Bacone's basketball homecoming events begin this week with the main event taking place Thursday, Feb. 11 when Langston comes to the Palmer Center Gym.

Coronation of the 2010 queen and king is set for halftime of the men's game.

The week's list of activities includes:

Monday (Feb. 8) - Pop Your Collar Day (Flip your shirt collar up)

Tuesday (Feb. 9) - Bacone Founders Day (Wear red and black)

Wednesday (Feb. 10) - Hat Day (Wear your favorite hat)

Homecoming Dance - 7 to 9 p.m. - Wacoche Hall

Freshman Pre-Exercise major Dakota McDonald demonstrates multitasking - texting, typing notes and listening to music during Assistant Professor of General Studies Teresa Cash's Introduction to Sociology. (Baconian Online photos by Erin Cole)

Twenty years ago teachers faced passing notes and cheat sheets.

Fast-forward to 2010 and students share “knowledge” electronically in the palm of their hand.

Cell phones offer a wide variety of academic uses – calculators, schedules, and Internet capability.

“Technology as it can be a benefit in helping someone can also be a distraction,” said Vice President and Dean of Faculty Dr. Robert K. Brown.

As such, Bacone faculty created “Policy Regarding the Appropriate Use of Technology in the Classroom” in April 2007.

Head football coach Lloyd Spotted Wolf taught for 13 years, and is strongly against students using phones during class.

“They [students] have to fully give their attention to the teacher,” he said. “You can’t text or surf the net and listen to a lecture and be able to soak in all the material.”

Junior Antoinette Ortega does not always use her phone in class, but said “I do check my messages if I feel it vibrate.”

Students concerned with finding help for their personal problems will soon have access to free counseling on campus.

The Center for Christian Ministry, scheduled to open mid-February, has a special emphasis on student needs not previously addressed.

Its Christian counseling program, spearheaded by Bacone President Rev. Dr. Robert J. Duncan Jr. and Rev. Dr. Leroy W. Thompson, Center for Christian Ministry vice president, will attempt to offer solutions to students in need of someone to talk to about their life problems.

All counseling sessions will be strictly confidential and in accordance with FERPA privacy laws, according to Thompson.