THE METERM A R C H 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

Serving the Tennessee State University and Nashville community since 1950NASHVILLE, TENN. WWW.TSUTHEMETER.COM VOLUME 66, ISSUE 1

CLAY TON, Mo. (AP) —

A man accused of shooting two police off icers in

Ferguson returned to cour t Tuesday over a claim that St . Louis County police used excessive force during his arrest . C h r i s t m a s told The Associated Press on Monday that pol ice roughed up his cl ient and descr ibed bruises on Wil l iams’ back , shoulders and face and a k not on his head. Pol ice spokesman Brian Schellman cal led the asser t ion “completely false” while noting that the suspect was seen by a nurse when he was booked into the county jai l , standard procedure

for al l incoming inmates. He added that Wil l iams did not resist arrest . C h r i s t m a s also suggested that pol ice coerced a statement by Wil l iams in which he repor tedly admitted to the shooting but said he wasn’t targeting police. Schellman also rejected that asser t ion, noting the statement was videotaped. Wil l iams is accused of shooting the two off icers ear ly Thursday outside Ferguson’s pol ice station, which has been the scene of protests s ince last summer ’s fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown. Wil l iams was arrested Sunday on charges of felony

assault , armed cr iminal action and a weapons offense. In his inter view with the AP on Monday, Christmas countered an ear l ier descr iption by St. Louis County Pol ice Chief Jon Belmar of the March 12 shooting. “ This wasn’t any type of ambush shooting,” Christmas said. “ Those off icers were shot accidental ly.” C h r i s t m a s later said in other media inter views that Wil l iams didn’t f i re the shots at the off icers. He did not respond to several messages Tuesday seek ing to clar i fy the discrepanc y.

Continued Page 5

BY ANTONETTE LOVETT Radio Manager

S tudents returned this semester to no trees, but

new security gates surrounding thecampus. The new fence comes after campus a d m i n i s t r a t o r s struggled to cut cr ime happeningon campus, some of i t caused by people who were not students, but on campus, aviolation of campus security rules. While the new fence comes at a key t ime for theuniversity, i t was already in the works. “ The gates were init ial ly discussed in the spring 2013. We discussed the opennessof the campus and var ious r isks during my init ial Safety and Security Assessment.”said Associate

Vice President for Administration Dr. Cur tis Johnson. “ TSU made thedecision based on what could help improve campus security.The decision didn’t come l ightly. Johnson said he had to present a lot of data forPresident Glenda Glover to consider.“After being here for a year I assessed what cr imes were being committed on andnear the campus along with who were committing the acts and asked President Glover to review the request based on current data,” said Johnson. Campus off ic ials used the Christmas break to instal l the gates. I t took some bysurprise.

Continued Page 5

Courtesy: ABC News

Photo Credit: Anastasia Williams

Gates outside Eppse Hall.

Campus Fence Step In Keeping Campus Safe

Suspect in Custody for Police Shooting in Ferguson, MO

@tsuthemeter

March 18, 2015 • The MeterTennessee State University 2

ASHLEY PARMERCopy Editor

C a m p u s off icials are e x p e c t e d to make

the new four- day class schedule p e r m a n e n t . Students wil l be given a sur vey at the end of the semester to give adiministrators their take on the Mon-Thurs schedule. The formal assessment wil l be used by other Tennessee Board of Regents schools to determine i f they wil l adopt the same schedule. T e n n e s s e e State University is the f irst university governed by the TBR to launch the four-day schedule. “ We are mak ing preparations now to do it in the fal l ,” said Dr. Mark Hardy, vice president of

Academic Affairs. Administrators launched the new schedule this semester, leaving Fr iday as a day for student and faculty meetings. I t ’s also par t of a d m i n i s t r a t o r ’ s plans to assess students’ academic per formance and retention rates. Administrators said they want to tr y giving students a day to work on projects and homework with hopes of giving a boost to student ’s overal l GPAs and par ticipation in class. “ We are concerned about the retention rate. We found we have a weak ness in moving students from the freshman class to the sophomore class,” said Hardy.Hardy said that

Fr iday is designed as a special day for students. “ They can do most of their studying, for instance. They can do most of their research where it does not confl ict with them having to get to class and get back from class,” added Hardy.D e s p i t e a d m i n i s t r a t o r s having high hopes

for the program, it ’s gett ing mixed reviews from students. “ I enjoy having an extra day to travel, spend t ime with fr iends, complete any week ly errands, or to just relax,” said senior Authur Chapman. “ I t ’s hard to effectively study. I would rather have that extra day in class to ful ly

understand the material . Professors are rushing through chapters,” said Junior Tia Mason. T h e administration notes some of the problems sur facing with the new schedule, including the t ime slot of the classes. The shor tened class week means longer class periods.“ The chal lenge so far has been ensuring that the schedule is being spread out enough through the day,” said Hardy.However, sophomore Jasmin Conway prefers that they don’t spread the schedule out.“ I wish the days were shor ter,” said Conway. Some faculty say they bel ieve scheduling Fr iday meetings is a problem.Dr. John Hall , assistant professor of Agricultural Leadership, admits that Fr idays are quick ly over taken with back to back meetings. There is not a lot of t ime to get other work done, said Hal l

Courtesy: The Kwad

Four Day Class Schedule Possibly Permanent

Courtesy: Brand Newz

BY ASHLEY PARMERCopy Editor

M i d d l e T e n n e s s e e S t a t e

University is making history. They are now the first university in Tennessee to launch a degree program for drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles. Drones have caught a lot of flack lately. The small camera devices are controlled by a remote controller and can fly most places undetected. Currently, the FAA has devised barely any regulations to deal with them. This has caused many concerns for the Department of Homeland Security.Just as the drones are catching a lot of attention, so is MTSU’s new degree program.

“ U n m a n n e d aircraft are a major part of the future of aviation,” said Ron Ferrera, aerospace chair for MTSU, in a recent press release. The Tennessee Board of Regents, the body that governs public colleges and universities in Tennessee, approved the program late last year. The drone program isn’t just taking flight with MTSU. Fisk University is also studying the mini flying cameras. The university not only studies them on campus, but takes the lessons to local high schools as part of the Fisk Altitude Achievement Missile Team. The program started out focusing on rocketry but launched

into a community involvement program that gives younger students a chance to get first-hand experience with rockets and drones. “It benefits our students in terms of networking, the exposure to curriculum, and the service learning and benefits the students that we interact with because it gives them the opportunity to see students of color engaging in STEM,” said Bryan Wallace, director of Fisk’s Physics Laboratories. Although this program does not offer a degree, students are able to have fun while learning the educational background of how drones work. “It’s hard to take all those classes

[needed to become proficient in drones], so it brings that outside of class,” said sophomore, physics major Oscar Yengle. The program is offered to more than STEM students. “It’s the outreach that we do. It’s just experience with interacting with kids, and making observations. I also help out with the rocketry, but it’s a small contribution,” said sophomore, psychology major Ambar Gonzalez.Despite the fun with the drones, flying them can become frustrating for some college students.Under FAA regulations, drones must remain below 400 feet and five miles away from an airport unless you contact the airport and

control tower before flying. “It’s frustrating because you have a lot of enthusiasts out there who really want to do the right thing and are obeying the laws. And then, you have these people who I personally think are just fame seekers. They want to take the drone and get a real hot video of an airplane landing or something so it can go viral on the internet,” said Wallace. The future of the drones program at Fisk will lead to teaching teachers robotics to be used in the classrooms, added Wallace.Administrators at MTSU say graduates of the drone program will be able to obtain one of 70,000 jobs projected to open in the field.

3 March 18, 2015 • The Meter Tennessee State University

Local Colleges Put Drone Programs to Flight

Courtesy: Huffington Post

4March 18, 2015 • The MeterTennessee State University

5 March 18, 2015 • The Meter Tennessee State University

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1,

Pol ice have said Wil l iams told investigators he was aiming instead at someone with whom he had a dispute. But that asser t ion was met with skepticism by St. Louis County Prosecutor Rober t McCulloch. “ W e ’ r e not sure we completely buy that par t of i t ,” the prosecutor said Sunday. Christmas told the AP he wasn’t aware of any detai ls regarding a possible dispute that could have preceded the

shooting. The shooting happened as a d e m o n s t r a t i o n began to break up. The protest fol lowed the resignation of city Pol ice Chief Tom Jackson in the wake of a Justice D e p a r t m e n t repor t that found widespread racial bias in the city ’s pol ice practices. Wil l iams is jai led on $300,000 bond. The Ferguson Police Depar tment has been a national focal point s ince Brown, who was black and unarmed, was k i l led by police off icer Darren

Wilson, who is white. A grand jur y decl ined to indict Wilson in November, and Wilson was cleared of civi l r ights charges by a Justice D e p a r t m e n t repor t released March 4. Wilson resigned in November. A separate J u s t i c e D e p a r t m e n t repor t found widespread racial bias in the city ’s pol icing and in a municipal cour t system driven by profit extracted from mostly black and low-income residents.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1,

More par ts of campus wil l be fenced. Johnson said he doesn’t have a f inal tal ly, butthe protection of students is not cheap. “ The fencing funds were identif ied from various accounts of unused funds. We donot have a total of the cost because we have not completed the project. ,” saidJohnson. T h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n hopes the campus wil l be safer now

that the gates have beenadded.“ We anticipate a s ignif icant impact from the fencing project. We are tr ying toprovide a safe and secure environment for students, faculty and staff. To do this,there must be some mechanism to k now who is on the campus and for whatpurpose,” added Johnson. Putting up the gates is just par t of keeping campus safe, according to Johnson. Nowthey ’ve got to beef up safety rule enforcement.

“ We also must be able to address s ituations from a u t h o r i z e d persons versus nonauthorizedpersons on the campus. The university would not make an investmentin safety think ing it would not be of benefit ,” added Johnson.Another change to the gates is the opening of the other entrance near Hale Hal l . “ I was excited to hear that there was another entrance opening near the Halepark ing lot because it ’s easier to just park and go. I

hope that this is a permanentsituation and not temporar y,” said junior Deon Barnes.The gates and new entrance are not the only changes coming. “ There are a number of strategic changes being made for safety and securityreasons. Should these changes yield the improvements they wil l remain i f they do not, we wil l make changes. We are committed to providing a safe and securecampus and change is inevitable,” added Johnson.

Discrimination in Ferguson cont’d

Campus Safety Changes cont’d

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Courtesy: The Nation

March 18, 2015 • The MeterTennessee State University 6

N A S H V I L L E , Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Seven mass communications students from Tennessee State University earned eight separate awards recently in the Southeast Journalism Conference competitions.The awards for the best journalism in broadcast, print and online were presented during the 29th annual SEJC convention held Friday, Feb., 27 at Georgia State University in Atlanta.

In the “Best of the South” competition, Tennessee State University awards included the individual categories of:

*Best Radio News Feature Reporter – first place, Brandi Giles, Nashville, graduated Dec. 2014

*Best Radio Hard News Reporter – third place, senior Chantell

Copeland, Atlanta

*Best Radio Journalist – fourth place, Brandi Giles

*College Journalist of the Year – fourth place, Chantell Copeland

*Best Public Service Journalism – fourth place, seniors Anastasia Williams, Milwaukee, and Dominique Thomas

*Best News-Editorial Artist/Illustrator – seventh place, senior Courtney Mickens, Memphis, Tennessee

*Best Multimedia Journalist – eighth place, junior Delvakio Brown, Bolivar, Tennessee

*Best TV Hard News Reporter – ninth place, senior Carlos Mavins Jr., Houston

According to Dr. Terry Likes, Head of the Department of Communications,

this is a testament to the commitment to excellence of students, faculty and the administration. “Having students win is part of the external validation which shows our faculty are training our students to achieve at a high level,” said Likes. The Southeast Journalism Conference is a vibrant learning community of journalists honing

their craft through p r o f e s s i o n a l development and the Best of the South Collegiate Journalism C o m p e t i t i o n . An organization comprised of nearly 50 member colleges and universities in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, SEJC was created to encourage greater interest in student

journalism and to form closer ties among journalism schools in the Southeast United States. The Best of the South competition recognizes individual student journalists and university publications. The competition consists of 23 individual and eight university categories.

Mass Comm Students Win SEJC Awards

Courtesy: TSU Media Relations

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The national awards among faculty competing in the Broadcast Education Association have been released and TSU’s Chair of the Department of Communications, Dr. Terry Likes, has won in the Faculty Audio Competition: Best of Competition: “The alarm clock for your favorite tv show: The theme song.” Likes’ report aired on the Tennessee Radio Network in 2014. The report shows when people think of their favorite songs of all time, most forget the obvious choices from

an overlooked category: television theme songs. This program explores the popularity of TV theme songs, the Nashville connection and what the future is for these theme songs in popular culture. “When students can see professors remain active in the industry and achieve at a high level, professors can, in turn, encourage students to seek excellence in their own student competition,” said Likes. “It is part of the teacher-scholar method.” This is the second award Likes has received for this program. Earlier this month, the

documentary was selected for exhibition from the National Broadcasting Society. A formal announcement of winners will occur at the NBS national convention in March. The BEA Festival of Media Arts is an international exhibition of award-winning faculty and student works. Winners will receive recognition and exhibition of their works during the Broadcast Education Association’s annual convention in Las Vegas in April. This is the eleventh Broadcast Education Association award for Likes. He is the recipient of

55 awards during his career including other honors from the Associated Press and the National Press Club. Since joining TSU in 2008, Likes has won 39 awards or honors. BEA is an international academic media organization, driving insights, excellence in media production, and career advancement for educators, students and professionals. The association’s publications, annual convention, web-based programs, and regional district activities provide opportunities for juried production competition and

presentation of current scholarly research related to aspects of the electronic media. Established in 1955, the BEA serves more than 2,500 professors, students and media professionals at approximately 275 college and university departments and schools.

Mass Comm Chair Wins National Award

Courtesy: TSU Media Relations

March 18, 2015 • The Meter Tennessee State University7

BY MELODY SCALESStaff Reporter

Tennessee State University is bringing two

new restaurants to campus, Starbucks and Which Wich. S t a r b u c k s and Which Wich are scheduled to come to TSU during the fall semester, meanwhile, both food and beverage companies have several steps to complete before the move is finalized. “There’s a three tier process for Starbucks. One is [TSU] has a process, then Aramark has a process, and then Starbucks itself has a process. So now Starbucks is evaluating a proposed location, the traffic flow as far as how many students it will be able to sustain. It will be a full Starbucks,” says Dr. Curtis Johnson,

associate vice president for Administration. Which Wich is not as far into the process as Starbucks, according to Johnson. “We have to identify the space, and this is a whole lot to take on at one time. With Which Wich, we know what we want, we just haven’t had them to come out and do an assessment yet,” says Johnson. The new food and beverage companies aren’t the only changes slated for the dining department. This spring, late night dining in the Field of Green dining area in Rudolph Hall was scheduled to begin, but Johnson said they are holding off on that until new security measures are implemented. Also included in the dining hall changes is the addition

of soymilk and veggie burgers upon request along with pasta dishes being served by Pizza Hut. So far, the soymilk and veggie burgers have been implemented in the main cafeteria. Some students say they are looking forward to the new dining improvements coming to TSU, especially the

new restaurants. “I think it will open up new doors to have Starbucks and Which Wich on campus for more socialization and people just not hanging around and doing bad stuff,” says senior Jade Daniels. “I’m ready for the Starbucks. We only have two things, Chick-Fil-A and Pizza

Hut. We just need more restaurants. We need a variety of food places here. Which Wich is definitely a healthier food choice than Chick-Fil-A. Not that I don’t like Chick-Fil-A or anything, but as a freshman in college I can really see how hard it is to eat healthy. Having a Which Wich would definitely be a good thing,” says freshman Erika Thomas. “With them building a new Starbucks on campus, I think it will be very special because it gives us a variety instead of the same thing over and over again. With that, people can easily change their eating habits as far as being healthier instead of just going to one place time and time again,” says senior Damien Tate.

Starbucks and Which Wich Coming to Campus

Courtesy: Tumblr

Courtesy: Style Weekly

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Tennessee State University March 18, 2014 • The Meter

BY KIMARCUS THOMASFood Editor

T he Pharmacy Burger hands down, had some

good food. For starters, the burgersare amazing. It was definitely worth the wait. The atmosphere of the restaurant isfilled with young adults cheering, laughing and drinking. My best friend, CherishWoodard, and I decided to take a trip down to the Pharmacy and we were up for amajor surprise. Driving to the restaurant, the first thing that caught our eyes was theline. This is expected coming from a popular burger restaurant. I spoke with twostaff members, one being the manager and one being an employee and they both

told us, “There would be a two-hour wait to be seated.” But they did offer us the take out option and it would only be 15-minutes to get ourfood.As I waited, I observed the restaurant. The restaurant was clean and neatlydesigned. I ordered the Farm Burger with a double side of tater tots. The first bitewas heavenly. The burger was topped with a fried egg, which was unusual and creative. My burger was well done, seasoned correctly and overall tasty. The tatertots were great, but next time I’ll just get a regular order of tots instead of a doubleorder. I couldn’t even finish all of my food. It was enough for two people.“I am so full and I’m

not done with my tots,” Woodard said.I give The Pharmacy Burger five stars.The Pharmacy Burger is located at 731 McFerrin Ave and the hours are Sundaythrough Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday the restaurant isopen from 11 a.m.- 11 p.m..

From Patties to Pancakes

The Pancake Pantry

is one of a kind. This restaurant will have you feeling full whilefeeling satisfied. For starters, the name of the restaurant will throw you off if youonly believe it’s open during breakfast hours. I found out the restaurant is actuallyopen seven days out of the week. Monday through Fridays, the Pantry is open from6a.m. – 3 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, the Pantry is open from 6 a.m. – 4 p.m. While walking tothe restaurant, the first thing I noticed and the first thing you will notice is the longline of people. I was shocked. I waited outside for about 45 minutes before actuallyentering. “I love the Pancake Pantry. This has always been a favorite of mine since I was alittle girl. This is better

than any other Pancake establishment,” said KatieLatherman while waiting in line. Once I was seated, the restaurant was fast paced.“I do not like the fast paced movement of the restaurant. I feel rushed,” saidLamonica Scott.I decided to order the Chocolate Sin pancakes and they were to die for. The pancakes were a chocolate heaven. They were fluffy, warm and delicious. Thepancakes were so good that I didn’t need syrup, but I needed a big glass of water forthe amount of sugar that came with the pancakes. I give the Pancake Pantry overallfive stars.

Nashville’s Yummiest! The Pharmacy & Pancake Pantry

Courtesy: Pancake Pantry

Courtesy: The Pharmacy

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Tennessee State UniversityMarch 18, 2014 • The Meter

Photos Courtesy: Tumblr and Rap Genuis

March 18, 2015 • The MeterTennessee State University 10R&B Artist Justine Skye Sits Down with The Meter

&

BY MIRANDA BROWNStaff Reporter

R ecording artist Justine Skye recently stopped

by Tennessee State University to sing the National Anthem during a Tennessee Tigers basketball game. The “Collide” singer has recently found a place on the Billbord charts with her new song. The Brooklyn native is one of the music industry’s newest celebrities, all after a simple post on YouTube. “I feel like I’m a pro at singing the National Anthem. I’ve been singing it since I was 1,” said Skye. She’s had the opportunity of singing the National Anthem in front of rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z and hopes to sing it in front of President Barack Obama. The fame hasn’t been the only high note for her career. She’s catching the attention of critics after doing a cover of Drake’s song

“Headlines”. “I didn’t know that so many people were paying attention to me,” said Skye. Since posting that video in 2010 she has received a record deal with Atlantic Records and gained more fans, catching the attention of artists who she was a fan of. “Rihanna knew who I was before I even met her,” added Skye.Skye says the road hasn’t been easy and her inspiration and motivation comes from her mother. “She’s always the one to hit me in my head and tell me to get focused,” said Skye. Skye also pulls inspiration from her fans whom she refers to as unicorns. “I would not be here without them. There would be no Justine Skye,” she said. She chose to call her fans unicorns because she says the word fan is rude. “Unicorns are

magical, majestic and powerful, and I feel like

that’s what I am and that’s what they are, so that’s what we are as a nation,” added Skye. T h e entertainment industry is hard to break into especially as a brown skin female. Lighter skin females are favored more and put on a pedestal. Skye doesn’t feel like it’s going to hold her back, but she feels honored. She’s had younger girls come up and tell her that she makes them love their skin. “We’re all beautiful, and you just have to believe that you’re beautiful and be

confident in your skin and love yourself,” said Skye. If there is one thing Skye wants you to take from her music it’s great energy, positivity and love. “I’m a unicorn man, sprinkling my little magic around the universe,” said Skye. Skye is headlining her first show on March 16 in New York at SOB’s and she is dropping an EP in May called “Emotionally Unavailable” which will include a short film.

Courtesy: BET

Courtesy: Where To Get It - Blog

March 18, 2015 • The Meter11 Tennessee State University

BY KIMARCUS THOMASFood Editor

Nashville is home to several hot c h i c k e n s that have

everyone asking for more. But whose chicken is better? I traveled to three places in the Nashville area that are famous for their hot chicken. Let me be the first to say, just because their chicken was hot, it doesn’t mean that it’s good. From Prince’s Hot Chicken to Hattie B’s to 400 Degrees, lets just say, they all had some hot chicken. Prince’s is known for and carries the crown in the Nashville area for having the best

hot chicken, but in my opinion, the chicken was so hot that you could not enjoy your plate. My insides were on fire. I ordered the medium flavored breast with a side of fries, and I couldn’t handle it at all. The chicken is packed with heat on top of heat. “Yes. The chicken is hot, but I love hot food,” Lawrence Boyd said. Boyd goes three to four times a week, faithfully. The time I had to wait on my order was ridiculous. I give Prince’s three out of five stars. 400 Degrees has been a favorite of mine for the longest. I recently walked in and ordered the 100 mild flavored breasts with no side. The chicken

was extremely hot. Not hotter than Prince’s, but it was burning hot. The chicken looked flavorful until you bite into it. The hotness of the flavors snuck up on me. The chicken breast was good for the first 30 seconds until I realized how hot it was. When my tongue finally cools off, I’ll come back again but until next time, good-bye 400 Degrees. Service was fair, nothing to brag about. I give 400 Degrees three out of five stars. Hattie B’s is my last and newest edition and I was impressed. I ordered the mild breast with baked beans and fries. I took a risk with Hattie B’s because I heard different opinions about the restaurant. It

was time for me to try it myself. When I opened the box I noticed that they forgot my fries and ranch, which is unprofessional in my book, but hey who am I? Besides, the chicken was delicious. I can actually taste the flavor in the chicken and it only required me to drink only one bottle of water. The chicken was hot but not too hot. “This is about the only chicken place that I can eat,” Alexandria Jones said. The service was good but next time they should double-check each and every customer’s bag before giving it to the customer. I give Hattie B’s four out of five stars.

Battle of the Hot Chickens!

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12March 18, 2015 • The MeterTennessee State University

BY ANASTASIA WILLIAMSMANAGING EDITOR

Ba s k e t b a l l guard Jamonte G r a h a m is helping

lead his team in a chance to hold the t it le of state and regional champs for the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association. G r a h a m , a former Tennessee State Tiger, was dropped from the team at the end of the season when Coach Dana Ford cleaned house, mak ing room for a roster of new players. Graham, now a star t ing point guard, was quick ly scooped up by Head Coach Br ian “Penny ” Coll ins for Columbia

State in Columbia, TN. “ I ’ve been k nowing (Graham) since he was a young boy and he is a tough hard-nosed guard with Divis ion I experience,” said Coll ins. When Graham played his one year at TSU, he averaged 4.5 points per game. For Columbia State, he’s averaging 7.3 points per game and was second on his team, shooting 85.7 percent from the free throw l ine. “ We needed a guard to come in and play r ight away and he f it the mold of what we were look ing for,” said Coll ins. Former Tigers

teammate Alex Bates says that Graham was a great team player. “He was a hard worker. He always stays posit ive and he was just a great person,” said Bates. The Chargers played their last regular season game Feb.28 . Previously, they ’ l l batt le against Southwest Community College in Memphis, TN for a chance at the regional and state t it le. After this season, Graham wil l have maxed out his el igibi l i ty on the community col lege level. “ I t ’s sad k nowing this is the last game I ’ l l play here in Columbia,

but it feels great to go out and play hard and get the (win) ,” said Graham. A s s i s t a n t Coach Br ian Lock ridge says it ’s hard replacing a player with the IQ level of toughness that Graham brings to Columbia State. “He always

plays hard and he k nows how much work has to be put in to compete at a high level,” says Lock ridge. Graham has not made a decision on where he plans to go next but he does intend on playing Divis ion I basketbal l .

From Tiger to Charger

AdvisorHarriet Vaughan-Wallace

Editor-in-ChiefCourtney A. Mickens

Managing EditorAnastasia WilliamsMarketing Director

Kalana “Summer” CroomCopy Editor

Ashley ParmerWeb DesignerDevin Sangster

Social Media DirectorChantell Copeland

Special Projects ProducerTaylor Powell

Staff ReportersAntonette Lovett

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Iman RattrayJavion SimmonsMelody ScalesMiranda BrownNigel BensonRicki Smith

Taylor PowellTodd DeanTyra Laster

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THE METERThe Measure of Student Opinion and SentimentTennessee State University 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd.

Campus Box 1246Nashville, Tenn. 37209-1561

Phone : 615-963-7530Fax: 615-963-5452

E-mail: themeterpress@gmail.comWeb site: www.tsuthemeter.com

MISSION STATEMENTThe Meter’s mission is to accurately and respon-sibly report the “highlights and lowlights” of Ten-

nessee State University and its community so that we may foster positive results while reflecting the

university’s multicultural student body.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The Meter invites submission by all members of the Tennessee State University community. Timelines and clarity are factors in selecting material for publication.

Materials must adhere to the following guidelines:

a.) All contributions must be typed and sent by e-mail.

b.) Opinions and letters should not exceed 400 words.

c.) The Meter reserves the right to reject letters, ar-ticles or ads without explanation and to edit others as

necessary.

STAFF

Courtesy: Columbia State Community CollegeJamonte Davis (above) number 2

Congrats to TSU Journalists Sweeping the

AP Awards*Best Radio News Story, Chantell Copeland

*Best Radio Feature Story, Chantell Copeland

*Best Radio Investigative/In-depth Reporting, Ashley Parmer

*Best Radio Investigative/In-depth Reporting, Chantell Copeland

*Best TV Sports Coverage/Program, Drew Goodwin