Think Before You Eat

By Septima Glenn

“Would you like to super-size that?”

These are the words that were heard from a McDonald’s cashier before ordering a meal. However, the end of 2004 brought an end to the supersize menu. McDonald’s phased out the supersized menu because the company, along with the rest of the American public, realized how the large portions of fast food were adding on pounds. Today, the more than 13,000 McDonald’s around the country don’t have the supersize name. But the portion sizes have not follow.

According to the McDonald’s web site, in 1950 when a small drink was ordered, the consumer received about an eight-ounce drink. In 2007, a small drink is 16 ounces. The drink sizes go up to 42 ounces. With 26 more ounces also comes 260 more calories. McDonalds is not alone with their supersize mentality. Both Burger King and Wendy’s have larger size drinks despite phasing out the extra large names.

Restaurants also use a method known as bundling. This method adds a soft drink and fries to an entrée and urges consumers to spend a little more to get a lot more. A study done by the Prevention Institute found that this method was responsible for some of the largest increases in calorie intake.

The large portions don’t just add calories, but they may offer more than the recommended daily intake of certain foods. With restaurants such as Hardy’s and introducing their one third pound Angus burgers, consumers are taking in almost all of the meat they should eat in one day. According to the USDA, people should only have 5.5 ounces of meat a day. When an five ounce Angus burger is scarfed down, that almost covers the meat intake for the day.

With obesity rates on the rise, many attribute the larger portions to larger waistlines. Wendi El- Amin University of Virginia Assistant Professor of Nutrition said it’s all about portion control.

El- Amin gave a presentation about eating healthy during Hampton University’s Black Family Conference. During the presentation she urged everyone in the room to take eating healthy seriously because general health starts with eating right.

“The biggest way to shave some calories off of meals is portion control,” El-Amin said. “Some people may try to fill their plate until it is overflowing with food, but you should try keeping everything on one level on the inside rim on the plate.”

Even though El-Amin suggestions sound good, for some people, especially on college campuses, the battle to give into a cheap and filling meal from a fast food chain and going to eat a more balanced meal in the school’s cafeteria is a hard one.

Students at Hampton University have a particular struggle with eating healthy food. Numerous students have complained about the quality of food in the school’s cafeteria and with Burger King, McDonald’s, and a take-out restaurant within walking distance, there is a high chance students will become patrons of these restaurants.

“Eating fast food is so much better,” Hampton University freshman Dashana Briggs said. “It’s tastes better, it fills me up and it’s cheap.”

At Burger King and McDonald’s, the two fast food restaurants that are closest to the university, students can get a quick and easy meal that is also easy on the pocket. What students may not take into account are the calories and saturated fat that is being consumed.

On average at Burger King, the Whopper costs $2.24, has 680 calories and 13 grams of saturated fat. By paying about a $1.70 more, you can add a medium drink and fries, along with that comes 1270 calories and 23 grams of saturated fat. For less than a dollar, the size can be upped to a large fries and drink, and with 1,710 calories and 29 grams of saturated fat.

The alternatives at McDonald’s are much of the same. The Quarter Pounder with cheese goes for about $2.33 and comes with 530 calories and 13 grams of fat. When students make it a meal it costs them about $3.74, 1,190 calories and 17 grams of saturated fat.

Some students think that if there were other alternatives, they wouldn’t always go for the fast food.

“Since you can’t have a car until you’re a junior, your options are limited here,” junior Patriece Richards said. “At least give me the option of having a Subway that’s close and I might take it.”

According to Restaurants and Institutions Magazine, a magazine that follows consumer restaurant trends, 12 to year 19 year olds eat out more than any other age group. On average, this age group eats out about 24 times a month.

Many students take this quick and easy route and restaurants recognize the buying power these students possess.

“Restaurants know exactly what they’re doing,” William Phillips a District Sales Manager at Frito Lay, said. “They know students will always be hungry, they offer filling food that’s inexpensive, and they know HU students don’t like the cafe.”

Some suggest turning to the school’s cafeteria to receive a moral balanced meal. However, the choices there may not be as healthy as some may believe. According to Hampton University’s strength and conditioning coach, Zach Nott, the cafeteria is still about choices.

“When students go to the café they still have option,” Nott said. “If students choose to eat pizza and French fries every day, it is just as bad as eating fast food.”

When students come to the cafeteria they may not have the largest selection of food to choose from. With French fries served in both the traditional cuisine and fast food lines along with pizza and hamburgers served daily, students take what is offered to them.

“The café always has French fries and they always have chicken,” freshman Ermesha Fair said. “So that’s usually what I eat, chicken and fries.”

As students make their every day meal choices it is important to weigh all of the options to ensure that they are eating a balanced and healthy meal.

“No matter where you eat, it’s all about making the right dietary choices,” Nott said.

The Plight of my Hair

By Septima Glenn

“You are so lucky to have a scholarship and a free education.”

These are words that I hear on a weekly basis. However, I doubt my hair is thinking the same thing. Rain, wind, sweat and all the other elements of the world attack my hair six days a week leaving my “lookin like Celie” as one of my teammates put it.

During the few of weeks of off season I have, my hair enjoys being light, bouncy and with smooth edges, protected everyday from the outside elements and sweat that training brings. Even when I do need a relaxer I can wing with a nice roller set and fake it until I make it. During the season, my hair is not so lucky.

My coach, who happens to be male, could care less when it’s raining. He stands on the sidelines watching his female athletes run all around America without a thought to what this could be doing to our hair.

I am one of the few girls on my team who chooses to keep it real and get a relaxer every six weeks. Half of the team has that good hair. The kind that gets all curly when wet, so when the rain or whatever else comes their way, they wash and go and keep it moving. The other half of the team has made the decision to go natural. The kind that may or may not get curly when wet, but it’s certainly not straight so it doesn’t matter anyway. Maybe if I had taken this route, I wouldn’t be so upset every time the forecast calls for rain and my coach says, “Let’s Go”.

Thankfully, today is relaxer day. I know my hair is shouting to the heavens. It will receive an hour or so of pure bliss as it is returned to it’s off season state. It will remain light, bouncy, full of life and glow with healthiness… Well at least until I have to run in the rain again.

Obama is President… Now What?

By Septima Glenn

 

Many African- American parents have told their children they can be anything they want to be. However, some parents didn’t fully believe their words. With the emergence of Barack Obama, the first African- American President, parents may now be able to fully believe their statement.
On November 4, the world changed as many knew it and some questioned whether or not African Americans had to “step up”. Now that there is a black President, have the standards changed? Is more expected from the black man now that the President looks like him? Is “the white man is holding me down”, no longer a valid excuse? Some think that the burden should not be placed on Obama’s shoulders.

“We as a race should have stepped up a long time ago. Why should it take a black man becoming President to help us realize that we can do anything we put our mind to,” William Phillips said. If I think I need to step up because someone else did it first, then that’s a sad testament about me.”

However some black women believe it is now up to the black man to show what he can do. According to Starema Flood, black women have already stepped up and shown what they’re made of, now it’s time for their counterparts to do the same thing.

“It’s time for black men to stand up and let their voices be heard. After all we do have a black man as President,” Flood said. “If that’s not enough of an example and something to work towards, I don’t know what is.”

Not all people agree that the African-American race has more work to do. With almost 8 million black voters turning out for this election and almost 96 percent of them voting for Obama, some believe that in itself is enough of a statement.

“As a whole, we already stepped up,” Shayna Whitley said. “We rallied, we gathered and turned out in record numbers in order to elect him in the first place. I feel like we already made the big step.”

Big step or not, some take Obama being elected as sign of the change of times; a sign that although there is still prejudice in the world, it can no longer be used as a crutch for black people.

“There are no excuses. I can’t blame it on prejudice or anything else,” Janean Morris said. “If I fail, it’s because I fail. It’s my fault and no one else’s.

Hampton U. classroom becomes newsroom

By Lapraya McCoy

 

Jacqueline Flowers, a junior broadcast journalism major from Charlotte, N.C., woke up on Tuesday morning dreading the events that were to come. She had already sent in her absentee ballot, so instead of voting, she spent time at Barack Obama’s campaign office on the edge of Hampton University’s campus and recorded history.

 

“At that point,” she said, “I was tired and I didn’t see the point in doing it.”

 

Because Flowers bit the bullet, she can now say she a was a part of the first group of Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications students who worked Election Day to provide print and live broadcast coverage of Obama, now the president-elect.

 

“We gave up our Homecoming and a lot of time for that moment right there,” she said “and it made it all worth it.”

 

When Van Dora Williams, a Scripps Howard professor, first came up with the idea to have her students write radio or TV stories about the election, she did not realize how much the experience would mean to them.

 

“I didn’t think they could scream like that,” said Williams.

 

Williams encouraged other professors like Wayne Dawkins and Drew Berry to jump on board to challenge students to step out of their comfort zone. They were receptive.

 

So, Tuesday night Nov. 4, several Scripps Howard classrooms became one big newsroom and the students worked in teams to produce radio broadcasts for WHOV FM and live 10-minute newscasts that aired on Channel 52 across campus every 30 minutes from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m.

 

For Chris Swails, a senior broadcast journalism major, it was inspiring to be around students who are capable of running the show, he said.

 

“I get a lot of confidence from these people,” said Swails, who aspires to host his own radio show.

 

Swails worked on a piece that ranked the top five battleground states based on the complaints they received at the polls.

 

The story was read on-air by Sharise Darby, a junior broadcast journalism major from Atlanta, and McKenzie Harris, a junior broadcast journalism major from Austin, Texas.

 

“Surprisingly I wasn’t nervous,” said Harris. “It was like another practice day for me.”

 

Harris, like many of her peers, said she experienced a few difficulties where the video malfunctioned and she had to ad lib.

 

Berry, professor of media management, said he was pleased that the students remained positive and did not point fingers when things did not go the way they planned.

 

As Berry looks forward to doing more to prepare students for the work field, Williams is already planning coverage for the January inaugural speech.

 

“This is a great year for students overall,” she said.

 

 

The writer is a junior at Hampton University Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications.

Celebration Ensues at Hampton University

by Septima Glenn

 

At 10:57pm, screams could be heard from across campus as students at Hampton University realized that Barack Obama was the new President-Elect of the United States of America. Fireworks went off, horns blew, students rushed into the streets and an all-night celebration ensued.

 

“I was hugging people I didn’t even know,” sophomore Margaret Harris said. “It feels like I’m in a movie right now. It just doesn’t feel real.”

 

Thousands of students crammed into the streets of the Harbors Apartment Complex. Located right across the street from campus, residents and students celebrated together as they realized history had been made.

 

“I am a part of history,” senior Rachel Lewis said. “I helped make this happen. Never in a million years would I have guessed this would happen.”

 

The crowd chanted “Obama” to the beat of music and continued their celebration until Hampton University police came to shut it down. The crowd was not deferred. Instead of shutting down the celebration and going back home, they migrated, this time to Hampton University’s Ogden Circle. Students flooded around the circle of nations to participate in what some couldn’t believe was true.”

 

“It’s like I see all the numbers and I know that John McCain has already congratulated him, but it still hasn’t hit me,” senior Brandon Jones said.

 

More chanting continued, but a hush came over the crowd as one of the car radios blasted Obama’s acceptance speech.

 

“The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there,” Obama said.

 

As the crowd in Chicago began chanting, “Yes we can! Yes we can!”, the students on campus joined in, filling the air with joyous optimism. The campus police followed the students to Ogden Circle and although the blue lights flashed, police let the students continue this time.

 

“It’s three of them against like thousands of us,” Sophomore Predist Walker said. “They mine as well just leave us alone. We’re not hurting anybody, we’re just having a good time.”

 

The rain began to softly fall from the skies but that didn’t stop the roars from the crowd. With Os in the air and fists to the sky, students sang, “I love I love I love my Obama… I love I love I love my Obama…”

 

“This is bigger than any party I’ve ever been to,” Lewis said. “People are mad hype and even though people’s shoes are getting stepped on and people are bumping into each other, no one is fighting. This is a great night.”

 

 

 

 

Obama-Rama!

Danielle Canada

Senior, BRDJ, Atlanta, GA

HAMPTON- Hampton University students rallied together two times on November 4, 2008. First they rallied together at the polls, standing in line as early as 5 o’ clock in the morning to cast their votes for president of the United States. Next they rallied together in celebration. One group of Hampton University seniors had a party to watch the results of the election. These students held an “Obama Rama” party complete with a fully decorated apartment with posters and pictures of Barack Obama adorning the walls. The party felt like New Year’s Eve as noise makers were blown and champagne was poured up until that pivotal moment when the results were in. At that moment pandemonium erupted. Students jumped, screamed, yelled and even cried upon hearing that Barack Obama will be the 44^th president of the United States of America. After which the party was moved to the Hampton Harbor Apartments. A mob of Hampton University students celebrated in the streets by dancing, screaming and chanting. Students were so rambunctious that they even jumped onto a passing by fire truck to celebrate the election. The feeling in the air was of triumph, excitement and relief. Hampton University senior Alisha Glover said it best, “My president is black! Oh my god, we really did it!” The day people doubted would ever happened is upon us proving that all things are possible, that every vote counts and that history has been made.

 

*******PROFESSOR BATTS, I HAVE AT LEAST FIVE MORE VIDEOS TO POST BUT KYTE IS RUNNING SLOW. I’M WORKING ON POSTING THE REST RIGHT NOW!*******************************

Scenes at a neighborhood polling place

By Kimberly Colander

HAMPTON, Va. – Hundreds of voters lined up at A.W.E. Bassette Elementary School here at 8 a.m. to take part in the Presidential Election. Voters faced chilly temperatures and rain as they waited to cast their ballots.  

On the grass surrounding the school there were numerous Barack Obama-Joe Biden signs and only one John McCain-Sarah Palin sign. There were also several Glenn Nye and Mark Warner signs in the yard. Both Democrats were respectively running for House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

 

Democratic volunteers for the Obama-Biden campaign were present and working. They carried signs along the length of the line and also handed out Democratic Party sample ballots to people waiting in line.   

The parking lot at the school was packed. Empty parking spots were scarce. People had to park their cars blocks away and walk to the voting location in the cold and wet weather. Most of the people in the L-shaped line were middle-aged African-Americans.

 

An “express vote” was offered to the elderly voters so they would not have to stand in line for hours or be exposed to the bad weather. Senior citizens were allowed to pull up to the curb and vote from their own car. Some seniors took advantage of the program, but others wanted to get the entire election experience by standing in line.   

The line grew longer by the minute and at some points it was at a standstill. Although the voting process was longer than normal and the rain was consistent, most voters were not in bad spirits. They kept themselves encouraged by telling jokes and reminiscing about segregation and the fight to vote.

 

The voting took place in the music and physical education room in Bassettte Elementary. People came out of the room with big smiles after they had voted. They had encouraging words for the voters who were still standing out in the rain.  

Kevin Douglas, a sophomore Old Dominion University student from Hampton, arrived at Bassette to vote shortly after 8 a.m. This was his first time voting, but he was not worried about making any mistakes during the voting process.

 

“I’m not worried about the line,” Douglas said, “The vote is more important than the line.”

After voting, Douglas said that he felt like he had played a significant role in history by taking part in this election. He said the only thing left now is to find out which of the presidential nominees win the election.

 

The writer is a junior at Hampton University Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications.

Hampton citizens, students arrive at polls before dawn

By Jared Council

HAMPTON, Va. —  Outside the Woodlands Golf Course at 3:47 a.m., on a rainy Tuesday, Nov. 4, signs of life were present, as well as signs of anticipation for the final lap of a U.S. presidential race that’s lasted for nearly two years.

“I couldn’t wait much longer,” said 44-year-old Steve Bell of Hampton, standing first in line under a pavilion with his umbrella closed. “I’d rather get up early and wait for the polls to open than wait in line when the polls will be packed.”

Edwards was on line two hours before the 6 a.m. poll opening.

Some didn’t have to get up early. Justin Edwards, a senior business management major at Hampton University, stayed up and watched the night sky as his four friends slept in his car.

“I was already up,” Edwards said, “So I figured since I’m going to be up, I might as well stay up to vote.” He and his friends were the first HU students at Woodlands Golf Course, arriving at 1:30 a.m.

By 4 a.m., the dark-purple sky remained the same hue; but the activity under this sky grew as people from all over came to get in line early to vote.

Bobbette Raimey, 50, left Silver Spring, Md., at 1 a.m. to return to Hampton to vote. She returned because she recently moved to Maryland from Hampton and she thought that registering to vote in another state might be risky.

“I didn’t want to hear any reasons to as to why I couldn’t vote,” Raimey said, this being her first time voting since she earned the right. Raimey’s zeal to avoid any voting conflicts even caused her to delay changing her last name despite her recent marriage.

While people like Raimey traveled from out of state, a considerable amount of Hampton students traveled from their dorms and from the Harbors, only 500 yards away. They left their candidate paraphernalia but brought along school wardrobe. Being young and black and wearing their Hampton hoodies, HU students made the voting line look like a homecoming concert ticket line.

At 5:30 a.m., there were 77 HU students out of more than 100 people in line. At 6 a.m. when the polls opened, there were 164 HU students in the L-shaped line that spanned the length of the side of the parking lot.

Some who weren’t HU students but had ties to the university showed up to vote too.

Cora M. Reid, who works in the Harvey Library, graduated from Hampton in 1944 and had a father and a grandfather who went there. Reid said she got up early to vote because she wants to see a black president. “I hope I will,” she said.

Majorie Sale, a 58-year-old pipe designer from Hampton, was a McCain supporter. She told her boss she would be late for work at 5 a.m. in order to vote.

While nearly 250 people lined up before polls opened, voters who showed up afterward, like Michael Riddick, anticipated and accepted the long lines.

“We’ve waited for days to vote,” said Riddick. “What’s a few hours?”

 

The writer is a junior at Hampton University Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications.

Election Day Vignette

Kimberly Colander

Prof Batts

JAC 404-01

Election Experience

A Moving Moment

      November 4, 2008 is expected to be one of the most important days in American history. I was not looking forward to Election Day because of all the stress I knew I would have to endure for the coverage and the line I knew I would have to face. But, it turned out to be something that wasn’t stressful. Instead, I felt a sense of pride and importance.

      My polling location was A.W.E. Bassette Elementary School in Hampton. My mother and I were arrived there at 8:30 am. The location was packed. It was extremely hard to find a park. Voters were circling around the school and some even parked blocks away and walked. It was rainy and cold but we stood in the line for an hour and a half to cast our ballot. The other voters were encouraging and shared umbrellas and stories of the importance of this election with each other.

      When I first arrived on the scene and realized that there were at least 300 people in line ahead of me, I felt discouraged and the weather didn’t make it any better. But the high spirits from the other enthusiastic voters eased my irritation. When I finally reached the inside of the building I became more excited about voting and it was like the importance of my vote hit me. I also became a little nervous that I may fill out my ballot incorrectly and my voice wouldn’t be heard. I know it was only four categories to vote for but it must have taking me five minutes to complete the ballot. I watched the people around me finish and new voters come and finish too. I just wanted to make sure that I was doing it right. I took in the moment because it was my first time ever voting.

      After I voted I felt very accomplished. My older sister sent me a text and said that I was now a woman because I voted. I think that the wait in the rain was worth for that feeling of significance. I only hope that my vote will help get Barack Obama elected and hope reshape our country.

Election Day Vignette

Kevin Kee

2008 Presidential Election Reflection Paper

10-04-08

Media Ethics

Professor: Batts 

     Today November 4^th 2008 I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to have my voice heard for the first time.  Not in a literal sense but in the sense of voting.  Today was my first time voting and it was an unforgettable event.  I never really considered voting until Senator Barack Obama decided to run for president. I thought that voting was a waste of time, and up until about a month ago I was not even a registered voter, but senator Obama’s decision to run for the president  not only persuaded me to vote; it also gave me hope for the future of African Americans.

     After having woken up so early, I proceeded to my precinct which was Cooper Elementary School on Marcella Road in Hampton.  I thought that my waking up early and going to the polls as soon as they opened would decrease my chances of being caught in a long line; I could not have been more wrong.  It seemed as if everyone had the same idea I had or at least a similar one.  As I stood in the line awaiting my turn to vote, my eyes wondered to the people around me.  I wondered if they all felt the same way I did.  Did they realize how momentous this event was and did they know what the outcome of this day would bring?

     It is finally my chance to vote I entered the double doors of the school and proceeded to the poll administrator to show my license and then to another administrator to receive my ballot.  This is it I thought what I waited two hours for, my reason for waking up so early, it took about a second to fill out the ballot and then the deed was done.  All the anticipation and the waiting paid off and I left the poll feeling excited to see the results later tonight. Who will become the next president of the United States and was my voice really heard I guess I will find out later along with everyone else who voted.

Election Day Vignette

Brittney Fennell                                                                                      November 4, 2008

JAC 404                                                                                                  Professor Batts 

My Absentee Voting Experience

      A few weeks ago, I voted by absentee ballot for the state of New Jersey. Even though it wasn’t the same as going to the polls, I still felt that my decision was of importance. This is the first time I was ever eligible to vote, and I’m still trying to get over the fact that I was able to vote for a black person who just might win and change the way others see America. Filling in that circle next to Barack Obama’s and Joe Biden’s name made me feel that I was taking part in history. I always knew that I would see a black president in my lifetime; however, I just didn’t know it would be this soon. As a little kid when you’re growing up, you always hear your peers say that they want to become president. I’ve heard plenty of young black boys say that they want to become the first black president, but now they may not have to be. If Barack Obama is elected president, he will not only change American history, but African-American history as well. In the 1960s in the segregated south, blacks fought for equal rights including the right to vote. Fast-forward forty years later, Barack Obama is on the brink of re-writing the course of America.

      My vote took place weeks in advance, but is apart of a presidential election that will go down in history, and will be talked about for years to come. I may have not been able to go to the polls for my first voting experience but I am glad that I am able to say that my vote was counted and that I took part in a historical election.

“I came, I stood, I voted.”

Tiffani Haynes

Election Day Coverage

Word Count: 619

 

            The urgency and pressing need for a change in the White House has never been so clear, at least not in my 21 years of living.

            I’ve lived through my fair share of events, Y2K and September 11^th alone were huge, and yet nothing has affected me more than watching presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama run the most successful campaign any Black man has done in his attempt at the White House.

            It wasn’t merely the fact that Obama was Black, after all Jesse Jackson was Black and never stood a chance. It was the poise, intelligence and simplicity in which Obama carried himself that I began to love. He represented what my young eyes had never seen in politics, honesty. Now, I’m not naïve enough to believe that everything that comes out of his mouth is 100% honesty, after all it’s politics, no one who’s 100% honest makes it anywhere, an honest but true fact. It is his overall air of honesty that I appreciate. His ability to use simple terms to explain complex problems. No eloquent terms to grandly describe what he would attempt to do for America. No staggering statistics to discredit his opponent. Just facts.

            Yet aside from his political standpoint and views, I also loved that Obama had a wife he openly expressed love for, a stable family and a solid career before his run for president. The Obamas represent a powerful Black family with ease. A family operating under Christian beliefs with unity. Black power and Black love at its most successful level. I loved it.

            It is because of my belief in his idea for change, his political views, his family and his competence as a leader that I couldn’t wait to vote.

            I got up at 4:30 a.m. after volunteering with a midnight canvassing for the Obama office until 1: 30 a.m. Operating on less than three hours of sleep I eagerly got up and was excited to go vote. I picked up my friend Craig and we went. We arrived right before the polls opened at six and stood in the long line to vote.

            With umbrellas up and surrounded by people,  I never felt more proud to be a Black American. Not only Black because Obama is Black but American because of our democracy and our progress. The playing field will never truly be equal and racism will never truly end but America has grown by leaps and bounds. The thought of a Black man running for president was only a figment of our civil rights leaders’ minds, merely a dream that no one knew at the time could actually come to fruition.

            In some strange way I felt like I was a part of the civil rights movement, a full circle movement. It began long ago with people dying so that I could do exactly what I was doing now, stand in line with other young Black college kids and vote. Many of the people fighting for my right to vote were no older than I am now.

            As I handed over my voter registration I felt proud, which sounds simple but is the only way to describe my emotions. As they said, “Tiffani Haynes, here to vote,” I beamed inside. That’s right, I was here to vote. To change history. To become apart of history.

            I filled in the bubble that said Barack Obama/Joe Biden as full as I could get it. I didn’t want a single chance my vote was missed. It was silly but those were my thoughts. I slipped my ballot into the machine to be counted and was handed my “I Voted” sticker.

            That’s right. I had voted. Tiffani Haynes, here to vote

Hampton Univ. Pirates push out to polls

By Michael Turner

HAMPTON, Va. – Most students planning to hit the polls Tuesday morning in hopes of beating the crowd had set their alarms, coordinated transportation, and prepared their routes to polling stations Monday night.

 

Some students had little other choice.

 

Terry Pompey, a freshman journalism major from New Jersey, was on a train home Monday night in order to cast his ballot in person. Pompey estimated that he would arrive after 2 a.m.

 

“I’ve got at least three more hours on this train,” he said, “but I had to find a way to show up in person to make sure what little I can add to the voting process is counted.”

 

Even after realizing how tiring Monday and Election Day will be, Pompey was excited to be voting at the polls for the first time in such an historic election: “My mom was all for me coming home, too. She said as long as I was willing to pay the train ticket, she’d wait for me to go out and vote with her.”

 

A number of other students on campus expressed similar obligations to make a physical appearance at the polls — even if they hadn’t registered outside of their home state.

 

Ronald Britt, a sophomore nursing major from Maryland, also returned home last night. He and his mother planned on waking up this morning before dawn to vote.

 

“She is the one who really wanted me to experience the voting process first hand,” he said.

 

“At first the idea of coming back home just to stand in long lines when I could just send an absentee ballot seemed dumb, but now, I realize how much more personal this type of voting will be.”

 

Britt’s anticipation of drawn-out wait times and rowdy crowds did not deter his plan or put a dent his mood, either.  “I’m assuming it will be packed,” he said, “but that’s going to be a unique part of my in-person experience.”

In state, a number of students are returning to vote at local polling stations in Suffolk and Virginia Beach, while others are driving to Alexandria and Manassas in Northern Virginia.

Sean Hunt, a junior nursing major was driving over three hours to Washington, D.C. Monday night not only to return home, but to “get close to the action,” he said. “I can’t wait to see how Washington reacts to Obama’s win tomorrow night. Or maybe the other way around.”

 

Coming off the heels of this past weekend’s Hampton homecoming festivities, a renewed presence of family across campus brought the idea of voting into a very personal context. The mix of election campaigning at alumni-drawing events like the bazaar and concert placed the election at the forefront of many parents’ minds.

 

“My dad came up this weekend and really pushed me to come back home and stand in line at the polls with him,” said Jamila Gerald, a junior education major.

 

“It made me less annoyed with having to make the trip home to Virginia Beach because he is so motivated to vote.”

 

Hampton students set out in all directions last night to arrive ready to vote Tuesday morning. By the time the lines lengthen, Pirates hope to be at the forefront of not only experiencing history, but writing it first-hand.                   

 

The writer is a junior at the Hampton University Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications.

Fashion emerges as Election Day issue

By Mya Singleton

 

HAMPTON, Va. – With Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 4 approaching, more participants are showing their support by wearing voter paraphernalia. Voters have had the freedom to wear any presidential attire; however things will change in Virginia on Election Day. 

 

The fashion world has become politically stylish as people encourage voters by wearing buttons, hats, stickers, and T-shirts of their preferred candidate.  Many Hampton University students have decorated their backpacks, purses and laptops with stickers and buttons. Student organizations around campus have supported the election by selling T-shirts with phrases such as “Rock the Vote” or “Respect my Vote.” 

 

Hampton’s Saturday Homecoming Bazaar and football game featured vendors selling presidential T-shirts. Ysmael Baylor, a junior computer science major said, “I think it’s good for people to support their candidate with the clothes they wear, but only to a certain extent so they are not over enthused.” 

 

Stores, boutiques, and fashion designers are using the election to their advantage. Halloween trick-or-treaters had the opportunity to dress up as their favorite presidential candidate. Spirit Halloween and iParty stores pushed Halloween sales of Barack Obama and John McCain masks. A Hampton University student was seen around campus on Halloween dressed up in an Obama mask and suit. Students jokingly asked him questions about his opinions on the upcoming Election Day. 

 

The election not only has students changing their sense of style. The fashion industry is also taking the event by storm. Designer Marc Jacobs has shown his election support by selling political T-shirts at his stores and online sites. Obama recently got support during Paris’ Spring/Summer ’09 Fashion Week. Designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac created an Obama dress and models supported the designs by ripping the runway. 

 

Although most paraphernalia has positive messages, there was some controversy after people began selling T-shirts with slogans such as “Obama is my Slave” and “Vote Paris [Hilton] ’08 for President: Not that white-haired dude.” 

 

Alyndria Thompson, a junior biology major said, “I think some voters do actually wear these certain shirts to support their candidate, however, some are just wearing it because it is the latest fad.”

 

 

Although voters have had the opportunity to support their candidates in any type of fashion, the Virginia State Board of Elections is enforcing a law in which voters will not be able to wear clothing, hats, buttons or other paraphernalia that promotes a certain candidate within 40 feet of and inside the polling place. If people wish to wear their apparel, they can remove their items or turn their clothing inside out.

 

 

Virginia is following this procedure similar to other states such as Maine, Montana, Vermont and Kansas. The State Board of Elections had to consider the citizens’ First Amendment rights, but decided to follow through because wearing the items is a form of campaigning that is prohibited on polling grounds.

 

 

Erin Jones, a junior broadcast journalism major said, “I’m wearing my shirt on Nov. 3 [Monday], since I can’t wear it when I go to vote on Election Day.”  

 

People who choose to violate the law will be asked to leave the polling place, but they will still be able to vote at a later time.  However, if a violator refuses to leave, they could be arrested.

 

 

On Election Day, the polling place is simply an area to vote and not to campaign or use fashion statements to encourage people. Voters started this political trend, but will have to rethink their sense of style when they go to the polls.

 

The writer is a junior at the Hampton University Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications.

Students pursue varied ballot-casting strategies

By Shannon Epps

 

HAMPTON, Va. – Hampton University student Justin Manning was canvassing and volunteering in hopes of helping Barack Obama win his bid for the White House.

 

The senior political science major, like some other college students, took advantage of various options that students had when voting. 

 

 

Instead of going home to Brooklyn, N.Y., to cast his vote on Nov. 4, Manning chose to change his voter registration to his campus address so that he could vote in Virginia, a state that hasn’t chosen a Republican for president since 1964.

 

“New York is always going to be blue, so why not help a red state?” Manning said. 

Manning decided to vote early in Hampton as opposed to going to the polls on Election Day.

 

Some voters have voiced concern about long lines at the polls. Manning said his experience wasn’t too much of a problem. 

 

 

“It was my first time voting,” he said. “I didn’t expect the line to be so long, but once I got inside it was organized. I was out in about an hour.”

 

Mike Livingston, a first-year professional pharmacy student, also switched his registration from his home of Bowie, Md., to his campus address. He had planned to vote absentee, but missed the deadline to request an application. 

 

 

Unlike Manning, Livingston plans to vote on Tuesday. He’s slightly concerned about long lines at the polls. He plans to vote around 6 a.m., when the polls open, along with a few friends.

 

“My only concern is that if there’s going to be a long line,” Livingston said. “I hope it’s not early in the morning when I go.” 

 

 

He said he plans to vote for Barack Obama, and would expect the senator from Illinois to win the election even if he was supporting Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

 

“I don’t think it’s going to be close, but I don’t think it will be a landslide,” Livingston said. “I think it’s going to be somewhere in the middle.” 

 

 

Elliot Croom, a junior electrical engineering major sent an absentee ballot to his home of Birmingham, Ala., two weeks ago in hopes of a victory for Obama in the traditionally Republican state. 

 

 

“I wanted to vote in Alabama because Alabama is usually red and I think there’s a chance that it could be blue this year, even though it might be relatively small,” he said.

 

Croom said he initially had reservations about voting absentee, but decided he wanted to try to make a difference in his home state.

 

He doesn’t expect there to be a lot of problems in the voting process because he thinks precincts are taking the “necessary precautions,” said Croom to prevent any potential complications. 

 

 

“I think all the poll [officials] will be on their P’s and Q’s,” Croom said. “If they did that always then voting would always go smoothly, but you know you can only ask so much of public service.”

 

Livingston said that however voters choose to cast their ballots, he hopes they all exercise their right to participate in this historic election.

 

 

“For this election in particular, I think it’s very important that everyone go out and vote,” he said. “This election has made the process of voting a very popular and important one so that everyone can share their opinion on how the United States’ future should continue.”

 

The writer is a junior at the Hampton University Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications.