
Sports
Sports | 8
Wrestler Melanie Andrade provides leadership in a sport dominated by men.
Lifestyles | 6
Lifestyles
FAMU Essential � eatre gears up for “Ain’t Misbehavin,’” which premieres this Friday.
A Florida A&M student was shot late Sunday night on campus, according to university police.
The student was shot near Palmetto South apartments around 11:30 p.m. or 12 a.m. Sunday night, said Lt. Angela Kirkland of the FAMU Department of Public Safety.
Kirkland said she was unable to release any information on the victim because of the ongoing investigation.
The victim was in stable condition from a single gunshot wound on Tuesday, Kirkland said.
FAMU police said that no one has been arrested.
Dorm residents reported hearing shot fi red.
“I was in the kitchen when my roommate opened the front door to leave, and that’s when we heard the gunshot from outside,” said Bonita O’Banion, 20, a second-year computer science student from Chicago. “My roommate closed the door and said they were shooting outside.”
FAMU PD is not releasing any more information on the investigation due to the sensitivity to the case and possible danger of the victim, Kirkland said.
The shooting marks the second weekend in a row that crime has hit the campus.
On Friday, March 18, a FAMU employee was robbed and assaulted near Truth Hall, according to FAMU PD. Two days later, a FAMU student was robbed at gunpoint near FAMU DRS by two armed suspects.
Witnesses are encouraged to call FAMU PD at 599-3256 or Crime Stoppers at 891-HELP.
FAMU transportation system has plans for improvements
The Student Government Association is revving its engine about making improvements on the transportation system at Florida A&M.
Breyon Love, a third-year accounting student and vice president of SGA, had a lot to say about improving The Venom, FAMU’s transportation system powered by StarMetro.
“We are looking into the possibility of getting away from StarMetro and getting our own busing system so we can have total control of all of
our transportation options,” Love said. “That’s something that we are looking into now, owning our own transportation system.”
One of the features Love said he wants to add if given the possibility would be a system of night transportation to take students around to different clubs in the vicinity.
Love said that having the night system could limit the number of people drinking and driving. But along with reducing the amount of drinking and driving, Love said that the overall safety for students can be improved by having a night transportation system.
Qadira Williams, a third-year nursing student, said something similar to the Night Nole would be a great addition to the Venom routes.
“The time frame is inconvenient. I don’t leave the library until 10: 30 p.m. so by that time I have to walk home. It’s dark and unsafe,” Williams said. “We should defi nitely have something similar to the Night Nole.”
StarMetro representative Heather Teter explained that if students at FAMU want a similar system to FSU, then talking with
TRANSPORTATION 4
SHARI KARESH
STAFF WRITER
FAMU transportation system has plans for improvements
Graphic by Jeffrey Morris
WEATHER
Friday
81 55
TALLAHASSEE
(AP) — The Senate’s tentative budget would spend nearly $3.3 billion more than the House version. The proposed spending plan that was released Monday totals $69.8 billion for the budget year beginning July 1. The House budget bill released last week would spend $66.5 billion.
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEWS BRIEFS
LOCAL
After months of speculation, President James Ammons dropped the news on Monday: about 200 employees will be laid off at the end of June and 22 academic programs
will be cut as part of a major restructuring proposal to deal with the current money crunch.
The layoffs will mostly affect clerical and administrative staff, however some faculty positions will be lost, Ammons said.
“With the plan that we have developed, we are hoping that this will be at least a two-year plan so we won’t have to come
back here next year with this kind of discussion,” Ammons told a small but somber crowd at Al Lawson Center. “But we won’t know until the legislature fi nishes.”
According to administration offi cials, since 2007, Florida A&M has experienced a
MATTHEW RICHARDSON AND KRISTEN SWILLEY SCHOOL NEWS EDITOR & STAFF WRITER
Budget cuts deep
On a cold, rainy Tuesday morning, hundreds of students and workers took to the State Capitol Complex voicing their disapproval of Gov. Rick Scott and recent legislative actions.
Students and citizens from different backgrounds and political affi liations stood together in unity.
“I refuse to be silent while this legislature wants to take me back to the Stone Ages,” said Jamaal Rose, a pre-law student at FAMU who spoke to the crowd.
“We’re facing diffi cult times here in Florida,” said Vincent Evans, a political science student from Jacksonville.
“Despite our problems, education must remain a priority and a right of every single Floridian,” Evans said.
This week, Florida A&M President James Ammons announced that 200 university employees and a number of academic programs would possibly be eliminated from the university, due to budget cuts in Florida. Other state universities are also expected to take similar measures in the future.
“I went to the President’s Forum yesterday, and I was disturbed by what I heard,” said Ralph Jones, 17, a mechanical engineering student from Atlanta.
“I am even more disturbed by some of the actions of our governor; especially, against our historically black colleges and universities which, for me, have provided an unparalleled experience.”
“If we cut our programs we can’t produce the same amount of bright scholars that we do
RALLY 3
RESTRUCTURE 4
MARCUS JOSEPH
STAFF WRITER
Keenan Doanes The FamuanFamilies, workers, students and citizens protest budget cuts Gov. Rick Scott at the State Capitol.
Floridians fight back
TODAY’S ONLINE CONTENT:
“Activist blazes political trail” by
Clarece Polke
“‘Fight Back Florida’ photo gallery” by Keenan Doanes
Today
76 65
Thursday
75 49
The Royal Ladies of Eternal Legendary Queens, Inc. will be hosting an interest meeting for prospective members on Oct. 13th from 7:09 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. in B.L. Perry room 205. For more information contact De’Ronye Thomas at 708-662-0350 or via email at [email protected]
SUN. 11:00 a.m
THURS. 6:15 p.m. - 6:45
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Cathedral of Faith Ministries“ The Family Church Serving the Family of God.”
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SUN. 9:45 a.m.
FIRSTSERVICE
SUN. 11:00 a.m.THURS.7:30 p.m.
SECONDSERVICE
PRAYERMEETING
SUN. 6:30 p.m.TUE/FRI11:30-12:30
BIBLESTUDY
TUE 7:00 p.m.
WALKINGDISTANCE SHUTTLE
COLLEGIATEMINISTRY
YE
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ES
YE
S Elder Joseph P. Manning2122 Poppy Street(850)574-5605www.cofmcogic.org
ADDRESS
Bethel AME Church“Called to make a Difference.”
SUN. 9:30 a.m.
SUN. 7:45 a.m.
SUN. 11:00 a.m
WED. 6:30 p.m.
TUE.12:00 p.m.WED.7:00 P.M. Y
ES
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S
YE
S Rev. Dr. Julius H. McAllister501 W. Orange Ave.(850) 576-7501
Jacob Chapel Baptist Church “The Blue Print.”
Religion Directory
� e Famuan2 Calendar � eFamuanOnline.comWednseday, March 30, [email protected]
Events and Announcements
“Real Talk For Real Men” presents a symposium open to all young collegiate men at FAMU. The theme of the event is “The Importance of Making Good Decisions.” Join us on tonightfrom 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Lecture Hall SJGC room #2002. For more information call Dr. Barbara L. Oguntade at 850-412-7625.
Mahogany Dance Theatre & The FAMU Strikers present their Spring Excursion: Dancing Beyond Boundaries, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium.
Interested in Law School? Want inside information on the Law School admissions process? If so, the FAMU Pre-Professional Law Offi ce is hosting a Law School Admissions Seminar on April 13, 2011 from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. in the SJGC Lecture Hall. Contact Attorney John Washington at 850-599-3664 for
more information.
FAMU Honors Program will be hosting Honors Week 2011 this week. For more information contact Janelle Alexander, coordinator of academic services at 850-599-3540 or 850-412-7772.
Intramural sports will be hosting The 2011 5 on 5 men’s basketball championship game today from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. in Gaither Gym.
To place an announcement in the Calendar, e-mail your submission to [email protected] at least two days prior to the desired publishing issue. All submissions must include the student organization along with information in paragraph format to include “who, what, when and where.” A contact number will be published with the announcement, indicate so in your e-mailed submission and provide an alternate method for readers to obtain more information. If you do not follow the paragraph format then your submission will not be able to be published.
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currently,” Jones added. “If we can’t recruit the same caliber of scholars then the value of our university goes down as a whole, which in turn devalues our degrees.”
But, it’s not just Florida students who are feeling the wrath of Scott and the Florida Legislature. Florida workers and union members also came out to rally against House Bill 1021, also known as the “paycheck protection” bill.
“We are here to stand with those individuals on different bills that have been brought forth,” said Gary Johnson, executive director of political outreach with the Transport Workers Union of America. Johnson walked with FAMU students to the Capitol from the school. “We are here to stand for the people of our state of Florida.”
“We’re out here not just as students, but we’re out here in solidarity with all the other working people and unions out here because everyone is under attack,” said Patrick Shepherd, 21, a FSU student from Clearwater.
“Once I’m done being a student, I want to be a teacher. If I see them destroying teacher’s salary and teacher’s petitions, what is my future going to look like in Florida?”
Lawmakers also spoke at the rally. “We are going to protect our families
and schools,” said Sen. Anthony Hill Sr. (D-Jacksonville) during the rally.
“We are going to stand up for our seniors. We are going to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Let’s go to work. We are the labor movement.”
Rose, one of the activists who spoke at the rally, whose father was among the fi rst African Americans to graduate from the University of Florida Law School and dedicated his life to civil rights and labor laws, invoked the last speech of Martin Luther King, which supported sanitation workers on strike for union recognition in Memphis, Tenn.
“In our glorious fi ght for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as ‘right to work.’ It is a law to rob us of our civil rights and job rights,” said Martin Luther King in his last speech on April 3, 1968. He was assassinated the next day.
“Hopefully, public offi cials will honor our power and realize they can’t cut from the bottom from people who need it the most,” said Shepherd.
The scent of homemade fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, ribs and a host of other “soul foods” is what second-year broadcast student Evan Miles associates with her fondest memories of her grandmother.
For the rest of Tallahassee, however, the moment most ingrained in their memories is when Dorothy Inman Johnson was elected as the fi rst black female mayor of Tallahassee in 1989.
The Atlanta native was unaware of her grandmother’s historic election, until she learned of it in class.
“When I found out that she was the fi rst African-American female mayor of Tallahassee, I was impressed,” Miles said. “It made me feel like I was close to someone famous.”
The political leader and trailblazer, however, didn’t always have a passion for activism and politics.
Johnson knew from childhood she wanted to be a teacher, a position she held for over 20 years before being elected to the vity commission.
Every Christmas, while children begged parents for Barbie dolls, Johnson would ask for a chalk board and chalk to help her teach her pupils when she played “school” with her siblings.
“I was very shy when I was younger, but when I did things I felt comfortable and confi dent doing, I wasn’t shy
at all,” Johnson, executive director of the Capital Area Community Action Agency, said. “My mom didn’t think it was normal because I was always spending time by myself, but I was doing things that I loved.”
In high school, Johnson participated in various protests, demonstrations and sit-ins in her hometown of Birmingham, Ala. Her experiences prepared her for a lifetime of activism.
The sharpest memory she has of the protests is the day
of the renowned bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. Johnson was in Ensley, her neighborhood near the outskirts of Birmingham, when she heard the distant blast.
“That’s where people went to get their tanks fi lled and go back out and be encouraged,” Johnson said. “It was very symbolic. The people who bombed it thought that by doing that it would scare everybody involved into not attending these group meetings, but all it did was
reinforce everyone’s resolve to make a change.”
Even after leaving for Clark Atlanta University to pursue her degree, Johnson returned to Birmingham every summer. Her responsibilities were at home, she said, as she was the fi fth oldest of 14 children.
“I was kind of charting new ground, and I felt that it brought with it a burden and a responsibility,” Johnson said. “If you are the fi rst black female to do something, people are going to judge all other black females based on how good you were.”
Ken Armstrong, president of the United Way of Big Bend, described Johnson as “a passionate person who never takes no for an answer.”
“Dot and I see the world in very similar ways...we’re both advocates and so it’s easy for us to talk about things because we’re often on the same wavelength.”
Bradford Johnson, an aid to the mayor in community relations and external affairs, also emphasized Johnson’s passion for service.
“After a certain time frame, you’ll see certain offi cials say, ‘My time has come and gone’...she’s not that person.”
A tight state budget delays the advancement of Florida State’s Center for Asian Art, and other proposed university projects , according to local university offi cials.
“The University has requested a matching appropriation through the Courtelis Matching Gift Program equal to the amount that was donated,” said Mark Bertolami, the director of Facilities Planning and Space Management at FSU. “If the state’s funding does not materialize, it’s possible that the gift may be returned to the donor or re-directed for another purpose or that the project’s scope would be essentially cut in half.”
In 2007, Helga Wall-Apelt presented FSU with $4 million to fund the Asian Art Center at the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota. The FSU Foundation received the gift and was to administer it for expansion. However, this gift falls into a category in which, to begin such improvements, the state is to provide additional funding for completion.
According to the state of Florida appropriations regulations, when monies are donated for a project that a university proposes, the state matches the donation with allocated funds. This has been an ongoing issue because of the decrease in available funds. With not enough funds to match, all university
projects proposed are being put onto a longer waiting list.
A proposed A p p r o p r i a t i o n s Implementing bill for the 2011-2012 fi scal year will be considered Monday. The 2010 bill died April 30, 2010 and changes that will be discussed are critical this session for the advancement of higher education projects.
In the case of Florida A&M, Carla Willis, vice president of university relations and executive director of FAMU Foundation, Inc., said, “Since the inception of the Alec P. Courtelis Facilities Enhancement Challenge Grant Program, the university has not had a larger donor make a qualifying donation.”
FAMU participated with the State University System of Florida Board of Governors to assess the need to have appropriations for the construction and maintenance of student life facility projects in January.
This assessment stated that it was assumed that state appropriations would not be needed to maintain or operate the projects, cutting expected additional aid. There was also a fi ve-year plan asking universities to have an idea of what funds would needed to carry out the necessities once projects
were reprioritized. “The Legislature has not funded the
grant program in the past three years, and we do not see the university being adversely affected by this one year temporary suspension of the program,” said Willis.
As several Florida universities wait for the fate of their proposed projects, decisons made in the legislature this week will be one that could affect Florida universities and future projects, and improvements requiring state funding.
After Florida education commissioner Eric Smith announced his resignation, Board of Education chairman, T. Willard Fair, resigned just one day after.
Smith was hired to the State Board of Education in 2007, a time when Florida schools ranked 31st on the Quality Counts report by “Education Week.” As he leaves the board of education, Florida schools ranked fi fth in the annual report.
“It has been a privilege to serve as commissioner during the period in which Florida demonstrated bold national leadership in the fi eld of education,” writes Smith in a statement regarding his resignation effective June
30. “The time has come, however, to allow our newly elected governor to have input through the State Board of Education on the type of leader to pursue his goals for education.”
While Smith was commissioner, the reading skills of fourth and eighth graders improved significantly on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. There were noticeable gains by African-American and Hispanic students.
“On Friday, Commissioner Eric Smith informed my administration of his plan to leave the Department of Education,” read a statement released by Scott on March 21. “On behalf of the state of Florida, I thank him for his years of dedicated service.”
The following day, Scott released another statement that outlined some of the changes being made to the school system, including a $1.75 billion cut to K-12 education.
“Smith was appointed by former Gov. Charlie Crist in 2007 and has been a supporter of efforts by the Florida Legislature to reform how teachers are paid by connecting salaries to test scores and eliminating multi-year contracts,” Scott stated.
On the same day of Scott’s second press release, Fair resigned from his position as education chairman.However, Fair does not agree with the Smith’s resignation. As a result, Fair has also left the Department of Education, where he was awaiting the governor to
appoint a new chairman.“I am dismayed by the process that
has unfolded, regarding Commissioner Smith,” reads part of Fair’s letter in response to Smith’s resignation. “In fact, the notion that this Board should immediately commence a ‘national search’ for a new Commissioner, fl ies in the face of the reality that Governor Scott will choose his new Commissioner,” said Fair. “This Board, including its new members, will merely provide the votes that affi rm the Governor’s choice,” said Fair of the alleged politics surrounding Smith’s resignation.
Dept. of Education shake-up leaves some upset with Scott
Cuts threaten proposed projects
CLARECE POLKE
LIFESTYLES EDITOR
DAWN REEVES
STAFF WRITER
JORGE RODRIGUEZ-JIMINEZ
STAFF WRITER
Special to The FamuanDorothy Inman Johnson is executive director of the Capital Area Community Action Agency, which targets low-income families in the Big Bend region.
Graphic by Jeffrey Morris
RALLY
projects proposed
A p p r o p r i a t i o n s Implementing bill for the 2011-2012 fi scal year will be considered Monday. The 2010 bill died April 30, 2010 and changes that will be discussed are critical this session for the advancement of higher education projects.
In the case of Florida A&M, Carla Willis, vice president of university relations and executive director of FAMU Foundation,
To read the rest of this story, and
view a photo gallery of
Johnson, visit thefamuanonline.com
Read the rest of our on-going series on “Fight Back Florida” rallies that have occurred since the beggining of March
� e FamuanNews 4 � eFamuanOnline.comWednesday, March 30, [email protected]
$35 million reduction to its budget. Now, the university must address the potential 15 percent projected cut, which could result in a $13.3 million reduction for FAMU in fi scal year 2011-12. This reduction will occur in addition to the loss of $7.9 million in stimulus funding.
“If those cuts are deeper than we think, we are going to have to come back here next year and have this same conversation because the money just won’t be there,” Ammons said.
While many wondered if additional cuts would be made to the school’s budget, Ammons said he believed that this year wouldn’t be the last year for belt tightening.
As part of the restructuring, 86 fi lled positions will be eliminated as well as 110 employees who are now being paid with stimulus funds.
Ten academic programs could be merged and several others might be removed completely.
Ammons said that his team looked at enrollment, number of degrees granted, the number of grant dollars that have been generated by faculty in those departments and they fell into a category of being low-productivity programs.
“We’re not recommending that we eliminate every program that was on the Board of Governors list because we believe that some of those programs are important to our mission,” Ammons said.
The audience roared its disapproval when Ammons said seven programs were on the chopping block from a single school, the College of Education.
Some of the programs from the College of Education include the bachelor’s of both art and business education. Master’s in
both math and English education are also being eliminated.
First-year education student Makia Edwards, 19, is concerned about her and her classmates’ future.
“I can’t believe they’re cutting all of those programs,” Edwards said. “They are missing out on a lot of good potential students. Many people rely on FAMU as their only way to get an education.”
Edwards, an Orlando resident, said that her confi dence in FAMU has teetered a bit since learning what programs may be cut.
“This is a place that I would want to send my kids one day, and now I can’t even be sure the programs they want will be here,” Edwards said.
Knowing that FAMU’s Hip-Hop Institute was not one of the 22 endangered programs sent the audience into a small uproar.
However, Ammons defended the program by saying that the institute is part of culture.
But among all of the reductions, the one that could possibly hurt the most could be the layoffs, of long-time employees. As part of the forum, the university had packets available for stress relief and unemployment benefi ts.
Employees like George Brumao, 51, who rely on a steady paycheck to support his family, hopes that he will not have to use one of those packets.
“I’d be able to make it a little bit beyond paycheck to paycheck, but if I missed more than two, I’d be in a really tough situation,” said Brumao, who has been working at Coleman Library for more than 11 years.
Despite having two robberies on campus in one weekend, many students are not fazed by the spike in criminal activity. And while robberies are serious, theft still predominates.
Senior computer engineering student
Trenton Johnson was not surprised when he received a text message about the robberies.
“I’m not really shocked about stuff like that anymore,” said Johnson, 22 of Columbia, S.C. “I guess it’s bad. And I’m not going to try to justify it, but I’m just not surprised by it anymore. Maybe I’m desensitized to it.”
According to the Florida A&M Police Department’s public daily log, two robberies occurred on March 18 and March 20. The March 18 robbery happened at 5:08 p.m. as many people were outside preparing to leave campus.
Ulyssa Hester, 20, a junior biology student from Stone Mountain, Ga., said that the Friday incident is scary because “you can’t predict that.” She admits that she does not feel any less safe on campus.
“This can happen anywhere,” Hester said. “And as long as you don’t open the door for opportunity, you’re less likely to have it happen to you.”
Hester’s statement echoes that of Sgt. Sherri Luke, FAMU PD’s crime prevention supervisor.
Luke said that students must become “a part of their own crime prevention” by eliminating the opportunity for crime.
“Crime’s like a triangle,” Luke said. “You got a suspect on one side. You got a victim on the other side, but the base of that triangle is opportunity. What we’re trying to do is remove that base.”
Although robberies are serious offenses, Luke argues that there are more frequent crimes that occur on campus – most notably petty theft.
Entries in FAMU PD’s daily log corroborate Luke’s assertions. From Jan. 3 to March 24, there were a total of 27 reported instances of petty theft and 26 occurrences of grand theft – while there were only three reported robberies.
According to the Florida Statutes Section 812.014, petty theft occurs “if the property stolen is valued at $100 or more,
but less than $300,” while property stolen in a grand theft offense carries a price tag over $300.
In order to prevent theft victimization, Luke encourages students to keep their items with them at all times, always close and lock doors and get items engraved.
For more serious situations like the recent robberies, FAMU PD relies on the “e2” campus alert system to communicate with students. According to Luke, approximately 2,700 students are registered for the free service.
“I’ve had a lot of people tell me that, ‘Well my roommate’s signed up so I always get them,’” said Luke. “Everybody is so sure they’re going to get it because there’s enough people signed up. But there’s no reason why everybody shouldn’t sign up themselves. We are each responsible for our own safety.”
Luke states that the most important element of prevention is awareness. Being aware of one’s surroundings, walking in groups, utilizing the S.A.F.E. Team escorts and reporting crime are all proper precautions Luke says that students should take to remain safe.
Students can sign up for the “e2” campus alerts by visiting the campus police page of www.famu.edu, which can be accessed through the “Quick Links” section. For escorts, contact the S.A.F.E. Team at 599-3795.
Students unfazed by crimeFAMU police work hard to maintain on-campus security
ARIA AARON
STAFF WRITER
FAMU offi cials and SGA members would be the best way to do it, since Star Metro and FAMU have an exsisting contract. Teter said that on average, FAMU pays $520,000 for its yearly contract with StarMetro so students are able to ride the bus for free.
“Each year FAMU and the Star Metro staff meet to discuss any changes needed to the contract. We evaluate on an annual basis. At that time, we also discuss billing costs due to the fl uctuation of gas,” Teter said. “The U-Pass service is the offi cial title of the program that allows students to ride Star Metro’s regular routes for free.”
Although students may ride the bus with just a swipe of their rattler card, some have a hard time catching the bus before it leaves.
Jazmine Bartee, a third-year nursing student from Tallahassee, is one of those students.
“Sometimes the bus comes when it’s supposed to and other times it doesn’t,” Bartee said. “I could be just walking out at the time that it normally comes and it is leaving.”
Teter said Star Metro hopes to eliminate that problem within the next six months to a year by adding a new feature.
StarMetro is hoping to implement a text messaging application that will allow customers to get arrival times on
their cellular phones. “This application will allow customers to
text their bus stop number, which will be on the bus stop sign, to 27299,” Teter said. “After a few seconds, the customer will receive a corresponding text that will detail the next bus arrival times for each route serving that particular stop. This application will be available to the university services and regular route services.”
While this process may eliminate some issues a few students and non-students have with the transportation system, some are saying all of the issues need to be fi xed to make a smoother ride.
Love has run into some problems riding the bus. When he swiped his
rattler card it would say invalid. “This year we were able to get a new rattler card system where the cards were more feasible for swiping,” Love said. “I rode the bus all last year and I still ride the bus now because I don’t have a car.”
Teter said the busing system has been adequate over the years and no proposal has been made to upgrade the system.
File Photo The FamuanS.A.F.E. Team members accompany students to minimize crime.
Keenan Doanes The FamuanAn unidentifi ed employee speaks during the forum, at which Ammons (above) outlined
major changes to the way the university will function.
To read the rest of the story and our other
online content, check out thefamuanonline.com.
Florida A&M’s restructuring is affecting everyone related to the university.
After learning that the School of General Studies will be eliminated, about
1,500 students are being forced to declare a major.
In my opinion, this could have been avoided.
In 2008, record-breaking numbers, of African American voters helped to elect Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States.
Those same record-breaking voters were absent in the 2010 Florida gubernatorial elections.
After asking 2010 freshman class vice president Alfred Henderson who should be held responsible for the budget cuts and the restructuring of FAMU, he said, “Rick Scott is primarily responsible for the restructuring process at the university.”
More than three-fourths of students at FAMU are here because of financial aid, whereas only 20 to 40 percent are on financial aid at Florida State.
This, Henderson said, is exactly why he marched along side other FAMU students Tuesday to the Capitol.
Since the restructuring negotiations began, FAMU officials have toyed with idea of cutting back summer sessions.
President James Ammons said, “We must reduce the workforce to meet our restructuring goals. We can’t afford to continue to do everything that we do.”
To me this means if it’s not an asset to the university, like the School of Pharmacy, then we have to eliminate it.
Social networks like Twitter and Facebook show evidence of students who share different opinions about the budget cuts in Florida and here at the University.
State-wide, universities are undergoing budget cuts as well.
Bethune-Cookman University, a private school in Daytona Beach, stands to lose more than $2 million in state revenue, according to www.aareports.com.
In the restructuring letter from Ammons, found on www.famu.edu, he calls the restructuring plans a “process that permits everyone to have input into how our resources, technology and collaborations will make FAMU the best in its class.”
Furthermore, these budget cuts are a direct result of constituents of Florida not voting.
I feel this could have been avoided if people would have voted last November; one should not downgrade the works of Scott when the voting numbers in the 2010 election were almost half of those from the 2008 presidential election.
One way to sum up the remarks I have about this process: “JUST VOTE.” Voting gives everyone a chance to be heard. And only then will the opinions about restructuring become relevant.
There is no reason a royal court candidate of FAMU should have more student votes than the candidates for governor.
College is an institution of higher learning, but does higher learning mean the same thing
to everyone? Does it mean degree and
a career or is it marriage? Is college the place to snag that certain someone?
Each of these answers trickles down to one motivation and that’s morals. Everyone is raised differently and everyone has different morals and values. In my household, I was raised to have my own and to do for myself. Independence is important in my family, but that isn’t the case for everyone.
Some people are raised to believe that marriage is the key to success, not a degree.
We cannot impose our own beliefs on others; we just talk about them behind their backs. A ring may seem to have more longevity than a degree nowadays.
There aren’t guarantees with either.
With a marriage you could have a husband or wife, children the white picket fence the whole nine yards, but that could all be taken away with divorce.
A degree could get you a job and even help you obtain the career you longed for, but that could all be taken away with layoffs and recessions. Something that cannot be taken away, however, is education and determination to want better.
Parents or guardians may have put the beliefs of marriage in students’ minds to have a better life than they had. When you sit down and analyze the reason they want you to have a better life is because they didn’t have the job and the husband or wife they desired.
Many times the parents are drilling marriage into student’s heads because they didn’t have a college degree or a marriage that some may have longed for.
Yes, we can find our soul mate in college; but that shouldn’t be the focus for coming to college. Getting married young, in my opinion, isn’t a good idea. College is where you come to grow and become the adult that you want to be. I think college students should gain stability first before trying to start a family.
We aren’t promised anything and everything can be taken away from us. If you have education you can dust off your shoulders and keep moving. College isn’t for marriage. It isn’t for trying to find that man or woman who has the good credit and promising career.
Do for yourself so you can have the good credit and promising career.
The Famuan, an Associated Collegiate Press 2003 Pacemaker Finalist, is published Monday, Wednesday and online only on Friday during the fall and spring semesters. The opinions do not reflect the administration, faculty, or staff of the University. The editorials are the expressed opinions of the staff and columnists. The Famuan is funded
partially by activities and services fees.
THE F UPack up the van and the kids, honey, because the world is coming to an end.
No, we’re not talking about the recent earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan, or snowstorms sweeping across the northwest.
We’re talking about the 17-year-old in South Florida who pistol-whipped her mother into buying her a new car.
When did molly-whopping parents suddenly become the way to convince them to buy vehicles?
And whatever happened to getting a job and saving money to pay for half, doing chores, or just simply asking?
For those not in the loop, the young girl was charged
with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, along with several other counts.
The mother said she searched her daughter’s purse and found drugs, drug paraphernalia and the pistol before the incident.
This situation happened for one simple reason: society’s rejection of corporal punishment. While Florida law recognizes a parent’s right to discipline a child with spanking, the action, like many other traditionalist views, is considered to be archaic and irrelevant.
Granted, corporal punishment is not the ultimate solution to every discipline problem with children. Sometimes, it’s
too much spanking and not enough talking that leads to bitter, angry, frustrated children.
But the instances of children turning on their parents and even committing violence toward them are happening entirely too often.
We’ve seen it on shows like “My Super Sweet 16” on MTV, with spoiled children spending more money in a matter of weeks on diamond encrusted specialty dresses and washed up artists than most Americans make in a year.
This whole situation might be slightly less ridiculous if the girl had simply gotten involved and drugs and was still on a “bad trip” when she attacked her mother.
Or even if she was pistol-whipping her mother for a 2011 Mercedes. This girl beat her mom into buying her a 2004 black Nissan.
The mother told the authorities she didn’t want to press charges because her daughter was accepted into multiple Ivy League universities.
Harvard should be more selective in its screening process, so it avoids accepting parent-abusing weapon-toting children.
Spare the rod and end up having some girl pistol -whipping her momma. Shame.
Clarece Polke for the editorial board.
Is corporal punishment needed at home?
Make your voice heard before it’s silencedmichaEL bryant
columnist
Keenan Doanes The FamuanI wonder if this is the face he makes when he signs about 200 pink slips.
If your child pistol-whipped you, would you...A) Fight back. B) What child? After something like that I have
no child. C) Press charges
Let us know what you think? Go to
thefamuanonline to comment on this story and others. And don’t
forget to follow us on twitter @Famuanopinons
“The Real Talk for Real Men” is an initiative open to all collegiate men at FAMU. The theme of the event is “The Importance of Making Good Decisions.”
he event will be held on Wednesday March 30, 2011, from 6 - 9 p.m. in the School of Journalism and Graphic C o m m u n i c a t i o n Lecture Hall.
The purpose of this event is to present speakers who will discuss problems concerning males and the problems they face living in America. Speakers will address the importance of decision-making on male students’ futures.
Scheduled speakers include former Tallahassee Chief of Police Walter McNeil, who was
named the Quincy police chief last month. FAMU adjunct instructor Willie Graham will also speak.
“This is a major step
to promote r e s p o n s i b i l i t y , a c c o u n t a b i l i t y and from progress in young men,” Barbara Oguntade, coordinator of the event, said.
Oguntade said the forum is an opportunity for young men to seek guidance
on how to achieve their goals as men from positive male role models. She said young men will fi nd it helpful to consult with the speakers,
e s p e c i a l l y
those who have never had a positive male mentor or role model.
“[The event] is unique in its kind because it directly builds up and strengthens the character and
qualities of the young men that will lead this generation,” Oguntade said.
Door prizes, r e f r e s h m e n t s and fl iers will be distributed. After the presentations, there will be a question and answer portion from the audience.
The event will be held on Wednesday March 30, 2011, from 6 - 9 p.m. in the School of Journalism
and Graphic C o m m u n i c a t i o n Lecture Hall.
What started as Ntozake Shange’s choreo-poem “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf,” was adapted into Tyler Perry’s hit fi lm “For Colored Girls” in 2010. Florida A&M has joined the movement and is using the production’s themes to encourage female empowerment among students.
PUSH Productions, a newly
formed campus organization, held a series of events varying from relationship discussions to the role of black women in politics last week.
“This year we added the book of colored girl stories,” said Rondrea Mathis, an English professor. “There are about 25 different letters from phenomenal FAMU women who wrote about their experience here and advice they would’ve given themselves.” The book of letters, called “The Colored Girl Stories,” was distributed at the kickoff event last Tuesday.
Tonight, Kianta Key, faculty health communication
specialist for student health services, will help present the last part of the fi ve event series: “One Night Stand for HIV/AIDS.”
The event will be at the Meek- Eaton Black Archives from 6 p.m.-8 p.m., and includes guest speakers Rae Lewis- Thornton and Jason Panda of B condoms.
“So many times you’ll have young women in relationships getting caught in the moment and not using condoms,” Key said. “We are trying to show
the importance of using
condoms and being safe.”Panda, a Morehouse
graduate, combined his background in social media, nightlife, entertainment and business to spark change in communities affected by the AIDS epidemic. Also speaking at tonight’s event is AIDS activist and educational speaker Rae Lewis-Thornton. At 23, Lewis- Thornton was diagnosed with HIV and today, at 49, lives with AIDS.
“Events like these are here to show young women that they do have a voice and they can speak up,” said Key.
� e Famuan � eFamuanOnline.comWednesday, March 30, 2011 [email protected]
all collegiate men at FAMU. The theme of the event is “The Importance of Making
he event will be held on Wednesday March 30, 2011, from 6 - 9 p.m. in the School of Journalism and Graphic C o m m u n i c a t i o n
The purpose of this event is to present speakers who will discuss problems concerning males and
to promote r e s p o n s i b i l i t y ,
with the speakers, e s p e c i a l l y
and fl iers will be distributed. After the presentations, there will be a question and answer portion from the audience.
The event will be held on Wednesday March 30, 2011, from 6 - 9 p.m. in the School of Journalism
and Graphic C o m m u n i c a t i o n Lecture Hall.
Based on the life and music of Thomas “Fats” Waller, the Tony award-winning revue “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” is a swinging, fi nger-snapping, toe-tapping tribute to the black entertainers of the Harlem Renaissance in the early 1900s.
Waller was a prolifi c jazz entertainer and comedian in the 1920s through the early 1940s. “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” is a combination of musical numbers composed of jazz, blues and swing.
The original cast has nine characters, but the Essential Theatre has decided to expand the cast to nine, who play themselves. Kimberly Harding, a theater professor, said the theater wanted to give more students a chance to perform.
“There is the original cast of fi ve principal characters, but we’ve added a chorus of four singers and dancer,” Harding said.
Kimberly Hicks, 18, a theatre performance student from Miami, is making her debut performance for the Essential Theatre.
“I think the audience can get an entirely new perspective on what a musical is because of the fact that there is not very much dialogue at all,” Hicks
said. “We tell the story through music. My character is nothing like me, aside from having my name, but being her on stage is really fun.”
Hicks said preparing for a show of this magnitude is different from any other play she has ever done.
“The music rehearsals were a vital part of this production,” Hicks said. “Not to say that they aren’t in any other musical, but learning what seems like a text book of songs was a little challenging, yet fun at the same time.”
Costume, hair and makeup also play a major role in making a musical successful. Edith Carnley, a theater professor and lead costume designer for “Ain’t Misbehavin,’ ” has had her team working since the beginning of the semester.
“We used bright colors in order to show the playfulness of the time period of this piece,” Carnley said.
Carnley said they are trying to bring the club atmosphere from the 1930s onto the stage.
“We have hair, clothes and makeup that represent what would be the club life of that time,” she said.
Harry Bryce, guest director and choreographer, who has directed “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” at other venues, returns for the second time for the production.
Bryce decided to compose a story line for the show because, originally, it was just a musical revue without dialogue.
“I thought it was time to do something fresh with it,” Bryce said. “So I created a love triangle within those songs and developed a fresh, new “Ain’t Misbehavin.’ ”
Bryce said he chose not to contemporize the show because the music is for all generations. “Even if you’re a hard core hip-hop artist or listener you still would enjoy this music,” he said.
The show is a refl ection of a time when music and dance had a greater symbiosis going on. It’s a glimpse into what it was like during the Renaissance.
“We have forgotten about what makes us so great,” Bryce said. “Our contributions, like jazz music.”
Bryce said young people need to experience this type of music.
“It’s just an infectiously wonderful show and I think everyone will enjoy it,” he said.
“Ain’t Misbehavin’” opens Friday at 8 p.m. in the Charles Winter Wood Theater. Other show dates are Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. The show is free to FAMU students with a valid ID, $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for students with children. Essential Theatre is located in Tucker Hall. For more information, call 850-561-2425.
ASHLEY WILLIAMS
STAFF WRITER
LaGretta Johnson The FamuanThe Essential Theatre prepares to wow audiences with an expanded cast.
LaGretta Johnson The FamuanThe rhythm section rehearses bits and pieces of the musical selections.
The Famuan TheFamuanOnline.comWednesday, March 30, 2011 [email protected]
7 Comics
Lola by Todd Clark Fat Cats by Charlie Podrebarac
Andy Capp by Reg Smythe
Ben by Daniel Shelton
Girls & Sports by Justin Borus and Andrew Feinstein
Pickles by Brian Crane
Jump Start by Robb ArmstrongArlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson
BC by Johnny Hart
Get Fuzzy by Darby Conley
Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz
Momma by Mell Lazarus
Maya Moore is headed to the Final Four with a chance to pad perhaps the most impressive resume in the history of women’s college basketball with yet another championship.
Connecticut’s latest star is already a four-time All-American with 3,000 career points. Nice personal milestones for sure, but far from the biggest prize.
To her and the rest of the Huskies it’s all about cutting down those nets in Indianapolis and locking up a third
straight national title.Moore scored 28 points, including the
3,000th of her career, to lead top-seeded UConn to a 75-40 win Tuesday night against Duke and a fourth straight trip to the Final Four.
“I don’t think about it right now,” Moore said about becoming the seventh Division I player to reach the 3,000-point mark. “Of course it’s really exciting to be at a program where I’ve been able to flourish as an offensive player.”
Coach Geno Auriemma wasn’t surprised by his star’s huge game.
“We did talk in the locker room that this was going to be a big night for Maya,”
Auriemma said. “You could just sense it. Too many games leading up to this where things didn’t click for whatever reason. She doesn’t let a lot of big games go by without going off in a couple of them.”
With two more victories, the Huskies will match the record for consecutive NCAA titles set by Tennessee (1996-98) and equaled by UConn (2002-04).
Next up for Auriemma’s current juggernaut is Notre Dame on Sunday in the national semifinals.
The two Big East teams are plenty familiar with each other, having played three times this season already. UConn won all of those matchups including a
73-64 victory in the Big East tournament championship game.
“It’s going to be rough,” Moore said. “We know each other so well and there are not a lot of surprises. It’s going to be a battle to grind it out. We’re representing well for our conference. It should be fun.”
Throw in the football team reaching the BCS as Big East champions for the first time and its the first time ever one school has been in all three events.
“Take that!,” Auriemma said.
The Florida A&M softball team split a double-header against Troy University.
The team used a four-run third inning en-route to a 6-0 win in game one.
Jennifer Lindsey picked up the victory in game one for the Rattlers.
Game two came down to the wire, as the Lady Rattlers fell 2-0.
Troy’s Morgan Grove got the win in game two.
The Rattlers’ next game will be against North Carolina Central April 1 in Durham, N.C. at 1 p.m.
The Rattlers sit at 11-15 and are in first place in the Southern Division of the MEAC.
The men and women’s teams will travel to Gainesville for the Florida Relays on Friday.
After a strong showing at the FSU relays, the teams are poised to compete in a field of the nation’s best talent.
The two-day event will be held at the University of Florida.
Leon Hunt and Damarrius Carroll are expected to lead the men, while Latoya Wright and Keelyn Flemming will spearhead the ladies.
Florida will be led by Jeff Demps, who took first place in the 100-meter dash last year with a time of 10.11 seconds.
grandma, her friends call her Mel, but everybody knows her as captain of the women’s varsity wrestling team.
Melanie Andrade, a biology pre-med freshman, from Davenport, Fla. has been a dominant force in her first year on the mat.
Andrade started wrestling her freshman year of high school. She was looking for a sport to participate in, when one of her friends suggested wrestling. After her first practice, she was hooked.
“I had never seen anything like that before,” Andrade said. “They were working on techniques and moves. It looked so intense and I wanted to try it.”
Andrade said that wrestling is another world. Weight management is the biggest difference.
“When you meet people in wrestling, the first question you’re asked is how much do you weigh,” Andrade said.
Andrade moved around a lot in high school. She went to three different high schools and joined the wrestling team at each one.
Andrade’s first wrestling team, Poinciana High School, wasn’t the experience she hoped for.
“I didn’t like the team I was wrestling on. The coach was mean and I got beat every single match,” Andrade said. “They would beat me in the beginning of the match. It
wasn’t fun to me anymore.”Poinciana was crowded,
so they built a new school. Andrade and a couple of her teammates went to Liberty High School and wrestled for their new school.
“My friends and I went to the new school and they didn’t have a team. They had a couple guy coaches with only five girls on the team,” Andrade said. “There were only two from the old high school and three from the new one.”
She was transferred to Ridge Community High School, where she was the only girl on a boys team.
“The coach ignored me like I wasn’t there,” Andrade said. “Some of the guys were talking to me and told me that a few girls came out and quit, that’s why the coach didn’t take me seriously until after a year of wrestling.”
FAMU’s wrestling program was dropped last year. To keep the program alive, Andrade recruited five girls for the team. Her teammates and coaches, recognized her determination and leadership skills.
Thomas White, Andrade’s coach, gave her the title of captain because she leads by example.
“She influences them to work out in the morning and keeps them focused on their studies,” White said.
Saundrina Smith, a freshman pre-med biology student, is also Andrade’s best friend and teammate.
“She isn’t going to tell you
to run a mile if she isn’t going to do it. When I had to cut weight for a tournament, she ate healthy with me.”
For Smith, Andrade’s level of committment does not change after practice is over.
“She helps me off the mat. She is not only a great captain but also a great friend,” Smith said.
Jasmine Mitchell The FamuanMelanie Andrade has been a wrestler since high school.
Spring practice spurs optimismAs spring practice continue,
the Florida A&M football team is prearing to repeat as MEAC champions. This time, they want to drop the “co.”
The Rattlers had a record of 8-3 and was involved in a three-way tie for MEAC championship with Bethune-Cookman and South Caroline State.
Willie Ferrell is a returning linebacker and wants to repeat as a MEAC champion.
“I feel that since our defense is coming back we should be on the same page. We will pick up where we left off, with our intensity and our offense picking up will be fine,” Ferrell said. “We should win and dominate our schedule.”
The Rattlers lost key players last season and look to rebuild in those positions.
“We have a lot of veteran players here that will help the new players out and teach them the defense as fast as possible,” Ferrell said.
In the second week of spring practice, head coach Joe Taylor said he was happy with
the play he has seen. “Were coming along fine,
we are satisfied with the way we are practicing with our leadership and experience,” Taylor said. “Offensively we haven’t been turning the ball
over. On defense, we’ve been flying around and we don’t
mind hitting. We are very pleased with the way things are going now,” Taylor said.
Taylor also acknowledged the change in culture with the team as he enters his fourth year.
“The experience we have here is great going into the
fourth year of the program. There is no resistance: they understand that hard work is the easiest way to success.”
The annual spring game on Saturday will give the coaches a chance to evaluate the progress of this season’s training.
“The team has worked hard in phase one of training by waking up at 5:45 a.m. doing the conditioning along with the biometrics,” Taylor said. “The team is working really hard.”
Cornerback Terry Johnson said a lot of that hard work will pay off on the defensive end.
“Our team starts on defense. Defense wins games and we have to get turnovers,” Johnson said. “We expect good things coming from our offense and defense. We have a lot of returning players and we expect big things from them this season.”
Spring football will conclude on April 14, and the Rattlers will start their regular season on Sept. 2.
