Winter AIDS Walk 2009

Tuesday, December 1, World Aids Day is a day to promote awareness and safety precautions about HIV/AIDS and STD’s throughout the country. The Student Union Advisory Board at North Carolina A&T hosted free testing and an AIDS Awareness program for the students.

On Sunday December 6, the Civic and Service Education community service group had a Winter AIDS Walk. Students and student organizations were able to participate in this walk to gain community service hours to fulfill graduation requirements.

Students began walking at War Memorial Stadium and walked three miles through downtown Greensboro for those who have lost their lives in a struggle with HIV/AIDS.
AIDS Walk participant and A&T student Briana Cook explains “I felt obligated to come out and participate in this event. The rate of AIDS is rapidly growing and it is important for students to take part in this.”

Because there was an incentive for the students that participated, some people expected it to be flooded with people trying to gain their community service hours. However, it was not about the hours at all.

“I would feel ridiculous knowing that I only came out for the community service. Although this does count for two organizations I am a part of, people have lost their lives and people are still constantly struggling with AIDS. I could never see myself participating in an event with such deep meaning only to fulfill a graduation requirement,” said Kendra Pleasant.

Many students came out and participated in the walk even though it was very chilly on this Sunday afternoon. It was also surprising to see so many people awake and active after a huge Black Party hosted by NXLEVEL Entertainment took place the night before.

A&T Student Nate’ Elliot says, “I went to the black party last night and even stayed the night at the hotel where it was held. I’m very tired, but I feel like I should be here to be a part of this walk.”

“I am not personally affected by this disease, nor do I know anyone with it, but it is a rapidly growing issue that needs to be solved soon. I am from Washington, DC, and it recently came out that D.C. has the highest AIDS rate in the United States.”

With that being said, many of the students are beginning to practice safe sex methods or abstinence so they will never be personally affected by the disease.

The 2009 Winter AIDS walk was a big success. It is great to see students showing their concern for growing issues in the world.

Student Preparation for Finals Week

As the end of the semester is nearing, students at North Carolina A&T State University are locking down and focusing more than ever. Although some students have probably remained on task the entire course of the semester, others use the time before finals to try to learn everything.

The library and student resource and tutoring centers have been filled with students who are trying to go the extra mile to ensure they will pass all their courses. On the other hand, some students have waited until the last minute and now they are using the tutors and academic resources as a last resort.

Sophomore Computer Science major DaNae Grubbs explains, “I have been using the study rooms in my dorm more than ever. I am able to use the dry erase boards in there and it is easy to pull all-nighters because I am not in the comfort of my own room.”



“If I am using my computer to study, I easily get distracted by going to popular sites like Facebook and Twitter. I also watch TV to keep from doing my work.”

Normally, most students do not study in their rooms or homes because of the distractions. Because of this, the library stays open for 24hours beginning on Sundays at 2p.m. and ending Friday at 8p.m.

“The time I spend in the library has been worthwhile,” said DeCario Allen, a junior here at A&T who has been spending extra time in the library for the past three weeks. “I’ve been pretty much on task the whole semester, but I want to end with a strong push.”




“I have been able to get my assignments done as well as some extra credit. I have also gotten a lot of studying done. Although I live off campus, I prefer to come to the library to study because there are fewer distractions here than there are at home. When I study in my house, it is so easy for me to get off track.”

While most students are studying hard, some students took advantage of a rest from studying by attending the “Stress-Free Zone” event that took place last Thursday in Moore Gym. The event included moon bounces, laser tag, and music.

“It’s a good idea for this event to happen. Most students have been spending this time studying and stressing out over last minute work and exam week. I came to let go of the stress for a couple of hours before I have to get back to business,” said Reginald Cherry.

It seems that many of the students are keeping focus in order to ensure that they will pass their exams and courses. Extended hours on tutoring and supplemental instruction sessions is both helpful and encouraging to the students. By using these resources, the students will definitely succeed.

Black Friday in a Recession

The most popular shopping day of the year, Black Friday was a booming success for many of the country’s big name retail and department stores this holiday season. Black Friday is a time when stores have sale prices lower than ever for electronic items, home goods, and even clothing.

Tyson’s Corner Center, a very popular shopping mall for citizens in the DC Metro Area had “Midnight Madness.” Shoppers were able to catch early sales starting at midnight on Friday, November 27.

Although taxpayers have been feeling an overwhelming financial burden, it seemed to have no effect on the crowds that participated in camping out to get an early start on shopping.

“The experience was shocking and exciting. I knew it was going to be packed but I had no idea it would look like a regular Saturday at the mall," said Kara Crittenden, one of the local shoppers at Tysons Mall.

"The crowd just made me enjoy it even more. I had so much fun. I caught some pretty good sales. It was definitely enough to make me not mind going back next year. Regardless of the recession the crowd was out and in full effect ready to spend. Almost everyone had a bag full of black Friday finds. I think a lot of people saved up to splurge on Black Friday."



The major department stores such as Macy’s and Nordstrom were not open for Midnight Madness. However they did get an earlier start than usual by opening at 5a.m.. The major chain Apple, which specializes in iPods and Mac computers, was filled with customers on the inside and outside of the store.

Most shoppers had to stand in lines for a minimum of two hours just so they could purchase their items at sale prices.



Jada Carter, another shopper had another opinion of the Midnight Madness event. “I didn’t feel like the sales were that great. I came here specifically for stores such as Urban Outfitters and H&M but their sales were normal. It seems to me like Black Friday is only for big sales on electronics. I was still able to get the same amount of things that I normally get when shopping for Black Friday. However, I do think the recession plays a role in the amount of people that came out to shop.”

“The crowds seemed larger than normal. I worked last black Friday and there weren’t nearly as many people as there are this year,” said Ashley Vaughn and employee at the clothing store Abercrombie.

Because of the economic issues within the country, the percentage of shoppers was larger than normal. The effects of the recession on Black Friday vary from person to person. Some people were severely affected and not able to shop at all, whereas others didn’t feel a difference from past years.

Whatever the case may be, I’m sure the retail stores are feeling no type of recession after the large amount of merchandise that was sold on this one day.