jillian r smith portfolio

Jillian R. Smith 150 Petree Rd., Winston-Salem, NC

[email protected] (336) 577-3777

mailto:[email protected]

Table of Contents Pg. 4…………………………………………………………….Résumé Issues Pg. 5……………………………………………………….Jan. 27, 2016 Pg. 13……………………………………………………....Feb. 13, 2016 Pg. 21………………………………………………...…....Mar. 16, 2016 Pg. 29………………………………………………….......Apr. 13, 2016 Articles Pg. 41...................................................................Oklahoma University fraternity chant video highlights millennial racism Pg. 43...................................................................I Am Because We Are: Cultural festival celebrates black heritage Pg. 45.................................................................“Barack to the Future” encourages civil activism Pg. 47.....................................................................#BlackLivesMatter QTPOC Coalition holds rally in protest of House Bill 2 Pg. 49.......................................................................New app made by NC State engineers allows students to debate, rate

https://www.thenubianmessage.com/2015/03/25/6865/


https://www.thenubianmessage.com/2015/09/10/i-am-because-we-are-cultural-festival-celebrates-black-heritage/


Jillian R. Smith 150 Petree Rd, Winston-Salem, NC, 27106 ● (336) 577-3777 ● [email protected]

Summary Recent graduate of NC State University with a bachelor’s degree in communication, media concentration, and a minor in Spanish. Seeking a full-time job to gain valuable experience within the field of communication media while also utilizing Spanish. Conscientious worker with excellent oral and written communication skills. Interested in creation and distribution of both print and digital media. Education

● B.A. in Communication media, Spanish minor- North Carolina State University, 2016 ● Honors- Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honor Society member, National Society of

Leadership and Success member, National Honor Society member, Dean’s List (6/6 semesters), graduated Summa Cum Laude (GPA 3.78)

Communication experience The Nubian Message at NC State, Raleigh, NC Editor-in-Chief January 2016- May 2016 Led a team of 20 writers and photographers to create and distribute a publication for both print and web formats. Brainstormed and assigned projects to writers and photo team. Through a recruiting campaign, increased the staff size from 8 to 20. Attended board meetings to report on progress and shortfalls of publication. Worked simultaneously as design layout editor coming up with theme, style and design of each issue. Skilled in use of Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Bridge and social media platforms such as Wordpress, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Enrollment Management and Services at NC State, Raleigh, NC Communication and Marketing Intern September 2015- January 2016 Worked on a team of 3 to create a comprehensive marketing campaign encouraging students to enroll in summer sessions at NC State. Divided a $15,000 budget between campaign needs such as promotional items (t-shirts, cups, pens, etc.), and advertising (flyers, brochures, online ad spaces, etc.) Created promotional media. Researched and assisted in website redesign. Worked at events on campus to connect with students and provide them with new information about summer sessions. Retail experience Fossil, Raleigh, NC Sales Associate September 2013- May 2016 Greeting and assisting guests with questions, concerns, and product inquiries. Styling, cashiering, providing watch repair services and maintaining visual standards. Using Spanish to work with customers with limited knowledge of English. Victoria’s Secret, Winston-Salem, NC Sales Associate May 2014- January 2016 Delivered a captivating customer experience to build brand loyalty and enable consistent sales and profit growth. Cashiering, working on the sales floor styling, measuring and maintaining store standards. Other experience Camp Funshine, Winston-Salem, NC Camp Counselor June 2009- August 2014 Seasonal work dealing with toddlers and young children. Lead classes to and from daily activities and provided snacks and lunches at camp.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM | wednesday, january 27, 2016

MARTIN AND MALCOLM:COMPARING IDEOLOGY AND EFFECT

from the editor Wednesday, january 27, 2016 | 2

THIS ISSUE 3 TOWN HALL MEETINGStudents, faculty, staff discuss race

4 MARTIN AND MALCOLMComparing ideologies and views

5 YOUR VOICEStudent opinions on MLK and Malcolm

6 TECH POETRYCombining art and science

6 HOVERBOARD BAN Lithium batteries cause spontaneous fires

7 DAWN MORGANNew Assistant Director of AACC

7 NEW SCHOLARSHIPSOpportunities in Black History Month

Only with the permission of our elders do we proudly produce each edition of the Nubian Message.

Dr. Yosef ben-Yochannan: Dr. John Henrik Clark: Dr. Leonard Jeffries: The Black Panther Party: Mumia A. Jamal: Geronimo

Pratt: Tony Williamson: Dr. Lawrence Clark: Dr. Augustus McIv-er Witherspoon: Dr. Wandra P. Hill: Mr. Kyran Anderson: Dr.

Lathan Turner: Dr. M. Iyailu Moses: Dokta Toni Thorpe and all those who accompany us as we are STILL on the journey to true

consciousness.

The Sentinel of the African -American Community at N.C. State Since 1992.

Editor-in-ChiefJillian Smith

Managing EditorStephanie Tate

COVER PHOTO COURTESTY OF The library of congress

Hey guys,

I hope everyone survived the perilous Snowpacalypse 2016 (I apologize for the sarcasm, but I’m from New York so that was nothing!) and that everyone’s semester is off to a good start. As we mentioned in the last issue, this is the perfect time of the year to form new habits and make some self-improvements. Actually go to class, exercise, eat well and drink water.

Speaking of water, I wanted to take a minute to talk about what’s happening in Flint, Michigan. We now know that the men, women and children of this community have been speaking

out about the quality of their water for over a year now. Their voices were not heard. It is only now that we are seeing images of this community splashed across newspapers and websites. It is only now that we are seeing the brown water they have been consuming and washing themselves in. It is only now that we are finding out about how American citi-zens were subjected to chemical byproducts, E. coli, Legionnaires' disease and lead after the city's water source was switched to the corrosive Flint River in 2014.

This event is a perfect example of something that is not frequently discussed in the black community: environmental racism. In Flint 40 percent of the residents live in poverty and the average household income is just $25,000. This was a systematic decision made by the town government that negatively affected a majority black community. When the people spoke out, they were ignored and made to feel foolish. I’m truly disappointed to see that it is still possible to use a basic human need such as water as a means of discrimination. I am hoping and praying that the people of this community come out healthy, wealthy and well, but we all know this is a fairly optimistic view.

One realistic hope I have for Flint and for the rest of the nation is to have all voices be heard and taken seriously. Consider the many undocumented immigrants in Flint that are now being denied access to any clean water.This should be a wake up call to both citizens and government that in order to be successful, we must listen to each other and respect each other's opinions. That is why I believe the Nubian is so important, and why I want it to serve beyond just the African-American community. There are so many people in this country that are left voiceless, unable to initiate change within their own lives and communities. We are here to combat that. We serve as the voice of African-Americans and other minority groups at NC State. Please send in any letters, comments, questions or concerns because we are here to represent you.

That being said, I hope everyone takes some time to consider what you can really do to improve yourself and your community. 2016 should be a year of change, so make it happen!

Nothing but love, Jillian

news Wednesday, january 27, 2016 | 3

On Wednesday, Jan. 13, Student Government held a town hall meet-ing in Talley’s Stewart Theatre. The subject: racial cli-mate on campus.

“I feel bad say-ing this because I love NC State, but I am very dis-appointed in my university because it hasn’t actively engaged me in race education,” said Kelly Elder, a senior in political science.

The tone of the meeting was set by statements such as these as well as the Yik Yak, Twitter and Facebook posts scrolling across the screen throughout the event. The vulgarity and absurdity of the selected posts gave some of these ambiguous racial problems a level of widespread visibility they previously had not received.

This helped audience members understand the reasons behind the meeting and the need for change on campus. This slideshow also included testimoni-als from students sharing their personal experiences.

“I feel like I’m constantly in a battle with my own identity and how my peers perceive me. You wouldn’t believe how often I receive questions like ‘are you a member of the NC State football team or basketball team,” said Ryan Barnes, a senior in paper science and engineering.

The meeting started off with some emotional stories about negative experiences with race and discrimination, reinforcing the seriousness of the subject matter. Following this, the panel introduced themselves and Student Body President Khari Cyrus introduced the format of the meeting.

“The purpose of this event is to develop solutions,” said Cyrus.

There were four main action items for the meeting: sensitivity and inclusivity training, mandatory di-versity training for incoming freshman, honor court and Asian-American/Pacific Islander inclusion.

The possibility of sensitivity and inclusivity train-ing for all students was a major part of the discus-sion. Bystander intervention training was also a topic of conversation in conjunction with the sugges-tions of mandatory diversity training for incoming freshman.

Renee Wells, director of the GLBT center brought up the importance of cultural competency and how this type of training is something necessary for stu-dents to see and understand microaggressions. She believes to change the racial climate on campus, we need programs that build upon each other because “it can’t happen in a one hour workshop.”

It did not seem that the panel members and audience members that suggested some of these programs came to a consensus on the time frame in which they would have to take place. Should they all happen during orientation? Should they be classes taken in the first semester? These are lingering ques-tions, but it is important that the conversation was started at the meeting.

The next action item was the need for a place where students could report non-academic miscon-duct such as acts of discrimination.

According to Kamrie Risku, a sophomore study-ing political science and the the Diversity Activities Chair for the Union Activities Board, “there needs to be a better way to address these issues because there are very few safe spaces for minority students to address their discomfort.”

She has suggested having an “honor court” as a po-tential solution. The Honor Court would consist of both volunteer and elected court officials that would review reports of non-academic misconduct.

This would be significantly different than any other program we have because it would encourage stu-dent-to-student accountability and peer mediation.

This would be created under DASA which is a part of student housing. It is important to have a more student-centered organization to deal with these issues because the only other resource, the Equal Opportunity and Equity office on OIED which primarily deals with complaints against faculty and staff.

One audience member brought up the issue of students against whom complaints are filed reacting negatively to their privilege being infringed upon. She questioned how we bring these students in rath-er than make them feel isolated.We need to focus on “winning the person versus winning the argument,” as another audience member put it.

The last action item put up for discussion was the fact that there are very few resources for Asian American and Pacific Islander students on campus. Nina Ondona, the representative for Asian Students in Alliance (ASIA) explained how having a represen-tative and a foothold in multicultural student affairs would provide these students with more opportunity and inclusion.

Ondona is hopeful that AAPI students will receive greater visibility and have more of an on-campus presence if this can happen.

There were many great ideas put forth at this town hall with a goal implementation date of fall 2017. The student government panelists were hopeful that through cooperative and collaborative work with administration, these plans could be put in place.

town hall addresses issues of race on campusJillian smithEditor-in-chief

Photos by kai mcneil

Wednesday, january 27, 2016 | 4 opinion

ONE DREAM

MARTIN, MALCOLM EXPLAINED

Photos by kai mcneil

Caught in between Martin Luther King Day and Black History Month lies the consistent appraisal of Martin Luther King Jr. Every year from his na-tional holiday in January until the end of February, those who oppose policies that would align with Martin’s teachings resurrect his quotes to show that they do in fact believe in “equality.” Martin is best known for a legacy of nonviolent peaceful protests that objected to the unjust treatment of African Americans in America. In the midst of painting Martin as the face of the Civil Rights Movement, we oftentimes leave out the voices and faces of others who contributed to the movement. Malcolm Little, later known as Malcolm X, is one of those voices. The life and legacy of Malcolm X is scarcely taught in schools and when it is, Malcolm is illus-trated as a violent antagonist to Martin. There is no denying that Malcolm and Martin were two very different men, however they had a similar goal: to obtain equal rights for African Americans.

Despite their juxtaposed positions on how to achieve this goal, the two had much respect for one another. With that said, respect never stood as enough reason for the two to see eye to eye. In a 1963 interview with Malcolm X Dr. Kenneth Clark asked Malcolm “Well, Reverend Martin Luther King preaches a doctrine of non-violent insistence upon the rights of the American Negro. What is your attitude toward this philosophy?” In response, Malcolm X remarked that “The white man pays Reverend Martin Luther King, subsidizes Reverend

Martin Luther King, so that Reverend Martin Lu-ther King can continue to teach the Negroes to be defenseless.” Remarks about Martin were not un-common coming from Malcolm, which more than likely contributed to the idea that they were two opposite ends of a spectrum. Although Malcolm had gone on record calling Martin both a chicken wing and a fool, he also said “Dr. King wants the same thing I want--freedom!”

Towards the end of their lives, both seemed to become more moderate in their views. In his letter from Birmingham jail Martin acknowledges that the frustrations of black nationalists such as the Nation of Islam, were warranted. He refers to the black nationalists as one force and his model of peacefulness until integration as another force. “I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the "do nothingism" of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist,” said Dr. King. A letter from Mal-colm, recovered by the Martin Luther King Paper Project, inviting Martin to speak at a Muslim rally read “A United Front involving all Negro factions, elements, and their leaders is absolutely necessary.”

According to PBS during his visit to Selma, Malcolm visited, Coretta Scott King, the wife of Dr. King to inform her that “I didn't come to Selma to make his job difficult. I really did come thinking I could make it easier. If the white people realize what the alternative is, perhaps they will be more willing to hear Dr. King.” After the death of Mal-

colm X in 1965 Martin apologetically sent a tele-gram to Betty Shabazz the wife of Malcolm. Part of the telegram read “While we did not always see eye to eye on methods to solve the race problem, I always had a deep affection for Malcolm and felt that he had the great ability to put his finger on the existence and root of the problem.”

While they disagreed on the methods to reach the destination, both Malcolm and Martin, kept freedom at the forefront of their movement. Mal-colm X said in his autobiography “The goal has always been the same, with the approaches to it as different as mine and Dr. Martin Luther King's non-violent marching, that dramatizes the brutality and the evil of the white man against defenseless blacks. And in the racial climate of this country today, it is anybody's guess which of the "extremes" in approach to the black man's problems might personally meet a fatal catastrophe first -- "non-vi-olent" Dr. King, or so-called "violent" me." With both Martin and Malcolm being tragically assassi-nated at the age of thirty-nine, it would seem that they both met a fatal catastrophe. However, when looking at the activism on our campus, I can say that their movements have not met that fatal ca-tastrophe. When looking at the amount of African American students committed to make our campus a more inclusive place I am lead to believe that regardless of whose path we take, we are slowly but surely approaching that end goal of freedom.

Stephanie tatemanaging editor

TWO PATHS:

opinion Wednesday, january 27, 2016 | 5

NM YOUR VOICEMalik Simpson, senior, human biology

What do you consider to be the biggest difference between Malcolm X and Dr. King?

“I would say their belief in the white race, which in turn led to their oppo-site views of retaliation. When I say belief I mean faith that they could treat blacks equally. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that whites could treat black people equally and wanted us to be one united country. However, Malcolm X had no faith in the white race, nor did he trust them, and would rather blacks unite together and support each other against the white man.”

Whose views would you say that you subscribe to more?“I would say I subscribe to both. I don’t trust many white people and I’d rather support a fellow black

person before I support a white person. However, I do have faith in society that one day we will be treat-ed fairly. I believe it’s because of the time period I’ve grown up in. I’ve seen the progress since the civil rights movement so I know it can continue.”

Achaia Dent, freshman, animal science

Ade Adesina, sophomore, communication


“I know this is probably a typical answer but I would violence when neces-sary versus non-violence.”

Whose views would you say that you subscribe to more?“I would lean a little more towards Martin Luther King Jr. because I do

believe peaceful protest and peaceful discussion to better the communities around us. However, Malcolm states ‘I don’t even call it violence when it’s in self defense; I call it intel-ligence’ which I take as use violence when you are backed into the corner and you have no other op-tion it’s the smart thing to do but only in the most serious cases. I would say I take both sides but lean towards Dr. King more as peace would always be my first method.”




“I think that Malcolm X was more willing to compromise peace in order for his people to progress because he knew our power. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted to sustain a certain deco-rum to keep his followers from looking threatening.”

Whose views would you say that you subscribe to more?“I feel that action is necessary but I don’t necessarily think violence is the

answer but sometimes it is a solution. So in that way I think I can identify with both.”

Wednesday, january 27, 2016 | 6 news

When technical intelligence meets creative geniusquianne’ Holmesstaff writer

While hoverboards are currently trending, the increasing number of accidents, explosions and other serious injuries caused the office of Environmental Health and Public Safety to issue a campus-wide ban on the devices and others like them.

The ban prohibits the use and storage of hover-boards or any machine similar to them on campus grounds. The university has made arrangements to temporarily store the hoverboards owned by students who live in residence halls if they cannot safely get them home in the near future.

The lithium-ion battery that powers the hover-boards is the most concerning element of these de-vices. The ban was initiated due to vast reports of the battery spontaneously bursting into flames especially while charging. This kind of explosion would obvi-ously cause havoc for any close quartered residence hall or classroom, and avoiding any related disasters will benefit student’s general safety on campus.

In addition to the fire hazards, there has been an increasing number of emergency room visits for injuries associated with the use of hoverboards. Some

students wonder if hoverboards are more or less dan-gerous than riding a skateboard to class.

“While I have seen way more people wipe out on skate boards, I bet it would hurt more to fall off a hoverboard especially if you were wearing a backpack because it would be so unexpected,” said Mary Stuart Sloan, a freshman majoring in Political Science.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Com-mission recently launched an investigation into the hoverboards in hopes of finding a solution to this hazardous problem. “CPSC is looking into the safety of the entire product line of hoverboards,” Patty Davis, the deputy of communications director for the Commission told Fox 59. “We are working all across the country to move our investigation forward as quickly as possible.”

NC State is not the first to put a ban on hover-boards on campus. In addition to many colleges and universities, over 60 international airlines such as Delta and United Airlines have prohibited their passengers from bringing any device similar to a hoverboard beyond TSA security. Multiple shipping

companies have also stopped transporting the hover-boards to avoid impending accidents or explosions.

Retailers such as Target, Overstock and Amazon have temporarily stopped selling the lower quality hoverboards made with lithium batteries due to the safety concerns. Amazon is also giving full refunds for any hoverboard purchased through their website, and many companies are likely to follow this trend.

Some students applaud the ban of hoverboards and now feel safer walking to class without having to worry about getting run over.

“Most of the people using hoverboards to get to class just assume people will get out of their way. I think they are more obnoxious than skateboarders because at least they usually stay in one place where-as the hover-boarders were all over campus,” said junior Addison Collins majoring in Business Admin-istration.

Like it or not, hoverboards are banned from cam-pus for now. If the manufacturer develops a battery that doesn’t explode, maybe the boards can come-back., but until then, looks like we’re all walking.

Zoe wilsoncorrespondent

Hoverboards Banned on Campus due to fires

Last Thursday, Jan. 21, there was no place you would rather have been than the Technimetric Poetry Slam.

This event was created by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and sponsored by Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) media, Arts NC State, and My Health Impact.

As students filled the room, the dim lights created a quaint, intimate space with refreshments, music, and an art gallery consisting of student paintings. Darryl Johnson, a junior in Mechanical Engineering and the President of NSBE opened the event up by introduc-ing the purpose of the event: “technical intellect with creative genius.”

He then shared his own poetry which included verses that transformed engineering concepts into verses concerning the unjust circumstances that Afri-can Americans face in today’s society.

The EMCee of the night was Nehemiah J. Mabry, a Ph.D student. He set the ground rules to create a supportive safe space for the participants. These rules

included snapping for and verbalizing appreciation during a performance and continuing that vibe by applauding their exit.

Nehemiah then introduced the the judges, Angeli-tha Daniel, Alexis Carson, Kryston Gollihue, and Will McInery, who had the tough task of picking the first place winner who would receive an Apple Watch as well as the runner up who would receive LED speakers. The crowd favorite would be chosen by the audience using Twitter.

The first poet to grace the stage was Natalie Sher-wood, a junior majoring in polymer and color chem-istry. She blew the audience away creating rhymes that touched on black lives lost such as Michael Brown, Freddie Gray and Tamir Rice.

The creativity continued with a freestyle spoken word from Taha Arif, a junior in electrical engineer-ing who grabbed the crowd’s heart and tickled their funny bones.

In between poets, there was an Art Gallery give away in which audience members were randomly

selected to win student paintings. Next up, Tierra Knight, a junior in chemical en-

gineering, gave inspiring words saying that “we are all powerful beyond measure, and most importantly “who are you not to be?” Then Ade Adesina, a sopho-more in communication media used his science filled poem to tell a love story.

Morgan Sanchez, an undergraduate in engineering, let everyone know that it was her first time doing spoken word. The community embraced her with open arms as she shared a short but meaningful poem. Last but not least, Camerian Williams, a junior in psychology and social work shared his poem about how opposites attract.

Finally, it was time to announce the awards. Run-ner up was Taha Arif, crowd favorite was Camerian Williams and first place winner was Natalie Sher-wood.

Hopefully the Technimetric Poetry Slam will en-courage more creative spaces in which students can display more interdisciplinary creativity.

features Wednesday, january 27, 2016 | 7

welcome dawn morgan: new AACC assistant directorbenyame assefacorrespondant

Threa AlmontaserStaff Writer

black history month Brings Scholarships

Every year, various organizations award scholarships to deserv-ing students who meet their criteria. This year, there are four great opportunities created specifically for African-American students.

These scholarships are being given in accordance with the upcoming Black History Month. They’re usually based for Afri-can-American students and are made to motivate the following generations of Black history creators and to help them afford a good education.

Companies such as Coca-Cola and Frito Lay participate in these scholarship programs, hoping to provide students more opportuni-ty and lower tuition.

Kamaria Fyffe, a junior studying English, says, “I think scholar-ships are really helpful for minority students in general, not just African-Americans. It’s a good way to encourage them to go to college.”

The Frito-Lay “Create to Celebrate” Black History Month Art Contest asks applicants to submit an original artwork on any medi-um that celebrates African-American achievement in history. The grand prize is $10,000 dollars, with second and third place prices of $5,000 and $2,500 dollars.

“African American scholarships aren’t broadcasted as much as others. You need to hear about them from somebody, unlike others that are non-African American related,” said Daisha Johnson, a freshman studying animal science. Johnson went to a predomi-nantly white high school, where she says she had to talk to a specif-ic person just to find out more about scholarships for minorities.

The Buick Achievers Scholarship Program gives students up to $25,000 that excel in the classroom, especially in Science, Tech-nology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program and other related fields.

They look for community leaders and dedicated, inspiring students. This program wants to “support the pursuit of academic disciplines that will help drive global innovation and economic growth in the 21st century.” Distinctive consideration is awarded to first-generation students, females and minorities.

Anieka Dickens, a grad student in the Master of Public Admin-istration program, says, “These scholarships help a lot when trying to reach out to kids who ordinarily would not be going to college. It instills diversity from lower impoverished areas into the univer-sities.”

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation/General Mills Health Scholarship Program is open to both graduate students and undergraduate that have a focus in medicine and nutrition-related studies. Applicants must have at least a 2.75 GPA and can receive up to $2,000 dollars out of the 46 that plan to be granted this year.

Some of the deadlines are in January, but most of these scholar-ships have end submission dates in February, so hurry and apply!

With the start of 2016, the concept of ‘new’ is in mind. For the new Assistant Director at the African American Cultural Center (AACC), Dawn Morgan, the ‘new’ 2016 involves more than just a few resolutions; it means a new office. Q: So tell us about your-self.A: I am from Rochester, NY where I graduated from Nazareth College with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Multicul-tural Studies in 2005. I continued working full-time and attended Buffalo State College part-time, eventually earning an M.S. in Student Personnel Administration in 2010. In 2011, I moved to North Carolina as a newlywed, and worked at Elon University as an Assistant Director in housing. In 2013, I accepted a position at NC State in the Center for Student Leadership, Ethics and Public Service (CS-LEPS).Q: What were your roles as as coordinator at CSLEPS?A: As Coordinator of CSLEPS, I was respon-sible for developing and executing a number of programs, mostly related to leadership development. Some signature programs I was responsible for included Leadership In Action (until its final graduation in 2014), Leader-Shape, Service NC State Meal Packaging Event and advising Campus Pals. Another exciting opportunity and one that I am particularly proud of was chairing the Student Leader Training Committee. Last year, we hosted the first Leaders Under Construction themed conference for these students and will contin-ue with that initiative this year…(look out for this opportunity on April 16th!).Q: What are some of your new roles?

A: My new role is a balance of programmatic and administrative responsibilities. I will be coordinating artists and their work for the African American Cultural Center’s Gallery

and co-advising the AYA am-bassadors. I am also focused on establishing new initia-tives and enhancing current programs centered around leadership development for students associated with the center, promoting under-graduate and graduate level research as well as connect-ing with faculty to extend learning opportunities beyond the classroom, for those wanting to learn more about African American people and cultures repre-sented in the diaspora.Q: What things are you are

excited about?A: I am thrilled to be working with students and a professional team that are engaged in and have the desire to enhance learning and awareness around something I am so passion-ate about: black culture and experiences. That excitement has been amplified by the fact that it is the AACC’s 25th anniversary. This is the perfect time to think about what the AACC means to us as members of the NC State and surrounding community and consider giving back. Thankfully, through the support and guidance from Dr. Graham and Mama Thor-pe, my first program will be a gallery opening on February 2nd at 6pm. The exhibit is enti-tled “The Soul of Philanthropy” and will focus on a rich history of ‘giving back’ in the black community. We hope many of our students and campus colleagues will join us to celebrate and participate in the African American Cul-tural Center’s 25th year in this way.Congrats to Ms. Morgan on her new position, and her exciting new role as a mother.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM | February 10, 2016

OLD SCHOOL

HOW THE dating GAME HAS CHANGED

new SCHOOL

THIS ISSUE wednesday, february 10, 2016 | 2








3 RACIAL CLIMATE TOWN HALLStudents gather to discuss action item progress.

3 SOUL OF PHILANTHROPYGiving back to the community, debt free.

4 OLD SCHOOL LOVEConservative view on dating in the new age.

5 NEW SCHOOL DATINGTalking, hooking up and avoiding committment.

6 FLINT RELIEF FUNDStudents rally together to support Flint.

6 QUES COMMUNITY SERVICEThink and Do in action with fraternity members.

7 THE ONLY KINGCritiquing black history education in schools.

8 CHANCELLOR’S INITIATIVESConcerns with NC State’s call to action.

8 CANDYGRAM ORDERINGPeer Mentor Program offers sweet treats.

HELP US OUT!The Newspaper Advisory Board will hold Nubian Message Edi-

tor-In-Chief interviews next Monday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Student

Media Conference Room. It is a pub-lic meeting and all are welcome.

From The Editor

MAKE SURE YOU REGISTER!Voter registration deadline

February 19 - Registration forms must be delivered or postmarked by

5 p.m.March 8 - Last day to submit absen-

tee ballot request form.

news Wednesday, February 10, 2016 | 3

SOUL OF PHILAnTHROPY exhibit teaches students goodwill

racial climate town hall follow up provides answers

BENYAME ASSEFACORRESPONDENT

Stephanie TateManaging editor

Minority students at NC State have kept the mo-mentum from last month’s Student Government Ra-cial Climate Town Hall going by hosting a follow-up meeting where panel members discussed the progress of their action items.

Those action items included diversity and inclusiv-ity training for all student organizations and all in-coming students, an honor court system and electing an Asian American assistant director to Multicultural Student Affairs.

The meeting started with a recap of all of the action items. Students were then able to self select the action item that they were most interested in working on and help brainstorm how to bring those action items to fruition.

Those who brainstormed for action item one, led by Moriah Barrow, a senior studying communication came up with ideas such as requiring one diversi-ty activity or event per semester for organizations, having an open forum and working to incorporate diversity and inclusivity trainings into their organiza-tions’ pre-existing trainings.

The second action item, inclusivity training for incoming students through orientation, was present-

ed by Darryl Johnson, a junior studying mechanical engineering. One idea was having diversity coordina-tors from each of the colleges present an interactive workshop on diversity and then having orientation leaders facilitate a conversation on diversity and its importance.

“We want the trainings to create a medium where students can have free space to discuss diversity,” said Johnson, “the issue is feasibility.”

Johnson said this is the sense that it will be nearly impossible to do separate trainings for over twenty orientation groups in one day. The solution: a video that could be played many times throughout orien-tation with ease. The orientation leaders would then facilitate a discussion with their group.

The honor court system, action item three, was discussed by Kamrie Risku. She discussed the im-portance of implementing the education aspect of the court because punishment deters students from learning why their discriminatory acts were wrong.

Risku could not say much, as she was waiting on her meeting the following day with Student Conduct Director Paul Cousins.

However, she did note that this honor court would

not be established in the interest of “worrying about feelings.” Creating discomfort in the students brought to honor court is somewhat of a goal for Risku.

“A minute of discomfort for that student is noth-ing in comparison to the discomfort felt by minority students everyday,” she said. “We are definitely in the business of making people uncomfortable.”

The fourth action item, hiring a director for Asian students in Multicultural Student Affairs , was pre-sented by Nina Ondona. Ondona discussed making students more aware of Asian faculty and staff in order to increase a feeling of belonging for Asian students on campus.

As of now, they are looking to have a graduate assistant rather than an assistant director to repre-sent the Asian American and Pacific Islander student body.They are also now investigating the creation of an advisory council for AAPI students.

“Dr. (Tracey) Ray feels confident that moves can be made within a year,” said Ondona.

The last significant note on this action item was the movement of Asian American History Month to mid-March rather than May when we are no longer in school.

Newly appointed Assistant Director, Dawn Morgan, hosted her first art exhibit titled “Soul of Philanthro-py: Reframed and Exhibited,” on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Following our last encounter with Ms. Morgan, the event had much build to it’s unveiling.

Kicking off the beginning of Black History Month, Ms. Morgan along with the help of Frances Gra-ham; Director of African American Cultural Center (AACC) coordinated with creators of the exhibit, Valaida Fullwood and Charles Thomas Jr.

Within the context of the exhibit’s name, the mean-ing behind this project is unveiled.

Philanthropy promotes good welfare and finan-cially supporting individuals. However, this event promotes an idea that financial support isn’t always needed to be philanthropic. “Soul of Philanthropy: Reframed and Exhibited” presents audiences with speakers from NC State, formerly and currently, who were testament of these financial free and personal obligations.

These testaments from fellow Wolfpack members

put into perspective the purpose of this exhibit; that philanthropy is deeper than your pockets. Alterna-tives to going further into debt involved being active in your schools communities, such as volunteering at the AACC building.

“Philanthropy comes from the soul. It’s your heart, your head, and what your hands can do. Your soul is your core,” said Fullwood.

The exhibit involved photography-drawing with lights and aluminum prints. This allowed for the black and white themed photos to illuminate throughout the exhibit in Witherspoon.

Towards the wall of the exhibit hall, there was a giant chalkboard with the phrase “Why I Give Back” above it. People lined up to explain why it is they give back and as a result this allowed for viewers to engage with the exhibit and be a part of the experience, as the walls filled up with writing.

The Soul of Philanthropy presents students, facul-ty, and welcomed guest to be a part of an interactive and soulful experience. Further steps made towards

engaging viewers involved iPads for people to read up on the exhibit’s various photos.

After years in the making, this project debuted on Feb. 20, 2015.

“V was the brain behind operation. She had the shot list and project in her head the whole time,” said Thomas Jr.

The exhibit is touring and has already stopped in Denver, Houston, Charleston, Raleigh, and anoth-er eight locations scheduled for a lesson in what it means to be philanthropic.

“Being the 25th anniversary of AACC, we’re really hoping to have students and faculty engaged all month,” said Graham.

An example of the art in the Soul of Philanthropy Exhibit.Benyame assefa | staff photographer

Wednesday, february 10, 2016 | 4 FEATURES

NM YOUR VOICE:worst dates

Old School DatingFirst comes love, then comes marriage

“I met a girl on Myspace and we agreed to meet for the first time at the movies. I show up, and find out I was catfished. She looked absolutely nothing like her pictures online. So I said hey to her, bought my own movie ticket, sat on the total opposite side of the movie theater from her for the whole movie, and never talked to her again.” -Travis Gatling, senior, civil engineering

“My worst date was over before it even started. I tried to be nice and ask her to dinner, but she rejected me. Afterwards the girl tweeted: “He put his balls on the line, and I chopped them off.” - Anonymous Guy, sophomore, business admin-istration

“Chicken wings and fries, I don’t go on dates. No but seriously, some-one should take me on a date; this is getting sad.” - Chauncey Bowden, senior, philosophy of law

I’m sure we’ve all heard the phrase “why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free?” However, why would a man, in my case, want to marry me if I’m doing all the things that a girlfriend and a wife does? I totally understand that times have changed and we have different values than our parents, etc., but there are some benefits of keeping things old school.

For your whole life you’ve, lived with someone whether it be your parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents, and now your roommate. Believe it or not, we all need our personal space at some point. Living alone gives you the personal space to do literally whatever you want, and it teaches you how to be disciplined and hold yourself accountable. There’s no one to split the energy bill with or take the trash out every other week. You are completely independent. When the time comes to move in with your husband/wife, you’re perfectly capable of taking care of business whether it be paying bills or doing chores. Also, you know the importance of alone time.

I might get a lot of backlash from this, but hear me out. If someone asks you out, it is his/her intent to basically impress you. With that being said, he/she comes up with the date plans and courts you. Many of us don’t know what that means, because our generation just doesn’t do it. Courting someone is getting to know another person before taking it any fur-ther.

“I think they’re a lot better and you don’t end up ‘catching feelings’ too early and one person gets attached and the other doesn’t. I think the only reason to date is to find your spouse and I think this is the best way to find one.” said Traemani Hawkins, a sophomore in computer science

Sex is important in a relationship, but not as important as knowing that pepperoni is my favorite pizza topping, but I digress. The first date is meant for you to be impressed and get to know the other person. So, since the other person initi-ated the date, they have to follow all the way through, including the check.

This brings me to my cow reference. If you pull out all of your tricks for your boyfriend/girlfriend, what is there to ex-periment or to surprise them with when you both decide to get married? Think of yourself as a sheet cake at a party (like I said, hear me out).

Some people will take those big corner pieces while others take small, conservative pieces out of the middle. By the time that special guest of honor come to get their piece of cake, what is left? Save something to look forward to in the future.

With all this, I understand that marriage is not the end goal for some people, and that’s okay. Not everyone values the same things, but these points go beyond the “old school versus new school” dating debate. These points are also here to remind you that you are worth it. Learn to love yourself, and understand what you bring to the table. Then, if someone wants you as badly as they say they want you then they’d stop at nothing to win your heart. And with that being said, Happy Valentine’s Day, Wolfpack!

jessica stubbsstaff writer

FEATURES wednesday, february 10, 2016 | 5

Kai McNeil | staff photographer

New school talkingfirst comes the DM, then netflix and chill

“This guy asked me on a date, which was cool; but his car was in the shop so I had to drive. I drove 45 minutes to this restaurant that just sold wings. At this point my gas tank is on E and I'm livid. After eating he doesn't even think about pulling out his wallet, so I act like I'm going to the bathroom, I find the waitress, pay for my food and leave.” -Bria Johnson, junior, history educa-tion

“I met a guy at an ice cream parlor downtown. He ‘for-got’ his wallet but still ordered a cone that I had to pay for. Right when I thought it was over, a local rapper asked us if he could take our picture that would be featured in his next music video. Of course he said yes, and now we are both in a music video that people from my school saw making it impossible for me to forget that date!” - Zoe Wilson, junior, communication

“He asked if I wanted to see a movie and I said yes. What he actually meant was ‘do you want to meet at my house, drive to a redbox and watch a movie in my basement.’ I can’t even remember what movie it was because he talked about his ex-girlfriend the entire two hours it was on.” -Jillian Smith, senior, communication

The world of dating has dramatically changed in the last few decades. If I had followed in the footsteps of my grandma, I would have gotten married last year (at 19 years old) and currently be pregnant with the first of three children. While I could not think of a more scary scenario, it was a completely normal and expected arrangement not that long ago.

The main difference between the past and current dating trends is the actual goal of dating. Two generations ago the people who ventured out into the dating game had a marriage orientated mentality, while now people date more for fun putting thoughts of settling down with one person far back in their minds.

“Everything about dating has definitely changed since from how it was for my grandparents, and the main emphasis has shifted from getting married at an early age to now getting married later in life. The game is shifting towards dating more people instead of settling down especially since people are more career orientated,” said sophomore Zach Guy studying business administration.

Along with dating more, people, it is now a common practice to spend a significant amount of time “talking” to a per-son before deciding to actually date them. The advent of “talking” has made it so that you don’t actually have to commit to someone, which means you can be involved with multiple people at one time guilt free.

The instantaneous access to each other via cell phones and text messages has altered the way people communicate with each other. Most people spend a good amount of time on their social media channels all over the world expanding the network of people available to date. Why settle down when you have hundreds of options at your fingertips?

“While it was normal at the time for my grandparents to marry at a young age, it is now more normal for people to get married in their late twenties. I wouldn’t mind getting married earlier in life, but I do not want to rush into a marriage now because I know it takes a good amount of time to find the right one,” said Uly Grisette, a freshman in Exploratory Studies.

Social media has impacted the mentality of many young people, creating a far more liberal attitude towards commitment as well as premarital sex. Many movies, songs, television shows and advertisements glorify the idea of casual sex without any strings attached. This is now widely seen and practiced on most college campuses. This new trend is now called “hook-up culture” by many.

“Since everyone’s lives are displayed on such a public platform it changes the way we present ourselves to society. Social media has caused people to be more image conscious than ever and this has affected how we act in relationships, and peo-ple may base who they are interested in dating by how well they present themselves on social media,” said junior Elizabeth Reavis studying biology.

Who's to say if “talking” and “hookup culture” are good or bad things? We are living in a time of incredible liberalism when it comes to who we date. So enjoy your your freedom and your independence and whenever you’re ready test the relationship waters. There’s nothing wrong with a little experimentation.

zoe wilsoncorrespondent

wednesday, february 10, 2016 | 6 news

GREEKS GIVE BACKQuianne’ holmesStaff Writer

NPHC collects money for flint think and do with ques

The National Panhellenic Council has raised over one thousand dollars in the past week to sup-port the citizens of Flint, Michigan who have been consuming chemical laden water for over a year now by providing them with a safer water supply.

Malik Simpson, the President of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and a Special Events Co-Chair for NPHC wrote the proposal for the campaign.

“Everyone knew what was going on and NPHC needed to make a united stand,” said Simpson.

The campaign began on Monday, Feb. 1 and ended on Friday, Feb. 5. It was stationed in Talley Student

Union, the perfect location to gain the attention of students and faculty. The idea of having a “Penny War,” was initiated by NPHC Vice President Aleah Mathis, a

member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. The goal was to encourage organizations out-side of NPHC to participate in the campaign.

Six organizations participated alongside NPHC: the Society of Afrikan Culture, the Peer Mentor Program, the Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council, the Order of Omega and Alpha Phi Omega.

Every penny gained the organization one point, and any silver coins or dollar bills resulted in a point deduction. As an incentive, NPHC offered seven free tickets for the Apr. 9 step show to the winning organization.

Sydney Wingate, a junior studying communication, also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. worked the collection table informing students about the state of emergency in Flint and what their donations will be used for.

“We are just hoping to add something to this cause and help people get clean access to in some form,” Wingate said.

The Flint water crisis was the forefront of national news earlier this month when a federal investigation conducted by the U.S. attorney’s office revealed that more than 100,000 people had been receiving the contaminated water from the Flint River instead of from Lake Huron though the Detroit city water system.

Complaints from residents began immediately after the water source was switched. At numerous town hall meetings, the color, clarity, smell and taste of the water was questioned.

The government of Flint attempted to quiet the dissenters with public displays of the wa-ter’s safety as well as posters reading “Hey Flint! It is safe to wash!” and “lead in bath water will not soak into your skin fast or at high levels.” Now that the severity of the situation has been revealed, reports of skin lesions, hair loss, high levels of lead in the blood, vision loss, memory loss, depression and anxiety have surfaced.

“It’s a really really sad situation. We just wanted to do our part here in North Carolina to help out,” said Wingate.

Wingate admitted that she was surprised by students’ enthusiasm and the number of dona-tions given to the cause. The campaign garnered an overwhelmingly positive response from the student body according to Wingate.

The money from the Penny War will go to the Flint Water Fund sponsored by United Way according to Simpson. They will use the donation to buy more bottled water and new water filters for Flint residents.

jillian smitheditor-in-chief

NC State’s motto is Think and Do, and there are so many organiza-tions that make sure to transform our motto into a physical mission.

One organization in particular that has modeled such great behav-ior is the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. On January 30, they invited students to participate in a community service project assisting the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

Early Saturday morning, participants came in ready to help in any-way that they could. Facilitators quickly trained the students and put them to work sorting out and bagging different types of vegetables for families in need. Observing the atmosphere, people from all back-grounds came with one purpose in mind: to serve.

There was cohesiveness in making sure the tasks were completed efficiently and smoothly. Participants included NC State alumni and Undergraduates who identified being in several organizations such as the Society of Afrikan American Culture (SAAC), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., the Black Alumni Association and many more organi-zations.

Trevor Jenkins, a sopho-more studying business ad-ministration, and member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. shared that one of the organization’s cardinal principles is Uplift and their motto is “friendship is essential to the soul.” He went on to say, “as men, it’s our duty to serve our com-munity and influence change and improvements in our world. It’s the responsibility of every able bodied and able minded man.”

When asked about his personal experience during the community service project he said, “the amount of food we were sorting through brought to my attention just how much excess food is potential-ly done away with by makers and producers of food. I’m not just referring to farmers, but I have researched and found that many restaurants and fast food services through away tons of leftover food everyday.”

With service through all levels of the community you learn to appreciate the things that you can easily take for granted. As college students we have access to housing, a meal plan and even programs with free admission, food, and prizes. Often times, it is easy to forget the very things that help us get by each week or school year.

With this, I challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone to give back what has been given to you. Share your talents, advice, and your lending hands to make sure that you do not leave those behind but bring them right beside you.

students volunteer with the food bank of central and eastern north carolina. quianne’ holmes | staff photographer

a student donates money to the nphc penny war in talley student union. victoria crocker | staff photographer

OPINION wednesday, february 10, 2016 | 7

“You always hear about Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and all of them, but you don’t really hear about Malcolm X or these different people that were just as important but maybe were not as friendly to white cul-ture,” said William Stewart, a senior study-ing electrical engineering and President of the Red Poets Society.

Stewart is one of many who believe our education in black history to be lacking on several fronts, and he places the responsibil-ity for this deficit on the shoulders of those in power, who are in the majority, and have historically been white.

For the most part, black history education begins with the slave trade and ends with the civil rights movement, hitting a few high-lights along the way. These highlights often include Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and George Washington Carver, along with a few other prominent figures.

Often, the representation of these figures is inaccurate and watered down for public consumption. Whether or not this is inten-tional is difficult to say, but the impact of this effective ‘whitewashing’ is even harder to deny.

Dr. Jamila Simpson, Assistant Dean for Diversity and Student Services in the Col-lege of Sciences, is an adamant supporter of more in depth black history, as it was taught to her in her college years.

“I think we need more representation of what black leadership looks like, but I think we also need authentic representation of who these people actually were,” she said in response to the typical black history curriculum.

Dr. Simpson spoke about her experience and the impact it had on her when she was an undergradu-ate here at NC State. As the first black female to ever receive a degree in meteorology from NC State in 2000, and the only African American in her major, Dr. Simpson was no stranger to the feeling of being alone that many African American students face upon arrival.

“My self esteem was very low coming from my

home town. I was often the only black student in most of my classes, and I encountered racism when I got here, too,” Simpson said.

One of the instances she remembers most occurred during black history month.

“I would write African American history facts on a dry erase board on my door every day during black history month…and my RA, who was a white male, came to me and said his girlfriend, who lived in my suite, thought my board was offensive and he want-ed me to stop doing it. He told me it wasn’t white people’s fault that black people hadn’t contributed to science and math in this country,” said Simpson.

Clearly, this narrow view of our history can have a detrimental impact, not only on African American students but also on the perceptions of the communi-

ty at large. “Thomas Edison is credited with the in-

vention of the light bulb, but it was actually a black man who came up with the filament for the bulb…I learned that in fifth or sixth grade and that’s when I started to realize about race and the role that it plays,” said Wesley Coats, a junior studying computer science and the Vice President Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.

When black history is taught in schools, it is most often the case that the accomplish-ments that are focused on are limited to the ones that impacted the black community. In the fields of science, or mathematics, or anything outside of strictly ‘black’ culture, the information given is scarce or missing entirely. “It’s subconscious, but we’re over-coming messages that we haven’t contribut-ed much, especially in STEM,” said Simpson.

The limited scope of black history shown to students was the inspiration for a poem by William Stewart. The poem speaks on the sanitization of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but also shines light on the issue at hand with the last line, “I am the only black king in their history books.”

“Martin Luther King was the least threat-ening black leader they could think of. Mal-colm X’s ‘by any means necessary,’ you know, that’s scary to people who are comfortable in their own privilege,” said Stewart.

His poem, “In my name,” is a powerful example of how he decided to be part of the solution. Stewart was adamant that it was not his intention to diminish Dr. King’s legacy or the work he’s done in any way, but simply to acknowledge, simply put, “That’s not all there is to it.”

“I don’t want to speak for people whose experiences I can’t relate to,” Stewart said,” but I hope maybe I can inspire someone to use their voice, or show someone that they have a voice.”

My legacy has been whitewashedMy words bleached

Scrubbed clean by hands that have never known callousesOr what it’s like to work for someone else’s livingI am the only black king in their history books

Which makes me a weaponContorted from a man into the rifle that shot him

Placed in the same alabaster hands and gnarled Jim Crow fingersThat pulled the trigger

I was the least threatening black leader they could findSo they sewed my thread into their tattered tapestry

Scribbled out the ugly partsReplaced “black” with “diverse”

And pretended racism had endedIn my name

Condemned the Baltimore riotsIn my name

Created a “War of Northern Aggression”In my name

Murdered 12 year old childrenIn my name

Because my name is nothing but a name to themMy legacy nothing but a legacy

But it had to be meBecause I’m the only black King in their history books

-William Stewart

anahzsa jonescorrespondent

The only king in our history books: A critique on black history education

At the beginning of the semester Chancellor Wood-son released a letter on the NC State website titled “Strengthening Campus Unity.” This letter served as a welcome to students coming back from the winter break. Chancellor Woodson began the letter in typ-ical fashion pointing out that the university is better than ever and “experiencing unprecedented success.

He went on to say that NC State still has issues to overcome, saying, “In particular, we join campuses and communities across the country in an important national conversation about issues of race, religion, intolerance and discrimination — critical matters that in one way or another touch all of our lives.”

Woodson introduces seven initiatives designed to “advance diversity and inclusion at NC State”. These plans have the potential to have incredible influence, if they ever happen. The first initiative states that the chancellor and Provost Arden will work alongside several students, faculty and staff to get their rec-ommendations and hear about their experiences on campus.

Chancellor Woodson says that these meetings have already been scheduled and I hope that these groups take full advantage of this opportunity and truly voice

any concerns that they may have. I also hope that the students that he plans to meet with are a good representation of the needs that need to be met on our campus.

Another initiative discusses two programs that will be implemented by the Office of the Provost, the Emerging Scholar Program and the Senior Visiting Scholar Program. According to the letter these pro-grams are “an effort to attract African-American and other underrepresented faculty to NC State.” He also stated that the Council on Undergraduate Education is evaluating ways to ensure that diversity are parts of the NC State curricula.

While I certainly agree with our Chancellor that NC State is experiencing unprecedented success, this success is certainly not always applied across the board. Our university prides itself on its think and do attitude, yet far too often there has not been enough action taken place when addressing issues surround-ing race.

It is clear that Chancellor Woodson is aware of the issues pertaining to diversity on this campus. Yet, we all know that awareness is not enough in order to implement change; it is only the starting point.

Students have voiced concerns about the racial climate on campus for years. While this university continues to strive for academic excellence and a relevant space amongst our competitors Duke and Chapel Hill, our diversity initiatives often come across as ingenuine. While these efforts look great on paper, it would have been even better to have Chan-cellor Woodson address these plans in person at the Racial Climate Town Hall meeting.

Far too often marginalized students have carried the weight in addressing these issues, and honestly, it isn’t their job to do so. As students, our time here is short. While we may be able to start social move-ments within the four years that we spend here, it is hard to ensure that they continue after we are gone; this is where administration should help.

Chancellor Woodson and the administrators involved in these programs should be held account-able for making sure that these programs come into fruition. It will be nice to see their influence facilitate a healthier racial environment on campus.

chauncey bowdenStaff Writer

Chancellor Woodson presents new initiatives

AMANI MANNINGCORRESPONDENT

PMP OFFErs CANDY GRAM delivery

wednesday, february 10, 2016 | 8 opinion

This year, the Peer Mentor Program is of-fering to send Valentine’s Day candy grams to that special someone on your behalf.

PMP hosts a number of activities through-out the year to make sure that their members stay connected and involved with other men-tors and mentees.

Valentine’s Day often sneaks up on us, so the candy gram fundraiser has been created to help out those students who are low on funds, but still want to send a gift to that special someone. They also ask of faculty and staff to participate in spreading the love to their fellow employees.

Valentine’s Day is often assumed to be a day for couples, but in reality, the ability to love manifests itself in different relationships and PMP strongly encourages that we acknowl-edge those relationships with Candygrams.

“Who doesn't want flowers and some can-dy?! This event does pretty well and I doubt

this year will be any different. Hopefully, everyone receiving a candy gram will enjoy their wonderful gift this Valentine's Day!” said Nyla Ruiz, programming chair of PMP.

Regular orders are being taken until Friday, Feb. 12 at 2pm. You can place your order through email at [email protected] or in person in Talley room 4261 from 8-5pm. Prices include $1 per separate item: candy bag or flower and $2 for combo.

To place an order you will be required to know the first name, last name, and email ad-dress of the person of interest. Lastly, you will need to be prepared to write a one sentence statement to be included on the candy gram.

Orders will be shipped out the 12th, on account of the holiday being on Sunday this year. Deliveries to on campus locations are limited to Talley, Witherspoon, Central, and West Campus so get yours soon!

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM | Wednesday, march 16, 2016

A light at the endof the tunnel

diversity education week revisited

Letter from the Editor

wednesday, march 16, 2016 | 2

THIS ISSUE 3 LAMBDA PI CHI Latinx sorority makes NC State history.

3 AAPI HISTORY MONTHA preview of the upcoming events.

4 TUNNEL OF OPPRESSIONAn interactive learning experience.

5 DIVERSITY EDUCATION WEEK An interactive learning experience.

5 Q&A WITH NOLAN, STAFFORDHow the new SBP will support diversity.

6 WHITE PEOPLE ON CAMPUSDocumentary examines white privilege.

6 IMHOTEP ACADEMYProgram fights inequality in STEM.

7 CHANGING CONVERSATIONSDiversity in rhetoric and in practice.

7 WHAT DIVERSITY MEANS HEREMinority status on a white campus.





consciousness.




Hey guys,

As the primary elections have come to a close, we have a lot to reflect on as a campus and a community.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, Donald Trump won the Republican primary in our state. This is why now, more than ever, we need to both recognize and embrace the diversity on our campus.

Trump has unabashedly promoted intolerance, violence and hatred and many of us have been surprised by the amount of people who support this rhetoric.

As the country is rapidly becoming more tense and divided, we need to remember that we are one community, one pack, one family.

Diversity Education Week could not come at a better time as we are in serious need of a reminder that this situation is not just black and white.

We cannot afford to lose sight of how many different kinds of people exist in this country and this community. We have allies in our Asian, Latino and Native American peers and we all know that there is strength in numbers.

With both Diversity Education Week Revisited and American Asian Pacific Islander Month, we all have ample opportunity to learn about and interact with cultures other than our own. I wholeheartedly encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities.

We cannot understand each other without knowledge of each other and understanding one another is critical right now.

We should not allow public figures such as Trump (or rather Drumpf as John Oliver has so aptly named him) to use our differences as a weapon against us. So get out and learn some-thing new, it will be time well spent.

All the best, Jillian

cover photo: brandon Lang | photo correspondent

features wednesday, march 16, 2016 | 3

Anazsha jonescorrespondent

AAPI history Month Preview: Education, Inspiration awaits

nyna nickelsoncorrespondent

lambda pi chi first trans-inclusive sorority at NCsu

On March 14, NC State began cel-ebrating its first Asian American and Pacific Islander History Month. Asian Students In Alliance (ASIA) is hosting a series of events throughout the next four weeks in collaboration with other student groups focused on diversity and leadership.

These events serve to educate the NC State community on the history and culture of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by sparking conversation and awareness through festivities and pan-els designed to challenge stereotypes and more.

“My goal is to give people a better sense of who the Asian American, Pa-cific Islander community is on campus. Know that we’re here, know that were not what stereotypes in the media of-ten portray us as,” said Nina Ondona, a

junior studying mechanical engineer-ing, president of ASIA, and an officer in Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority.

National AAPI history month is actually celebrated in May, but because the spring semester will be over, ASIA decided to move it up on the calendar. It began last year as AAPI week in March, but due to the high volume of events and other student organizations wanting to participate, ASIA expanded it into the end of March and beginning of April.

This year, AAPI history month will contain events like Holi Festival and Viet Night on March 19, as well as panels like “More than Just a Stereo-type” on March 22 and Asian Men and Masculinity on March 29.

One of the events that has already passed was “Model Minority Myth

Busters.” A “model minority” is a minority group who is most often perceived as having a higher degree of success, whether that be socially, academically, or economically, than the average population. The panel focused on debunking this stereotype.

“It affects a lot more than just Asian Americans. It negatively affects other minority groups because it kind of says ‘oh Asian Americans are doing x, y, and z, why can’t African Ameri-cans do it, why can’t Hispanics do the same thing?’ It also negatively affects Asian Americans because it’s not true for everyone in our population,” said Ondona.

Just as there is a striking disparity between what is typically represented and what actually happened in the history of minorities such as African

Americans and Hispanics, the same can be said for Asian Americans.

“We have to look at diversity as a ho-listic picture, and not just as segments. A lot of it is kind of intertwined,” said Natalie Nguyen, assistant director of the GLBT center.

AAPI History Month has the poten-tial to be the start of a more inclusive, holistic view of diversity and what it means to be American, whether you be of African, Latino or Asian descent.

This month is giving students a rare opportunity to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and our individ-ual cultures.

“These student groups have done a lot with cultural nights and dance nights, a lot of food, fun and festival, and we’re now going to try to dig a little deeper,” said Nguyen.

When you think of a sorority what picture does your mind create? Perhaps an organization that values community outreach and philanthropy; maybe a group that consist of members who not only look like you but come from similar backgrounds.

Regardless the picture, the first word that pops up in the minds of most is sisterhood.

The hermanas (sisters) of the Rho Chapter of Lambda Pi Chi or Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad have taken sisterhood to new heights on our cam-pus by creating a space that promotes inclusivity and diversity. In partnership with the Assistant Director of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender (GLBT) Center at NC State, Natalie Nguyen, Lambda Pi Chi is the first NC State organization to be Trans-Inclusive and Chapter Safe.

“For me Chapter Safe was a very

good and welcoming experience...it was some-thing that I knew about but I did know the specifics. I feel like it was very eye opening and educational, especially now as our organization is welcoming anyone who identifies as a woman,” said Beatrice Paneto, secre-tary of Lambda Pi Chi.

Chapter Safe is the brainchild of Natalie Nguyen; it entails a certifica-tion process that is meant to break down barriers between populations and to help organizations to create safe spaces for all. Chapter Safe is a 2 hour

workshop that uses scenarios to help build awareness and openness.

“The whole rea-son why I created it [Chapter Safe] was I noticed there was a huge divide between the people who were GLBT identified versus those who were

in fraternity and sorority life. And what does it mean if there is someone already in fraternity and sorority life who identifies as GLBT or vice versa if there is someone who is GLBT who wants to be involved in fraternity and sorority life,” said Nguyen.

This is a huge step toward a more di-verse atmosphere within Greek life on campus and one that is more inclusive

of the NCSU transgender population. Lambda Pi Chi has opened its sister-hood to include all who identify as female. Lambda Pi Chi is not Latina exclusive, meaning that the organiza-tion is open to everyone and now has made the conscious choice to become Trans-inclusive and Chapter Safe.

Gabrielle Diaz, President of Lambda Pi Chi, said, “We decided that [this] was a great notion to make with today’s given society and how things have been changing just to become more inclusive...after this we decided to become Chapter Safe and Natalie was a great way to make that possible.”

“I’m hoping that us being the first sorority to become Trans-inclusive this will encourage other fraternities and sororities to follow the same path, but it is kind of hard because I know that with Interfraternity Council (IFC) with them having cont. on pg. 8

The hermanas of Lambda Pi Chi poses with Natalie Nguyen after completing chapter safe. photo courtesy of facebook

wednesday, march 16, 2016 | 4 news

NC State hosted its sixth annu-al “Tunnel of Oppression”

(TOO) on March 15 and 16.

The Tunnel of Oppression

began at Western

Illinois Univer-sity in 1994.

The pur-pose of the event is to give view-

ers a live ex-

perience of what

it means and how it

feels to be op-pressed. Through

educating and reflect-ing, members hope to use these per-formances to combat oppression.

Upon entering the doors of Coastal Ball-room in Tall-ey, onlookers are welcomed by a staff member.

The initial was a setup of four tables displaying examples of everyday privi-lege that some people benefit from. For every statement that you could agree with, you were asked to grab a paper clip as a representation of your privi-lege and link however many you had together.

By the end of this opening activity, many among the crowd were quite shocked at how quickly their paper clip chain of privilege grew.

The first oppression station fell upon two actors depicting a scene between a professor and a transgender student, Kevin, formerly known as Kayla.

The identity preference for this stu-dent, coming to confide in this pro-fessor during his ongoing battle with depression, left Kevin exiting the set with the final words from his professor “I hope you get the help that you need.”

“It was frustrating to watch because of the professors reactions,” said non-degree student student Sheila Rouse, who previously graduated from NC State with a psychology degree. Sheila, along with many other students

and faculty, were taken back by the harshness and unreceptiveness from a professor towards his or her student.

The second stage that was set was a scene depicting two students, Javier and Brian, moving into their dorms. This interaction allowed for audiences to get a look at the difficulties of immi-gration and citizenship as Brian tells Javier, the immigrant student, that he does not belong in this country.

“I think one of the big things that struck me with that scene, was that he [Brian] doesn’t even know who the person is,” said Graecie Vrchota a senior in social work with a minor in women and gender studies.

The third setting presented the au-dience with the oppression connected to rape culture. A female student was being reprimand-ed by her friend for reporting a fellow student of theirs for sexual assault. The young woman is told that her friends and other peers are also upset with her for doing this.

The said individual was simply a friend of the assailant, but chose to favor her oppressor .

“There are a lot of issues that con-tribute to rape culture. In this case it was a lot of hypermasculinity in his tone and action. But, I think the wom-an’s reaction could be more harmful

than the man’s. For somebody of your same identity and not understand and victim blaming shook me more,” said Darryl Johnson a junior studying me-chanical engineering.

The fourth and fifth situations pertained to topics that have taken the attention of many people, especially since the beginning of this presidential campaign: Islamophobia and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Many of these stereotypes are sys-temic, cultural, and institutional. This forms a wedge between those under these conditions and those who are not; the privileged.

But, at the end of every tunnel, there is always a ray of light.

This symbolic light referenced is the

Empowerment Room, where studnets were put into groups and forced to face their privilege and perhaps even more tasking, come face to face with other people’s oppression.

Through all of the darkness and oppression, the event shows how simply speaking to, understanding and interacting with one another can have amazing, even life-changing events.

benyame assefastaff writer

tunnel of oppression sheds light on issues of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation

Students look at juxtaposed examples of discrimination and activism. brandon Lang | photo correspondent

students and faculty write examples of stereotypes that they have heard. This was an interactive exercise to expose typical beliefs. brandon Lang | photo correspondent

news wednesday, march 16, 2016 | 5

Q&A with

nolan, stafford

Keilah davis correspondent

Q: One of the main sections of your platform was “Diver-

sity and Cultural Competence.” Explain what those words mean to

you.Paul Nolan: The difference between

diversity and inclusion is very significant. Diversity is having people of different

backgrounds all at the table, whereas in-clusion is making sure everyone is welcome

at that table. You can slice and dice diver-sity in a million different ways but it really

boils down to this: are we making sure that everyone here at NC State embraces [diversity] and is culturally competent enough to respect those individual differences? So part of our platform is making sure that the whole community is respectful and educating people on what is the best approach in dealing with people who are not like ourselves. Q: Why was it important for you to include diversity and cultural competence as one of your key campaign components?Brayndon Stafford: My biggest thing is that NC State [markets] this whole idea of diversity when they’re trying to get students to come in and trying to get donors. I didn’t really see those efforts come from the top down. NC State is minutely diverse compared to the way they express it to out-side people. Now students want to make sure that the diversity NC States [markets] and the people that are of diverse cultures are being appreciated and heard. Then in the future they won’t just say that NC State is diverse but they’ll actually make efforts to make NC State diverse. That’s why I thought it was a big component of our platform.

Q: Do you think it will be easy to implement your plans? Why or why not? Nolan: We made sure our platform was very well researched and thorough. We looked at 35

peer institutions to see what their student governments were doing well and how we can rep-licate that at NC State. I think it will slightly easier because we are well prepped for this. We

just need to make sure that we have great directors in the executive department because those are the people who are actually putting the initiatives into action.

Q: What were your thoughts on the Racial Climate Town Hall? Do you plan to have forums like this next year to include student voices in your initiatives?

Stafford: I definitely appreciated everyone who put in the work behind the scenes to make the event happen. Students were able to express themselves

not only to other students, but to faculty and staff as well. When we finally had a chance to express their feelings to administration, it was refresh-

ing because they could see that students aren’t just making things up. It’s a great opportunity to start making change. I think it’s some-

thing we definitely need to have whether it is another town hall or it takes a different form.

Student Body President Paul Nolan is a junior studying material science and engineering.

Student Body Vice President Brayn-don Stafford is a junior study-

ing environmental sci-ence.


What does diversity mean to you? What does it mean to have an inclu-sive community? Why is it important to consider these things?

Diversity education week is back for round two, but this time, the programs are for students, by students according to the Union Activi-ties Board Diversity Chair Kamrie Risku.

“This is a student initiative to be proactive in how we educate on diversity,” said Risku.

Revisiting the idea of diversity is important as it provides students time to reflect on their education and understanding of the subject. Important messages concerning tolerance and understanding are often lost over time.

“We needed to revisit diversity education week because of the insensitivity that occurred after the first diversity educa-tion week. For example, the BET vs. CMT party,” said Maya Davis, a freshman studying philosophy of law.

The events taking place between Monday, March 14 and Friday, March 18 were designed to offer students an array of interesting, interactive programs that will teach them what inclusivity and diversity really mean.

“We want to make sure we are able to convey the same message in a multitude of ways to reach as many people as possible,” said Risku.

Many of the events have been sponsored solely by student organizations while others are collaborative events with mul-tiple campus organizations contributing. The programs range from learning about discrimination, oppression and privilege to understanding Islam and Native American culture.

“It is essential to recognize the importance of having an inclusive campus for all students and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual,” according to the Union Activities Board.

There are a variety of structures to the programs as well. Some are lectures, some are panel conversations and some are a bit more such as the Tunnel of Oppression.

“[The response] we expect to get is a new understanding. We are not expecting complete 180s, but for the seed to be planted,” said Risku.

Whether you want to learn more about a different culture or get the op-portunity to reflect on your own, Diversity Education Week has something to offer you.

“Hopefully after this diversity education week, there will be at least a bit of change,” said Davis.

While our campus has exprerienced some very real racial tensions and issues, the important thing to keep in mind is that the only way we can move forward is through education, inclusion and understanding. That is the goal of Diversity Education Week Revisited and we should all try to gain something from it.

Diversity education week: Revisited for greater impact

student body president Paul nolan (left) poses with running mate brayndon stafford (right). Molly Donovan | Agromeck Editor-in-chief

wednesday, march 16, 2016 | 6 opinion

Threa almontaserstaff writer

elon pricecorrespondent

when “white people” came to campus

Imhotep Academy encourages Diversity in STEM

On Feb. 29, Campus Diver-sity Dialogue had a showing of the MTV documentary White People at Witherspoon

Student Center. This film follows jour-nalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Jose Antonio Vargas. He meets and talks to a group of white students and asks them what they think it means to be young and white living in America.

Vargas asked questions like “Are you being made to feel guilty because you’re white?” and “Are you having a problem with race on social media?”

“I’ve never addressed the issue on so-

cial media. I try to stay away from that. I don’t think I’m being made to feel guilty. There are bigger issues than this out there,” said Kayla Novello, a senior studying English.

Dena Schulze, a senior also studying English said “I don’t feel guilty either, but I think people mainly should try to be politically correct for all issues on social media.”

At first, it almost seemed like Var-gas’ quest was attempting to make white people look like the victims of an ever-growing and diverse America, but later in the documentary Vargas approaches a white female named Katie Scottsdale from Arizona who feels she isn’t finding any scholarships because she’s not qualified for affirmative action

or financial aid. Scottsdale mentions how those

scholarships are mainly for people of color or minorities. I almost thought “reverse racism” was about to come into play. Vargas exposes her belief along with many other common and bold responses white people usually have when told that they’re privileged.

He found a statistic that shows white people in actuality receive scholarships at a much higher and disproportion-ate rate compared to people of color. When he confronted Scottsdale with this information, she felt like she was being attacked and victimized.

Really, the film points out how peo-ple like Scottsdale are actually in the exact opposite situation.

Karina Gomez, a senior studying English, appears to be white on the outside through her skin color, how-ever, she is of Mexican descent. Before she converted to Islam and donned the Islamic headscarf, everyone presumed her to be white.

Karina said she never noticed the privileges she easily received until after she started to wear hijab, when it all suddenly vanished. Now to people’s eyes she wasn’t “white” anymore--she looked like an Arab or a terrorist.

The film “White People” highlighted minority struggles and addressed the notion that white people should have an understanding of this inequality and how they inadvertently benefit from it every single day.

If I were to show you two pictures, one of a middle- aged caucasian man with glasses and the other of a much younger African Amer-

ican woman with big, natural curly hair, who would you automatically assume to be the biochemist?

Perhaps, unsurprisingly, most people would answer that the white male is, as this is the image we are conditioned to associate with a professional scientist or engineer. Although their stories often go untold or are considered less important, African American scien-tists and engineers have contributed greatly to the fields of science, technol-ogy engineering and math (STEM).

Along with improper recognition, there is an overall lack of minorities in the STEM workforce.

According to the US Census Bureau, in 2011 African Americans made up 6 percent of the STEM workforce and this number is slowly declining. Why is this so?

Many people believe the answer lies within the African American youth and the education provided to them. African American students are still receiving unequal education. Whether it’s due to lack of resources or outright discrimination, something is not quite right.

This is something I wasn’t aware of until I began to really think about my future career path. I began to notice that many of the people in my desired field looked nothing like me, and it made me feel rather alone.

My mother did her best to ensure I didn’t feel this way by finding any information she could about black sci-entists and engineers, but still, it wasn’t quite enough.

Finally, she found a program that filled this void. With great enthusiasm, my mother enrolled me in Imhotep Academy.

Admittedly, in the beginning I wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of waking up at the butt crack of dawn every Saturday to endure more schooling. However, it soon became something I looked forward to every week.

Imhotep Academy is a program whose mission is to expose young minority students (African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and girls) to different aspects of STEM, but most importantly, it allows them to see that they can do so much more and

that there are a multitude of avenues they can take to make a real difference in the world.

“A lot of times in middle school or younger, students...see different careers...but they’re not really certain as to ‘what it is it like?’ and [that’s] something that evolves, and so it gives students a chance to explore,” says Di-rector of Imhotep and Kyran Academy, Dr. Pamela Gilchrist.

The program allows students to see how different careers can be related to each other and how an issue can be re-solved through different means. It also aims to prepare students for matricula-tion into college.

“I want them to see that there is this cross link or connection between ca-reers and they can be more thoughtful about what they want to do.” said Dr. Gilchrist. cont. on pg. 8

opinion wednesday, march 16, 2016 | 7

tiera georgecorrespondent

quianne’ holmesstaff writer

What diversity looks like at our university

More than a buzzword?

On any given day at North Carolina State University, you are bound to see hundreds of stu-dents hustling and bustling

through the campus. However, what you will not see on the NC State campus is a multitude of students of color. Sprinkled in for a dash of flavor like the cayenne pepper that you can’t use too much of, you’ll find the Black, Asian, Native American and Latino students.

Since coming into college, I have heard the word diversity 352,483,000 times. Diversity was pushed at every event, orientation, and sometimes discussed as a trigger word. Although I heard all this talk, I walked onto this campus seeing very few people who looked anything like me. I was in a sea of white students trying to find little pieces of home in every black body that I encountered.

“I believe NC State takes initiative to bring in a diverse set of students, but they don’t take that same initiative to make those students feel welcome or comfortable,” said Caleb Parker, a freshman studying architecture. This statement serves perfectly as an un-derlying theme throughout the black majority here at NC State.

In our American society, whites are seen as “the norm” and the more that a minority student differs from this “norm,” the more secluded they often feel.

According to Spelman Universi-ty Professor, Beverly Daniel Tatum, “Minorities, particularly blacks need to go through a process of establishing

and affirming their racial identity by securing a community free of negative stereotype.”

This alliance offers a necessary sup-port group, but on a campus made up of over 34,000 students with only 6.6 percent of them being African-Ameri-can leaves room for misunderstanding, microagressions, discrimination, mar-ginalization, and misrepresentation all in the name of education.

In response to Beverly Tatum’s quote, I agree that it is so refreshing to fel-lowship with other black souls on this campus who not only understand you, but can give you the support you need to carry on. I understand that I do not look like the majority nor do I want to, I am perfectly fine with embracing my blackness. However, the privilege of being understood more times than not is definitely one of the more underrat-ed privileges that white students are able to bring to the table.

“I personally think that we are a diverse campus, but because we are so diverse we tend to self-segregate,” said Vaani Kaur, a junior studying both Plant Biology and Horticulture.

This statement follows suit of the earlier quote by Parker in saying that although we we have somewhat of a diverse campus, we do not foster the needs of minority students by making the campus inclusive for all to get fa-miliar with students of other cultures, nationalities, and religions.

“We should have more opportunities for people to just mingle without a purpose and educate people on diverse issues,” said Kaur.

Again, this ties into the frustration that minority students are facing with majority students by not being knowl-edgeable culture or relations.

Growing up as a millennial there is a con-stant need for an ever changing language. New trends like, “on fleek, dab, and

#blackgirlmagic,” have taken everyday conversation by storm.

But what about the word diversity? This has become the buzzword of

North Carolina State University. There are so many entities at NC State that focus on promoting spaces and con-versations for diversity; however what does that really mean?

“I believe the term diversity has become a buzzword because people do not know what the word truly means. It is included in various statements, clubs, and events in regards to NC State but the lack of overall under-standing reflects a contradiction to the school’s principles,” said Alexis Greene, a senior studying psychology.

Do students actually understand the meaning of diversity and why there is so much emphasis placed on it? This is still to be determined.

Despite the uncertainty, there are students, faculty, and staff who create several avenues for audiences to be-come educated about diversity.

“Diversity has been an important topic of conversation on campus lately. It has played an important role in student government elections in the various improvements that candidates hoped to make the campus more inclusive and culturally competent. However, I do not think the university as a whole is completely aware of the issues involving diversity on campus,” said Kathleen Miller, a sophomore studying political science.

These efforts influence the rhetoric,

but not the necessary action from all parties and this is where the problem lies.

How can we not only have those who are in the “choir,” who know what diversity is, and have others who may not know join these conversations?

When exploring how much of a buzzword diversity has become, stu-dents provided their personal opinions on the word itself and its influence in various avenues.

“Diversity does not simply mean having individuals of different ethnic-ities and races on campus but being able to be inclusive to educating our-selves and others,” said Miller.

This shows the importance of un-derstanding how to go beyond using the terminology to sound culturally competent but actually making the necessary decisions to educate your-self and be willing to respectfully and accurately educate others.

From this, we must make sure we understand that having diversity as part of daily conversation is a huge step from where we have come but we have a long way to go in which all identities of diversity acknowledge and respectfully accept each other as one big Wolfpack!

“Where the concept of diversity should be bringing us together, in some ways it is splitting us apart be-cause of the lack of knowledge for its purpose,” said Greene.

It is important for students, faculty, staff, or anyone part of the Wolfpack to understand that we need to apply our “Think and Do” principle beyond sports and academics and create character within ourselves and our student body that reflects the utmost respect and acceptance for diversity in all aspects.

wednesday, march 16, 2016 | 8

Going to Imhotep gave me the ‘Aha!’ moment I was looking for. It showed me that not only can I do what I wanted to do but provided me with the tools to accom-plish my career goals. It was this determination that got me exactly where I am today, an African American female studying physics at NC State University.

Imhotep Academy is held in The Science House, locat-ed on NC State’s Centennial campus.

The program takes places 3 times during the year: fall, spring and summer. The fall and spring sessions meet on Saturdays and run from 7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m, with summer sessions running as two week long camp sessions. For more information about Imhotep or Kyran Academy, search them on Facebook or visit the website: thesciencehouse.org/k 12 students/imhotep-academy.php.

continued from pg. 3houses campus I don’t think that would be anytime soon,” said Diaz.

Lambda Pi Chi has made a notable stride in acknowl-edging NCSU’s transgender population and fostering a sisterhood that is accepting and welcoming. Though it would be difficult for many sororities and fraternities with on campus housing to implement Trans-inclusive policies, that does not mean that they cannot push to become Trans inclusive.

Now when you picture a sorority, imagine sisterhood that could exist by imple-menting a diverse and inclu-sive safe space for all.

continued from pg. 6

TITLE

North Carolina State University | RALEIGH, NC | Thenubianmessage.com | Wednesday, april 13, 2016

Reminding usof our roots:

Marc lamont hill

THIS ISSUE 4 WHY PAN-AF MATTERSWhat this week means to us.

5 BLACK TO OUR ROOTSCelebrating where we come from.

6 MARC LAMONT HILLQuestioning America’s promise.

7 CULTURAL HISTORYA lesson in black culture.

8 PAN-AF PAGEANTStudents compete for the crown.

9 BENEFIT CONCERTA showcase of local talent.

10 FASHION EXPOSEAATS flaunts design skill.

11 STEP SHOWNPHC hosts annual step show.

wednesday, april 13, 2016 | 2

cover photo by Brandon Lang | correspondent

FROM THE EDITORWEDNESDAY, april 13, 2016 | 3





consciousness.




Do you have an interest in joining a lively and culturally relevant publication? Are you

interested in writing, designing or doing photography for The

Nubian Message? Email us at nubian-editor@

ncsu.edu for more information!

Hey guys,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Pan-Afrikan Week and got out to some of the great events hosted by the Black Students Board, The African American Cultural Cernter, the National Pan-Hellenic Council and more. In this issue, we cover everything Pan-Af, so if you didn’t get a chance to make it to an event, read about it!

As the semester is wrapping up and exams are nearing, I wanted to take a moment to remind everyone of the supportive community surrounding them.

Pan-Afrikan Week is all about creating unity within our community and helping students recognize all of the peo-ple surrounding them that are there to help and support.

This is a great time to reflect and think about what you are going to do going forward.

Everyone gets stressed and maybe even a little bit crazy around this time of year, now more than ever, it is important to remember not only the campus resources you have available, but also the community you have available.

In light of the recent events surrounding Kehlani who was supposed to perform at the An-nual Pan-Afrikan Concert, I think that it is important for all of us to take a minute to evaluate ourselves and how we are doing. Like how we’re really doing, not the “hey how are you today,” “I’m fine,” how you’re doing.

In our community it can sometimes be difficult to have these conversations but they are defiinitely necessary. Somewhere in between the never ending mounds of homework, cul-turual events and opportunities to be an activist find some time to evaluate your mental well-being.

While you’re at it, reach out to the friend you haven’t heard from in a while and make sure they’re ok. We’re all swamped, we’re all exhausted and it may seem as though we’ve all got our eyes towards the light at the end of the tunnel but the tunnel is not narrow.

It allows space for you to bring others with you and that’s exactly what Pan-Afrikan week is all about. None of us are an island and it is imperative to remember that.

Much love, Jillian

wednesday, april 13, 2016 | 4 opinion

Pan-Afrikan week at NC State first began in 1970, making this year the 46th year anniversary of the event. It means many different things for many different peo-ple, but I’d argue that for most, it represents coming together and celebrating our history.

This years theme was “Rooted”. It is important that we stay firm in

our roots, remembering the peo-ple and words that have brought us this far.

As a black student at a PWI it is natural to feel left out. I often find myself envying my friends who chose to go to HBCUs.

Their football games are differ-

ent than the ones here at State. They don’t have to worry about the performer at the homecoming concert potentially being a coun-try singer that they’ve never heard of. They may never know the feeling of walking into class on the first day and praying to God that there’s another brown person in the room.

While Pan-Afrikan week is highly regarded for its social activities, that is certainly not all that it is worth. This week rep-resents a time of reflecting on the past, embracing the present, and looking to the future.

Pan-Africanism is “the idea that

peo-ples of African descent have common interests and should be unified.” (Britannica) Some of the goals associated with this idea were to bring about self-aware-ness, unity and celebrating one’s history. Today, those sames goals and aspirations are the driving force behind Pan-Afrikan Week here at State.

Tsharre Sanders, a senior studying psychology with minors in Africana Studies and Spanish, serves as the 2015-2016 Black Students Board (BSB) Chair. BSB is a programming committee of the Union Activities Board (UAB) and is responsible for some of the signature programming that brings the African-American community together; Pan-Afri-kan Week is one of those events.

“It brings together our com-munity and gives those of us that choose to participate an outlet to celebrate our culture and history,” Sanders said.

This week is not only for current students. Alumni often come back to participate in the festivities.

Seeing former students who

have not only been in my shoes, but have gone out into the world and suc-ceeded is far more inspiring than anyone may ever know. It is almost as if seeing them is a reminder that I can go on, that I can and will succeed.

Many noted speakers such as Sister Souljah and Hasoni Ima-robe have been featured during Pan-Afrikan week before. This year, Marc Lamont Hill spoke about “Fighting for Freedom in an Hour of Chaos.”

For me, Pan-Afrikan Week is my “black week of solace”. It’s my “black homecoming”. I get to see my people, my culture, and my history not only represented, but truly celebrated.

Pan-Afrikan week shows that we are here to stay and we will continue to be a strong, positive, and present force on this campus.

Chauncey Bowdenstaff writer

What Pan-Afrikan means to NC State

Trevor Jenkins busts a move while Ade Adesina, Tsharre Sanders and Yerson Padilla, a senior studying women and gender studies look on during the Pan Afrikan Pride event held on the Brickyard on wednesday, april 6. Sam Feldstein | Staff photographer

news wednesday, april 13, 2016 | 5

anahzsa jonescorrespondent

“BLACK TO OUR ROOTS” kicks off pan-Af

On April 2 the African Student Union kicked off Pan-Afrikan Week with their annual Africa Night. This year’s theme was “Black To Our Roots.”

The event was full of enter-tainment from East and West African cultures, including danc-ing, singing, and a fashion show, all to showcase and celebrate the heritage of the African American community.

“This show was all about not being ashamed of your dark skin and your African roots,” said Gift Coker, co-President of the Afri-can Student Union (ASU).

The night began with a con-glomerate poem performed by members of ASU that included part of the famous poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou. The poem served to underscore how we live in a society where black is synonymous with bad and to emphasize how important it is for our society to learn about African heritage.

Adaeze Egolum, the other co-pres-ident of ASU, was part of this per-formance and talked about the other major aspect of our particular campus society that makes events like this even more important.

“We go to a PWI, so often times we get forgotten, so this kind of Pan-Af-rikan week is just good to remind us where we came from,” Egolum said.

The host for the night was Nigerian comedian Mama Tobi, who enter-tained the crowd with jokes that also taught about familial Nigerian culture between performances. These perfor-mances included an appearance from the Mauta Brothers and the Botewa

Dance Team, a branch of ASU that focuses on blending modern and tra-ditional dancing styles of West Africa.

“When people think of African dancing, they think of a specific type,

like with drums…and it’s just import-ant to show people how African danc-ing has evolved beyond the traditional like, dancing around campfires and stuff,” said Mary Afuye, Chairperson of Botewa.

The dances were more than just to entertain and showcase culture however. For Coker, there was anoth-er purpose for having such accom-plished teams perform.

“People think that our people aren’t as skilled as some other people. A lot of our movements are free usually, but just to show that we can achieve technique. Anything we set our mind to we can do,” she said.

Entertaining as it was, the event

wasn’t all fun and games. There was also an emphasis on helping com-munities in Africa with two service programs, the first of which was Grow With Nigeria, a program that focus-

es on exposing Nigerian children to different careers in STEM concentra-tions.

Temini Ajayi, the one of the co-founders of Grow with Nigeria said “What made the difference for me was there were a few people who were willing to fight for me, to take a chance and show me opportunities, and that’s what got me where I am to-day. And that’s exactly what I’m trying to do.” To learn how to get involved, visit GrowWithNigeria.org.

The other program was Pearl Lead-ership Institute, and the President and founder, Tsegga Medhin was there to speak about the gender disparity, both in Africa and around the world, and

how her organization seeks to help. The Pearl Leadership Institute focuses on empowering women through edu-cation and building leadership skills. Their motto is, “Changing the fifty percent, one girl at a time.”

A large part of Medhin’s message was being connected, not just with our campus community, but with our culture, and the cultures of others. She saw the event as “a bridge builder and also an awareness campaign.”

There were many who seemed to enjoy the environment, comprised as it was of mainly African and African American people. Zaina Otieno, a member of the International Associa-tion at Meredith College attended the event. She makes it a point to visit all the African-centered events not only at their own school, but also here and at Duke.

To Otieno, these events serve to “…give international students a sense of belonging. Because coming here and seeing all the African people, black people and all the international people here, I think it’s just simply amazing.”

Landon Davis, a junior studying business, shared the same sentiment, but for different reasons. “Even though I am African American, I don’t really know my ancestry like that…so I think it’s really important to learn about different things like what kind of languages you hear, and different accents and dances,” he said.

Africa Night was more than just a cultural showcase. It was a call to action, a celebration and a reminder of who we are as a community.

As the co-presidents of ASU pro-claimed, “We are black, black to our roots.”

Botewa dance team performing a fusion of modern and traditional west african dances. photo courtesy of the african student union

wednesday, april 13, 2016 | 6 News

Marc Lamont Hill: An evaluation of America’s fundamental contradictionsBENYAME ASSEFASTAFF WRITER

On Monday, April 4, about 300 hundred students, faculty and staff stood together as Pan-Afrikan Week guest speaker Marc Lamont Hill takes the podium.

The esteemed Morhouse University professor spoke to NC State students on topics that were anxiously an-ticipated. The audience often seemed taken aback by the raw truths Hill had to speak on during this riveting speech.

Throughout the the event, Hill brought up ideas revolving around the notion to “not lift some, lift every,” refer-encing the unofficial National Black Anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Hill stated that too often, the voices of the minorities are overshadowed by one another and that as a community, we need to begin listening to one anoth-er.

According to Hill, there are often, “too many people talking and too lit-tle actually listening to one another.”

“Mistaking cacophony of noise for conversation” is where the contrast lie between the majority and the many minorities according to Hill. This was his slight reference to the Republican party, a group with which he has had plenty of interaction as a frequent guest on Fox News.

Despite individual partisan issues, it seems pertinent to see the connection amongst all of them, to unite these

causes and merge these individual ideologies with another to form a larger and more cognizant voice to be heard in a more unified manner.

Hill discussed issues that weren’t really seen as interwoven. This included topics such as the environ-ment and racism, the wealth disparity and America’s bolstering military culture. Hill’s comments regarding the environment and the well-being of the black community did not seem to cause a stir until he referenced the tragedy in Flint, Michigan.

As the murmurs and shuffling amongst the audience began, it be-

came apparent that these seemingly uncorrelated issues, did in fact have something to do with each other.

“For the most part, I had been educated about the wealth dispari-ty and military enlistment through some of my peers, but I never thought to correlation some environmental issues with the injustices that many African Americans face. The whole speech was a constant reminder that there’s so much to know and learn,” said Morgan Davis, a senior studying biological sciences.

The key, it seemed, to getting these smaller cries in unison and together involved action.

“Bravery” was a constant phrase ringing through the ballroom that

evening. “I had never been more excited

than Ferguson,” said Hill. The murder of Trayvon

Martin seemed to be the spark for the wave of black millenianl activism according to Hill. This was an event in which he saw young people “acting bravely.”

The simplest way to to act bravely, according to Hill, is simply by acting. To act bravely, with no analysis seemed like a bad way to approach an issue, but, over-analyz-ing a situation and not acting seemed to disturb Hill even more.

“It was time for us to act bravely..Darren Wil-son killed him [Trayvon Martin] for jaywalking...

We’re tired of getting killed,” said Hill.

“Hearing Hill’s remarks on acting bravely was something that many of us in the room needed to hear. I know I needed to hear it and I feel like he left us feeling empowered,” Davis said after the event.

Opening up for Dr. Hill, Dr. Blair Kelley spoke to the audience and made the remark, “It’s a lot to be a student. It’s hard to be a teacher. It’s hard to be an activist.” Somehow, he does a good job doing all three, while also being a notably great advertiser.

You can pre-order his book, “No-body: Casualties of America’s War on the Vulnerable,” to learn more.

Students, faculty and staff stand at the marc lamont hill lecture to join him in singing the “black national anthem.”Benyame assefa | staff photographer


A Brief lesson in cultural history

Benyame assefa | staff photographer

Throughout Marc Lamont Hill’s lecture on Mon-day, April 4, he made several political. economic, social, but most importantly historical references that stengthened his message. The Nubian Message has compiled a short summary of some of these refer-ences to ensure that students get the most out of Dr. Hill’s words. You can read about some of these things here, but in addition to this, as encouraged by Dr. Hill, get out and read! Explore the internet and your history, you never know what’s out there.

The Black National Anthem: “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” was was written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) and then set to music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954) in 1899. It was first performed in public in the John-sons’ hometown of Jacksonville, Florida as part of a celebration of Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12, 1900 by a choir of 500 schoolchildren at the segregat-ed Stanton School, where James Weldon Johnson was principal. Dr. Hill had the audience sing the song at the event to remind us of the unity and strength that has fueled the African-American community.

Phyllis Wheatly: (c. 1753 – December 5, 1784) Wheatly was the first African-American female poet to have work published in America. The publication of her work, “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral” (1773) brought her fame both in England and the American colonies even though she was discouraged from trying to have the work published and distributed. Dr. Hill referenced her work as an example of white Americans wrestling with “funda-mental contradictions” as Wheatly was encourgaed to read and write her poetry, but was discouraged from trying to publish and distribute the works.

David Walker’s appeal: (September 28, 1785-June 28, 1830) Born in Wilmington, North Caro-lina, Walker was an African American abolitionist whose pamphlet “Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World” (1829), urging slaves to fight for their freedom, was one of the most radical documents of the antislavery movement. Walker was considered a radical at the time and when he smuggled them into South Carolina, his life was threatened. After refus-ing to flee, Walker was killed, but his legacy remains. Dr. Hill referenced this work in relation to our need to read, educate ourselves and ultimately organize.


students showcase talents, skills at Pan-afrikan pageant


keilah daviscorrespondent

The 2016 Pan-Afrikan Pageant crowned Jordan Williams and Angel-ica Alston as Pan-Afrikan King and Queen on Tuesday, April 5.

The Pan-Afrikan Pageant is a Pan-Afrikan Week tradition where students showcase their talents and compete for the title of king or queen.

“It’s a cool thing to be part of some-thing like this. There’s a really rich history here. A lot of people have been Pan-African King so I’m pretty excited about it,” Williams said.

Jordan Williams, a sophomore studying communi-cation, and Angelica Alston, a senior study-ing fashion and textile management, received the highest scores from a panel of judges.

Nine contestants were featured in the pageant and displayed this year’s Pan-Afrikan Week theme: Rooted. Contestants introduced themselves,

shared their future plans, performed their talent, and articulated their opin-ions on big issues.

The show began with a group per-formance of an adapted poem entitled “Rooted.” Another major theme of the evening was sankofa, which means “it is not taboo to go back and fetch that which you have forgotten.”

“[Sankofa] was one thing that was drilled in us every single week. It’s

understanding your history and the things I think we easily forget when we get older when life hits us,” Williams said. “I think going back and fetch-ing [means] understanding what’s been done before you and how you can con-tinue to do that and how you can better it economically, politically, and socially. That’s

what it’s all about.”Contestant’s future aspirations

ranged from politics to entrepre-neurship. Williams said he desired to

become a journal-ist and bring integrity back to media. Alston said she want-ed to become a world re-nowned designer for all shapes and sizes.

Wil-liams won the crowd during the talent segment with his gui-tar and musical rendition of “Africa”.

Tori Vick, a freshman studying architecture said, “I liked it a lot. I’ve never gone before so I went in with an open mind. All the contestants were talented but my favorite part was [Jor-dan’s] singing.”

Alston showcased her fashion collec-tion entitled “Rooted Through Sanko-fa.” Models strut her designs on stage and Alston walked out last to explain why Pan-Afrikan Week was important to her.

“Pan-Afrikan Week is important for

the com-munity because we may be small in num-bers on campus, but we are definitely loud with our voice and loud with our presence. We put on events all the time to celebrate our cul-

ture not only for ourselves but to invite other people to celebrate our culture with us,” Alston said.

Other talents included drumming, spoken word and rap. The pageant is a representation of the black excellence that exists on our campus and in our community, giving students an oppor-tunity to show their best talents.

“It was such a cool process. When we were in the back, we all huddled up knowing that whoever won, we really didn’t care as long as we stayed friends. I believe that’s gonna happen,” Williams said.

angelica alston, a senior studying fashion textile and manage-ment discusses her plans for the future and her hopes to become a fashion designer. david rashidi | student involvement

Sophomore Jordan williams describes what he would like to do in his future. williams described his journalistic aspirations and hopes to change the industry. Marc jackson | Student involvement


2nd Annual Pan-Afrikan concert raises awareness for mental health, wellnessquianne holmesstaff writer

Pan Afrikan week serves as an opportunity to introduce students, faculty, and staff to the education, cel-ebration, and acknowledgement of the African culture and influence of the Diaspora in several different avenues.

Towards the end of the week, students look forward to the main event: the Pan Af Concert which last year hosted rapper BIG K.R.I.T. (King Remembered in Time).

This year, the Black Students Board (BSB) who works within the Union Activities Board (UAB) booked Gram-my-nominated artist Kehlani. Howev-er, Kehlani was unable to perform at the concert. This was presumably due to her recent visit to the hospital and the alleged suicide attempt.

The Black Students Board had to refund all patrons, however, BSB did not allow this cancellation to prevent them from creating an opportunity for other artists. They decided to host a benefit concert in place of Kelani’s act to raise money and awareness for mental health.

They opened up the opportunity to local and student artists to showcase their wonderful talents to the campus. The concert was free of charge and open to the public.

Tsharre Sanders, a senior in psy-chology and the 2015-2016 Chair for BSB said that “it was an impromptu decision to create the benefit concert because our headliners agent canceled all of her shows through May due to her suicide attempt. We wanted to

stand in solidarity with her the best we knew how with such limited time.”

Performers included: Matthew Wright, singer/dancer; J. Capri, rap-per; Anahzsa Jones, poet and Sonny Miles, singer. Each used their platform

to draw the audience’s attention to their message as well as entertain-ment. Amazingly enough, students from the crowd joined in with danc-ing and singing throughout the night and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

“At first I didn’t know how the vibe would be but once I got there it was a great turn out and I think everyone who came out enjoyed it,” said Mar-cus Zeigler, a senior studying textile technology.

Students that attended this ben-efit concert probably did not know

what to expect when going into it but quickly realized that it was a gathering of understanding and uplifting rather than a place for sorrow.

“I thought this Pan Af event was especially important to attend, in light

of how serious Kehlani’s situation is and how suicide has touched our NC State family more than once in the past few years,” said Janay Graham, a senior studying education.

Ultimately, Graham enjoyed her experience being able to observe the talents of others while supporting mental health awareness.

“It is a beautiful thing for the black community to continue to come together more each and every week showing threads of growth and strength within the community. Danc-

ing and socializing after the perfor-mances continued to show how we are rooted and how we enjoy each other’s company,” said Zeigler.

Graham highlighted her favorite moment of the concert by saying, “In one of Jordan’s songs the lyrics said something like “let love fix it,” and that really spoke to me. More than a few of us have been battling some really tough things this school year and although the song was dedicated to Kehlani, it reminded me personally of the loving black community we all have access to here at North Carolina State University.”

The benefit concert helped to re-mind students that there are mental health resources on campus that can help support and motivate you to be the most successful student on cam-pus mentally, physically, and emotion-ally.

“Although we may have wanted a Kehlani concert, we have to be selfless and understand that self-care and personal situations are important, even when you have celebrity sta-tus. I think the benefit concert was a great reaction on behalf of the Black Students Board, and I commend them for making the best of an unfortunate situation,” said Tyrek Shepard, a junior studying accounting.

In all, the Black Students Board was able to create an event that both promoted mental health awareness and also allowed students to use the platform to showcase their talents.

Jordan Williams, the 2016 Pan Afrikan Week King, performs a song with help from his back up singers at Talley Ballroom for the 2016 Pan Afrikan Week Benefit Concert.bryan murphy | Staff photographer

AATS 19th Annual Fashion Expose


nyna nickelsoncorrespondent

The 19th Annual Fashion Expose went big this year exceeding all the hopes and expectations of all who attended. The event is hostedd by The African American Textile Society.

The fashion show featured eighteen designers, half in the novice category and the other in the category of inter-mediate and beyond. The judges rated each design for construction, concept and runway presence.

This years theme: “Modern Model,” focused on simple and classic designs with a twist. The theme incorporated cohesive monochromatic details ac-companied with a refreshing take that only a younger generation of thinkers and designers could give.

The 19th Annual Fashion Expose was set up in the Talley Ballroom with approximately 200 people in atten-dance. The Talley Ballroom added a sophisticated flare to an already fabulous production.

The novice duo of Kaitlin Schrein-er and Lauren Rosenwinkel created the winning collection: Crash. Kait-lin Schreiner is majoring in fashion textile design with a concentration in textiles. Lauren Rosenwinkel is ma-joring in fashion textile design with a concentration in fashion design.

Schreiner, the designer of the textile prints, states “ they [the prints] were inspired by marble, ocean waves and shattered glass. That’s where the name

“Crash” came from. “I designed the silhouettes,” said

Rosenwinkel, “and since we had kind of busier textile patterns we wanted to go with simple silhouette.” The collec-tion focused on loose fits, deep v’s and cut-out shapes. The outfits combined cool grays and light pinks reminiscent of speckled granite.

After the competition the duo is concentrating on finishing out the semester strong and traveling during the summer.

In the intermediate and beyond category Jiayin Li took the win. Her collection included styles for both male and females. She incorporated graphic cartoon prints into modern

pieces like jumpsuits and chinos. “I am from China, so I am think-

ing about putting some variation of traditional elements into the modern styles,” says Li.

She comments that her patterns were very inspired by ancient Chinese books. Each of her designs featured an embroidered animal face.

“The animals on their backs are six of the twelve of animals found in the Chinese Zodiac,” says Li. Her mod-els brought attitude and grace to an already well-conceived line.

Li is a senior, who will be graduat-ing in the summer of 2016 and has plans to stay in the United States and search for a job.

All of the Intermediate & Beyond Designers stand on the stage during the naming of the winner of the African American Textile Society Fashion Expose, Thursday Evening, April 7, 2016. 1This was the 19th annual show and 18 designers participated in the show this year. pete huffman | Staff photographer


nphc step show brings pan-af week to a closE

With Pan-Afrikan week coming to a close, students, faculty, alumni, and parents gathered around as members of our National Pan-Hellenic Council graced the stage with some original stepping on Saturday, April 9 in the Talley Student Center Ballroom.

“The event delivered and surpassed my expectations, I was expecting for everyone just to step and that be the end of it, but the storylines, the host, the bridging of cultures, and the atmosphere made this somewhere I was really happy to be,” says Kendra Hairston, a sophomore majoring in accounting.

Comedian, actor, and one Kappa Alpha Psi’s very own, De-andre Corder, more commonly known as “Dukk” brought raw energy, enthusiasm, and plenty of jokes as he hosted the 46th Annual Pan-Afrikan Week step show.

From his jokes that highlighted the funniest stereotypes in Greek letter organizations to the intermission that had the crowd on their feet, Dukk managed to keep the audience engaged throughout the entirety of the show.

“We had Dukk host it, he’s a really cool guy. He was very professional, he was very funny and he knew what he was doing,” said Sharod Fenner, a

senior studying Technology, Engi-neering and Design Education and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Frater-nity, Inc. Fenner served as the step master for the show.

First to the stage was the Kappa Lambda Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Not only did they

bring their best ties and slacks, but they brought backflips, athleticism and some phenomenal stepping.

Following the high energy perfor-mance of the Omega’s were the sisters of the Mu Xi Chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Bringing intensity and mystery as they traveled through the journey of becoming a Zeta woman, they reached their final door of womanhood after highlighting the keys of service, scholarship, sister-hood and fraternity embrace.

The lively ivies of Alpha Kappa Al-pha Sorority Inc. then stole the show

with their Space Jam themed perfor-mance that sent the crowd wild as one of their own soared through the “sky” to find herself scoring the game winning shot that would ultimately lead them to a first place victory and a spot in everyone’s Snapchat story.

Last, but not least the crowd fol-lowed the rehabilitation of the men of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. as they searched for the real meaning behind their letters. Not only did they find their true purpose, but they also found a 1st place win in the Pan-Afrikan step show.

“It was very reward-ing that we were able to win it. It was confir-mation that hard work pays off,” said Fenner.

One of the judges, a man of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

and an alumni of North Carolina State University 2015, Kelly Darden says “It was great to come back and see the lasting legacy of the Greek organizations, it was very apparent that there was lot of work put into the performance which in return contributed to the precision and the overall success of the event.”

The Pan-Afrikan Step Show was definitely one for the books, ending the week to end on a high note. With the embrace and celebration of black culture, it is safe to say that those who came out enjoyed themselves.

omega psi phi

alpha KAPPA alpha

alpha PHI alpha

zeta phi beta

ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC. PERFORMS, DEMONSTRATING THE JOURNEY THEY GO ON TO FIND THE TRUE MENAING OF THEIR LETTERS. ALPHA PHI ALPHA TOOK FIRST PLACE AT THE SHOW. marc jackson | Student involvemenT

tierra georgecorrespondent

photos courtesy of marc jackson | Student involvement

Actress Laverne Cox visits N.C. State

TITLE

Oklahoma University fraternity chant video highlights millennial racism Jillian Smith | Staff Writer March 25, 2015 Sigma Alpha Epsilon, one of the largest fraternities in the United States, had to shut down its Oklahoma chapter on Sunday, March 15, because of a ninesecond video showing a bus full of brothers enthusiastically participating in a racist chant.

All of the participants are young white men, dressed formally, fist pumping as they vow that “there will never be a n***** in the SAE.” They also make a reference to lynching saying “you can hang him from a tree, but he’ll never sign with me,” revealing the deeprooted history of this fraternity.

SAE is the only national fraternity developed in the antebellum South. Many of its founding members fought in the Civil War defending the Confederate South and many lost their lives for the cause.

Those that survived went home to burned universities and destroyed chapters. For the next three decades, they rebuilt and strengthened the fraternity, even expanding to some Northern states. Over the years, they have earned many different nicknames, one of the earliest being “the singing fraternity.

”This particular ‘song’ has incited national outrage and has highlighted how many college campuses, supposed beacons of education and equality, are still experiencing serious racial issues.

“I was utterly disgusted by the chant and the nature in which it was being recited. I was also very disappointed to see that the president and the members of the chapter showed much enthusiasm while reciting the chant,” said Sharod Fenner, a senior in technology, engineering and design education and secretary of the Eta Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

The video is one of few tangible pieces of evidence of a much larger and persistent problem within America’s predominantly white fraternities. This is unfortunately a direct result of a Greek letter system established with harsh and, at the time, legal exclusionary practices. While times have changed, the lingering notes of systematic racism continue to pervade many parts of our society such as this one.

“As a black man I was not surprised to see this video. Racism and prejudice are still very prevalent in America, and I think this video is only a small representation of a larger problem,” said Alex Starnes, a senior and President of Sigma Phi Epsilon.


SAE has had experienced racerelated scandals in the past. In 2013, the Washington University chapter located in St. Louis was suspended after some of the pledges were told to yell racial slurs at a group of black students. Just last year at the University of Arizona, 15 SAE members broke into a historically Jewish fraternity located offcampus. They assaulted the members while yelling discriminatory comments at them.

The Clemson University’s SAE chapter was suspended in December 2014 after the fraternity hosted a “cripmas” party which encouraged students to dress up as gang members. In response to this event however, “Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity is establishing a groundbreaking fourpronged initiative to combat instances of racial discrimination and insensitivity among its members,” SAE Executive Director Blaine Ayers said in a statement on Wednesday.

After the release of the first video, a second emerged featuring the OU chapter’s 79yearold house mother. In this video, she says “n*****” seven times, apparently listening to Trinidad James’ “All Gold Everything” in the background.

“These beliefs do not come from thin air, which means the chapter, in some fashion, supports these misguided ideals,” said Starnes.

Only time will tell if a “diversity and education” program can break down the racism shrouding SAE membership, and if this event will be a lesson to other predominantly white fraternities.

“True brotherhood has no race, creed, or color. It is a comradery amongst individuals who share a common goal. It bothers me to think that the members of the chapter, and possibly the whole organization, feel that racism and discrimination is something they can agree upon and rejoice in song about,” said Fenner.

I Am Because We Are: Cultural festival celebrates black heritage Jillian Smith | Staff Writer Sep. 10, 2015 The annual African American Cultural Festival took place last weekend on Sept. 5th and 6th in downtown Raleigh. It sprawled across two blocks and featured a family village, an art gallery walk and numerous street vendors.

This was the sixth year of the festival, giving the AfricanAmerican community of Raleigh an opportunity to celebrate their heritage through various art forms including dance, music and spoken word.

“Events like this are very valuable,” said Joyce Stamps, a vendor at the festival who brought her personal collection of African American dolls to showcase.

Stamps views events such as these especially important for young people to attend. “Some of them don’t even know about themselves,” she said.

The festival featured a wide variety of stands and activities ensuring that there was something for everyone of every age to enjoy.

There were a variety of products available for purchase, including handmade soaps and oils, clothing, jewelry, artwork and of course, food. There were also many stands, such as Stamps’, that were there to display art collections and historical items.

Stamps travels the country giving people an opportunity to observe some of the developments and fashions throughout AfricanAmerican history and culture reflected in her dolls.

“There is an African proverb that says ‘I am because we are.’ This proverb celebrates coming together,” said AACF Board Member Grady Bussey.

Bussey said that in a time when we have fewer opportunities to gather and celebrate, this festival gives members of the Raleigh and Wake County communities a chance to fraternize and make new friends.

Along with the social good events such as these can encourage, there are also economic benefits for the community as historically African American businesses are featured and local companies get to show off their products.

In addition to booths, activities and food, the festival featured live music both days beginning at 1p.m. and going until the festival closed down at 10p.m.


Saturday night’s headliner was Arrested Development, a hip hop group that has a focus on awareness of social issues. The group received the NAACP Image Award in 1993 and the Soul Train music award. On Sunday night, Pennsylvania soulful gospel and R&B artist Avery Sunshine performed.

“Raleigh has a rich African American history,” Bussey said. This is a family oriented event that gives everyone a chance to learn something about their community as well as actively participate in it.

If you haven’t been before, consider attending next year’s festival. You might discover something about yourself that you never knew before.

“Barack to the Future” encourages civil activism Jillian Smith | EditorinChief Feb. 24, 2016 On Feb. 18, the Society of Afrikan American Culture brought students together to look back on Barack Obama’s presidency while also looking forward to the upcoming presidential elections.

The event was hosted by Malik Zeigler, a sophomore studying political science, Malik Hines, also a sophomore studying political science and Cecile Sadler, a sophomore studying computer engineering. The three students and executive board members of SAAC came up with the idea to honor President Obama and inform students on the upcoming elections at a general meeting a few weeks ago.

The event began with a quick biography of Barack Obama and what he accomplished during his presidency. There was an even balance of platform promises kept and platform promises broken that showed what President Obama has accomplished over the past seven years.

“We wanted to make sure that it was balanced,” said Zeigler. Hines added that they wanted the section of the presentation on Obama to be as nonpartisan as possible.

“Effort makes them effective,” said Hines.

The next portion of the event focused on the voting process, revealing many little known facts about primaries, caucuses, the electoral college and winnertakeall states. These were parts of the voting system that many students either do not know about, or they do not understand how it works.

“I remember in my American government class, Dr. Michael Cobb did a Pack Poll asking students if they could still register to vote in Talley, and a lot of the kids still didn’t know that you couldn’t. I think NC State students are informed, but they aren’t informed in the right ways,” said Zeigler.

Sadler also believes that there are not enough events like this on campus for student to become properly informed. That is why this was so important for SAAC. It was a way to teach students information that they might only learn in a political science class in a fun, informal setting.

“As an engineering major who knows not minimal, but barely anything about how politics work, I thought there have to be more people like me who need to know this information,” said Sadler.

http://www.thenubianmessage.com/2016/02/24/barack-to-the-future-encourages-civil-activism/

Zeigler reviewed the candidates for the 2016 presidential election after Hines talked about Obama, revealing some of the platforms and ideals of these candidates that have not been as widely discussed in the media.

The entire room was then invited to play Kahoot!, an interactive game that students connected to through their phones. They were asked questions pertaining to statements made by various presidential candidates.

“I thought it was necessary to get a look at the real views of the candidates rather than what the media says,” said Zeigler.

Lastly, students graded a survey that they were given at the start of the event that showed how liberal or conservative their personal views were. This survey was used as a way to show attendees that they can have a wide variety of opinions that fall in different places on the political spectrum.

“We wanted to get people to think outside of the box of democratic versus republican or liberal versus conservative. Your views can askew from everyone’s in the room even if you have similar political views,” Hines said.

At the end of the event, students had the opportunity to register to vote with the organization.This ws an important and wellemphasized point of the presentation: get out and vote.

“Whether or not people consciously learned something, it got their brains thinking,” said Sadler.

The main message Zeigler, Hines and Sadler wanted to express to students is the importance of doing research and making an educated contribution to society. As we say farewell to our first Black president, we do not want to see the hope he has given the Black community fade.

Suffrage is something our people fought for not too long ago, now it is our duty to take advantage of that right to shape our own futures and change the face of this nation.

#BlackLivesMatter QTPOC Coalition holds rally in protest of House Bill 2 Jillian Smith | EditorinChief Mar. 25, 2016 As the sun set on downtown Raleigh yesterday, protesters surged into the street in front of Governor Pat McCrory’s home to express their frustration and disappointment concerning House Bill 2.

McCrory signed the bill late Wednesday night after the General Assembly had a special session to . This was “reactionary,” according to Nicholas Casale, a junior studying electrical engineering that attended the rally.

He believes they only did this in response to Charlotte’s antidiscrimination ordinance that was supposed to go into effect on April 1. This ordinance would have expanded protection for the treatment of individuals at hotels and restaurants based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“The Charlotte bill is antidiscrimination and this is just pure discrimination,” said Casale.

McCrory said the ordinance “defied common sense, allowing men to use women’s bathroom and locker room for instance. That’s why I signed bipartisan bill to stop it,” on his Twitter account Wednesday night.

The new legislation, the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, is a statewide policy that makes it illegal for anyone to use a public bathroom that does not correspond to their biological sex. The bill also allows local nondiscrimination laws to be passed to the state government, but it notes that state laws preempt any local ordinances.

Quasima Wideman, a former NC State student and the main organizer of the rally said the #BlackLivesMatter and Queer People of Color Coalition felt their voices were not being heard. This was especially true for those that attended the bill signing on Wednesday.

Wideman said the only person of color that was allowed to speak was a “very homophobic and transphobic” black pastor.

“These people in power are not here for us. They don’t believe our lives have value,” said Wideman.

The rally began at 5:45 p.m. It was fairly quiet at the start as Wideman read the Coalition’s statement and reasons for holding the event.

One major reason they held the event was to commemorate the suicide of Charlotte trans teen and activist Blake Brockington. Brockington was the first trans homecoming king in a North Carolina high school. This was the oneyear anniversary of his death.

His suicide has been one of six reported so far this year, drawing attention to the isolation and marginalization felt by trans individuals nationwide.

“This is not about just a bathroom,” said Eva Panjwani, another organizer of the event that lives in Durham and works with the statewide Queer and Trans People of Color Coalition.

Yerson Padilla, a senior studying women’s and gender studies, also came to the rally to show support for the gender and trans community in and around NC State.

“Seeing the amount of support and the public shaming that he’s [McCrory] getting is great,” Padilla said. Almost on cue, the crowd began chanting “shame on you.”

While this bill has already been signed, the queer and transgender community has not given up hope that the state will realize the negative effects that this bill will have on queer and transgender lives, especially youth.

New app made by NC State engineers allows students to debate, rate Jillian Smith | EditorinChief Apr. 27, 2016 Everyone likes to argue. Whether it’s about which colors a dress is or which candidate should be president, young people, especially on a college campus, love debates. Now, there’s an app that you can use to bring your debate to a wider audience. Yaheard is a competitive arguing app designed by five NC State students that allows other users to rate the argument and determine a winner. “You basically make a statement, people can agree or disagree, and also they have the option to argue with you,” said Robert Dates, a 2015 NC State graduate now and a CEO/developer of Yaheard, LLC. “That is a oneonone argument that’s displayed to everyone, but no one knows who the opposing person in the argument is until it’s finished,” In this sense, the app allows for a level of anonymity until the argument is actually over. “That reveal, when you figure out who you’re arguing with,” is Dates’ favorite part of the app, he said. “Early on it was just us five on the app so you knew, but now as the app is growing you just don’t know who you’re arguing with so it’s interesting,” said Dates. The idea for the app came from CEO and developer Josh Puente, a senior studying electrical engineering. While watching the ESPN show First Take, a show where hosts debate issues in sports, Puente got the idea to bring arguments like these to your cell phone. “He drew out everything and called us all together one night and we all met up. He told us the idea and we all thought it was genius so we just ran with it,” said Marcus Spruill, director of communications, software consultant and a senior studying business administration. Spruill, along with CMO DomiNick Downing, a junior studying social work handle the promotional and marketing side of the app’s business. They can often be spotted on campus, handing out fliers, hanging signs and talking to people about the features of the app. “When you say it’s an app and when you say it was created by a couple of NC State students, they want to know more about it,” Spruill said. Creating this app was no short process, taking about 15 months from start to finish according to Dates. They were working on this venture in the midst of school, internships and fulltime jobs,

so the process was somewhat lengthened by that. The other issue that slowed them down was code bugs. “When you’re writing the code you think it’s going to run perfect and then, no, you just encounter these major obstacles, these bugs and you don’t know what it is and then you have to start the whole process of debugging,” said Dates. The guys also had to go through the process of becoming an LLC, a limited liability corporation. They had to submit legal documents and become a legitimate business before they could register their app with the Apple store. “It got rejected, what, three times?” Spruill said. “But we just kept at it,” Dates finished. After making a series of changes, the app was finally accepted. They have even put out an update, Yaheard 2.2, with even more new improvements. Since its March 8 release, the app has garnered 1,600 downloads and about 1,300 active users, according to Jeremiah Ufot, software engineer and a senior studying agricultural and environmental technology. No one knows how far the app will go, but the group of guys illustrate the amazing potential of the NC State community.

jillian r smith portfolio

News & Politics