2004 was the year of the panther- the Prairie View panther that is. Prairie View A&M University took center stage this year, making national headlines and news. Here are a few of the stories that garnered Prairie View its 15 minutes of fame. 1. Panthers defy intimidation, weather to assert voting rights By Barbara Ramirez
Amid bad weather and controversy, Prairie View students marched over seven miles to the Waller County courthouse to claim their right to vote. The march was in response to a Nov. 5, 2003 letter written by former Waller County District Attorney Oliver Kitzman, stating that students were not allowed to vote because they were not residents of the county.
2. Costly mishap at cheerleading practice By Leona
Aaron
Bethany Norwood, a 22 year-old senior, was paralyzed from the neck down after an accident in the campus gymnasium on Jan. 14, 2004. A native of Converse, Norwood has been cheerleading since the age of four. During high school, she won three national championships with her team, while earning one of her own. After the accident, she was life-flighted to Memorial Hermann hospital in Houston. Norwood is now in recovery and currently attending classes again at Prairie View.
3. Black Caucus, Rock the Vote storm PV By Nikki Easter
Members of the Black Congressional Caucus, state representatives, and local county officials spoke to students about the importance of voting during a town hall meeting hosted by Rock the Vote, a national organization committed to preserving voting rights. Recording artist Q-tip, Representative Elijah Cummings, Rock the Vote president Jehmu Greene, and Representative Sheila Jackson Lee were a few of the speakers on the panel.
4. New football coach comes with great expectations for upcoming season By Dustin Daniel
After the fall 2003 football season, football coach C.L. Whittington was ousted and replaced by former Bowie State University head coach Henry Frazier III. At the end of the 2004 season, the Panther football team made a slight improvement, ending their season overall 3-7, and 1-7 in the SWAC.
5. Hey dude- where’s your car parked? By Will Lacy
Parking on campus has improved this semester with new rules and management. This year, Prairie View has a parking management team that controls and monitors illegal parking. Students who live in campus housing must keep their cars parked in residential areas. For special event parking, commuters, visitors, and faculty/staff must pay a $5 toll. There will be six new lots built over a year’s time and they’ll provide over 1, 100 spaces.
6. Medical Academy gets under way Press Release
The new undergraduate Medical Academy begins its first semester with 18 sophomores enrolled in a special program to prepare students for entry into medical school. According to Dr. Dennis E. Daniels, professor and director of the academy, the academy is not a medical school, but an intense, specialized program that focuses on readiness for success in medical school.
7. Sweet Sixteen… By Steven M. Kennedy
The Panther football team beat its archrival, the Texas Southern Tigers, in its first Labor Day Classic win in 16 years. The Panthers de-clawed the Tigers, 25-7.
8. Kitz Quits By Christina Johnson
Waller County District Attorney Oliver Kitzman submitted his letter of resignation on August 27, citing family reasons for his decision, not the disputes he has had with Waller county officials and citizens. Kitzman was sued earlier this year for denying Prairie View students the right to vote. After protests made by students, the suit was dropped.
9. Students denied voting site on campus By Anterria Brown
In a 3-2 decision, Waller County commissioners voted Sept. 2 to deny Prairie View students the right to have a voting site on campus in the Memorial Student Center. The decision came after controversy between Waller County officials and Prairie View students. Despite not having the convenience of a voting site on campus, students turned out in high numbers to vote on Nov. 2. By 1 p.m. that day, over 1, 000 students had voted.
10. PV’s new bling By Latisha Johnson
Like our flagship school, Texas A&M University, Prairie View now has an official university ring. On Nov. 10, Prairie View held its unveiling ceremony in honor of former interim president, Willie Tempton. Tempton passed away on Nov. 7, in Houston, Texas. Tempton was appointed by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents to be acting president of Prairie View A&M University on May 20, 2002, and interim president on June 6, 2002. He held the position of interim president until August 15, 2003.