My name is Ronni Butts, a junior North Carolina Central University student, Campus Echo Newspaper reporter at-large, and future political reporter.

Alena Dockery has grown frustrated with the conditions in her residence hall. After hearing frequent complaints about subpar housing conditions from her peers, Dockery decided to act towards improvements.
In February, Dockery created “The NCCU Quality of Life Project,” a project seeking to improve housing conditions by presenting documented issues to N.C. Central University’s administration.
“I want to make sure that we can document the issues that we’re having and then also create a clear path...

NCCU announced plans Monday afternoon to improve on-campus housing following last week’s protest.
In an emailed statement to the student body from the Division of Student Affairs, NCCU plans to implement six short and long-term action steps.
Residential Life will conduct room-by-room inspections to address maintenance issues and pest control, according to the statement. These inspections are expected to continue indefinitely and will be conducted twice a semester.
The statement also said that ad...

Jada's Men's Accessories in Durham.
While small businesses struggled to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic, James Abram and Wendy McManus-Abram decided to open a business. Now, what started as a side hustle selling ties out of the trunk of their car for nearly two decades has turned into a flourishing business.
The brick and mortar off Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard painted in a bright blue is the business’ fourth home in the last five years. They quickly outgrew their previous spaces. “We...

N.C. Central University’s Political Science Club hosted N.C. State Rep. Zack Hawkins and N.C. State Sen. Natalie Murdock on campus to engage with students on Monday evening.
The event, “How to Stay Civically Engaged After the Election,” offered a Socratic seminar for students to speak openly about their concerns with the current political climate.
Hawkins, Murdock and about 15 students discussed the removal of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies in the federal government and private busines...

Chancellor Karrie Dixon didn’t wake up one day and decide to become a chancellor. But once she made the decision to pursue the role, she made sure that she would become “the best chancellor [she] could be.”
Dixon, former chancellor at Elizabeth City State University, started at N.C. Central University in July following Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye’s retirement after his 7-year tenure. That makes Dixon the second permanent female chancellor of NCCU after Debra Saunders-White, who died from canc...