I am a retired Web Developer, Blackboard & Canvas Administrator at Fayetteville State University, which is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina.
[ What happens when you don’t have enough college-eligible African-American students to make HBCUs viable? ]
Why do I think HBCUs in the UNC-System will have an even harder time, increasing retention and graduation rates over the next several years? “It’s the Economy, stupid,” to reapply Bill Clinton’s election catch-phrase.
HBCUs currently accept a disproportionately large percentage of “low achieving” students compared to the non-HBCU institutions in the UNC-System. By “low achieving,” I am focusing upon the percentage of incoming Freshmen that were ranked in the “Bottom Half of their High School Class.” *I am using the figures from the “Freshman Class Profiles, Fall 2006,” which were included in the “Institutional Profiles University of North Carolina 2007-2008 Edition” (p.54, Appendix E).
INSTITUTION
# FRESHMEN
HS CLASS RANK
FROM BOTTOM HALF
% FROM
BOTTOM HALF
% SAT
BELOW 900
UNC-CH
2970
30
1%
1%
NCSU
3934
74
2%
1%
UNC-A
464
13
3%
2%
UNC-W
1427
113
8%
2%
UNC-C
2725
265
10%
4%
ASU
2446
318
13%
2%
UNC-G
2179
300
14%
13%
ECU
3508
828
24%
12%
WCU
1366
492
36%
16%
UNC-P
870
319
37%
43%
WSSU
838
317
38%
57%
ECSU
464
205
44%
71%
NCA&T
1773
792
45%
59%
FSU
751
341
45%
68%
NCCU
778
366
47%
68%
INSTITUTION
2010 TOTAL ENROLLMENT
BLACK
% BLACK
UNC-A
3967
123
3%
ASU
17222
549
3%
UNC-W
13071
572
4%
WCU
9407
575
6%
NCSU
34376
2758
8%
UNC-CH
29390
2504
9%
ECU
27783
3890
14%
UNC-C
25063
3957
16%
UNC-G
18771
3938
21%
UNC-P
6944
2135
31%
FSU
5781
4044
70%
WSSU
6333
4701
74%
NCCU
8645
6787
79%
ECSU
3307
2621
79%
NCA&T
10795
9187
85%
I don’t have the figures in front of me now, or I would post them, but the “graduation rates” at the non-white institutions is noticeably lower. I’ve seen one set of figures showing from a 25% to about 12% grad. rate, at the non-white schools, for 4 years. But, what would make you think that they should be equivalent to the white colleges? Could the white institutions graduate a greater percentage of “low achievers”? I’m guessing the answer would be, “No.” But, I’m almost sure that none of the white institutions want to have the opportunity to prove they could do a better job.
I think you would also have to start asking questions about, “should low achieving students even go to college,” and “what happens when you don’t have enough college-eligible African-American students to make the HBCUs viable”.
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What about loan defaults and student debt?
So, the System HBCUs are accepting a large number of “low achieving” students. This may or may not be the cause of a greater number of these students either leaving the institution before graduation, or graduating at a much slower, and lower rate that the White institutions. And, it’s a “Catch-22”. More black students are failing, but it’s because you’re letting more “underachieving” students, who happen to be black, attempt college.
If you limited the number of “low achieving” students that were allowed to attend the HBCUs, then some of those institutions couldn’t afford to continue to do business.
If you take the difference in Graduation Rate Percentage between the black and white institutions, then would that be an indicator of the percentage of “low achieving” students that HBCUs shouldn’t be allowing to attend?
I was driving into Latta on Hwy 501, up from Marion this morning shortly before noon. I saw a restaurant on the left.
It was the patrol cars all lined up that made me think this place must be good.
The patrolmen were seated in another room and left before I finished my meal. There were a few customers. As I ate, I noticed that there were Egyptian figurines about the place.
I ordered the Mini Pizza with a House Salad. This came with sweet tea, which was good. The honey mustard dressing was sweet. It reminded me of the honey mustard dressing which used to be served at Tony’s Pizza in Fayetteville (before Tim was killed). The salad had large chunks of ice berg lettuce. The tomatoes had some flavor, although it was too early in the season for local varieties.
I ordered the House Special Mini Pizza which included several meats. When it arrived, it looked good. It also tasted good.
I ate three slices of the pizza and asked the waitress for a small carry out box.
The waitress was an attractive young woman with what appeared to be a guileless personality.
I awoke early on Thursday morning before my alarm went off. Got up, showered, and left early enough to get to Asheville by about 11am. I almost always stop at the Davie County Rest Area for a bathroom break and stretch.
I got into Asheville with enough time to find Cafe Azalea on Tunnel Road about 30 minutes before it opened. I roamed down around a few mountain roads and went past Warren Wilson College before turning around and making it back to the restaurant.
There are a few outside tables, at which there were a few adults and a little girl. I walked into the darkened interior and was seated by the waiter near the back, but facing out (the establishment having a large glass front).
I looked through the menu, and the waiter brought me iced tea, and waited on several other customers (a couple by the front door, a man reading a paper by the front window, and a couple which came in, went to the register/bar area, talked briefly with the staff and then left).
I ordered the Shrimp & Grits, which I had seen reviewed online as being distinct in that they weren’t too spicy, but perfect for the reviewer. *And my review would be the opposite. They weren’t distinctive, because they weren’t spicy, and although not totally bland, just “nothing to write home about.” However, they are worth blogging about;-)
I also ordered a cup of the Ginger-Carrot Soup, which in addition to those ingredients already mentioned, included creme fraiche and coconut flavoring with a topping of chives (I think.). I enjoyed the slight flavors, but eventually added some raw sugar to “turn” the soup for a sweet element.
The Shrimp and Grits were a disappointment, but the soup was different, and good.
I finished my meal, left and entered the Blue Ridge Parkway below the restaurant. I soon found the Folk Art Center (a museum, working art studio and gift shop). I roamed the aisles, and bought a couple of coffee mugs, toured the museum and then left.
I found the Days Inn via my GPS (almost) and after checking in, realized that this was a really old hotel which had been renovated… The cheap price had not entered my consciousness as a question mark. *The hotel, room and facilities were adequate for me. If I were married, I would not bring my wife…
I did ride around downtown Asheville, by the Grove Arcade, and then eventually out to the WNC Farmer’s Market where I made a quick tour. *I did not intend to buy anything on Thursday, especially ramps. But returned on Friday morning to buy cheese, honey, some potatoes, a couple of tomatoes, and a couple of bunches of ramps (@$3).
At some point, around 5pm, I set my GPS to find Luella’s BBQ Restaurant. It appears to have been a curb side service at some point, but no longer, and is located at one of the entrances to UNC-Asheville.
I entered and was seated by a young blond waitress in a black t-shirt and black jeans (the uniform of the establishment). I was given a menu and ordered sweet tea. There are tables, booths, and bar stools at the “bar” by the kitchen.
I ordered a half-rack of ribs, a bean salad, and a house salad with a sundried tomato vinagrette and hush puppies. I tried various sauces, liking the Luella’s sauce. *I left with about half the ribs and a small cup of the Luella’s sauce.
So, I head out on US 40 West, eventually turning off and winding my way to Canton, NC. I then took a southerly leaning road, hoping to find the Blue Ridge Parkway at some point, and then take that back to Asheville. The road followed a small winding river, sometimes close and sometimes further away, but then returning.
Eventually, I found myself on Hwy 215 which I followed for a good distance. The sun began to dip behind the mountains, but I chose to continue on Hwy 215, not knowing for sure that it would cross the BRP.
I came to a large mountain lake ( ), which I think was an Episcopal summer retreat. I continued on although there were no longer any homes visible from the road, and I only recall passing 4 motorcycles and an old truck heading down the mountain(s). *It finally dawned on me that the tops of the mountains were coming nearer. I passed a rushing waterfall, and continued to wind back and forth along the road.
Finally, I saw a sign for the Blue Ridge Parkway. I was pretty close to being as far along the Parkway as I had ever come southward. I think I was about 30 miles from Asheville when I started back along the road. I stopped at several points to take a few quick pictures. I noted a few instances of lovers stopped in vehicles to view the setting sun.
I passed what must have been a landslide which closed the Parkway a few years ago. A large portion of the mountain-side appeared to be sandy soil with a few large boulders dotted about. It looked none to secure, and I would not be surprised to hear that the Parkway was closed again due to another slide in less than two years.
As I neared Asheville, it was already night-time, and the increased lights of homes and businesses were obvious.
The next morning, I ate the breakfast buffet provided by the hotel. The food was good, but I did note that most of the guests were speaking Spanish, and that pinto beans and jalapenos were included on the buffet.
I packed up, filled the cooler with ice, and headed downtown to find an Indian restaurant. I did find it, but parking would have been a problem for lunch, so I decided to eat elsewhere. I headed out to the Farmer’s Market where I bought my goods.
Just before leaving Asheville on Friday, I drove along Tunnel Road (which parallels US 40) and turned into the East Village Grille, which is a sports bar & restaurant located diagonally across from the Veterans Hospital (east Asheville). The sign appears to be old, but inside could be 5, 10, 15 years or older.
There were several tables of customers when I walked in. A waitress smiled and told me I could sit where I liked. I walked to the end of the room, nearest a large window facing Tunnel Road. Traffic was not worrisome or noticeable to me as I watched TV, and people.
I was handed a large booklet menu. Probably 10 pages, wrapped in vinyl, and items such as sandwiches, chicken, seafood, Greek food, and wines, etc.
A male waiter, dressed in black (as were all… dressed in black) came to my table and I made a comment about the menu being like “War and Peace,” or some other large tome. I ordered sweet tea (which was sweet and good when it arrived), and the Philly Cheese Steak and potato salad (good, but could have had a touch of sweetness). *The bun was good, the cheese was melted, and the steak & mushrooms were well done.
I asked the waitress if I could have a small amount of “Tiger” Sauce. My waiter came back with a small black cup of Tiger Sauce, which was a rich deep ruby red, with flecks of pepper seeds in it. The Tiger Sauce was worth the whole meal. I dipped my Philly Steak, cheese and even the bun eventually to get every hot drop of this sauce. It was hot, and I believe had Habaneros in it, but it wasn’t too hot. *Today, I googled for Tiger Sauce, and see that it is a known quantity, sold by various companies. I’ll go looking for something that looks like what I remember, and hope it will have the same flavor. Habanero hot, but without garlic, and sweet.
[NOTE 02/14/25]: Something small I still remember about that first taste of Tiger Sauce, was that they charged me for the sample. I think it was only 35 cents, but at the time I thought that I should have gotten it for free. I think later, I realized that the sample I received cost them about 35 cents, because of what a bottle of Tiger Sauce cost. [end NOTE]
After lunch, I decided to drive along Hwy 70 instead of US 40. I think I’ve done this one other time, with the same result. You eventually take US 40 over the Continental Divide, and down the mountain. But once down to Old Fort, I intentionally got back on Hwy 70 and took the scenic tour toward Winston-Salem. Eventually, at Hickory, after shopping at Belk for pants, shirts, socks and even a pair of new shoes (brown suede), I did get on US 40 and made it to my Comfort Suites hotel by a little after 6pm. I did stop off to eat supper at Panera Bread where I had some vegetable soup, a ham sandwich, and a cold lemonade.
I fell asleep almost immediately after getting in my room, leaving the television on, while on the Weather Channel. My sleep was basically restful, while having brief bouts of awareness that there were severe storms coming up from the south and doing great damage as they did. About 10:43pm I finally woke up, and turned the TV to the movie Avatar, (by chance, not intent). I cussed as Spanish sub-titles panned across the screen, but eventually found the CC (Closed Captioning) button and turned off any text display.
The next morning, when I awoke about 6:30am, rain was coming in brief waves and rain drops bouncing in puddles on the parking lot and vehicles below. I showered, and went downstairs for breakfast. I had a large Belgian waffle, some syrup, a glass of cranberry juice, and later, some milk, and some coffee before heading out on tour. It was still raining when I left the hotel and quickly found a gas station where I filled up my tank. I then took the Hanes Mall (road or parkway) path and came to Silas Creek Parkway. I now know that I turned in the opposite direction from which I should. Eventually, I would use my GPS to get back on track, and crisscrossing roads, would find Reynolda Road, and take a brief tour of the Wake Forest University campus on a rainy, early morning.
When I returned to my hotel, I googled for Indian restaurants, and found one Tumeric, which ended up being only a short distance from where I was. I called and found that they opened at 11am. So, I packed up my goods, loaded them into the Civic, and drove around town to kill time until about 11:30, when I hoped that there would not be many customers, but would have all of the lunch buffet deployed.
I tried the buffet at Tumeric Indian Restaurant in Winston-Salem on Friday at lunch. They open at 11am, and I was apparently their first customer about 11:30am. Three more customers arrived before I had finished my meal.
As I pulled up to the curb, there was a young red headed, white guy, sitting out on a bench beside the front door. He hopped up and went inside, which made me think he might be a waiter or clerk. Sure enough, he was my waiter, and sat me at a table for two near the cash register. There was a young Indian, probably in his 30s, at the cash register. I almost choked as I sat down because the air was stifling from whatever had been cooked already. I quickly got over this feeling and was quite comfortable before I was deep into my meal.
I ordered water to drink and was told the buffet was ready.
I hopped up and went back to the buffet area which was behind my table.
I can tell from an online recipe that one of the deserts that I had, and went back for a little more, was Dal Payasam. There were raisins and cashews on top.
I had some yogurt rice, and tried both the goat and chicken curry. I’m not sure if it was called a chutney, but I had a couple of other mixtures, which I suppose were not a main course.
The food was good, the water cold, and the desserts simple but delicious. I talked briefly with my waiter about being from the Coast of North Carolina, and that I liked going to the beach when everyone else was not there. Especially like the rainy day that was that morning in Winston-Salem.
The day would clear up quickly as I drove down to Pinehurst to visit Russ and Deborah Savage. But, later, one of the storms of the day would blow quickly thorough the Village and then no more rain or breeze there. That was not the case across much of middle and eastern NC for the rest of the day. Russ and I watched the storm(s) reporting on TV as tornadoes touched down in Sanford, Raleigh, and other points.
Addendum [05/30/22]: NC Tornadoes – April 2011 (10 years later) * I was visiting Russ & Deborah on the day when the tornadoes came through the Fayetteville/Lumberton area. But, there was a wide swath of destruction which in my mind looked like God had taken his hand and scraped it along the Earth from the SW to the NE, lifting it at some points but a definite NE direction. **I think they told me that Longhill Pointe apartments had some damage from this storm (including the apartment I live in). I drove over to the nice neighborhood next to Longhill and saw some brand new brick homes that had been demolished, leaving only a lone brick wall standing.
On Sunday, Russ, Deb and I drove up to Winston-Salem to tour the Reynolda House Museum. Afterwards, we ate at Old Staley’s Grill & Ale Restaurant which is directly across from the house, but not visible because of dense vegetation.
Russ drove past the restaurant at first because there were only about 4 cars visible. It was a large deserted parking lot at about 4 pm. He turned around at the Reynolda House entrance and then drove into the restaurant’s parking lot and up near the front door. The sign said that they should be open. Russ parked across several motorcycle parking spaces, so that the car would be in the shade, and we all went inside.
We were seated quickly, as there were only a few customers sparsely sitting about the restaurant. It is a sports bar with large TVs and at least one really, really large TV. A NASCAR race from Talledega was coming to an exciting finish… if I had the least bit of interest in stock car racing, which I haven’t since I graduated high school.
Bright, bubbly Bailey was our waitress, quick with a smile and information. We ordered burgers all around. Russ had the waffle sweet potato fries (good), Deb had crinkle cut regular fries (good, crisp, chewy middle and just the right amount of salt), and I had baked beans (a good sweet bean). Russ did order sour cream (at my suggestion) for his fries. Whether it was Bailey, or the “new” cook, what Russ got was a dollop of butter (which Deborah said was actually margarine). None of us ever brought this faux-pax to Bailey’s attention.
My burger was large and good, a little pink in the middle. I scraped off the chili, and asked if I had actually gotten any Pepper Jack cheese, which I had ordered. It was pointed out to me that there appeared to be a little cheese around the edge of the burger, and that the rest had probably melted into the hot burger. There were dill pickle slices on the burger (I prefer sweet.), and a large dill wedge on the side.
I just recently came across the Tiger Sauce – Habanero Lime flavor. It was really good, but I’m not sure how different it is from the Original flavor. Maybe hotter, and I don’t remember any lime flavor coming through.
ADDENDUM [03/04/23]: I’ve probably mentioned this elsewhere, but I found that I liked the new Habanero-Lime Tiger Sauce better than I did the Original. I even ordered a 6-Pack of the Habanero-Lime Tiger Sauce and think I gave away some as Christmas presents. But later, when I tried to make another order, I found that the new sauce had been discontinued. And, then later, I got a notice that the Habanero-Lime Tiger Sauce was available. I ordered another 6-Pack, and it arrived in a few days. But, when I opened it, they had sent me the Original version. The new version wasn’t available, and Amazon told me to throw, use, or give it away and not send it back.
On my Columbia, SC quick-trip last weekend, I returned via Santee, SC and stopped at Clark’s Restaurant before heading up I95 to Fayetteville.
I was seated at a table for two. To my left and behind me they had opened the curtains which revealed a large double door and although it was late in the day, the light from outside still was distracting from the darkened dining room.
I ordered the Shrimp & Grits, with tea, and for my two “sides” I ordered a baked sweet potato (especially mentioning that I would like sour cream with that) and dirty rice (I think.).
When the entree arrived, there was a large bowl of grits on which were sliced Kielbasa sausage, shrimp and green bell pepper slices. The waiter went away and a short time later came by close enough for me to ask about my two sides. He at first started to say that because of the large portion of shrimp & grits, that the meal didn’t come with sides. I provided my quizzical look, and although slower than in my earlier days, began to ask about why he hadn’t said something when I had asked about the baked sweet potato with sour cream. The waiter left for the kitchen and soon returned with the two sides, saying something about having left them on the serving shelf.
I had several times heard my waiter tell both me and another customer that the “Soup of the Day” was a roasted red pepper bisque. I thought this was odd since another female waitress told two other customers that the soup was a tomato bisque. I heard my waiter later tell another customer that the soup “tasted like” roasted red peppers.
For about $21.95, I got a large bowl of grits. The flavor was good, but a good value would have been half the grits for about $5 less. There is no way that anyone would feel good about taking home a large amount of “left over” grits, having probably eaten the sausage, shrimp and peppers.
As I re-read the above posting, I realized what poor service I had, and another time I had an older waitress that actually reached between my arms and the menu I was holding and reading, and placed my drink order in front of me. I thought that action was “terribly rude,” and something that a mature waitress should have known not to do, unless she was intentionally trying to be rude.
I have stayed once, overnight in the hotel, and the stay was comfortable, but honestly the meals are pricey.
I will be glad when the Economy improves to the point that the middle & cheap hotels can afford to replace their old analog TVs with some 32″ (or larger) flat-panel digital screens. Why should I stay in a hotel when I have better at home? Flat-screen HD TV, high-speed Internet, etc.
So, I’m making day trips and returning home to sleep in my own bed. Besides the NCAA Semi-Final games (Butler vs VCU & Kentucky vs UConn) were starting a little after 6pm tonight.
It was a beautiful Spring day, with a little wind, but nothing biting and really uncomfortable. I rode around Winston-Salem for a while, criss-crossing the streets. A little before noon, I googled for W/S restaurants and scrolled down finding a pizza place called “Burke Street Pizza.” I put this into my phone’s GPS and the sultry voiced navigator began to direct me to my pizza. I turned into the parking area beside and back of the restaurant, got out of the car and walked around to the front door.
As you enter the building there is a row of stools for individuals to eat their food while facing out to Burke Street. They were all empty when I first came in, but before I left a group of about 5 guys had entered, placed their orders and all had come to the front and sat to eat and talk.
There were, I think, a few two-seat tables, and then 4 booths. I ended up sitting in one of these although the “fat-bellied” man was wedged into one side. A couple of young women were sitting in front of me. A couple of women came in after me, both wearing at least one pink garment, ordered and then came and sat beside me. Eventually, two couples came in, ordered and then sat diagonally in front of me. *I finished eating, went to the Men’s room and left before any other group came in and might have wanted the booth.
There are two seat booth (tables) on the outside wall as you walk to order. The drinks are at the back next to the bathrooms.
A young woman was ordering as I walked to the back, and I saw three large pizzas (gigantic) sitting behind a large glass. If you order a slice of one of these, they pop it into the oven to reheat it. I didn’t know what it was, but there was a colorful pizza that looked like it had “everything”. That ended up being the “Voodoo Chicken Pizza”. It had beef, chicken, and three types of peppers.
As I waited to order, a young latino cook was speaking Spanish to a customer on the other side of the counter.
I ordered one slice of pizza and a medium drink. I think I paid a little less than $6 total. I walked to the back and poured about half a cup of Cheerwine with a little ice. I still had about half a large cup of Hardees’ Iced Tea from breakfast.
As I said, the booth was small and my fat stomach was wedged to the edge of the table. I took a couple of pictures of the pizza and a flyer. The pizza was good, but not too spicy. However a few hours later, the peppers began to haunt me.
I finished the pizza and left.
Several years ago, Jeff Mitchell and I had gone to Winston-Salem to see a couple of Pro Tennis matches (the US playing against Spain – Nadal). We had found the W/S Visitor’s Center and had eaten lunch at a little restaurant just up the street. I found the Visitors Center and went up to the door. The sign said that they were open Monday thru Friday, but I still tried the door and it was open. There were a couple of hosts inside that welcomed me immediately.
Apparently, the budget crunch had affected the Center. It no longer had several displays and was basically limited to several W/S informational brochures. There was an ornate crystal (glass) piece of art rotating on display with a flat-panel monitor playing a story about the author.
I had a couple of Moravian cookies, the ginger ones that are paper thin, as I talked to one of the docents (I guess they are docents.). I had my iPad with me, and the WIFI from the hotel next door got me on the Internet. I showed my blog entry from earlier this morning regarding the NC Arts Incubator which was in Siler City. I also showed the gentleman what a QR code was and how my phone could read the info from it. He was interested when I showed him my GoAnimate presentation from the pictures I had taken when down at Fort Macon several years ago.
The gentleman suggested that I would probably like the Reynolda House. I said that I probably wouldn’t have time because I wanted to get back home.
I left the Center, and continued to ride around the city. I made some twists and turns, and found Bob’s Big Gas ?? Restaurant on a corner. I went past it and soon found that I was near the Reynolda House. I decided to turn in since it was supposed to be free.
I’m not sure what the free part was, but I paid $10 for the day tour. I went downstairs first and looked an the current exhibit of black & white photos of old steam trains. The photographer had put great time and effort in staging many of his images, with an emphasis upon lighting to tell a story. Norfolk & Western trains mostly (perhaps all).
I then came back upstairs and picked up an audio unit for the home tour. The hostess at the desk had emphasized that I should be careful about not touching the furniture that was behind the ropes. I should have told her that I would be “as careful as a bull in a China shop.” *You have to understand that a few years ago, I watched an episode of Mythbusters in which they created a mock China shop out in a field. They put glass and pottery objects on shelving and then let a bull out to roam about and between the shelves. Surprisingly, the bull performed a most delicate ballet while weaving between the shelves, and did not break (or even turn over) anything. The animal was totally aware of it’s environment. *This led the Mythbuster crew to make the point that to the contrary, “Like a bull in a China shop,” should mean the opposite of what it has come to mean.
I placed the lanyard for the audio device around my neck and headed into the house. I noticed the little floor tile insets which had various animals and insects including a rooster, squirrel, and a rabbit. I later found sea turtles, frogs, snails, etc.
In one small room there were many intricately painted porcelain birds behind glass doors for viewing. I thought Russ & Deborah Savage might like this room since I believe they like bird watching.
The house, it’s paintings, and other objects d’art, was very enjoyable. Reynolda is perhaps a mini-Biltmore. It has a pipe organ with an intricate mechanism for producing musical sounds. In the basement, there was a wonderful indoor recreation area which included a billiard table, shooting gallery, bowling lane, swimming pool and a bar area and the floor was rubberized for indoor roller skating.
Mrs. Reynolds made sure that her daughters knew how to cook, in case they should marry a husband that couldn’t afford to pay for a chef.
I left Reynolda House about 4pm and followed my GPS to get back on 40/421. The GPS didn’t direct me to the by-pass and I followed 40 all the way until turning off on 222 and then 421. Still the trip was quick, and I made it back to Fayetteville before 6:30 pm. The Butler vs VCU game was well underway, but it was a wonderful match.
I was travelling up to Winston-Salem this morning, and took a brief detour through the old part of Siler City, NC. Some pottery caught my eye and I turned around and found the NC Arts Incubator. There is a coffee/soda shop located on one corner of the gallery.
Above… Graduation success rates for the UNC schools at the 4, 5 and 6 year terms. Percentage of incoming Freshmen accepted at the various institutions that were in the Bottom Half of their High School Class Ranking. And, the % of black students at the schools.
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If I were an African-American politician, educator, pastor, or any other type of community leader, these stats would appall me, and I would be yelling out every chance I got, that, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore.”
If a change is going to be made, then you probably need to tell all black students, male or female, that, “you’re not going to graduate from high school in the bottom half of your class.”
Secondly, it’s not equitable that 60% of black students attend a third of the UNC-System institutions. It’s racist, even if they are proud to be attending an HBCU. If a group of white guys decided that all black students were going to be grouped into a few schools, and that those schools were going to consistently graduate many fewer students, taking much longer to do so, if at all… shouldn’t someone be saying something?
Apparently, African-American students are doing far poorer in our secondary educational system than their white counterparts. As a result, the HBCU institutions are accepting a much greater percentage of “under-achievers,” just because they are black.
We will accept you into college, but you will be guaranteed to graduate at a far, far, far lesser rate than if you were accepted at a “white” institution. That is, if you graduate in even five or six years.
Because “white” institutions don’t have to suffer, to the degree that “black” institutions do, regarding the remedial education process for a large number of their students… just to get students to a point where they are ready to start taking college courses, there is no incentive to actually correct the underlying problem… a failed secondary educational system.
If Bill had a restaurant these items would be on the menu:
Entrees
Shrimp & Grits (or, baked polenta cake)
Shrimp
Alligator sausage
Onions (green)
Green bell pepper
German Potato Salad (mod)
Potatoes
Kielbasa
Onion
Celery seeds
Rice wine vinegar
Brown sugar
Cajun Jerk Pork Chops (or Boneless Chicken) (Served over rice)
Cajun Jerk Spices (Whole Foods)
Pork chops
Black beans (rinsed & drained)
Onions
Red bell peppers (sliced)
Pineapple (chunks)
Brown sugar
Lime juice
Curried Chicken (or Pork Chops) (Served over rice)
Pataks curry paste (Harris Teeter)
Carrot
Onion
Green bell pepper
Brown sugar
Lime juice
Spicy Mexican Chicken (Served over rice)
Onion
Carrot
Green bell pepper
Ranch Salsa (Hot)
Lime juice
Spaghetti, angel hair, linguini (red sauce)
Spaghetti sauce (onion & garlic)
Ground beef (browned)
Italian sausage (mild)
Mushrooms (pieces)
Onions (red or white)
Tomatoes (chopped or diced, fresh preferred)
Green peppers (sliced)
Anise seed
Celery seeds
Onion flakes
Olive oil
Brown sugar
Sides
Steamed Broccolini
Steamed Carrots
Safron Rice & Garden Peas (bright yellow & green)
White rice
Garden peas (frozen)
Spanish Saffron
Sauteed Tomatillos & Onions
Tomatillos (sliced thin)
Onion (red or white sliced thin)
Rice wine vinegar – or – lime juice (fresh)
Brown sugar (or Agave Nectar)
Black-eyed peas & ham hock, w/ Vidalia onion
Potato Salad (American)
White or red potatoes (cubed)
Vidalia onion (medium chopped)
Celery
Pickle relish
Celery seeds
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Coriander (fresh ground)
Brown sugar
Boiled egg (crumbled)
Corn on the cob
Hummus (roasted red peppers, olives)
Turmeric veggies (sweet onion, red bell pepper, tomato, turmeric, cumin, ground pepper, red wine vinegar, [sweetener or without], & salt – allow to marinate in fridge)
Chipotle peppers (remove peppers after heating broth)
Avocado (sliced)
Vegetable – Beef Soup (hot)
Ground beef (browned)
Succotash (okra, tomatoes, corn)
Potatoes (white or red, diced)
Garden peas
Carrots
Green beans
Sugar
Tomato Soup (hot)
Tomato paste
Basil (fresh preferred)
Andouille & Potato Soup
Andouille sausage (diced)
Potatoes (white or red diced)
Onion (white or red)
Seafood Soup
Crab meat
Shrimp (small)
Clams (chopped)
Ham (diced) – or – bacon (crumbled)
Potatoes (white)
Half & Half
Butter
Olive oil
Onion flakes
Smoked paprika
Bread
Home-made white bread
Pan-fried corn bread
ADDENDUM [07/14/21]: I recently found that I could use Roma Tomatoes and cook them in a pot on the stove top and they would turn out just as well as baking them in the oven. Quarter the tomatoes, add Balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar and some sweetner. You might also add Basil at the end. The tomatoes cook down and are sweetened with the vinegar.
In 2006, about 2% of UNC-Asheville’s incoming Freshman Class came from the “bottom half” of their high school class ranking (13 students out of 464). 45% of Fayetteville State University’s incoming Freshman Class, for that year, came from the “bottom half” of their high school class ranking (341 students out of 751).
At that time, (FSU) Graduation rates, for Fall 2000 Freshmen, after 4 years, was 14.2% This percentage increased to 31.8% after 5 years. UNC-A: Graduation rates, for Fall 2000 Freshmen, was 30.0%, after 4 years, increasing to 49.7% after 5 years. UNC-G: Graduation rates, for Fall 2000 Freshmen, was 29.7%, after 4 years, increasing to 48.3% after 5 years.
FSU full-time faculty with doctorate or first professional degree was 207/249 (83%).
UNC-A full-time faculty with doctorate or first professional degree was 154/206 (75%).
UNC-G full-time faculty with doctorate or first professional degree was 546/736 (74%).
If you wanted to provide an intentionally racist and biased system for education, could you come up with a system that is much better than what we currently have? And, how convenient that the lower achievers are willing to group themselves together for racial pride, such as HBCUs… As a system, the numbers don’t look as bad as when you look at the individual institutions.
If I am in the bottom half of my high school ranking, then I might as well not apply to UNC-Asheville because it is highly unlikely that I’m even going to be accepted (2 out of every 100). So, by applying to FSU, I have about a 50-50 chance of being accepted, even though I am in the bottom half of my high school class ranking.
*If I’m in the bottom half of my high school ranking, why would I even apply to college?
Sometime in my life I determined that, “If you want things to change, everybody has to suffer.” Maybe it’s time to “spread the wealth” of our poorly educated students to all UNC-System institutions. I know that’s not going to happen, but if the premier institutions had to start accommodating the “least and the more poorly educated,” then that would be a motivational factor for things to actually change.
You know what I’m saying. If UNC-Asheville started with more than 2%, or UNC-Greensboro started with more than 13%, of their incoming Freshmen being ranked in the “bottom half” of their high school class ranking, then the retention and graduation rates for UNC-A and UNC-G wouldn’t be anywhere near as high as they are. And, if FSU started with less that 45% of their incoming Freshman class being ranked in the bottom-half of their high school ranking, then FSU’s retention & graduation numbers would begin to rapidly improve also.
How about setting a UNC-System standard that no less than 20% and no more than 25% of incoming Freshmen can be from the bottom-half ranking in any of the UNC institutions? That means that UNC-G would take about 135 more low-achieving students and UNC-A about 79 more under-achievers into their Freshmen classes.
Where does the change need to take place? Not by waiting until after the 12th Grade, to provide remedial tutoring to those who have a high school diploma, with hardly the ability to read and understand the words written upon it. If you failed to educate someone in 12 years, you are facing a daunting task if you expect to “catch them up” in 4 or 5 years, plus provide them with a college degree.
Institutions like FSU are not examples of failed college education, but show the fruits of a failed secondary education. If you want to increase retention and graduation rates at FSU, then you need to start with a Freshman class of students who are mostly in the “top-half” of their high school ranking.
Why are the results so difficult to understand? A sports analogy is simple. Would you choose the less talented and motivated individuals for your team, and then expect to win the Super Bowl, or the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship? Well, not unless you are a moron. Even Davidson’s basketball team from a couple of years ago, who displayed probably the best example of “team work” I have ever seen, eventually failed to win the game before reaching the final game. Pro-leagues attempt to spread the talent across teams, by “biased” player drafts based upon the previous year’s low team performance.
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Something to watch for in the next 10 years will be the results of the Wake County School Board’s decision to go to Community Based Schools. Specifically, the not quite finished “Walnut Creek Middle School,” where a large percentage (80%) of the student body will come (it is planned) from low-income families. “The General” has already said that if you “get in front of the problem” it is possible to have a positive outcome. Riiiight!?!
My friend, Deb, recently celebrated another birthday. Our rushed society has come to think nothing of combining into one celebration, the birthdays of several friends or relatives. It is more convenient and less of a strain upon our limited time. Due to missed communication, I only left her birthday present, upon her doorstep, and then returned home without actually seeing her, on Her day. Later that night, I called to leave a birthday message, only to have Deb answer the phone. It was then that I learned that she had phoned and left a message notifying me of her change of plans on her birthday. She would not be home late that night, but would be home most of the day (apparently, except for the brief time that I stopped to leave her present).
So, I sent Deb an email, and then later called, and we arranged to spend most of the day together, a week later, in honor of her birthday. One of the presents I had left upon her doorstep, were a couple of small jars of one, a salad dressing, and two, barbecue sauce, which were recipes from “Mama Dips.” Both of these had been purchased at the Museum Shop of the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh. I had stopped by there in hopes that I might find a book that Deb would like, but when my eyes had lit upon the name “Mama Dips,” I knew I had a small something to add as a present.
Deb had met Mama Dip at a speaking engagement. I had thought that she and her husband, Russ, had visited Mama Dips Restaurant in Chapel Hill, but on Saturday I found that this wasn’t the case.
In my email, I had suggested that we might eat at Mama Dips. Deb thought this was a very good idea, but it was only on Saturday morning that I realized that the Duke / Carolina basketball game was to be televised that night at 8pm. I couldn’t recall where the first game had been played, but soon googled and found that the game was going to be played in Chapel Hill.
I could not imagine a worse time to visit Chapel Hill, in order to eat at Mama Dips Restaurant. Could there be more people in Chapel Hill than on “game day” for the most important game of the season? The second meeting of the two basketball teams this season? Wouldn’t there be long lines at all restaurants, and impossible to find parking?
I eventually agreed to at least try to eat at Mama Dips, although, as we drove to Chapel Hill, I couldn’t imaging not having to backtrack and finding a less crowded restaurant along the way. And, as we went, Deb expressed that she was getting extremely hungry.
When we neared Chapel Hill, I started the Sprint Navigation app on my phone. I clicked on the “speak destination” option and when prompted, said, “Mama Dips.” I did not add the words, “restaurant,” nor “Chapel Hill,” but the app understood what I said, and came up easily with the location and directions to Mama Dips Restaurant on Rosemary Street in Chapel Hill, NC.
We made the suggested twists and eventually, as we turned into Mama Dips parking lot (running around and back of the restaurant), I saw several empty spaces, and no lines of any type waiting to enter her establishment. We parked, got out of the vehicle and walked around to the side of the building and up the steps.
As we entered the door, there was a couple waiting on a bench, but then it became obvious that there was no line for waiting to be served, and the maitre-d took a couple of menus and guided us into a crowded room and to a table for four.
The walls of the room amplified the noise of the people, with a door to the kitchen just off to my right.
A tall, thin, black waiter came to our table and we ordered sweet tea. Later, Deb ordered fried chicken, green beans and (I don’t recall, and apparently did not try some of it.), and a biscuit. I ordered the barbecue pork ribs, potato salad and black-eyed peas (with some chopped onion) and cornbread.
Two women sat at a booth in front of me. One had a baby boy.
At some point, there was a small commotion behind me as a group of guests came to their table and began to sit down. I first noticed a tall, bald, black man whose face was familiar, although my first thought was that he must have been a former Carolina ball player that I had seen on TV. I then recognized the face of a white TV commentator, and then I realized that the black man was also a basketball commentator. It was then that it made sense that college basketball commentators have to eat, just like the rest of us.
My first thought was that the white commentator was Jim Lampley, which I almost immediately knew was incorrect. Eventually, I was able to google and find that this was Jim Nantz. It was only at game time, later that night, when both Nantz and his co-anchor appeared on the TV screen, that I was able to say, that’s “Clark Kellogg.”
Nantz and the others began to talk about the game and players. Eventually, as Deb and I continued our meal, I realized that I could hear Nantz’s distinctive voice above the loud drone of the other people in the room. I told Deb that it was like leaving your TV on in the room, tuned to some program that you weren’t interested in, but wanting to have that familiar drone in the background.
I tried some of Deb’s fried chicken. The meat was moist and tender and had a very good flavor, and the breaded skin had good flavor. *Often, you can taste the oil in which the chicken was fried, but this wasn’t the case.
Deb tried some of my barbecue pork ribs. They were tender, moist and there was a good amount of meat on each bone. However, I did not think they had any barbecue sauce on them. The sauce was brought in a small plastic cup. The sauce had an unusual flavor, and a high vinegar content. I added some sugar to “turn” the vinegar, and later asked for another cup of sauce.
The potato salad was good, and included celery seeds, but it was not something that I would say was exceptional.
I asked for some chopped onions for my black-eyed peas. I thought the peas were under-cooked making them a little mealy, and too lightly seasoned for my taste, but then probably many people would not like the peas if they were more highly flavored. The cornbread was of the light cake type and did not detract from the rest of the meal.
Deb ordered Coconut Cream Pie for desert, and we both had coffee. The coffee was hot, and good. I tasted her desert. The pie reminded me of Pecan Pie, without the pecans and chewy coconut added. This definitely wouldn’t be something that I would order. Coconut cream pie should be light, hmmm… and creamy.
We left the restaurant, stopping outside the door to get several “free” magazines. As we drove around the back of the restaurant, Jim Nantz was getting into his vehicle with several other men. *I later would say that we had lunch at Mama Dips with Jim Nantz and left together. True, but subjective;-)
[NOTE 01/06/25]: Mama Dips has been closed for several years in Chapel Hill. The best fried chicken is on the buffet at Seaboard Station in Hamlet, North Carolina. [end NOTE]
The Secret to Good Black-Eyed Peas
My favorite simple food might be “a mess of” cooked black-eyed peas, ham hock, and some chopped Vidalia onion. I could possibly enjoy a whole meal of nothing but this, and perhaps some cornbread. I like cornbread that is almost like a light cake, but I also like the flat fried type of corn cake.
I found that cooking black-eyed peas and ham hock is easy if you use a slow cooker. Use the dried beans, and add plenty of water to cover them (and allow for the absorption of much of the water into the beans). I like a ham hock with a good bone and several knots of good meat that will eventually “fall off the bone.” Add a little ground pepper. Let them cook slowly for at least 4 hours. Taste them at the end of the 4 hours period, looking to see if they have fully cooked (and are not mealy) and are tender.
Once the beans are tender, you might mash some of the beans up, which will help the broth thicken.
Now, the “secret” is to pull the beans off the heat, let them cool, and then put them in a bowl and cover them and let them refrigerate overnight. The next day, re-heat the beans and ham hock, chop up some sweet Vidalia onion and serve. The flavors will break down and meld together overnight (or perhaps by the refrigeration), and what are good beans will become great beans. I have several times tried to speed the process, but the beans are “always better the second day.”
If you have a surplus of the cooked beans that last into the 3rd day, then you might boil some white or small red potatoes, quarter or halve them and add them to the beans.
Bill Gibson, II 