60.11 spartan echo

The Voice of the Spartan CommunitySpartanEcho.org | 700 Park Avenue. Norfolk, Va. 23504

Spartan Echo4.09.13Vol. 60, Issue 11

SPARTAN ECHO| Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504|NEWSROOM: 757.823.8200 E-Mail: [email protected]

After seven years off the yard, Kappa Alpha Psi returns with 29 men. See page 6.

Photo credit: LaTerika Wesley

Williams continues to make headlines in his basketball career. See page 4.

Photo credit: www.nsuspar-tans.com

Sevyn, former member of Rich Girls starts a solo career. See back page.

Photo credit: www.sevyn-streeter.com

TopSTorieSi n S i d e

Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, President Dr. Tony Atwater signed an official partnership agreement with Regent Uni-versity President Dr. Carlos Campo. The agreement starts the Bachelor of Arts-Juris Doc-torate program between the two universities.

The program is said to mini-mize the difficulties on pre-law students in applying to law school. According to Regent.edu, the NSU Pre-Law Com-mittee (NSUPLC) will select

NSU signs Pre-Law program agreement with Regent University

By Mariah Goodrich

sophomore students from the program based on their aca-demic performance as well as their extracurricular and lead-ership activities. The selected students must maintain their academics and participate in a wide range of extracurricular activities. The NSUPLC will watch the chosen students’ progress throughout the pro-

Oscar Pistorius is prepping for more than just the 2016 Olympics. He is currently fac-ing charges of murder after mistakenly shooting his long-time girlfriend, Reeva Steen-kamp. The circumstances of the case vary depending on who is explaining the details. The overall concept, however, remains the same. In the early morning hours of Feb. 14,

2012, Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend in their home.

The prosecution has made a case portraying Pistorius as be-ing an avid steroid user who, like many before him, encoun-tered an episode of roid rage; this is when an individual loses absolute control and acts irra-

The curious case of Oscar

PistoriusBy Desiree Jenkins

In this photo taken Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 Olympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius, in court in Pretoria, South Africa, for his bail hearing charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. A lawyer for Pistorius says his appeal against bail conditions will be heard on Thursday March 28, 2013, a day after the culpable homicide trial of older brother Carl begins in another South Africa court. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

President Dr. Tony Atwater and Regent University Presi-dent Dr. Carlos Campo smile after the partniership agree-ment on a law program. Credit for above photos: Renee McDonald.

See pre-law program agreement, page 2

Case of Oscar Pistorius, page 2

24.09.13Spartan News


■Continued from front page

■Continued from front page

gram. Students may request an-nual reports be sent to the RU Law Admissions Office.

Regent will make reasonable exertions to overview NSU ap-plications quickly because of the partnership helping Spar-tans, who are qualified, get into law school quicker.

“I don’t want to hear that NSU doesn’t have a law school,” said Campo. “NSU does have a law school, and it’s

Regent University.”“I am excited to see the pros-

pects this partnership with Regent could offer for the fu-ture of qualified NSU students participating in this program,” said Atwater. “I’d like to see renowned attorneys and even members of the Supreme Court of the United States come from this program.”

The partnership will not give NSU students special treat-

ment, but it will help them deal with the pressure when apply-ing for law school.

tionally. Neighbors who heard the couple arguing prior to the shooting also corroborated this theory.

However, the defense has countered by calling family and friends to testify on his be-half, including those of Steen-kamp’s immediate circle. They have presented a case of self-defense by claiming Pistorius shot Steenkamp believing she was an intruder. They further explained that being a double amputee, Pistorius slept with a gun in the nightstand for pro-tection as South Africa has an extremely high crime rate.

What makes this case unique is that not only is the suspect an international figure, the criminal court system that is in place. South Africa’s regional magistrates’ courts, known as lower courts, can hear all criminal cases excluding those of treason. However, the high court, which handles cases that are deemed extremely high profiled for their counterparts, will take on this matter. There-fore, one of two situations can occur; either a single judge or two lay people, known as as-sessors, who are usually retired magistrates may hear the case.

Overall, the judge has absolute authority. The laypersons roles are to advise the judge, even though he may dismiss them along with their recommenda-tions. Many have presented different opinions on the case.

“I believe that he has an un-fair advantage being that he is an international superstar. Furthermore, he is the face of a nation that has had some great difficulties in the past. If he does get sentenced, I think it will be suspended or deferred,” said junior business manage-ment major, Christian Mitchell.

“Based on the system of jus-tice they [South Africa] have, I think he’s going to be found guilty and be given an ex-tremely harsh sentence,” said junior physical education ma-jor, Nicholas Rogers.

“It all comes down to what the judge believes. I personally think he is innocent and that every aspect of the case must be presented in order for him to receive the best trial possible,” said sophomore computer sci-ence major, Aaron Smith.

The average salary for new college graduates earn-ing Bachelor’s Degrees was $43,014 in 2011 and $44,482 in 2012, accord-ing to the January 2013 Sal-ary Survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). This report shows a 3.4 percent increase over the last year. Many students feel different about this amount of income they will receive after graduation.

“I think around $40,000 as a starting salary isn’t bad at all because if you invest money into your undergrad-uate and graduate career, then you’re making enough money to pay off what you invested in a shorter amount of time,” said senior mass communication major Mike Nicholas.

“Social work chose me; it was never about the

money,” said freshman so-cial work major Chelsea Brooks, “The enjoyment of the job is best.”

“Some negative factors are that eventually it could lead to companies laying off people and more job cuts may be put into effect which could lead the coun-try into recession again,” said sophomore history ma-jor Tahirah Rasool.

The salary averages are only for those graduates who found jobs in their fields of study. It does not include those who gradu-ated and did not find a job. The highest increases were in education, business and communications. New grad-uates will make, on aver-age, double, or more, of the people receiving minimum wage.

How much do new graduates really earn?

By Mariah Goodrich

President Atwater and Re-gent University President Dr. Carlos Campo sign part-nership agreement. Photo credit : Renee McDonald.

Case of Oscar Pistorius

Pre-Law program agreement

In this Feb. 19, 2013 file photo, Carl Pistorius, right, and Henke Pistorius, the brother and father of Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend at-tend Oscar's bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

34.09.13 Spartan News


Colleges tend to have low funding in many areas of need. The “I AM NSU” An-nual Fund is Norfolk State University’s way to connect students, alumni, parents, faculty and staff to NSU. The goal is to raise $2 mil-lion to help lower student debt and assist NSU in ex-panding and fulfilling inno-vative programs. Not only does the campaign help give

What is the I AM NSU Annual Fund?By Mariah Goodrich

students scholarships, it also helps build the academic programs, empowers access to the latest technology and affords resources for fac-ulty and staff. The fund is a six-month campaign, which lasts through June 30, 2013. As of March 8, 2013, the I AM NSU Campaign has raised $996,000. Students have their own opinions about the campaign itself.

“I think the I AM NSU Campaign is beneficial es-pecially for the MCJR and nursing departments be-cause these are fields based off of hands on learning,” said freshman physical ther-apy major Jasmine Wint. “We need funding to up-date our equipment so when we go out in our prospect-ed field, we’ll have more knowledge.”

“It’s a great thing for NSU,” said freshman nurs-ing major Jourdan Brown. “It brings everyone together as a community to do some-thing beneficial for their school. The fundraiser helps to make the school and its programs better by encour-aging students to be more involved and have a better experience at NSU.”

Three ways to donate to

the fundraiser are available: major gift, planned giving and matching gift. For more information about the I AM NSU fund or to donate, con-tact University Advance-ment at 823-8323.

START being chAllenged.

START Above The ReST.

START ReAlizing youR goAlS.

START building youR confidence.

START TAking The leAd.

START STRong.SM

©2008. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.

START Achieving MoRe.

Interested in joining Army ROTC and becoming an Army Officer? If you are a Freshmen or Sophomore, it's not too late. For more information

visit us in Echols Hall, Room 101; contact 757-823-9296 or email [email protected].

There’s strong. Then there’s Army Strong. Make the Army ROTC Leader’s Training Course apart of your Norfolk State program. This challenging 4-week paid leadership development andtraining experience gives you skills that put you ahead of your peers after college. You’ll alsobe on the fast track toward becoming an Army Officer after graduation. When you complete thecourse, you may be eligible for a two-year scholarship.Start with a strong foundation, visit www.goarmy.com/rotc/ms15

44.09.13Spartan Sports


Prior to this season, only four times had players from the same school been awarded MEAC Player of the Year in back to back years.

This season, Norfolk State University became the first school since Hampton in 2002 to have two different players win the award in consecutive years as junior guard. Pendar-vis Williams took home the award for his performance this year after Kyle O’Quinn won it last season.

Williams, known for his size (6’7”) and shooting prowess, came into the year rated as the 39th best shooter in the nation by CBSSports.com and did not disappoint. The first team All-MEAC selection finished the season second in three point

Williams headlines Norfolk State’s MEAC postseason awards

By Leonard Fairley

shooting percentage (40.5 per-cent), fourth in scoring (14.5 points per game), and fifth in free throw shooting percentage (80.6 percent). He had a mid-season streak of 11 games, in which he scored in double fig-ures and scored a season-high 23 points against Coppin State on Feb. 2, 2013. His biggest accomplishment was achiev-ing the career milestone of 1,000 points on Feb. 11, 2013, against UMES. With a stellar performance next season, Wil-liams has a chance to become the eighth player to ever repeat as MEAC Player of the Year and the first Spartan to accom-plish such a feat since Damian Woolfolk in 2000.

Williams was not the only one to bring an award back to

Norfolk as head coach, Antho-ny Evans was named MEAC Coach of the Year after another historic season, in which the team reached new heights. Af-ter posting a 13-3 record and winning the MEAC tourna-ment last season, the Spartans became the first team since Coppin State (1993-94 season) to go undefeated in MEAC reg-ular season play. In addition, the Spartans won the MEAC regular season title for the first time in school history. The mass improvement of the team is very evident in these last two seasons. In his first four years, Evans had a 37-27 (57 win per-centage) in conference, but in the last two seasons, the team has gone 29-3 (91 win percent-age) in conference.

He has six NBA champion-ships, six NBA finals most valuable player awards, among other awards and accolades to his name, yet the world remem-bers him most for his shoes.

As he turned 50 years old in February, nearly everyone looked back on Michael Jor-dan’s NBA career and regards him as one of the greatest ath-letes in sports history; howev-er, in popular culture, the shoes are the first thing that comes synonymous to the name Jor-dan.

“The shoe game is what it is today because of Jordan,” said senior mass communica-tion major Jason Baker. “He changed the way shoes are

It’s the ShoesBy Leonard Fairley

priced, designed and adver-tised. He is also the reason shoe companies rerelease retro ver-sions of their shoes.”

Jordan not only changed the game on the court, but also in the world of fashion as well when he signed a $2.5 million contract with Nike in 1985. The shoe sales in 1985 totaled $130 million, and the rest is history. He changed the logo to the now trademark ‘Jumpman’ symbol in 1986 for the Jordan II’s, and in 1997, a sub-division of Nike that still stands today known as the Jordan Brand was created for all of his products. The first shoes under Jordan Brand were the Jordan XIII’s, the Team Jordan series and the

Jordan Trainers. The regular Jordan series, now up to 28 shoes, has been so popular that now almost every shoe in the series has been rereleased mul-tiple times selling millions of pairs each time. Also, because of Jordan, shoe companies be-gan scouting talented athletes to use to start shoe lines. He is the reason players like Penny Hardaway, LeBron James and Allen Iverson were able to have successful shoe series.

“Jordan has a strong influ-ence on athletes because he is a mogul of the game. Growing up everybody wanted to be like Mike, which included wear-ing his shoes,” said sophomore mass communications major

Jamel Fuentes. “At the same time, it just so happens that he had the coolest looking shoes.”

Jordan’s impact in the shoe game can be seen every-where, among the older and the younger generations. Even the youth who are not familiar with Jordan’s exploits still proud-ly wear the Air Jordan brand sneakers. While quite expen-sive, the shoes still manage to outsell every other sneaker on the market.

“Jordan’s have really good color combinations and you can always find something to wear with them,” said fresh-man mass communications major Shareen Nicholson. “His status as an athlete helps be-

cause if he makes them look good, then one can assume they’ll look good on them too.”

“I think it’s more than an impact. In fact, it’s like a take-over,” said junior business ma-jor Christian Carston. “It’s all everyone wears, girls and guys, In a copycat society the hottest trends always prevail.”

Michael Jordan was truly a pioneer in the casual and ur-ban market, and his impact will be felt for years to come. Of course, many of us will re-member his legacy on the court as a Hall of Fame basketball player, but his longest lasting impact in the world will always be his shoes.

Williams in action during the Virginia State game.Photo credit: www.nsus-partans.com

54.09.13 Spartan Sports


The Norfolk State women’s basketball team had a tough year ending the season 7-22 overall. The season started with high hopes as the Spar-tans won their first two games against Virginia Wesleyan and the University of Pennsylva-nia. Reality began to settle in for the team as it lost its next eight games in a row. The Spar-tans did not give up as they went into overtime four times in the season.

Junior forward Rachel Gor-don was the lead scorer for the Spartans ending with 276 points, outscoring junior guard Aivah Parham by eight. Gor-

What happens now for the women’s basketball team?By Mariah Goodrich

don also had the most rebounds with a total of 92. When it comes to 3-pointers, sopho-more guard Ebony Brown fin-ished on top for the team with 31.

“This season I believe I stepped up in my scoring pro-duction, at one point I was av-eraging a double double,” Gor-don said. “I mainly just made sure I was doing what I had to do, by scoring and getting re-bounds. I know I Improved this year just from last year.”

This season was definitely not the Spartans’ best. Many reasons could be to blame for the team’s unsuccessful sea-

son; however, Parham had her own thought about it.

“The season was rough; I think it took too long for us to gel as a team like we did to-wards the end,” Parham said. “I look forward to improving next season.”

“I feel as though the sea-son did not go how anyone had planned especially for the coaches,” Brown said. “We as a group could have done way better than we proved we could, but everyone is on the same page now, and we plan to use this previous season as motivation.”

Florida A&M defeated the

Spartans by eight points in overtime during the regular season; however, the team was able to get their revenge in the first round of the 2013 MEAC Tournament winning 72-55. Wednesday, March 13, the women had their last game on the court for the season with a 78-47 loss against North Caro-lina A&T in the quarterfinals. Senior center Batavia Owens led the team with nine points and four rebounds.

“I’m glad I made it this far; I’m a better person leaving out than I came in, but with bas-ketball it was a sad end to my career but a new start to life,”

Owens said.The team may now have the

motivation it needs to have a successful season next year. The Spartans plan now to get back in the gym and build as a team in the off-season.

“Next year, I want to able to make a bigger impact on the MEAC,” Gordon said. “I know we were so much better than what our record showed, and I believe that if we as a team work hard this off-season, we have the potential to do so much better next year.”

Protect our way of life as an agent with the U.S. Border Patrol.

Your career with the Border Patrol includes a competitive salary –

up to $75k after three years – and a federal benefits package of

health, retirement and insurance benefits. Job-related training is

also included at the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, NM.

Key Requirements

> Be between the ages of 18 and 39 (waiver for qualified veterans)> Be a U.S. citizen and a resident for the past three years> Have a valid state driver’s license> Pass a thorough background investigation, polygraph test,

medical examination, fitness test and drug test

WE ARE AMERICA’S FRONTLINE Apply Now—CBPcareers.comU.S. Customs and Border Protection is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

AGENTS WANTED

64.09.13Lifestyle


Whether you’re a size two or 10, as woman we’ve all had our fair share of obstacles when it comes to loving the skin that we are in. We live in an era where most of us believe a size two is the per-fect shape. Ladies, we’d like to let you in on a little secret of ours: curves are in! We had a chance to interview former Spartan Chasity Saunders and she had some very encourag-ing words for her fellow plus size women. Saunders was a radio personality for Hot 91 when she attended NSU, and she was well known for host-ing events on and off campus. Saunders also modeled in the homecoming fashion shows. Her many talents led her to get a jump start when she first moved to NYC. Since living in New York, Saunders has land-ed deals with Music Choice Television, Jones Magazine as an editor for ‘Ahead of the Curve’, walked in BET’s Rip the Runway and become the face of Ashley Stewart.

Spartan Echo: What inspired you to become a model?

Chasity: I always knew I wanted to become an enter-tainer of some sort. I moved to New York the same week I graduated. I was discov-ered at an Essence magazine casting. Soon after the cast-ing, I teamed up with my first agency. Never giving up or listening to those who said I couldn’t make it, led me to where I am today.

Spartan Echo: How chal-lenging is it as a plus size woman to stay in current fash-ions?

Chasity: It’s actually not hard at all. We live in a digital

Love the skin you

are inBy Alyssia Luster

Norfolk State welcomes back Kappa Alpha Psi, the ‘pretty boys’ out of the Di-vine Nine Greek organiza-tions. After being suspended for a while, the Kappa’s are glad to be back. Many stu-dents awaited the arrival of the new Kappa’s to finally show up and show out on NSU’s campus.

There were about 29 young men who crossed this spring. After weeks of being hidden, the ‘pretty boys’ are glad to finally show their face. The Kappa’s are planning numer-ous events to capture stu-dent’s attention, and joining them in obtaining success while they set a trend for the rest of the Greek organiza-tions.

“It’s a great feeling. I’m still the same, but it’s as if other people treat me as if I am a celebrity,” said senior business management major Musa Faltz-McQueen, num-ber eight on the line.

The Kappa’s plan on con-tributing to the university grounds in ways such as plan-ning different fundraisers, holding soup kitchens and in-formational forums. Not only do the Kappa brothers love to shimmy, they also love giv-ing back. They want to help younger prospects be able to achieve success.

“Sophomores should take a stand even though they are younger. We need more lead-ers to stand up and take po-sitions,” said sophomore so-ciology major Semoj Taylor, number 20 on the line.

Many Greeks understand the difficulties that come with being on line; meeting people you may have not known

NSU’s Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity ends 7-year suspension, crosses line of 29

By Jasmine Battle

much about, but suddenly you are going through the same process and cultivating long-lasting friendships.

“It taught us some mean-ings that we can apply to our everyday lives. It also al-lowed us to mature and look at things from a different point-of-view,” said Faltz-

McQueen.Achievement is what the

Kappa’s strive for and they are planning the best way to welcome others and create a Greek unity with other orga-nizations.

“Set a standard for yourself and for the things you would like to accomplish. The Kap-

pa’s are back, and we are here to stay,” said senior mass communications major Daryl Thomas, number five on the line.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. crossed a line of 29 after a seven year suspension. Photo credit: Jasmine Batle | The Spartan Echo.

See Love skin, page 7

e d i t o r s

Marian Jones-BrooksSports Editor

DeVanique RileyGraphic Design/ Layout Editor

Krysta RicksEditor-in-Chief

Brittany ElmoreOnline/Managing Editor

Keith OffuttMultimedia Editor

Tony Batchler Jr.Entertain-ment Editor

Jasmine BattleLifestyle Editor

74.09.13 Lifestyle


Interested in writing for the Spartan Echo? Join our team! Meetings are

Tuesdays and Thurs-days, 12:30 in NSC 344.

age, and everything is accessi-ble online. There is also a new generation of clothing lines that only make plus size de-signs. I am currently the face of Ashley Stewart, which has a wonderful line catering to plus size woman.

Spartan Echo: What advice would you give to other plus size women?

Chasity: Love yourself first. Curves are amazing. Fashion started with a curvy woman. Embrace your curves.

Saunders’ most recent ac-complishment was walking in BET’s Rip the Runway show where she was featured in the plus size scene. Saunders ap-peared wearing a Shanda Style pale blue slit dress paired with RJ GRAZIANO jewelry and POLLINI heels.

■Continued from front page 6

Minimum Qualifications for All Positions- pre-registered as a full-time NSU student for fall 2013- 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher- 2.0 GPA or higher for spring 2013- agreement to adhere to journalistic standards- ability to follow instructions and meet deadlines- time and dedication to perform staff duties

Preferred Qualifications for All Positions- previously published as a journalist- medium-to-advanced computer literacy- leadership experience- ability to take photographs and email them- WordPress experience- Adobe Photoshop and In-Design experience- ability to shoot and edit video

Credit.com gave three little known facts about student loan debt and how it surpassed credit card debt, passing the $1 trillion mark. This high number has made it the single largest consumer debt outside of home loans.

It is evident that student loan debt continues to be a concern; however, credit.com raises some interesting points on whom it effects and the options it provides for the future.

Not only do students suffer, but parents, guardians and those alike feel the pain. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 6.8 million Americans 50 and older hold $149 billion of student loan debts. It is not clear how much of that debt is their own student loan, or how much is from co-signing for children or others. The fact of the matter

is co-signers suffer from either or both. Before signing off on a loan, one should consider the consequences of the future.

The goal of many is to graduate and be able to establish a lifestyle like getting married, raising a family and buying your own home. However, student loans could keep you from homeownership. A common mistake made among college students is assuming that their starting salary will cover the costs of student loans. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the average starting salary increased to $44, 482.

Despite the average starting salary in $44, 482, how many of those students are actually receiving jobs after graduating? USA Today mentioned in an article last year saying half of new graduates are jobless or

underemployed and the class of 2012 will face hardships when entering the working world.

Since only half of them received the average salary, will the numbers for the class of 2013 improve? Chances are they will not since the economy doesn’t seem to be improving its weak labor market.

Even with the improvement in salaries, the payment of student loans may still take a large amount out a recent graduate’s income. “I’m afraid to graduate into a world of debt because I came to college to get my degree and help me make money, not owe it,” said Derron McDuffie, senior electronics technology major.

Credit.com also mentioned how filing for bankruptcy is not a way out of student loan debt. Congress banned federal students loans in 1977

from being opted out and, in 2005, private student loans as well. The only exception to this rule is if someone meets the requirements to prove “undue hardship.” Of course, the requirements to meet undue hardships are extremely difficult.

“I’m fortunate enough to have my parents pay for college out of pocket, but I am worried about my friends who have to face financial issues right after graduating,” said Darmani Paramore, senior health service management major.

With these facts in mind, those in college should now prepare for debt relief. Look for various payments options and find an alternative that suites you best.

Student debt, Part 1: A look inside the financial struggleBy DeVanique Riley

The Spartan Echo is ac-cepting applications now for all editor positions. Editors will serve during the fall 2013 semester and receive a per-formance grant for their ser-vice. Amounts vary by posi-tion. Some work—done from home—will be necessary dur-ing the summer to prepare for the fall semester. Contact the faculty adviser at [email protected] or 757-823-2444 for more detailed information.

Students with previous pro-fessional or student media ex-

Spartan Echo accepting applications for fall 2013perience are strongly encour-aged to apply, but previous experience is not necessary. Students from any major may apply. Applicants, however, must be pre-registered for fall with 15 or more credit hours and have at least a 2.5 cumula-tive GPA.

Applications are available online from Student Activities and Leadership.

https://www.nsu.edu/Assets/websites/student-activities/Student-Publication-Forms/

Spartan-Echo-Publication-Ap-plication.doc

Applications will be accept-ed via e-mail at [email protected], or in-person at MAD 282, through April 16.

All potentially qualified ap-plicants will be interviewed by the faculty adviser and must supply work samples at that time. Follow-up interviews and grammar testing may ap-ply. Positions are awarded by the Student Publication Board after spring semester grades are posted.

Love skin

84.09.13Spartan Entertainment


Tarantino’s Django received a 2013 Oscar bid. Photo credit: www.facebook.com/un-chainedmovie.

Ex-member of Rich Girl, Sevyn is back on the scene, but this time as a solo artist teamed up with Atlantic Record and Chris Brown’s imprint CBE in a plan to bring 90’s music back.

When asked how she got linked up with Chris Brown, Sevyn said “Well actually, I was with Rich Girl, and we had the same manager, Nina Davis, and we were working at the same studio one day, and I just asked him if I could write with him, and he said yes. That was a few years ago, and we have been working ever since.”

To date, Sevyn has wrote for artists such as Alicia Keys, Kelly Rowland, Brandy, Estelle and, of course, Chris Brown. She is currently working on her debut solo album, but has released a single expected to be on the al-bum; the song is titled “I Like It.” When asked if there would be a remix to the new hit, she replied, “Hmm, you know what? We just might do one. I’m trying to think about whom I would want to work with; I have to think about that. I would love to do a re-mix though, that would be fun.” Sevyn also mentioned that she would love to work with her fel-low label-mates Trey Songz, Wiz Khalifa or B.o.B on future proj-ects, so maybe we will see one of these guys on the remix or even the album. Until we find out, all we can do is continue to “like” her music and eagerly await her album drop.

To view the full interview with Sevyn, visit www.spartanecho.org .

Sevyn goes solo

By Tony Batchler

The PlayStation 4 was “re-vealed” by Sony Computer En-tertainment Feb. 20 at a press conference in New York City. Although Sony implied that the new console will be avail-able for the upcoming holiday season it was not specified how much the PS4 will cost or even what the PS4 will look like.

They did however, show a new controller which will fea-ture a touch pad in the center where the start and select but-tons used to be. Also, there will be a button dedicated to uploading videos to various so-cial media web sites; this but-ton will be dubbed the ‘share button.’

“We will give a glimpse into the future of play,” said Sony President Andrew House, “De-veloper led, consumer inspired ... engineered by Sony Com-

puter Entertainment.”There was a strong emphasis

on the online capabilities for the PS4 as well as online in-tegration for the games. Sony is hoping to have the entire back catalog of video games from the PlayStation one, two and three era on a streaming service. This will be a re-placement, instead of making the PS4 physically capable of playing old PlayStation discs.

From a technical stand point, the system will have 8GBs of unified memory, an X86 CPU, 8 CPU cores, a 2 teraflops computational performance and a “Supercharged PC archi-tecture.” Sony will be releas-ing more information about the upcoming PS4 at the Electron-ic Entertainment Expo starting June 11.

PS4 ‘Coming Out’ party leaves many questions

By Jules Dean

The Norfolk State Univer-sity Players are filled with talented actors and actresses with a passion for theater. They are led by the seasoned and accomplished Director of Theater, Dr. Clarence W. Murray Jr. who time and time again has put on magical, up-lifting and entertaining plays over the years. These are plays that current students, alumni and the general public continue to talk about months after closing night of perfor-mance.

It is easy to see, then, how the Norfolk State theater community would be disap-pointed when a play that so many were excited to see, King Hedley II, was can-celled.

“Due to a disagreement between legal services at Norfolk State University and Samuel French, Inc., the play King Hedley II has been cancelled,” said Dr. Mur-ray. No further information was forthcoming regarding the disagreement. Samuel French, Inc. is one of the largest distributors of plays in the world.

“We were more sad if any-thing, knowing that all our hard work put towards the show was not going to be seen. I just had to take into consideration that things happen and life must go on,” said Asia Morris, a member of the NSU Players. We are now working on competition pieces and preparing for the upcoming musical ‘Tambou-rines to Glory.’ We are ex-cited to see all the dedicated

“King Hedley II” dies as

“Tambourines to Glory” is born

By Tony Batchler

fans come to this production and have a good time with the NSU players.”

This musical is a black gos-pel play by Langston Hughes that debuted on Broadway in the early 60s. It is set in Harlem and tells a story of two female street preach-ers who open up a storefront church. The story is uplift-ing, and will keep you fully engaged while you laugh, cry and cheer for the characters. ‘Tambourines to Glory’ will run April 19 -21 and 26 -28 in Little Brown Theater, Brown Hall. Come support these tal-ented Spartans as they con-tinue to perform amazing plays.

42, Oblivion, and Scary Movie 5 come out April 12. Photo credit: www.facebook.com/42movie, www.facebook.com/oblivion, www.facebook.com/scarymovie5.

The musical ‘Tambourines to Glory’ will run April 19-21 and 26-28 in Little Brown Theatre, Brown Hall.Photo credit: Yao Dogbe.

60.11 spartan echo

Documents