And at a time when many veteran journalists are quaking at their keyboards, he wants a newspaper career. So, of course, he's interning for us this semester.

Cooper, of Rocky Mount, is the editor-in-chief of the Campus Echo, the student paper at NCCU. We met a couple of weeks ago at The Know Bookstore on Fayetteville Street. He and reporter Eric Ferreri had the fried chicken. I had the veggie burger (but next time it's the veggie plate -- Bruce, the Boca burgers got to go).

It's a strange time to be considering newspaper careers, so I asked Cooper about that.

"Newspapers still remain a vital part of how people receive their information on a day-to-day basis," he said. "It's cheap, very accessible and remains easier to read for those who may not be as computer-savvy as others."

We're asking Cooper to cover news in and around campus. We'll be his third paper after internships at the Rocky Mount Telegram and South Bend Tribune, where he shot video for the paper's Web site.

He's a busy guy. In addition to classes and his newspaper jobs, he works weekends at the Southpoint Target. So look for his work in the Durham News, and if you see him on the sales floor, say hello.