The Official Directory of Winston-Salem State University

Winston-Salem State University’s (WSSU’s) Simon G. Atkins Community Development Corporation (CDC) has purchased the former Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club building at 1922 S.  Martin Luther King Drive.  The building will be renovated and developed as an enterprise center to serve as a green-business incubator that will also offer space to meet other community needs, such as a health clinic, green-job training, a community garden, music and language classes, and a computer lab.

Carol Trent Davis

The approximately 40,000 square-foot building will be renovated floor by floor to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status.  Carol Davis, executive director of the CDC, acknowledged that being “green” is more than using the right equipment or materials.  “We will work to incorporate renewable energy, such as solar panels, and we will emphasize energy conservation and recycling in our operations and in our educational outreach. A community garden will provide food for the neighborhood and volunteers who work in it, which also presents an opportunity to teach good nutrition and entrepreneurship.  We would like the garden to be organic, and we will try composting to create fertilizer and collecting rain to water the garden.”

Once the incubator floor is complete, it will become the home for up to 20 small businesses, with an emphasis on those that have a “green” focus.  In partnership with WSSU, the Simon G. Atkins CDC is focused on revitalizing the neighborhoods adjoining the WSSU campus and along the Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Drive corridor. Last year, the CDC finished work with Brailsford & Dunlavey to develop a comprehensive strategic master plan for the MLK corridor between U.S. 52 and Waughtown Street; in the plan, reuse of the former Boys and Girls Club site is highlighted as an anchor for the corridor that may stimulate additional development.

“The master plan also supported the concept of developing a business incubator for the MLK Drive community,” Davis said. “This is a prime location for this project and the timing is perfect to meet the demand to grow small businesses and create jobs.”

Notis Pagiavlas, chair of the CDC and WSSU business professor, is a strong proponent of the incubator and is working closely with the CDC on this project because of the significant impact it can have on rejuvenating the community and the region.  Under his leadership, the WSSU Center for Entrepreneurship will provide technical assistance to the entrepreneurs, match them with mentors and help them raise capital.

The first phase of renovations will start in Spring 2010 and is expected to be completed in the fall, with the first class of entrepreneurs moving in late this year. Davis has been working with the architect to ensure that the building will accomplish the needed renovations under the green-certification with a goal of having the first green-certified small-business incubator in North Carolina.

“I would like to completely occupy the building with businesses today, but much work needs to be done to retrofit the space,” added Davis. “ We are currently developing partnerships with a diverse group of supporters from WSSU, the City of Winston-Salem, the MicroEnterprise Loan Program, the Chambers of Commerce and even Duke Energy.  When The Enterprise Center is complete, the mix of tenants and community organizations will range from small start-up businesses to a health clinic.”

WSSU Chancellor Emeritus Cleon F. Thompson

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) Chancellor Donald J. Reaves has announced the establishment of the Cleon F. Thompson, Jr. Distinguished Professorship in Nursing.  The endowed chair was made possible by a gift of $250,000 from the C. D. Spangler Foundation and a matching grant from the State.

“Our program continues to be a major provider of nurses, particularly in the State of North Carolina,” said Reaves.  “An endowed professorship is crucial to our ability to recruit distinguished professors who will promote excellence in teaching, research and service.  With the impact of the healthcare field on our area and state’s economic development efforts, the emphasis on quality nursing education becomes even more important.”

The chair is named in honor of Dr. Thompson, who served as Chancellor at WSSU from 1985 until 1995.  During Thompson’s tenure, the goals of the university included recruitment of quality faculty and surpassing accreditation standards.  The Student Services Center on the campus is named for Thompson.  After leaving WSSU, he continued work within the University of North Carolina system and at Shaw University.  Thompson is also a director emeritus for the North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development.

“Cleon had a tremendous impact during his 10 years at Winston-Salem State,” added Reaves.  “The $25 million ‘Centennial Campaign’ was launched under his leadership and that led to expansion of the university’s program and its campus.  It was also during this time that the nursing program was revitalized and the university saw an increase in both the student body and the size of the faculty.”

The C. D. Spangler Foundation is named after C. D. Spangler, Jr.  A successful Charlotte businessman and advocate for public education at all levels, Spangler served as president of the University of North Carolina from 1986 to 1997.  The Foundation supports a challenge-grant program created by UNC to increase the number of distinguished professorships in high-need academic fields.

The Motorsport Management Program at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is increasing its global presence by establishing a new academic journal, “The International Journal of Motorsport Management,” and by planning international opportunities for its students.

Dr. Teague has worked tirelessly to expand the motorsport program.

“We are very pleased to announce that Shell Oil Company has made a generous contribution to our efforts,” said Dr. Travis Teague, coordinator of the Motorsport Management Program. “This gift will enable us to expand our international efforts, as well as address the critical need to provide our students with experiential learning opportunities that now exist in the industry.”

“Winston-Salem State University’s motorsport management program is a leader in secondary education and its expansion into the international scope of our business further strengthens their position,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Shell Oil Company’s long history in the motorsports industry, including their current partnership with Richard Childress Racing, gives them a unique perspective on what it takes to succeed. This involvement in the expansion of Winston-Salem State’s motorsport program shows their commitment to the future of our sport.”

The journal and expanded international efforts also underscore WSSU’s commitment to the future of motorsports.

“With the international impact of motorsports, it has become evident that an academic journal focusing on the management issues in the industry is a needed project that we would like to take on,” Teague added.  “The journal will provide an opportunity for higher education professionals to publish scholarly works that are both timely and useful to professional motorsports managers.”

The journal will focus on the management of motorsports facilities, teams and human resources, as well as the risk and legal issues facing today’s industry administrators.

As part of efforts to expand the Motorsport Management Program on a more global level, the faculty will travel to France this summer to further develop an international curricular component for the program.

“In the summer of 2011, students and faculty will then travel to Paris to study the tremendous cultural and historical aspects of motorsports in France,” said Teague.  “They will also study the impact of the 1955 24 Hours of LeMans tragedy, which was the worst accident in motorsports history killing 83 people including spectators and drivers.  That accident had a profound impact on safety initiatives within the global motorsports industry.

“As we continue to expand our program opportunities, our goal is to have an annual international experience. These global initiatives are designed to prepare today’s college students for the international challenges of tomorrow’s motorsports marketplace,” Teague added.

WSSU is the only four-year university in the country, and the only historically black college or university, to offer a Bachelor of Science degree program in motorsport management.  The program offers two concentrations, motorsports operations and motorsports marketing/event planning.

The program also benefits from an Advisory Council, which represents management facets of the motorsports industry.  Some of the members of that group are Childress, Sprint Cup driver Jeff Burton, NASCAR’s Director of Diversity Dawn Harris and International Speedway Corporation’s Todd Ervin.

“With the guidance of our Advisory Council members and supporters such as Shell Oil Company, we are able to provide our students with the skills, knowledge and experience that will make them assets in the global motorsports industry,” Teague explained.  “Our work also complements the efforts that many motorsports organizations are making to include more minorities and women in their operations.”

Chancellor Reaves

Winston-Salem State University was the subject of a town hall community forum to support the university sponsored by the Minister’s Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity at Union Baptist Church March 16.

The forum titled “The Minister’s Conference and Winston-Salem State University Town Hall Meeting” consisted of musical selections from the University Choir, a message from Chancellor Reaves, a panel discussion involving representatives from the Minister’s Conference and the WSSU community, and a question and answer session.

The event also included information booths set up and manned by representatives from various elements of the university community.

By most accounts, the event was a major success.

Ms. Fathia-Anna Davis speaks to students in the Intercultural Communication Course

Fathia-Anna Davis, a Registered Nurse, is a nursing student in WSSU’s RN to BSN program. Though born in the United States, she was raised by her Haitian parents in Haiti, until she came back as a young teenager for a better education.  As a member of the North Carolina National Guard, she was able to return to Haiti five days after the earthquake that killed tens of thousands of her people.   Although she went to help others, she also went to find her parents, Roche and Rolande Maignan, both age 76.

She never did.  No longer able to help her parents, Fathia worked in the operating room, assisting with amputations and instructing carpenters on making crutches for the disabled.

Fathia recently returned to her alma mater to share her experiences with students in the Intercultural Communication course of Andrea Patterson, instructor of Speech Communication in the Department of English and Foreign Languages.

Fathia shared her memories of the screams she heard of those in pain, the piles of dead bodies, the scenes of destruction for as far as the eye could see, and the day-to-day struggle for survival.

Listen as Fathia recounts her harrowing ordeal, recorded just after her return from Haiti, in an interview with a Winston-Salem Journal reporter.

Davis will graduate in May. Her plan is to return to Haiti.

WSSU’s Rams H.O.P.E. project is doing what it can to aid the victims of Haiti and other earthquake-ravaged nations. To learn more, go to the WSSU Web site at www.wssu.edu to see how you can help.

Prospective young healthcare professionals in training.

Eleven middle school students from the Piedmont Triad region and areas surrounding Charlotte, who participated in Winston-Salem State University’s (WSSU) School of Health Sciences’ summer Youth Exploring Health Sciences (Camp YEHS!) program, returned for a day of refresher activities. The goal was to keep the students interested in health care careers, even after the summer program ended.

On March 6, Baptist AirCare landed a medivac helicopter as part of the exercises to help students practice emergency and disaster medical treatment. The landing was made at the Regional Emergency Response and Recovery Center of Triad RAC, the headquarters of Triad SMAT II Team located at 942 South Main Street, Lexington, N.C.

Instructors guided students through a simulated medical disaster.  The teens practiced CPR, splinting, bandaging and testing vital signs, as well as learning techniques on pig feet, intubation on mannequins and creating surgical airways- on pig tracheas.

WSSU’s Camp YEHS! is a two-week summer enrichment program for rising ninth-grade students from underrepresented populations.  The program’s goal is to help boost the number of people of color, males, and other underrepresented groups entering tomorrow’s health-science careers. It is designed to educate, prepare and enhance their academic qualifications for careers in nursing and the health-science professions.

During the summer, the program includes a two-week residency on the WSSU campus and an opportunity to shadow a health care professional in their community. The program also includes guided career facilitation sessions and a post-mentorship experience.  The free program is sponsored by a North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation grant.

The program is accepting applications for the summer of 2010 (July 11- 23) program. Applications deadline is March 31. For more information, please contact Program Director Marina A. Skinner, at (336) 750-3047 or skinnerma@wssu.edu.

Click here see more of the YEHS medical disaster training experience.

Kevin Powell emphasizes a point during his address at the Black Male Symposium.

Noted political activist and author Kevin Powell keynoted Winston-Salem State University’s sixth annual Black Male Symposium on February 25.

The day included a morning panel presentation in Dillard Auditorium. The panelists included: Dr. Nkrumah Lewis, WSSU assistant professor of Sociology; Dr. William Boone, WSSU assistant professor of African American Culture; Fleming El-Amin, chair of the Forsyth County Democratic party; Algenon Cash, managing partner of Wharton & Gladden Company, LLC, and a student member of Black Men for Change.

The Black Male Symposium examines issues related to upward mobility and progress in uplifting black males, preparing them to be leaders, and seeing them through the graduation process.  In past years, featured speakers have included Dr. Na’im Akbar, Spike Lee, Rev. Floyd Flake, and Jim Ellis.

Powell is an activist, writer, public speaker, pop culture aficionado and, most recently, a 2008 Democratic candidate for Congress in Brooklyn, N.Y. A product of extreme poverty, welfare, fatherlessness, and a single mother-led household, he is a native of Jersey City, N.J., and was educated at Rutgers University.  Powell is a longtime resident of Brooklyn, and it is from this base he has published nine books, including his recent essay title, Someday We’ll All Be Free (Soft Skull Press). This book is a collection of provocative pieces on freedom, democracy, justice, and race in America, as inspired by Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 presidential election, and September 11, 2001.

Besides running for Congress, Powell also managed to publish two new books in 2008: No Sleep Till Brooklyn <http://www.kevinpowell.net/books.php> , his second volume of poetry; and The Black Male Handbook: A Blueprint for Life <http://www.kevinpowell.net/books.php> , a self-help book geared toward the healing, development and empowerment of Black men and boys.

Members of Black Men for Change read three of Powell’s books: Someday We’ll All Be Free, The Black Male Handbook and Open Letters to America to prepare for his lecture and engage in intellectual dialogue about issues impacting Black males in America.

Five students from Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) made presentations at the 2010 Annual Meeting for the Southeast Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine February 11 – 13 in Greenville, S.C. Ten  students and three faculty members from WSSU’s Department of Human Performance and Sport Sciences attended the event.

Dr. Jesse Pittsley

“Selection to present at this scientific meeting is by a peer review process,” said Dr. Jesse Pittsley, coordinator of WSSU’s exercise science program.  “The students and faculty participating in the program represent the largest group of presentations WSSU has had selected in nearly 20 years. Kevin Ritsche, Dr. Mike McKenzie and I were all extremely proud to have mentored five undergraduate students to produce presentations worthy of acceptance for the conference.”

In addition to the exercise science students and faculty taking part in the program, WSSU’s occupational therapy and physical therapy programs were also at the meeting recruiting students for those graduate programs.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) promotes and integrates scientific research, education and practical applications of sports medicine and exercise science with the goal of maintaining and enhancing physical performance, fitness, health and quality of life.  The Southeast Chapter of ACSM has led the way in program design, research and student development.  The southeast region covers Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Dr. Kenneth Chandler

Dr. Kenneth W. Chandler, former president of the Chandler Group, a fundraising consulting firm, was recently named director of corporate and foundation relations at Winston-Salem State University.

In the new role, he will be responsible for developing and building relationships with corporations and foundations nationwide, with concentration on the Piedmont Triad and Research Triangle Park regions.

Chandler brings to the position an abundance of higher education fundraising experience.  In addition to leading his own business for 10 years, he has also served as a consultant with SEM Works and the AST Group, both fundraising consulting companies.   He has more than 20 years of higher education fundraising experience.

Chandler is also an adjunct professor with Strayer University, where he teaches graduate education and public administration courses.

“We are pleased to have attracted a development professional of Kenneth’s caliber to our team,” said Michelle Cook, WSSU vice chancellor for university advancement.  “His knowledge of fundraising is exceptional and we believe he will elevate our advancement efforts.”

He began his professional career in student affairs/development and financial affairs at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.  He moved rapidly through the ranks and continued to build his professional portfolio with government relations work for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, advancement work with the American Council on Education in Washington D.C., and research and program administration work with the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey.

In North Carolina, Chandler amassed a successful career in institutional advancement and external affairs at Guilford College, Saint Augustine’s College and as a business owner and consultant.  Chandler has participated in many leadership and speaking roles with Leadership Raleigh, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

He is active in community affairs and has held board positions with the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, United Arts, Red Cross, Big Brothers of America, Salvation Army, Greensboro and Wake County Public School Associations, Cary Academy, and ClubCorp Incorporated.

Winston-Salem State University Lyceum Cultural Events and the Division of Student Affairs– present guitarist/vocalist George Benson – on Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in the Kenneth R. Williams Auditorium.  Tickets are now available at the University Ticket Office – (336) 750.3220.  The prices are $37.50 – all day show tickets; $32.50 – for advance tickets and $10.00 – for WSSU Students with valid I.D.

George Benson

Appreciated by millions as both a musician and performer, George Benson has always had the dual role of expert improviser and vibrant entertainer. He has consistently placed his keenly discerning art in the service of a rousing good time. Rounding out his singular approach with sly, seductive rhythm and blues, he has earned himself an impeccable reputation as one of music’s most enterprising and engaging stars.

Few might have predicted that striking level of stardom some forty years ago, when Benson was a fledgling guitarist working the corner pubs of his native Pittsburgh. That’s where his yen to please a crowd was born. “I was an entertainer first,” he says proudly. “As a kid I sang, danced, and played the ukulele in a nightclub. As my career has progressed, I’ve had the pleasure of playing with the baddest jazz cats on the planet. But that doesn’t change my desire to entertain folks. That’s really who I am. I really like when people kick up their heels and go crazy.”

Benson’s work is boundless.  In the late ’60s, he sat in on heady Miles Davis sessions, and also put a personal spin on the tunes from the Beatles’ Abbey Road.  His “Breezin’” was the first jazz record to attain platinum sales. The 1976 blockbuster, his first in a long association with Warner Bros. Records, brought the instrumental title track to jazz radio. And Benson’s soulful update of Leon Russell’s “This Masquerade,” which featured the guitarist scatting along with his solo break, was a pop smash. He followed up with many pop hits, including a sultry version of “On Broadway” and the irresistible “Give Me The Night,” which thrilled many a dancer.

Throughout the 1980’s – in association with Warner Bros. and LiPuma – Benson was able to release several smash hits.  Individually, they blended grooves and guitar work, proving that R & B was a natural part of Benson’s profile.  Collectively, they cemented his global renown.  The guitarist has won eight GRAMMY®s, played around the world, and thrilled many crowds with his playing.

His release Irreplaceable marks a directional shift back to silky sexy soul music –– with a decidedly contemporary urban edge. “ However, he regards himself as an entertainer in the broadest sense of the word – as a singer of songs, and as a spinner of tales. These qualities are the essence of his latest release Songs and Stories on Concord Records/Monster Music.

Contact 336.750.2530 or legettel@wssu.edu <mailto:legettel@wssu.edu>  for additional information.

WSSU students and actors from the community were the players in the performance.

Winston-Salem State University’s Diggs Gallery hosted Young Americans: The Performance, a modern play reflecting the sentiments from photographs featured in the gallery’s current exhibition Young Americans: Photographs by Sheila Pree Bright, in February.

The performances, featured WSSU students and community actors, and was held at Dillard Auditorium in the Anderson Conference Center.

Andre Minkins, WSSU drama professor and author of more than 20 plays, wrote Young Americans: The Performance based on the Bright exhibition and student writings from Authoring Action, a youth authors institute co-founded by Nathan Ross Freeman and Lynn Rhoades.

Young Americans: Photographs by Sheila Pree Bright was on exhibit at Diggs Gallery through March 6.  This dynamic new series of photographs by the Atlanta-based photographer explores the identities of U. S. citizens and immigrants pursuing citizenship by presenting portraits of Americans aged 18 – 25, each posing with the American flag. The exhibition features 49 large-format chromogenic prints, several accompanied by statements from the subjects revealing their unique conceptions of patriotism.  The project began in 2006 and features 15 WSSU participants.

The Bright exhibition is organized by The Amistad Center for Art & Culture, Inc., of Hartford, Conn., in collaboration with the High Museum of Art, in Atlanta, Georgia.  It was made possible by generous grants from Aetna, the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources and the WSSU Office of Student Affairs.

All Star Jazz Band wails during recent scholarship benefit concert.

The Fine Arts Department recently sponsored an “All-Star Big Band Jazz Concert” on February 27 in the K. R. Williams Auditorium to support the Emory Jones Endowed Scholarship in music.

“Well-known musician and educator Dr. Burgess Gardner  served as conductor for the evening and he provided the musical arrangements for the band,” said Dr. Charles Hicks, chair of the Fine Arts Department.  “Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter Derrick Gardner joined other outstanding jazz performers from this area to create the all-star band.  Five of those musicians are themselves alumni of WSSU.”

“We are excited about the concert and that it provided an opportunity to increase the funding for the Emory Jones Endowed Scholarship,” Hicks added.  “Emory Jones dedicated his time, energy and talent to the music program at WSSU. His love for the university, his commitment to the WSSU band and his care for each student created a musical legacy, and the marching band remains an icon for the school.”

Count Basie Jazz Band vocalist Chris Murrell lends his support to the scholarship effort.

The Emory Jones Scholarship was created to support undergraduate students at WSSU who are majoring in instrumental music education and plan to be a public school band director. It is named in honor of Emory Jones, a 1971 WSSU alumnus, who served public school students in North Carolina for more than 30 years.  He taught at West Davidson, Atkins, East Forsyth and Carver high schools before serving as band director for WSSU from 1994 until he retired in 2004.

The event raised more than $2,000.

D'Walla Burke's magic touch has earned the WSSU Choir national and international recognition.

An invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall on Jan. 18 marked another achievement in an exceptional year for the Winston-Salem State University Choir, under the direction of D’ Walla Simmons Burke, WSSU director of Choral and Vocal Studies.

In addition to performing at Carnegie Hall for the second time in two years, Burke and the Choir were also listed as a 2009 Grammy-award entry in five categories: Best Classical Album, Best Orchestra Performance, Best Choral Performance, Best Classical Vocal and Best Contemporary Composition.

A Grammy initial entry is a list of recordings that are submitted by record companies and individuals. The list of recordings is voted on by the Recording Academy’s voting members. The five earning the most votes become nominees.

The WSSU choir currently has 5 CDs available:  Somewhere Far Away; Lift Every Voice and Sing; I Wanna Be Ready; and In Silent Night, and a new CD entitled: Hold Fast To Dreams was released March 1.  There is also a CD available of the Music Voice Faculty entitled:  The Voices of Winston-Salem State University.

Belinda Tate is recognized for her work.

to Belinda Tate, director of Diggs Gallery, who was recently selected as one of the Business Journal of the Triad’s “40 under 40” winners for 2010. Tate has been director at Diggs Gallery for the past 10 years. Diggs Gallery is one of the South’s leading showcases dedicated to African and African-American art. The gallery is a major cultural center at Winston-Salem State University and offers one of the largest exhibition spaces dedicated to the arts of Africa and the African Diaspora in North Carolina.  In 2007, the gallery was identified as one of the top 10 African-American galleries in the nation.

Judy Willis

to Judy Marie Willis, a media professional with more than two decades in the industry, who recently named Managing Editor of the School of Health Sciences’ Journal of Best Practices in Health Professions Diversity: Research, Education and Policy.

Her appointment coincides with the re-focusing of the Journal, which has strengthened its mission to address issues of diversity in the health professions. The school is producing a scholarly publication that examines the complex issues that account for health disparities in communities of color, as well as, the practices and/or policies that facilitate or hinder diversity within and across health professions.

“I am extremely pleased that Ms. Willis has agreed to join us as Managing Editor of the Journal,” said Dr. Peggy Valentine, dean of the School of Health Sciences.    “As we position the Journal of Best Practices as the definitive scholarly publication related to diversity in health professions, having a managing editor of her caliber will be of much value.”

Chevara Orrin

to Chevara Orrin, director of Conferences and Institutes, who has been elected to join the Board of Directors of Equality NC, a statewide group dedicated to securing equal rights and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Orrin serves as co-advisor for the WSSU Gay-Straight Student Alliance and is an active community advocate for LGBT rights. She is certified as a Safe Zone trainer and recently presented at North Carolina A&T University and the Equality NC Conference at University of North Carolina-Greensboro about the challenges facing LGBT students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Equality NC works toward the organization’s goal by effectively lobbying the North Carolina General Assembly, executive branch, and local governments on issues like inclusive anti-bullying policies, employment discrimination, hate violence, privacy rights, sexuality education, adoption, domestic partnership, HIV/AIDS, and more. They also work to engage North Carolinians through educational programming and outreach efforts.

Marilyn Roseboro

to Marilyn Roseboro, an associate professor in the WSSU Department of Mass Communications and faculty advisor to the WSSU Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Team, and to the team itself for making the cut at in the 2010 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Tournament in Orlando, Fla., April 10-13.  The competition to make this year’s national tournament was especially stiff because the field was reduced from 64 teams to just 48.

The following students will represent WSSU:

(From left to right) — Terrance Hobbs, senior mass communications major; Candace Kelly – captain, senior history major; Krista Brown, sophomore sport management major; and Stephen Archie, freshman computer science major. They are reviewing a catalog to select uniforms for the national tournament in Orlando April 10-13.

Candace Kelly, Senior Elementary Education Major – Captain
Stephen Archie, Freshman Computer Science Major
Krista Brown, Sophomore Sport Management Major
Terrance Hobbs, Senior Mass Communications Major

The selection of the 48 institutions involved a review of: level of student participation; quality of promotional efforts; an institution’s historical record when attending the NCT (National Championship Tournament); results from the campus tournament in the current season; personnel changes materially affecting an institution’s potential preparedness, and other factors that addressed the need to raise the calibre of the field.

Honda Campus All-Star Challenge is the first-ever academic competition between students at America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Honda has sponsored the program since its inception.  (www.hcasc.com)

Left to right (first row): LaTasha Miles; Sports Editor, Tiffany Gibson; Editor in Chief Left to right (second row): Marcus Cunningham; Copy Desk Chief; Brandon Coley; Graphics Artist, James Cherry; Chief Online Producer

to Dr. Lona Cobb, professor of Journalism and News Argus faculty advisor, and the staff of the student on-line publication News Argus, which won “Best of Show” for Online News Site in the North Carolina College Media Association competition. Results of the statewide media contest were announced at third annual NC College Media Conference held Feb. 20 at Elon University. “Best of Show” recognizes top entries in the statewide contest.
Other News Argus awards included:

“News Writing” — Tiffany Gibson, Third Place;

“Sports Writing” —  LaTasha Miles, Honorable Mention;

“Design” — Brandon Coley, Honorable Mention; and,

“Photography” — Corderius Cowans, Honorable Mention.
A total of 40 North Carolina student media published during the 2009 academic year, including yearbooks and literary magazines, were eligible for awards in the 2010 NC College Media Association competition.

NCCMA is based in the offices of the Scholastic Media Association at UNC-Chapel Hill. The association offers an annual statewide media contest and an annual conference on a different college campus in the state each year. The 2011 conference will take place at Appalachian State University.

In addition, The News Argus won three awards in the 2009 HBCU Excellence in Journalism Student Newspaper Contest. The awards were presented during of the 12th annual National HBCU Student News Media Conference & Career Fair held Feb. 11-14 at Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss.

The awards include:

Best News Series, Investigative or in-depth Story
Third Place — Housing Takes Gamble (Tiffany Gibson)

Best News Coverage
First Place — Coverage of the ROTC (Marcus Cunningham)

Best Informational Graphic or News/Art Illustration
Third Place — Brandon Coley, Graphics Artist; LaTasha Miles, Content

The Black College Communication Association (BCCA) annually conducts the Excellence in Journalism competition to encourage and recognize excellence among HBCU student journalists and newspapers. The contest is open to BCCA member publications.  Each member publication is encouraged to contribute its best journalistic work featured in HBCU student publications.

Hundreds of balloons released in support of earthquake victims in Haiti.

to the Division of Students Affairs for rallying student support for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Students have gathered money, food, water, clothing, medical supplies and other items to help quake victims and are continuing to do so.  A new student relief aid organization, called Rams H.O.P.E., recently held a Hope Floats Balloon Release, which gave students and other participants an opportunity to write down a prayer, wish, aspiration, or whatever they felt on a card that was attached to a balloon.  It was also an opportunity to donate any items.

WSSU’s student efforts to aid Haiti were recognized in the February 4 issue of Journal of Blacks in Higher Education.

Click here to see the balloon launch.

Massey is flanked (left) by Ms. Willams and Miss WSSU, Courtney Dubose.

to Dale Williams, director of Students Activities and advisor to Miss WSSU, Mr. WSSU and the royal court, and to Mr. WSSU, Davril T. Massey, who won the 6^th Annual Mr. HBCU Leadership Competition held Feb. 28. at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo.  Massey competed against ten other University Kings’ in areas that included: Oratory, Talent, Ease of Manner/Projection (formal wear), and Question and Answer.  He was also awarded Mr. Oratory for having the highest score in that competition. Massey will reign as Mr. HBCU 2010-2011, making special appearances and presentations and  receiveing a $1,500 scholarship and four hours of studio time with multi-platinum, Grammy award-winning artist Nelly.

David Motley

to David Motley, WSSU grounds supervisor, and his wife Lisa, for their service as coaches to students at North Davie Middle School, competing in the North Carolina Science Olympiad (NCSO). NCSO is a non-profit organization that is focused on students with interests in science, technology, engineering and math. The NCSO hosts annual tournaments that consists of challenging events incorporating learning and knowledge from science, technology and engineering disciplines. North Davie is the only middle school in the county with an NCSO team. North Davie came in ninth out of 21 teams in just their second year of competition.

WSSU has been the hub of activity in the community during the winter months in spite of the snow.

Black History Month memories.

Scene from Hoo Doo Love

Dr. Noel Erskine delivers James A. Gray lecture.

Simon Johnson speaks for Joseph N. Patterson lecture.

The American Spiritual Ensemble offers a stunning performance.

Noted pianist Jade Simmons dazzled her audience even as the snow fell.

Dr. Joanette McClain, professor of nursing in the WSSU School of Health Sciences, could not resist the temptation of making a snowwoman with nearly a foot of snow on the ground.