by Mahogany Waldon The White House and the U.S. Department of Education have launched two new initiatives through the My Brother’s Keeper foundation to combat student chronic absenteeism. The My Brother’s Keeper Mentors initiative, along with 10 participating communities and the Ad Council, have partnered with a multi-million dollar campaign to raise awareness and to … Continue reading
By Mahogany Waldon Clifton Lassiter, a former Norfolk State student passed away on Feb. 1 in Savannah, Georgia. Clifton battled leukemia prior to his passing. On campus, Clifton was a popular student with a passion for sports and modeling. Whether giving a word of advice or working on his own passions, Clifton was a … Continue reading
by Mahogany Waldon NSU student-athlete Amber Brown has awakened from a medically induced coma after she was found unresponsive on Jan. 1 due to complications with diabetes. The 19-year-old Lady Spartans forward was diagnosed last year with Type 1 diabetes. After suffering from a spiked blood sugar level, Brown went into cardiac arrest and suffered continuous … Continue reading
By Mahogany Waldon On Tuesday, Jan. 12, President Barack Obama gave his final State of the Union Address. Since coming into office in 2009, President Obama has been the face of change for the United States. His address reflected on the progress of the nation under his administration and spoke to the hopes for the … Continue reading
by Mahogany Waldon President Obama issued an executive order on gun control laws and a plan to expand mental healthcare access in the U.S. on Tuesday, Jan 5. The order comes in light of the recent San Bernardino shooting in December. According to ABC, the U.S. has seen a three-fold increase in mass shootings since … Continue reading
By Mahogany Waldon, Antonio Garland and Richelle Hammiel The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) brought its annual Chief of Transformation Conference to the Norfolk Waterside Marriott in Norfolk, Virginia from Tuesday, Dec. 8, through Thursday, Dec. 10. The conference highlighted the goals and plans for NATO’s Allied Command Transformation (ACT), which is one of two NATO … Continue reading
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Students from two Virginia schools are representing the state in the National Science Bowl. The event will be held Friday through next Monday at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria and Longfellow Middle School in … Continue reading
2 p.m. The University of Maryland campus in downtown Baltimore shut down its campus at 2 p.m., saying they’ve been warned by the Baltimore Police Department that “activities” in the area may turn violent. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the activities had anything to do with Freddie Gray, who died of a spinal … Continue reading
ATLANTA (AP) — Anthony Anderson can recall when he worried about scrounging up money to pay for the rest of his college tuition, food and housing while attending Howard University. Now the “Black-ish” star wants to help students avoid the same struggle. The actor-comedian and other celebrities, through their foundations, teamed up with … Continue reading
LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — Jerry Falwell credits his famous father for laying a solid academic foundation for Liberty University’s extraordinary growth, and it’s a formula he’s followed and built on as president of the evangelical Christian university. The younger Falwell has assiduously focused on Liberty as it has swelled to the largest university … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Corinthian Colleges canceled classes Monday and shut down all of its remaining 28 ground campuses, displacing about 16,000 students, less than two weeks after the Education Department announced it was fining the for-profit institution $30 million for misrepresentation. The Santa Ana, California-based company said it was working with other schools … Continue reading
HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — Internet demand is growing in Virginia schools, but some rural localities — including those in the Shenandoah Valley — experience challenges to improving broadband access for their students. Educators and technology professionals gathered last Tuesday at Harrisonburg High School for a panel discussion with Virginia Education Secretary Anne Holton and … Continue reading
HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — James Madison University’s board has approved undergraduate tuition and fee increases for the 2015-2016 academic year. In-state students living on campus will pay $19,084 in tuition and fees, a 3.2 percent increase. Tuition and fees for out-of-state students living on campus will increase by 2.6 percent to $34,218. Graduate … Continue reading
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Teresa A. Sullivan, the president of the University of Virginia, will speak May 9 at commencement at the University of Mississippi. Sullivan has served as Virginia’s eighth president, the first woman elected to that position, since 2010. Sullivan, a graduate of St. Joseph’s High School in Jackson, will … Continue reading
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — Three Lynchburg women are charged with submitting fraudulent student aid applications for Liberty University online classes. The indictment was unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Roanoke. It charges 42-year-old Melinda Smith, 61-year-old Catherine Pankey and 40-year-old Vernetta Johnson with multiple counts of student loan fraud and other charges. … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Education Department says it will fine Heald College $30 million, alleging the Corinthian Colleges subsidiary engaged in egregious misconduct and misled students. Corinthian, a massive for-profit educational institution, collapsed last summer amid a cash shortage and fraud allegations. The department alleged that Heald, based in San Francisco, had shown a … Continue reading
CHESTERFIELD, Va. (AP) — Chesterfield police have charged a 9-year-old girl with bringing a folding knife to school. Police tell media outlets that the girl didn’t display the weapon or threaten anyone. The incident occurred Monday at Matoaca Elementary School. The girl was charged with possession of a weapon on school property. Chesterfield … Continue reading
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — The swift discovery of the person who hung a noose at Duke University leaves questions ranging from the student’s identity to what punishment the person will face. The university has begun disciplinary proceedings that could result in suspension or expulsion, while federal and state law enforcement officials are … Continue reading
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has condemned the attack by Islamic militants on a Kenyan university as an act of “senseless brutality” and called for those responsible to change their violent ways. In a telegram of condolence Friday, Francis also urged Kenyan authorities to work to bring an end to such attacks and … Continue reading
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Kayla Tarrant loves the University of Maryland. But the campus tour guide says a racist email and photo attributed to her schoolmates makes her reluctant to encourage other black students to enroll “in a place where you feel unsafe and no one cares about you.” “We’re literally … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former and current college students calling themselves the “Corinthian 100” say they are on a debt strike and refuse to pay back their student loans. The name comes from Corinthian Colleges Inc., which operated the for-profit Everest College, Heald College and WyoTech schools before agreeing last summer to sell or close its 100-plus … Continue reading
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Once banned, hemp will be the focus of research atVirginia State University and Virginia Tech. Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed legislation in March to clear the way for the research. The law is effective July 1, with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services designated as the licensing agent … Continue reading
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — A new interim policy on sexual misconduct and gender-based violence at the University of Virginia requires that all complaints be examined by the school’s investigator or a trained external investigator. The measure was put in place this week, after about a year of work by administrators and students, and … Continue reading
DETROIT (AP) — For 24 years, a stone marker has stood along U.S. 80 in Alabama near the spot where Viola Gregg Liuzzo (lee-OO-zoh) was fatally shot by Klansmen while shuttling demonstrators after the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march. Wayne State University plans to give an honorary doctor of laws degree to Liuzzo … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 