At the advice of counsel, FAMU President James H. Ammons cancelled a scheduled interview with the Tallahassee Democrat's editorial board and submitted a written statement to the newspaper. From the FAMU president's office:

Hazing is completely against the law -- and, it's a violation of FAMU Board of Trustees Regulations. More than that, it is an infringement on the basic human rights of any and all individuals.

Our first priority -- and my resolute commitment -- at Florida A&M University is to protect and to ensure the health, safety and well being of every individual: students, faculty, staff and visitors.

We want all of the facts and all of the truth regarding the death of Robert Champion. And we will take appropriate steps to get justice for Mr. Champion -- and to institute a complete culture change.


Toward that end, we are actively cooperating with the law enforcement investigations being conducted by the Orange County Sheriff's Office and the FDLE. We also have established an independent Task Force -- headed by former Attorney General Bob Butterworth and Quincy Police Chief Walt McNeil. Their work is to begin immediately. As you know, we have issued a notice of dismissal to director Dr. [Julian] White -- and we have suspended all performances and rehearsals of the bands.

Here is what I want you to know. The university has a Zero Tolerance policy toward hazing. Period. But it is becoming increasingly clear that hazing continues to exist -- at FAMU and across the country at other universities, colleges and other elements -- because hazing survives and thrives in a culture of secrecy and a conspiracy of silence. I am committed to illuminating this dark corner of Florida A&M University and the American culture...illuminating it and eradicating it.

Universities pride themselves on being centers of excellence -- where R&D takes place -- Research and Development. At Florida A&M University, we are going to create a new, permanent culture of another kind of R&D: Respect and Dignity -- Respect and Dignity -- for every individual...and FROM every individual.

It is the university’s intent and absolute goal to break the culture of secrecy and the conspiracy of silence that has helped to institutionalize hazing, verbal and physical abuse. We are going to eliminate them -- and to make American society a safer place by doing it.

We are going to honor the memory of Robert Champion by establishing a strong, safe new set of traditions in the culture of the music program and bands -- and across our campus.

Frankly, it will require the active pledge and participation of every member of the FAMU family and community. We are going to get it done.

Next week, we will convene the entire campus in assembly -- and suspend classes for a portion of the day -- to get everyone on the same page of this new chapter, new era and new reality at FAMU. Respect and dignity -- from every individual...for every individual.

The National Conference on Women in Information Technology (NCWIT) has selected the FAMU African-American Women in Computer Science (AAWCS) Scholarship Program to receive the Return Path Student Seed Fund Grant.

The grant, valued at $500, has been awarded to Olivia Wilson, a junior computer and information sciences student from Tallahassee, Fla.

“I am happy and honored to get this fund,” she said. “With it, I can do more to help recruit for not only our department, but for this field as well.

The grant is to be applied toward activities designed to recruit and attract women to the field of computing. The award will also be announced at the next national NCWIT event.

With this funding, Wilson plans to develop and implement several initiatives to recruit women to the field, including a Showcase of Women in Information Technology Luncheon, that will feature women in computer science and information technology speaking to high school and college women. In addition, prizes and mini-scholarships will be offered.

“Coming into the technology field, I noticed that there is a shortage of women here—especially minority women,” said Wilson. “With the grant, I plan to do something that draws high school students, specifically women, to the field and show them that they can be successful as well.”

Jason Black, AAWCS principal investigator and Wilson’s adviser, said he is proud of Wilson and her accomplishment.

“This is an exciting offer,” said Black. “We are already dedicated to this goal and this funding will definitely aid in our efforts to increase these numbers.”

Wilson works with the Students and Technology in Academia, Research and Services Program, where she uses the information she gathers from her programs for research to assist in recruiting women to the technology field.

FAMU Board of Trustees Chairman Solomon L. Badger, III has released a public statement that expresses support for President James H. Ammons' response to the death of student Robert D. Champion. The full text appears below:

The members of the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Board of Trustees are deeply saddened by the loss of our student Robert Champion. Each of us will keep his family and the FAMU family in our prayers.

Since the unfortunate incident on Saturday, I have been in constant discussion with President Ammons. He has responded appropriately to this tragic situation and he has taken measures to get to the root cause of what has happened.


Dr. Ammons has convened an independent task force to review patterns of behavior by the band and to make recommendations regarding matters that should be addressed at the administrative level.

He has suspended performances of all band ensembles, including the Marching “100” and has started appropriate personnel actions to also address the current situation. Prior to the Florida Classic, there were other measures taken to ensure that students in the band were aware of not only the university policy, but also the penalties under Florida’s anti-hazing law.

It is my understanding that the cases that were brought to the attention of this administration were referred to the FAMU Police Department for review. There is an ongoing investigation by the Orange County Sherriff’s Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

At this time, we are relying on the law enforcement agencies to complete their investigation as well as the task force to issue its report.

Valerie Hendriex, vice president of Senior Community Development Officer at Wells Fargo (third from right), presented a $10,000 commemorative check to FAMU College of Law Dean LeRoy Pernell.

The funds will be used to host a mortgage foreclosure workshop through the FAMU Legal Clinic under the direction of Associate Professor Ann Marie Cavazos (right).

Also pictured are: Mildred Graham, FAMU College of Law Director of Development and Alumni Affairs (left) and Eunice Cassuade-Garcia, visiting instructor and coordinator of the FAMU Housing Clinic (second from right).

The blogging team here at Rattler Nation wishes you and your family a happy Thanksgiving holiday.

The Football Championship Subdivision shocked Bethune-Cookman University this afternoon by declining to extend the Wildcats an at-large playoff invitation.

Last evening, B-CU Coach Brian Jenkins told the Orlando Sentinel that he thought his team’s playoff prospects were strong after clinching a 26-16 Florida Classic victory over FAMU.

“I’m hopeful that people take notice and do the right thing and put us in the playoffs,” Jenkins said. “Not only should we get one (an invite), we belong. You know, I’m gonna say this, ‘If we get overlooked and they take another team with a lesser record … that would be catastrophic, to me, in this division of college football. Something is wrong.”

B-CU received an at-large invitation last year after posting an 11-1 regular season record. The Wildcats lost in the first round to New Hampshire, 45-20.

Norfolk State (9-2), the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion, will face off against Old Dominion (9-2) in the first round of the playoffs on November 26.

The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats clinched their first Florida Classic victory over FAMU since 2007, netting a big win in a contest widely seen as a battle for an at-large playoff invitation.

B-CU topped the Rattlers 26-16 in a game that drew 60,218 fans.

In the miscues department, the Rattlers were flagged seven times for a total loss of 85 yards. They lalso ost two of three fumbles, including a crucial fumble on a broken play during which the Rattlers assumed they heard a whistle and stopped. B-CU continued on that play and recovered the ball from quarterback Damien Fleming. Additionally, the Rattlers tossed three interceptions, while picking off just pass in the game.

FAMU kicker Trevor Scott ended the season perfect on PATS, going 36-36, tying the 100 percent record of Maurice "Foot" Freeman. Freeman holds the edge with a perfect 40-for-40 made PATS in 1983.

The Rattlers finished the season with an overall record of 7-4 and 5-3 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play, while B-CU came with an 8-3 overall record and 6-2 in the conference.

The Head Rattler and Head Wildcat exchanged laughs in anticipation of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Florida Classic.

FAMU President James H. Ammons and Bethune-Cookman University President Trudie Kibbie Reed both predicted victory for their respective teams at a pre-game luncheon held yesterday.

Ammons said he believed the Orange & Green would prevail because he "had a dream that we got an excessive celebreation penalty." Afterwards, he brought the audience to its feet with the Rattler Charge.

Not to be outdone, Reed said she had received a sign that pointed to a Wildcat victory from a fortune cookie. She said the cookie told her that the keys to the game's outcome were in her purse.

"There is something in my purse with the color of the winner," Reed said. Opening her purse, Reed pulled out a gold cloth.

The Florida Classic, which has now sold all of its ticketed seats, is expected to draw tens of thousands of fans.

Charles O’Duor has resigned as FAMU’s vice-president of audit and compliance. He had served in the position since 2007.

According to The FAMUan, O’Duor’s exit comes in the wake of an outside review of the Division of Audit and Compliance which found that the office had submitted executive summaries of 15 audits to the Board of Trustees instead of the full reports. Additionally, the outside review stated that an audit and review plan was not in place.

"These are very serious allegations because the Division of Audit and Compliance is the university's principal organization for assisting the University in maintaining university-wide external and internal compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, processes and internal controls," President James H. Ammons said.

Chief Communications Officer Sharon Saunders emphasized the university’s financial health remains strong.

"The audit referred to during the investigation are internal audits of areas the university want reviewed and not the annual audit conducted by the state auditor general. Since the 2007-08 academic year, FAMU has received clean unqualified audits from the auditor general," Saunders said.

The FAMU volleyball team will begin its quest to reclaim the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) crown tomorrow during the championship tournament in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Lady Rattlers went 9-1 in the conference this year to capture their fifth consecutive South Division title and a top seed in the tourney.

FAMU won nine straight MEAC championship titles from 2000 to 2009. It has claimed 13 conference championships, overall. Coach Tony Trifonov says the team's goal is to bring the MEAC trophy back home to Tallahassee and, just as importantly, represent FAMU in the national championship race.

"It's keeping the tradition, the proud tradition at Florida A&M," Trifonov told The FAMUan. "Another championship means another trip to the NCAA tournament."

Defending MEAC champion South Carolina State (8-2) captured the second seed in the southern division. Bethune-Cookman (6-4) earned the third seed and North Carolina Central (5-5) rounded out the fourth and final seed.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Lady Hawks claimed the second top seed in the tournament by finishing their season with an unblemished 12-0 mark in conference play en route to their fifth consecutive MEAC northern divisional title. UMES recorded over 20 victories for the fifth straight year and concluded the regular season on a 15 match win streak.

The FAMU Lady Rattlers (1-0, 0-0 MEAC) opened their season with a 78-59 win against the Jacksonville University Lady Dolphins (0-2).

Antonia Bennett (pictured) led all scorers with 27 points. Qiana Donald, one of the best rebounders in Lady Rattlers history, grabbed 13 rebounds. She also scored 13 points.

While the Lady Rattlers pulled out the victory, Coach LeDawn Gibson felt the team has room for improvement.

"The first few minutes we played real sloppy," Gibson said. "We didn't protect the ball well. We had several turnovers in the first half and that led to low scoring output in the half. After the half, I think the team worked much more cohesively. They turned up the defense and that led to the increase in scoring."

The FAMU volleyball team clinched the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Southern Division title by blanking the Bethune-Cookman Lady Wildcats (12-18,6-4 MEAC) 3-0.

The Lady Rattlers (11-12, 9-1 MEAC) won 25-23, 25-17 and 25-16. After a slow start, FAMU got on a roll and fended off the resurgent Lady Wilcats. Three Lady Rattlers finished with double digit kills. Katherine Huanec finished with 15, Maria Ceccarelli carded 11 and Pamela Barrera scored 10. As a team, FAMU hit .323 on the day, on 44-for-93 attempts.

"We started a little bit tense," Coach Tony Trifonov said. "It's a rivalry game so it's always like that. Every sport we play Bethune-Cookman in it's like that."

The Lady Rattlers, will head into the MEAC tournament with the number one seed in the Southern division.

FAMU's netters are ready to regain the MEAC crown.

"We are showing in practice that we're getting better," Barrera said. "We need to bring that championship back home where it belongs. We're happy and excited about the challenge."

The State University System of Florida (SUS) will be lucky to receive $20M of the $145M in Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funds it has requested for 2012-2013.

Florida’s PECO Revenue Estimating Committee has lowered its projection for the program’s maximum amount in response to a decline in the Gross Receipts Tax forecast. PECO funds come from utility taxes and go to public education building projects.

PECO money has become scarce due to the Great Recession, which has tanked the housing market and led to the closure of numerous businesses. Floridaians are also using a variety of methods to shave their energy costs, including purchasing more energy efficient appliances. These problems are all taking a heavy toll on the tax collections to go toward the PECO fund.

“It's intensified right now because of the economy, but there is a general trend too,” Amy Baker, coordinator of the Legislature's Office of Economic and Demographic Research, told the News Service of Florida. “Habits are changing. People who buy a different kind of light bulb will continue to buy a different kind of light bulb.”


Gov. Rick Scott vetoed the entire PECO appropriation FAMU received during the 2011 legislative session, which was $2,014,769 for electrical and technology upgrades. Scott also vetoed millions of campus infrastructure upgrade dollars designated for UF, USF, FAU, UCF, and UNF.

Money for campus electrical and technology upgrades continues to be FAMU’s top PECO priority. FAMU officials have warned that without the money, critical building code and safety improvements will be stalled. The university is already $9M behind in necessary upgrades due to the outcome of last year’s legislative session.

FAMU is also seeking $6,049,000 to finish up Pharmacy Phase II. The university has received $25,000,000 toward the total $31,049,000 required for the project.

Without support from PECO, construction projects at FAMU and other SUS institutions will be much more dependent upon private loans and the Capital Improvement Trust Fund (CITF) fees that are paid by students.

Pictured: The renovation of the Gore Educational Complex, a PECO-funded project.

Lavante Page (pictured) scored a pair of touchdowns and Eddie Rocker rushed for the century mark as the Florida A&M Rattlers Football team won their fourth straight in a 31-10 win over North Carolina Central at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

Page picked up his 13th and 14th TDs of the season as he gave the Rattlers a 14-0 lead early in teh game.

With 3:46 left in the half, Damien Fleming threw to Anthony Ray, who fumbled near the end zone. Tobias Lee scooped up the fumble and scored FAMU's third TD of the game on a one-yard fumble recovery, giving FAMU a 21-0 lead, after the Trevor Scott PAT.

Two minutes later, Fleming connected with Kevin Elliott for a 14-yard TD reception, giving FAMU a 28-0 led into the break.

In the second half, the NCCU defense held the Rattler offense to just 97 yards. The Eagles offense outgained the Rattlers 139-97 in the second half.

FAMU scored its final points of the game from a 42-yard Scott field goal with 3:16 left in the game.

The Rattlers (7-3, 5-2 MEAC) were paced by Rocker as he rushed for 128 yards on 17 carries, followed by Page with 32 yard on 12 carries with a pair of TDs.

Fleming finished the game with 15-of-24 passes for 186 yards, which included two passing TDs. Elliott led the FAMU receivers with 82 yards receiving on five catches with a TD.

Reamonn Soto, a senior majoring in physics at FAMU, has been invited to the White House to participate in the White House Community Leaders Briefing Series on November 10 for Florida leaders.

The briefing series is a unique opportunity for grassroots leaders to come to Washington to hear directly from White House officials on the issues that are affecting communities across the country and learn more about the president’s priorities and initiatives from the people that work on them every day.

In return, Administration staff will learn what is going on in cities and towns across the country directly from the experts – the grassroots leaders.

“I'm very excited to be invited to the White House to have dialogue with White House officials and most importantly with community leaders throughout Florida,” Soto said. “Although, many are looking forward to meeting President Obama, I look forward to learning more about the issues from the communities that have not been heard in popular political conversation. I don't believe government should solve all of our problems, but the government should at least understand them, and the invitation to participate in the White House Florida Community Leaders Briefing will make that conversation possible.”

Participants are local leaders who are currently involved in their cities and towns at the grassroots level – in their neighborhoods, schools, churches, non-profit organizations, environmental groups, activist and advocacy groups, etc. and who are continuously invested in improving their own communities.

The White House is looking for those that can bring their successes, challenges, and ideas directly to the White House to help improve the conversation between the grassroots and Washington.

Four Rattlers have been selected to compete in the 3rd Annual HBCU All-Star Bowl. Kevin Elliott, Branden Curry, D.J. Folsom and Jerry Willis (pictured) have been invited to participate in the game on Sunday, December 18 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

The HBCU All-Star Bowl selects the top 100 draft-eligible players from the major HBCU Conferences: the MEAC, SWAC, SIAC and CIAA. While the All-Star Game is the highlight for fans, the players benefit from the HBCU Official Combine administered by National Football Scouting, the same organization that coordinates the NFL Combine. At both of the previous bowls, every NFL team was present. A number of Canadian Football League and Arena Football League scouts also attended.

In addition to the combine, players will engage in activities such as hospital visits, a life skills session, a financial advisement seminar, and weekend entertainment events.

FAMU Head Coach Joe Taylor guided the East squad to victories in the first two HBCU All-Star Bowls. In 2009, the inaugural event was held in Montgomery, Alabama at the Crampton Bowl. FAMU's Leroy Vann was the MVP of the game, returning a punt for an 81-yard run and a touchdown.

In last year's contest, the event took place in the Georgia Dome. Taylor and his staff took home the victory with a 24-16 win. FAMU's Kendrick Washington recovered a fumble late in the game and ran 20 yards for a TD.

FAMU has inked a new affiliation agreement that will pipeline talented Rattler students into the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University (FAU).

This innovative initiative, named the Medical Honors Program (MHP), will help FAMU recruit high school seniors who are dedicated to becoming physicians. When the students enroll at FAMU for their baccalaureate education, they will automatically receive a conditional offer of acceptance to FAU’s College of Medicine. The students will have to successfully complete the MHP and satisfy the requirements of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) and FAU’s College of Medicine.

“We are very pleased to be working jointly with FAMU on the Medical Honors Program, which is distinguished by the strength of both our institutions,” FAU President Mary Jane Saunders said. “We will be able to offer aspiring doctors who excel academically with a competitive program that ensures a seamless route from undergraduate study to medical school.”


The MHP is a four-year curriculum, which will focus on professionalism, ethics, problem-based learning and inter-professional (team building, communication and leadership skills) education. MHP students will also be required to fulfill non-classroom extracurricular requirements such as clinical education, physician shadowing, working with patients in a hospital, clinic or physician’s office, and participating in health related community service. The program is designed to enable students to gain an understanding of the intellectual, emotional and physical demands incumbent upon medical students, and to train socially conscious and humane physicians.

“Florida A&M University is excited to join forces with Florida Atlantic University in this endeavor,” FAMU President James H. Ammons said. “The Medical Honors Program reinforces the commitment of both universities to identify and engage in strategies to meet the health needs of underserved populations. Through this program, the citizens of Florida will benefit as well as the MHP students.”

To be eligible for the MHP at FAU/FAMU, applicants must have an un-weighted high school average of at least 3.50, an SAT 1 composite minimum score of 1100 and must be in their last year of high school at the time of application. Up to ten total FAMU students will be admitted each year beginning in fall 2012. A MHP committee jointly composed of faculty from FAU and FAMU has been established to oversee the administration and admissions of this cooperative and integrated program.

“Educating and training underrepresented students who are outstanding academically is critical to helping address our physician shortage in Florida and the U.S., and ultimately providing first-rate medical care among our underserved populations,” said Julie C. Servoss, assistant dean of diversity, cultural and student affairs in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine and chair of the MHP committee.

According to the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2008, the total number of African-American physicians in the U.S. was 33,781 or 3.5 percent of the total physician population. Hispanic physicians in the U.S. total 46,507 or 4.9 percent of the total physician population.