Looks like all those lawsuits and that divorce are catching up to Eddie Long Stroke. New Birth Christian Academy is closing after 18 years, sending hundreds of students scrambling to find a new school by next week. The academy, founded by Bishop Eddie Long, informed parents in a letter dated Dec. 22 that the private school’s “funding estimates fall far short of our projected needs. It is a very sad occasion, as the NBCA board has made the tough decision to temporarily close the school.” “We have operated New Birth Christian Academy for several years with substantial deficits in hopes that the national economic climate would change, however, that change never materialized,” said to the letter signed by Carlton Donald, the board’s vice chair. This has been a hellacious year for Eddie Long. And now his school is closing. Actually, that’s probably for the best. Just saying. We hope those teachers land on their feet and those students find some good schools though.
Wait… what now? An Arizona judge has ruled that Tuscon schools must change the way they’ve been teaching Mexican-American history in the schools because the current curriculum is too inflammatory. An administrative law judge found the program’s curriculum was teaching Latino history and culture “in a biased, political, and emotionally charged manner,” and upheld state officials’ findings that it violated a state law passed in 2010. The Tucson Unified School District had appealed a decision by the law’s principal backer, then-state schools superintendent Tom Horne, to shut down the program. Horne left office at the end of 2010, but his successor, John Huppenthal, backed Horne’s ruling in June. Huppenthal said Tuesday’s ruling shows “that it was the right decision.” “In the end, I made a decision based on the totality of the information and facts gathered during my investigation — a decision that I felt was best for all students in the Tucson Unified School District,” he said in a written statement. Under the law, the state can withhold 10% of its funding for the school district — about $15 million a year — until the district changes the course. In a written statement, Tucson Superintendent John Pedicone said the school board’s lawyers are reviewing the ruling, and board members will discuss it at their January 3 meeting. During their appeal, district officials pointed out that an audit commissioned by Huppenthal praised the program and found “no observable evidence” that the classes violated state law. A witness for the school system argued that teaching students “historical facts of oppression and racism” was less likely to promote “racial resentment” — something specifically banned by the 2010 law — than ignoring that history. In Tuesday’s ruling, administrative law judge Lewis Kowal said the auditors observed only a limited number of classes. He added, “Teaching oppression objectively is quite different than actively presenting material in a biased, political, and emotionally charged manner.” “Teaching in such a manner promotes social or political activism against the white people, promotes racial resentment, and advocates ethnic solidarity, instead of treating pupils as individuals,” Kowal wrote. He cited a lesson that taught students that the historic treatment of Mexican-Americans was “marked by the use of force, fraud and exploitation,” and a parent’s complaint that one of her daughters, who was white, was shunned by Latino classmates after a government course was taught “in an extremely biased manner.” The 2010 law also bans courses that “promote the overthrow of the United States government,” are “designed for a specific ethnic group” or advocate “ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.” What’s the point of teaching kids history at all if we’re going to sugarcoat it? Are we going to stop teaching about slavery next? None of this even begins to sound like democracy… Source
Adele’s 21 and Justin Bieber’s Under the Mistletoe snag #2 and #3 spots. By Rob Markman Michael Buble’s Christmas Photo: Reprise Wondering what gifts will await you on Christmas morning? Don’t be surprised if Ol’ St. Nick stuffs your stocking with a copy of Michael Bubl
There’s not much one can really say about this first trailer for the much-anticipated The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. As with Peter Jackson‘s three previous Lord of the Rings films, the project looks gorgeous, meticulous, epic, stirring, just plain wonderful, and true to its classic J.R.R. Tolkien source material. So, yeah, I love it. With The Hobbit, we again return to Middle-earth and the Shire,… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Film School Rejects Discovery Date : 21/12/2011 04:08 Number of articles : 2
A former New York University film professor made headlines recently for suing the school, which he said fired him for giving barely present graduate student James Franco a D in his class. José Angel Santana alleges not only racist employment practices at NYU, but also that, “In my opinion, they’ve turned the NYU graduate film degree into swag for James Franco’s purposes, a possession, something you can buy.” Burn. Anyway, none of this would matter were it not for the requisite Taiwanese news animation showcasing both Santana’s firing and a reimagining of 127 Hours that’s quite possibly better than Danny Boyle’s film itself.
A former NYU professor claims he got fired because he’s Hispanic and dared give James Franco, Hollywood celebrity, a D in a class, according to a new lawsuit. Jose Angel Santana, who taught Franco in his “Directing the Actor” class, is now suing the University for his job back, claiming he was wrongfully terminated. According to the lawsuit, Santana dropped a D on Franco for missing 12 of the 14 classes during the MFA course. Not shocking, given his academic track record: However, when peeps found out, Santana claims he suffered all sorts of public humiliation at the hands of Franco and the school itself, which canned him. Something he claims would never have happened to a white professor. According to Santana, other faculty played favorites for Franco, including fellow professor Jay Anania, who Franco hired to write and direct Shadows & Lies . Santana says , “In my opinion, they’ve turned the NYU graduate film degree into swag for James Franco’s purposes, a possession, something you can buy.” “The university has done everything in its power to curry favor.” Okay … can we just talk about the pic again? That’s hilarious.
ORLANDO-The death of FAMU drum major, Robert Champion, has been ruled a homicide by The Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office. There is now word as to who if any members of the FAMU band will be charged in his death. Champion was a graduate of Southwest DeKalb High School. CF News 13 reports: In a statement, the Medical Examiner said Champion displayed symptoms of hypotension or shock as he complained of thirst and fatigue, and later loss of vision, after the hazing incident. Read More At CF News 13 . RELATED: DeKalb County Suspends All Marching Band Activities Due To FAMU Hazing Florida A&M University Drum Major Robert Champion Found Dead, School Suspects Hazing FAMU Tragedy Or Not, Hazing Will Go On As Usual Three Florida A&M Band Members Charged With Hazing
‘I’m a square in the movie, and I pretty much maintain that squareness,’ Wiz tells MTV News of his February film with Snoop Dogg. By Rob Markman Wiz Khalifa Photo: MTV News Wiz Khalifa is a pretty cool guy, right? That’s why it’s so hard to imagine the Taylor Gang general as a geek, but in his and Snoop Dogg ‘s upcoming film “Mac & Devin Go to High School,” the Pittsburgh rapper plays just that. “I’m super square in the movie,” Wiz told MTV News, laughing backstage at his and Snoop’s New York concert last week. “I’m a square in the movie, and I pretty much maintain that squareness. I mean, I walk on the wild side, I do some cool things, but I tapped into my nerdy side.” Though the “Mac & Devin” soundtrack hit stores Tuesday, the stoner comedy won’t be out until February. According to Wiz, it wasn’t difficult for him to turn down his cool for the camera. “That’s kind of who I am as a real person too; I was really reserved,” Khalifa said about his high school days at Taylor Allderdice High in Pittsburgh. “I was really fall-backish, so I can totally connect with my character Devin in the movie. It was real easy.” Fans got their first real glimpse of Wiz as Devin in the duo’s “Young, Wild & Free” video . In the clip, which mixes movie scenes with performance footage, Wiz’s character is seen wandering through the school halls looking extremely studious with his shirt buttoned all the way to the top. It was quite the transformation. “I had to do makeup every day to cover my tattoos. I had to spray my hair to get the blond out, but it was cool. It was an experience, and it was really, really fun to be a novice at acting, be brand-new and then have to learn,” Khalifa said. “I watched the movie, and I can actually see myself getting better in the movie.” Are you excited to see “Mac & Devin Go to High School”? Tell us in the comments! For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Artists Wiz Khalifa Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa are currently on their “Mac + Devin Go To High School” tour. The two stopped by Hot 107.9 and chopped it up with DJ Drama and Gangsta Grillz Radio before their show at the Tabernacle. Snoop and Wiz talked about their joint tour, their pasts and smoking sessions with people like Method Man and Willie Nelson. Check it out! RELATED: Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa Announce “Mac + Devin Go To Highschool” Movie & Tour Amber Rose On Her Mom Smoking Weed With Wiz Khalifa: “Wiz Is Like The Son She Never Had” [EXCLUSIVE] Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa “This Weed Iz Mine” [VIDEO] RELATED: Wiz Khalifa Adds Juicy J To Taylor Gang Wiz Khalifa Performs With DJ Drama & Fabolous At Cleveland Summer Jam [VIDEO]
Where the hell are the adults in charge when all of this isht is going on??? While the extended FAMU community is still reeling from the scandal surrounding the death of drum major Robert Champion last month , three more band members have been charged with a hazing-related crime. Tallahassee police said that on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, Bria Shante Hunter was beaten with fists and a metal ruler to initiate her into the “Red Dawg Order” — a band clique for students who come from Georgia. Hunter told police that days later the pain became so unbearable that she went to the hospital. Besides her broken thigh bone, she had had blood clots in her legs. Sean Hobson, 23, and Aaron Golson, 19, were charged Monday with hazing and battery, and James Harris, 22, was charged with hazing. Leon County records show that all three arrested men were in jail on Monday night. A university spokeswoman confirmed they were students. Attempts to reach listed numbers for them were unsuccessful. Police say that the hazing happened at Harris’ off-campus apartment in Tallahassee and that at one point he stopped Golson and Hobson from hitting Hunter further. Hunter did not immediately return a call to her cell phone. Officers said in the arresting documents that Hunter was targeted by the other members of the “Red Dawg Order” because she tried to get out of going to a group meeting. She was repeatedly punched on the tops of her thighs by Golson and Hobson, according to information the police got from others who witnessed the incident. The second beating came when Hunter and other pledges could not recite information about the “Red Dawg Order” properly. It was during that one that a metal ruler was used on Hunter’s legs. Police say that Hobson sent Hunter a text message on Nov. 5 that stated “I apologize for the hurt I put you through. I apologize for the mental and physical strain you have endured.” When interviewed later by police, Hobson acknowledged he was a member of the “Red Dawg Order” but denied harming Hunter or sending her a text message. Harris also denied to police that he allowed his apartment to be used to hold the meetings and he denied that saw Hunter getting hit. After Champion’s death, the school fired band director Julian White, who contends he tried to report problems with hazing to his superiors. He has since been reinstated and placed on administrative leave at the request of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement which asked the university to halt all disciplinary actions until the criminal investigation is finished. Four students connected to Champion’s death were expelled, but then reinstated at the request of the law-enforcement agency. Last week the Board of Trustees reprimanded Ammons over his job performance, including how the university has dealt with hazing. The panel that oversees the state university system has also called for a probe into whether school officials ignored past warnings about hazing. You know what else we want someone to investigate or talk about? Why do our college-aged kids need approval sooooo much that they are willing to let people do this to them just so they can belong to something??? Check out the three arrested student’s mugshots below.
