AGGIE Students Lend a Helping Paw

North Carolina A&T State University students are in the spirit of giving even before the holiday season began.

Several organizations on campus have set up food drives, clothing drives, and other ways to give back to their communities.

"As college students, we need to give back to our communities because giving is how we received all of the blessings that we possess today," says sophomore electrical engineering major Derrick Jefferies.

Jefferies is also Mr. ALD, for Alpha Lambda Delta, the freshmen honor's society at A&T. As Mr. ALD, he is in charge of finding volunteer opportunities for the organization. This fall, he chose to guide Alpha Lambda Delta in collecting toys for FOX 8's Gifts for Kids Campaign.

Jefferies felt that this was an effective way in making someone else's life better. At the same time, it encourages giving amongst college students because it provides an incentive of community service hours needed for graduation.

Christian Robinson, sophomore class president, also agreed with Jefferies. "No one gives back enough. We are privileged college students and should give back more. I think AGGIES do give back, but there's always room for improvement."

Robinson tried to uphold Aggie's reputation of being a giving community by holding a canned-food drive. The 750 cans collected by the sophomore class, earlier this October, proved the drive to be a great success.

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) held a welfare liaison project this past month where they assisted in packaging and sorting toiletries for the less fortunate. Treasurer of the organization, James Lindsey, says, "As an organization, we felt that it is important and a right for every human being to have the products needed for everyday life."

NSBE had over 40 members of the organization and the A&T family come and support this cause.

In addition to these three organizations, the Metro Aggies held a clothing drive, A&T Bookstore held a food drive, the Student Union Advisory Board held a clothing drive, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated held a clothing drive, and the Social Work/Sociology Society held a canned-food drive as well. A&T AGGIES have been on a roll this November!

This season A&T AGGIES have been committed to reaching back and helping the community.

Lest We Forget

On Feb. 1, 1960, four A&T students walked to downtown Greensboro and "sat-in" at the whites-only lunch counter at Woolworth's Lunch Counter and refused to leave when they were denied service. The protest launched sit-ins across the South and added fire to the civil rights movement.

North Carolina A&T State University continues its legacy by keeping the memory of the four A&T students alive.

A&T students recognize whose shoulders they stand on. Having Aggie Pride is a lot more than wearing paraphernalia and cheering at football games.

"I feel a sense of pride when I hear about the A&T Four. They were four young men of our very own who made history and left a footprint on this nation," says sophomore sports science major Allen Jones.

This whole institution is built upon the courageous actions that those four young men exhibited 49 years ago.

A&T works hard to keep the tradition alive. In 2005, The Aggie Village dormitories on campus were named after the four men who stood up for justice (Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond) and they embody a monument built in honor of those men. There is also a 15-foot statue that pays homage to their bravery located directly outside of the Dudley building on campus. The statue was built in 2001.

A&T has annual celebrations in place to assist in commemorating that historic day. The students have an annual march from the Dudley building downtown to Woolworth's.

The NC A&T Human Rights Medal is awarded to a deserving recipient every year. There is also an annual breakfast in place to celebrate the accomplishments of these A&T alumni.

Amongst all these yearly tributes to consecrate the anniversary of the sit-in, some students work to stay true to the legacy everyday.

"When I think about the A&T Four, it inspires me to work harder. It is reminder to be thankful for being at an institution like this and to try my best to be successful. I owe it to myself and my ancestors," says sophomore business administration major Brittany Pickett.

Sophomore electronic media and journalism major, Lauren Branch, says, "It makes me feel like I should stand up for my rights and what I believe in. I should also work hard for what I want in life."

The A&T Four have proven to be motivators for the student body. As the students work to brighten their future, some have not forgotten their past.

Is it Enough?

Two military personnel who are now students at A&T say the Army is providing enough mental health counseling. Their comments come despite the deaths of 13 soldiers who were allegedly gunned down by an officer at Fort Hood, Texas and a spike in suicides soldiers who have been to Iraq and Afghanistan.


U.S. military suicide rate is at an all-time high since 1980.


In 2008 there were 128 confirmed suicides by serving army personnel. There were 41 suicides by serving marines, up from 33 in 2007 and 25 in 2006, according to a Marines report cited on cnn.com.



The U.S military has services in place to assist in the physical and mental health of U.S military personnel.



"There are plenty of resources available, but people don't use these resources," says Army Reserve Specialist Leah Anderson, who is also a third year criminal justice major at North Carolina A&T State University. Anderson served in Iraq from September 2008 to July 2009 before returning to school.



Cadette Major Romonte Sullivan of A&T's ROTC program agreed that there is enough support for serving personnel in the military. "There is most definitely more than enough support. You can go to anyone and talk about anything," says Sullivan.



Though it is agreed upon by members of the U.S. military that there is enough support, the suicide rate continues to rise. This past week showed that eight years of fighting two wars and multiple deployments can result in other mental problems beyond suicide in the military.



Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009, an Army psychiatrist, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, is suspected of firing off more than 100 rounds in Fort Hood, Texas.

13 people were killed and 29 were wounded at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center, as they were receiving routine medical evaluations in preparation for their deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an on-line article written for the New York Times.

It was alleged by Hasan's family that he was no longer content being a part of the U.S. military and he did not want to be deployed to Afghanistan. Soldiers who were victims of Hasan's rampage, allege that his discontent in the military was because the military's decisions conflicted with his personal beliefs. Former classmates at a military college also reported to military officials that he was showing signs and being vocal about his Anti-American beliefs, but still nothing was done, according to the New York Times.

Whether the motive for the shooting was religious or personal has not been confirmed yet, but it is clear that Hasan needed another form of support.

Private Joseph Franklin, who recently enlisted in the Army Reserve roughly five months ago says, "It's hard to say if someone dropped the ball in this situation, but it is obvious that a change must be made."

Specialist Anderson says, "Psychiatrists have issues, too. They deal with everyone else's problems, but who helps them with their problems?"

Cadet Major Sullivan suggested that the mental health resources are available, but may be more beneficial to army personnel if they were made mandatory like PT or medical check-ups.

Despite the increased suicide rates and the deaths of 13 soldiers at the hands of an officer suffering from mental problems, Sullivan and Anderson still express that they feel safe in the military and do not regret their decision to serve their country.

The Missing Puzzle Piece

Attracting over 40,000 people each year, North Carolina A&T State University's Homecoming is the grandiose event of the season.

A&T strives to live up to its title as "The Greatest Homecoming on Earth." Alumni, friends, and family come back "home" to have a great time and bask in AGGIE PRIDE. On the other hand, as hard as A&T works to make homecoming a success, not everyone is satisfied.

"I do think that there could be more activities that engage the faculty and staff of A&T," says Nora Shively, the grants development coordinator in the division of research and economic development.

Ms. Shively continued by explaining that the staff and faculty of A&T are the missing piece of Aggie Land during homecoming. This institution would not be successful if it were not for the possession of its loyal employees. Because of their dedication to the Aggie Family, we should ensure that they are included in homecoming festivities.

Q: Do you think that A&T Homecoming has something to offer faculty and staff?

A: Yes, with the events that we have, the faculty can attend.


Q: Do you think that there could be more activities?

A: Oh yes, it definitely could be more for the faculty and staff. For example, when Jesse Jackson Sr. came to speak to A&T, he spoke to the students. It would be very nice if he could have spoken to the faculty as well. There are a lot of prestigious alumni and I think the faculty would really appreciate and benefit from having seminars that are also geared towards faculty. It would be great if the faculty were an engaged and felt included in homecoming, too.


Q: Did you attend any events during homecoming? If so, which events?

A: I attended A&T's Convocation and it instilled such pride. It pumps us up again. We are reminded of what a privilege A&T is to all of us. The department of research also had a lunch and a breakfast where we all brought food and enjoyed each other's company while feasting.


Q: Rate your AGGIE PRIDE on a scale of 1-10.

A: My AGGIE PRIDE is a nine! Since I've gotten connected to the faculty and the institution, my pride has grown tremendously.


The Aggie Family is not complete until we have all of the pieces to the puzzle.

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