Brief Intermission

With Christmas quickly drawing near, students are more than excited about a break which allows them to recharge before the second semester begins.

Frequently referred to as "winter break", one of the best loved times for college students is Christmas. This alots time off from school to reconnect with family, friends, and anything but schoolwork. Many agree that the focus of the break is very relaxing and non-stressful.

Business Management junior, Josh Deshields, said it will be nice to just relax in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. "I plan on hanging out with a lot of my friends and possibly visit my old high school just to catch up with some of my favorite teachers, but I will mostly spend time with family."

Most students believe meeting up with old friends will be the highlight of their break; and for some, they brought their friends home with them in lieu of complications. "My roommate will be spending the holidays with my family this year because he won't be able to make it back to New York," said freshman Cody McEachin.

Making time for friends and family isn't the only priority for some students while being at home. Involvement with the community is just as important. "The day after Christmas, I'll be participating in our traditional YMCA turkey chase which is a local run that everybody in the community participates in," said sophomore Lauren Daughtry.

Between family gatherings, quality time with friends, and lots of relaxion, the Christmas holiday proves itself to be quite an enjoyable and well-needed break.

Final Exams, Stressful Students and Bad Habits

As the week of finals fastly approach, some students will push their bodies to an extreme and unhealthy limit in attempt to study for long periods of time for exams.

To maintain focus may become quite difficult. This causes some students to use the drug Adderall which helps better their study skills and enhances their concentration level. Released in April, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health stated that 7 percent of all full-time college students, ages 18-22, use Adderall.

Adderall, an amphetamine, is a central nervous system stimulant that affects chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control. It is designed to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, better known as ADHD. This drug has legal medical uses but has a high potential for abuse.

Arthur, a senior Public Relations major, said the stress of his major drives him to use Ritalin so he can concentrate before and during exams. Ritalin is a drug similar in composition to Adderall.

"Usually I take Ritalin or something like it so that I can stay up for 48 hours straight," Arthur said. "It helps short term. You don't retain anything, but it definitely helps short term. If I want to get into my internship I've got to get all As or close to, so I do it for that reason also."

Sebastian Health Center Director suggested that drugs aren't the only concern during the last week of finals.

"There are alot of things that could happen during finals week," said the Director. "Things like sleep deprivation and poor eating habits are things that will not improve performance on finals."

Alex, a freshman who admitted to abusing the use of Adderall, said he stays up for long periods of time before his test and other strenuous homework assignments. "I've studied for 12 hours straight without a break; without eating or anything," he said.

The coordinator of health promotions at Sebastian Health Center, said the stress surrounding final exams causes many students to resort to dangerous measures. "Stress levels are heightened because students want to do well on their finals. They want to make good grades and their stress response, if they don't have healthy coping mechanisms, can be negative."

The best ways to prepare for a final are to get adequate sleep and begin studying at least a week before the test so "cramming" isn't necessary. Drugs are not beneficial.

Community Opens Its Heart

For almost two hours, volunteers came together to serve a customary Thanksgiving feast to hundreds of people who may not have had a place to go.

On Thanksgiving Day, the Durham Rescue Mission hosted its Annual Thanksgiving Community dinner. The facility was a beehive of activity as volunteers prepared meals for delivery and serving those that made the journey out. They served a free traditional Thanksgiving meal and gave away free clothing and groceries. In addition, games and activities were also given away for the children to enjoy.

Community members donated almost 100 turkeys, ham, and conventional side dishes a long with a wide variety of desserts. Ashley Lawson, 22, was volunteering for the first time and had done a number of jobs in the kitchen. "Volunteering is rewarding to help other people," she said. "I'm really happy to help out."

Just 16 years old, this was Cydney Williams 4th year as a volunteer. Her job this year was washing serving trays. She said the hardest part was scraping the trays clean before placing them into the dishwasher. "Its important that the younger generation help people out too," she said. "Someone has to eventually take over."

Stella Johnson, a homeless mother, was thankful to enjoy dinner with her son. "This is great," she said. "I don't know how they do it. It takes a lot of work and hours of preparation."

After one hour on Thursday, more than 200 meals had been served by more than 100 volunteers.

45 Years Later

From its very start, students have played an integral part in the civil rights and social justice movement. Arguably, the horrific kidnapping and murder of 14-year old Emmett Till at the hands of an angry white mob in Mississippi was one of the catalyst that motivated thousands to fight for change.

Forty-five years ago, sitting at a Woolworth's lunch counter, four A&T college freshmen changed the course of American history. This sparked a revolution that would inspire similar sit-ins across the state and the South. With the 50th anniversary fastly approaching, this movement does not only effect the African-American students of A&T, but the minorites as well. "Many people should use the Greensboro four as a reason to set an example and continue to make change. They fought for us to never give up on what you believe in", says Ashley Stewart. Stewart, a freshman this year, is Caucasian who was adopted by an African-American family.

Many minorities at A&T feel a sense of abandonment when it comes to things that are relateable to the civil rights movement. Although the movement's primary focus dealt with African-Americans and women, it essentially affected everybody. "It regards everyone, not just African-Americans. Fighting for what you believe in applies to everybody" says Greg Bodmer, another Caucasian student at the university. Kristina Clayton, a sophomore, is biracial and identifies with both races, but agress that this part of history has an impact on all students and should be treated as such. "When its all said and done, we are all one at this school."

No good deed is put to waste. Woolworth later integrated all of its stores and the Greensboro four have become icons of the civil rights movement.

The Aftermath

Known as "The Greatest Homecoming on Earth", North Carolina A&T State University encountered many complications in preparation for the eventful week. Because of this, opinions which were once positive were interchanged with those that were more adverse.

Although events during the week were a success, things slowly began to take a toll for the worst as news emerged that one of the headlining artist for the Homecoming concert would not be in attendance. Later it was confirmed that not just one, but two headlining artist would not be present. During a sit-down interview, I asked a few students how they felt about the overall experience.

Q: Overall, how was your 2009 Homecoming experience?

A: "It was the worst one since I've been here. I think it was bad timing also. It was too late in the month and it was at the same time as other schools' homecoming." -Lavonte Kendrick

A: "Honestly, it was wack." -Maurice Tory

A: "There was too much drama behind it, but it was pretty good despite the rain." -Rob Hill

A: "The concert was very unorganized and people made too much of a big deal out of it which was unnecessary." -Kelley Byrdsong

A: "This Homecoming was one that will never be forgotten." -Mia Fenell

A: "The best one since I've been here. Better than last year." -Ashley Mack

New Mayor in Town

Former Mayor, Yvonne Johnson, loses election to Bill Knight as Aggies dismiss the polls, causing an overwhelming defeat after the unofficial final vote count was 17, 580 to 16, 616.

After news hit the Greensboro community that Johnson lost the 2009 Mayoral race, it was more than a complete suprise. Johnson, alumni of NC A&T State University, was short almost 970 votes in order to reserve her seat as mayor. Voting turnout was low in exact parts of the city where Johnson drew her strongest support in an easy victory two years ago. No one in her camp expected defeat.

Unfortunately, the number of Aggies who showed up to vote did not outweigh the number of votes Johnson needed to gain for her win. The attendance and support shown was not only an upset, but a great disappointment as only a mere 100 students voted. "We can't keep complaining and not voting", said former A&T SGA President Marcus Bass.

This marked the first time in Greensboro history that an incubent has lost their seat. Johnson was the city's first black female mayor.

2009 Step Show

It is homecoming week and with wonderful events such as the pep rally, comedy show, fashion show, and concert, there is nothing like the step show. As people fill the stands, the energy becomes so overwhelming as Greeks from Aggie Land rip the stage. Known for their powerful performances, the brothers of Phi Beta Sigma have won the last four homecoming step shows. During an interview with Talvin Davis, he sheds light on the experience.

Q: Are you excited about this year's Homecoming Step Show?

A: I am very excited. We have been practicing extremely hard and I can't wait for us to perform. I'm just ready for it to be over with.

Q: Can we expect anything different about this performance than ones in the past?

A: With our performance this year, we will bring a little bit of humor along with precision and a higher level of difficulty within the steps. Nothing will change. We strive for each show to be better than our last.

Q: How did you guys prepare for this Step Show?

A: We practiced extremely hard. Very extensive practices that started in the evening and lasted until early morning.

Q: There are some new Spring 09' initiatives within the chapter. Will they be participating?

A: They will be there in full support of the Phi Beta Sigma step team, our sister organization Zeta Phi Beta, and the Pan-Hallenic Counsil as a whole.