ASU’s marching band will showcase their road to the Magic City Classic in October with a partnership with NBTV Live Media Network with the mini series “Magic Before the Classic.”
Filming, which started August 5, 2012, will begin their journey at the start of the band’s preseason camp and run all the way to the first “Battle of the Bands” between ASU and Alabama A&M at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Friday, October 26, the night before the Magic City Classic football game.
“I am truly excited about this deal,” says band director James Oliver. “It is a major accomplishment for the band program and our great university.”
The agreement will net the ASU program $125,000 over a five-year period, in addition to royalties from online sales.
Funds from the show will be used to support the Marching Band program.
About NBTV
NBTV is an online news and information delivery service, headquartered in Atlanta. With worldwide bureaus, NBTV is promoted as the first 24-hour online broadcasting network in the world.
Gabby Douglas has caught the attention of the top HBCU (Historically Black College & Univ.) in the nation: Spelman College!
The all-girls school has spoken very highly of our high-flying Gabby, and sent the 16-year-old Olympic Champion well wishes on her two gold medals in gymnastics.
“A young woman who has demonstrated the drive and discipline needed to achieve world-class excellence is likely to have what it takes to be successful at Spelman, and we would welcome her interest in the college.”
Spelman wastes no time! Also included with their statement was a special gift bag; so they obviously know that swag always sways your mind!
Many notable people have graduated from the illustrious Atlanta-based institution and Gabby would be joining that long list of successful collegiate women! It looks like she already fits right in. Congratulations Gabby. Read more:
Ms. Shannon Eastin, a referee from the HBCU’s MEAC, is making history as the first female to referee in an NFL game when she serves as line judge in the Green Bay Packers preseason game against the Chargers in San Diego.
Eastin, a 17-year veteran as a football referee, has spent the last four working in the MEAC amongst Norfolk State, Hampton, Howard, Florida A&M, South Carolina State, and North Carolina A&T to name a few.
”I believe I am ready,” said Eastin. ”I’m a realistic person and I know what is realistic for me. I am not going to play football. I feel it is realistic for me to officiate. I make myself ready for any opportunity that comes my way. I will come in with my eyes wide open.”
Packer’s players, many whom were surprised, seemed to not mind the change in the tradition of referees.
“Female, male, dog, cat, as long as they’re calling the right calls and they know what they’re doing out there, it really doesn’t matter,” tight end Jermichael Finley told FOXSportsWisconsin.com in an exclusive interview. “It’s a person. She’ll see the same things as a man. She knows how to blow the whistle the same way. It’s going to be something weird to see, but you deal with it and just roll.”
“I think it’s pretty cool,” Packers running back Brandon Saine said. “I grew up in a predominantly female household. I was raised by my grandmother and my mother and I have two sisters. Women have always been a huge part of my life and I’m always going to be supportive of anything like that.”
To see Eastin in action catch the game Thursday August 9, 2012 at 8pm on ESPN.
Have you heard seen or read about the great, grand and gracious history of American Baptist College? Since 1924, ABC has trained leaders for Christian service and social justice leadership in the world through experiential and interdisciplinary education. ABC facilitated students that were prolific apparatuses in the civil rights movement in the 1960’s. ABC has graduated the most persons from any college that are active in social justice.
Brian Cash, is the senior class representative of SGA at American Baptist College, last year’s Baptist Student Union President, and an assistant to the Director of Library services. His also the college Pastor at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, a church that has been instrumental in the lives of many Tennessee State University students in many ways. The church provides students with financial help, spiritual guidance, nourishment, counseling and help in many other areas. He is from Cleveland, Ohio and there he is a part of “Preachers with Purpose”, an organization that promotes spiritual, communal, and economic development. He is also a part of the transportation team of the National Baptist Convention Inc.
He says, “American Baptist College transforms my capacity to think critically about life and the society I live in. It has transformed me into a critical thinker.” It is evident that he is glad to be a student at an HBCU and he applauds the service that HBCU’s give to students every year despite economic challenges. He also said, “When comparing an HBCU to a regular college, I believe that HBCU’s enhance a four year experience. I wish HBCU’s had funds to make my superior experiences even better.”
Since he is a sought after Counselor, I asked him if he had any advice to HBCU students. He profoundly stated, “Embrace the newness of life. Keep your mind open to new things, meet new people and embrace diversity. Never participate in exclusion, which leads marginalization and oppression.”
During her tenure at Tennessee State University a focus that Dr. Portia Shileds has been adament about is her dedication to physical activity and the well being of her students, whether it’s in running in the mornings with incoming freshmen or walking the indoor track. Earlier this year when Tennessee State commited to rennovating Hale stadium for the 2012 football season Dr. Shields ran into a slight problem once construction begun- she no longer had a place to do her daily walking exercise.
To remedy this problem the ever innovative Dr. Shields took to walking around the campus along a specific path. In order to help promote awarness of a new way to temporarily workout until the Hole was completed, activity signs were erected announcing “Portia Shields Walking Trail” to draw attention to the trail that she had begun walking, in hopes of getting students to join in on the exercise so she could interact with her students in the midst of working out.
Since the trail has came into existence many students have understandably been confused about the meaning of the trail and it’s purpose throughout the campus. Some students thought that the trail was a way for Dr. Shields to “leave her mark” on TSU before her term as interm president comes to a close. Others simply were at a loss to the multipule signs having any purpose at all. In the end though the signs do serve a purpose, as well a way for Madame President to leave her mark; one decreasesd waist line at a time.
Brian Louis, right, with his IPO partner, Jason Coles
Ever had the privilege of stepping a stiletto or sneaker on Howard University, better known as the “Black Mecca’s,” campus? Arriving in D.C. and on Howard’s pristine grass isn’t a much different experience than visiting other historical black colleges and universities, most of which are located in rough neighborhoods or in unpopulated country sides throughout the South and the DMV. But it isn’t the historic buildings or storied alumni that separate the “real” HU from other HBCUs and elevates them to national ranking lists. It’s their legion of students, who exit that campus with a confidence that is almost unparalleled. Most of them believe that with Howard’s symbol on their degrees, they can conquer the world.
Brian Louis, Howard University School of Business alum, has secured a fashion cape around his neck and descended on the DMV with IPO Lifestyle, a fashion brand created in 2009. Sitting in his business courses with other future leaders and shakers, Louis knew one thing was certain: He never wanted to be limited in what he was capable of accomplishing with his degree.
In a voice filled with strength and wisdom he explains, “I had the mindset in school that I didn’t want a cap to be put on my income. When you work for others, there’s a cap on what you can make. I wanted to go into a field where there wasn’t that cap while also making a difference in my community and the people I represent.”
In an effort to reach the intellectual, creative and innovative college crowd who “make a bold statement when walking out of the door,” Louis partnered with another student, Jason Coles, to launch IPO with a grassroots movement, reminiscent of President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. Their preliminary goal was to saturate the college clothing market with a unique product that their target demographic would be interested in.
“From our models to the way our websites look to our designs in general, we really wanted to be different. One thing that we noticed was that other brands targeted toward college students were very gaudy and logo-driven. So, we wanted to give the consumer another option with IPO.”
Determined to think outside-the-box, Louis and Coles sat in an office together and analyzed their competition until they figured out how to be different in their lane. Then, the duo focused their attention on propelling IPO from an idea into a profitable venture. This required sacrifice, dedication and lots of business savvy.
Professional models dressed in IPO Lifestyle
“I gained the capital by seeking out small investments with a lot of my peers,” Louis explains. “I received short-term funding from a lot of people we went to school with and we were working age, so we put up a lot of our capital ourselves.”
But there are hundreds of clothing lines targeted toward college students. From popular Abercrombie to expensive Billionaire Boys Club, these brands are established and frequented among students. Realizing this, Louis and Coles chose to brand IPO by relating themselves to a charitable cause and remaining true to their unique path.
“We did an all-black everything campaign where we brought attention to the nonprofit, Invisible Children,” he says. “We’ve been paying homage to our stories with IPO. All of our pieces tell a story of where we come from. For instance, the D.C. Flag collection that we’re promoting right now … we were founded in the D.C. Our motto is “Birds of a feather flock together,” so we have shirts with some semblance of that. The feather is our logo. We take it as a sign of intelligence. Early thinkers, like Thomas Jefferson, always used a feather in writing laws to lead the country.”
Though Louis credits the entrepreneurial spirits of himself and his partner for IPO’s success – the brand is in the black – he owes some of his victory to Howard. And he doesn’t cower from admitting that truth.
“[Those classes were] very important because they really showed me how to be thorough in terms of how I research things, the company I keep in terms of my business and how to pay attention to detail, which is important.”
Howard, like most HBCUs, provides a nest of black intellectual leaders and progressive thinkers to nurture students and provide them with the essentials to survive in a tumultuous economic climate. Louis is one of those successful products and he hopes to continue excelling.
“One day, I want to own a Hollywood studio and I also want to start a non-profit that teaches entrepreneurship to inner city kids,” he says. “I want to start a charity that can give kids the tools to succeed.”
But right now, in this moment, Brian Louis’ focus is on growing IPO into the number one clothing brand in the DMV through grassroots efforts and branding. He is well on the correct path to accomplish this goal.
So, his three words of advice to other entrepreneurs reside on solid foundation that is testimonial to what Brian Louis and Jason Coles have been able to accomplish:
“Never give up.”
You can contact IPO through social media and their website.
Seemingly racist tweets by an employee of the Puerto-Rican government have stirred controversy across the nation. According to the Associated Press, Heidi Wys sent tweets to President Obama regarding the first lady’s birthday: “Who cares” and “Take her to Burger King buy her a sundae with double banana, take her to your homeland, Kenya.”
Wys, who currently serves as the main advisor to House of Representatives President Jennifer Gonzalez, has since demonstrated regret that her tweets were perceived racist and again turned to twitter to apologize to those whom she offended. Wys declared that she is a not racist, stating that her favorite nieces are black.
Several legislators, including Sen. Juan Eugenio Hernandez have demanded Wys resign from her current advisor position.
Earlier this week, the NCAA imposed sweeping penalties on the Penn State football program. The penalties, which were in response to the heinous findings in the now-infamous Freeh Report, will likely cripple the Nittany Lions for years, if not decades.
The Freeh Report confirmed everyone’s worst nightmares. High-level officials at Penn State, including former President, Graham Spanier and venerated Head Football Coach Joe Paterno, showed a “total disregard for the safety and welfare” of the boys molested by former Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky. Given the nature of the abhorrent behavior among Penn State officials at the highest levels, the death penalty is the only appropriate penalty. The NCAA opted not to impose it. So Penn State itself should. Given the nature of the abhorrent behavior among Penn State officials at the highest levels, the death penalty is the only appropriate penalty. The NCAA opted not to impose it. So Penn State itself should.
This is where Penn State can learn something from FAMU. Around the same time the horrible details surrounding Sandusky’s actions were beginning to surface, Robert Champion, a drum major in FAMU’s renowned Marching 100, was killed during a hazing ritual.
Like the Nittany Lions, the Marching 100 is FAMU’s grandest and most beloved symbol. The band is regularly called to perform at events all over the country, from NFL halftime shows to presidential inaugurations. The Marching 100 is so popular that, at FAMU football games, it is often a bigger draw than the football team.
But to the disappointment of many, the band will not be around next fall, suspended by former President James Ammons through spring 2013. Ammons gave the Marching 100 the death penalty. And while hundreds of innocent student-musicians will suffer due to the bad acts of a relative few, the self-imposed suspension was undoubtedly the right decision.
Drizzy is scheduled to appear at the the third annual OVO Festival which will feature A$AP Rocky,2 Chainz, The Weeknd, and more. But according to a recent interview with NOW Toronto, he plans to bring his focus his efforts on his life outside of music.
“I’m actually spending my summer graduating high school,” he said. “That’s my main focus after OVO Fest. I only have one credit left, and I’m really excited about that.”
During Drake’s high school years, he was filming the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation, on which he played a character named Jimmy. Drake has said in the past that he hopes to one day show his mom a high school diploma.
Anaso Jobodwanna, a 19-year-old Eastern Cape, South African native will be representing Jackson State University in the 200 meter dash during the 2012 London Olympics.
This is Jobodwanna’s first trip to the Olympic games and his main goal is to place in the semi-finals. In an interview with the Mail and Guardian, he said that his goal was to bring his time down but that he was really hoping to make it to the semi-finals
“I haven’t set any real targets for the games and I haven’t written anything down, so I’m not putting pressure on myself” said Jobodwanna.
Jobodwanna returns to Jackson State in the fall as a sophomore. This past May he set an indoor SWAC record in the 200 meter dash finishing with a time of 21.15. He also earned titles for the 100 and 200 meter dash during the SWAC Outdoor Conference Championship.
Jobodwanna makes his big debut, Tuesday, August 7th on NBC.
Allstate and the Tom Joyner Foundation are asking alumni, students and supporters of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country to do their part to raise scholarship funds as part of the fourth annual Allstate Quotes for Education program.
For every person who receives an insurance quote from an Allstate agent and mentions Quotes for Education between August 1 and Dec. 31, 2012, Allstate will donate $10, up to a total donation of $150,000. The funds will be donated to the Tom Joyner Foundation and earmarked for general scholarship funds to assist students attending HBCUs.
For the first time ever, participants in this program will also have a chance to vote for the HBCU of their choice to receive a separate $50,000 donation for scholarships specifically at that school.
“Each year, hundreds of students will be forced to drop out of college due to financial hardship,” said Cheryl Harris, senior vice president at Allstate. “The Quotes for Education program brings to life a vision shared by Allstate and the Tom Joyner Foundation, which is to support programs for HBCUs that create educational opportunities for the next generation.”
According to a 2012 study by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, only four out of 37 HBCUs surveyed has a black student graduation rate of more than fifty percent within six years. The study also noted a declining trend in graduation rates since 2006, likely driven by recent economic conditions which have limited financial aid from public and private sources.
“This scholarship shows me that I’m worthy of the investment being made in my education, and it makes me grateful and hopeful for my future,” said Desharee Williams, a student at Bethune-Cookman University and a past recipient of the Allstate and Tom Joyner Foundation scholarship. “This scholarship has allowed me to focus on class work and on pursuing extracurricular activities to build my professional portfolio.”
A 2009 study by the non-profit research group Public Agenda found that most young adults who started but did not complete higher education cited the need to work more as a major reason that forced them to drop out of school.
This marks the second year that Allstate has partnered with the Tom Joyner Foundation for the Quotes for Education program. Additionally, for the past eight years, Allstate has title-sponsored the Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion. Both programs are part of Allstate’s year-round commitment to create, support and sponsor programs that empower the African-American community.
“This is a big help to these students,” said Tom Joyner, chairman and founder of the 14-year-old foundation bearing his name. “Given this tough economy these days, every single dollar we can provide to help a student finish their education will make a difference.”
To participate in the Quotes for Education program, HBCU supporters should visitwww.allstate.com/represent to find a nearby participating agent or receive a quote online, or call 855-REP-HBCU at any time to receive a quote from an Allstate representative. Supporters can also join and follow the conversation on Twitter via the hashtag #RepHBCU to encourage the participation of friends and family.
About Allstate®
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, serving approximately 16 million households through its Allstate, Encompass, Esurance and Answer Financial brand names. Widely known by its slogan “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®,” Allstate offers insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate®. As part of Allstate’s commitment to strengthen local communities, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate employees, agency owners and the corporation provided $28 million in 2011 to thousands of nonprofit organizations and important causes across the United States.
About The Tom Joyner Foundation
The Tom Joyner Foundation’s primary mission is helping to keep students enrolled in Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs.) Since 1998, the foundation, chaired by nationally syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner, has raised more than $60 million to help keep students enrolled in black colleges, has assisted more than 14,000 students and worked with more than 100 HBCUs. Throughout the week, the Foundation announces scholarship winners on the nationally syndicated radio show hosted by its founder, Tom Joyner. Each week, separate financial awards are focused on students who are single parents and distinguished male students at each ‘School of the Month’. The organization’s largest annual fundraiser is its “Fantastic Voyage“™, which is a seven-day, six-night cruise that has raised millions of dollars to help keep students in school.
The field has narrowed for potential football fields that could be training sites for the Washington Redskins.
For now it looks like Virginia Union University has shaped up as a top contender for the job.
CBS 6 has learned from a source close to the selection process that Redskins team officials will be visiting the VUU campus Sunday to tour the facility.
The University in the heart of downtown Richmond has two side by side playing fields that would likely be an attractive attribute to Redskins team officials.
One high ranking official at the university said the Redskins would be a welcomed addition to campus, but also that the renovations to get Redskins ready would be expensive.
Fields and gym facilities would likely have to be entirely replaced. Even so, officials feel the improvements made for an NFL training camp would be lasting ones for the students of the Division 2 football school.
Still, in the mix for possible locations are City Stadium, Sportsbackers Stadium and two adjoining fields behind the Science Museum on Leigh St. With many of these sites requiring extensive renovations, it’s expected that conversations will soon become decisions Referenced
Rodney D. Smith, administrative vice president at Hampton University has announced the appointment of Novelle Dickenson as the new athletics director, Alexiss Robinson as assistant athletics director and senior woman administrator and Kristen Drummond as compliance coordinator.
A university committee, made up of faculty, staff and administrators reviewed the credentials of thirty candidates over the past four months and conducted on-campus interviews with eight candidates for the position of director of athletics. The university was looking for an individual who was experienced in athletics and academics with a clear understanding of the need for balance between the two. In the end, the University assembled a team that would maximize skills and expertise for optimum athletics administrative leadership with a clear understanding of the role that academics play with student athletics.
“I believe Mr. Dickenson’s background in academics as well as athletics is a perfect fit for the athletic director position here at Hampton University,” said Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey. “He is passionate about Hampton athletics and is a staunch educator with more than 30 years of experience in the classroom and academic administration.”
Dickenson assumes duties today, August 2, replacing Interim Athletic Director Malcolm Avery, who held the position for the past four months. Dickenson is no stranger to Hampton or the athletic department having served as the faculty athletic representative for the past 12 years. Over the past three decades, Dickenson has also served as chair of the Hampton Department of Political Science and History, interim chair of the Department of Sociology, interim chair of the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, pre-law advisor, faculty representative to the Hampton University Board of Trustees, member of the Tenure and Promotions Committee in the School of Liberal Arts.
Dickenson has served as President of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), and is a former member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Academic/Eligibility and Compliance Cabinet, including the Continuing Eligibility sub-committee. Dickenson received his undergraduate degree in political science from Hampton University, a master’s degree in political science from Howard University, as well as completed further post-graduate studies at Howard University.
Robinson joins the staff as the assistant athletic director/SWA with direct oversight of academic support and compliance. She will also have joint oversight with the athletic director over athletic performance and trainers. She is a 2003 graduate of Hampton University and holds a Master of Science degree in kinesiology-athletic administration from Indiana University. She comes to Hampton after serving as director of student-athlete support services at Howard, assistant director of compliance and student services at Temple University and compliance coordinator at Norfolk State University.
Drummond, who has been named compliance coordinator, spent the last year at Hampton as a coordinator of athletic academic support. She was responsible for monitoring athletic eligibility and degree advancement, while also advising student-athletes of course selection, career planning and working with at-risk student-athletes. Drummond has served as athletic academic graduate intern at the University of Iowa and athletic Academic program specialist at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Drummond earned both a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Franke, who spent last season as the head coach at St. Andrews University in North Carolina,replaces Alyse Wells-Kilbert, who resigned earlier this summer.
Interim Director of Athletics Donald Sims said Thursday that Franke will be a great addition to the program, which opens its season Aug. 31 at a tournament at Texas Southern.
Prior to becoming a coach, Franke played volleyball for Mesa Community College and South Main Community College, before transferring to Jackson State. She completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Alcorn State. She also joined AmeriCorps in Feb. 2009, helping to develop safe environments for children to be active in sports and physical activity. Read more here:
Two women with local ties qualified this morning for the semifinals in the women’s 400-meter track event at the Olympics, according to the London Olympics site.
Francena McCorory, 23, a former Hampton University and Bethel High School runner, finished first in the first heat with a time of 50.78 seconds. McCorory was running for the U.S. team.
Marlena Wesh, 21, a former Landstown High School runner who now attends Clemson University in South Carolina, finished third in the final heat of the qualifying round with a time of 51.98. Wesh is running for the team from Haiti.
McCorory is ranked third in the standings behind Amantle Montsho of Botswana and Antonina Krivoshapka of the Russian Federation. They were ranked first and second, respectively, with times of 50.40 and 50.75.
To learn more about the event, visit the Olympics site.
The Cheyney University Concert Choir will perform under the direction of Marques L. A. Garrett at the 175th Anniversary Gala on October 18 6 – 9 pm at Pennsylvania Convention Center
