March 2006 - Benedict College

BENEDICT COLLEGE
TIGER NEWS
COLUMBIA, SC VOLUME 81 NUMBER 4
CHECK OUT TIGER NEWS ONLINE
AT WWW.BENEDICT.EDU
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THEN TIGER NEWS
IN THIS ISSUE
Campus News
2 – Pepsi makes major donation
to the college
2 – Scholar poet Kwame Dawes
offers words of wisdom
2 – HIV/AIDS educator
Stephanie Williams brings
awareness
3 – Distinguished teleconference
guests discuss major issues
3 – News & Notes
4 – Afro-Puerto Rican journalist
connects with black media
4 – CDCU celebrated Black
History Month
4 – Students go to HBCU
newspaper conference
Features
5 – A personal journey with HIV
survivor
5 – Love Notes: Don’t just give
chocolates, be creative
Editorials & Opinions
7 – Remembrances of Mrs. King
7 – Is Black History Month a
necessity?
7 – Tiger Poll: Should we celebrate blackness or not?
Reflections
8 – Ms. Hendrix meets Mrs. King
8 – Never give up
8 – Poetry Corner
Arts & Culture
9 – Dr. High shares his life
9 – Renowned sculptor’s works
at gallery
9 – Art faculty showcase
10 – Harambee was a jam
10 – Review: Bob Dylan’s
Gospel DVD
Sports
12 – Basketball teams pumped
up for conference
12 – Track team makes headway
12 – ‘Old timers’ return for special recognition
WWW.BENEDICT.EDU
MARCH 2006
Campus and the world mourns the
passing of Mrs. Coretta Scott King
BY STAFF WRITERS
NADIA J. MUHAMMAD,
T.J. HUNTER, AND
JIMMIE EDWARDS
Brief Notes on
Mrs. King’s Life
T
he recent passing of the ‘first
lady of the Civil Rights
Movement’ Coretta Scott
King came as a shock to many
Benedict students, faculty and staff
as well as people from around the
world.
An outpouring of sentiments was
expressed by many here over the
loss they felt for Mrs. King, a
woman who came to symbolize the
teamwork and unity of those who
worked long and hard to fulfil the
dream of the Movement.
Here are some of their sentiments:
S. Malik Whitaker, J.D., Leadership Development Coordinator,
TRiO Programs, Benedict College:
“I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing this morning as I thought about
what we lost today....beautiful,
strong, a stoic leader, charming, a
model of womanhood and
grace...Coretta Scott King......As a
33-year-old, I was not there for the
Civil Rights Movement of the 60’s,
but I was made to understand the
debt that I owed. She was a living
icon. She was my connection to
Malcolm, Martin, and the Movement. She was the mother that
watched over her children as we
sought to make our way in this
harsh and crazy world.
She was that rock that stood by
her man and her movement. She is
what I will raise my daughter to be
— morally courageous, dignified,
a front line soldier for freedom and
(File photo)
Mrs. Coretta Scott King, who passed away at the start of Black History
Month, will long live in the hearts of many.
justice.
Theater professor Dr. Charles
Brooks: “On the morning of Mrs.
King’s passing I had woken early
to check the weather report, and as
I listened to it, I heard that she had
passed. I mourned immediately. I
did not mourn for her death, but
instead for her life because along
with Dr. King, she represented the
end of an era. Unlike today’s generation that is seemingly unaware,
and do not participate, hers was a
struggle for first class citizenship
for all.”
Continued on page 6
• Wife of the late civil rights leader
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., she died
in her sleep at age 78.
• Her funeral drew movers and shakers from across the country and the
world. Attendees included President
George Bush and former Presidents
Bill Clinton and George Bush Sr.
More than 10,000 mourners came
to the service.
• She was a supportive lieutenant to
her husband during the most dangerous and tumultuous days of the
Civil Rights Movement. After his
assassination in 1968, she carried
on his work while also raising four
children.
• She was determined to carry on the
work of her late husband. She was
introduced to Dr. King while studying voice at the New England Conservatory of Music. She married the
young minister 18 months later in
1953.
• Over the years, she stood by her
husband in his finest hours. The
couple helped lead the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott that Rosa Parks
set in motion when she refused to
give up her seat on a segregated bus.
• She was by his side as he received
the Noble Peace Prize in 1964. She
marched beside him from Selma to
Montgomery, Ala. in 1965 for voting
rights.
• She established the King Center for
Non-Violent Social Change in Atlanta,
Ga., which has helped to keep the
memory of her husband alive and to
preserve some of his finest speeches and works. She worked tirelessly for and succeeded in establishing
Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a
national holiday.
College officials express mild satisfaction with Spring enrollment
BY JEREMIAH M. COLSON
STAFF WRITER
A
lthough Benedict’s enrollment figures for this Spring
semester were down slightly from last year this time, the number of new students was up compared to students in the same
category last Spring, according to
college officials.
Ups and downs in student enroll-
ment are nothing new; however,
officials said they were pleased if
not entirely satisfied with the numbers.
According to Benedict’s official
enrollment file, the overall number
of students enrolled was expected
to settle at about 2400 for this
Spring, lower than it was in Spring
2005. The head count then was
2508 and the number of new students was 307, but as of early Feb-
ruary, the number of new students
was nearly 320.
Benedict’s Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness Gary E.
Knight said the enrollment numbers
were not without merit.
“Keep in mind we have had two
graduations since last Spring and
the total number of new students has
gone up compared to last Spring.”
Knight also attributed a portion of
the decrease to a slow economy.
Asked what were the advantages
of having higher enrollment numbers, Knight said, “The more students the college has, the more
income it will have. The higher its
income, the more flexibility it has
in its budget.”
He extended thanks to all faculty,
staff, administrators, and students
who played their part in getting the
enrollment figures to where they are
now.
Broadband conference on campus
Swinton outlines Benedict’s role in community development
Photo by Tawain Kelly
Gov. Mark Sanford addressed the
recent Broadband Technology
conference on campus.
President Swinton addressed a major technology conference on campus in late February. He outlined Benedict’s role in the development of the community surrounding the college and its involvement in helping to
save the the only African American founded bank in the state.
Conferees touched on a variety of issues including the necessity of depressed and minority communities and
towns getting in on the ground level of such new technologies such as broadband.
Tiger News will have more on the conference in next month’s issue. Gov. Mark Sanford was also among
those addressing the gathering, which was sponsored by the college’s Division of Community Development
and the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Photo by Jeremiah Colson
Knight at work in his office.
“The more students a
college has, the more
income it will have. The
higher its income, the
more flexibility it has in
its budget.”
Gary Knight,
Vice President of
Institutional Effectiveness
Page 2
C AMPUS N EWS
MARCH 2006
BC TIGER NEWS
Scholar-Poet Kwame Dawes stresses
empathy for the less fortunate
“Empathy allows us to
feel what another is
feeling. It causes us to
move into action.”
Kwame Dawes
Photo by Floyd Ingram
Scholar poet Kwame Dawes says
having empathy can be the key to
helping others.
BY STEPHANIE JONES
STAFF WRITER
I
f you missed this year’s Dr.
Martin Luther King Day celebration assembly, then you
missed an extraordinary event.
On January 17th, in Antisdel
Chapel, the Benedict College family had the pleasure of
being entertained and
enlightened by the Benedict College Gospel
Choir, a rendition of Dr.
King’s “Letter from a
Birmingham Jail” performed by theater professor Charles Brooks,
and a speech given by
guest speaker Dr.
Kwame Dawes.
Dawes, born in Ghana
in 1962, is an award
winning poet, scholar,
and writer and University of South Carolina
English
professor.
Dawes has published
nine collections of poetry, one of which won the
Forward Poetry Prize of
the United Kingdom. He
has also edited two
major anthologies, a collection of short stories
and poems, and two critical studies on reggae
music.
In addition to his literary, scholarly, and professorship work, Dawes
was recently named
founding director of the
University of South Carolina Art Institute. He is
also founder of the South
Carolina Poetry Initiative.
Dawes was presented to the college by Assistant Dean of the
School of Humanities, Arts and
Social Sciences Dr. Gwenda Green,
a former student of his.
She shared a nostalgic story of her
graduate school days in one of
Dawes’classes. After her presentation, Dawes gave a speech that was
both thought provoking and amusing. His speech was centered on the
human imagination, empathy, and
the importance of the arts.
Dawes stated that “having an
imagination is what helps people to
get by day to day. If you can not see
past what is going on in your life
today, then you will be lost.”
Dawes also stated that if you want
your dreams to come true, you must
possess both an imagination and a
plan.
He also touched on the importance
of empathy in everyone’s life. He
said the late civil rights leader Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. possessed
empathy which allowed him to
bring great compassion and understanding to his work.
“Empathy is one of the most
important feelings that humans can
have,” said Dawes. “Empathy
allows us to feel what another is
feeling. It causes us to move into
action.”
Dawes commented that he
believes that by participating in the
arts as well as reading literature,
people can both educate themselves
as well as strengthen their empathy
for other humans.
He opened and closed his short
but powerful speech with a very
interesting poem that reads, “When
God created the black child, he was
just showing off.” Then he asked
the question “Now that the child is
grown, is he still showing off?”
According to Dawes, the poem
means that African Americans are
capable of accomplishing anything
they want, but oftentimes they stifle their own abilities with their lack
of imagination and lack of empathy for others.
He seemed to encourage the audience members at Benedict to use
their imaginations and empathy for
others to help them to become the
successful people they were created to be.
Pepsi Bottling Group donates
$100,000 for Benedict’s stadium
BY JEREMIAH COLSON
STAFF WRITER
P
epsi Cola Bottling Group
and Benedict College officials held a press conference in February to announce a
$100,000 gift from Pepsi to the
college.
Pepsi General Manager Bob
Marshall and Benedict President
David H. Swinton shook hands as
Marshall gave Swinton the check
at a press conference held in the
David H. Swinton Center.
The money will go towards the
building of Benedict’s new stadium, now under construction. The
total cost of the stadium is estimated to be $12 million.
The gift was part of a $700,000
commitment by Pepsi to Benedict
that will be spread out over the
next 10 years. In return, Pepsi will
continue to be the beverage of
choice on campus and at the new
facility.
In an interview with Benedict
Director of the Public Relations
Kymm Hunter after the press conference, Hunter said the college
Photo by Jeremiah Colson
Pepsi Cola General Manager Bob Marshall hands over a generous check
for $100,000 to President Swinton at a recent press conference.
will be trying to get more sponsors. They are targeting some
leading companies.
Hunter expects that the stadium
will “pay for itself” through sponsors and ticket sales.
The construction of the stadium
has led to some major improvements along several blocks of Two
Notch Road where near the sta-
dium will be located. The
improvements are expected to
have a major impact on neighboring communities and adjacent
streets and will probably bring in
additional businesses along the
corridor.
The stadium is scheduled to
open in Fall 2006.
Photos courtesy Service Learning Department
Some of the student Service Learning Peer Health Educators participate in
Project COOL (Community Opportunities for Ongoing Learning) and distribute literature on AIDS and HIV awareness.
AIDS educator shares
dangers about the disease
and calls for awareness
BY KOREN MERCHANT
STAFF WRITER
A
IDS should be very important to African Americans
in South Carolina. Not only
does the state rank ninth in the
nation in the number of people
infected with the HIV virus, but the
city of Columbia leads in the number of newly infected women who
are HIV positive, the virus that
HIV virus.
“We don’t have to be that statistic. You don’t have to be infected,”
she said. “Do whatever it takes not
to become infected with the virus.”
Williams, who has visited several other colleges in the state, said
she will continue to spread awareness of the dangers of the disease
and how risky behavior can lead to
fatal consequences, especially
among African Americans.
“We don’t have to be that
statistic. You don’t have to be
infected. Do whatever it
takes not to become infected
with the virus.”
Stephanie Williams
could lead to full blown AIDS.
These and other startling statistics
were presented in an assembly on
campus in February in which guest
speaker Stephanie Williams, an
AIDS/HIV educator, shared her personal experiences with the disease
and its aftermath. She also called
for young people to take caution
and be aware of actions that could
lead to disastrous conclusions.
The program was sponsored by
Benedict’s Service Learning
Department, directed by Tondaleya
Jackson. The department has also
initiated a program called Project
Cool, a campus and community
directed effort to increase the
awareness of AIDS and other dire
illnesses, especially in African
American communities.
Williams told the audience of
about 300 students, faculty and staff
that “it’s time for a change. The disease is prevalent because of the transit population in the state of South
Carolina. The risk among young
adults is very high.”
Williams was brought to the campus as part of a “Walk for Cure”
assembly through the Service
Learning Department. Jackson said
she hoped the campus wide effort
would help close the gap in health
disparities within the African American community.
She also shared statistics based on
studies by the Centers for Disease
Control in Atlanta that show that
one out of four children in America will become infected with the
Williams’remarks seemed to really hit home when she explained her
own story with AIDS. She said she
was infected with the HIV virus in
September 1991 by a young man
who did not inform her he was HIV
positive.
“What’s sad is that I’ve been
doing this for 10 years (speaking to
people about the dangers of AIDS),
and still the same number of people are infected every year,”
Williams said.
Young adults must educate themselves on all sexually transmitted
diseases, she insisted. “Use condoms, practice abstinence, and even
talk to friends and family about the
issue.”
“There is still much to be done.
The main thing to do now is to educate the community at large.
Assume everybody has something,
and please use precautions,”
Williams told the assembly, held in
Antisdel Chapel.
“It’s time for a change,” she kept
repeating. “We’ve been walking
and doing these assemblies, but the
numbers are still the same.”
LaToya Davis, a sophomore business major, said Williams’ remarks
were uplifting. “She is a strong
woman trying to help educate
everyone. Everyone should follow
her advice and practice safe sex.”
Anyone desiring more information can contact Williams at the S.C.
African American HIV/AIDS
Council (SCAAHAC) at 803 -2546644.
C AMPUS N EWS
BC TIGER NEWS
MARCH 2006
Celebrating a proud African American heritage
Benedict hosts 19th annual Black History Teleconference
BY JUSTIN “JUZ” COOPER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
B
enedict College hosted its
19th annual Black History
Teleconference in February,
as the crescendo to a week filled with
various symposiums throughout the
college campus.
The centralized theme promoted
at the teleconference, “The Struggle
Continues…Celebrating Community: A Tribute To Black Fraternal,
Social, and Civic Institutions,”
served as the springboard for lectures and debates by the distinguished guests, many of whom promoted their ideologies of the
importance that historically black
colleges and universities hold for
them personally and to society in
general.
Dr. Marianna White Davis, executive director of the teleconference
and special assistant to President
David Swinton, stated in the teleconference notes/program, “How
can any educated or uneducated
Photos by Tawain Kelly
Distinguished guests and panelists, including Dr. Swinton and Teleconference director Dr. Marianna Davis, posed
for a group picture.
Black American say – ‘We do not
need Black Colleges.’ – Look at
Howard, Fisk, Benedict, Spellman,
Morehouse, Bennett, Hampton,
Claflin, Lincoln, and Allen…these
are examples of the private colleges
that have made a difference in all of
our lives.”
Photos by Tawain Kelly
Teleconference guests greet each other, while Tiger News reporters
interview Attorney Douglas Brackett.
Prior to the teleconference, six
workshops were held in the Swinton Center simultaneously. The
workshops began with New York
attorney Douglas Brackett and
closed with veterinarian Dr. John
Hardy addressing the faculty, staff,
and students.
Prominent guest speakers on the
teleconference included: ABC News
Director and Benedict College alumnus Atty. Douglas Brackett of New
York, N.Y.; architect Oscar L. Harris of Atlanta, Ga.; educational consultant Dr. Willie J. Kimmons of
Daytona, Fla.; veterinarian Dr. John
Hardy of Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.;
Irene McCollom of Orangeburg,
South Atlantic Director of Alpha
Kappa Alpha, Sorority Inc.; Donald
Rozier, owner of food franchises
from Stamford, Conn.; and attorney/CPADonna B. Coaxum of Hayward, Calif.
After the various workshops with
the guests concluded, the program
shifted to Antisdel Chapel for a plenary session. With nearly 100 students and faculty members being
ushered by members of the Phi Beta
Sigma fraternity, the program included music by local high schools, Eau
Claire trombone choir and the
Keenan High string orchestra.
In her remarks, AKA South
Atlantic Director McCollum, stated,
“In life we are carpenters. Life is a
do it yourself project…with high
ideals and high expectations.” Supported by the sentiment of celebrating community distinguished guest,
Harris cited the well known saying,
“It takes a community to raise a
child.”
The telecast was a joint production
of Benedict College, along with
South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV), in association with
The Public Broadcasting System
(PBS).
PAGE 3
Notes from the
conference
BY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ASHLEY TILLMAN
Hosted by Dr. James L. Hill, assistant vice president of Academic
Affairs at Albany State University,
the telecast consisted of six high
school students and one Benedict
senior, asking detailed questions
about issues reflecting the theme.
Questions overall focused on ways
to help the state of African Americans through education, exposure
to the arts and community, and service to the community.
One favorite topic was African
American finances and the importance of learning more about our
economy, investing in stocks, real
estate, and saving for our children.
Also that African Americans should
learn to save, and pay themselves
first.
Other discussion were on the positive impact of black churches, fraternities/sororities, and other social
organizations that serve the community.
Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs) was also a
favorite topic for discussion. The
panelists and audience members
touched on the negative stigmas facing HBCUs and what African Americans should do in order to overcome this vicious stereotype.
The answers where unique, yet
overwhelming complementary to
one another. The panel urged the
audience to know the history of the
schools, to study and analyze themselves, so they could tell their story
and not “his-story.”
They further encouraged the
African American community to save
their schools, saying that parental
involvement is imperative. Recalling history, they explained that these
institutions were created because
African Americans were not allowed
to attend white colleges.
NEWS & NOTES
BC Board Chairman
donates $200,000 lottery
winning to Benedict
Louisville, Ken. — Benedict College got a big financial boost earlier this year, courtesy of a Kentucky
lottery winner who knows this
South Carolina school quite well.
Charlie Johnson is a highly successful business owner in Louisville,
and president of CW Johnson
Xpress, one of the premier trans-
portation companies in North America. But at Benedict College, he is
known as the board of trustees chair,
and the donor who paid for scholarships, provided buses for the football team, and threw in the first million dollars to build the school’s new
stadium complex.
Now, add one more title to Johnson’s resume. He was a winner in
the Kentucky Powerball Lottery.
When President David Swinton
first learned Johnson’s plan, he
Some New Orleans’ students
haven’t returned to their colleges
BY KRYSTEL ROLLE, EDITOR
Since hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans
in August last year, things have
pretty much gotten back to normal – or as normal as they can
get — after so much of the city
was damaged and destroyed.
All of New Orleans’ six colleges have resumed classes, but
with only about three fourths of
the student population that was
in place before the hurricane.
An estimated 11,500 evacuated students still have not
returned to school after a semester off.
As residents and business
owners struggle to get their lives
back in order, college students
reminiscence on the days before
the hurricane and friends who
have left and enrolled elsewhere. Approximately one
fourth of the city’s 43,000 co-
eds have not returned, which is
less than the schools expected
to lose.
Some schools lost more than
others. According to Black College Wire, over 1,000 students
of Dillard University did not
return. Tulane University
received about 85 percent of its
13,000 students.
Uncertain of the city’s condition, many students were apprehensive about coming back to
New Orleans. This was one of
the contributing factors in their
decision to study somewhere
else.
Poor communication with
campus administration and
financial troubles were some of
the other reasons students chose
not to return.
Dillard is now holding classes at the Hilton Hotel because
of the extensive damage that the
school sustained.
couldn’t believe it. “He said, ‘Guess
what? I won the lottery and I want
to give it to the college.”
But Johnson puts it simply. “I
bought the lottery ticket for Benedict College and the ticket came
through for $200,000.” Johnson has
since presented a check to Swinton
for $200,003.
Johnson was also a professional
football player for the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Colts.
BC students selected for
S.C. Collegiate Honor
Concert Band
Congratulations to some musically-inclined students who were
selected to perform in the 20052006 South Carolina Collegiate
Honor Concert Band.
At the competition held at Clemson University January 19-21, these
Benedict students were selected to
join the honor band: Michale Bouy,
trombone; Amos Walker, euphonium; Amanda Jones, flute; and
Ahmad Eaddy, percussion.
The students participated in
rehearsals and performed a public
concert under the baton of Col. Gary
Lamb, retired commander of the
United States Army Band.
The event was sponsored by the
South Carolina College Band Director’s National Association.
Benedict graduate
Damon Qualls named
Teacher of the Year
Damon Qualls, a second year
teacher at Alexander Elementary
School in Greenville and first year
graduate of the nationally acclaimed
Photo by G. Shabazz Abdul-Rasheed
Students converge on a table looking for job and career information.
“Call Me Mister” program was
named the 2006-2007 “Teacher of
the Year.”
Qualls was a 2004 graduate of the
Benedict College School of Honors. He also served on the Board of
Trustees as a student representative.
Annual Career
Awareness Fair a
resounding success
Close to 40 local, state, and
regional businesses and companies
participated in this year’s annual
Career Awareness Fair on campus
in mid February.
Among the businesses represented were ADP Tax Credit Services,
Bi-Lo, LLC, Blue Cross/Blue
Shield of South Carolina, Carolina
First Bank, the Charleston County
and Greenville police departments,
the Charlotte fire department, Enter-
prise Rent-A-Car, the FBI, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Palmetto
Health Alliance, Palmetto Paralegal Association, Pepsi Bottling
Group, Santee Cooper, SCANA,
the South Carolina Departments of
Juvenile Justice, South Labor,
Licensing and Regulation, Mental
Health and Parks. Recreation and
Tourism, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the U.S. Department of
Justice/Federal Bureau of Prisons,
the VA Medical Center, the city of
Charleston, WACH-TV, Waffle
House and WIS Television.
The fair was sponsored by the
Office of Career Planning and
Placement under Karen Rutherford.
Note: Some of the information in
News & Notes was provided by the
Benedict College Department of
Public Relations.
Page 4
F EATURES
MARCH 2006
BC TIGER NEWS
International students host
All-College assembly
Afro-Puerto Rican writer challenges journalists
of color to report on black issues in the Americas
BY JUSTIN “JUZ” COOPER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
P
Famed columnist Chuck Stone
speaks for HBCU
Newspaper Conference
Tiger News students attend newspaper conference/job fair
Some current and former members of the Tiger News (above, left to
right) – Tiger News Editor Krystel Rolle, Wafeeq Zarif, Ashley Tillman,
and Zakiyyah Woods and their advisor (center) Mrs. G. Shabazz AbdulRasheed met and greeted famed columnist and longtime writer Chuck
Stone (in glasses), often dubbed the ‘dean of the black press’ at a luncheon held during the annual HBCU Newspaper Conference and Job
Fair in February in Greensboro, N.C.
The conference, which was co-sponsored by Black College Wire and
the New York Times, also consisted of various workshops at N.C. A& T
University’s Mass Communication Building.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH ROUNDUP
BC-CDC youth celebrate
Black History Month with
skits, poems, and songs
Community shows support for youth of
Benedict College Child Development Center
BY R. NATHANIEL ROBERSON
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A
bout 200 persons of the
community
came
together to support the
youth of Benedict College’s
Child Development Center
(CDC), as they presented the
Black History Month program,
“To Be Young Gifted and Black,”
with emphasis on the topic, “We
Can Tell the Story- Can You?”
held in the Little Theater of the
Henry Ponder Fine Arts and
Humanities Center on campus in
February.
Opening up with the statement,
“We are not only here representing our past, but we are our
future,” little Preston Taylor, a
student at the CDC, gave the welcome address.
There were performances from
the CDC, from infants to kindergarteners up to age five. Each age
group represented a different era
of black culture ranging from
past to present. These performances included songs, poems,
VOTE
VOTE
FOR
Donald O. White
2nd Vice President
2006-2007
“Bridging the
Social Divide to
Campus Unity”
and skits representing various
historic and important blacks
from Harriet Tubman, leader of
the Underground Railroad, to Dr.
David H. Swinton, president of
Benedict College.
Dr. Marilyn Izzard, of Columbia, was the Madame of Ceremonies. Izzard recited stanzas of
the poem, “Why Did God Make
Me Black?” between performances of the children.
“If we continue to provide support for our young people in the
next 10 to 15 years, they will be
leaders in our society,” said
Izzard.
Izzard also commented, “We
cannot quit supporting our kids.
We must support them from preschool until they graduate college, because if we don’t support
our own, who will?”
In closing remarks, Dr. Jabari
Simama, vice-president for community development and director and Center of Excellence, stated that he takes pride in the vital
development of not only our children but our future leaders.
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resenting a lecture for the
Black History Month program sponsored by the
Office of International Programs,
renowned journalist Karen Juanita Carrillo told the audience that
corporate media often portray
blacks negatively in the media.
Presented by Benedict College’s
Office of International Programs,
the all college assembly was held
in the Swinton Center with about
70 students in attendance. Director of the Office of International
Programs Dr. Norma L. Jackson
hosted the event.
Mass communication student
Kamila Fabien set the tone with
her welcome address by giving a
statistical overview of blacks in the
United States. “There are approximately 39.2 million blacks in the
United States, who make up 13.4
percent of the country’s population.”
Further elaborating her point of
the significance of blacks in American society and history, Fabien
reminded the audience, “We as
black people must believe in our
fight and not forget where we came
from.”
Guest speaker Carrillo, a native
of Englewood, N.J., of Afro-American and Puerto Rican descent,
gave her take on the challenges that
she faces as a black journalist in
what she calls a “corporate media
driven press.”
Carrillo, an accomplished journalist and photographer who specializes in covering African American and Afro-Latino history,
literature, and politics, spoke with
an afro centric fervor to the audience.
Wearing her hair in a stylishly
chic natural afro with African
accented accessories adorning her
wrist and neckline, she spoke candidly, yet with a serene approach
to the audience. “I’ve always been
proud being black…and as a journalist, I always try to talk to my
people,” said Carrillo.
Expounding on her point of the
differences between mainstream
media and black journalism, Carrillo expressed her sentiments that
in the black press she personally
has more creative freedom.
“The only difficulty I find in the
black press is that at times the pay
isn’t enough,” Carrillo said.
In contrast, Carrillo advised the
audience of the challenges that she
faces when writing for the mainstream media. Citing what she has
found in publications that do not
exclusively target black readership,
Carrillo said that she often must
validate everything that she writes
when working for corporate publications.
Carrillo throughout her discourse
drew from recent and current news
events, comparing and contrasting
various angles and spin approaches that the mainstream media and
black press use to cover a story.
After her remarks Carrillo opened
the floor to questions/comments.
One Benedict student in the audience expounded on his personal
perspective of the major differences between the mainstream
media and the black press.
Photo courtesy Norma Jackson
International students and other students, along with International Studies
Program Director Dr. Norma Jackson and journalist Karen Carrillo gather
for a group photo after Carrillo’s talk.
“I believe that stories pertaining
to blacks are often generalized by
the mainstream press, while the
black press personalizes black
issues in more detail,” said the student, referring to news coverage
concerning blacks in the United
States.
Carrillo, who responded and continued to dialogue with the student
during the question and answer
section, concurred with his statement.
The student also gave an example of spin and different media
approaches that the mainstream
media presented during the hurricane Katrina disaster compared
with the approaches by specialized
and alternative media.
“An example of our negative portrayal in the mainstream media
would be where there were photographs of blacks wading through
the flooded streets of New Orleans
getting food. The mainstream
media labeled them as looters,
while their white counterparts that
were also victimized by the storm,
were labeled as simply searching
for food,” said the student questioner.
Carrillo again agreed with the student and in her closing addressed
mass communication students
directly. “It is the job of a journalist to report, educate, and inform
your readers,” she told them.
Other highlights of the event
included a twirling, hip twisting
salsa dance routine “Maracaniguara” (marijuana). Jackson
gave an overview of the history of
the dance story.
“It is the experience of a young
boy experimenting with smoking
grass. Its purpose is to show that it
is not good to smoke grass.”
Jackson adjourned the program
by reminding the audience to seek
out black publications to read. She
referred to the black press as
“FUBU” (For Us By Us).
Carrillo’s articles and photographs have been featured in a
plethora of publications throughout the United States and on an
England-based website where Carrillo writes for the “Americas” column.
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BC TIGER NEWS
F EATURES
A PERSONAL JOURNEY:
MARCH 2006
PAGE 5
Living with the HIV Virus
HIV diagnoses down but HIV rates in the South still high
BY TAWAIN E. KELLY
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Photo by Tameika Sanford
Kelly contemplates his present and
future while maintaining a positive
outlook on life. Even through his
pain, he finds joy.
Tidbits of wisdom
from Kelly
• “I believe that the number
of HIV/AIDS cases on historic
black campuses is much higher then generally thought, but
some school officials may worry that the reporting of an actual account or percentage may
lead to a drop in the enrollment
of students at these schools.
• “The true face of HIV is not
Ervin “Magic” Johnson. It’s
my face. I can’t afford my
medicine; I can’t pay my hospital visits and everything that
keeps me alive.”
• “Four of my HIV positive
friends passed away last year.
One friend who had a simple
eye infection slipped into a
coma and died two days later.
You start thinking about yourself when you are in similar
position, but life doesn’t stop.
I tell myself that HIV can share
my body, but it can’t share my
mind, my spirit, my hopes, my
goals, nor my dreams.”
• “What I have that really
matters is a praying college
whose students, faculty, and
staff know me and continue to
pray for me. I have the prayers
of my family, my church, and
positive people who circle
around me and pray for my
healing. I also have a praying
mother. Never underestimate
the prayers of a mother…She
told me that whether I live or
die, everything will be all right.
I heard those words, I got it
together, and I buried the old
me and celebrated the new
me.”
Editor’s Note: Benedict student
Tawain Kelly shares this very
poignant story of his journey living
with the HIV virus. He hopes others will learn that being HIV positive does not mean one’s life is over.
He also want to help others cope
with the illness that is fast claiming
a huge proportion of African-Americans.
T
he rate of HIV diagnoses has
been dropping among blacks
over the past four years, but
remains alarmingly high, more than
eight times the rate among whites,
a new U.S. government report finds.
That drop could be because people are not getting tested, especially in rural areas of southern states.
For some, it may be hard to go and
get tested for fear of word getting
out that they have the disease.
There is still a stigma attached to
having HIV/AIDS in the AfricanAmerican community.
Even with the decline of HIV
diagnoses, however, diagnoses rates
among injection drug users and
among heterosexuals, mostly in
New York State, seem to be driving
the trend, according to the report.
Among blacks, the rate of new
HIV diagnoses dropped about five
percent each year between 2001
and 2004.
I believe that the number of
HIV/AIDS cases on historic black
campuses is much higher then generally thought, but some school officials worry that the reporting of the
actual number of people who are
HIV positive on their campuses
may lead to a drop in the enrollment
of students at these schools.
Some schools officials still to this
day will not admit that HIV even
exists on their campuses, unless
people like Jonathan Perry, a graduate of Johnson C. Smith in Charlotte, N.C., and others like myself,
come out to show the face of HIV.
The fact is, the true face of HIV
is not Ervin “Magic” Johnson. It’s
my face. I can’t afford my medicine; I can’t pay my hospital visits
and everything that keeps me alive.
I depend on organizations,
Medicare, and all sorts of other government programs just to stay alive.
In the black community, especially on a lot of HBCU campuses,
people still believe that Magic Johnson is not HIV positive, but he is.
He is doing his part to stay alive.
HIV/AIDS statistics
The decline of HIV in this state
(South Carolina) is wonderful, but
the fight is still there in our community.
As long as I am a black man, a
student at an HBCU school, a resident of South Carolina, and a citizen of the United States,
HIV/AIDS is in your community,
too.
In 2004, the rate of diagnosis
among blacks was 76 per 100,000
people versus only nine per 100,000
people in whites and 29.5 per
100,000 people among Hispanics.
State and local health officials face
many difficulties in fighting the high
rates of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
The number of AIDS cases rose
27 percent in six Southern states —
Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South
Carolina — between 2000 and
2002, compared with an 11 percent
increase in Midwestern states during that same period.
In North Carolina, the number of
AIDS cases increased by 36 percent between 2001 and 2003.
Southeastern states also have the
nation’s highest rates of chlamydia
and gonorrhea.
Some health officials say that the
high rate of poverty, poor health
care services and low numbers of
people with health insurance contribute to high rates of the disease.
The officials also say that things
are changing, but efforts to fight the
problem do not seem to be working, especially in rural areas of the
South.
Until more people get tested and
know their personal health status,
the rates will continue to rise in the
South.
What you can do
The hopes and dreams of people
like Martin Luther King, Malcolm
X, Rosa Parks and those slaves we
stood on the shoulders of in order
for us to live a free life will be in
vain if we don’t put a hold on
HIV/AIDS in our communities.
We have to not only protect ourselves, but our communities, especially the children. African-American children are ranked number
one in the state for new HIV cases.
African-Americans are rank number one among females and males
where in blacks make up 30 percent of the states’ population.
New HIV diagnoses continue to
be disproportionately high and to
severely impact African-Americans
— men, women and children.
I am just not sounding an alarm
just to sound it. People see
HIV/AIDS victims living longer.
Because of this, some may minimize its importance, but let me tell
you the pain I go through everyday
and the sleepless nights I have.
Suffering need not be the end
There is not a cure for AIDS as of
yet. I know it will come one day,
but until then, having the HIV virus
is hell on earth for me.
The crying I do, getting so sick
until I can’t move, the violent vomiting I have just because I drink
water, the pills I have to take and
the fact that HIV is not only affecting me, but my mom, my brother,
my sister, my family, friends, my
community, and my little 8-yearold niece, who has to see her uncle
slipping away, is almost unbearable
at times.
HIV is a hard disease to manage
and a hard disease to see someone
die of.
Four of my HIV positive friends
passed away last year. One friend
who had a simple eye infection
slipped into a coma and died two
days later. You start thinking about
yourself when you are in similar
position, but life doesn’t stop.
I tell myself that HIV can share
my body, but it can’t share my
mind, my spirit, my hopes, my
goals nor my dreams.
I have chosen to stand on the
shoulders of those black men and
women who built this country. Former slaves such as Nat Turner;
heroes such as Booker T. Washington, Linda Brown (the little girl
who became famous for fighting
the Board of Education of Topeka,
Kansas and whose case went to the
Supreme Court. Her case, Brown
v. Board of Education, helped all
black children get a better education); Ruby Bridges, who helped
end segregation in schools. (She
was the first black student at her elementary school. Bridges had to be
very brave to stand up to all the
people who didn’t want her there);
and Homer Plessey, who was arrested for being in the wrong part of
the train. (He fought against discrimination on trains in his famous
Supreme Court case, Plessey v. Ferguson).
There were others such as Martin
Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and soldiers like Hydeia
Broadbent, who was born with the
virus, and who has been a champion since in the fight against
HIV/AIDS.
Must have hope
If no one tells you that your life
is important, well, I am here to tell
you that your life is important.
Without knowing you personally, I
can say I love you and honestly care
about your future.
Think about it: would anyone
come and tell you they are HIV
positive, just to get discriminated
against and picked on at school? I
didn’t ask for HIV to come into my
life, but the sad part is I didn’t ask
for it not to come into my life.
If it were true that you only get
HIV through male to male sex, then
Continued on page 6
LOVE NOTES:
Think outside the box of chocolates
Everyday can be Valentine’s Day for you and your love
BY STEPHANIE JONES
STAFF WRITER
V
alentine’s Day, known as
the day for love and
romance, was just celebrated with hearts and flowers – and
that all time favorite, a box of
chocolates.
But for me, Valentine’s Day, ironically, is one of the least romantic
days of the year. How can this be,
you may ask.
Well, Valentine’s Day is unromantic to me because people seem
to celebrate it out of obligation
rather than celebration.
People run around like robots each
year and get the same flowers, the
same box of chocolates, and the
same teddy bear for their loved ones
because that is what everyone else
is doing.
But couples shouldn’t just celebrate their love for one another on
February 14th. They should celebrate it all year round.
each other one small
Now that V-Day is
gift per day.
over, why not be real❤ Go to a bakery
ly innovative, and get
that special someone
and taste test all the
something when they
sweets.
least expect it. Like
❤ Write a poem for
now…or a few weeks
your love and read it
from now.
aloud over dinner.
Here are a few ways
❤ Have a romantic
that you can make
movie marathon.
everyday a special day
❤ Go to the lake
Stephanie Jones
for your loved one.
and watch the stars.
❤ Have an evening
❤ Pick a recipe and
picnic at a local park
cook dinner together.
❤ Dress up for an evening and go
❤ Spend an entire day doing
to a special place together (maybe
nothing (Just enjoy each other’s
even at home).
company).
❤ Write a love story or poem
❤ Have a Valentine’s Day (or any
together.
day) scavenger hunt.
❤ Go for a romantic walk down❤ Act out your very first date
town and enjoy the city lights.
together.
❤ Stay up all night and watch the
❤ Do something exciting like a
sun rise together.
sport.
❤ Make fondue together.
❤ Go to a park or toy store and
❤ Hide love notes for your sweetact like kids for a day.
ie to find.
❤ Play board games together.
❤ Celebrate all week by giving
❤ Go to a spa together.
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Page 6
F EATURES
MARCH 2006
Living with the HIV Virus
Continued from page 5
I wouldn’t be HIV positive. The
woman I got the virus from in 1995
died before I found out that I had
the virus.
I came into contact with it in
1997, five years before I found out
I had it. HIV can stay in your system for 10 to 20 years without
being detected.
Last year I went from 137 to 62
pounds. I almost died. I had a mild
stroke, went blind in my right eye,
couldn’t walk and had feeding tubes
inside me.
What I had that really mattered
was a praying college whose students, faculty, and staff who know
me continue to pray for me. I have
the prayers of my family, my
church and positive people who circle around me and pray for my
healing. I also have a praying mother. Never underestimate the prayers
of a mother.
She told me that whether I live or
BC TIGER NEWS
STORY CORRECTION
die that everything will be all right.
When I heard those words, I got it
together. I buried the old me and
celebrated the new me.
I will be graduating from Benedict College in May 2007, good
LORD willing. HIV does not define
me. We make choices everyday on
whether or not to go to class, what
to wear, and what to eat. How about
make the choice to live and to be
‘Young, Black and Positive’. I have
and that’s me.
Wear It Pink Day
BY TINA SANDERS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
I
t was stated in the December
2005 issue of the Tiger News
that the Benedict College Alpha
Kappa Alpha chapter hosted a
“Think Pink” event on breast cancer. In actuality the event, accurately
called “Wear It Pink Day,” was hosted by the Student Public Health
Alliance of Benedict College, which
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By helping to rebuild New Orleans’ Historically
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that the next generation of heroes can thrive.
Burger King Corporation is privileged to make
a sizable donation towards the rebuilding of
these vital institutions, and help preserve
the future of Black History.
www.bk.com
was strongly supported by the AKA’s.
The event’s primary focus was breast
cancer awareness
using pink as a symbol of breast cancer.
The organization also gave out a
test on one’s knowledge of breast
cancer. The test was the beginning
of an open discussion led by Health,
Physical Education and Recreation
Department faculty member Dr.
Ifeanyi N. Emenike. There was
strong student participation.
The Student Public Health
Alliance is led by Dr. Tami AshfordCarroll, its advisor, and by the
group’s president Thaddeus Wallace. The organization is fairly new
with two years under their belt.
A future event for the organization is their participation in the Midlands Heart Walk. They are assisting the college in raising funds to
donate.
Advisor Tami Ashford-Carroll
stated that public health is a multifaceted field. She said a person does
not have to major in public health
to work in the health field.
The Student Public Health
Alliance meets once a month. If any
students are interested in information about the club, they can contact advisor Tami Ashford-Carroll
at (803) 231-2162.
Mrs. King
Continued from page 1
History professor Dr. Marguerite Garvey: “The Kings
were examples of people who
believed in truth. They were
powerful examples of people
who were not afraid to speak
the truth. Truth and only truth
will allow African descendant
people to rise again.”
Freshman biology major Joi
Johnson: “It was definitely a
sad loss. Hopefully her children will carry on. I wish I
could attend the funeral, but of
course I have classes.”
Senior art major Pam Hall:
“Coretta Scott King was a
graceful woman. Not only that,
she was also strong and carried herself in a dignified manner. Whenever she made a
public appearance, she seemed
to illuminate any room she
entered.”
Freshman music major
Jason Hampton: “I really don’t
know much about her and the
impact that she had. All I know
is that she stood by her husband in the midst of all that he
went through.
Student Kristen Williams:
“She was a model for all
women to live up to. There will
never be another one like her.”
VOTE
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upcoming
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R EFLECTIONS
BC TIGER NEWS
Black History Month – Is it necessary?
BY KRYSTEL ROLLE
EDITOR
Y
ear after year controversy
surrounds Black History
Month. Each year the same
questions arise: Is Black History
Month still needed? Does Black
History Month fuel racism?
So, if Black History is a part of
American History, why is there still
a need to recognize Black History
Month?
In December, while appearing on
CBS’“60 Minutes,” award-winning
actor Morgan Freeman reawakened
the debate over whether Black History Month is necessary. During an
interview he called the celebration
of black history “ridiculous.”
“You’re going to relegate my history to a month?” Freeman asked
during his broadcast interview. “I
don’t want a black history month.
Black history is American history.”
Some African Americans may
agree with Freeman’s statements
but most probably think its wishful
thinking on Freeman’s behalf.
The reality is that black history is
not taught enough in the classrooms.
So even if it is unsatisfactory that
the teaching of it is delegated to the
shortest month in the year that is a
better alternative than no month at
Americans.
all.
More recently critTV writer Dwayne
ics have called the
McDuffie expressed his
annual observance
regret that black history
a shallow and comhas not been incorporatmercialised month
ed into history courses
full of praises of
year round. He called it
Martin Luther King
“a shame.”
Jr. and his famous “I
McDuffie believes that
have a Dream”
it is important to be able
speech.
to see a reflection of
Krystal Rolle
Every year the
yourself, (whether black,
same thing happens.
white, Asian or Latino) in
Slavery is revisited. Rosa Parks’
history. He said, “It’s important for
bravery during the Civil Rights
Asians to hear what they have conMovement is praised and King’s
tributed to history, it’s important for
speech is broadcast. Critics argue
Latinos to hear what they have givthat more needs to be done to fully
en to history, it is important also just
realize the “Dream.”
to remind white people that they
Black History is richer than just a
didn’t do everything.”
famous speech or an act of bravery
The observance of Black History
(not that those weren’t contributing
began as Negro History Week in
factors). It’s the inclusion of every
1926. Historian Carter G. Woodblack person which helped to
son chose the second week in Febchange the views and attitudes of
ruary to mark the birth dates of
America. It is every man that
Abraham Lincoln and former slave
marched, and every slave who was
and abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
killed.
In 1976 the week was lengthened
Is Black History Month still necto a month.
essary? Woodson hoped that one
It is believed that Woodson wantday the celebration would be aboled to bring attention to the many
ished when America realized that
contributions that people of color
black history is an integral part of
made to American history in hopes
American history…his dream has
that history would be rewritten to
not been fully realized.
include contributions of African
My remembrances of Mrs. King,
who addressed journalists
with an important message
BY G.A. SHABAZZ
ABDUL-RASHEED
TIGER NEWS ADVISOR
W
hen I think of Coretta
Scott King, many things
come to mind – proud,
resilient, forceful, humble, and dignified. My fondest memory of her
was when I had the opportunity to
meet her in person about three years
ago at the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, which she founded, to commemorate her husband’s
work and to carry on the teachings
he espoused.
I was in Atlanta for a conference
of the National Association of Black
Journalists. I, along with fellow
Benedict staff member Kymm
Hunter, had taken some mass communication majors to Atlanta for the
conference. One of the NABJ officers contacted the King Center to see
if members could come for a tour of
the Center and to possibly meet Mrs.
King herself.
This was almost an aside of the
conference activities. The member
was successful; a King Center staff
member set up the special tour and
said that Mrs. King would make a
an appearance and even speak to our
group.
Many of the NABJ members, for
various reasons, stayed at the conference site hotel. Several others,
however, took the bus tour of ‘Black
Atlanta’which included a stop at the
King Center and a visit with Mrs.
King.
The tour was awe inspiring; it was
very interesting to witness some little known parts of famous Atlanta;
to see many of the historic structures
that blacks had been a major part of
– Atlanta’s early highly successful
black business district; some of the
first black-owned restaurants, funeral homes, black-owned insurance
companies; the bus even wound its
way through the campus of historic
Morris Brown College, where the
home of Atlanta’s first black mil-
lionaire sits – the house was a most
imposing yet a clearly magnificent
structure in its heyday.
Then we arrived at the King Center; I had been there years before with
my family, but this time I spent a little more time looking at the moving
photographs inside the Center museum and the artifacts on view of the
era called the Civil Rights Movement. I thought the place to be very
sufficient, somewhat staid as is a
museum, but still inspiring, especially the tour guide’s passage with
us of the nearby Ebenezer Church,
determined. She looked like the
queen of an African nation.
She did not speak long, but her
words were slow, careful, thoughtful, deliberate... She had a deep voice
yet it reached a high crescendo when
she wanted to make a point. She was
very gracious and thanked us for visiting the Center. I remember her saying to the black journalists assembled that they had a special work to
do, that her husband understood the
power of the press, but as journalists
and as African Americans they were
called upon to tell the truth, to tell the
“Listening to her words, she
made me think of her as a
teacher, a mother, a queen, and
a leader. She never stopped
working to get her message
out. She knew she had a
calling, and she never stopped
answering that call.”
G. A. Shabazz Abdul-Rasheed
MARCH 2006
PAGE 7
Tiger Poll
Should Black History Month be
celebrated? Majority says yes
BY STEPHANIE JONES
STAFF WRITER
A
ctor Morgan Freeman
created a small firestorm
last month when he told
Mike Wallace of “60 Minutes”
that he finds Black History Month
“ridiculous.” According to Freeman, “Americans perpetuate
racism during Black History
Month by relegating black history to one month when black history is American history.”
Freeman’s comments sparked
a lot of emotions in many, especially here at Benedict College.
Here are a few comments from
students and faculty regarding
Freeman’s remarks as well as
their own opinions about Black
History Month.
“Black History should be celebrated as American history, but
if we didn’t have a Black History Month I don’t think that people would learn that much about
black history.”
Crystal Gordon, mass communications, senior
“Black History Month is important because it forces Caucasians
to look at the error of their ways
and it also educates our people
about our heritage.”
Tamika Sanford, mass communications, senior
“Black History Month is necessary because we need to learn
about our heritage and Black History Month is a time when we
can learn.”
Aasha Byers, studio art, senior
“Black History Month is not
necessary because it should be
taught throughout the year. One
month is not enough to learn
about all the contributions that
blacks have made.”
Valencia Goodwin, studio art,
junior
“Black History Month is necessary because understanding
your past helps to pave the way
for your future.”
Leon Woods, art teacher
“Black History Month is necessary because without it black
children would not learn about
their heritage. However, Black
history is American history and
should be taught as such in the
school systems.”
Curtis Wilson, mass communication, WIS-TV news anchor
“Black History Month should
be celebrated throughout the year
because the contributions that
African Americans have made
can not be condensed into 28
days out of the year.”
Eric Glover, business management, junior
Tameika Sanford
Crystal Gordon
Tiger News
BENEDICT
COLLEGE
Vol. 81 No. 4
March 2006
Spring 2006 Tiger Newspaper Staff
Instructor/Advisor: G. Shabazz Abdul-Rasheed
Editor: Krystel Rolle
where Dr. King often preached, and
the street where he grew up. The
guide asked that we sit in reverence
and respectfully listening to a tape
of one of Dr. King’s sermon-like
talks.
When we finally came back to the
Center’s main hall, refreshments
were set up for us. A hush fell over
the crowd as a Center spokeswoman
called out, “Ladies and gentlemen,
we are pleased to welcome you to
the King Center for…. and to introduce you to Mrs. Coretta Scott
King.”
Our low mumbles stopped all
together and everyone moved up to
get a closer look at Mrs. King and to
hear her speak. She sat in a wide
chair, bearing the dignified beauty
and grace of a queen. Though she
seemed a bit pained…I learned later that she was not well that day, but
came out just for this group. She sat
erect and serene, stone faced yet
story of oppressed yet desirable people, to be fair, and to understand that
they had a great work to do. Listening to her words, she made me think
of her as a teacher, a mother, a queen,
and a leader. She never stopped
working to get her message out. She
knew she had a calling, and she never stopped answering that call.”
I was pleased I had taken the time
to leave the conference to go to the
King Center that day. Journalsits and
all people should take the time to
experience important moments of
the present which could become
momentous events in history.
Despite all that she and her family
went through – and oppressed people everywhere – the brutal beatings,
the enslavement of a people, and the
uplifting efforts of a race – Mrs. King
held steady.
That may be her most endearing
legacy, one I believe, we can all learn
from.
Staff Writers
Aasha Byers
Jeremiah Colson
Jimmie Edwards
Stephanie Jones
Thomas Hunter, Jr.
Koren Merchant
Nadia Muhammad
Alan Page
Travis Simpkins
Christopher Streeter
Marquita Watson
Kimberly Webber
Photographers:
Todd Haley
Tawain Kelly
Contact Tiger News at 803-253-5297
CHECK OUT TIGER NEWS ONLINE
AT WWW.BENEDICT.EDU
CLICK ON STUDENT, CURRENT, THEN TIGER NEWS
Produced by the Production Print classes, MASS 335 and MASS 336 –
English, Foreign Languages, and Mass Communications Dept.
Member, South Carolina Press Association (Collegiate Division)
•
2003 First Place Winner; 2002 Second Place Winner
•
Best Newspaper Overall: Division II Newspapers, SCPA
Page 8
R EFLECTIONS
MARCH 2006
BC TIGER NEWS
Why we can never give up on each other
BY JOSHUA STROMAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
I
f I were constructing a monument to dedicate to the up and
coming generation of leaders
and thinkers, and given a chance to
inscribe just three words on this
monument, I would leave with them
the words: “never give up”
We can look at history and gain a
better understanding of who we are
today as unique people.Some of us
have experienced disheartening situations. Some of us have come
from an environment where there
were only a few options for survival,
both leading either to an early death
or a minimum prison sentence of
25 years.
Although these are extreme situations, as an open enrollment college we have to understand that
many of our students have come
from these types of environments.
Too often we blindly judge people
according to their actions without
understanding what causes them to
act the way that they do.
According to one of the seminar
instructors here at our college,
sometimes professors make the mistake of assuming that each student
automatically understands what is
required of them as a college student. But of course, this is not
always true. This misconception
helps to create an atmosphere that
steadily alienates students who may
have a hard time adjusting to col-
lege.
With this being said, brothers and
sisters we have to turn our weaknesses into strengths and bear the
weight of each other in order to survive as a community. For me it took
a self-evaluation to help me understand my own value and the role
that it plays in inspiring another to
push harder to succeed.
It also helped me to hear people
my own age let me know that they
see something positive inside of me
that I alone might not be able to see.
Those of us who have reached a certain level of confidence must see
that we play a critical role in enhancing every aspect of our college.
Understand that when people
speak of Benedict College, they are
not talking about the buildings that
make up our college campus; they
are talking about us, the students.
We are Benedict College.
If we want our college to be better, then we have to encourage our
friends and our peers to strive to be
better in their own lives. John H.
Johnson, founder of Ebony magazine said that “If you want to change
what men and women are doing,
and not doing, you must first change
the image they have of themselves
and their situations.”
Benedict College represents many
of us, because this college is not
where it used to be, nor has it
reached its ultimate potential. Like
us, Benedict College is a work in
progress. I hear many of my peers
“Kind words, offering to help someone with their
homework, anything that you can do to inspire
someone to believe in themselves, do it. Although
you might not hear them say how much of an impact
you have made on them, you will within yourself
know that you, in your own unique way have the
power to uplift another human being.”
Joshua Stroman
say that they are majoring in their
respective fields because they like
helping people.
Well, if you are one of those persons, please see that everyday you
step onto Benedict’s College campus, you have the opportunity to do
what you like to do, help people.
Giving attention to our fellow peers
by encouraging them and believing
in them, allows us to kill two birds
with one stone.
We not only enhance our own
self-value but we also increase the
value of our college by encouraging our peers to look beyond their
past experiences, in order to take
advantage of everything that Benedict College has to offer.
We can’t give up because whether
we like it or not, we all need each
other. We face too much opposition
from outside forces to believe that
we can possibly achieve our goals
without the help of our brothers and
Media specialist Mary Hendrix
fondly recalls meeting Mrs. King
P
oetr y
tively about our college. This is why
we can’t rest as we continue to build
our college, because history has
proven, and it’s also a biblical principle that the high places will be
brought down and the low places
exalted. It may seem like the world
is against us, but it’s only to produce
the faith needed to be confident in
our value and capabilities.
Remember you are Benedict College. No other person possesses as
much power as you do to make this
college better, if not for us, then for
the ones who will come behind us.
The rest of our lives will be
impacted as a result of what we do
while here at Benedict College. This
is why we can never give up on
each other.
Editor’s Note: Josh Stroman is a
sophomore and political science
major. He is also an active member
of several student organizations.
C
orner
Black Is Me
COMPILED BY
G. SHABAZZ ABDULRASHEED
By Patrick Kirton
TIGER NEWS ADVISOR
Black is me
Oh yes, black is me
From the crown of my head to the soles of my feet
To the color of my skin to the rhythm of my speech
Oh yes, black is me
B
enedict’s Library Media
Specialist Mary Hendrix
had to endure her own
first – integrating a Georgia public school system.
Hendrix recalls meeting Mrs.
Coretta Scott King with fondness, not just once, but twice.
In June 1993, Hendrix, a Blair
native, traveled to New Orleans
to represent Benedict at the
American Library Association’s
112th annual conference. Former President Jimmy Carter was
the keynote speaker, she remembered, on the conference’s opening day. Three days later over
breakfast, King spoke to the
group regarding a book award
in her name, annually honoring
a black author and illustrator.
Hendrix had the privilege to sit
at the table with King, and the
two talked about their families,
Hendrix recalled.
“We talked about family,” she
said. “I asked about their family, and I talked about my family. I always liked to talk about
my mother and how she was
doing at the time. I remember I
asked her about her children, and
she was very happy to talk about
them.”
Coretta Scott and Martin
Luther King Jr. had four children: Bernice, Yolanda, Dexter
and Martin Jr. All are dedicated
civil rights activists and pioneers
in their chosen professions.
sisters.
Say kind words, offer to help
someone with their homework, anything that you can do to inspire
someone to believe in themselves,
do it. Although you might not hear
them say how much of an impact
you have made on them, you will
within yourself know that you, in
your own unique way, have the
power to uplift another human
being.
Be the greatness that is you. In
your own unique way, be an inspiration to others. This is how we, the
students, begin to transform our
school, by believing in the people
who matriculate here to the extent
that we understand that in some
way, we are able to contribute to
their well being as well as our own.
Together we represent the hope of
a better Benedict College, but only
together. This is why we can never
give up, when people talk nega-
Black is me
Oh yes, black is me
From the courage to stand in a crowd
And be like James Brown saying,
“I’m black and I’m proud.”
For all its worth, I just want y’all to see
That oh yes, black is me
Photo courtesy Mary Hendrix
Mary Hendrix was a pioneer in her own right. She gives thanks to Dr.
and Mrs. King for all they did to help light the way for others. She is
shown here in an early photo with Mrs. King.
However, 1993 was not Hendrix’s first meeting with King.
In the 1960s, Hendrix briefly met
Martin Luther King Jr. and
Coretta Scott King at commencement exercises at Fort Valley State College in Georgia.
“Mrs. King tried to carry the
movement on,” Hendrix said. “I
think she always tried to inspire
others to keep his dream alive.”
Hendrix remembers King as
approachable and warm, adding
that she always seemed to have
a smile on her face.
Hendrix, too, seems to be carrying on that legacy. She always
smiles and speaks to everyone
she meets on and off the Bene-
dict campus.
Additionally, Hendrix recognizes the path paved for her by
Dr. and Mrs. King. Hendrix was
the first black to integrate the
public school system in Oconee
County, Ga.
“The process that I had to go
through was not nearly as dire
as what the King family had to
endure because of their sacrifices
earlier,” said Hendrix, a Benedict alumnus and former campus queen.
Note: Tiger advisor G. Shabazz
Abdul-Rasheed compiled this
story from information supplied
by Mary Hendrix.
Black is me
Oh Yes, black is me
Thoughts of the Promised Land have my soul dancing
With Martin’s vision and Malcolm’s passion
I now can see
That truthfully, black is me
I come from a people that have
power to change a nation
With no hesitation
Through hard work, confidence,
and constant motivation
With all pride, these words I speak
Oh yes, black is me
fpbk 2005
Note: Patrick Kirton is sophomore and music education major.
He enjoys writing poetry in his leisure time.
BC TIGER NEWS
A RT S
&
C ULTURE
MARCH 2006
PAGE 9
Renowned sculptor Richard Hunt
brings his prestigious works to Benedict
(Left) A student signs his name on the sign up sheet in the gallery, while light and
dark images of Hunt’s sculpture bounce off the walls.
T
he art of Richard Hunt. Need
we say more about one of
the most prestigious sculptors in the nation? He chose Benedict to have his works displayed.
For anyone with an eye tooth of
knowledge or interest in art, this is
the show you won’t want to miss.
His pieces, illusive, inviting,
enthralling, will continue to be on
display through April in the Ponder
Fine Arts Gallery of Benedict College. The gallery is located on the
second floor of the building on the
far end of the corridor.
Hunt received his Bachelors of Art
education from the Art Institute of
Chicago in 1957 and upon graduation was awarded the James Nelson
Raymond Foreign Travel Fellowship to study sculpture in England,
France, Spain and Italy.
Hunt’s works have been collected by museums such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the
National Museum of American Art
in Washington, D.C, the Art Institute of Chicago and many, many
more.
It is a tremendous honor to have
an artist of this caliber exhibiting
here at the Ponder Fine Arts Gallery
(Bottom) Hunt reflects on his works, some of which surround him in the gallery.
Hunt came to the Ponder Fine Arts Gallery for his exhibition reception. Later he
presented a slide presentation/lecture on in the Ponder Little Theater. A special
thanks goes out to Barbara Moore of Institutional Advancement and the Zeta Phi
Beta Sorority for sponsoring the exhibition reception.
Photos by Tawain Kelly
of Benedict. Hunt’s reputation precedes him with public works in
museums from coast to coast, but
closer to home in Greenville (in
front of the Greenville County
Museum) and in Augusta, Ga. (in
front of the Golf Hall of Fame).
Faculty art and jazz showcased at
Fine Arts Department reception
BY AASHA BYERS
STAFF WRITER
J
azz and art came together like
water and ice recently in the
Little Theater in the Fine Arts
and Humanities building and Art
Gallery on campus. The event was
a smooth and seductive blending of
some of Benedict Fine Arts faculty’s finest works in music, speech,
and paintings.
The event, which began promptly at 6 p.m., was a combination of
several faculty members’ performances on trombone, piano, and
the vibraphone, along with songs
and speeches and various art including printmaking, wood carving, and
a visual display of grilled wires and
colorful papers.
The program included singing of
the traditional gospel song “This
Little Light of Mine” by music professor Dr. Ronald High. He so
moved the audience of about 75
persons that they called for an
encore.
After the program in the Little
Theater, various art faculty intro-
duced some of their pieces on display in the gallery. These included
works by professors Tyrone Geter,
Napoleon Jones-Henderson, Gina
Moore, Leon Woods, and John
Wright.
Jones-Henderson showed some
of his printmaking pieces, which
featured jazz and other activities.
Moore’s visual artwork on display
consisted of pieces made out of
grilled wire, colorful papers, and
other materials.
Woods displayed an African wood
carving. Wright’s work was of spiritual black and white crosses that
he said symbolized aspects of religion and racism.
Theater professor Charles Brooks
ended the reception by delivering
in a powerful voice a speech called
“Are You Paying Attention?” In
his speech, he related struggles in
the black community.
As he spoke, music professor and
assistant band director Isaac Bell Jr.
played the piano. He was accompanied by Fine Arts Department
Chair and Benedict’s band director
Sean Daniels on the vibraphone.
TALENT ON LOAN
Photo by Floyd Ingram
Fine Arts faculty members Isaac Bell Jr., Charles Brooks, and Sean Daniels
proffer their talents before an appreciative audience.
This is his story; he sings the songs
Music professor Dr. Ronald High shares his life story
BY AASHA BYERS
STAFF MEMBER
M
usic professor Dr. Ronald
High sits at a piano in the
first floor choir room in
the Fine Arts and Humanities building testing the keys while waiting
for the clock to strike at 7 p.m.
When it does, friends and students
of High begin the ceremony by
explaining to the audience where
High grew up (Texas), and how he
was drawn to the piano.
“I started playing the piano at age
four,” he says, explaining that his
father was a pastor and thus he
stayed in church most of the time,
listening and singing religious songs
and enjoying the piano melodies
and arrangements.
High speaks to the audience –
some of his closest friends and a
few music majors – for a program
on his life in which he shares some
memories of his life and career. The
program is called “This Is My Story, This Is My Song.”
As a boy, he continues, he enjoyed
attending school. This love for learning carried over to adulthood.
“I love seeking knowledge that
relates to music,” he says. Last
school term, High was selected as
a Fulbright Scholar to Germany, one
of the most prestigious academic
honors for a professor.
He still seeks out as much musical knowledge as possible. High
says his goals include completing
his first book, starting his own con-
servatory of music, and having his
own CD.
High has been teaching music
here at Benedict for several years
and has been conducting piano
recitals and performances on and
off campus to rave reviews and
numerous encores. He wants to continue to teach,lecture and travel.
High says family members and
students persuaded him to share his
life story. “I created this ceremony
because it is Black History Month.
I wanted to share my musical experience with the public,” he says.
Spirituality and having a strong
belief in God are also important to
High. “Always believe in God. Stay
dedicated and committed to your
musical craft.
Make music your passion and
love,” he says, wrapping up an
evening that seemed appreciated by
the audience. They clapped, shook
his hands, and thanked him for sharing his story.
Photo by Floyd Ingram
Dr. High performs one of his piano renditions.
Page 10
MARCH 2006
A RT S
&
C ULTURE
BC TIGER NEWS
Scenes from HARAMBEE 2006
“Harambee was a jam!”
B
lack History Month was something
else! Talent in so many areas was on
display for the campus and the world
to see. A plethora of activities ensued, from
music, dance, and fashion shows to historical
plays to community workshops.
HARAMBEE, an arts and musical and crafts
explosion, took place in and outside the gym.
Put together by coordinator Dr. George Devlin
and a host of volunteers, HARAMBEE was an
unqualified success.
Devlin said that this year’s turnout was more
than expected what with a steady rain all day
– even the vendors did not complain. One vendor commented, Devlin said, that he did better this year than two years ago in picture-perfect weather.
The continuous performances kept the nearly 5,000-plus crowd satisfied and desirous for
more. But they will have to wait, until
HARAMBEE returns, a never-ending showcase of all that this college has to offer and
more.
Photos by Tawain Kelly, Todd Haley and Michael Ford
Powerful new DVD has
something for everyone
‘Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan’
BY MARQUITA A. WATSON
STAFF WRITER
C
an 60’s folk singer Bob
Dylan, best known for such
haunting ballads as
“Blowin’ In the Wind” and “My
Tamborine,” sing gospel and do it
with aplomb, grace, and believability?
Well, yes, he apparently can.
Dylan has pulled it off, and
enchantingly so, thanks to the help
of some of the most prolific and
truly pioneering gospels greats in
history. He has done an admirable
job.
And now his work is available in
a new DVD, set for release in
March.
Some of the most beautiful, pulsating, heart stopping, and praiseworthy gospel songs have been
revitalized by Dylan in this new
DVD called Gotta Serve Somebody. It is actually a documentary
of the singers’performances, some
with Dylan, some not.
These are some of the most
amazing gospel and soul singers
on earth. On the DVD documentary, many of Dylan’s old songs are
brought back to life. Should we say
resurrected?
This documentary helps you to
look through Dylan’s eyes and feel
what he felt while being on stage
and performing these wonderful
tunes. It takes you into the studio
where some of the most powerful
singers relive his journey.
Gospel recording group Sounds
of Blackness adds a touch of funk
to “Solid Rock,” the first performance on the documentary. Legendary gospel artist Rev. Shirley
Caesar follows up with the title
track, “Gotta Serve Somebody,”
Dylan’s most famous and popular
song from that period of his musical career, according to Rolling
Stone magazine.
Gospel singer Dottie Peoples
gives a wonderful performance of
“I Believe in You.”
Aaron Neville, an R&B artist,
records “Saving Grace” and gospel
singer Helen Baylor gives a heart-
stopping performance of “What
Can I Do For You?” Her vocals
are strong, touching, moving, and
amazingly beautiful.
The gospel recording group The
Fairfield Four quartet records “Are
You Ready?” Their strong, cappella vocal harmonies make the
track a wonderful one to listen to.
Gospel group Mighty Clouds of
Joy sings a joyful version of
“Saved” and Regina McCrary, who
sang backup for Dylan during his
righteous years, returns to sing a
mind-blowing version of “Pressing
On,” along with the Chicago Mass
Choir.
Meanwhile, Rance Allen’s performance of “When He Returns”
best demonstrates the festive
themes of Dylan’s songwriting.
The overall documentary is a
wonderful journey to watch. It
shows Dylan at his most spiritual.
It is an inspirational show. Listening and watching it, I felt as if I
were in the studio with the artists.
This is a truly a film that will take The cover of Bob Dylan’s new DVD Performance ‘Gotta Serve Somebody: The
you on a joyful ride.
Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan’
Words of Wisdom live in all of us.
How will you share
them with the world?
In support of Black History Month,
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Page 12
S P ORT S
MARCH 2006
BC TIGER NEWS
Tigers going down in history?
BY TRAVIS SIMPKINS
STAFF WRITER
A
s the men’s regular basketball season
nears its end, Tiger News took the time
out to reflect on their stellar performance
this season.
In a preseason interview, Head Coach Fred
Watson said that his main objective was to win
over 20 games, win all home games, and to
become conference champions.
This may have sounded far fetched going head
to head with teams like Tuskegee, Stillman,
Morehouse, Paine, etc, but they sought out and
conquered.
Not only has the team won over 20 games, but
they have also won all of their home games.
Their win against Stillman (75-65) Feb. 18
avenged their only previous loss and clinched
the conference championship, which makes them
number one in the conference and number three
in the region. This is the first regular season
championship Benedict has won since 1981.
Overall their record is 18-2 improving on last
year’s 14-6 conference record. They lost only to
Albany State and Stillman, thanks to a great team
effort and individual players such as Joshua Obiajunwa, Taiwan Byrd and Zachary Barron, who
was selected as the Basketball Freshman of the
Year by the SIAC.
Part of the team’s success can be attributed to
the team’s unity.
Watson said, “My team’s accomplishments at
this point exceeded last year’s team because
they’re more together.”
Another one of Watson’s goals is to become
regional champions, a feat that Benedict has yet
to accomplish. Presently the team stands in the
number three spot and is chasing the number
one spot in the region.
Watson added that the regional championship
is still up for grabs, but they would have to play
at a very high magnitude to rid teams like Delta
State, which is number two in the country, and
Montevallo, which is number seven to even get
a chance at the Regional Championships. Both
of these teams were once number one and two
in the nation.
During the first week in March, the team traveled to Birmingham, Alabama to compete in the
73rd annual SIAC basketball tournament held
in the Fair Park Arena. Because Benedict went
into the tournament in first place, the team played
against the lowest seed team. They sought to
bring home the championship but fell short after
being knocked out in the first round.
Men’s basketball star player Joshua Obiajunwa takes a jump shot in game against
Tuskegee earlier this season.
Track coach has great
expectations for his team
SIAC CONFERENCE UPDATE
Benedict men’s and women’s
basketball teams are winners
BY NADIA MUHAMMAD
Team hopes to do well at April championships
BY KRYSTEL ROLLE
EDITOR
“I feel blessed to
be
working
with
outstanding athletes.
The team here has a lot
of potential. We just
haven’t fully tapped
into their talent yet.”
B
enedict’s track team hit the
ground running this year
and hasn’t stopped since.
The team’s rigorous schedule,
designed to prepare them for the
SIAC Spring Championships coming up in April, includes the Morehouse Relays and the University
of South Carolina State Championships.
Head Coach Frank Hyland, a
recent addition to Benedict College athletics, has great expectations for the squad this year.
“The team is very competitive,”
he said.
Hyland believes that both the
men’s and women’s team will be
contenders for the top three awards
in the conference.
“They can compete with the best
of them,” he said confidently.
Hyland, who comes to Benedict
from Voorhees College, is in his
first year here. During his tenure
at Voorhees, he received a host of
awards including 24 conference
‘Coach of the Year’ awards, 22
conference titles and two regional
titles.
He fits comfortably in the Bene-
Frank Hyland
Benedict’s Track Coach
dict College community.
“I like the environment here,”
Hyland explained. He described
his transition into Benedict as
“smooth and easy.”
Hyland has confidence in his athletes and expects only positive
results from this year’s team.
Runners to look out for this season include senior business finance
major Julie Nixon; accountant
major Sherly Sylvester; therapeutic recreation major Lindsay Colclough; chemistry major Petra
MacDonald; and freshman Irine
Chepkoech.
On the men’s side, senior Jimmie
Jones, junior and business major
Joshua Williams, therapeutic recreation major David Wheeler,
accounting major Brandon
Samuels, freshman Titus Rotich,
freshman Stanley Wright, therapeutic recreation major Kevin
Smith and criminal justice major
Antonio Williams are among the
team’s best.
Hyland expressed his excitement
for this season saying, “I feel
blessed to be working with outstanding athletes. The team has a
lot of potential. We just haven’t fully tapped into their talent yet.”
Sprinter Samuels expects for at
least half of the team to qualify for
the nationals. He believes that the
team is strong, but because of its
short number, they will probably
come in second or third. The team
consists of 39 athletes.
Hyland admits that the team is
not fully healthy right now, “but,”
he added, “we’re on pace to do
what we need to do.”
Track and field squad relaxes
between practice sessions.
Photo by Floyd Ingram
Photos by Floyd Ingram
Taiwan Byrd makes a lay up against Tuskeegee.
STAFF WRITER
T
he Benedict College family
here at home was in high
anticipation as they looked
forward to seeing the men’s and
women’s basketball teams play ball
at the SIAC Tournament Conference in Birmingham, Ala, home of
HBCU colleges Morris and Stillman.
Stillman served as host of the conference, held March 1-5.
Benedict’s men’s basketball team
played their first round on Thursday, March 2, against Birmingham’s
own Miles College. The score was
Miles, 66, and Benedict, 62.
The loss of the first round did not
stop the Benedict Tigers basketball
team from preparing for the Division Two Regionals. The team came
back on campus Friday, March 3,
so that preparations could start
immediately for the Division Two
Regional Conference.
Meanwhile, the Lady Tigers
roared onto the court as they made
their way through the first round on
Thursday, March 2, in their play
against the women’s basketball
team of Miles College.
The score was Benedict, 86, and
Miles, 80.
The Lady Tigers then moved to
the semi-final round of the championship against Paine College, but
lost after a tight game.
Former Benedict athletes
return for Alumni Weekend
BY ALAN PAGE
STAFF WRITER
I
n mid February Benedict opened
its doors and welcomed some of
our greatest former student athletes for Alumni Weekend.
Even though the alumni game was
never played, because the sponsors
were afraid the game would run over
into the regularly scheduled game,
the alumni still enjoyed the weekend
and look forward to coming back
together in the fall for homecoming.
Although the athletes were disappointed that the game never materialized, players such as Essie
Williams, 1976 graduate, and Philip
Whitfield, a 2005 graduate, expressed
their joy to be back and to see their
old teammates.
Whitfield, a former football player, said he was happy to see how successful some of the older athletes
were. He hopes to return in later
years with a success story of his own.
He left advice to current athletes
saying, “Be an ‘A’student in the class
and you’ll be an ‘A’ player on the
court, the field, and off the court.”
Over 40 former athletes came back
from states such as North Carolina,
Louisiana, New Jersey, Kentucky,
New York, Florida and South Carolina. The sports represented were
basketball, football, baseball, track
and field, tennis, volleyball and softball.
Players graduating as early as 1954
came for the weekend.
Freedman Williams (1959), who
has retired from the military, said he
was happy to see everyone, but that
he was too old to play. He add that
he would have enjoyed the game.
Marietta Jeter, a former basketball,
softball and volleyball player and
1979 graduate, enjoyed reminiscing
with old teammates and seeing the
alumni. She also expressed her disappointment in the cancellation of
the game saying, “I would have
loved to play the game.”
Kim Allen, a 1996 graduate and
former volleyball and basketball
player, expressed that same wish.
She was also prepared to play, she
said. Allen hopes that the event will
be bigger next time.
Jeter’s advice to the students was
to “Keep a level head, your head in
the books and to keep God first.”
Note: Editor Krystel Rolle contributed to this report.