Ammons named 10th President

What’s Inside

Campus Notes 4

Alumni News 6WORD 8Athletics 9

University honors alumni with buildingnaming ceremonies, markers unveiled

James H. Ammons was named the 10thpresident of Florida A&M University Feb.1by the Board of Trustees. Ammons, chancel-lor of North Carolina Central University(Durham), was one of three finalists for theposition.

“It was a very close vote,” said ChallisLowe, chairwoman of the FAMU Board of

Trustees, “which is indicative of the qualityof candidates who were brought before us.”

The announcement comes after morethan a yearlong search for a permanentFAMU president.

FAMU Trustee Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmessaid, “Ammons would bring the kind ofenergy, vision and motivation necessary tolead FAMU forward. He will build upon thegreat legacy of past presidents to ensure thatour best days are not behind us, but arebefore us.”

Ammons was in Tallahassee on Feb. 1,along with the other two candidates -Thelma Thompson, president of theUniversity of Maryland at Eastern Shore;and Howard C. Johnson, special assistant tothe chancellor at the University of NorthTexas - for the final interview with the fullboard.

“As a graduate, I know first-hand thevalue of FAMU and its mighty contribu-tions. . . its rich history and legacy thatspans almost 120 years,” Ammons said inhis opening statements. “The legacy of myfamily and FAMU are forever linked . . ..Many of my junior high, high school teach-

ers, guidance counselors - those whom Irespected the most - are all graduates ofFAMU.”

A native of Winter Haven, Fla.,Ammons also told the board and a packedaudience that it was after a trip to the

Orange Blossom Classic, where he sawFAMU's Marching '100' perform, that heknew “FAMU was the place for me.”

He became a FAMU Rattler in 1970,graduating in 1974 with a bachelor's degreein political science. After being awarded theMinority Graduate Fellowship from theAmerican Political Science Association, he

Photo by: Van WilsonPresident-elect James H. Ammons smiles as heparticipates in the final interview session for theFlorida A&M University presidency.

continued page 10

Volume 2, Issue 1 February 2007

“As a graduate, I knowfirst-hand the value ofFAMU and its mighty con-tributions...its rich historyand legacy that spansalmost 120 years.”

– James H. AmmonsChancellor, North Carolina Central University

Pioneers, trailblazers andalumni were honored February23 for their many contributionsto FAMU after four Universitybuildings were named afterthem.

Everyone who had a build-ing named after them con-tributed in some way to theseprograms.

Walter Smith, alumnus and

former FAMU president, washonored in front of numerousspectators by having the

Architecture Building namedafter him. He has been an educa-tor for the past 40 years, andduring his presidency, he over-saw the development of fournew schools and colleges.

"He was the most articulatepresident we have ever had andwas outstanding," said FloridaSen. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee.

Lawson, one of the manydignitaries in attendance, spoke

by Monique Mitchell, Famuan writerReprinted from Famuan

continued page 10

Larry E. Rivers, Ph.D., president of FortValley State, congratulates Walter Smith,Ph.D., former FAMU president.

Interim PresidentCastell Vaughn Bryant, Ed.D.

Interim Executive DirectorAltha F. Manning

Editor/LayoutJohnitta T. Richards

Contributing WritersPamela Bryant

LaNedra CarrollGlyndell PresleyDeidre WilliamsDorothy Williams

PhotographersVictor GainesStan Johnson

Van Wilson

StaffTammy Hamlet

Vanessa LawrenceSuzanne WallaceCheryl WilliamsDarrell Winfrey

Special ThanksRon James

Alumni Affairs850/599-3861

Fax: 850/561-2691

E-mailalumniaffairs@famu.edu

Web sitewww.famu.edu/alumni

Continuing to Move Forward

Congratulations to our newlyselected President, Dr. JamesAmmons. Welcome Home!

Some time ago I wrote in thisspace about the coming of spring asan analogy of what FAMU was and isexperiencing and can achieve in thefuture. I hope that as we approach anew beginning that our springarrives; that the buds of communityblossom fully and that working inunison we focus our attention on thecritical issues that must beresolved to make our uni-versity great.

We mustshare thesamevision forFAMU andcoordinate ourefforts to ensurethat we accom-plish the goals thatwill get us there.No organization,including alumni,should work outside thesystem but work with and be support-ive of the University to achieve thelabel of greatness to which we allaspire. Alumni, students, faculty,administration and all of our support-ers and friends want us at the “top ofthe hill”. In order to get there wemust work together and not in oppo-sition to each other.

In the past few months, there hasbeen an explosion of FAMU artists inthe national limelight: Anika NoniRose, one of the ‘Dreamgirls’; WillPacker, Rob Hardy, and GregAnderson producer, director andwriter of ‘Stomp the Yard’; DanielSunjata, an actor in The Devil WearsPrada; Bernard and Shirley Kinseyart collectors extraordinaire were fea-tured on the CBS ‘Sunday Morning

Show’ highlighting their extensive artcollection. James Denmark arenowned and highly acclaimed artistwill be honored by the state of SouthCarolina, but not before we honorhim here at FAMU. In February,“The Judge Mathis Show” featuredFAMU as one of its Black HistoryMonth features. The Office ofAlumni Affairs prepared the package.These are only a few of the accolades

heaped upon our alumni.Our University has so much

promise and true potential, butit stands at the crossroads of

greatness and mediocrity oreven demise. The path we

take is up to us!

COMING NEXT...At a later

date, I will providea report on the accom-

plishments and challenges ofthe Office of Alumni Affairs. The

focus will be on infrastructure devel-opment, membership, fundraising,recruitment, image building, govern-mental relations, special events andother activities in, which we engagedand supported over the past 18months. Look for this report on ourWeb page. Electronic copies willalso be sent to the executive board,chapter presidents and otherUniversity stakeholders.

FAMU Forever,

Altha F. ManningAltha F. ManningInterim Executive Director

Alumni Chronicle is published by theOffice of Alumni Affairs for the alumni,

friends and supporters of Florida A&M University.

Courtesy of R

ainforest Films

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Donald Beckwith, band equipment manager

(left), and Shaun West, head drum major

(right), preparing to board buses to Miami. Super Bowl XLI stadium sign

Members of ‘100’ pose with

Super Bowl Half-Time Show

manager prior to their performance.

Prince bringing down Miami as he

rocks the crowd at the

Super Bowl XLI Half-Time Show.

‘100’ lights up Dolphin Stadium during their

dynamic half-time performance with

Prince at Super Bowl XLI.‘100’ blasts Prince’s Purple Rain during their

Super Bowl XLI Half-Time performance.

Dr. Julian White, director of universitybands (right), prepares for the ‘100’s’

Half-Time performance.

Photos compliments ofVictor R. Gaines,

president, Marching ‘100’Alumni Association

SIBI receives International HigherEducation Award for best practices

Florida A&M University (FAMU) isone of six institutions selected to receive the2007 Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovationin International Education from the Institutefor International Education (IIE). The FAMUSchool of Business andIndustry (SBI) will behonored for its studyabroad program March30 at the United Nationsin a special ceremony atthe 2nd Annual IIE BestPractices Conference.The FAMU SBI StudyAbroad Program willalso be featured in thespring 2007 issue of theIIENetworker magazineand will be highlighted by IIE throughoutthe year as a “best practice” in the field ofinternational education.

“We were very impressed with the rangeand strength of this year's Heiskell Award-winning programs,” said IIE President AllanE. Goodman. “Network member collegesand universities have been tremendously cre-ative and innovative in addressing the chal-lenges of preparing their students to live andwork in a global society, and have achievedclear results. We are especially pleased to beable to recognize programs this year that

have succeeded in increasing the participa-tion in study abroad by students of diversebackgrounds and in diverse disciplines.”

SBI has enhanced its international edu-cation focus and undergraduate business pro-

gram opportunitiesthrough support from theU.S. Department ofEducation, making studyabroad more accessibleto a broader student pop-ulation.

Kenneth R. Gray,Ph.D., eminent scholarand professor of interna-tional management inSBI, is the principalinvestigator of the

Business and International Education Granttitled, “Global Opportunities on I-10” or“GO-I-10,” which is designed to enhance theglobalization of FAMU-SBI.

“For our students to stay on the cuttingedge, they must study international busi-ness,” Gray said. “We are extremely proudto have our study abroad program recog-nized by the IIE, a world leader in the inter-national education community. We are alsopleased that our program is providing posi-tive eye-opening academic experiences forstudents.”

Dorothy Bland-an award-winning publishing executiveand journalist-has beennamed director of theDivision of Journalism atFlorida A&M University.

“We have a person who is a proven andsuccessful executive in the dynamic world ofjournalism and media,” said James Hawkins,Ph.D., dean of FAMU's School ofJournalism and Graphic Communication.“We're looking at a changing media land-scape that requires people to perform onmultiple platforms. Ms. Bland knows thelandscape and will be invaluable in the plan-ning and execution of our program.”

“FAMU has a seasoned faculty plus a

beautiful state of the art facility with a radiostation, two TV studios, a vibrant studentnewspaper and magazine,” said Bland, whoalso was named a full professor. “FAMU hasa national reputation for producing qualityjournalists. This is a wonderful opportunityto help shape the next generation of talentwho will compete on multi-media plat-forms.”

Bland brings more than 25 years ofmedia experience to the university. Beforejoining FAMU, she rose from a reporter topublisher in Gannett and has done mediamanagement and marketing consulting. Shehas held a variety of reporting, editing andmanagerial positions at various newspapersincluding USA Today, the Rockford RegisterStar in Illinois, the Chillicothe Gazette inOhio, and the Fort Collins Coloradoan inColorado. As a Gannett newspaper publish-er, Bland was a three-time president's ringwinner for excellence based on work at theFort Collins Coloradoan and oversaw the

Bland namednew Journalismdivision director

The Center for Minority Prostate CancerTraining and Research is proud to announcethat Folakemi T. Odedina, Ph.D., has beenawarded the Prostate Cancer ResearchProgram Health Disparity Grant Award by theDepartment of Defense Prostate CancerResearch Office of the CongressionallyDirected Medical Research Programs. Thenew $436,000 grant award is titled, “An inte-grative personal model of prostate cancer dis-parity (PIPCaD) in African-American men:Development and Validation.”

“The Healthy People 2010 goal for thenation concerning prostate cancer is to reducethe prostate cancer death rate to 28.8 deathsper 100,000 males by 2010,” said Odedina,professor and director, Center for MinorityProstate Cancer Training and Research. “TheAfrican-American population is the only eth-nic/racial group that has not met the projectgoal for 2010. The grant will allow us todevelop culturally appropriate interventionsto foster prostate cancer prevention and detec-tion behavior in African-American men.”

Within the United States, African-American men have the highest prostate can-cer incidence rate compared to otherethnic/racial groups. Between 1997 and2001, prostate cancer mortality rate amongAfrican-American men was 2.4 times higherthan that of white men. PIPCaD is a study todevelop and validate a guide to designingeffective, culturally sensitive and relevantinterventions, which will promote prostatecancer prevention and early detection inAfrican-American men.

In addition, the grant will foster theprostate cancer research training of threeHistorically Black Colleges and Universityinvestigators and provide community out-reach activities to increase prostate cancerawareness and knowledge with the African-American community.

SBI students participate in international programat Catholic University.

Odedina awardedprostate cancergrant from DOD

CampusNotes

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Ruth Witherspoon, who has served theFlorida A&M University College of Lawsince 2001 as associate dean forAdministration and Student Services, hasbeen appointed interim deanof the FAMU College ofLaw.

“Her strong commitmentto the concept of providingquality service in legal edu-cation is evidenced by her 23years of substantial and pro-gressively responsibleadministrative experience,”said Debra Austin, Ph.D.,provost and vice president ofAcademic Affairs. “TheUniversity has pledged its support of, and isconfident in Dean Witherspoon's abilitiesand her commitment to insuring that the lawschool continues to make progress towardthe goal of full ABA accreditation.”

Witherspoon also has served on the fac-ulty and as a law school administrator atFlorida State University, the University ofConnecticut and the University of Nebraska.Her broad administrative experience in vari-

ous matters was a key component in thepreparation and compilation of materialsrequired by the American Bar Association(ABA) for its site evaluations. Along withother administrators, her appearances beforemeetings of both the ABA's AccreditationCommittee and the ABA's Council of theSection of Legal Education and Admissionto respond to questions about the law school,was significant in assuring provisionalaccreditation for the FAMU College of Law.

“Although it is an interimappointment, I will involvemyself fully,” saidWitherspoon, who acceptedthe appointment January 1,2007. “The only agenda isaccreditation and I committo focusing my efforts onthose matters that willadvance our progresstowards securing fullapproval.”

Witherspoon will serve asinterim dean until such time as a permanentdean is appointed. With the board oftrustees' selection of Chancellor JamesAmmons as the university's next president,FAMU Interim President Castell VaughnBryant recently announced a moratorium onall major university personnel changes,including the appointment of a permanentlaw school dean, until the newly electedpresident is on-board.

Witherspoon newinterim dean,FAMU law school

Interim Dean Ruth Witherspoon,College of Law

Multi-milliondollar researchgrant awarded

The National Science Foundation hasawarded Florida A&M University a $5 mil-lion Centers for Research in Science andTechnology grant.

The purpose of the grant is to fund anew research center, provide new academicprograms in astrophysics and support theproposal of a new Ph.D. program in chem-istry.

"We have a team of excellentresearchers in chemistry and physics thatput together an awesome proposal," saidPam Bryant, special assistant to the presi-dent. "It involves a degree program in astro-physics and a major and concentration intwo new disciplines."

Bryant also said part of the proposalprocess aims to produce 15 African-American Ph.D.s throughout the five-yeargrant period.

One million dollars will be awardedannually for the next five years, and theUniversity has already collected this year'sgrant money.

According to the press release, facultyand students are very pleased with the newplans for the grant money and the expansionof these academic programs.

"A research program of this magnitudesignals a vote of confidence for FAMU andthe work the Bryant administration has doneto improve research administration," saidVice President for Research Keith Jackson.

"Students are very excited by astrono-my, astrophysics and cosmology," saidCharles Weatherford, a principal investiga-tor for the CREST grant.

"Our ongoing upgrade of FAMU'sobservatory to a remotely controllablerobotic station has generated great studentinterest and participation," Weatherfordsaid.

As indicated by the press release, TheCrest Center for Astrophysical Science andTechnology is set to be built within FAMU'spremier Center for Plasma Science andTechnology at Innovation Park.

The University has planned a specialprogram for students and faculty in order toacknowledge the researchers involved in theCREST award.

by Yewande Addle, Famuan writerReprinted from Famuan

Cynthia Hughes Harris, Ph.D.,dean of the School of Allied HealthSciences, a distinguished alumnaof the University of Illinois-Chicagowas selected to present the 2006Ruth French Distinguished Lecture.Harris' academic leadership, schol-arly work and creativity in develop-ing successful ways and means forassisting students in their academicpursuits made her a perfect candi-date for the award. Harris was alsoinvited to become a member of theeditorial board of the Journal ofBest Practices in Health

Professions Diversity: Research,Education and Policy. The Journalis aimed at boosting the number ofminorities going into health careprofessions.

School of Allied Health Sciencesemployee, Errick Farmer, was hon-ored in the Tallahassee CommunityCollege 2007 African-AmericanHistory Month Calendar. Farmer, aprogram coordinator, was one ofmany African-Americans featuredfor his outstanding contributions tothe African-American community.

Congratulations to...

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Do you have news? Tell us about recent appointments, publishedworks, upcoming events or major promotions. Send information tothe Office of Alumni Affairs at alumniaffairs@famu.edu.

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Chapter Clips

Does your chapter have a new initiative? Has itbegun a new scholarship program? Your chaptercould be featured in the next issue of the AlumniChronicle.

For more information, call Altha Manning, interim executive director of Alumni Affairs, at (850) 599-3861, or submit information via theWeb at alumniaffairs@famu.edu.

The ballots are in, the votes have beencounted and the executive board has beenannounced. Congratulations to the newlyelected members of the Florida A&MUniversity National Alumni AssociationExecutive Board.

The executive board includes: AlvinBryant, M.D., of Hampton, Va., president;Thomas Mitchell Sr., of Tallahassee, Fla.,

first vice president; Doris Hicks, ofLakeland, Fla., second vice president; JamesFayson, of Miami, Fla., third vice president;Andrew Lawyer, of Tallahassee, Fla., record-ing secretary; Cassie Farmer, of Hyde Park,Ma., corresponding secretary; ClintonMcGill, of Austell, Ga., financial secretary;and Lenard Franklin, of Tallahassee, Fla.,treasurer.

Scholarships awarded to currentstudents who know their history

Polk CountyChapter hostsannual scholar-ship gala, 72alumni honored

Each year during Black History Month,the Polk County Chapter of the FloridaA&M University National AlumniAssociation honors fellow FAMU alumniduring an annual scholarship gala.

This year's gala was held on February24 in Sikes Hall at the Lakeland Center.

In 2006, the Chapter honored PolkCounty Chapter members who were formermembers of the Marching '100.' During thisyear's gala, the Polk County Chapter hon-ored fellow chapter members who are alsolifetime members of the National AlumniAssociation. Approximately 72 memberswere honored.

The Marching '100' was featured in lastyear's gala. This year's gala featured theFAMU Connection, a student recruitmentshowcase whose purpose is to promote theuniversity's positive image.

Over the last 30 years, the Polk CountyChapter has raised more than $185,000 inscholarships. The FAMU Connection willreceive $5000 for their scholarship programfor their participation in the event.

ChapterClips

Let us know...

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Polk County Chapter’s former bandmembers honored at 2006 gala.

The Polk County Chapter of the FAMUNAA brings the family together at its annualstudent picnic.

The picnic’s purpose is to bring currentstudents, prospective students and alumnitogether for food, fun and trivia in the nameof FAMU.

“Our goal is to help current students,prospective students and their families inany way possible,” said Doris Hicks, second

vice president of the FAMU NAA and PolkCounty Chapter president. “We as them howwe can assist them.

“In addition, we distributed $1,500 inbook scholarships to students who knewtheir FAMU history.”

This year’s picnic is scheduled forSaturday, August 4. For more information onthe event, call Doris Hicks at (863) 815-9208.

Congratulations to the newlyelected members of the FAMU NAA

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“School Daze” brought historicallyblack colleges and university life to the fore-front; “Drumline” showed audiences what ahalftime show was really all about. And now“Stomp the Yard” has brought stepping cen-ter stage.

The movie, which opened Jan. 12, is astory of a young man, DJ Williams(Columbus Short), who comes from thestreets of Los Angeles.

After the death of his brother Duron,(R&B singer Chris Brown), DJ achieveshope and redemption by entering TruthUniversity, a HBCU in the film, and joiningTheta Nu Theta Fraternity.

“Stomp the Yard's”screenwriter

GregoryAnderson, music supervisor

Ali Muhammad and producers Will Packerand Rob Hardy are all graduates of FloridaA&M University.

Although the fictional Truth Universityis note quite FAMU, the team may havetranslated their own experiences fromFAMU to the film.

“I am a member of Alpha Phi Alpha(Fraternity), I went to FAMU, I pledged, soI am very familiar with this world and envi-ronment,” said Packer, a 1996 magna cumlaude electrical engineering graduate. “Iwanted to showcase a world that has beenvery instrumental in my own development,and I wanted to show it in a way that wouldmake it relevant to others.”

The art and culture behind steppingcomes from the tribes of Southern Africa. Itwas later used by Black Greek-LetterOrganizations in America as a form ofshowmanship. Stepping has helped elevate

the social status of the chapters on therespective campuses. Eventually, eachorganization developed its own style andlook.

“That's a term (“stomp the yard”) usedwhen a fraternity or sorority is preparing tobombard the campus with an impromptustepping session,” said Hardy, a 1996 gradu-ate originally from Philadelphia.

Packer added, “We wanted to use thename “Stomp the Yard” because we thoughtthat was something people that go toHBCUs would get. Everyone calls the cam-pus 'the yard,' stomping is stepping, andthat's known throughout the HBCU world.”

Some members of FAMU and FloridaState University's fraternities and sororitiestook part in the movie. FAMU Strikers werealso recruited for the movie.

“I think “Stomp the Yard” is a film thatcaptures a positive black image,” said

Alfred Thomas, 24, a 2005FAMU gradu-

ateand

Strikerwho

partici-pated in the movie.“I am proud and honored to be apart of something that puts a positive footforward as a representation of black collegelife.”

“I think it shows a look at the positiveside of the collective experience,” saidHardy, 34, who has been involved in theentertainment field for 13 years. “I thinkaudiences who are unaware of the culturewill be informed. They will live the experi-ence as does our main character D.J. I thinkit will also generate interest in Black GreekLetter Organizations.”

Packer and Hardy started their filmcompany Rainforest Films while students atFAMU. Their first motion picture,“Chocolate City” was filmed on FAMU'scampus. Collectively the duo have written,directed and/or produced “The Gospel”,“Pandora's Box”, “Trois” and a number ofmusic videos. The company is based inAtlanta.

“I get so much support from my peersand from my family,” said Packer, 32, whoalso wanted to thank the people ofTallahassee for their continuous support.

Alumni parade tothe world how to‘Stomp the Yard’by Stephanie Lambert, Associate EditorReprinted from The Capital Outlook

Rob Hardy (left) and Will Packer (right) of

Rainforest Films, producers of Stomp the Yard

Photo by DS Hathaway

Courtesy of Rainforest Films

The Passion ofthe CollectorBernard Kinsey’s Collection of African-American Art Shines Light on U.S. History

Bernard Kinsey has a passion for artand for history. He owns an eclectic collec-tion of artifacts that traces the history ofAfricans and their descendents in NorthAmerica. The collection is temporarilyhoused at the African American Museum inLos Angeles, but most of the time, the artoffers him personal solace in his home.

"This is the first place that I come towhen I come home," he told SundayMorning correspondent Bill Whitaker. "Icome and this room speaks to me. All thesewonderful black people that have done allthese wonderful things. And many of thesestories have not been told."

His Los Angeles home is filled withmarvelous things. Art hangs on every walland is in every nook. It greets you from the

moment you walk in the door. Kinsey islucky: He has a wife, Shirley, who shareshis passion for art. They have been marriedfor 40 years.

"Shirley and I have a thing. I buy thedead artists, she buys the living artists,"Kinsey said. "Because I'm looking at thehistorical part of this thing and she's lookingat what she likes."

Their collection isn't only AfricanAmerican, but mostly. It contains paintings,

continued page 11 continued page 11

Survivor, 1983, by Elizabeth Catlett

Frederick Douglass, 2003, by: Tim Allen

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Gibbs CottageRestoration planmoving forward

Meredith E. Gibbs, J.D., provost ofOperations for Miami Dade College andgreat granddaughter of former FAMU VicePresident Thomas Van Gibbs, has agreed tochair the Gibbs Cottage fundraising commit-tee. The fundraising committee will consistof 10 distinguished alumni who will developan aggressive fundraising plan that ensuresadditional funding for the completion ofGibbs Cottage.

The restoration of Gibbs Cottage isunderway with plans to provide a specialplace for FAMU alumni. The restorationand modification of the existing 3,577square feet of space and the addition of twoback porches will house alumni artifacts andmemorabilia, highlight alumni accomplish-ments, provide space for meetings and allowgatherings as well as phone banks forfundraising.

The final design stage for GibbsCottage includes floor plans, elevations, siteplans, mechanical, electrical, plumbing andlandscaping. Firms involved in the advanceschematic design phase includeRhodes+Brito Architects, SpectraEngineering, Williams, Russell & Johnsonand Hammond Design Group. The nextstage will consist of construction documents,which will lead to finalize budget estimatesand schedule. Once the design is approvedby FAMU, the State Historic PreservationBoard will make a review.

The University is continually seekingfinancial support and corporate sponsor-ships. Corporate sponsorship packages areavailable to assist in the fundraising process.In addition, naming opportunities and bricksales are available. For more information,please call Altha Manning or SuzanneWallace in the Office of Alumni Affairs at(850) 599-3861.

It’s spring time and that could onlymean one thing – it’s time for Rattler acrossthe country to return to ‘The Hill’ for theWeekend of Rededication (WORD).

‘Stomp the Yard’ principals, GregAnderson, Rob Hardy and Will Packer, will befeatured on ‘The Hill’ as the inaugural speakersin the Distinguished Alumni Lecture series.

WORDTentative ScheduleApril 26-29, 2007

Thursday, April 26, 20074 p.m. - 9 p.m.Registration, President's House

6 p.m. - 9 p.m.Welcome Reception, President's House

Friday, April 27, 20079 a.m. - 4 p.m.Registration, President's House

9 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.Continental Breakfast, President's House

9:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m.Open

10:30 a.m. - NoonInaugural Distinguished Alumni LectureSeries, Lee Hall, Special Guest Speakers: GregAnderson, Rob Hardy and Will Packer

Noon - 1:30 p.m.Silver and Gold Class Luncheon, GrandBallroom, honoring the 50- and 25-year class-es, Sponsored by AARP (all classes invited)

2 p.m. - 4 p.m.Celebrating Artist and Authors Book SigningReception, Black Archives

4 p.m. - 6 p.m.Movie: ‘Stomp the Yard,’ Lee Hall, featuringRainforest Productions (Greg Anderson, RobHardy and Will Packer)

4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.Tour of the Campus (optional)

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.NAA Executive Board Meeting, TBA

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.Step Show, TBA

10 p.m. - MidnightHospitality, TBA

Saturday, April 28, 20078 a.m. - 11 a.m.Registration, Grand Ballroom Lobby

8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.Life Membership Breakfast, Grand Ballroom

9:45 a.m. - 11 a.m.Meeting of the Classes, TBA

10 a.m - NoonAlumni Fundraising Advisory Board Meeting,TBA

10 a.m. - NoonNAA General Meeting, TBA

Noon - 1:30 p.m.All-Class Reunion Cookout, Clubhouse

2 p.m. - 4 p.m.National Alumni Workshop, TBA

2 p.m. - 5 p.m.Movie: ‘DreamGirls,’ featuring Anika NoniRose, Lee Hall

6 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.VIP Reception, Foster Tanner Art Gallery

7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony,Foster-Tanner Rehearsal Hall

9:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.mHospitality, TBA

Sunday, April 29, 20079 a.m. Spring Graduation, Morning Session,Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center

College of Arts and SciencesCollege of EducationSchool of ArchitectureSchool of Journalism & Graphic Comm.Environmental Science Institute

11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.Graduates and Alumni ReceptionTallahassee-Leon County Civic Center

2 p.m. Spring Graduation, Afternoon Session,Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center

CESTACollege of Pharmacy and Pharm. Sci.College of LawFAMU/FSU College of EngineeringSchool of Business and IndustrySchool of Allied Health SciencesSchool of Nursing

For more information, contact TammyHamlet, director of special events, by phoneat (850) 599-3861 or by e-mail attammy.hamlet@famu.edu.

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‘Stomp The Yard’ principals back to‘The Hill’ for Weekend of Rededication

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2007 Florida A&MFootball Schedule

www.theFAMURattlers.com

Sept. 1Southern University (1 p.m.)Birmingham, Ala.

Sept. 8 *Delaware State (6 p.m.)HOME

Sept. 15*Howard University (6 p.m.)HOME

Sept. 29+Tennessee State (3 p.m.)Atlanta, Ga.

Oct. 6#Winston-Salem State (4 p.m.)Indianapolis, Ind.

Oct. 13*at South Carolina State (1 p.m.)Orangeburg, S.C.

Oct. 18*Norfolk State (7 p.m.)HOME

Oct. 27*at Morgan State (4 p.m.)Baltimore, Md.

Nov. 3*North Carolina A&T (3 p.m.)HOMECOMING

Nov. 10*at Hampton University (1 p.m.)Hampton, Va.

Nov. 17*%Bethune-Cookman (3:30 p.m.)Orlando, Fla.

+-Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic/GeorgiaDome#-Coca-Cola Circle City Classic/RCA Dome%-Walt Disney World Florida Classic XVIII/FloridaCitrus Bowl(*)-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference games

For ticket information, call the Athletic Ticket Officeat 800-843-0788 or 850-599-3141.

Congratulations to the FAMU Men’s Basketball Team2007 MEAC Tournament Champions

Kudos to the MEAC Champion FAMURattlers!

While many were surprised, those of us whoknow the potential of the Rattler’s Strike and thisyear’s basketball team took it for grantedthat we would win. The A&T team thathad beaten us both times during regularthe season was so sure that they wouldprevail again. Delaware State, the reign-ing champs were already planning theirrepeat celebration, but again, the RattlersStruck, Struck and Struck again to bringthe Championship to its rightful own-ers, the FAMU Rattlers. When BrianGreene took that last shot with 1.8seconds left on the clock, I stood mes-merized and in awe. The Rattler bitewas too strong and knocked them out of the game.Our band played and our cheerleaders cheeredwhile the orange and green supporters erupted!We couldn’t seem to sing, shout, applaud, jump ordo anything nearly enough to contain our over-whelming joy. Of course, the officials had to clearthe Rattler supporters out of the Arena.

The support by alumni and friends was phe-nomenal. FAMU local alumni and those from all

up and down the eastern seaboard showed up wear-ing our colors and cheering our teams on.Although our girls didn’t win the championship,they made it to the semi-finals and gave a valianteffort. They too are to be congratulated. The local

alumni regaled our teams and the coaches.In addition to supporting theUniversity in all of the activitiesplanned by MEAC, they sponsoredadditional activities to ensure that theteams felt at home and knew that theyhad support. Local alumni sponsored adinner on Tuesday night at the home ofthe Shannon’s and again at their home onSaturday morning, they invited highschool scholars and their parents to arecruitment brunch and reception.

Approximately 35 high school studentscholars attended. These students and their familieswere then invited to the President’s Box for thegame. Thanks too to the NAA for providingevening hospitality at the host hotel. I think thatthe week’s events, the games’ outcomes and thetremendous alumni support convinced these stu-dents that FAMU is the “Best Choice”.GO RATTLERS!

BOOSTER DO'S AND DON'T'S:A REFRESHER COURSEAs a refresher course on some of theNCAA rules that apply to alumni and otherFAMU supporters. A list of do's and don'tsfollow:

- May attend a prospect's high school orjunior college athletics contest on your owninitiative, but you may not have any contactwith the prospect.

- May employ FAMU student-athletes dur-ing both the academic year and summer.Prospective student-athletes can only beemployed during the summer prior to theirenrollment at FAMU. Prospects must havegraduated from high school before employ-ment can begin. Current student-athletesand prospects both must be paid for workactually performed and at a rate commensu-rate with the going rate in the locale of yourbusiness.

- May continue relationships with aprospect or his family as long as the rela-tionship was established prior to theprospect's freshman year of high school.

- May send FAMU coaches any newspaperclippings or other information aboutprospects that you think would be of inter-est.

- May provide a student-athlete or theentire team in a sport an occasional meal inyour home (not in a restaurant or countryclub) and the meals are infrequent and onspecial occasions. You may also providelocal transportation to attend the meal.Limit: 30-mile radius of FAMU's campus.- May not make phone calls to prospectsor their relatives. If a prospect calls a boost-er, the conversation cannot be for recruitingpurposes.

- May not write, page, text message, emailor instant message a prospect to encouragehim/her to attend FAMU.

- May not contact a prospect or his/hercoach, principal or counselor to evaluate theprospect.

- May not contact a prospect to congratu-late him/her on signing a National Letter ofIntent to attend FAMU.

- May not bring prospects to Rattler Clubfunctions, including local chapter meetings.

- May not have contact at any time with aprospect or his/her parents when theprospect is on the FAMU campus for anofficial or an unofficial visit, be it in thelocker room after a game, at a tailgateparty, or at an off-campus location.

- May not provide prospects or student-athletes with any goods or services, includ-ing any type of special discount or paymentarrangement (i.e., cosigning a loan). Providing room and board or transportationto a student-athlete's family or friends toenable them to visit the campus or to attendan athletics contest at FAMU is strictly pro-hibited.

- May not provide student-athletes withany sort of extra benefit, any specialarrangement to provide a student-athlete orhis/her family with a benefit unavailable tothe general student population.

For more detailed information on athleticscompliance, please visit the FAMU athleticsweb site at www.famu.edu, click on athlet-ics and click on compliance. For furtherquestions, please feel free to contact theassociate director of Athletics forCompliance Education/Senior WomanAdministrator Marlynn Jones by phone at(850)599-3868 or by e-mail atmarlynn.jones@famu.edu.

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VANESSA R. LAWRENCECoordinator, Fiscal Operations

Lawrence is no stranger to FAMU – as she hasworked at the University in many capacities since1998. She has served as an accounting coordina-tor with the Contracts and Grants office and as anaccountant in Athletics. Prior to coming to

FAMU, Lawrence worked with the Florida Department ofCommunity Affairs as a grant specialist. She has a bachelor's degreein accounting from Florida State University.

CHERYL B. WILLIAMSCoordinator, Administrative Services

Williams has served the University since 2000.Prior to joining the Alumni Affairs office inOctober 2006, she served as the administrativeassistant for Instructional Technology and as coor-dinator of service response. Williams has also

worked in planning and grants management with various state andlocal agencies. She received both her bachelor's and master's degreesin applied social sciences from FAMU.

DARRELL W. WINFREYCoordinator, Computer Applications

Winfrey, a FAMU alumnus, came to AlumniAffairs from Trade Win Multimedia Company,where he serves as CEO and technical consultant.Through his company, he contracts with variouslocal and outside businesses. Winfrey received his

bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from FAMU.

SUZANNE M. WALLACEDirector, Advancement Alumni Affairs

Wallace joins Alumni Affairs as an experiencedmarketing manager. In her prior position, sheserved as vice president of marketing for theConstruct Two Group. Before to Construct Two,she held several marketing roles with Citibank,

NA and Barnett Bank. Wallace earned a bachelor's degree in manage-ment and economics from Fisk University (Tenn.).

Office of Alumni Affairs welcomes new employees

then earned a master's degree in publicadministration in1975, and a doctorate ingovernment in 1977, both from Florida StateUniversity (Tallahassee, Fla.)

Ammons began his teaching career in1977 as an assistant professor at theUniversity of Central Florida; he served inthis position until 1983. He returned toFAMU in 1983 as an associate professor ofpolitical science, and in 1984, he becameassistant vice president for AcademicAffairs. In 1989, Ammons was named asso-ciate vice president for Academic Affairsand also served as director of the Title IIIProgram. He assumed the rank of a fullprofessor in 1993, and was appointedprovost and vice president for AcademicAffairs on October 1, 1995, a position heheld until becoming chancellor of NCCU in2001.

The board's decision will be ratified atits regularly scheduled March 8 meeting.The Board of Governors of the StateUniversity System must also ratify the vote.

Ammons from Cover

Buildings from Coverof great things Smith has done for FAMU.

Smith testified about his life and howhe had many things to overcome. Beforeattending FAMU, he was a high schooldropout and received his GED at the age of23.

"To be a high school dropout andbecome president of FAMU, what a journey,"Smith said. "I built on a legacy. My grandfa-ther started on this campus."

The Allied Health Building was namedafter Margaret Lewis and Jacqueline Beck,two women who spearheaded the develop-ment of the nursing and allied health scienceprograms.

"I am truly touched and especiallyproud," Lewis said.

Lewis recalled her experiences at FAMUas not only the Dean of the School ofNursing, but as a student. She said she wasvery excited and proud of the advancement ofthe program she helped to build.

"I think of this building as a citadel thathouses special commodities," Beck said.

Beck explained that, due to financialobstacles, she had a hard job helping to startthe School of Allied Health Science.

However, with the help of former FAMUPresidents Walter Smith and FrederickHumphries, she was given help and has aidedin making the program what it is today.

"It is a wonderful thing to honor peoplewho have contributed to the University in away that is ongoing and perpetual," saidValencia Matthews, associate Professor of theArts and Sciences.

U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, D-Florida, andJames Eaton, were honored with the SouthernRegional Black Archives Research Programand Museum being named after them.

Eaton and Meeks, FAMU alumni, were

responsible for the buildings construction.Eaton was the architect who was responsiblefor the building's design and floor plans, andMeek was responsible for getting funds tosupport the project.

"I thank you for your dreams," saidLeathea Eaton, wife of the late professor,because her husband had a passion for keep-ing history alive and keeping studentsabreast of their past.

Teary-eyed, Meeks accepted the honor,saying, "Orange and green is in my system -has been there and will always be there."

Meek said that during the ceremony shereminisced of the days when she wasinvolved in the civil rights movement and allthe courage that people like Patricia Duegave her.

"Hearing about it was empowering. Itmade me proud to be here," said CarmenGay, 19, a first-year pharmacy candidatefrom San Diego. "They have done a lot thatI didn't know about."

The School of Business and Industrybuilding was the last to be named. It wasnamed after Sybil Mobley, the school'sfounding dean.

She began teaching business classesbefore the SBI program existed and pridedherself in making the school No. 1 afterserving for more than 58 years.

"No excuse is acceptable," she said,quoting the motto of SBI. "No amount ofeffort is adequate until proven effective."

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Bland from page 4

launch of www.coloradoan.com, an award-winning website. Under her leadership theColoradoan built a new building, grew rev-enues and profits substantially as well aslaunched web sites and a variety of non-daily products.

She has served as a Pulitzer Prize nomi-nating juror twice and helped write theAmerican Press Institute's Survival Guidefor Women Editors.

Bland has a bachelor's degree in jour-nalism from Arkansas State University andearned her MBA from George WashingtonUniversity in Washington, DC. She also wasa 2004 McCormick Tribune Fellow and is agraduate of Northwestern University'sMedia Management Center AdvancedExecutive Program. She is also a graduateof the Maynard Institute for JournalismEducation's Management and EditingPrograms.

She has been active in a variety of pro-fessional organizations and participated innumerous national conferences, includingthe Poynter Institute for Media Studies, theAmerican Press Institute, the AmericanSociety of Newspaper Editors, the NationalAssociation of Minority Media Executives,the Society of Professional Journalists andthe National Association of BlackJournalists. AC

“My mom is just tickled to death. She waslike, 'You know what? When you graduatedfrom FAMU with a degree in engineeringand told me you were going to be a film-maker, I didn't know what to think. Lordthat boy is gonna starve.' But 10 years latermama, I'm not starving.”

Hardy, who will direct upcomingepisodes of the television drama ER, added,“My dream in making 'Chocolate City' wasalways to get audiences everywhere to sharein the experience. I remember standing inLee Hall while filming and imagining a star-studded premiere.”

The duo also encourages every creativemind to follow his or her dreams and to takeadvantage of the resources around them as aspringboard.

“I encourage all aspiring creative typesto make your dreams happen by going outand doing it,” said Hardy. “Be it writingyour own material or shooting your ownprojects on a camcorder. The only thingholding us back is ourselves.”

Hardy said he hopes audiences enjoy

the movie.“I hope that audiences will be over-

joyed to see a compelling story about thepower of education,” said Hardy. I wantyoung people to feel as though the experi-ence is one that they should encounter forthemselves.”

Apparently audiences were “overjoyed”with “Stomp the Yard.” The movie earnedmore than $22 million its opening weekend,to lead all others at the box office.

Stomp from page 7

Kinsey from page 7sculpture, and even letters - like one fromMalcolm X to Alex Haley - some from thedistant and not-so-distant past. Kinsey'smotivation to collect comes from a desire toexplore his people's history in the UnitedStates - a history that the couple activelyparticipated in during the Civil Rightsmovement of the 1960s.

"When we came to the Americas fromAfrica, how did we evolve?" he said. "Andthat evolution is both painful and wonderful.And putting that together is what we try todo here."

The Kinseys met as college students atthe predominantly black Florida A&M in1963.

Shirley was arrested for her participa-tion in a protest and both were active inmarches and sit-ins.

Both are now retired from Xerox,where Bernard rose to become a vice presi-dent. He's now a much-in-demand businessconsultant. In the wake of the L.A. riots in1992 he was tapped, along with PeterUeberroth, to run "Rebuild LA."

"Over the last 10, 11 years there's beenover $2 billion invested in South L.A.,"Bernard Kinsey said.

The Kinseys are at a stage in life wherethey can afford to indulge their passions -one even greater than collecting: sharing.Together they have raised more than $22million for scholarships at historically blackcolleges.

"I grew up with my grandmother,"Shirley Kinsey said. "I mean, I think abouther and I say, 'Mama would not like this if Ididn't share this with others.'"

"We really are more keepers of this artand historical documents, rather than own-ers, because frankly, no one can really ownthis in a sense," Bernard Kinsey said.

So recently, dozens of their treasuredpieces were carefully taken down from theirwalls, packed and moved across town,where they were hung on the walls of the

California African American Museum in LosAngeles, first stop on a two-year tour ofmuseums around the country.

"It's a very special collection," execu-tive director of the museum, CharmaineJefferson said. "Some collectors focus onone type of work, one type of artist, one par-ticular period; they're looking at the totalpicture. The story, the feeling, the sensationfor African Americans about who we areand where we come from and what we don'tknow about ourselves comes from beingable to look at this collective work. And sothis collection is powerful for that reason."

Bernard Kinsey says some day he'llbequeath most of his collection to a museumso it can educate generations to come. Butfor the next two years, he's really going tomiss his pieces.

"I may have to buy some more orsomething," he said.

Used by permission. Copyright 2007 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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CampusCalendar of

Events

FAMU Dayat the Legislature

March 21

Weekend of Rededication (WORD)

April 26-29

Distinguished AlumniAwards

April 28

CommencementApril 29

Morning Session - 9 a.m.Afternoon Session- 2 p.m.

Office of Alumni Affairs1601 S. MLK Jr. Blvd.Lee Hall, Suite 100Tallahassee, FL 32307