Rattler Battalion Takes First Place in Ranger Challenge Competition

For the first time in the program’s history, the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Army ROTC “Rattler Battalion” took first place in the Ranger Challenge Competition at Fort Benning, Ga.

Cadets from 42 schools throughout Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana competed in the competition over a three-day period. FAMU was classified in the gold tier, where the Rattlers emerged victorious over teams from the University of Florida, which finished second, followed by Tulane University. Each team was comprised of 10 to 11 students for competition.

Sgt. Maj. Julio Baez of the Army Cadet Command’s Sixth Brigade, FAMU’s headquarters command, said the achievement is a significant one for the university program.

“For a team that never won before, it is a very motivational tool, it’s bragging rights,” Baez said.

A few of the graded events the cadets participated in included a physical fitness test, obstacles courses, marksmanship training and night land navigation.

Cadet Cory Bazemore, a third year electronical engineering technology student from Fayetteville, N.C. and FAMU team captain, said all of the hard work and preparation of the team
paid off.

“To see the excitement on my teammates faces was priceless,” Bazemore said. “I knew we had the physical ability and the mental capacity. It was just about staying focused.”

Master Sgt. Thomas Myers, a member of the FAMU ROTC cadre, said he is proud of the way the cadets performed especially with the responsibilities they all must maintain as students.

“Not only are they training for this event, but, in addition to that, they have to do their normal studies and many of them work part-time jobs. I’m incredibly impressed with each one of them,” Myers said.

LT. Col. Jeffrey Williams, FAMU ROTC Battalion Commander, said the first place finish speaks volumes on the character and commitment of the cadets and what he is trying to accomplish with the program.

“I am so proud of their hard work,” Williams said. “When young men and young ladies look for prospects of programs that they can attend to receive commissions in the U.S. Army, they look for the best programs, and this is another step in making us the best program in the country.”

Overall, Bazemore hopes the win will enlighten cadets at other institutions of the high quality ROTC programs housed at institutions such as FAMU and other Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

“Competing against the larger schools gave us motivation. Hopefully it will encourage other HBCU’s to step out and continue to work hard and strive for the best, he said.

The Annual Ranger Challenge competition is widely considered a valuable training tool for the enhancement of skills ROTC cadets acquire through years of intense training. Upon their college graduation, cadets are commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army.

Congresswoman Corrine Brown Will Deliver Keynote Address for the Fall Commencement

Congresswoman Corrine Brown, a Florida A&M University (FAMU) alumna, will serve as the keynote speaker for the 2009 fall commencement. The ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, December 11, in the Alfred Lawson, Jr. Multipurpose Center Teaching Gymnasium. Doors will open for the general public at 5 p.m., and the line of march will begin at 5:40 p.m. from Gaither Gymnasium.

A native of Jacksonville, Fla., Congresswoman Brown served in the Florida House of Representatives for 10 years before going to Washington, D.C. Congresswoman Brown was elected to Congress from the Third District of Florida in 1992.

As a result of Brown’s commitment to bringing the services of Washington back to Florida, communities throughout the Third District have been able to access resources previously unavailable to them. Brown was reelected to the U.S. House of Representatives for a ninth term in November 2008 and in the 111th Congress. Congresswoman Brown remains the chair of the Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. In this capacity, in the 111th Congress, Brown will concentrate on ensuring that both the Amtrak Reauthorization and RailRoad Safety legislation enacted at the end of the 110th Congress are fully and appropriately implemented. The subcommittee will concentrate on the oversight of pipeline and hazardous material programs and agencies, including reauthorizing the Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety program. The subcommittee will also focus on reauthorizing the Surface Transportation Board, funding rail infrastructure improvements throughout the nation’s transportation system and developing a domestic High Speed Rail.

Her constituents and colleagues know Brown as a fighter. Her campaign slogan, Corrine Delivers, is one of the most apt descriptions of Brown’s style of service. By focusing on issues that are key to economic development, Congresswoman Brown has helped bring jobs and opportunities to towns and cities throughout the Third District. One of her first accomplishments as a Member of Congress was winning funding for the much needed Fuller Warren Bridge in Jacksonville.

Brown has been a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure since going to Congress. Early in the 110th Congress, Brown was picked to chair the Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. This subcommittee is very important to Florida and the Third District because of its jurisdiction over the passenger and freight rail industry, which plays a vital role in Florida’s economy.

During her tenure in Congress, Brown has been a member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. She has championed the rights of veterans and called for better funding for veterans health care programs. In the 111th Congress, Brown will serve on the Health Subcommittee. As the former ranking member on Oversight and Investigation, Brown presided for more than 20 hearings on issues relating to veterans services, health care and the Veterans Affairs readiness for the new millennium.

Brown has also fought to protect environmental resources in her district and across the country. Because of her advocacy, Brown has received accolades by the National Parks and Conservation Association, the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters and Florida Public Interest Research Group. One of the most important environmental successes for Brown was securing the American Heritage River designation for the St. Johns River, which spans
the length of the Third District.

Congresswoman Brown attended FAMU where she earned a bachelor of science degree. She also received a master’s degree and an education specialist degree from the University of Florida. She received an honorary Doctor of Law degree from Edward Waters College. She has been a faculty member at Florida Community College of Jacksonville, the University of Florida and Edward Waters College. Her daughter, Shantrel Brown, is a lawyer in Washington, D.C.

Media and Entertainment Conference is Free of Charge for Students

The Media and Entertainment Conference scheduled for today, Friday, November 13, and Saturday, November 14, is free of charge for students. However, students are asked to register for the conference. Registration is location in the University Commons Building. Students that paid for the conference will be reimbursed their registration fee and will be notified by email.

The conference will feature top media and entertainment industry executives to provide guidance, educational tips and knowledge to college students looking to have a career in media, entertainment, sports, business and law.

To view the complete schedule for the Media and Entertainment Conference, visit http://www.famu.edu/index.cfm?Lyceum&MediaandEntertainmentConference.

You Opinion Counts! Take the FAMU Web Survey!

Please take the time out to complete this survey in regards to FAMU’s website. The feedback you provide will offer an in-depth perspective on areas of concerns and areas of improvement.

Thank you for your continued support.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Yxk_2fS7hX_2f1IetT5pumXUSw_3d_3d

B-Healthy with Mr. FAMU, TODAY at the Hansel E. Tookes, Sr. Recreation Center

Office of Student Activities and Campus Recreation sponsor SET Friday’s “B-Healthy” hosted by Mr. FAMU, Brandon McCaskill, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hansel E. Tookes, Sr. Recreation Center to encourage FAMU faculty, staff and students to live healthier lifestyles.

Scheduled activities include the following:

• 100 Seasonal flu shots will be available. The flu shots are free for students and $10 faculty and staff

• Group exercise showcases from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Step Aerobics from 1 pm. to 1:20 p.m.
Cardio Kickboxing from 1:20 p.m. to 1:40 p.m.
Caribbean Dance from 1:40 p.m. to 2 p.m.
TKO Boxing from 2 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.
Spinning from 2:20 p.m. to 3 p.m.

There will also be a smoothie/healthy food bar on site called “Island Retreat.”

Different fitness challenges are scheduled throughout the day.

Those interested in attending today’s SET Friday must present their Rattler card I.D. for admittance and bring a towel to use the workout equipment.

Ride the Rattler Express to the Florida Classic!

Tom Joyner Foundation/Ford Get Out and Drive One Partnership supporting HBCUs

Tom Joyner and the Tom Joyner Foundation® are encouraging all Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) alumni and friends to participate in the Tom Joyner Foundation/Ford “Get Out and Drive One” promotion that will run from Wednesday, October 21, 2009 until Monday, January 4, 2010. By test driving any Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury vehicle between now and January 4, 2010, a $25 donation will be made in the your name to FAMU!

Download the “Get Out and Drive One” coupon from www.blackamericaweb.com and take it to any Ford dealership. Once you test drive any vehicle, the coupon will be validated and you can go back to the website to complete your donation on behalf of yourself and the Ford Motor Company. Together, we can raise up to $250,000 for FAMU!

FAMU Mobile Giving Initiative!

Florida Classic Host Hotel Information

The host hotel for the 30th Annual Florida Classic is:

Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
14100 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane
Orlando, Florida 32821
www.hiltonbonnetcreek.com


Rate per night: $109

Cut off date: November 19, 2009

Phone No.: 1-888-353-2013

SRP Code: FAMU-ZFAM or Florida A&M Classic Weekend

RATTLERS BUMP UP IN NATIONAL FOOTBALL POLLS

The Florida A&M University Rattler Football team moved up two spots in The Sports Network Top 25 Poll for NCAA Division I FCS team announced on Monday afternoon.

FAMU (4-0), which made its' first Top 25 appearance in last week's poll, checking in at #24, moved up to #22 this week, following several upsets of higher-ranked FCS teams.

The Rattlers were ranked weekly in the FCS polls for a long stretch from 1995 through 2001, finishing the 1998 regular season #1 in the USA Today 25 Poll.

FAMU was last ranked in the national polls in 2001, when they soared as high as #8 during that season.

This week's Sheridan Broadcasting Network Poll (SBN) has the Rattlers a solid #2 nationally with 273 points and eight (8) first place votes, behind South Carolina State, just eight points (281) ahead, while owning a big edge in first place votes (22).

The Rattlers will have two critical games in a row beginning this week with a 7 p.m. showdown against the Miami Hurricanes, Saturday in Land Shark Stadium, before their October 17 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference heavyweight bout in Orangeburg, S.C., against South Carolina State, at 2 p.m.

Fall 2009 Career Expo

All students and alumni are encouraged to attend Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) C.C. Cunningham Career Center’s Fall 2009 Career Expo on Wednesday, September 30, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center. A career expo reception is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center. Both events are free.

“The expo and the reception gives the students and alumni the opportunity to network with potential employers on a formal and informal basis,” said Delores Dean, Ph.D., director of the career center. “The expo officially kicks off our recruitment efforts for the rest of the semester.”

Business attire is required for all expo participants. Free shuttle service is available. For additional information, call (850) 599-3700.

FAMU College of Law associate dean featured on Bill O'Reilly Show

The Huffington Post highlighted Florida A&M University (FAMU) College of Law associate dean, Jeremy Levitt appearance on Fox's Bill O'Reilly show. See their article by clicking here.

Levitt discussed a column he wrote for the Orlando Sentinel. Below is a video of his appearance.



For more information on Florida A&M University, visit www.FAMU.edu.

Below is Levitt's column, published September 15, 2009.

President Obama, race and the unpatriotic right

The far right and its right-wing brethren's most recent barrage of indignant and visceral attacks against President Barack Hussein Obama has led me to conclude that the scourge of anti-Obama fanaticism is nothing more than foolish racism masquerading as patriotism and phony Christianity.

It is no secret that the far right and its institutions have an unjust guttural dislike for President Obama. After allowing George W. Bush to destroy our economy and international standing without challenge for eight years, the far right's central strategy for helping America is to attempt to delegitimize Obama with trailer-park prowess.

Right-wing disdain for the first African-American president is primordially violent and expressed in dishonest, uninformed, racist and unpatriotic rhetoric and demonstration.

I am not concerned with right-wing dishonesty, ignorance, racism or hate marching; these are not new phenomena in American culture and politics. However, what concerns me is the combustible combination of these perspectives when combined with a lethal dose of violent and unpatriotic actions targeting the U.S. president.

Certain fanatical people and groups, not worthy of specific mention, recently toted guns at presidential town-hall meetings wearing menacing T-shirts that read: "It is time to water the tree of liberty."

This was a symbolically threatening parity of Thomas Jefferson's celebrated call for vigilance: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of tyrants and patriots." Regrettably, this dangerously insolent and unpatriotic message was aimed at the leader of the Free World.

A patriot is one who loves, supports and defends his or her nation and loves its citizens, especially the U.S. president. A patriot subscribes to symbolic values such as honoring the flag, singing the national anthem and fighting nonviolently for fundamental freedoms. A patriot honors the U.S. president, irrespective of his or her biases.

The U.S. president is the head of state and government, as well as the highest official in the country and commander in chief of the armed forces. He is not only the most-influential and -recognized political figure in the world, but also the living embodiment of our democracy.

While I believe that it is healthy to constructively engage and criticize government, the far right has shamed our nation by attacking President Obama with unpatriotic idioms and schemes.

As a close follower of presidential politics, I do not remember another time when an American president was so unpatriotically maligned by Americans, namely, right-wing politicians and media, and the millions of Joe and Judy plumbers who would disown Jesus if they knew he was African, and Obama if he were the Second Coming.

The truth remains that right-wing anti-Obama rhetoric around abortion, health care, education, gun control and foreign policy are cowardly coded smoke screens intended to mask fear and racism.

Whether it is the birthers movement, gun-toting right-wing anarchists, bigoted congressmen, hate marchers or garden-variety dogmatists, the fact remains that Obama won the election.

Any American family that participates in the far-right campaign against President Obama by, for example, depriving their children of the opportunity to receive apolitical words of wisdom and encouragement from the president and leader of the free world, is unpatriotic.

Is it patriotic to stifle debate with right-wing anti-Obama propaganda when our nation stands in the balance between a broken economy, a controversial war on terrorism, a sick health-care system and an uneducated educational system? Is it patriotic to malign the first African-American president with racially coded and violent messaging?

The far right and its right-wing brethren have shown that they are driven by envy and racial animus.

I would remind the far right what the Apostle Paul wrote, " ... there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God." Hence, Obama is the U.S. president and leader of the Free World because he was appointed by God.

Need I say more?

Jeremy Levitt is associate dean for International Programs and a distinguished professor of international law at the FAMU College of Law in Orlando.

GAME ON!

Representative Alan B. Williams will Keynote Founders Day Convocation

FAMU has scheduled its Founders Day Convocation for Friday, October 2, at 10:10 a.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium. The keynote speaker will be Representative Alan B. Williams. The general public is invited to attend.

Representative Williams is the president and CEO of MW Land and Investments, LLC, a property management and business development firm, founded in 2006.

In November 2008, Williams was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, District 8, which encompasses parts of Leon and Gadsden Counties. Representative Williams serves on the Energy and Utilities Policy Committee, General Government Policy Council, Government Accountability Act Council, Government Appropriations Committee, the Joint Committee of Public Council Oversight, and the Joint Committee on Collective Bargaining.

Prior to being elected, Williams was an aide to Tallahassee Mayor John Marks, serving as liaison between the community and the Office of the Mayor. He advised the Mayor on appointments to all city advisory boards and represented the Mayor’s interests as a board member for the Tallahassee Visitors and Area Convention Bureau and the NASA Challenger Learning Center Board of Advisors.

For his service, Williams has been named Kappa Alpha Psi Brother of the Year, Leadership Tallahassee Board of Governors Chair (2008), Statewide Council of Advisors for Leadership Florida (2007), Ebony Magazine’s “Twenty Future Leaders under 30” (2003) and many more.

He is a member of Leadership Tallahassee; Opportunity Tallahassee; Leadership Florida; area Chambers of Commerce; United Way of the Big Bend Board of Directors; and the United States Commission on Civil Right Advisory Committee.

Rep. Williams is married to Attorney Opal McKinney-Williams, a FAMU graduate from Miami, Fla. They have two children, Adrianna Williams and Alan-Louis Portlock Williams.

For more information, contact the Office of Communications at (850) 599-3413.

FAMU'S VANN TO APPEAR ON COLLEGE GAME DAY SATURDAY

The hits just keep on coming for FAMU All-America kick returner LeRoy Vann, who will be the subject of a feature segment on this Saturday's ESPN COLLEGE
GAME DAY, Built By Home Depot, which airs at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on ESPN.

Vann will be interviewed by former Michigan Heisman Trophy winner, NFL All-Pro and GAME DAY panelist Desmond Howard on campus Tuesday as part
of the production for the segment.

The Tampa native was named NCAA FCS Special Teams Player of the Week by The Sports Network and MEAC, and will be higlighted in this week's
editions of Sports Illustrated.