Memorial Day 2011: Observe the National Moment of Remembrance

Honor fallen soldiers on Memorial Day by observing the National Moment of Remembrance. The National Moment of Remembrance, endorsed by President Clinton in 2000, takes place every Memorial Day at 3:00 p.m. local time. At that time, all Americans are urged to observe a moment of silence or to listen to "Taps," in tribute to those who died for our country.

Prompted by a group of school children who didn't understand that the holiday had significance beyond being a day off from school, the moment of remembrance is intended to remind Americans of the true meaning of the holiday and "unite the nation in acknowledging the contributions made by the men and women who gave their lives for our country's freedom."

In 1971, federal law changed the observance of the holiday to the last Monday in May and extended it to honor all who had died in American wars.


Videographer: OtakuBozu; Battle Hymn of the Republic: Soloist Ms. Sherry Hunt; the late Dr. Nathan Carter, Conductor; Morgan State University Choir, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Videographer: OtakuBozu; Soloist: the late countertenor Earnest Saunders; Conductor, the late Dr. Nathan Carter and Morgan State University Choir.

Videographer: PBS; Under the direction of J. Weldon Norris, DM, the Howard University Choir sings "Lord, I Don' Done" in this web-exclusive clip from their performance at the White House.

Videographer: robdayungstar; Morehouse College Glee Club, "My Good Lord's-A-Done-A Been Here"

Fisk University Jubilee Singers: "Rise, Shine, For Thy Light is a' Comin'" at Carnegie Hall.

Videographer: CharlieBladeRemus; Livingstone College Concert Choir: "Oh How I Love Jesus" by Shelton Becton

Videographer: tdavidray; The Dillard University Concert Choir performs Moses Hogan's arrangement of "My God Is So High." Soloist is Alvarez Kennedy.

Videographer: jaredbbrownmusic; Bethune Cookman University Marching Wildcats Band; Soloist: Jared Brown

Videographer: FtnessFan; Florida A&M University Wind Ensemble and the Marching "100" perform the late Dr. William P. Foster's favorite song - "Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral," by Richard Wagner. Conductor: Dr. Julian E. White at historic Lee Hall Auditorium, Florida A&M University.

B-CU Signee: On bad knee, Pikesville's Smallwood wins 4th pole vault state title

Sasha Smallwood, Bethune-Cookman University
2011 Track and Field Signee, Pikesville High School
(Baltimore County, MD)

Baltimore, MD - Even though Pikesville senior Sasha Smallwood has spent most of her high school career winning pole vault competitions, her victory Thursday night is one she'll never forget. Smallwood won her fourth consecutive Class 1A state title despite vaulting on a torn meniscus in her left knee that will require surgery in the coming days. The senior's vault of 11 feet at Morgan State ended her career in a manner that left Smallwood stunned.

"I am amazingly surprised," Smallwood said as she left to go to her senior prom. "I'm shocked. I'm just grateful that my knee held up for so long."

Smallwood's knee has ruined most of her senior year. She tore her left anterior cruciate ligament in a cheerleading mishap, underwent surgery in October and spent the winter in rehabilitation. The senior, headed to Bethune-Cookman, returned for some of the indoor season.

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Videographer: livestrong351

Jackson State Taylor's situation remains in limbo

Coach Denise Taylor-Travis

Jackson, MS - If Jackson State fires women's basketball coach Denise Taylor without cause, the university would owe her nearly $190,000. Taylor, who just completed her 10th year with JSU, is heading into the third month of paid administrative leave.

Taylor, through her attorney, said she was asked to resign or be fired on May 13.

School officials have refused to discuss Taylor's situation, citing personnel matters. Even when asked if Taylor remained the women's basketball coach, interim athletic director Robert Walker would not comment. Taylor is in the second year of a contract that pays her $91,000 per year and runs through June 30, 2013.

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KEYS: What will new Southern University A.D. need?

Baton Rouge, LA -- The football team posted its worst record in school history.

So did the men’s basketball program.

Both teams face NCAA postseason bans next year, thanks to substandard performance in the classroom.

Revenue streams have dried up. The fan base is fractured and shrinking.

This is what Southern University faces as it searches for a new athletic director. This is, obviously, a tough sell.

And the perfect man (or woman) has not yet emerged.

Interim athletic director Sandy Pugh has said that come July 1, she wants to return to “calling timeouts.” In other words, she wants to return to her full-time job as women’s basketball coach.

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For 2nd time in 3 years, XU's Green is state Coach of the Year

Hassan Abbas

Zach Taylor

Coach Alan Green

NEW ORLEANS — For the second time in three years, Xavier University of Louisiana's Alan Green is Coach of the Year on the All-Louisiana men's tennis team selected by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

The team, announced late Saturday, includes two Xavier players. Senior Hassan Abbas made the first team, and junior Zach Taylor is on the second team.

Green, a New Orleans native in his eighth season at Xavier, led the Gold Rush to a 13-9 record, a third consecutive berth in the NAIA National Championship, the program's first top-10 ranking and the first victory against a top-10 NAIA opponent — 6-3 at Vanguard on March 4. XU had five victories against teams in the final NAIA coaches poll and two victories vs. NCAA Division I. All the losses were to ranked NAIA opponents or D-I.

This was the first Xavier team in any sport to be ranked in the top 10 of a final NAIA poll since women's basketball in 1997-98. XU was top 10 in four of the last five polls.

Abbas, from Saltaire, England, and a graduate of Bingley Grammar School and Ventura (Calif.) College, is the first XU men's tennis player to make the All-Louisiana first team twice or in consecutive seasons. Abbas was 15-6 in singles and 15-8 doubles this season and was 31st in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association/NAIA singles rankings.

Taylor, from Monroe, La., and a graduate of St. Frederick High School and Ventura College, was 11-10 in singles and 15-8 in doubles. He was 24th in ITA/NAIA singles rankings. Taylor and Abbas are 15th nationally in doubles.

2010-11 All-Louisiana Collegiate Men's Tennis Team

First Team Name School Class Hometown Idan Mark Tulane So. Santana Hod Hasharon, Israel Neal Skupski LSU Jr. Liverpool, England Sebastian Carlsson LSU Sr. Uppsala, Sweden Dmitry Kozionov Nicholls State So. Ivhevsk, Russia Hassan Abbas Xavier Sr. Saltaire, England Abdelrahman Zaki New Orleans Jr. Egypt Second Team Name School Class Hometown Hossam Meligy New Orleans So. Egypt Julien Gauthier LSU Sr. Repentigny, Canada Joe Young Tulane So. Redlands, Calif. Palash Tiwari Nicholls State So. New Delhi, India Zach Taylor Xavier Jr. Monroe, La. Yanick Mandl Louisiana-Lafayette Jr. Thalwil, Switzerland
Player of the Year:  Neal Skupski, LSU Newcomer of the Year:  Idan Mark, Tulane Freshman of the Year:  Hossam Meligy, New Orleans Coach of the Year:  Alan Green, Xavier

By Ed Cassiere, Xavier University of Louisiana
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NC A&T Requiring Game Tickets For Aggie Game Zone

Greensboro, NC--Tailgating right next to the "Greatest Homecoming on Earth" may cost you more. NC A&T State University will kick off "Aggie Game Zone" this coming football season. The Game Zone will be a fenced-in area in the Sullivan, Benbow, East Lindsay street area near the stadium. You'll have to have a ticket to the game to get into the Game Zone area to tailgate. The athletics department says they're trying to be proactive and make tailgating safer for fans.

Assistant Athletics Director Brian Holloway told WFMY News 2 there have not been any tailgating security issues. He also said requiring game tickets will also bring in more money for athletic scholarships and the university's 15 athletic programs.



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Face-Off of HBCU Conference Champions Ends in Split

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Saturday’s matchup at Bethune Point Park was just as billed, a tough matchup between the top two teams in HBCU baseball. Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) champion Alcorn State traveled to Florida in a late-addition game to face the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, who recently wrapped up their sixth straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title.

Both games of the double-header ended in a defensive battle, both a low scoring affair. The Wildcats put up runs early in both games, defeating the Braves 3-1 in the first outing. In game two, ASU made a comeback victory in the final three innings to split the series with a 4-3 win.

FINAL STATS

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Darryl Butler joins the Virginia State University athletic staff

Coach Darryl Butler, Virginia State University
(Photo Courtesy VSU Athletics)

Petersburg, VA -- Darryl Butler joins the Virginia State University athletic staff as an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach. Butler comes to VSU from Frederick Community College in Frederick Md, where he spent the past three seasons as the associate head coach. During his last two years there, the men’s basketball team finished with an overall record of 41-18 and won their first Region XX Championship in school history in 2010.

Prior to his experience at Frederick Community College, Butler spent four years at Montgomery Community College in Silver Spring, Md. He served as an assistant coach for two years then became the head coach in 2006-07. After the 2005-06 season, Montgomery Community College won their first Region XX and District 7 Championship and finished 6th in the nation in NJCAA Division III.

Butler was an assistant coach at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA where they won the Patriot District North Region in 2003-04. Before T.C. Williams, he was an assistant coach at Howard University for the 2000-02 seasons where he help revitalized a program under Frankie Allen that finished 18-10 and reached the MEAC tournment championship game in their second season. He received his first assistant coaching position at Whittier College in Whittier, CA in 1997. Butler next moved on to an assistant coaching position at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA in 1999-2000 under Jan Van Breda Kolff. There he was part of a West Coast Conference (WCC) Regular Season Championship and a NCAA tournament appearance and win.



The Trojans are excited to welcome Butler to their men’s basketball coaching staff. Butler brings a wealth of basketball knowledge and local recruiting ties to the Tri-city area.

“Butler comes with a great deal of college coaching experience and recruiting ties especially in this region. He’s a VSU grad which means a great deal to our college community,” says VSU’s head men’s basketball coach, Darryl Jacobs.

Coach Butler is a native of Suffolk, VA and also a Trojan alumni, graduating from Virginia State University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration in 1989. Butler and his wife, Rosalie, have three children, Nikko (13), Kennedy (11), and Victoria (4).

By Jason Pompey, Sports Information Director
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Indianapolis Colts' Defensive Standout Antoine Bethea Provides Fundamentals for Success at Youth Football Camp at Howard University

Antoine Bethea, defensive back for the Indianapolis Colts will host a youth football camp on June 20-21 in Washington, DC at his alma mater, Howard University. The camp will run from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and is open to high school student athletes.

Washington, DC, (May 28, 2011)-- Antoine and the experienced coaching staff at Howard University will teach the campers football fundamentals and skills. The goal of the camp is to provide a solid foundation and instruction to help each individual participant maximize their natural ability. It also includes an equally important session off the field that addresses education and making good life choices.

"We're using football to draw them in, but I hope they leave being able to imagine the possibilities of their future with a higher education," says Bethea. “I want to instill a desire in them to learn off the field as well. Some may have never been exposed to Howard or any place of higher education, and I want to introduce that to them.”

Bethea leads by example and the importance of education is evident in his life. He left Howard early to play in the NFL, and contributed significantly to help the Colts win the Super Bowl during his rookie year. As a result of his stellar performance, Bethea’s hard work earned him a multi-year contract and a trip to the Pro Bowl. But as a testament to the beliefs his parents instilled in him, Bethea continued to work towards completing his studies and earned a degree in Administration of Justice from Howard in May 2011.



Throughout his time in the NFL, Antoine has dedicated himself to giving back to the communities that have helped him along the way. He established the Safe Coverage Foundation, which aims to empower youth toward academic success. In 2010, he gave 20 students from his former high school an all expense paid college trip to Howard and George Mason University. He also hosted a free football camp in his hometown of Newport News, VA.

Campers can register online at http://2011antoinebetheafootballcampdc.eventbrite.com/ and the cost for both days is $40. Proceeds from the camp will benefit the Antoine Bethea Safe Coverage Foundation and the Howard University Football program. Parents or Guardians will need to sign camper information form and release at check in. The camp will provide drinks, lunches and a camp T-shirt.

For more information on the camp or sponsorship opportunities contact profilespr@gmail.com.

About Howard University Football Program: Howard University is a comprehensive, research-oriented, historically Black, private university providing an educational experience of exceptional quality. The Howard Bison play in the NCAA Division 1 as a member of the MEAC Conference.

About Antoine Bethea: Bethea was a three-time All-America and All-MEAC player during his years at Howard. He was a sixth round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2006. Bethea is a two-time pro-bowler and has made two trips to the Super Bowl. He has developed a reputation as one of the top tacklers in the NFL and was recently selected to the 2010 USA Football/NFLPA All-Fundamentals Team.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE

Contact Information
Antoine Bethea
Katrina Leonce
770-222-2229
profilespr@gmail.com
http://2011antoinebetheafootballcampdc.eventbrite.com/

ECSU lands Key recruit from Japan

Elizabeth City, NC -- Elizabeth City State basketball coach Shawn Walker recently went on a trip to Okinawa, Japan, to work at a coaching clinic. While it was a personally rewarding experience, Walker also managed to get a little work in. He not only returned home with some unforgettable memories, he came back with Kentrell Key, who will be joining the Vikings next year as part of a three-man recruiting class.

Along with Key, Walker has recruited Camden’s Shawn Hammonds, a 6-foot-5 swingman, and Glenn Patterson Jr., a 5-foot-9, 170-pound point guard from Red Springs who averaged 24.6 points per game as a senior. Local fans might remember Patterson as he scored 27 points to lead Red Springs past Hammonds and Camden in the regional semifinals of the 1A state playoffs.

Walker thinks Patterson is the most likely...

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North's Collins to play golf at WSSU

SPENCER, N.C. — North Rowan’s Kyle Collins’ future was mapped out at the age of five. No one realized it at the time but when he visited his grandfather in Las Vegas as a little kid, a golfer was born.

“My grandfather got me started,” said Collins, who has accepted a scholarship to Winston-Salem State. “I picked it up pretty early. I always remember practicing my putting. I’d put a cup down and just hit it into the hole in the cup. I still do it to this day.”

Collins has played golf for Kelly Everhart for four years but this season, he had his sights set on impressing someone enough to get a scholarship. He was shooting in the high-30s to low-40s over nine holes when he started looking at colleges. “I was comparing my scores to all the colleges and thought Winston-Salem State would be the best fit,” he said.

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Jacoby Jones Celebrity Basketball Slam Jam to benefit XU men's basketball program

NFL Houston Texans WR Jacoby Jones
Lane College/Marion Abramson HS (New Orleans) 

NEW ORLEANS — The Jacoby Jones Celebrity Basketball Slam Jam, a fundraiser game for the Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball program, will tip off at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 3 at The Barn, Xavier's gymnasium.

Jones is a New Orleans native and a four-year member of the NFL's Houston Texans who caught a career-best 51 passes last season. Several of his teammates, including Duane Brown, Andre Johnson, Vonta Leach, Brice McCain and Torri Williams, also are expected to participate in the Slam Jam.

Tickets, available at The Barn or by calling (504) 957-9539, cost $8 for adults and $5 for students with a school ID.

The event will include a free autograph session from 5:45-6:15 p.m. Also scheduled to attend will be New Orleans Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem, Arizona Cardinals cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, veteran NBA player Darius Miles, Rep. Cedric Richmond and the Honeybees dance team. There will be a special appearance by Heisman Trophy winner and Saints first-round draft pick Mark Ingram.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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XU JOB OPENING: HEAD VOLLEYBALL COACH - View the job opening here. All prospective coaches must apply online and create an online profile

VOTE For Ebony Magazine Campus Queens 2011

EBONY's annual HBCU Campus Queen feature will appear in the September 2011 issue. Ten crowning beauties will grace the pages of the magazine. To become one of 10 queens chosen to appear in the issue, you must register online. The deadline for all registration material is May 22, 2011. Tell all your friends, family members and classmates to vote. Online voting begins at midnight (CT) on May 23 and ends at 11:59 PM (CT) on May 29 (SUNDAY).

CLICK HERE TO VOTE:  BEAUTIFUL HBCU QUEENS

WARNING: THIS IS THE SUPERBOWL OF HBCU QUEENS! Due to the highly creative and competitive nature of these videos, please reserve one hour or more for viewing and voting.   ENJOY!


Videographer: Hamptonuniversity; Miss Hampton University, Desiree Williams.

Videographer: marcflemon; Miss Langston University 2011, Micah O'Neal Byrne

Videographer: fromtwin2twinTV; Ashleigh Taylor, Miss Tennessee State University

Videographer: SolangeNSayers; Miss Grambling State University 2011/12, Solange N. Sayers

Videographer: ashlielaine; Miss Florida A&M University, Kindall 'Sunshine' Johnson.

Videographer: QueenCSU; Gabrielle "Gabby" Ruffin, the 2011-2012 Miss Central State University (Ohio)

Videographer: HUReaction; Miss Howard University, Ashlee Y. Thomas

Videographer: miszkk; Miss Clark Atlanta University, De'Jonique Garrison

Videographer: MedleyIncorporated; Miss Texas Southern University, Shartajeye Wright

Videographer: TheMarkie1025; Kelsey Elizabeth Hargrove, Miss North Carolina Central University

Videographer: MsBmw1990; Miss Tuskegee University, Breana Michelle Watkins

Videographer: pennzee; Miss Virginia State University, Jessica M. Drew

Videographer: Tawonna1128, Miss West Virginia State University, Tawonna Flowers

Videographer: hwmsassoc1; Miss LeMoyne-Owen College 2011/12, Shenika Holmes

Videographer: TheCharlenaKennedy; Miss Bethune-Cookman University, Charlena Kennedy

Videographer: smccombs989; Miss Kentucky State University, Shana McCombs

Videographer: candicejones05; Miss Spelman College 2010/11, Meighan Parker

Videographer: neshaszda; Miss Albany State University, Neshaszda Brown

Videographer: Tiffany Sorrells, Miss Benedict College 2011

Videographer:misstc2011; Lateia Taylor, Miss Tougaloo College 2010-2011

Videographer: BenjaminMack1; Jasmine Gurley, Miss North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

Videographer: JFairway07; Miss Morehouse College, Micki Le-Ling Jackson 

Videographer:jvspears; Ayana Harlee, Miss Bowie State University

Videographer:aem1017claflin; Ariel Manning, Miss Claflin University

Videographer: fortvalleystate1895; Jasmine Howard, Miss Fort Valley State University

Videographer:GoodEyeVP; Rolanda Cecilia Sue, Miss Johnson C. Smith University

Videographer:anwaakong; Janee Thames, Miss Morgan State University

Videographer: PaineCollegeGA; Miss Paine College, Ciara Harris

Videographer:gblack49; Kenya Warren, Miss Southern University and A&M College

Videographer: Musizett; Adora Ihediwa, Miss Stillman College

Videographer:1976cmhoward; Kenyarie Welsh, Miss Texas College

Videographer: prtbrweyes;  Regan Janell Hales, Winston-Salem State University

Videographer: DelrishaPatrice; Charnee'Pearson-Starling, Miss Bennett College

Videographer:2010rosebud; Ashley N. Graham, Miss South Carolina State University

NCAA comes down hard on TSU football

Houston, Texas - Texas Southern will lose 14.78 of the 63 football scholarships allowed for the 2011-12 school year because of its historically low performance under the NCAA’s Academic Progress Report formula, and an athletic department administrator said TSU could post a perfect APR score for the next two years and still run the risk of more sanctions because of past failures to retain and graduate football players.

TSU, which won the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s 2010 football title but dismissed coach Johnnie Cole this spring as it awaits the results of an NCAA probe that could include evidence of academic irregularities, suffered the most severe hit, in terms of lost scholarships, of any program sanctioned by the NCAA for APR shortcomings. Its football practice schedule will be cut from 20 hours per week to 16.

Across all sports, 103 programs received postseason bans, practice reductions or scholarship cuts. That group included NCAA Division I men’s basketball champion Connecticut, which will lose two scholarships...



Videographer: TexSouthern; TSU Commencement 2011 - Speaker John Silvanus Wilson, Jr., Part 1&2.

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Cerritos Hoops Stars Boatner and Perry Sign with SUNO

APRIL PERRY

ROSE BOATNER

Norwalk, California -- Cerritos College women's basketball players April Perry (5'-6") (Cabrillo HS) and Rose Boatner (5'-10") (Centennial HS), who were both two-time 1st Team All-South Coast Conference selections, have both signed scholarships to continue their collegiate careers at Southern University of New Orleans, and NAIA school. The duo helped the Falcons finish in a tie for second place in the SCC, as the team concluded with a 23-7 record.

Perry led the team with a 15.7 scoring average and netted a team-high 40 three-pointers, while dishing off a team-high 3.8 assists per game. She scored a season-high 31 points in the team's 83-70 upset win over Mt. San Antonio College, while she scored over 20 points in five other games and was held in single-digits just five times all year. As for Boatner, she averaged 7.4 points a game, while pulling down a team-high 10.2 rebounds a game. She added a team-high 12 blocked shots and was second on the team with 35 steals. Boatner hauled in 16 caroms against East Los Angeles College and had 15 rebounds in three games, including the last two contests of the season.

In her career, Perry finishes with 801 points, which is the 12th most in school history, while her 470 points this season were the 21st-highest in one season. Boatner, a rebounding specialist, concludes her Falcon career second in all-time rebounds with 616, with Ebony Charles holding the all-time record with 854 rebounds from 1995-97. The 306 rebounds this season for Boatner are the seventh-most in school history, while her 10.6 rebound average as a freshman ranks as the fifth best and her 10.2 average this year tied for the eighth best.

They will be joining a Lady Knights team that went 18-6 last season and lost their opening game in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament to end their year. The team, which finished in a tie for third place in the GCAC, is losing their shooting guard and power forward, which are roles that both Perry and Boatner can fill for the team.

By Cerritos College Athletics

Moody's Perales sign baseball scholarship with Alcorn State

Justin Perales

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — Moody's Justin Perales reached big goals Tuesday, but he has big plans for the rest of the week. Perales signed a letter of intent to play at Alcorn State, but has his focus squarely on Boerne Champion, this week's playoff opponent. The Trojans face Champion in a three-game region semifinal series beginning Thursday at Whataburger Field.

"It feels great to sign, but really it's good just to get this out of the way so we can get ready for this week," Perales said. "We've got a lot of goals left to reach, so that's where our focus is now."

Perales, Moody's first baseman, leads the team with a .438 average, and is second on the squad with 7 homers and 42 RBI.

"(Alcorn State) has been on me since the beginning," said Perales, who is expected to be used as a corner infielder and eventually hit in the middle of the lineup. "I went on a visit, and there's not a lot you can do over there. Really, all you'll be able to do is play baseball and work out, so I think that will be good for me to continue to get better."


Videographer: NCSAbaseball; Justin Perales (Baseball Recruiting Video)

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