Showtime!!

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AT&T Awards $10,000 in New Scholarship Funds to South Carolina State University



U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn Joins AT&T in Announcement

SAN ANTONIO, April 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T)
announced today a donation of $10,000 to the South Carolina State
University (SCSU) Foundation to create five new scholarships to benefit the
institution's student body. The scholarships will commemorate the first
presidential primary debate being held in the South during this election
cycle and will be only the second debate ever held on the campus of one of
the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
Working to improve and enhance educational opportunities is an
important part of AT&T's corporate philosophy. The scholarship funds will
be presented before the April 26 Democratic presidential primary debate,
which will take place on the campus of South Carolina State University.
The scholarships will honor U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn, an
alumnus and proud supporter of South Carolina State University in
Orangeburg.
"I thank AT&T for their commitment to enhancing educational
opportunities and employing a diverse workforce," said Clyburn. "Education
is critical to success. The things I learned from my experiences at State
formed much of who I am today. I am pleased that five deserving students
will have a similar opportunity, thanks to the generosity of AT&T."
"We recognize the significance of this debate being held on the campus
of a historically black college and university, the rich history of South
Carolina State University and the large impact that Representative Clyburn
has had on the university and its student body," said Gregg Morton,
president-AT&T South Carolina. "To commemorate this event and honor
Representative Clyburn, AT&T is proud to make a $10,000 contribution to the
South Carolina State University Foundation to create five new
scholarships."
AT&T employs approximately 3,100 people in South Carolina. The company
has been consistently recognized for its commitment to education and
diversity. AT&T recently achieved its highest-ever ranking from
DiversityInc magazine, ranking third on this year's Top 50 Companies for
Diversity list for the company's commitment to diversity in the workplace
and marketplace. The company was also included on two of DiversityInc's
specialty lists, ranking No. 1 among the Top 10 Companies for African
Americans and No. 3 among the Top 10 Companies for Recruitment and
Retention.
AT&T acquired BellSouth Corp. in late 2006, consolidating ownership of
the Cingular brand. Prior to the merger, the former BellSouth and Cingular
had their own distinguished records of diversity, ranking No. 9 and No. 15,
respectively, among DiversityInc's 2006 Top 50 Companies for Diversity, and
inclusion, and those commitments are continuing within the new AT&T. Last
year the former BellSouth and Cingular also received high marks from
DiversityInc, ranking No. 9 and No. 15, respectively, among the 2006 Top 50
Companies for Diversity.
AT&T's 50-state workforce is 46 percent female and 38 percent people of
color. Supplier diversity is a critical initiative of AT&T's business
strategy and a key component of the company's plan to deliver the best
products and services to its customers. In 2006, AT&T spent $5.15 billion
with diverse suppliers.

AT&T Awards $10,000 in New Scholarship Funds to South Carolina State University



U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn Joins AT&T in Announcement

SAN ANTONIO, April 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T)
announced today a donation of $10,000 to the South Carolina State
University (SCSU) Foundation to create five new scholarships to benefit the
institution's student body. The scholarships will commemorate the first
presidential primary debate being held in the South during this election
cycle and will be only the second debate ever held on the campus of one of
the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
Working to improve and enhance educational opportunities is an
important part of AT&T's corporate philosophy. The scholarship funds will
be presented before the April 26 Democratic presidential primary debate,
which will take place on the campus of South Carolina State University.
The scholarships will honor U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn, an
alumnus and proud supporter of South Carolina State University in
Orangeburg.
"I thank AT&T for their commitment to enhancing educational
opportunities and employing a diverse workforce," said Clyburn. "Education
is critical to success. The things I learned from my experiences at State
formed much of who I am today. I am pleased that five deserving students
will have a similar opportunity, thanks to the generosity of AT&T."
"We recognize the significance of this debate being held on the campus
of a historically black college and university, the rich history of South
Carolina State University and the large impact that Representative Clyburn
has had on the university and its student body," said Gregg Morton,
president-AT&T South Carolina. "To commemorate this event and honor
Representative Clyburn, AT&T is proud to make a $10,000 contribution to the
South Carolina State University Foundation to create five new
scholarships."
AT&T employs approximately 3,100 people in South Carolina. The company
has been consistently recognized for its commitment to education and
diversity. AT&T recently achieved its highest-ever ranking from
DiversityInc magazine, ranking third on this year's Top 50 Companies for
Diversity list for the company's commitment to diversity in the workplace
and marketplace. The company was also included on two of DiversityInc's
specialty lists, ranking No. 1 among the Top 10 Companies for African
Americans and No. 3 among the Top 10 Companies for Recruitment and
Retention.
AT&T acquired BellSouth Corp. in late 2006, consolidating ownership of
the Cingular brand. Prior to the merger, the former BellSouth and Cingular
had their own distinguished records of diversity, ranking No. 9 and No. 15,
respectively, among DiversityInc's 2006 Top 50 Companies for Diversity, and
inclusion, and those commitments are continuing within the new AT&T. Last
year the former BellSouth and Cingular also received high marks from
DiversityInc, ranking No. 9 and No. 15, respectively, among the 2006 Top 50
Companies for Diversity.
AT&T's 50-state workforce is 46 percent female and 38 percent people of
color. Supplier diversity is a critical initiative of AT&T's business
strategy and a key component of the company's plan to deliver the best
products and services to its customers. In 2006, AT&T spent $5.15 billion
with diverse suppliers.

Surprise for Rep. Clyburn Video

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FRIDAY'S EDITORIAL

If there was a ‘funk,’ it is surely gone

By T&D Staff
Friday, April 27, 2007

The issue ~ Big day for S.C. State

Our opinion ~ University scores big on world stage

What a day for South Carolina State University. President Andrew Hugine told MSNBC the Democratic presidential debate being held at the Orangeburg institution is ’’our Super Bowl opportunity.“

“This is the advertisement for our great university. ... If you think about the Super Bowl when individuals pay millions of dollars for the opportunity of providing advertisements there, this is our Super Bowl opportunity, this is the advertisement for our great university.”

There are other reasons to compare Thursday to the biggest of sporting events. Day-long coverage by MSNBC and hundreds of other reports from media around the world captured the nature of the competition among campaigns – which took on every bit the look of a bowl game rivalry.

Hillary Clinton supporters marching with their signs.

Obama backers with their parade. Their chant: “We will Ba-Rock you!”

The SCSU band with its sound and movement.

Then came the Hardball broadcast late in the day. With hundreds of college students surrounding the set on the SCSU campus, host Chris Matthews might well have been on ESPN’s College GameDay on fall Saturday mornings. The excitement and noise level made for quite a show.

Much as would the football preview show, Matthews had star guests, too. Most notable was 6th District Congressman James Clyburn, the man whose Washington influence today is primarily responsible for the debate being held at SCSU.

Matthews quizzed Clyburn on the relevance of bringing the national Democrats to Orangeburg and SCSU, thanking him at the same time for bringing the world to SCSU.

Clyburn said it is the university’s chance to break out of “the funk” he said it’s been in since 1968, when three students were killed by state troopers in what is known as the Orangeburg Massacre. He lamented the lack of national attention to the tragedy and said his objective now is a new era for SCSU. With the debate, the university can “turn the page,” he said.

As much as the university and Orangeburg have pledged always to remember the tragedy of four decades ago, much of the world after Thursday will see the university in 2007 as a leading institution justly picked as host of a major national-international event.

The university on Thursday won its Super Bowl. Beyond the spectacle of politicians looking to rise to the top in the race for the world’s No. 1 job, SCSU did itself proud. Call it scoring touchdowns – lots of them.

WTH !!???!!!

Checkout photo #5 !!!

Photo Album of Debate

Hugine says debate 'our Super Bowl opportunity'


By Special to The T&D
Friday, April 27, 2007

South Carolina State University President Dr. Andrew Hugine was interviewed on MSNBC at 1:15 p.m.

Hugine answered several questions related to preparations, debate impact on Orangeburg and SCSU as well as key issues the university would like to see presented.

Hugine on university preparations: "We have a wonderful staff and a dedicated and committed staff.

"They realize this is an important event for the university, important for Orangeburg, important for the state of South Carolina. We had to make certain we crossed every t and dotted every i.

''This is our moment of fame and we wanted to be sure we left nothing to chance. They worked extended hours to ensure we were well prepared for this event today.''

The impact of the debate on university and Orangeburg: ''The results of this are phenomenal in terms of what it will do for this community and for this university.

''If you think about the Super Bowl when individuals pay millions of dollars for the opportunity of providing advertisements there, this is our Super Bowl opportunity, this is the advertisement for our great university.

''This is our Super Bowl opportunity, this is the advertisement for our great university.

''But we think it goes beyond South Carolina State University. All of our historically black colleges and universities it is a proud moment for us because we get a chance to showcase our institution and the wonderful things we have been able to do over the years.''

Expectations attached to where and when this debate is taking place. What are some issues you hope are addressed tonight: ''At the top of the list for us always is education. We want to hear what candidates have to say about their platform for education.

''We are concerned about health issues. We want to be certain that they address health. This is one of the issues coming up as the American population is aging. How do you resolve and how do you respond to those increasing costs for health care.

''We want them to look at economic devolvement infrastructure and support for various ways we can participate more in the economic market.''

There are 4500 students. Do you expect enrollment to go up after this? ''We certainly hope that it will. Our long term goal is to increase our university enrolment somewhere between 6,000 and 8 000 students. We are sure this process of exposure we are getting today will help us reach that goal a little quicker than we anticipated.''

Everybody’s just having a party’

Excitement in air as 2008 race for presidency begins at S.C. State

By LEE HENDREN and RICHARD WALKER, T&D Staff Writers
Friday, April 27, 2007

The atmosphere on the South Carolina State University campus Thursday morning foretold something momentous.

“I’ve seen different SLED agents, I’ve seen BBC and ABC,” security officer Ronnie Tyler said.

Tyler was manning the front gates, keeping the flow of traffic in and out of the campus smooth. From his vantage point at the front gates, he saw everything and everyone up close and personal.

Like ants at an anthill, food vendors, rental companies, package delivery people and members of the news media scurried about to complete their tasks before the evening’s debate between the eight Democratic heavyweights.

“Everybody’s still trying to set up,” Tyler said early in the morning. “There’s a few things here and there to do.”

Some of those things remaining to do were last-minute touches on the grounds.

As a supervisor of sod, Hank Bowdoin said efforts to spruce up the campus had been fairly hectic over the last two weeks.

But Thursday was crunch time for the 35-year veteran of vegetation. There was no more time for Bowdoin and his crew of eight.

“This is a little extra effort to spruce it up a bit,” Bowdoin said.

Has he ever had to put on a rush job like today? “Not many. Nothing of this magnitude.”

Meantime, SLED agents and other officers were seen making security sweeps, last-minute checks of the facilities around the MLK auditorium.

One undercover officer, who asked not to be named, said the atmosphere was similar to the excitement of a rivalry football game, tinged with a dose of seriousness.

“We’re talking about the future of the country,” the officer said. “Everybody is getting ready, getting set up. The future of the country will be decided in the next few months.”

“It’s show time, fellows,” a passing motorist with the NBC news crew said as he entered the campus.

Snapshot at 3 p.m.

As the day warmed up, one staff member grumbled about temporary rules that restricted most vehicles to the far reaches of campus.

“We cannot park on campus. We have to park at (the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center) and wait for a shuttle. It#,s too hot for me. My feet and heels hurt,” said the woman, who refused to give her name.

Others preferred to see the glass as half full.

“They gave us shuttle buses to ride, so it really wasn’t an inconvenience as much,” said Keirra Spencer, a sophomore from Sumter, who added that she was glad there was less vehicular traffic on campus.

Spencer said she was “excited that we’ve got the candidate debate” and planned to watch it on TV. S.C. State “is a nice place to have it. I think it’s good for the school,” she added.

Maurice Washington couldn’t agree more. The chairman of the SCSU Board of Trustees said he expects the international media coverage to result in “an increase in interest” in the university, both by prospective students and faculty members.

“The campus looks beautiful, doesn’t it?” he asked. “We can’t say enough about our professional staff. They have stepped up and made the entire community proud,” Washington said. “The campus is alive.”

“It is our big day indeed, but it’s also Orangeburg’s big day and the state’s,” Washington said. “Everybody pulled together to make it happen, and we’re grateful. Everybody deserves a lot of credit for making this happen. We’re just the beneficiaries.”

Now the challenge is to keep the momentum going, starting immediately, Washington said, adding, “I think our folks will rise to the challenge.”

One challenge is just across the street from the debate venue. Historic – but crumbling – Lowman Hall stands draped in black plastic sheeting, reminiscent of a Christo art installation.

The sheeting ensures that “you can’t tell what’s behind it,” he said. “It certainly helps keep the ambiance fresh, particularly since the debate will take place right across the street.”

Soon, he vowed, “we’re going to bring that (black plastic) down and start work on (restoring) Lowman Hall. We#,ve got some good movement now, and we just hope to see that project through.”

University official Edwin Givens said the plastic sheeting probably caused more people to look at the building and wonder what it is.

Ultimately, Givens said it’s his “hope and goal that the General Assembly will (realize) we have something special in Orangeburg, and we need to do all we can to help move that university to the next level.”

The new landscaping, signs and technology upgrades are a good start, freshman Brooks Wood of Spartanburg said.

“It’s really nice around here,” he said. “It feels good. It feels like we’re important now, like we’re an important school.”

Snapshot at 6 p.m.

As the debate neared, the pace quickened across campus.

“There’s an air of excitement like I’ve never seen at this university,” said Dr. Andrew Hugine Jr., SCSU president.

The long lines at the doors to the official viewing site at the S-H-M Center provided a captive audience for boosters of various candidates, who set up tents – literally – along the street in front of the auditorium.

Willa Maynard of Orangeburg, a teacher at Whittaker Elementary School, was there to extol the virtues of Barack Obama to all who would listen.

“He’s the newcomer on the block,” she said. “He’s a young guy, you know, fresh ... and has so much energy.”

She said the debate “will put him on the map, you know, put him up there, get people to know him. ... Who would have expected (that the debate would occur in) Orangeburg, South Carolina? That’s a blessing in itself,” said Maynard, who is an alumnus of S.C. State.

The mood on Thursday was similar to that which prevailed during Obama’s visit to next-door Claflin University earlier this year, she said.

“There’s excitement in the air,” Maynard said. Even though political rivalries are out in the open, “everybody’s just having a party. It’s like a big celebration, more or less.”

Indeed, it was a major social event, providing plenty of opportunities for many people to greet old friends and make introductions to new friends.

Shortly after 5 p.m., the sounds of a parade, complete with marching band, could be heard approaching the venue. Along came dozens of marchers pumping Barack Obama signs into the air and chanting “We will, we will Ba-rack you” as drummers and cymbal crashers provided percussion.

The parade passed within inches of H.K. Edgerton, who positioned himself in a highly visible spot with a large rebel battle flag. Edgerton, who is African-American, has established a high profile as an apologist for the Confederacy.

“You don’t know your history. You must be a Yankee,” Edgerton taunted a heckler. “I believe that I’m a Southerner. This is who I am.”

One woman bystander expressed aloud her concerns that the national and international media would dote on him and ignore less visible people with important stories of their own, such as The Citadel cadet in smart dress whites who showed up in support of Hillary Clinton.

Indeed, it may have been the small, quiet, almost unnoticed acts of politeness and kindness that made the most impact, like the student who, upon meeting two reporters on the sidewalk, made it a point to pause and welcome them to the campus.

And the Greater Edisto Chapter of the American Red Cross, which set up stations to give away chilled bottles of water to the thousands who queued up at S-H-M.

Why did the Red Cross do that? “Well, they need it,” replied volunteer Joan Gera replied.



T&D Staff Writer Lee Hendren can be reached by e-mail at lhendren@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5552. T&D Staff Writer Richard Walker can be reached by e-mail at rwalker@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5516. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

Debate puts SCSU on center stage

‘I never thought anything like this could happen’

By GENE CRIDER and LEE TANT, The Times and Democrat
Friday, April 27, 2007

While politics was the topic, South Carolina State University took center stage Thursday afternoon during MSNBC’s “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” which was filmed in the university student plaza prior to the debate.

From Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson discussing his time as a child at Felton Laboratory School, to House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn talking about his years as a student, fighting for civil rights, the memories of Orangeburg as it was – good and bad – were on center stage.

It was all punctuated by S.C. State’s Marching 101, which led off the program and punctuated each commercial break with its brassy sound, leading Matthews to say, “This is the greatest university band in North America.”

It was a moment that invited discussion of the Orangeburg Massacre, and a comparison between the attention Orangeburg received then and now.

The debate “is arguably, I think, (receiving) a lot more attention than Orangeburg got during the Massacre – sometimes it surprises me how many people don’t know about it,” said Robinson, an Orangeburg native, after the debate.

“It sounds like an easy conclusion: This is historic. It shows how things have changed. I never thought anything like this could happen,” he said.

Clyburn, who helped bring the debate to his alma mater, discussed his time at S.C. State, when he became a student leader in the civil rights movement, when he was jailed for protesting segregation.

The crowd on the plaza during the taping was a sea of signs – Hillary Clinton signs, Barack Obama signs and John Edwards signs, with the Edwards supporters shouting out “Edwards, Edwards, Edwards,” for Elizabeth Edwards during her talk with Matthews. When she left, the supporters left their place at center stage, leaving room for students to fill the space.

Former S.C. Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum was watching “Hardball” from a monitor on the plaza, waiting for the debate. She was planning to head for the “Spin Room,” where she would talk on behalf of the candidate she supports, Obama.

“Senator Obama came here and campaigned for me for two days when I ran for Senate,” Tenenbaum said.

While she’s a supporter of the “refreshing” Obama, “We are fortunate as Democrats to have a fabulous slate of candidates. I like all the candidates and respect them.”

During his time with Matthews, Robinson spoke of the chatter he heard for Edwards, a South Carolina native, during Robinson’s visit home to hear Obama speak at Claflin. He says he’s now seeing people beginning to split between Clinton and Obama.

“It’s a state he must do well in,” Robinson said, adding that Thursday night’s debate was important for Edwards.

Watching “Hardball” in the plaza, S.C. State Junior Brittany Walker said the debate “is bringing a lot of well-needed attention to our school.” With the world watching, “I hope they see us from a positive point of view.”

Claflin student Kahill Addsion, watching a live broadcast for the first time, said “I thought they would pick a Chucktown or Columbia.”

As elsewhere, the audience had its share of people pushing issues, not just candidates.

Medical University of South Carolina Student Frances Cate, who showed up in a white lab coat, said the American Medical Students Association was on campus to support “nationalized health care. And we want to see which candidates support that.” She was part of a group of about 20 medical, pharmacy and nursing students on the campus.

For Robinson, it wasn’t just about the debate and politics, it was about coming home as he walked around the places he used to play as a student at Felton Laboratory School.

“Sometimes it’s more emotionally compelling than I thought it would be,” Robinson said as he stood in front of the old Dukes Gymnasium, where he used to play as a child when it rained.



T&D City Editor Gene Crider can be reached by e-mail at gcrider@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5570. T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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Yesterday was a wonderful day for SCSU. I was blown away! The coverage (especially Chris Matthews' Hardball) was energetic and showed our students at every opportunity! I'm sure young people all over the country know about SCSU now. Every visitors was very complimentary of the welcome received on our campus.

There are few words that can express how monumental this opportunity was for us and we rose to the occasion, as Bulldogs always do! Kudos to Jim Clyburn for bringing it home!

Sing the praise!

^^^^^^^ I agree w/ ya' Pinky 101%...


Nice slideshow !!!!

Democratic Debate Photos !!!!