Last week, a group composed of 21 students and 4 faculty members, represented Southern University at New Orleans at the 70th Joint Annual Meeting of Beta Kappa Chi (BKX) National Scientific Honor Society and the National Institute of Science (NIS) in Washington, D.C. The meeting, hosted by the University of the District of Columbia centered around the theme of “Bridging the Gap in STEM* Research from Conception to Application”.  At the meeting students were able to attend lectures, network with their peers along with representatives from a number of graduate and professional schools and present their research through oral and poster platforms.  SUNO’s contingent represented that largest that the University has sent to the STEM conference.

Keynotes speakers included, Dr. Lawrence Tabak from the National Institutes of Health discussing his personal equation for success; Dr. Kevin Gardner who discussed the ongoing study of links between obesity and cancer and Dr. Leonard Haynes III who inspired the audience with his own keys to achievement.

In addition to their academic undertakings, students were given the opportunity to tour historically black neighborhoods surrounding the district, culminating with a trip to the national mall where students visited the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and surveyed the numerous science museums at their disposal including the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.  Their trip culminated in an awards banquet where SUNO students garnered a number of honors, the most in the University’s history including a sweep of one of the mathematics oral platforms.  Three first time winners received awards:  Amber Dillon (2nd place, mathematics oral), Schondell Thomas (2nd place, mathematics poster), and Curtis Lawrence (1st place, biology oral).  Other winners included Dot’Toya Jones (2nd place, mathematics oral), Rispah Sang (2nd place, mathematics oral), Gino Loverde (1st place, mathematics oral), Monicah Jepkemboi (2nd place, biology poster), and Jasmin Jenkins (2nd place, biology poster).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: David M. Grubb

(504) 286-5343 or (504) 810-3048

dgrubb@suno.edu

March 12, 2013

GAME PREVIEW: (8) Southern University at New Orleans vs. (1) Lubbock Christian

FRANKFORT, KY – Southern University at New Orleans (19-4, 11-3 GCAC) begins play in the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship on Thursday as the eight seed in their bracket and will take on the top seeded Lubbock Christian Lady Chaparrals (29-3, 13-3 Sooner Athletic Conference) beginning at 4:30 pm EDT.  Fans can follow the action online at NAIA.org.

The Lady Knights enter the tournament after earning an automatic bid by claiming the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament Championship.

Game at a Glance

SUNO in the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship:  Second tournament appearance; SUNO is 0-1 all-time at the tournament.

Series Info: This is the first meeting between SUNO and Lubbock Christian.

Coaches: Elston King is in his 33^rd season at SUNO (242-148); 33^rd season overall (242-148).  Steve Gomez is in his ninth season at Lubbock Christian (203-92); ninth season overall (203-92).

Rankings:  SUNO was not ranked in the final NAIA Division I Coaches Poll, Lubbock Christian was ranked third.

SUNO Twitter Page: @SUNOKnights

Storylines

• This game is a contrast of styles.  While SUNO is one of the top defensive teams in the country, ranking first in field goal percentage defense, defensive rebounding, blocks per games, and second in 3-point field goal percentage defense and total rebounding the Lady Chaps rank third nationally in points per game, fourth in scoring margin, second in 3-point field goal percentage and first in field goal and free throw percentage.
• April Perry finished the regular season as the nation’s leading scorer at 22.17 points per game and was 12^th in assists earning GCAC Player of the Year and GCAC Tournament MVP honors along the way.
• Janee Morton finished second on the team in scoring this season with 16 points per game.  She scored in double figures in 19 of 23 contests. The All-GCAC performer was at her best during the GCAC tournament averaging 19.6 points and 8.3 rebounds on 68 percent shooting.
• Rose Boatner has collected double figures in rebounds each of the last ten games.  She has averaged 12.3 rebounds per game during that streak.
• Sabrina Scott was third nationally in total blocks (89) averaging 5.93 blocks per game.  She was selected to both the All-GCAC regular season and tournament teams and led the nation with three triple-doubles.

ATLANTA – Students from the nation’s leading historically black colleges recently clashed in a battle of wits at the 7th Annual Ford Black College Quiz Show.  This year’s winners shared over $25K in cash prizes, and earned 12-months of bragging rights for their respective schools.  Host RonReaco Lee (BET’s “Let’s Stay Together”) awarded championship medals and cold hard cash to the student participants in the “Jeopardy-style” nationally televised challenge.

“Participating in this year’s Ford Black College Quiz has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my career to date,” said Lee. “Being able to interact with the students and witness first hand their enthusiasm, competitive nature and sheer brain power is something I know I’ll never forget!”

Produced by Central City Productions, in the show’s seventh season the format was tweaked slightly to allow each participant an opportunity to win cash prizes based on their ranking after four rounds of competitive play.  The first-place winners, Stillman College’s Lawrence Brown, Bethune-Cookman student Ketrina Childs, Spelman College’s Nandi Stewart, and Alexis Tardy from Talladega College received a prize of $5,000 to further their studies.  Second-place winners, Artis Collins III of Paine College, Rust College’s Noah Moore, Leroy Myers Jr. of University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and Coppin State University’s Tanisha Smith were awarded $1000 scholarships. $500 was given to third place prize recipients Claflin State University’s Brandon Britt, Ryan Brookens of Hampton University, Central State University’s Karon Jones, and Terri Simon-Coleman of Southern University at New Orleans.

“I am extremely excited about our new format for the 2013 Ford Black College Quiz series, which increased our student scholarship monies to over $25,000 – the highest ever over the 7 years of the program series,” said Don Jackson, executive producer and Central City Productions CEO.  “Also, the new format provided an opportunity for us to have four first place winners, rather than just one grand prize winner at the end of our 4-part series. This added another dimension of excitement and competition for all of the participating students.”

The Ford Black College Quiz Show featured 12 gifted students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) skillfully displaying their knowledge of notable African-American facts. Over the course of four half-hour episodes BCQ competitors, three participants per show, earned financial scholarships for their involvement, which is a change from previous years. The top performers received $5,000 scholarships while the second and third place finishers took home $1,000 and $500 each respectively.

The series aired in syndication in various markets around the country.

For more information on the winners, visit www.blackcollegequiz.com. To connect with the Ford Black College Quiz on social media platforms, follow us on Twitter @BlkCollegeQuiz, and ‘like’ us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BlackCollegeQuiz.

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About Central City Productions
Founded in 1970 by Don Jackson, Chicago-based Central City Productions is a distributor of original targeted programming to television and cable networks.  CCP’s award-winning television programs include the Stellar Gospel Music Awards, the Trumpet Awards, Bud Billiken Back-to-School Parade, Know Your Heritage, The Black College Quiz Show Series, Hispanic College Quiz, Our World with Black Enterprise and The Black Enterprise Business Report, among many others. For more information, please visit www.ccptv.com.  

“You have to be unafraid to be wrong”

Traditional might be the last word that you would ever use to describe Southern University at New Orleans Senior Terri Coleman.  There isn’t really a neat box that she fits into and that’s just the way she likes it.  Terri, who serves as lead writer for the SUNO Observer and as a member of the Honda All-Star Challenge Team is a mix of opinions, humor, sharp wit and intellect.

She has been one of the driving forces in helping SUNO’s Challengers become one of the most successful teams in the nation the last two years.  The team advanced to the quarter finals last season, and her coach Amelia Sellers acknowledges that it is in no small part to Terri’s hard work.  ”She really motivates her teammates.  If there is a word for someone being in more than energetic, she’s that.  Terri is a brilliant and unique young lady and we’re so glad to have her.”

“When I first got to SUNO, I was really kind of floating”, said Terri.  ”I hadn’t applied myself in the classroom, but when I joined the Honda Team, it felt like I had found a group of like-minded people and that helped me to improve my work and admit that I like learning.  What also made it so great for me is that people underestimated us when we went to competitions.  My favorite part of this has been destroying that perception of what people think that we’re capable of. Doing well is much sweeter when it’s unexpected.  Before people looked at us like a joke; now we’re a threat.”

Southern University at New Orleans has always accepted non-traditional students, and Terri sees that as one of the biggest strengths of her team.  ”Our team just isn’t like the other one’s that we see.  Some of us have more life experiences so we really just enjoy this.  We’re having fun while learning the periodic table.  I had no idea that there were so many elements named after towns in Sweden.”

This season, Terri expects more success for the team.  ”I’m not making any definitive predictions, but I’m confident that we can do at least as well as we did last year.  The older players like myself, Marc Guichard and Dalvin Ford hope that we’ve established a tradition with what we’ve been able to accomplish.  We’ve worked to find freshmen and sophomores who want to compete and just love being dorky and there are some really promising players.  I’ll definitely be watching from afar to see what they’re doing after I graduate.”

Recently, Terri branched out to participate in her first individual competition, The Ford 7th Annual Black College Quiz.  She represented SUNO extremely well, finishing third overall and earning a $500 scholarship.  ”It was pretty stressful,” said Ms. Coleman.  ”Typically my area of focus is in literature and this competition really covered a wide range of topics.  I’m a bit of  a dork, so I don’t really keep up with pop culture, which was one of the categories.  I just couldn’t tell you 50 Cent’s real name, so that was funny.  Then again,  a lot of the people I was competing with were just like me.”

So what makes a really good quiz bowl players?  ”You have to have an interest in everything“, said Terri.  ”You have to be able to think and respond quickly and you have to be unafraid to be wrong.”

It looks like SUNO’s opponents just might be the ones with something to fear.

The Southern University at New Orleans Student Government Association’s Junior Class will host the “Crush the Rush” event this Saturday, February 16th during the SUNO Knights home basketball games versus the rival Xavier Gold Rush/Nuggets.  Each member of SUNO’s Junior Class in attendance will recieve a free Class of 2014 Knight Pride t-shirt upon showing their student identification card.  They are looking for a cool and uniformed look in The Castle in anticipation of these latest chapters in the cross-town classic.  It’s going to be a thriller.

The action starts with the women’s game at 3:00 pm with the Lady Knights taking on the Gold Nuggets and is followed with the Knights versus the Gold Rush at 5:00 pm.  There will also be prizes during halftime.  Be there!

All students are reminded that the deadline to pay their fees in full is the Friday, February 1, 2013.  All students currently holding outstanding balances should either visit the cashier or make their payments online via Banner.

CLEMSON, SC – Four runners from the Southern University at New Orleans Women’s Track & Field team qualified for the Indoor National Championships with the times they earned at the Tiger Challenge, hosted by Clemson University.

The 4×400 relay team of Yoniece Martin, Orenthia Bennett, Tamara Hunter and Safia Jenkins finished second in the finals to host Clemson with a time of 3:51.41, fewer than six seconds behind the winners.

In individual competition, Jenkins, Bennett and Martin also qualified in the 400m after thier performances.

“The team is starting to get healthier and closer to where we think we can be”, said Coach Yhann Plummer.  ”This is definitely a confidence builder and puts us closer to our goals.  We have a few meets left in the season to really get into shape and be primed to perform our best at Nationals.”

The Knights will compete at the University of Houston this weekend, January 25-26

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Southern University at New Orleans has seen its student enrollment stay fairly consistent, even during a school year that was impacted by Hurricane Isaac and a still-slowed national economy.  In the spring of 2012, SUNO had an enrollment of 3,291 students and today the unofficial count sits at 3,248.  The University expects final numbers to be ready after the February 8^th deadline for student fees has passed.

“SUNO, like many other universities in the region, saw our enrollment affected by Hurricane Isaac during the fall semester”, said Chancellor Victor Ukpolo.  “What has helped us is our ongoing commitment to recruitment and retention.  SUNO has taken a proactive stance in our outreach efforts to our current students and we have enacted strategies to bring back students who have withdrawn from the University as well.  If these efforts are as successful as we anticipate, we should begin to trend upward as we have each year since Katrina.  Right now our focus is on making sure that our students are in class and that they have met their financial obligations to the University.”

SUNO has also worked to find available grant dollars to provide students with scholarships to ease the cost of a college education, which for many can make pursuing their studies much more difficult.  Chancellor Ukpolo added, “If we can provide students any tools, financial or otherwise that can get them on the path to a college degree, then that’s what we are going to try to do.  SUNO has always been a place of opportunity and that commitment has not wavered.”

Southern University at New Orleans is a four-year public institution founded in 1956, categorized as an SREB Four-Year 5 institution, a Carnegie Master’s College and University I, and as a SACSCOC Level III institution.  Located in the Gentilly area, the University is an accredited liberal arts teaching institution.  SUNO, known for its highly-engaged faculty and academic support, offers a wide range of baccalaureate degrees including those from its nationally accredited School of Social Work (CSWE), College of Education and Human Development (NCATE) and College of Business and Public Administration, accredited by AACSB International. SUNO is also committed to graduate education through the master’s degree, offering graduate programs to meet regional and statewide needs.  The University is a member of the Southern University System.  For more information please visit SUNO.edu.

The Southern University System and Communities of Color Network (CoC) is commemorating one year of a healthier, tobacco-free campus on which to live, work and learn.

On Jan. 2, 2012, the SUS Board of Supervisors approved the 100 percent tobacco-free campus policy. This unprecedented measure prohibits smoking or the use of tobacco products in any building, administrative facility, dormitory or on campus grounds, including athletic fields and parking areas.

The successful implementation was initiated and led by Communities of Color Network, an affiliated program of The Louisiana Public Health Institute and The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-free Living. CoC Network serves as the infrastructure for educating constituents, building capacity, coordinating, organizing and executing tobacco prevention and control programs and activities targeting African-Americans – statewide.

In an effort to celebrate the accomplishment, CoC will implement some of the following activities statewide throughout the month — informational booth displays to include policy handouts, tobacco awareness workshops and an anniversary celebration for students, faculty and staff.

“Southern University at New Orleans’ family is thrilled to be a part of the Southern University System efforts in creating a 100 percent tobacco-free campus policy,” said Shirley B. Simon, who serves constituents in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. John, St. James, St. Mary and Assumption parishes.  “Orleans parish communities have responded positively to help bring this effort to fruition. We owe this celebration to our diligent partners and collaborators throughout the state of Louisiana.”

Linda Early Brown, director of Communities of Color Network at the Southern University Ag Center, said, “The Southern University System and CoC are very excited about this life-altering and awe-inspiring opportunity for the students, faculty and staff statewide. We are equally motivated to continue to educate our constituents during the implementation stages of the 100 percent tobacco-free policy.”

Congratulations are extended to the regional coordinators statewide, namely Shirley Simon, Shawntell Lewis-Harrell, Urina Holt, Latonya Owens, and Frankie Poland for their strategic efforts in educating and creating healthier communities; and the leadership of Linda Early Brown, Chancellor  Leodrey Williams and Vice Chancellor Gina Eubanks.

For information on tobacco educational awareness and/or how your organization can make a difference, contact Ms. Simon at (504)-286-5000 or (225) 200-1636.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: David M. Grubb

(504) 286-5343 or (504) 810-3048

dgrubb@suno.edu

January 16, 2013

SUNO offers free tax preparation program

NEW ORLEANS, LA – For the second consecutive year Southern University at New Orleans will be performing free tax preparation and financial advising services as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/ Tax Counseling for the Elderly (VITA/TCE) program.  Beginning Monday, January 21, 2013, those earning $51,000 or less will be able to get assistance in preparing their state and federal tax returns.  The students who will be working are IRS-certified volunteers and are able to give taxpayers information regarding Earned Income Tax Credits, Child Tax Credits, and Credits for the Elderly or Disabled.

“This is a very valuable service for our community,” said Dr. Simeon O. Okpechi, who supervises the program for the University.  “First, we are able to save people the time, money and frustration that are typically associated with tax preparation.  Secondly, we can protect people from predatory tax services that can charge interest rates of up to 200%.  Third, we can start to help families understand what to do with their refunds.  We know that families that practice saving, teach it to their children and those children in turn become more financially responsible as adults.”

Last year the SUNO program was able to service more than 150 families and this year they anticipate reaching twice that.  Dr. Okpechi estimates that families saved nearly $90,000 as a result of the efforts of the program’s volunteers.

The SUNO VITA/TCE tax counseling center is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm through the April 15^th deadline.  Additional times may be made by appointment.  Services will be offered in Trailer 5 on SUNO’s Lake Campus or in the College of Business Building in Room 106.  For more information please call Dr. Simeon Okpechi at (504) 286-5305.

To have your tax return prepared, be sure to bring the following items:

• Proof of identification (Driver’s license or State ID)
• Social Security numbers for yourself, your spouse and any dependents
• W-2, W2G, 1099-R, or 1099-Misc from all employers
• Any 1099 forms (interest and dividend statements)
• Bank account routing and account numbers for direct deposit.
• Total paid for daycare services and daycare provider’s tax ID number
• To file taxes for married-filling-joint tax return, both spouses must be present to sign the forms.

No e-file or paper returns may be filed prior to January 30, 2013