Tag Archives: champion

Update: Death Of FAMU Drum Major Robert Champion Has Been Ruled A Homicide

Ladies and gentlemen, the isht has officially hit the fan. Via CNN.com : The death of Robert Champion Jr. , the 26-year-old Florida A&M University student and drum major who died last month after a suspected hazing incident, has been ruled a homicide, according to a medical examiner. The Friday afternoon announcement came just as Florida Gov. Rick Scott wrapped up a meeting with James Ammons, the university’s president, whose suspension he recommended amid an investigation into various issues at the university — including Champion’s death. Orange County officials said in a statement that Champion died November 19 because of “hemorrhagic shock, due to soft tissue hemorrhage, due to blunt force trauma sustained during a hazing incident.” He died in Orlando, where the band had been playing. Associate Medical Examiner Sara Irrgang performed the autopsy on Champion, overseen by Chief Medical Examiner Jan Garavaglia. According to the release, they noted that Champion was “previously healthy (when he) collapsed and died within an hour of a hazing incident during which he suffered multiple blunt trauma blows to his body.” He complained that he was thirsty and tired immediately after the incident and, minutes later, lost his eyesight. “These symptoms are consistent with hypotension or shock,” the statement noted. Some band members have said Champion may have died after a rite of passage called “crossing Bus C.” One member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained students “walk from the front of the bus to the back of the bus back backward while the bus is full of other band members, and you get beaten until you get to the back.” The autopsy found that Champion had “extensive contusions of his chest, arms, shoulder and back.” There was no evidence of “natural disease except for a slightly enlarged heart.” The young man’s father, Robert Champion Sr., said, “We are pleased to find out what caused our son’s death.” “Now, we need to move forward, so this doesn’t have to happen to any other kid,” the father said in a statement. SMH. So sad… What do you think this is going to mean for FAMU’s band program? More On Bossip! More Basketball Wives Beef!!! Evelyn, Shaunie And Tami Light Up Twitter Over “False Email Claims” Making It Rain On Them Hoes: Forbes List Top Ten Earning Women In Music 2011 #HumbleBrag: Celebrities That Talk About Their Weird Body Insecurities 2nd Time’s The Charm? Famous 2nd Marriages…Did They Work Or Fail?

Link:
Update: Death Of FAMU Drum Major Robert Champion Has Been Ruled A Homicide

Who Won America’s Next Top Model?

America’s Next Top Model courted some major controversy on its season finale tonight, as finalist Angela Preston was disqualified… with little explanation provided. Sources say she was given the boot for leaking spoilers about the cycle, while some go as far as to validate this claim… and add that she was actually named the winner, until The CW was forced to reshoot the finale. The network, meanwhile, simply said in a statement: “After production wrapped on the current cycle of America’s Next Top Model , we learned information that made Angelea ineligible and she was subsequently disqualified from the competition. As a result, new scenes were filmed to address this for the audience during the finale.” That shocking development resulted in a rather anti-climactic conclusion, but Lisa D’Amato took home the crown after dominating on the runway. For winning the first-ever All-Stars cycle, Lisa earned a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl, along with a spread in Vogue Italia and a guest correspondence role on Extra . “It’s crazy! It’s absolutely crazy! I feel incredible,” said the 30-year old after hearing her name called as the champion. “To be honest, my confidence actually comes from a very vulnerable place. It’s not that I’m over-confident. It’s just that I have to life myself up every day. I have a lot to prove. I feel like the universe finally came around for me and I’m not going to let anybody down. I won America’s Next Top Model All Star. It’s pretty damn cool.”

Read more from the original source:
Who Won America’s Next Top Model?

Update: FAMU Band Director Julian White Says University Didn’t Help Him Get Hazing Situation Under Control

Oh, when legacies get tarnished… After almost fourty years at Florida A&M and 13 years as the school’s band director, Julian White was fired last week in the wake of the “Marching 100″ hazing scandal that left one student dead. And now he’s fighting back. FAMU president Dr. James Ammons announced Wednesday that the university would fire White in the wake of Champion’s death. A letter sent to White from Ammon’s office cited “alleged misconduct and/or incompetence involving confirmed reports and allegations of hazing.” “We weren’t able to stop it, and so that’s why we thought that the sanction was appropriate at this time,” Ammons told CNN. “While Dr. White has had a distinguished career in music education and administration within the university as director of bands, I did not feel there was competence involving reporting allegations of hazing within the Department of Music and the Marching 100,” Ammons told the Tallahassee Democrat. White has since hired an attorney, who is demanding the now-former director be reinstated. 11Alive obtained a letter sent by attorney Chuck Hobbs to Dr. Ammons, outlining White’s actions against hazing, but saying the school did not provide enough “support” for those efforts. “There has been little uniformity in discipline in the form of University-wide suspensions or expulsions,” the letter stated. White said Ammons gave him the choice to resign or be fired. Ammons, an FAMU graduate, became band director in 1998 and has been on the school’s music faculty for nearly 40 years. According to the Capitol News Service in Tallhassee, White is a union member, and the university will have to wait until Dec. 22 to actually separate him from the university, in order to give him enough time to respond. Ammons’ letter placed White on administrative leave with pay until the official Dec. 22 firing date. On Tuesday, Ammons announced that the school would form an independent task force to investigate Champion’s death, along with any “unauthorized activities” associated with the Marching 100. The school president said FAMU’s “band, staff, students and history” will all be subject to investigation. On Wednesday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott sent a letter to the commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Gerald Bailey, asking the FDLE to investigate Champion’s death and the circumstances surrounding it. Ammons told the Democrat that he was looking forward to the FDLE’s involvement in the case. “We want answers,” he told the Democrat. “I welcome FDLE to this investigation to get to the bottom of this.” Since Champion’s death Saturday, blogs and social media sites have been flooded with posts speculating that Champion’s death may be connected with hazing. Ammons has asked people to stop engaging in rumors, but also acknowleded that several band members have been released from the band this semester because of possible participation in hazing. “Hazing is illegal, and it’s something that should not happen,” he said. “I am committed to making certain that we end this practice.” In Florida, hazing is a third degree felony. Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings has said he suspects hazing is involved in Champion’s death and that charges could be forthcoming. A FAMU student and former band member who asked not to be identified, told the Democrat that groups within the band haze as an initiation for new members. The student said there was a myriad of band fraternities and some have groups within groups. The student went on to say inter-band fraternities, including a clarinet section called “The Clones” and an Atlanta-based group called the “Red Dawgs Organization” are responsible for the majority of the hazing in the band. Do you think the University is using Dr. White as a scapegoat to make itself appear tougher on hazing than it really is? Source

See the article here:
Update: FAMU Band Director Julian White Says University Didn’t Help Him Get Hazing Situation Under Control

Shawn Marion visits Millions of Milkshakes

http://www.youtube.com/v/8YTuv6DHzDE?f=user_uploads&app=youtube_gdata

NBA Champion & Dallas Mavericks’ forward visits Millions of Milkshakes in Culver City to create a custom shake. Follow Hollywood.TV on Facebook @ facebook.com/hollywoodasithappens

Read more:

Shawn Marion visits Millions of Milkshakes

Scherri Lee Biggs wins 2011 Miss Universe Australia

Scherri Lee Biggs is crowned the 2011 Miss Universe Australia during the crowning ceremony to announce the 2011 Miss Universe Australia at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins on July 7, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia. Scherri-Lee Biggs has been crowned Miss Universe Australia. The 20-year-old Perth-based model, who was born in South Africa, replaced Jesinta Campbell as the champion of the beauty pageant in Melbourne on Thursday night and will now represent the country in the Brazil final later this

Read more from the original source:
Scherri Lee Biggs wins 2011 Miss Universe Australia

Hayden Panettiere and Jerry Ferrara

Scream 4#39;s Hayden Panettiere, 21, snagged the title as the “Most Inspirational Player,” while Entourage#39;s Jerry Ferrara, 31, beat out all of his teammates, including former NFL players, to win “Most Valuable Player” of the game. Both played the sand-filled field for the champion Team Spike, which was coached by Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy. “I won an award – for football!” Panettiere tells us. “It has to be because the ball hit me in the face.” he Green Bay Packers and Pittsb

Read more here:
Hayden Panettiere and Jerry Ferrara

WikiLeaks vs Rumsfeld/O’Reilly – Rap News

Rap News interviews former US Secretary of Offense, Donald Rumsfeld. But what starts out as a conventional Rap News interview soon descends into mayhem as the live feed is hijacked by News World Order, eager to spin the record like a disc jockey on crack. Enter Bill O'Really, the champion of Fair & Balanced journalism, dragging us screaming into the No Spine Zone. added by: Stoneyroad

Is the America’s Got Talent Winner a Star?

We’ll conceal the champion until after the jump, but America’s Got Talent crowned its fifth-season victor last night to the delight of many and to the abject disappointment of others. Let’s break down the potential for mainstream success (and credibility).

Read the original post:
Is the America’s Got Talent Winner a Star?

Profile of FIA Committee Member Stefanie Gork

EDUCATION: University of California, San Diego Frankfurt School of Finance Management Technical University of Munich OTHER EMPLOYMENT: 08/2002–01/2005 Apprenticeship at Commerzbank AG, Dresden, Germany 02/2005-09/2005 Associate at Bentley Motors, San Diego, CA, USA 04/2005–09/2005 IMSA (International Motor Sport Association), American Le Mans Series, Champion Racing, Audi Sport North America, USA 10/2005–12/2005 Associate at HypoVereinsbank, Augsburg, Germany 01/2006–03/2008 Associate at

Visit link:
Profile of FIA Committee Member Stefanie Gork

Margaret Thatcher Hailed as Champion for Climate Skeptics

Image credit: Iconic Photos Only a few weeks ago we saw conservative environmentalists evoking the ghost of Ronald Reagan to make the case for strong action on climate change . Now climate skeptics are getting in on the act, co-opting Reagan’s ally Margaret Thatcher as a key voice of climate skepticism. The trouble is, Thatcher’s legacy on climate change is muddled to say the least…. Read the full story on TreeHugger

Read more:
Margaret Thatcher Hailed as Champion for Climate Skeptics