Marauders Riding Four-Game Win Streak, Beats Rival Wilberforce 83-61

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The Marauders has caught fire.

After Monday’s 83-61 win against longtime rival and across the street neighbor Wilberforce, the Marauders are now riding a four-game winning streak.

From MarauderSports.com, “We knew that this was a big game for the community. We just wanted to take care of business,” said Raheem Lemons, who is also tonight’s Player of the Game. “We have done a good job of scoring and moving the ball on offense. We will turn our focus to keeping this winning streak going on the road this Thursday.”

The Marauders (11-6) will now travel to play conference foe Salem International on Thursday.

In Honor of MLK, a Former Mr. CSU Tells Students to ‘Dream Again’

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WILBERFORCE, Ohio – Today, Monday honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Christopher Arrone, a Central State University graduate who is also a former Mr. CSU, challenged students to “Wake up, and dream again.” Arrone served as keynote speaker of today’s ‘March to Freedom’ event, which started on the campus of CSU, a historically black college or university (HBCU), earlier this morning.

“Good morning everybody,” said Arrone, who is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, to a crowd of some 100 students arriving at the local Xenia Courthouse after a brief walk from the Sunken Garden on campus.

“When I did this march [last year] it was freezing cold,” Arrone said “…I thought that I would have 10 to 15 minutes [to speak] if it was cold, but since it’s warm I’ll talk to you guys for about an hour.”

“Is that okay?” he asked, as the audience let out a laugh.

The student-led march, organized by members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Delta Xi Chapter, started at 10 am. In advance to walking 3.6 miles in a mostly clear sky, 46 degree-day to the neighboring town of Xenia, hot refreshments was served by the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Beta Xi Chapter.

“It is my pleasure to serve as an alarm clock, and I say, ‘Wake up!’” Arrone said, echoing “Dap” from the Spike Lee joint ‘School Daze’ played by Laurence Fishburne whose message to the student body at fictional Mission College (a Black college in the film) was to wake up and take control of their lives. “…We cannot lose our purpose, we have to wake up!” he said.

“We cannot lose our identity, we have to wake up! We cannot lose our dream, we have to wake up!”

He continued, “Some of us are sleep walking, sleep walking is described as a disorder that occurs when people walk, or are doing other activities while they are still sleep,” he said.

“…Some of us are sleep walking with our friends when we just chill, we are sleep walking when we sleep in and let our days go by… We are not really aiming to accomplish something in our day to day lives,” Arrone said, stating that sleep walking is ‘dangerous.’

Founded Jan. 8, 1951 on the campus of Central State University, the only public HBCU in the state of Ohio, Delta Xi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity has organized a student-led march to the local Xenia Courthouse since the early 1980s.

“This is a march that is done to honor Dr. King and the work that he has done,” said now retired CSU Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science, Mr. Robert Marcus, who is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

“But because of you,” said Mr. Marcus, “…and your support and participation, the dream and the words and the legacy of Dr. King is alive [today].”

He added, “…Actions speak louder than words.”

“If we want to have a better city, a better state and a better nation, then we have to vote,” Mr. Marcus said, challenging CSU students to vote.

“…I speak to you as a man who has made more mistakes than I would want to admit. The God who made Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is the same God who made you and me,” Arrone said.

“He made us with just as much purpose and with just as much passion, and with no mistakes… [And] it is His desire for you to fulfill every dream He has given you,” he said. “Wake up, dream again.”

CSU President Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, her husband and First Man, Dr. James Eric Hammond Sr. and Mayor of Xenia Marsha J. Bayless was also in attendance during today’s event.

5 Things You Need to Know Monday in HBCU Community

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Tennessee State Moves to Four Day Classes


TSU students are saying goodbye five day class schedule and hello to newly four days of classes policy after President of Tennessee State Glenda Glover recently announced that the university will move to a four day class schedule and will now hold classes from Monday to Thursday.

But the switch does not amount to spending less time in class… In fact, students will spend more time in classes–1 hour and 20 minutes to be exact.

 

Howard Grad Kamala Harris to Run for Senate


This Howard University graduate just declared her candidacy to represent the people of California in the United States Senate.

Attorney General Kamala Harris of California plans to seek a Senate seat vacated by Sen. Barbara Boxer in 2016.

 

Phillip Agnew Calls FAMU Students to Action


The executive director of the Dream Defenders Phillip Agnew asked Florida A&M University students, “When will you answer the call?” while speaking at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation on campus.

13 HBCUs Recipient of $25M Cybersecurity Grant


Due to the “rapid growth” of cybercrime Vice President Joe Biden and the White House will grant $25 million to 13 Black colleges and bring together and train minority students in STEM professional development, in particular cybersecurity.

 

TOP 5 HBCU BANDS 2015 Announced


The Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band of Jackson State University Marching earned the number one spot in the Top 5 HBCU Bands poll with over 17,000 votes counted in. (WOW!!)

The rest of the Top 5 HBCU Bands 2015 can be viewed here.

Tennessee State to Host 34th Annual African-American History and Culture Conference

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Tennessee State University will host its 34th annual Nashville Conference of African-American History and Culture on Friday, February 13 starting at 9 am on the university’s Avon Williams campus, according to a university press release.

The university says the conference is centered on, “the educational and musical legacies of Nashville’s African-American community.”

The annual conference has united historians, students, educators, community leaders and others interested in African-American history and culture since its start in 1981. For over 30 years the conference has had a tradition of focusing on unsung heroes in the local cultural history from slavery to present.

With conference speakers and highlighters who have been trailblazers in the fields of education, civil rights, and the arts, the event is expected to continue on with the conference’s traditions. Attendees can look forward to performances by Nashville Public Library’s Wishing Chair Productions as well as winning student video documentaries from the 2014 Tennessee History Day competition.

Registration is $20, and lunch and parking are also included.

To register visit: www.nashville.gov/mhc, or call 615.862.7970.

CSU’s Alphas to Honor MLK With Walk to Local Courthouse

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WILBERFORCE, Ohio – As part of the celebration honoring the late Martin Luther King Jr. a student-led march from the campus of Central State University, in Wilberforce, Ohio to the Xenia Courthouse will take place tomorrow, Monday Jan. 19 starting at 10 am. The annual MLK March to Freedom is sponsored by the men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Delta Xi Chapter.

Students will assemble at the Sunken Garden on campus and march 3.6 miles, or approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to the Xenia Municipal Court located on 101 North Detroit Street.

Upon arrival to the courthouse, the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Beta Xi Chapter will provide hot refreshments.

HBCU Buzz reporter and Editor-in-chief Tommy G. Meade Jr. will be on site.

Is Obama’s Free Community College Plan Good for HBCUs?

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Last week President Barack Obama announced a proposal that would make tuition at community colleges free for ‘serious’ students seeking to better their lives by obtaining an education. But how will this proposal affect the country’s 107 historically black colleges or universities (HBCUs)?

“I applaud the president’s efforts to assist students with their education, particularly at no cost, given the economy and increasing cost of higher education,” said Frank Pogue, President of Cheyney University.

Supporters of Obama’s latest course of action points to the potential pipeline from community college directly to Black colleges, and that more so than not, students will be more academically prepared heading to a four-year college and straddled with less debt.

In addition, supporters also believes that this proposal will only boost previous agreements made by some community colleges and HBCUs administrations who have already partnered together to tackle specific issues, in particular student debt.

From The Root, “The problem is that, historically, many people who earn community college degrees don’t go on through college. So HBCUs could be pioneers in changing that as a major gateway for opportunities in higher education. That could boost our enrollment in the long run if we do this right.”

For HBCUs, with the challenges in recruitment and retention, this could be an excellent way ensure the survival and the thriving of HBCUs in years to come.

But a potential negative could be the Federal government itself.

Those who questions the president’s proposal to make community colleges “free for everybody who is willing to work for it” believes that the free tuition plan could create some financial hiccups for students wanting to move forward to college from community colleges:

“The way the proposal is currently constructed, transfer students will exhaust most of their Pell Grant money before they’re admitted into a four-year college,” says Micah Ali, President of the Compton Unified School District. “…However, only 15 percent of students who start at a two-year public college receive a bachelor’s degree within six years.

“For more-promising results, higher-caliber students would have to defer a four-year college to attend community college, or community colleges would have to improve their academic support and rigor dramatically,” said Ali.

Lady Marauders Comeback Falls Short at Home

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WILBERFORCE, Ohio – Central State fought hard all the way to the end but could not put the finishing touches on their late comeback drive to defeat their opponents today, losing 66-65 at home to Kentucky Wesleyan in a tight played match that went right down to the wire.

Kentucky Wesleyan improves to 8-6 overall while the Lady Marauders falls to 3-10 on the season, and are now 1-4 in conference play.

The Lady Marauders scored the opening basket in the 1st half and but later found themselves on the defensive throughout the duration of today’s game against the Panthers.

Senior Guard Inquia Snell again led the Lady Marauders in scoring for the ninth straight contest with 22 points and helped CSU to make a late comeback drive in the 2nd half and a shot at victory. It was not enough though to hold off the KWU Panthers.

Central State is back at home against down-the-street rival Wilberforce Monday at 6 p.m.

CSU Surprises Kentucky Wesleyan in 64-62 Win

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With a chance to climb up the Great Midwest Athletic Conference standings, the Central State men’s basketball team defeated perennial conference power Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday, 64-62.

With the win, the Marauders have put together a string of three consecutive victories for the first time this season and are now tied in the loss column for the top spot in the G-MAC.

Kentucky Wesleyan, which had a 9 game winning streak snapped in a 1 point loss to Cedarville on Thursday, led the entire 1st half. KWC’s leading scorer Ken-Jah Bosley had 9 points to help give his team a 34-23 lead at the break. The CSU shooters struggled to connect in the first stanza, converting just 29% from the field and managed just 1 basket from beyond the arc.

“Things weren’t going our way in the first,” CSU Head Coach Joseph Price said. “We were able to hang around in the first and kept ourselves in the game with good defense.”

The momentum shifted in the second as the Marauders went on a 11-0 run capped by a fast break layup from Masceo Harmon at the 13:07 mark to give his team a 42-38 lead. Kentucky Wesleyan managed to keep pace and came back to tie the game(55-55) on a CJ Blackwell layup with 3:50 to play. Tre’ Edwards came back down on the other end to score to put CSU back up by 2. Forward Raheem Lemons delivered a crowd energizing put back dunk at the 1:40 mark to give the Marauders a 4 point lead. A layup by KWC’s Patrick Neel cut the lead back down to 2. Free throw shooting proved to be crucial down the stretch with CSU unable to put the Panthers away due to a 3-6 performance in the last 1:23 of the game. Bosley had a chance to tie the game for the Panthers from the line but failed to convert the first attempt. Forced to foul, KWC sent Jeremy Brown to the line. Brown made 1 of 2 with 4.6 seconds left. The ball found its way into KWC’s CJ Blackwell, who’s potential game winner from half court came up short at the buzzer.

“Our focus all week was on this game,” Masceo Harmon said. “We managed to stay strong through the ups and the downs of the game and came out on top. This is a huge win for our team.”

Harmon scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half to go along with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Lemons racked up 12 points and 13 rebounds. Brown finished with 11 points and 2 steals. Tre’ Edwards finished with a game high 3 steals to go along with 9 points. Central State’s game against Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday (13-3; 3-0) is scheduled for a 4 pm tip-off.

CSU, which does not have a player over 6’5 in its rotation, managed to outrebound a much longer Kentucky Wesleyan team 39 to 37. The Marauders also held an edge 38-26 edge in points in the paint.

Kentucky Wesleyan fell to 13-4 overall with a 3-2 mark in the conference.

Now at 10-6 overall and 3-1 in the G-MAC, the Marauders will head to West Virginia to face Salem International on Thursday.

This article originally appeared on MarauderSports.com.

Central State’s Masceo Harmon Gets Nod for Player of the Game

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The Central State Marauders stunned the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers in a thriller that had everyone on the edges of their seats right down to the end of play, winning 64-62 at home today.

“This is a huge win for our team,” said Senior Guard Masceo Harmon, who scored a game-high 21 points, and named the Player of the Game.

He added, “Our focus all week was on this game. We managed to stay strong through the ups and the downs of the game and came out on top.”

Nancy Grace, 2 Chainz Stirs the Pot About Marijuana

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Updated 2:01 pm 1/16/2015

Nancy Grace invites rapper 2 Chainz on to her HLN show for a surprisingly amazing debate over the legalization of marijuana.

During the debate the rapper, who graduated from Alabama State University with a 4.0 while on a basketball scholarship, gave some insight on why he thinks marijuana should be legalized.

Go Gathright, Go!

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GO Gathright, GO!

XULA’s own Whitney Gathright has been chosen as the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week. Though this is Gathright’s second time with the GCAC award, this is the first time this season an XULA women’s basketball player (Gold Nuggets) has walked away with the accolade.

Gathright, a New Orleans native has had quite an exceptional career thus far, and is proving day in and day out that she is a force to be reckoned with.

Currently a Junior at XULA, Whitney has averaged 14. 1 points, as well as 3.7 assists in this season alone. Lets not forget to mention that she has 33 made 3-pointers under her belt.

Whitney recently assisted her team with the first win XULA has had over Talladega College in 13 years. Gathright scored 18 points in the game, Ultimately taking the Gold Nuggets to VICTORY.

On January 10th,Whitney Gathright helped her team to a 61-48 triumph at home against Philander Smith College. Gathright scored seven points in the last four minutes of the game.

We see you Whitney Gathright! Handle that Rock!

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Honda to Honor TSU Assistant with the “First Power of Dreams” Award

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Audrey Stradford of Tennesee State University is being recognized with the “Power of Dreams” Award at the 13th Annual Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase on January 24.

The Power of Dreams Award is meant to honor an individual who has helped HBCU culture thrive—by helping students achieve their dreams through positive support, guidance and leadership within the institution or community. Stradford will be the first to be recognized.

The financial aid assistant, known as “Miss Audrey” graduated from TSU in 1966 with a degree in Sociology. Though she returned to the university only 12 years ago, she has maintained her presence at TSU for more than 30 years by returning back to campus to volunteer over the years.

No matter if it was new student move in, homecoming activities, or encouraging students to remain in school and study hard Stradford never ceased to lend a helping hand to any student. Michelle Allen, who wrote the nomination for the award, said Stradford has made an impact on the lives of many students over the years and is very deserving of the award.

“’Miss Audrey’ has been very instrumental in the lives of students here on campus,” said Allen, TSU band office manager. She went on how to say how Stradford serves as a mother figure and does things for the students out of the goodness of her heart.

When first hearing the news Stradford found it hard to believe. “I was shocked and actually thought someone was pulling my leg,” said Stradford.

She added, “I’ve always been one to work behind the scenes. I’ve been a giver my whole life and it is hard for me to be on the receiving end.”

Stradford’s main focus has been to reach out a helping hand to students who just need a kind word of encouragement, or a motivational “kick in the pants” when they need it.

It is not uncommon to see her open her checkbook to help pay for a student’s textbook and tuition or buy them a hot meal. According to Stradford, it is the joy of seeing “her” students graduate after sometimes struggling, that makes it all worth it for her.

“The proudest moment for me is watching the students I’ve had an influence on walk across that stage and receive their diploma. And that gives me the greatest satisfaction and makes it all worth it.”

Phillip Agnew Says to FAMU Students: “When Will You Answer the Call?”

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Certainly by now you have heard of the Dream Defenders, the product of some 60 students of color who organized a march in response to the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in 2012.

Recently Phillip Agnew, the executive director of the Dream Defenders, an organization led by youth of color, has issued a call to action to all Rattlers.

Agnew took the stage of Gaither Gymnasium in Tallahassee, Florida for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation at Florida A&M University and from the beginning he was set upon igniting students to rise up to the cause against social injustice in Black communities in the country.

“My question to you is, when will you answer the call?” said Agnew, who is a 2008 graduate of FAMU’s School of Business and Industry.

He added, “When will you declare that we will not go quietly into the night? When will you rise up for the youngest of these, the most innocent of these? The time is now.”

In his speech Agnew charged all Rattlers, young and old, to embrace the winds of change and begin to build on something new: “It’s time to rise up. It’s time to strike, strike and strike again,” Agnew said.

In addition, he stated that there is so much more work that still needs to be done and the students at FAMU, and elsewhere are able to do it, and expressed his feelings of gratitude towards FAMU and the Black college experience.

“It was here [at FAMU], it was here, and it was here that I discovered I had to fight back. If I can do only one thing this morning, I want to tell you it’s time to fight back,” Agnew said.