(Norfolk, VA) – On November 10, 2011 a group of students will write their way into history with the first annual Battle of the Bay Poetry Slam. This will be the first ever poetry event featuring two prominent Historically Black Universities.
Jarel Barnes of Norfolk State University (NSU), and Mack Curry of Hampton University (HU) along with others have worked nearly six months to put the event together. The poetry slam will be a five on five competition with three rounds: A sacrificial round, prop round and rivalry round.
The birth of this idea took place after Hampton’s Sarcen Lietrary Journal invited the Norfolk State Creative Writing Club to an open mic in the spring of 2011. From there, John Hamilton II and Adrianna Vargas of NSU and the Verbiage Society from HU began carving out the details. The Battle will alternate on a yearly basis.
On October 28, 2011, the Norfolk State University Honors College and English Department will be hosting an Open Mic Contest as a part of the festivities for Norfolk State University’s Homecoming.
For the first time since arriving at Bennett College, I was in the throes of a panic attack.
I couldn’t turn down this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I had been researching and studying her writings in courses for two years. So, I inhaled, exhaled – and then inhaled and exhaled a few more times before beginning to write an introduction for a woman whose words rejuvenated my passion for journalism when I was sure that I had lost my fervor.
An hour-and-a-half later, Isabel Wilkerson was standing and applauding. She was pleased with the introduction! “I have heard tons of introductions,” she said. “But that introduction was the most accurate and inspiring of them all.” I am still beaming with pride.
Bennett College was the first of several HBCUs featured on Wilkerson’s college book tour. Along with her campus book signing, she was the featured speaker for the annual Fall Honors Convocation on October 20, 2011. In her 30 minute speech, she emphasized the importance of knowing our histories.
“The Great Migration had such an effect on almost every aspect of our lives — from the music that we listen to the politics of our country to the ways the cities even look and feel, even today,” she told us.
Wilkerson’s latest masterpiece, “The Warmth of Other Suns” details three people in different decades who are participating in the Great Migration. According to the NPR website, the Great Migration brought more than 6 million African Americans from the south to northern and western cities from 1915 through 1970. Due to Jim Crow Laws, African Americans were facing continuous prejudice which forced them to leave in search of better opportunities and fairer treatment.
“There were colored and white waiting rooms everywhere, from doctors’ offices to the bus stations,” Wilkerson said in her speech. “It was illegal for black people and white people to play checkers together in Birmingham. And there were even black and white Bibles to swear to tell the truth on in many parts of the South.”
After fifteen years of research and 1200 interviews, Wilkerson, who is also a product of the Great Migration, captures the essence of this movement in her narrative. “The Warmth of Other Suns” has won several awards since its’ release including the 2010 National Books Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction, the 2011 Lynton History Prize from Harvard and Columbia universities, and the Independent Literary Award for Nonfiction.
At the conclusion of her speech, students stood and applauded the renowned journalist. Senior Jasmine Lewis, Journalism and Media Studies major at Bennett, was deeply moved by her chance to interact with Wilkerson.
“I couldn’t believe she was actually standing there talking to me,” she says. “To us, she is considered the Holy Grail.”
In journalism, Isabel Wilkerson writes herself into history – literally. She is the first African-American to ever win the Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of a nine-year-old child living on Chicago’s south side and the 1993 mid-western floods. Currently, she is a Professor of Journalism and Director of Narrative Nonfiction in the College of Communications at Boston University.
Even after her speech, an intimate dinner, and the chance to speak to one-on-one with such an acclaimed journalist, the best part of Isabel Wilkerson’s visit to Bennett was receiving a free autographed copy of “The Warmth of Other Suns.”
Data Solutions & Technology Incorporated (DST) today announced that it is making available its Alabama State University-Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Conference white paper. The report addresses outcomes from the Conference held on March 7-10, 2011.
The entrepreneurship conference goal was to serve as a launching board for economic development initiatives benefiting HBCUs and ultimately our great nation. Leaders attending the first Alabama State University HBCU Conference cited entrepreneurship, innovation, and global development as the keys to future growth and development of the nation’s economy—and of African-American wealth building, in particular.
Highlights covered in the report include:
Impetus for the Conference
Entrepreneurship mindset
Globalization of the economy
Collaboration across the academies
Government and industry involvement
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
The second National Alabama State University HBCU Conference is March 5-7, 2012. The theme is Entrepreneurship: Transforming Education, Government and Industry. The goals of the conference are to enable attendees the opportunity to learn about business development, entrepreneurship, grants, contracting and fellowships.
About Alabama State University Alabama State University, founded in 1867, offers nearly 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, from its historic teacher education program to its new, high-demand programs in health sciences, new Ph.D. in microbiology and minor in international business. The more than 5,600 students who attend ASU are as diverse as its academic offerings, with students from more than 40 states and various countries seeking a top-notch education that extends far beyond the walls of a classroom.
About Data Solutions & Technology Incorporated (DST) Founded in 1994, DST is a global company whose employees provide a full spectrum of professional services in Information Technology, Aviation Management, Logistics and Operations, Management Support, and Scientific and Technology Support that result in cost-effective solutions of strategic value to our customers, government and commercial clients worldwide. The company is ISO 9001: 2008 certified, has a top secret facility clearance, and is veteran- and women-owned. For more information go to the website at www.dstincorporated.com.
A 24-year-old Howard University student was shot and killed early Tuesday morning in Mount Rainier.
The student was identified as Alonzo Guyton by the university.
“He always seemed to have a smile… It has affected everyone,” said senior Matia Johnson.
Police said Guyton was found shot on the sidewalk in front of an apartment building in the 4200 block of Kaywood Drive at about 12 a.m. Tuesday. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Mt. Rainer Police believe the 24-year-old sophomore was the victim of a botched robbery just after midnight Tuesday. Police were patrolling the apartment complex Wedneday night.
“He was the kind of person that if we went out to eat… (he would) pay for everyone every time,” said Guyton’s friend Jordan Taylor.
Guyton played in the U.S Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. He was athletic, a member of Howard’s football and baseball teams. Close friend and baseball teammate Taylor was with him in church this past Sunday.
“Last time I saw he was playing the gospel choir… Never saw him again,” Taylor said.
The former marine is described as a gentle and caring soul. His friends are still not sure why he was in this complex, which houses hundreds of Howard students.
“I was actually one of the ones who encouraged him to go to Howard,” said Darryl Ward, a friend of Guyton.
“We deeply regret the untimely death of this promising young man who was very active at Howard and well loved by his peers, faculty and the staff who worked closely with him,” Howard University stated. “We extend our condolences and prayers to his family, friends and those who knew him.”
Grambling State vs. University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Arkansas Online)
The Tigers are riding a two game winning streak as their next match up will be against University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, whose roster is shortened by 25 players including 11 starters, due to a suspension after a brawl took place in the midst of their victory over Southern University on Oct.15.
Key players that will miss Saturday’s game include: leading scorer receiver Desmond Beverly and No. 2 running back Stephen Jones who’s responsible for nine of the 18 total touchdowns, sack leader Joe Dalton and No. 4 tackler Ryan Shaw.
For a team that does much damage on the ground, the absence of Jones will not be favorable in the match up against a developing Tiger team. Back-up running back Justin Billings, who amazingly rushed for 101 in their game against Southern, will be suspended as well.
The growing pains for the Tiger offense seems to be ending and they’re building continuity.
In the Tigers Homecoming game Rivers targeted five different receivers and for the first time all season, the Tiger offense completed no turnovers in the victory over the Delta Devils.
“Super” Mario Louis had a career game scoring three touchdowns and emerging running back Dawerence Roberts doesn’t seem to be slowing down from erupting on the SWAC college football scene. He was honored as the SWAC offensive player of the week. According to SWAC.org, Roberts rushed for 136 yards on 18 carries for a 7.6 yard average, including a SWAC season-long rush of 87 yards in GSU’s 30-24 overtime victory over Mississippi Valley State.
This is the third time in the last four games that Roberts has rushed for more than 100 yards.
What was impressive with the G-men offense was their supporting cast. Louis and Roberts are heavy targets to the opposition consequently, in the Mississippi
Valley game Oshae Hamilton caught five passes for 74 yards, Terry McGill and Jeremy Hernandez both caught two passes for 35 yards and Kenneth Batiste
finished with eight carries 19 yards and one touchdown.
While the Golden Lions offense is disrupted, the Tiger offense is coming together. The lack of offensive firepower from UAPB gives the Tigers an advantage, but the question is will they take advantage?
A Brooklyn mother, Zurana Horton, 33-year-old pregnant woman was killed on Friday afternoon as she tried to protect schoolchildren at Public School 298 in the borough’s Brownsville section from a gunman perched atop a nearby roof.
Horton was hit in the head in front of the Lucky Supermarket at Pitkin Ave. and Watkins St. after she threw herself over a group of children, cops and witnesses said. The gunman’s spree began about 2:30 p.m. where he fired at least a dozen shots with an automatic pistol onto Watkins Street from his perch atop a five-story building on Pitkin Avenue, the police said. A second woman, 31, was also shot and was in stable condition on Friday night at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center.
An 11-year-old girl, identified as Cheanne McKnight, a 6th-grader at P.S. 298, also involved in the chaos was being treated at Brookdale for a graze wound to the cheek. The police said, about 15 minutes after the last students were dismissed from Public School 298, at 85 Watkins Street, where about 540 children in prekindergarten through eighth grade are enrolled.
For a crime so devastating, it’s a mystery why it isn’t receiving national attention, or is it? Brownsville remains one of the more crime-plagued areas, one in the city where police officers are most likely to stop people in the street to question and sometimes frisk them — a tactic that has drawn criticism as racially motivated, but that the police say saves lives.
The crime has not yet resulted in an arrest. Horton’s bravery should not be ignored. Ms. Horton was a devoted mother with several children, according to friends.
The students at Grambling State University had an awesome homecoming week. The Favrot Student Union Board (FSUB) planned all events with hopes of keeping all entertained.
On Sunday, there was a university wide picnic at 2 p.m. with the gospel explosion following at 7 P.M. Student Government Association member Jonathan Allen and Miss Grambling State University, Jamesia Leonard, hosted the show. Jessica Reedy for BET’s Sunday’s Best was originally suppose to perform but because of miscommunication she did not. However, Jamar Dawson with the Church of Champions praise team filled that void.
The campus praise teams Entourage, Greater Purpose, Strong Tower and Campus Community worship center performed two songs each. It was a very spirit filled occasion. Fear Factor was Monday at 3 p.m. on the yard and the home going celebration for the opponent’s mascots, the Delta Devils, was at 7p.m. in the T.H. Harris auditorium.
On Tuesday the weather brought confusion to many. It went from hot to freezing in one night. The sidewalk step show was supposed to take place on the yard at 11a.m. but because of the weather students did not come out. Although the night got very interesting for the pajama jam, which began at 9p.m., people made their way to the men’s gym for the dance in the cold.
A wing and pie-eating contest was at 3 p.m. on the yard. The student talent show was at 7 p.m. in the T.H. Harris auditorium. Anya Washington, Abriyanna Hill, and Veondra Riley, who called themselves “sisters with soul”, won the $500 first place prize singing, “Endow Me”. In second place was senior Baldwin Lewis playing the piano and third place went to junior Karlie Robinson, who sang a medley of R&B greats.
Thursday there were various daytime events including face painting, wax hands and others. At 7 p.m. the comedy show featuring Double D and Arnez J brought tons of laughter to all who attended.
Friday was the 90’s concert featuring DJ Jubilee, Ginuwine, SWV, and Dru Hill. Both alumni and students filled the auditorium for the event. Then it was game day. On Saturday at 9a.m. there was the homecoming parade. Many students, faculty, alumni, and high school bands were all apart of the parade. Later on that day was the game, kickoff started at 2 p.m as the G-men took the field against Mississippi Valley. With the G-Men winning 30-24.
The day wasn’t over yet, everyone joined in the auditorium for the Greek show at 7p.m. The Delta Sigma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha took first place for the men, putting Phi Beta Sigma in second, and Iota Phi Theta in third. In the women’s portion the Alpha Theta chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha received first, second place was to Delta Sigma Theta and Zeta Phi Beta received third.
The week was fun and full of excitement. Everyone is anxious and looking forward to Homecoming 2012.
The students at Central State University lost two fellow Marauders within one year. While the lost greatly affected the morale of most students, the campus ultimately united for a greater cause.
Jasmine Crenshaw, a twenty-two year old junior from Chicago, Illinois majoring in Criminal Justice, unexpectedly died in a lake at a resort outside of Orlando, Florida in late March of 2011. “Smart” and “very athletic”, Crenshaw excelled academically while running track for the Central State Track & Field team. She was an aspiring police officer.
“Everybody loved Jasmine.” Jackie Crenshaw, the mother of Jasmine said. “She always had a smile on her face, she made everybody happy, she loved going to school, [and] she loved sports.” Twenty-one year old Kordero Hunter, a sophomore residing in South Holland, Illinois, sadly passed away just months later in late September from a gunshot wound to the abdomen while attending a nightclub in Dayton, Ohio.
Hunter was known to have a strong desire to shine in all areas, especially on the field. Hunter played defensive back on the Central State Football team, and was considered to be an up-and-coming leader on and off the field.
Head Football Coach E.J. Junior was quoted saying, “Mr. Hunter was an energetic and hard working student.” Students’ campus wide reacted with agony for the lost of both students and remorse for their family and friends.
Dion Sampson, a graduate of Central State who now speaks at the campus’s Interfaith Ministry as a pastor, said “If this type of unity can be created due to death, I know this unity can exist any other time.”
The recent death of Kordero Hunter undeniably hit home for most students, especially the Intro to Communications course on campus in which I was his classmate. The following Tuesday in class after his passing felt empty and unreal because he was no longer with us physically, however, we sensed his presence spiritually.
“It made the campus become more aware of their surroundings,” Amanda Kilgore, a Psychology Major at Central State University said about the death of Hunter. “Although students grieved over his death, students are now more focused on what they came here for: an education.”
Today, the campus community is still coping with the lost of our fellow Marauders. These individuals were not only students at Central State University, they were our colleagues, our friends, our sister, and our brother. We will forever keep them in loving memory.
The nation’s marching band fans have spoken, and have chosen the top eight marching bands at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for the 2012 Honda Battle of the Bands. Now marking 10 years of celebrating the heritage, showmanship and scholarship of HBCU bands, the Honda Battle of the Bands will bring “The Homecoming” to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for the Invitational Showcase, Saturday, January 28, 2012.
Following are the HBCU marching bands that will earn a $20,000 grant for their music education programs and an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2012 Honda Battle of the BandsInvitational Showcase:
Albany State University “Marching Rams Show Band” (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) Bethune Cookman University “Marching Wildcats” (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Jackson State University “Sonic Boom of the South” (Southwestern Athletic Conference) Prairie View A&M University “Marching Storm” (Southwestern Athletic Conference) South Carolina State University “Marching 101” (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Tennessee State University “Aristocrat of Bands” (Independent) Virginia State University “Marching Trojan Explosion” (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) Winston-Salem State University “Red Sea of Sound” (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association)
For the eight winning bands, the journey to the Invitational Showcase involved months of practice and training, all in preparation for their Georgia Dome performances, where each band will have 12 dazzling minutes to showcase the musical excellence, distinctive style and superior showmanship that earned them a place in the 2012 Invitational Showcase. The Showcase bands are chosen via online voting, with votes by fans, students and alumni accounting for one-third of the selection criteria, and band directors and school presidents accounting for the balance of the selection process.
This year’s event theme, “The Homecoming,” reflects on the 10th anniversary of the Honda Battle of the Bands and calls for all HBCU marching band alumni, current HBCU students and the many fans of the event to meet in Atlanta for this special anniversary showcase event. The homecoming theme also highlights the importance of marching band culture to black college homecoming celebrations.
We are excited to be celebrating 10 years of the Honda Battle of the Bands as we continue to support the music education programs of our nation’s HBCUs” said Marc Burt, senior manager, Office of Inclusion and Diversity for American Honda. “We hope that Black college marching band fans and alumni will attend this year’s Invitational Showcase as we anticipate a great community turnout and even greater performances by the top eight HBCU marching bands.”
The Honda Battle of the Bands website is the sole online destination and clearing house for all HBOB information, updates, polling status, photos and video footage, and is a one-stop resource for all questions about the program. Fans are encouraged to also follow Honda Battle of the Bands on Twitter (@the_honda) and to become a fan of the Facebook page (Honda Battle of the Bands) where they can share memories, photos and engage in trivia, and get updates on the 2012 program. For more information about the Honda Battle of the Bands, please visitwww.HondaBattleoftheBands.com.
On September 17th, protesters began to demand more accountability for CEOs on Wall Street (Sheldon Richman)
American citizens have been protesters for change for decades. From the rallies against the inclusion of Americans in the Vietnam War to the marches throughout Georgia and the entire U.S. to prevent the execution of Troy Davis, protesting is as common among citizens as their love for apple pie and baseball. Struggling against the establishment is normal for those who are seeking a vast difference in what is deemed incorrect in their communities. On October 15, thousands of Americans of all ages and ethnicities lined the Washington, D.C. streets with signs declaring their disapproval of the rising unemployment rates in this nation. Led by the Reverend Al Sharpton and other leaders in the current Civil Rights Movement, this protest was in tribute to one that happened more than three decades ago in hopes of affecting a larger issue that had plagued Americans for more than four hundred years.
As America unveiled a memorial for one man whose words sparked a revolution, these protesters channeled his non-violent spirit and brought to life his vision. On August 28, 1963, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was focused on securing equality for all. According to the Info Please website, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was the culmination of several marches throughout the United States combatting against the racial injustices occurring during that time.
At the forefront of that revolution was the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a powerful man who used his words to influence others to act and expect positive changes. Dr. King was the face of a larger movement to bring all citizens together in all capacities with equal rights and access to the same freedoms.
In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, spoken during that March on Washington, Dr. King’s words were loud, clear, and explosive. “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American Dream.” Defined by the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as, “an American social idea that stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity,” the American Dream is a concept that has brought immigrants to the United States for decades. It is an idea that all Americans can be as successful as they desire to be with vision, fortitude, and tons of hard work.
So as Dr. King’s dream was grown out of the soil that is the American Dream, so is Gerlyne Maitre’s. Maitre is a Hunter College graduate with a degree in sociology who can’t seem to find full-time employment, so she accepts several part-time jobs with the hope that these part-times will equal one full-time paycheck. As she and 50 others occupied Zuccotti Park last week, her sign read, “Where is my American Dream?”
Maitre’s sentiment reflects the attitude of thousands of Americans who refer to themselves as the “99 percenters.” According to the Occupy Wall Street website, the 99 percenters are “fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process and the role of Wall Street in creating an economic collapse that caused the greatest recession in generations.”
Frustrated with the top one percent of the wealthiest Americans controlling the financial sector, the 99 percenters raised their voices as Dr. King did in the ‘60s with a non-violent occupation of Liberty Square in Manhattan’s financial district and subsequently, 100 cities across the U.S. including Chicago and 1,500 cities around the world.
Cornell West at Occupy Wall Street
Though no public figure has been elected as the leader of Occupy Wall Street because it’s a grass roots movement, activist Cornel West has been arrested twice in recent weeks for his role in OWS protests. Since his first arrest for trespassing on the Supreme Court steps last week, the Princeton University professor has been on the media circuit. In his first television appearance after being released on MSNBC’s The Ed Show, it was clear that Dr. West believed that Dr. King would have supported the OWS movement and that the 99 percenters occupation of different cities is the full circle of Dr. King’s mission.
Dr. West was arrested on the same date when President Obama was dedicating the memorial in Washington, D.C. to Dr. King, which brings his legacy and the current struggle for equality around the bend of life together.
The Occupy Wall Street Movement and current March on Washington continue to push for that American Dream that we have all been promised. In their demonstrations, the spirit of Dr. King lives. It is his dream coming into fruition. Blacks and whites of all heritages are coming together in cities that were once segregated to call attention to new injustices that are affecting them and thousands of others.
43 years after the assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we are still striving for the equality that he marched on Washington and was arrested in Birmingham for. But, at some point in the United States’ history, we will all be equal. Good God almighty, we are free at last.
HBCU Buzz, the leading source for news and commentary in the HBCU community, announces its first annual HBCU Buzz Awards. The HBCU Buzz Awards are set to take place the 3rd week in January. The HBCU Buzz Awards will celebrate HBCU students’ achievements in Academics, Community Service, Sports and much more.
The theme for the HBCU Buzz Awards is “My Life, My Family, My Society.” My Life involves your day-to-day lifestyle and motivated techniques derived from hard work. My Family – other things may change us as we evolve, but we start and end with Family. My Society – the new class of excellence reinforcing the new age of HBCU Community Achievement.
The HBCU Buzz Awards will celebrate HBCU students’ achievements in Academics, Community Service, Leadership, Sports and other fields of Entertainment. The HBCU Buzz Awards aims to uplift and celebrate the HBCU student body by awarding their accomplishments from the previous year. The full unveiling of the awards program is scheduled for November 14, 2011.
Send us your Award nominations today. Let your voice be heard and don’t forget to make your vote count. Deadline – Nov 4th 2011. HBCU Buzz is pleased to welcome you to its first annual HBCU Buzz Awards 2012. Please read the rulesand regulations regarding the nominations for your chance to become selected as a HBCU Buzz Award recipient.
In order to complete a Nomination for the HBCU Buzz Awards 2012, you will need to complete the entry form below. In this form, please provide the name of the candidate(s), select the category in which they are competing, the name of the HBCU of which the candidate is enrolled, and give a brief but descriptive reason as to why you are nominating them. Contact information for the nominees should be included in the entry form as well.
Dr. Mortimer Neufville, (second from left) UMES interim president, with honors students, (from left): Michael Tadesse, Lauren Ritter, Yvonne Puplampu-Dove and Braia Spady.
The Division of Institutional Advancement held its annual President’s Donor Reception Oct. 13 to express appreciation to loyal supporters who helped the university reach – and exceed – its “Campaign for Excellence” goal.
Division vice president Gains Hawkins told those who attended the festivities in the Student Services Center ballroom that the campaign tally was $15 million when it ended June 30, topping a goal of $14 million set in 2002. Dr. Mortimer Neufville, (second from left) UMES interim president, with honors students, (from left): Michael Tadesse, Lauren Ritter, Yvonne Puplampu-Dove and Braia Spady. Michael Tadessé and Lauren Ritter, both juniors, and senior Yvonne A. Puplampu-Dove offered heartfelt testimonials and expressed gratitude for the scholarships they’ve received.
Puplampu-Dove, a native of Ghana who calls Lanham, Md., home, is a biology major interested in a career in medicine; possibly bio-medical research. She is the oldest of four siblings and will be the first in her immediate family to earn a college degree when she graduates in May 2012. She has a 3.8 grade point average.
“Receiving a scholarship was a surprise to me,” she said, adding, “it also brought joy to my parents.”
She spent the past two summers working as a research intern, including a stint at the University of Maryland Baltimore County tracking the migration of genes in the ovaries of fruit flies.
“It was very interesting,” Puplampu-Dove, 21, said. “I learned a lot.”
Tadessé, who was born in Ethiopia, said he had lots of college offers as a high school senior in Silver Spring, Md., but chose UMES because “I just had a feeling that I could come here and be someone.” Tadessé has a 3.5 GPA and is studying finance and marketing. He described the scholarship he received as “a life-changing award.” “I would like to acknowledge the donors for their generosity and for their contribution,” he said at the reception. “Without your support, I would not be standing here … giving my gratitude.” “Your continued support of the university,” he said, “is enormous in helping to provide a quality education in this fostering place and making us an elite HBCU.” Tadessé said some day he hopes to establish a non-profit organization to help the less-fortunate, especially children living in poverty.
Ritter, who is from Chincoteague, Va., is a transfer student from Eastern Shore Community College majoring in applied design with a specialization in photography.
Just 18, Ritter is already a junior (with a 4.0 GPA), who wants to pursue a career in commercial photography. She currently owns four cameras and hopes to acquire a Hasselblad, “the Mercedes Benz” of still photography, to achieve that goal. She picked UMES because of its reputation in arts education and for its diversity. Her scholarship, Ritter told the audience, enabled her to remain in school. “Your generosity has given me a new hope,” she said, in reaching “the honor of being a graduate“I hope I will be able to help students achieve their goals just as you’ve helped me,” Ritter said. By Jim Glovier 2011 President’s Donor Reception guests, from left: Jeff Sherr, Debi Rus, and Tina and Vincent Perrotta
The donors also heard testimonials from two graduates, who had surrogates read statements about how scholarships helped them through school and find success after leaving UMES. Suzanne Waters Street, UMES’ agriculture communication specialist, said her son, Seth, is finishing work on a doctoral degree at the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Florida. Veronique Diriker, UMES’ director of development, presented words of gratitude on behalf of Nicholas Washington, a 2010 business honors graduate working for a Wall Street consulting firm.
GRAMBLING, La. — Tigers Head Football Coach Doug Williams was a gambling Grambling man Saturday night.
And fortunately for Grambling State’s homecoming crowd, it was like father, like son.
Doug Williams and his coaching staff called a late audible Saturday, inserting his son D.J. Williams in at quarterback for an overtime period after a solid performance from starter Frank Rivers.
D.J. Williams called an overtime audible of his own, opting out of a second down run play and hit senior receiver Mario Louis for a seven-yard touchdown to give the Tigers a 30-24 overtime win over Mississippi Valley State before a homecoming crowd of 11,137 at Robinson Stadium.
After MVSU missed a field goal in overtime, GSU took over with Dawrence Roberts rushing for 10 yards on first down and gaining extra yard on a personal foul penalty against the Delta Devils. Doug Williams said he wanted to stay conservative and go for the field goal, but his son had another option in mind when he came to the line of scrimmage.
“I saw the best receiver in the (Southwestern Athletic Conference) with one-on-one coverage and called the audible to him,” D.J. Williams.
Louis, who also plays basketball for the Tigers, went high for the seven-yard scoring reception – his third of the game – going up over a MVSU defender to pull down the ball as the Tigers stormed the field in celebration.
“This one was for the alumni,” D.J. Williams said. “Coach had talked about it all week — we have to bring our fans back and that meant putting on a good show and getting a homecoming win. When I saw Mario with the one-on-one coverage, I knew right then we had it. All I had to do was the put the ball up there and he’d go get it.”
The win put the Tigers back into the SWAC Western Division race at 2-3 while the Tigers moved to 3-4 overall. MVSU fell to 0-8 and 0-7.
Grambling’s come-from-behind stunner overshadowed a furious effort by Mississippi Valley to push the game into overtime. MVSU tied things up with no time remaining as quarterback Garrick Jones ran right, lofting himself high into the air and reaching the ball over the pylon in the right corner of the end zone for the score. Valley kicker Carlos Sanchez’s PAT kick was a knuckleball but barely cleared the crossbar to push the game into OT.
Rivers played a solid game, hitting on 14-of-23 passes for 211 yards with scoring passes of seven- and 57-yards to Louis. But when overtime rolled around, Doug Williams and Co. decided to roll the dice.
