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-' 8 it?) Carolina State Universit ‘sI 7 November 23, 1993

taff po/hotAndrei Geeorg'An observer admires Afrikan art prints.

By Nicole WhiteReflections Editor

Last Saturday was a day of cel-ebration at North Carolina StateUniverstiy. The African—AmericanHeritage Society, along with theAfrican-American CulturalCenter, Heritage Day 1993,“Broadening Our Horizons”.The all-day festival began at

!O:45 with registration of guestsand proceeded with workshopsthat were designed to educatepepople, in some aspect, aboutAfrikan-American culture. RicoUnderwood, the President of theHeritage Society said “ HeritageDay is a day-long celebration ofAfrikan and Afrikan-American cul-ture. Heritage Day demonstratesthe strong link between Afrikanand Afrikan-American cultures.We invited people from the com-munity, children and others, toparticipate in the celebration,hoping they would leave with a

‘ better appreciation of theirAfrikan heritage”.Some of the workshops were

the Arts and Crafts Workshop.Children and adults showed theirartistic talents in mask-making.The participants used simple artmaterials such as water colors,paper plates , beans, rice andplastic cups to create their mas—lter’pieces.AMANDLA and Sista 2 Sistuh

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AfrikamA-mezricafn News . a ~| Volume 2, Edition 6

held informal rap sessions withmales and females from agestwelve and up. The purpose ofthese rap sessions was to allowmen and women to share theirexperiences of being Afrikan-American with a peer group.

Although from reading the pro-gram it seemed like a millionthings were going on at once,each presentation was given in atimely fashion so that a personcould see everything,Venders lined the hallway sell-

ing everything from Afrikan cloth-ing to'incents. Some of thevenders were Ebony Unique,Tribal House Bookstore, JamaicaJamaica, and 3rd to tst World ArtGallery. While none of thevenders gave any kind of presen-tation, their presence in itself wasgood examples of Black entrepre-neurship. .Dance Visions held a dance

workshop, in which steps fromAfikan dance were taught to par-ticipating members of the audi-ence. Terri Porter, ArtisticDirector, explained the impor—tance of dance in Afrikan society.“Dance is used by Afrikans to cel-ebrate all things in life, whether itis a good harvest, or someone’sdeath.” Children start dancing atan early age and rhythm islearned while they are childrenbeing carried on their mother’sback. The main difference in

Heritage Day Celebrates Culture‘ 7 Afrikan dances and the ones

Afrikan-Americans perform is thefact'that the Afrikan'dance allowsfor more natural movement ofthe body and is not as restrictiveas the ones you might see at aparty or even Soul Train.Two groups were made up

from the audience and DanceVision members. They chal-lenged each other with the stepsthat they had learned, just like thevillagers would do at a celebra-tion in Afrika. Encouragedby themusic, the two groups performedand everyone came away smil-ing.The Welcome Activities took

place towards the middle of theday. The time did not matterbecause the message was justas warm, friendly, and education-al as itwould have been if givenat the beginning of the event.Shanda Bragg welcomed theaudience and asked them to riseand sing the Black NationalAnthem “Lift Every Voice andSing”. Before everyone startedsinging, Dr. lyailu Moses,Director of the Cultural Center,stressed the importance of thesong to the members of the audi-ence. She let the children knowthat they must learn their Afrikan—American history so that theycould keep it alive for future gerr-erations.

see Heritage Day, page 2

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Education Page 2News . 'Page 3Entertainment Page 4Who’s Who Page 5Editorials .Page 7

photo/Andrei GeorgeA group of dancers called the African Dance Company display form,

rhythm and beauty through the wonderful art of Afrikan dance.

November 23, 1993 THE NUBIAN MESSAGE Educaflon 2

Multiculturalism Stirs Debate

0 Panelists tried todefine and analyzemulticulturalismand diversity.By Lori ngues

Staff WriterLast Wednesday, the Society

of African-American Culturesponsored a forum to discuss thedifferences, both positive andnegative, of multiculturalism anddiversity.To begin the discussion, the

panelists gave their own defini-tions of multiculturalism anddiversity. “The creator gave usdiversity. Diversity is a fact of life.Multiculturalism is the apprecia-tion of diversity,” said panelist Dr.Rhonda Covington.

Dr. lyailu Moses, Director of theAfrican-American CulturalCenter, said that she did not seethat big of a differenCe in the twoterms. “Multiculturalism is asmoke screen trying to distractthe focus off where we originallycame from," she added.Lawrence Locklear, a Native

American student, wanted to

Heritage Day, con’t.Afterwards, the Talent

Showcase took place. DemondMcKenzie performed a stirringinterpretation of “Levee” and “MaRainey'. Tina Carter did a dra-matic reading of “The Creation”by James Weldon Johnson.

Kenya Templeton performed amelody of songs and dramaticpoems she had put together.They included “Sometimes FeelLike a Motherless Child,” “NigraSum,” a song she performed inLatin and in English, and twopoems—"Mother to Son” and“Green-Eyed Monster.” KenyaTempleton commented,"l enjoyedcontributing to the education ofAfrikan-American children.Performing gives you a way tocontribute to the community.”The keynote speaker was Dr.

Sylvia Jacobs. Dr. Jacobs is aProfessor of African History andChair of the Department ofHistory and Social Sciences atNorth Carolina State University.

make it clear that when the term“multiculturalism” is used, it isreferring not only to Afrikan-Americans, but to all minoritygroups. “We must first learn ourown culture, and then teach it toothers,” said Locklear.Tony Williamson, Editor-in-

Chief of “The Nubian Message,”said that multiculturalism is ahoax that has given us a falsehope.

“It helps us to forget that any-.thing that is not Eurocentric ispresented on a lower level.”He also added his opinion on

the African-American CulturalCenter. “Saying that we shouldstay confined to the StudentCenter is saying that we haven’tcontributed enough to society todeserve our own building.”Columnist Steve Crisp

expressed his opinion about theAfrican-American Cultural Centeralso. “If it is multiculturalism thatyou all want why do you separateyourselves by building a separatefacility?”

Dr. Moses quickly cleared hismisconceptions about the AACC.“This facility isn’t about sepa-ratism. It’s about educating our-

She is the author of The AfricanNexus: Black AmericanPerspectives on the EuropeanPartitioning of Africa,1880-1920and edited Black Americans andthe Missionary Movement inAfrica. ‘

Dr. Jacobs lectured on thediaspora of Afrikans around theworld. She said that Afrikan histo-ry, in essence, is world history.The spreading of Afrikans startedlong before the Atlantic SlaveTrade. Dufing the reign of theMuslims, who at one time con-quered nearly half the world, anestimate of twenty-five millionpeople were taken out of Afrikaand taken to other places besidesNorth America. The Atlantic SlaveTrade took at least another twen-ty-five million persons away fromthe motherland. Most of thesepeople were taken to LatinAmerica and the CaribbeanIslands. Some aspects of Afrikanculture can be seen even today in

selves on our culture.”Lawrence Locklear added that

he would like to see someexhibits and material dealing withNative Americans in the AACC.

Several members of the audi-ence expressed their opinionsand the need for North CarolinaState to have more classes deal-ing with Afrikan-Americans,Native Americans, AsianAmericans, and other minoritygroups. Dr. Covington said that itwasn’t enough to have a fewcourses offered that dealt withminorities.“From kindergarten to twelfth

grade we are taught everythingabout everybody else and whenwe are taught about ourselves,we’re taught that our historybegins with slavery, like we didn‘tdo anything before we came overhere in chains,”said Williamson.One of Dr. Rhonda Covington‘s

biggest concerns was that oftentimes when these types of forumsare held, nothing gets resolved.

“Unless there is some basis,multiculturalism is simply a lovelytopic for polite dinner conversa-tion,” she said.

Sarah Hobbs/staffPanelists discuss multiculturalism and diversity at a forum sponsored by

the Society of African-American Culture last Wednesday

the family traditions, music,dance, and religion of not onlyAfrikan-Americans, but in otherdescendents of Afikans all overthe world.The most interesting thing Dr.

Jacobs said was that Afrika couldnot be seen as a whole. Thereare at least a thousand differentethnic groups and even more lan-guages. Dr. Jacobs pointed outthat Afrikans did not sell their ownpeople. They did not even sellthose similar to themSelves. Theyinstead sold those people whowere considered to be foreignersand trouble makers. The onlyway to understand that is to firstunderstand that Afrika is a verydiverse place. Michele Garrett, asenior majoring in ComputerScience said,” What I enjoyed themost was the lecture given by Dr.Jacobs.

was enlightened on manythings, but what stood out themost was that only 4.5% of the

A g r o m e c k“would like to thank all the clubs,

organizations and individuals who gottheir pictures taken at thefarewell to Darryl Lester.

If there are any other groups who want a picturetaken, or anyone who need an order card. please

call the Agromeck office at515-2409.

Afrikan slaves were imported tothe United States The fashionshow was held in the mulitpur-pose room of the Cultural Center.Students from NCSU displayedgarments from Afrika.A dance performance was

given by the African DanceCompany. This North Carolinabased group performed severaldances of different celebrations.They made an overwhelmingentrance with playing of drums.Audience members were cap-tured by the music and foundthemselves dancing to the beats.The African Dance Company,which was founded in 1977,asked for audience participationand received it without hardly anyobjections. The ages of the mem- ,bers varied. The youngest dancerwas a sixth grader and theyoungest drummer was two.Young or old, it did not matterbecause everyone had a goodtime.

The day concluded with theMajestic Lions, a Reggae Bandout of Chapel Hill. The bandplayed a variety of reggae musicand was the perfect way to endthe day.

In reflection of Heritage Day,Lashon Ormond said," HeritageDay was an excellent opportunityto partake in the various cultureexperiences of Afrikan-Americans.”

Alton Earle replied, “I was verypleased with the turnout andenthusiasm pervaded the atmos-phere as everyone participated invarious activities. However,would have like to have seen abetter turnout from the NCSUcommunity.”Those who did witness

Heritage Day came away withmemories that will last a lifetimeand a great anticipation for nextyear’s event.

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November 23, 1993 THE NUBIAN MESSAGE _ News . 3

Faculty Senate wants no more course repeats

By Christina Verleger -News Editor

At a past Faculty Senate meet-ing, a resolution was introducedregarding the Course RepeatWithout Penalty (CWRP) Policy.At present, a student is able torepeat a course as long as thestudent received a grade of D orNC on the course to be repeated.The student must also completethe course no later than the nextregular semester in which the stu-dent is enrolled. The course thatis to be repeated must also be a

freshman level course (i.e.: a 100or 200 level course).The Faculty Senate resolution

proposed to abolish the CRWPPolicy for several reasons. First,the resolution stated that the stu-dent’s grade point average that ismodified as a result of the CRWPPolicy may not be the grade pointaverage recognized by otherinstitutions.The resolution also said many

support programs have beenestablished since the CRWPPolicy has been introduced,which assist students with acade-mic problems at NCSU.

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Another reason stated in theresolution for the abolishment ofthe CRWP Policy is the policymay often seduce students intogiving less than their best effortby providing a false feeling thattaking a course for the first timemay not “count”. The resolutionalso states that the policy maycounter the university’s goal ofincreasing graduation rates.Along with requesting the abol—

ishment of the CRWP Policy, theresolution also asks that academ-ic administrators be sensitive tothe requests for late drops forfreshmen and first semester stu-

Ghana Scholar revisits

By Sarah HobbsEducation Editor

Dr. Kofi Opoku blessed anotheraudience with his presence onMonday, November 15, in theAfrican-American CulturalCenter.

Dr. Lawrence Clark, AssociateProvost for Academic Personnel,gave the introduction. Before heintroduced Dr. Opoku, he statedthat “a part of education is self—knowledge." He also brought upthe questions “Who am I? Wheredid l come from and where am lgoing?” He noted that Dr. Opokuhas spent twenty-six years study—ing our folk and people, and hewas here to speak about AfriKanvalues and how they relate.

After being introduced, heexpressed profound gratitude toDr. Clark. He expressed the hopethat he will be like an antelope. “Agood visitor is like an antelope.When he dies he will leave hishorns.” He stated he wanted toleave something with the audi-ence.

Afrika is the home of thehuman kind, human culture andcivilization, and it is an importantresponsibility for all of us to learnabout Afrika, he stated. He goeson to tell us that the more weknow about Afrika the more wewill know about ourselves. Afrikais the mother of civilization and all

Statethe people of the world owe hersomething.

Dr. Opoku went on to say thathuman society is based on oblig-ation, not individual rights. Thisties in with the idea that Afrikansociety is interdependent, notindividualistic. Every individualbelongs to a family or, at least, toa society. By fulfilling obligationsindividual rights are given. Theemphasis should be on coopera—tion rather than competition. Forexample, it is the parents obliga-tion to take of the children untilthey “cut their teeth”and it is thechildren’s obligation to take careof the parents when they losetheirs. This keeps equilibriumthroughout the society.The responsibility is not limited

to those who are alive, but tothose who are dead as well, hewent on to say. Every humanbeing depends on those who pre-ceded before them. There is suchthing as a “self made man,” Dr.Opoku stated. There is alsocooperation and obligation to theenvironment.The value of patience is anoth—

er aspect of Afrikan values. It issomething all human beingsneed. He exemplified this conceptwith a story about the monkey.After all God’s creatures werecreated, the monkey came backsaying he wanted to be human. Inorder to become human, themonkey had to spend a hundred

years in prison. He was in prisorninety-nine years. The first day 0the ninety-ninth year was beautiful. Instead on waiting one moreyear, he broke out and went toswinging in the trees. Dr. Opokusaid that if the monkey had been“patient, obedient, and resolute ordetermined,” he would be ahuman now and would be listen-ing to a story about some otheranimal.A message he sent out was

that we have to understand thatour true identity is in the Afrikancontinent. If we believe theTarzan image and 'other thingswe read, we will be cutting our-selves off from our history or self-identity.He stated “Afrika has no apolo—

gy to give or any thing to beashamed of. If we understandwhat it teachese, we wouldembrace it.”

In the end he told us that eachand everyone of us is an eaglebecause of the power in whichthe creator put in us is incredible.No one has the right to determinethat power in us but ourselves.He shared the proverb “If you

are sending the hawk to go andsell your goods for you, tell thehawk the value or cost but thewhere to go.” Dr. Opoku said “letevery person know how muchthey are worth. What one personwill do with that knowledge isbeyond our imagination.”

dents that have difficulty with thetransition to university life.The resolution also recom-

mends that the university and fac-ulty continue with the efforts toprovide support programs for stu-dents to enhance their academicsuccess rates at NCSU.There have been ideas men-

tioned to replace the CRWPPolicy. One is to extend the latedrop policy for students. insteadof having the late drop period a lit-tle over two weeks after classesbegin, the late drop period shouldbe extended an additional threeweeks.

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Another suggestion is to allowstudents to change a course toaudit later on in the semester withpermission of the professor, orthe student’s advisor.

Regardless of whether theCFlWP Policy is abolished or not,the advising at NCSU has to beimproved and the late drop policyshould be extended, so studentswill know exactly what is expect-ed of them in a particular class.And if it was more than they hadexpected, they will have ampletime to change their mind.

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November 23, 1993

By Jay CornishAssistant Editor

If you have never heard goodmusic, you’re missing out on oneof the pleasures of life. And ifyou’ve never heard of Vinx,you’re missing out on one of thetruly magnificent musicians of ourtime. This past Friday, on a chillyand rainy night, Stewart Theatre’sCenter Stage presented Vinx,

By Na’im AmbakisyeEntertainment Editor

Who says you need money togo out and enjoy yourself thesedays? Ori Thursday, November11th, the North Carolina Statechapters of Alpha Phi Alpha andAlpha Kappa Alpha joined togeth-er to present the ‘93 Fall FashionExtravaganza. And just for all ofus college students with no lootwhatsoever, it was free (whenwas the last time you were giventhe opportunity to see an extrava-ganza for free?)Hosted by LaVaughn Barker

and Angela Graham, the audi-ence was treated to a vast arrayof fashions covering many cate-gories. Models “strutted theirstuff” down the runway withyouthful effervescence and pride.Model Andre Robinson sportedhis gear with a particular flair and“attitude” as he suavely displayedthe hand symbol for his fraternity.Midway through the nights

events, the audience was enter-tained with the talent portion ofthe extravaganza. Shelton Fordand Yolanda Rodgers performed“Always” by Atlantic Starr, CaseySessoms sang “Since I Lost MyBaby”, and model extraordinaire

THE NUBIAN MESSAGE

What exactly is a Vinx?» Live in Concert, to an enthusiasticcrowd of about 120 people.

. With a voice reminiscent of AIJarreau and a heavy, hard-hittingdrum rhythm that could rival theboom of any 808, Vinx (a.k.a.Vincent Dé Jon Parrette) kickedoff the concert at about 8:05 PM.Accompanied by a three man setof percussion (Andrew Daniel)harmonizing vocals (Marcus“Opera Singer” Easmith) and 5-W,

UAB Press Photo

Showing Out at the Fashion Fair

Edwin Peters gave his own rendi-tion of an old BBD hit, with a fatdedication in the beginning.

After this, the crowd received asurprise treat. A rap crew fromSt. Aug, “Rugged Flavor”, was inthe house, ready to perform, rep-resenting from New Jersey.Unfortunately, the mic levelswere a little off, and homeboy gotdepressed and dropped the mic,mid—performance. After this,hostess Angela Grahamchumped the crew, and dissedthem with a “rugged flavor”. (Justrecently, at the St. Aug talentshow, they performed again andwere treated the same way).

But in general, everybody justenjoyed the show. “I’m glad thata lot of people came out,” saidBarker at the close of the event,“we gave local businesses anopportunity to showcase theirclothes, and students an opportu-nity to see what they had”. NC.State student Jermaine Sharpestated “ [the show] was tastefullydone, and the talent gave a niceintermission.“ It was a pleasantnight indeed. The good size of thecrowd greatly added to the nightsfestivities. Support campus activ-ities. 5000.

string bass guitar (Brad “SurfDude” Cummings), he was theaudience’s guide on a musicaland comical journey through hislife and times; a storyteller ofsorts (which, by the way, is thetitle of his third and most recentLP.)

Vinx musical style is so unique,it defies all categorization. Heshowed the audience an immea-surable amount of talent in allaspects of the performance. Vinxwowed the crowd with tremen-dous vocal range, doing songsranging from Negro spirituals,Caribbean jams and Afrikanchants to uptempo R&B jams,audience-participation scat(including the theme from LoveBoat), and phat, ArrestedDevelopment-like hip-hop joints,not to mention an accapella lovesong. “He was so stirring andexciting innovative, he can’t bedescribed,” said KimberlyMitchell. “His voice is like everyinstrument.”

Vinx himself has said of hismusic, “My music is like musicalforeplay for men and women, butmostly for women. Of course, per-cussion and vocals are the cor-nerstone of any of myprojects...there is not only some-thing for everyone, but everythingfor everyone...and my audiencedeserves no less."From his initial appearance in a

3-gallon cowboy hat, faded bluejeans and black fanny pack (inthe front, no less), Vinx might nothave seemed to be able to givethe audience all that the wanted.

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However, judging from thecrowd’s reaction when he openedhis mouth, they (especially theladies) seemed content with whatthey got. As stated by LolettaRedmon, “I could listen to him allnight." And they almost didbecause by the finish of the show,Vinx and the band had done twoencores and had gotten threestanding ovations. But the showis only part of the story.

Vinx' was born on a militaryflight en route from Chateauroux,France to Travis Air Force Base ,

in Fairfield, California. Althoughthis makes him an American citi-zen, he was an international trav-eler long before he first set downon American soil. Vinx grew up ina suburb of Kansas City, andattended Kansas StateUniversity. With the KSU band,he traveled to Montreux,Switzerland to perform.While on Lake Geneva, he met

Taj Mahal, who invited him to joinhis band. During that period, hewas training for he 1980 MoscowOlympics and the musical careerwas placed on hold. Impressively,he qualified for the Olympics withthe second best indoor triple jumpin the world. The US boycott

Entertainment 4

called by then President Carterprevented him from competing.His second attempt at an Olympicmedal in Los Angeles in 1984was ended when he injured a foottwo week prior to the trials..Putting his Olympic training to

use, he worked at the prestigioushealth clubs Matrix and BeverlyHills Health & Fitness. Heparleyed the opportunity with histalent and buoyancy into his ownbusiness as a personal “trainer tothe stars,” working out with StevieWonder, Geo e Hamilton, Kelly

LeBrock and many others. Duringthis period he continued evolvingmusically, finding work as a LA.based studio musician.Gradually, his musical careerbegan to overshadow his training ‘ ‘business.Among his sideman credits are

a Grammy winning Ernie Wattsrecord, touring with Rickie LeeJones and performing on HerbieHancock’s 1990 Showtime spe-cial, “Coast to Coast." He pursueda solo career by appearing atclubs, at times with his group,“The Barkin' Feet” and more oftenas a solo performer.

Besides being a working per-see Vinx, page 5

November 23, 1993 THE NUBIAN MESSAGE , Who’s Who . 5

Dr.C|ark Speaks Wise Words

By Terri MooreStafF Writer

An interview with Dr. LawrenceClark about issues concerningAfrikan—Americans at NC. Stateis more than just questions andanswers. It’s a iesson, a one-to—one talk with wisdom, an Under—standing of Afrikan history and apage out of Famous BlackQuotes.

Dr. Clark is the AssociateProvost for Academic Personneland Affirmative Action Officer.He has been serving the universi-ty as the Affirmative ActionOfficer for 20 years. He has greatunderstanding on campus con—cerns and issues and directsmuch focus to these problems.One of Dr. Clark’s concerns is

the graduation rate of black stu-dents. Currently, only 40% of allAfrikan-American students atNC. State graduate in five years.This is 20% behind the gradua-tion rate of white students atNCSU. The university has initiat-ed Afrikan-American support sys-tems to cope with the problem.Programs such as the PeerMentor Program andAfrikan-American Coordinators in eachcollege are specifically designedto help Afrikan-American stu-dents.

Afrikan-American student andfaculty recruitment at NCSU isalso a concern for Dr. Clark.NCSU leads the nation in pre-dominantly white institutions, but

Vinx, can’t.cussionist and vocalist, his song-writing talent was developing and ..one of Vinx’s songs, ‘Touch myHeart,” was recorded by TomJones. Eventually Sting heardone of his solo performances andinstantly recognizing Vinx’s tal-ent, signed him to his Pangaearecord label. “Room in MyFather's House, his first aibum,was released in 1992 and thetouring has rarely ceased.Throughout Europe and theStates, Vinx has become a siz-able draw at colleges, clubs andfestival dates.As a natural extension of his

mobility, Vinx has never limitedhis musical expression to a solecategory. From the beginning, hehas been on the move, coveringvast. areas of geographicai, Spiri-tual and cuiturai ground. Obviousin his music, the migration ofwhere he has been and perhaps

Dr. Clark thinks recruitment couldbe better. About 75% of all fresh-men at NCSU are from NorthCarolina but, ironically, theper-centage of Afrikan-American stu-dents in North Carolina who goon to college is relatively small.There are about 1200 applica-tions from Afrikan-American stu-dents sent here each year, butonly about 800 are accepted.Approximately 55% of thoseaccepted attend NCSU..So first, Clark feels that we

must increase the pool of appli-cants. He feels this can only bedone by incentives for Afrikan-American students at the univer-sity.

Along with the recruitment ofAfrikan-American students is theconcern of recruiting more facul-ty. However, Dr. Clark says thatthe problem is not in the desire torecruit Afrikan-American faculty,but in the number of Afrikan—American students in graduate‘school. In the nation, out of 3000students who graduate with apost-secondary degrees, only140 are Afrikan-American. Fromthat 140 only 45 or 50 are in themathematics and physical sci-ence fields. The problem is thatmost Afrikan-American studentsdo not understand the concept ofdeferred gratification; the outlookof obligation has been lost. Is itall about ourselves or is it aboutserving the community? Whereare the obligations for the strug-gle? Our Afrikan ancestors were

what is to come in the futureserve as chapters in his story.Throughout this journey of musi-cal discovery, he has gained a fullspectrum of musical influences

Press Photo

that manifest themselves in hiswork: he combines saisa withjazz, rap with opera, samba andflamenco with lush R88vocals...anci it ail sounds good.(reprinted from Center Stage Press Release)

concerned with the communityand not so much the competitive-ness. According to Carter G.Woodson, “Your educationmakes it necessary.”

Dr. Clark contributes his suc-cess to tremendous mentors inhis life. These mentors not onlygave of themselves, but helpedpoint out the value that is in andaround the individual. From thismentoring, one also senses theobligation to mentor someoneelse and therefore pass downvalue from generation to genera-tion.

Dr. Clark quoted an old Afrikanproverb that says”lf a hawk isgoing to sell your goods, youneed not tell the hawk where totake them. Only tell the hawk thevalue of the goods, he‘ll knowwhere totake them.” He further tostated, “So let the Afrikan-American community understandthe value on our educationalgoods and take them back to thecommunity, where the real valueis.”

The meaning of a Heritage Society

By Rene ScottWho’s WHo Editor

At North Carolina StateUniversity, the advancement ofthe Afrikan-American is becominga focus among the generalAfrikan-American public.Through organizations and sup-port groups, a purpose of contin-ual uplifting of the race has beeninitiated Assuming that theseorganizations keep their focus inmind, (the Afrikan-American pub-lic), a networking system devel-ops. A portion of this system,without doubt, is found in theAfrican-American HeritageSociety. On its inaugural date ofOctober 28, 1988, the societyfound it basis on a certain ratio-nale. This rationale consist of thedesire to expose Afrikan-American youth to historical andcultural development of Afrikanpeoples throughout history andthe present,” via scholarly pur-suits and in close interactionswith distinguished scholars.”Secondly, the society fulfills theneed for Afrikan-American stu-dents to observe and develop therole of non—European Countries inhistory and present—day condi—tions. This is achieved in travel,personal interaction or throughstudy. Lastly, the society extendsits scope to the need of learningabout activities other than that of

regular course-related activities.This adds to the Afrikan identityand is a tool for motivation inother areas. According to theStatus Review of the African-American Heritage Society, “Thegoal of the Heritage Society is toprovide for the campus communi-ty in general. . In doing this, italso hopes to embellish thoseactivities in regard to the Afrikan-American studies program.

Heritage Society held its firstinterest meeting in 1988 whichlead to it inaugural date ofOctober 28, 1988. This wouldalso begin the annual HeritageDay activity at NCSU. An initialfocus of the society then was toattract a wide number of studentsto their weekly lecture providedby a visiting lecturer. The lectureswould consist of historical infor-mation and key facts that couldbe used for further studies by stu-‘dents. From this point, the societywas organized into fiveresearch/study “circles". History,science, literature, oratory anddebate and visual aesthetics.Research is done in each areafrom an Afrikan-American per-spective and developed intopapers to be presented.The society continues its

awareness and intertwines withthe purpose of the African-American Cultural Center. Theprogram operates from the AACC

and both promote historical andcultural perspectives for theAfrikan-American ‘ student.Unfortunately, like the majority ofAfrikan-American endeavors onthis campus, the society is lackingfinancial resources to providesome supporting factors.The society continues activities

in the community such as upcom-ing participation in a Kwaanzafestival with Alpha Phi AlphaFraternity, Incorporated. Theannual “Heritage Day” is a eventthat attracts Afrikan-Americancommunities on and off campusand also Heritage SocietySymposium which consists of thepresentation of papers concern-ing Afrikan-American topics.

President Derigus Underwoodstated, “The society succeeds asfar as it purposes; but the lack ofpeople at meetings makes ithard.” When asked what wouldhe like to see change in the soci-ety, Unden/vood simply replied,” Iwould like to see more presenta-tions and membership increase."

In cooperation with the Directorof the AACC and advisor of thesociety , Dr. lyailu Moses,Unden/vood encourages member-ship in a rewarding experience forthe Nubian.

Here’s to Who’s Who inAfrikan-American organizations. ..the Afrikan-American HeritageSociety.

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A Celebration of Afrikan

Heritage

A photographic tribute to Heritage Day 1993

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November 23,1993 THE NUEIAN MESSAGE Editorials 7

Provost offers suggestions for

faculty improvementWhat should be the departmen-

tal practice when hiring new facul-ty? How can we continuouslyimprove the quality of our faculty?The simplest way is to hire onlynew faculty members who arebetter than the average of the fac-ulty in the department. The judg-ment should only be based oncharacteristics of a faculty mem-ber that count in the job. Thesequalities include, at least, teach-ing in all its aspects, research,research and outreach and exten-sion. To fulfill the mission of theUniversity demands we hire inthis manner and we have the rep-utation to be able to do it. Wemust rejoice in the quality of thefaculty that we can bring into ourfold.The Provost’s office . may

authorize a faculty position andthen colleges and departments

advertise and recommend thatcertain people be offered theposition. Call theSe types of posi-tions authorized positions. On theother hand, the Provost’s officedoes not authorize a college to fillsome positions that the provost’soffice holds. Let’s call these latterpositions unauthorized.How do we increase the repre-

sentation of certain grotips on thefaculty that are now underrepre-sented? i can think of two ways.Perhaps there are other ways thatmight be useful to discuss. Iwould welcome a discussion ofother possibilities.The first approach is:I believe that affirmativeaction

is really two words, two wordsthat we split and forget that thesecond word is action. We mustall make an extra effort whenseeking to fill an authorized

vacant faculty position to seek outqualified members of groups thatare under represented in our fac-ulty. We must make sure that wedo that for all the authorized posi-tions.

don’t believe that this willresult in sufficient progress. Wewon’t increase the representationfast enough. Think of thedemands on faculty members ofgroups that are significantly underrepresented. How many extracommittees they have to be on,think of the extra call on their timeto be an advisor and howdemanding it is to be the rolemodel. Wouldn’t it be appropriateto eliminate this significant underrepresentation so that professorsaren’t so over-burdened and don’thave to be the “super professor”to succeed.The second approach is:

>1 ‘Andrei george/staffPhillip M. Richards, an Associate Professor at Colgate University,addressed a small audience on “The Ideological Origins of African-

done to their grade point average itis thenvery;academic scholarshipsThe Afriean imerovement Schoiarship focuses on: It

American Literature”

Tz'cnoiarsh ip11' I' fisher those Atriksn~Ameriean stu»

. horseshoe.etth Csrotins State University. These”orstudy habits, or having problems

, . . 'tswbet onty after damage has beenat :mpossmte, for such student to be eiigibte for

vet of improvement aooomptished by our Afrikan»American student peoutstion This sohoiatshto,in the amount of $500 witi acknowiedge those students whohave overcome obsteoies that they have confronted white attending North Carolina State University. Withsuch a focus, we hope to give more Afrikan~American students the incentive to continue academicimprove»ment which will uitimateiy contribute to an improved retention rate among AtrikanmAmencans at NorthCsroiina State University.Dewey themesOmega Psi Phi

We can adopt a policy of locat-ing candidates from these underrepresented groups even if wedon’t have an authorized position.Their qualifications are the sameas those for the authorized posi-tions, no more nor less. Theyshould be judged as better thanthe average of the faculty in thedepartment. When these potentialfaculty are located, they would anew and continuing faculty posi-tion.

If the members of these underrepresented groups realize weare serious about this, then wewon’t have a problem gettingqualified applicants, excellentassistant professors and excel-lent tenured professors.The last ingredient? An open,

supportive community. How dowe build that? More on that afterthis year of study of diversity.

PS. This is not enough for usto do in solving the problem if wedo not increase the pool of mem~bers of under representedgroups. We must encouragemembers of these groups to con-sider graduate school. if suchmembers don’t flock to graduateschools in the near future, therewon’t be enough potential profes-sors to fill the openings. notedabove. This, then. is a call forconsideration of going to gradu-ate school. Yet. we also have anobligation to take some action toimprove access to graduateschool. And by listening to thosealready in graduate school figureout how to make it work even bet—ter.

Phillip Stiles,Provost

Letters. to the Editor Policy

THE MAN MESSAGE;welcomes

Letters to the Editor.However, some basicguidelines must be fol-

lowed....

..Letters must be limited to 300 words..Letters mUst be signed by the writer, alon

with his/her major (if a student)...Letters should address campus issues,

: The Nubian Message will consider fairly all“Letters to the Editor" submissions, butdoes not guarantee publication of any.

ll letters are subject to editing and becomproperty of The Nubian Message.

Letters should be brought to Room 372 ofthe African-American Cultural Center or

mailed to:The Nubian Message, Letters to the Editor,Box 7318, NCSU, Raleigh, NC 27695-7318

THE NUBIAN MESSAGE

has openings-for .

Writers, Photographers, Layout Assistants

and Cartoonists. ‘

And, by the way, we need a

SALES MANAGER!!!

If you’re interested in becoming a part of the

only Afrikan-American media organization at

NCSU, then come by room 372 of the African-

American Cultural Center and fill out an appli-

, cation.‘ ‘ '

You’ll be glad you did.

(And so will we)

Four Reasons for Using K in AfrikaMost vernacular or traditional languages on the continent speti Afrika with aK; therefore the use of K is germane to us.Europeans, particularly the Portuguese and British, polluted our tan-guages by substituting C whenever they saw K or heard the K soundMesin Kongo and Congo, Akkra and Accra. Konekri and Conakrymand bysubstituting Q wherever they saw KW, No European language outside ofDutch and German have the hard 0 sound. Thus we see the Dutch inAzania caiiing and speliing themselves Atnkeaners. We are not certain of 'the origin of the name Afrika, but we are sure the heme spelled with the Ccame into use when Atrikans were dispersed over the worid. Thereforethe symbotizes our coming back together again.

- The K symbolizes us to a kind of Lingua Atrikana, coming into use atongwith such words and phrases as Habari Gent, Osagyto, Uhsru, Asante,together oonstituting one potiticat language, although coining from morethan one Atrikan ianguage. ' y

s As long as Atrikan tanguages are transtated (written) into Engiish, etc., theEuropean aiphabet Witt be used. This is the problem. "the ietterK as withthe ietter C, is part of that aiphabet, and at some point must be totatiy cits»continued and the origins: name of Afrika'be used. Theiact that Boers(peasants) in Azania aiso use the K, as in Airiitaen (to represent the herdC: some) demostietes one of the oonfrnements otfthe siph‘abet.

Source: ' y i, a ' " At [by-Haiti 8,.1Madheouti; February't992i Reprintedwiththeeethor’seerrnissiert.;_ " 1 , .' _ '

THE NUllAN MESSAGENC. State‘s Afriken~Amerioan Newspaper

Tony Williams-onOffice Hours: 24 p'.m., Mondays and Fridays

Assistant Editor . .1 , r Jay CornishNews EditOt ,' f 1 (32h ‘e‘VériegerEducationEditor 7 y , ' obsSportslfieitor', - -'Elite mmentEdttor 2 '*