Jillian R Smith Portfolio

Jillian R. Smith
150 Petree Rd., Winston-Salem, NC
jsmith51200@yahoo.com
(336) 577-3777

Table of Contents
Pg. 4…………………………………………………………….Résumé
Issues
Pg. 5……………………………………………………….Jan. 27, 2016
Pg. 13……………………………………………………....Feb. 13, 2016
Pg. 21………………………………………………...…....Mar. 16, 2016
Pg. 29………………………………………………….......Apr. 13, 2016
Articles
Pg. 41...................................................................Oklahoma University
fraternity chant video highlights millennial racism
Pg. 43...................................................................I Am Because We
Are: Cultural festival celebrates black heritage
Pg. 45.................................................................“Barack to the Future”
encourages civil activism
Pg. 47.....................................................................#BlackLivesMatter
QTPOC Coalition holds rally in protest of House Bill 2
Pg. 49.......................................................................New app made by
NC State engineers allows students to debate, rate

Jillian R. Smith
150 Petree Rd, Winston-Salem, NC, 27106 ● (336) 577-3777 ● jsmith51200@yahoo.com

Summary
Recent graduate of NC State University with a bachelor’s degree in communication, media
concentration, and a minor in Spanish. Seeking a full-time job to gain valuable experience
within the field of communication media while also utilizing Spanish. Conscientious worker with
excellent oral and written communication skills. Interested in creation and distribution of both
print and digital media.
Education
● B.A. in Communication media, Spanish minor- North Carolina State University, 2016
● Honors-Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honor Society member, National Society of
Leadership and Success member, National Honor Society member, Dean’s List (6/6
semesters), graduated Summa Cum Laude (GPA 3.78)
Communication experience
The Nubian Message at NC State, Raleigh, NC
Editor-in-Chief January 2016- May 2016
Led a team of 20 writers and photographers to create and distribute a publication for both print
and web formats. Brainstormed and assigned projects to writers and photo team. Through a
recruiting campaign, increased the staff size from 8 to 20. Attended board meetings to report
on progress and shortfalls of publication. Worked simultaneously as design layout editor
coming up with theme, style and design of each issue. Skilled in use of Adobe InDesign,
Illustrator, Photoshop, Bridge and social media platforms such as Wordpress, Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram.
Enrollment Management and Services at NC State, Raleigh, NC
Communication and Marketing Intern September 2015- January 2016
Worked on a team of 3 to create a comprehensive marketing campaign encouraging students to
enroll in summer sessions at NC State. Divided a $15,000 budget between campaign needs such
as promotional items (t-shirts, cups, pens, etc.), and advertising (flyers, brochures, online ad
spaces, etc.) Created promotional media. Researched and assisted in website redesign. Worked
at events on campus to connect with students and provide them with new information about
summer sessions.
Retail experience
Fossil, Raleigh, NC
Sales Associate September 2013- May 2016
Greeting and assisting guests with questions, concerns, and product inquiries. Styling,
cashiering, providing watch repair services and maintaining visual standards. Using Spanish to
work with customers with limited knowledge of English.
Victoria’s Secret, Winston-Salem, NC
Sales Associate May 2014- January 2016
Delivered a captivating customer experience to build brand loyalty and enable consistent sales
and profit growth. Cashiering, working on the sales floor styling, measuring and maintaining
store standards.
Other experience
Camp Funshine, Winston-Salem, NC
Camp Counselor June 2009- August 2014
Seasonal work dealing with toddlers and young children. Lead classes to and from daily
activities and provided snacks and lunches at camp.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM | wednesday, january 27, 2016
MARTIN AND MALCOLM:
COMPARING
IDEOLOGY AND EFFECT

from the editor
Wednesday, january 27, 2016 | 2
THISISSUE 3 TOWN HALL MEETING
Students, faculty, staff discuss race
4 MARTIN AND MALCOLM
Comparing ideologies and views
5 YOUR VOICE
Student opinions on MLK and Malcolm
6 TECH POETRY
Combining art and science
6 HOVERBOARD BAN
Lithium batteries cause spontaneous fires
7 DAWN MORGAN
New Assistant Director of AACC
7 NEW SCHOLARSHIPS
Opportunities in Black History Month
Only with the permission of our elders do we proudly produce
each edition of the Nubian Message.
Dr. Yosef ben-Yochannan: Dr. John Henrik Clark: Dr. Leonard
Jeffries: The Black Panther Party: Mumia A. Jamal: Geronimo
Pratt: Tony Williamson: Dr. Lawrence Clark: Dr. Augustus McIv-
er Witherspoon: Dr. Wandra P. Hill: Mr. Kyran Anderson: Dr.
Lathan Turner: Dr. M. Iyailu Moses: Dokta Toni Thorpe and all
those who accompany us as we are STILL on the journey to true
consciousness.
The Sentinel of the African -American
Community at N.C. State Since 1992.
Editor-in-Chief
Jillian Smith
Managing Editor
Stephanie Tate
COVER PHOTO COURTESTY OF The library of congress
Hey guys,
I hope everyone survived the perilous Snowpacalypse 2016 (I
apologize for the sarcasm, but I’m from New York so that was
nothing!) and that everyone’s semester is off to a good start. As
we mentioned in the last issue, this is the perfect time of the year
to form new habits and make some self-improvements. Actually
go to class, exercise, eat well and drink water.
Speaking of water, I wanted to take a minute to talk about
what’s happening in Flint, Michigan. We now know that the men,
women and children of this community have been speaking
out about the quality of their water for over a year now. Their voices were not heard. It is
only now that we are seeing images of this community splashed across newspapers and
websites. It is only now that we are seeing the brown water they have been consuming and
washing themselves in. It is only now that we are finding out about how American citi-
zens were subjected to chemical byproducts, E. coli, Legionnaires' disease and lead after
the city's water source was switched to the corrosive Flint River in 2014.
This event is a perfect example of something that is not frequently discussed in the black
community: environmental racism. In Flint 40 percent of the residents live in poverty and
the average household income is just $25,000. This was a systematic decision made by the
town government that negatively affected a majority black community. When the people
spoke out, they were ignored and made to feel foolish. I’m truly disappointed to see that it
is still possible to use a basic human need such as water as a means of discrimination. I am
hoping and praying that the people of this community come out healthy, wealthy and well,
but we all know this is a fairly optimistic view.
One realistic hope I have for Flint and for the rest of the nation is to have all voices be
heard and taken seriously. Consider the many undocumented immigrants in Flint that are
now being denied access to any clean water.This should be a wake up call to both citizens
and government that in order to be successful, we must listen to each other and respect
each other's opinions. That is why I believe the Nubian is so important, and why I want
it to serve beyond just the African-American community. There are so many people in
this country that are left voiceless, unable to initiate change within their own lives and
communities. We are here to combat that. We serve as the voice of African-Americans
and other minority groups at NC State. Please send in any letters, comments, questions or
concerns because we are here to represent you.
That being said, I hope everyone takes some time to consider what you can really do
to improve yourself and your community. 2016 should be a year of change, so make it
happen!
Nothing but love,
Jillian

news Wednesday, january 27, 2016 | 3
On Wednesday, Jan. 13, Student Government held
a town
hall
meet-
ing in
Talley’s
Stewart
Theatre.
The
subject:
racial cli-
mate on
campus.
“I feel
bad say-
ing this because I love NC State, but I am very dis-
appointed in my university because it hasn’t actively
engaged me in race education,” said Kelly Elder, a
senior in political science.
The tone of the meeting was set by statements such
as these as well as the Yik Yak, Twitter and Facebook
posts scrolling across the screen throughout the
event. The vulgarity and absurdity of the selected
posts gave some of these ambiguous racial problems
a level of widespread visibility they previously had
not received.
This helped audience members understand the
reasons behind the meeting and the need for change
on campus. This slideshow also included testimoni-
als from students sharing their personal experiences.
“I feel like I’m constantly in a battle with my
own identity and how my peers perceive me. You
wouldn’t believe how often I receive questions like
‘are you a member of the NC State football team or
basketball team,” said Ryan Barnes, a senior in paper
science and engineering.
The meeting started off with some emotional
stories about negative experiences with race and
discrimination, reinforcing the seriousness of the
subject matter. Following this, the panel introduced
themselves and Student Body President Khari Cyrus
introduced the format of the meeting.
“The purpose of this event is to develop solutions,”
said Cyrus.
There were four main action items for the meeting:
sensitivity and inclusivity training, mandatory di-
versity training for incoming freshman, honor court
and Asian-American/Pacific Islander inclusion.
The possibility of sensitivity and inclusivity train-
ing for all students was a major part of the discus-
sion. Bystander intervention training was also a
topic of conversation in conjunction with the sugges-
tions of mandatory diversity training for incoming
freshman.
Renee Wells, director of the GLBT center brought
up the importance of cultural competency and how
this type of training is something necessary for stu-
dents to see and understand microaggressions. She
believes to change the racial climate on campus, we
need programs that build upon each other because
“it can’t happen in a one hour workshop.”
It did not seem that the panel members and
audience members that suggested some of these
programs came to a consensus on the time frame in
which they would have to take place. Should they all
happen during orientation? Should they be classes
taken in the first semester? These are lingering ques-
tions, but it is important that the conversation was
started at the meeting.
The next action item was the need for a place
where students could report non-academic miscon-
duct such as acts of discrimination.
According to Kamrie Risku, a sophomore study-
ing political science and the the Diversity Activities
Chair for the Union Activities Board, “there needs to
be a better way to address these issues because there
are very few safe spaces for minority students to
address their discomfort.”
She has suggested having an “honor court” as a po-
tential solution. The Honor Court would consist of
both volunteer and elected court officials that would
review reports of non-academic misconduct.
This would be significantly different than any other
program we have because it would encourage stu-
dent-to-student accountability and peer mediation.
This would be created under DASA which is a
part of student housing. It is important to have a
more student-centered organization to deal with
these issues because the only other resource, the
Equal Opportunity and Equity office on OIED which
primarily deals with complaints against faculty and
staff.
One audience member brought up the issue of
students against whom complaints are filed reacting
negatively to their privilege being infringed upon.
She questioned how we bring these students in rath-
er than make them feel isolated.We need to focus on
“winning the person versus winning the argument,”
as another audience member put it.
The last action item put up for discussion was
the fact that there are very few resources for Asian
American and Pacific Islander students on campus.
Nina Ondona, the representative for Asian Students
in Alliance (ASIA) explained how having a represen-
tative and a foothold in multicultural student affairs
would provide these students with more opportunity
and inclusion.
Ondona is hopeful that AAPI students will receive
greater visibility and have more of an on-campus
presence if this can happen.
There were many great ideas put forth at this town
hall with a goal implementation date of fall 2017.
The student government panelists were hopeful that
through cooperative and collaborative work with
administration, these plans could be put in place.
town halladdresses issues of race on campus
Jillian smith
Editor-in-chief
Photos by kai mcneil

Wednesday, january 27, 2016 | 4 opinion
ONE DREAM
MARTIN, MALCOLM EXPLAINED
Photos by kai mcneil
Caught in between Martin Luther King Day and
Black History Month lies the consistent appraisal of
Martin Luther King Jr. Every year from his na-
tional holiday in January until the end of February,
those who oppose policies that would align with
Martin’s teachings resurrect his quotes to show that
they do in fact believe in “equality.” Martin is best
known for a legacy of nonviolent peaceful protests
that objected to the unjust treatment of African
Americans in America. In the midst of painting
Martin as the face of the Civil Rights Movement,
we oftentimes leave out the voices and faces of
others who contributed to the movement. Malcolm
Little, later known as Malcolm X, is one of those
voices. The life and legacy of Malcolm X is scarcely
taught in schools and when it is, Malcolm is illus-
trated as a violent antagonist to Martin. There is no
denying that Malcolm and Martin were two very
different men, however they had a similar goal: to
obtain equal rights for African Americans.
Despite their juxtaposed positions on how to
achieve this goal, the two had much respect for
one another. With that said, respect never stood as
enough reason for the two to see eye to eye. In a
1963 interview with Malcolm X Dr. Kenneth Clark
asked Malcolm “Well, Reverend Martin Luther
King preaches a doctrine of non-violent insistence
upon the rights of the American Negro. What is
your attitude toward this philosophy?” In response,
Malcolm X remarked that “The white man pays
Reverend Martin Luther King, subsidizes Reverend
Martin Luther King, so that Reverend Martin Lu-
ther King can continue to teach the Negroes to be
defenseless.” Remarks about Martin were not un-
common coming from Malcolm, which more than
likely contributed to the idea that they were two
opposite ends of a spectrum. Although Malcolm
had gone on record calling Martin both a chicken
wing and a fool, he also said “Dr. King wants the
same thing I want--freedom!”
Towards the end of their lives, both seemed to
become more moderate in their views. In his letter
from Birmingham jail Martin acknowledges that
the frustrations of black nationalists such as the
Nation of Islam, were warranted. He refers to the
black nationalists as one force and his model of
peacefulness until integration as another force. “I
have tried to stand between these two forces, saying
that we need emulate neither the "do nothingism"
of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the
black nationalist,” said Dr. King. A letter from Mal-
colm, recovered by the Martin Luther King Paper
Project, inviting Martin to speak at a Muslim rally
read “A United Front involving all Negro factions,
elements, and their leaders is absolutely necessary.”
According to PBS during his visit to Selma,
Malcolm visited, Coretta Scott King, the wife of Dr.
King to inform her that “I didn't come to Selma to
make his job difficult. I really did come thinking
I could make it easier. If the white people realize
what the alternative is, perhaps they will be more
willing to hear Dr. King.” After the death of Mal-
colm X in 1965 Martin apologetically sent a tele-
gram to Betty Shabazz the wife of Malcolm. Part
of the telegram read “While we did not always see
eye to eye on methods to solve the race problem,
I always had a deep affection for Malcolm and felt
that he had the great ability to put his finger on the
existence and root of the problem.”
While they disagreed on the methods to reach
the destination, both Malcolm and Martin, kept
freedom at the forefront of their movement. Mal-
colm X said in his autobiography “The goal has
always been the same, with the approaches to it
as different as mine and Dr. Martin Luther King's
non-violent marching, that dramatizes the brutality
and the evil of the white man against defenseless
blacks. And in the racial climate of this country
today, it is anybody's guess which of the "extremes"
in approach to the black man's problems might
personally meet a fatal catastrophe first -- "non-vi-
olent" Dr. King, or so-called "violent" me." With
both Martin and Malcolm being tragically assassi-
nated at the age of thirty-nine, it would seem that
they both met a fatal catastrophe. However, when
looking at the activism on our campus, I can say
that their movements have not met that fatal ca-
tastrophe. When looking at the amount of African
American students committed to make our campus
a more inclusive place I am lead to believe that
regardless of whose path we take, we are slowly but
surely approaching that end goal of freedom.
Stephanie tate
managing editor
TWO PATHS:

opinion Wednesday, january 27, 2016 | 5
NM YOUR VOICE
Malik Simpson, senior, human biology
What do you consider to be the biggest difference between Malcolm X and
Dr. King?
“I would say their belief in the white race, which in turn led to their oppo-
site views of retaliation. When I say belief I mean faith that they could treat
blacks equally. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that whites could treat black
people equally and wanted us to be one united country. However, Malcolm X
had no faith in the white race, nor did he trust them, and would rather blacks
unite together and support each other against the white man.”
Whose views would you say that you subscribe to more?
“I would say I subscribe to both. I don’t trust many white people and I’d rather support a fellow black
person before I support a white person. However, I do have faith in society that one day we will be treat-
ed fairly. I believe it’s because of the time period I’ve grown up in. I’ve seen the progress since the civil
rights movement so I know it can continue.”
Achaia Dent, freshman, animal science
Ade Adesina, sophomore, communication
What do you consider to be the biggest difference between Malcolm X and
Dr. King?
“I know this is probably a typical answer but I would violence when neces-
sary versus non-violence.”
“I would lean a little more towards Martin Luther King Jr. because I do
believe peaceful protest and peaceful discussion to better the communities
around us. However, Malcolm states ‘I don’t even call it violence when it’s in self defense; I call it intel-
ligence’ which I take as use violence when you are backed into the corner and you have no other op-
tion it’s the smart thing to do but only in the most serious cases. I would say I take both sides but lean
towards Dr. King more as peace would always be my first method.”
What do you consider to be the biggest difference between
Malcolm X and Dr. King?
“I think that Malcolm X was more willing to compromise
peace in order for his people to progress because he knew our
power. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted to sustain a certain deco-
rum to keep his followers from looking threatening.”
“I feel that action is necessary but I don’t necessarily think violence is the
answer but sometimes it is a solution. So in that way I think I can identify with
both.”

Wednesday, january 27, 2016 | 6 news
When technical intelligence meets creative genius
quianne’ Holmes
staffwriter
While hoverboards are currently trending, the
increasing number of accidents, explosions and other
serious injuries caused the office of Environmental
Health and Public Safety to issue a campus-wide ban
on the devices and others like them.
The ban prohibits the use and storage of hover-
boards or any machine similar to them on campus
grounds. The university has made arrangements to
temporarily store the hoverboards owned by students
who live in residence halls if they cannot safely get
them home in the near future.
The lithium-ion battery that powers the hover-
boards is the most concerning element of these de-
vices. The ban was initiated due to vast reports of the
battery spontaneously bursting into flames especially
while charging. This kind of explosion would obvi-
ously cause havoc for any close quartered residence
hall or classroom, and avoiding any related disasters
will benefit student’s general safety on campus.
In addition to the fire hazards, there has been an
increasing number of emergency room visits for
injuries associated with the use of hoverboards. Some
students wonder if hoverboards are more or less dan-
gerous than riding a skateboard to class.
“While I have seen way more people wipe out on
skate boards, I bet it would hurt more to fall off a
hoverboard especially if you were wearing a backpack
because it would be so unexpected,” said Mary Stuart
Sloan, a freshman majoring in Political Science.
The United States Consumer Product Safety Com-
mission recently launched an investigation into the
hoverboards in hopes of finding a solution to this
hazardous problem. “CPSC is looking into the safety
of the entire product line of hoverboards,” Patty
Davis, the deputy of communications director for the
Commission told Fox 59. “We are working all across
the country to move our investigation forward as
quickly as possible.”
NC State is not the first to put a ban on hover-
boards on campus. In addition to many colleges
and universities, over 60 international airlines such
as Delta and United Airlines have prohibited their
passengers from bringing any device similar to a
hoverboard beyond TSA security. Multiple shipping
companies have also stopped transporting the hover-
boards to avoid impending accidents or explosions.
Retailers such as Target, Overstock and Amazon
have temporarily stopped selling the lower quality
hoverboards made with lithium batteries due to the
safety concerns. Amazon is also giving full refunds
for any hoverboard purchased through their website,
and many companies are likely to follow this trend.
Some students applaud the ban of hoverboards
and now feel safer walking to class without having to
worry about getting run over.
“Most of the people using hoverboards to get to
class just assume people will get out of their way. I
think they are more obnoxious than skateboarders
because at least they usually stay in one place where-
as the hover-boarders were all over campus,” said
junior Addison Collins majoring in Business Admin-
istration.
Like it or not, hoverboards are banned from cam-
pus for now. If the manufacturer develops a battery
that doesn’t explode, maybe the boards can come-
back., but until then, looks like we’re all walking.
Zoe wilson
correspondent
Hoverboards Banned on Campus due to fires
Last Thursday, Jan. 21, there was no place you
would rather have been than the Technimetric Poetry
Slam.
This event was created by the National Society of
Black Engineers (NSBE) and sponsored by Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) media,
Arts NC State, and My Health Impact.
As students filled the room, the dim lights created a
quaint, intimate space with refreshments, music, and
an art gallery consisting of student paintings. Darryl
Johnson, a junior in Mechanical Engineering and the
President of NSBE opened the event up by introduc-
ing the purpose of the event: “technical intellect with
creative genius.”
He then shared his own poetry which included
verses that transformed engineering concepts into
verses concerning the unjust circumstances that Afri-
can Americans face in today’s society.
The EMCee of the night was Nehemiah J. Mabry,
a Ph.D student. He set the ground rules to create a
supportive safe space for the participants. These rules
included snapping for and verbalizing appreciation
during a performance and continuing that vibe by
applauding their exit.
Nehemiah then introduced the the judges, Angeli-
tha Daniel, Alexis Carson, Kryston Gollihue, and
Will McInery, who had the tough task of picking the
first place winner who would receive an Apple Watch
as well as the runner up who would receive LED
speakers. The crowd favorite would be chosen by the
audience using Twitter.
The first poet to grace the stage was Natalie Sher-
wood, a junior majoring in polymer and color chem-
istry. She blew the audience away creating rhymes
that touched on black lives lost such as Michael
Brown, Freddie Gray and Tamir Rice.
The creativity continued with a freestyle spoken
word from Taha Arif, a junior in electrical engineer-
ing who grabbed the crowd’s heart and tickled their
funny bones.
In between poets, there was an Art Gallery give
away in which audience members were randomly
selected to win student paintings.
Next up, Tierra Knight, a junior in chemical en-
gineering, gave inspiring words saying that “we are
all powerful beyond measure, and most importantly
“who are you not to be?” Then Ade Adesina, a sopho-
more in communication media used his science filled
poem to tell a love story.
Morgan Sanchez, an undergraduate in engineering,
let everyone know that it was her first time doing
spoken word. The community embraced her with
open arms as she shared a short but meaningful
poem. Last but not least, Camerian Williams, a junior
in psychology and social work shared his poem about
how opposites attract.
Finally, it was time to announce the awards. Run-
ner up was Taha Arif, crowd favorite was Camerian
Williams and first place winner was Natalie Sher-
wood.
Hopefully the Technimetric Poetry Slam will en-
courage more creative spaces in which students can
display more interdisciplinary creativity.

features Wednesday, january 27, 2016 | 7
welcome dawn morgan:
newAACC assistant director
benyame assefa
correspondant
Threa Almontaser
StaffWriter
black history month
Brings Scholarships
Every year, various organizations award scholarships to deserv-
ing students who meet their criteria. This year, there are four great
opportunities created specifically for African-American students.
These scholarships are being given in accordance with the
upcoming Black History Month. They’re usually based for Afri-
can-American students and are made to motivate the following
generations of Black history creators and to help them afford a
good education.
Companies such as Coca-Cola and Frito Lay participate in these
scholarship programs, hoping to provide students more opportuni-
ty and lower tuition.
Kamaria Fyffe, a junior studying English, says, “I think scholar-
ships are really helpful for minority students in general, not just
African-Americans. It’s a good way to encourage them to go to
college.”
The Frito-Lay “Create to Celebrate” Black History Month Art
Contest asks applicants to submit an original artwork on any medi-
um that celebrates African-American achievement in history. The
grand prize is $10,000 dollars, with second and third place prices of
$5,000 and $2,500 dollars.
“African American scholarships aren’t broadcasted as much as
others. You need to hear about them from somebody, unlike others
that are non-African American related,” said Daisha Johnson, a
freshman studying animal science. Johnson went to a predomi-
nantly white high school, where she says she had to talk to a specif-
ic person just to find out more about scholarships for minorities.
The Buick Achievers Scholarship Program gives students up to
$25,000 that excel in the classroom, especially in Science, Tech-
nology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program and other related
fields.
They look for community leaders and dedicated, inspiring
students. This program wants to “support the pursuit of academic
disciplines that will help drive global innovation and economic
growth in the 21st century.” Distinctive consideration is awarded to
first-generation students, females and minorities.
Anieka Dickens, a grad student in the Master of Public Admin-
istration program, says, “These scholarships help a lot when trying
to reach out to kids who ordinarily would not be going to college.
It instills diversity from lower impoverished areas into the univer-
sities.”
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation/General Mills
Health Scholarship Program is open to both graduate students and
undergraduate that have a focus in medicine and nutrition-related
studies. Applicants must have at least a 2.75 GPA and can receive
up to $2,000 dollars out of the 46 that plan to be granted this year.
Some of the deadlines are in January, but most of these scholar-
ships have end submission dates in February, so hurry and apply!
With the start of 2016, the concept of ‘new’ is
in mind. For the new Assistant Director at the
African American Cultural Center (AACC),
Dawn Morgan, the ‘new’ 2016 involves more
than just a few resolutions;
it means a new office.
Q: So tell us about your-
self.
A: I am from Rochester,
NY where I graduated
from Nazareth College
with a B.A. in Psychology
and a minor in Multicul-
tural Studies in 2005. I
continued working full-
time and attended Buffalo
State College part-time,
eventually earning an
M.S. in Student Personnel
Administration in 2010.
In 2011, I moved to North
Carolina as a newlywed,
and worked at Elon University as an Assistant
Director in housing. In 2013, I accepted a
position at NC State in the Center for Student
Leadership, Ethics and Public Service (CS-
LEPS).
Q: What were your roles as as coordinator at
CSLEPS?
A: As Coordinator of CSLEPS, I was respon-
sible for developing and executing a number
of programs, mostly related to leadership
development. Some signature programs I was
responsible for included Leadership In Action
(until its final graduation in 2014), Leader-
Shape, Service NC State Meal Packaging Event
and advising Campus Pals. Another exciting
opportunity and one that I am particularly
proud of was chairing the Student Leader
Training Committee. Last year, we hosted
the first Leaders Under Construction themed
conference for these students and will contin-
ue with that initiative this year…(look out for
this opportunity on April 16th!).
Q: What are some of your new roles?
A: My new role is a balance of programmatic
and administrative responsibilities. I will be
coordinating artists and their work for the
African American Cultural Center’s Gallery
and co-advising the AYA am-
bassadors. I am also focused
on establishing new initia-
tives and enhancing current
programs centered around
leadership development for
students associated with the
center, promoting under-
graduate and graduate level
research as well as connect-
ing with faculty to extend
learning opportunities
beyond the classroom, for
those wanting to learn more
about African American
people and cultures repre-
sented in the diaspora.
Q: What things are you are
excited about?
A: I am thrilled to be working with students
and a professional team that are engaged in
and have the desire to enhance learning and
awareness around something I am so passion-
ate about: black culture and experiences. That
excitement has been amplified by the fact that
it is the AACC’s 25th anniversary. This is the
perfect time to think about what the AACC
means to us as members of the NC State and
surrounding community and consider giving
back. Thankfully, through the support and
guidance from Dr. Graham and Mama Thor-
pe, my first program will be a gallery opening
on February 2nd at 6pm. The exhibit is enti-
tled “The Soul of Philanthropy” and will focus
on a rich history of ‘giving back’ in the black
community. We hope many of our students
and campus colleagues will join us to celebrate
and participate in the African American Cul-
tural Center’s 25th year in this way.
Congrats to Ms. Morgan on her new position,
and her exciting new role as a mother.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM | February 10, 2016
OLD SCHOOL
HOWTHE dating GAME HAS CHANGED
new SCHOOL

THISISSUE
wednesday, february 10, 2016 | 2
Editor-in-Chief
Jillian Smith
Managing Editor
Stephanie Tate
3 RACIAL CLIMATE TOWN HALL
Students gather to discuss action item progress.
3 SOUL OF PHILANTHROPY
Giving back to the community, debt free.
4 OLD SCHOOL LOVE
Conservative view on dating in the new age.
5 NEW SCHOOL DATING
Talking, hooking up and avoiding committment.
6 FLINT RELIEF FUND
Students rally together to support Flint.
6 QUES COMMUNITY SERVICE
Think and Do in action with fraternity members.
7 THE ONLY KING
Critiquing black history education in schools.
8 CHANCELLOR’S INITIATIVES
Concerns with NC State’s call to action.
8 CANDYGRAM ORDERING
Peer Mentor Program offers sweet treats.
HELP US OUT!
The Newspaper Advisory Board
will hold Nubian Message Edi-
tor-In-Chief interviews next Monday,
Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Student
Media Conference Room. It is a pub-
lic meeting and all are welcome.
From The Editor
MAKE SURE YOU REGISTER!
Voter registration deadline
February 19 - Registration forms
must be delivered or postmarked by
5 p.m.
March 8 - Last day to submit absen-
tee ballot request form.

news Wednesday, February 10, 2016 | 3
SOUL OF PHILAnTHROPY exhibitteaches students goodwill
racial climate town hall follow up provides answers
BENYAME ASSEFA
CORRESPONDENT
Stephanie Tate
Managing editor
Minority students at NC State have kept the mo-
mentum from last month’s Student Government Ra-
cial Climate Town Hall going by hosting a follow-up
meeting where panel members discussed the progress
of their action items.
Those action items included diversity and inclusiv-
ity training for all student organizations and all in-
coming students, an honor court system and electing
an Asian American assistant director to Multicultural
Student Affairs.
The meeting started with a recap of all of the action
items. Students were then able to self select the action
item that they were most interested in working on
and help brainstorm how to bring those action items
to fruition.
Those who brainstormed for action item one, led
by Moriah Barrow, a senior studying communication
came up with ideas such as requiring one diversi-
ty activity or event per semester for organizations,
having an open forum and working to incorporate
diversity and inclusivity trainings into their organiza-
tions’ pre-existing trainings.
The second action item, inclusivity training for
incoming students through orientation, was present-
ed by Darryl Johnson, a junior studying mechanical
engineering. One idea was having diversity coordina-
tors from each of the colleges present an interactive
workshop on diversity and then having orientation
leaders facilitate a conversation on diversity and its
importance.
“We want the trainings to create a medium where
students can have free space to discuss diversity,” said
Johnson, “the issue is feasibility.”
Johnson said this is the sense that it will be nearly
impossible to do separate trainings for over twenty
orientation groups in one day. The solution: a video
that could be played many times throughout orien-
tation with ease. The orientation leaders would then
facilitate a discussion with their group.
The honor court system, action item three, was
discussed by Kamrie Risku. She discussed the im-
portance of implementing the education aspect of
the court because punishment deters students from
learning why their discriminatory acts were wrong.
Risku could not say much, as she was waiting on
her meeting the following day with Student Conduct
Director Paul Cousins.
However, she did note that this honor court would
not be established in the interest of “worrying about
feelings.” Creating discomfort in the students brought
to honor court is somewhat of a goal for Risku.
“A minute of discomfort for that student is noth-
ing in comparison to the discomfort felt by minority
students everyday,” she said. “We are definitely in the
business of making people uncomfortable.”
The fourth action item, hiring a director for Asian
students in Multicultural Student Affairs , was pre-
sented by Nina Ondona. Ondona discussed making
students more aware of Asian faculty and staff in
order to increase a feeling of belonging for Asian
students on campus.
As of now, they are looking to have a graduate
assistant rather than an assistant director to repre-
sent the Asian American and Pacific Islander student
body.They are also now investigating the creation of
an advisory council for AAPI students.
“Dr. (Tracey) Ray feels confident that moves can be
made within a year,” said Ondona.
The last significant note on this action item was
the movement of Asian American History Month to
mid-March rather than May when we are no longer
in school.
Newly appointed Assistant Director, Dawn Morgan,
hosted her first art exhibit titled “Soul of Philanthro-
py: Reframed and Exhibited,” on Wednesday, Feb. 3.
Following our last encounter with Ms. Morgan, the
event had much build to it’s unveiling.
Kicking off the beginning of Black History Month,
Ms. Morgan along with the help of Frances Gra-
ham; Director of African American Cultural Center
(AACC) coordinated with creators of the exhibit,
Valaida Fullwood and Charles Thomas Jr.
Within the context of the exhibit’s name, the mean-
ing behind this project is unveiled.
Philanthropy promotes good welfare and finan-
cially supporting individuals. However, this event
promotes an idea that financial support isn’t always
needed to be philanthropic. “Soul of Philanthropy:
Reframed and Exhibited” presents audiences with
speakers from NC State, formerly and currently, who
were testament of these financial free and personal
obligations.
These testaments from fellow Wolfpack members
put into perspective the purpose of this exhibit; that
philanthropy is deeper than your pockets. Alterna-
tives to going further into debt involved being active
in your schools communities, such as volunteering at
the AACC building.
“Philanthropy comes from the soul. It’s your heart,
your head, and what your hands can do. Your soul is
your core,” said Fullwood.
The exhibit involved photography-drawing
with lights and aluminum prints. This allowed for
the black and white themed photos to illuminate
throughout the exhibit in Witherspoon.
Towards the wall of the exhibit hall, there was a
giant chalkboard with the phrase “Why I Give Back”
above it. People lined up to explain why it is they give
back and as a result this allowed for viewers to engage
with the exhibit and be a part of the experience, as
the walls filled up with writing.
The Soul of Philanthropy presents students, facul-
ty, and welcomed guest to be a part of an interactive
and soulful experience. Further steps made towards
engaging viewers
involved iPads for
people to read up
on the exhibit’s
various photos.
After years in
the making, this
project debuted on
Feb. 20, 2015.
“V was the brain
behind operation.
She had the shot list and project in her head the
whole time,” said Thomas Jr.
The exhibit is touring and has already stopped in
Denver, Houston, Charleston, Raleigh, and anoth-
er eight locations scheduled for a lesson in what it
means to be philanthropic.
“Being the 25th anniversary of AACC, we’re really
hoping to have students and faculty engaged all
month,” said Graham.
An example of the art in the Soul of
Philanthropy Exhibit.
Benyame assefa | staff photographer

Wednesday, february 10, 2016 | 4 FEATURES
NMYOURVOICE:
worst dates
Old School Dating
First comes love, then comes marriage
“I met a girl on Myspace and we agreed to meet for
the first time at the movies. I show up, and find out
I was catfished. She looked absolutely nothing like
her pictures online. So I said hey to her, bought my
own movie ticket, sat on the total opposite side of
the movie theater from her for the whole movie, and
never talked to her again.” -Travis Gatling, senior,
civil engineering
“My worst date was over before it
even started. I tried to be nice and
ask her to dinner, but she rejected
me. Afterwards the girl tweeted:
“He put his balls on the line, and I
chopped them off.” - Anonymous
Guy, sophomore, business admin-
istration
“Chicken wings and
fries, I don’t go on dates.
No but seriously, some-
one should take me on a
date; this is getting sad.”
- Chauncey Bowden,
senior, philosophy of law
I’m sure we’ve all heard the phrase “why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free?” However, why would a man, in
my case, want to marry me if I’m doing all the things that a girlfriend and a wife does? I totally understand that times
have changed and we have different values than our parents, etc., but there are some benefits of keeping things old school.
For your whole life you’ve, lived with someone whether it be your parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents, and now
your roommate. Believe it or not, we all need our personal space at some point. Living alone gives you the personal
space to do literally whatever you want, and it teaches you how to be disciplined and hold yourself accountable. There’s
no one to split the energy bill with or take the trash out every other week. You are completely independent. When the
time comes to move in with your husband/wife, you’re perfectly capable of taking care of business whether it be paying
bills or doing chores. Also, you know the importance of alone time.
I might get a lot of backlash from this, but hear me out. If someone asks you out, it is his/her intent to basically impress
you. With that being said, he/she comes up with the date plans and courts you. Many of us don’t know what that means,
because our generation just doesn’t do it. Courting someone is getting to know another person before taking it any fur-
ther.
“I think they’re a lot better and you don’t end up ‘catching feelings’ too early and one person gets attached and the other
doesn’t. I think the only reason to date is to find your spouse and I think this is the best way to find one.” said Traemani
Hawkins, a sophomore in computer science
Sex is important in a relationship, but not as important as knowing that pepperoni is my favorite pizza topping, but I
digress. The first date is meant for you to be impressed and get to know the other person. So, since the other person initi-
ated the date, they have to follow all the way through, including the check.
This brings me to my cow reference. If you pull out all of your tricks for your boyfriend/girlfriend, what is there to ex-
periment or to surprise them with when you both decide to get married? Think of yourself as a sheet cake at a party (like
I said, hear me out).
Some people will take those big corner pieces while others take small, conservative pieces out of the middle. By the
time that special guest of honor come to get their piece of cake, what is left? Save something to look forward to in the
future.
With all this, I understand that marriage is not the end goal for some people, and that’s okay. Not everyone values the
same things, but these points go beyond the “old school versus new school” dating debate. These points are also here to
remind you that you are worth it. Learn to love yourself, and understand what you bring to the table. Then, if someone
wants you as badly as they say they want you then they’d stop at nothing to win your heart. And with that being said,
Happy Valentine’s Day, Wolfpack!
jessica stubbs
staffwriter

FEATURES wednesday, february 10, 2016 | 5
Kai McNeil | staff photographer
New schooltalking
first comes the DM, then netflix and chill
“This guy asked me on a date, which was cool; but his
car was in the shop so I had to drive. I drove 45 minutes
to this restaurant that just sold wings. At this point my
gas tank is on E and I'm livid. After eating he doesn't
even think about pulling out his wallet, so I act like I'm
going to the bathroom, I find the waitress, pay for my
food and leave.” -Bria Johnson, junior, history educa-
tion
“I met a guy at an ice cream parlor downtown. He ‘for-
got’ his wallet but still ordered a cone that I had to pay for.
Right when I thought it was over, a local rapper asked us if
he could take our picture that would be featured in his next
music video. Of course he said yes, and now we are both in
a music video that people from my school saw making it
impossible for me to forget that date!” - Zoe Wilson, junior,
communication
“He asked if I wanted to see a movie and I
said yes. What he actually meant was ‘do you
want to meet at my house, drive to a redbox
and watch a movie in my basement.’ I can’t
even remember what movie it was because
he talked about his ex-girlfriend the entire
two hours it was on.” -Jillian Smith, senior,
communication
The world of dating has dramatically changed in the last few decades. If I had followed in the footsteps of my grandma,
I would have gotten married last year (at 19 years old) and currently be pregnant with the first of three children. While I
could not think of a more scary scenario, it was a completely normal and expected arrangement not that long ago.
The main difference between the past and current dating trends is the actual goal of dating. Two generations ago the
people who ventured out into the dating game had a marriage orientated mentality, while now people date more for fun
putting thoughts of settling down with one person far back in their minds.
“Everything about dating has definitely changed since from how it was for my grandparents, and the main emphasis has
shifted from getting married at an early age to now getting married later in life. The game is shifting towards dating more
people instead of settling down especially since people are more career orientated,” said sophomore Zach Guy studying
business administration.
Along with dating more, people, it is now a common practice to spend a significant amount of time “talking” to a per-
son before deciding to actually date them. The advent of “talking” has made it so that you don’t actually have to commit to
someone, which means you can be involved with multiple people at one time guilt free.
The instantaneous access to each other via cell phones and text messages has altered the way people communicate with
each other. Most people spend a good amount of time on their social media channels all over the world expanding the
network of people available to date. Why settle down when you have hundreds of options at your fingertips?
“While it was normal at the time for my grandparents to marry at a young age, it is now more normal for people to get
married in their late twenties. I wouldn’t mind getting married earlier in life, but I do not want to rush into a marriage now
because I know it takes a good amount of time to find the right one,” said Uly Grisette, a freshman in Exploratory Studies.
Social media has impacted the mentality of many young people, creating a far more liberal attitude towards commitment
as well as premarital sex. Many movies, songs, television shows and advertisements glorify the idea of casual sex without
any strings attached. This is now widely seen and practiced on most college campuses. This new trend is now called “hook-
up culture” by many.
“Since everyone’s lives are displayed on such a public platform it changes the way we present ourselves to society. Social
media has caused people to be more image conscious than ever and this has affected how we act in relationships, and peo-
ple may base who they are interested in dating by how well they present themselves on social media,” said junior Elizabeth
Reavis studying biology.
Who's to say if “talking” and “hookup culture” are good or bad things? We are living in a time of incredible liberalism
when it comes to who we date. So enjoy your your freedom and your independence and whenever you’re ready test the
relationship waters. There’s nothing wrong with a little experimentation.
zoe wilson
correspondent

wednesday, february 10, 2016 | 6 news
GREEKS GIVE BACK
Quianne’ holmes
StaffWriter
NPHC collects money for flint think and do with ques
The National Panhellenic Council has raised
over one thousand dollars in the past week to sup-
port the citizens of Flint, Michigan who have been
consuming chemical laden water for over a year
now by providing them with a safer water supply.
Malik Simpson, the President of Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity, Inc. and a Special Events Co-Chair for
NPHC wrote the proposal for the campaign.
“Everyone knew what was going on and NPHC
needed to make a united stand,” said Simpson.
The campaign began on Monday, Feb. 1 and ended
on Friday, Feb. 5. It was stationed in Talley Student
Union, the perfect location to gain the attention of students and faculty.
The idea of having a “Penny War,” was initiated by NPHC Vice President Aleah Mathis, a
member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. The goal was to encourage organizations out-
side of NPHC to participate in the campaign.
Six organizations participated alongside NPHC: the Society of Afrikan Culture, the Peer
Mentor Program, the Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council, the Order of Omega
and Alpha Phi Omega.
Every penny gained the organization one point, and any silver coins or dollar bills resulted
in a point deduction. As an incentive, NPHC offered seven free tickets for the Apr. 9 step
show to the winning organization.
Sydney Wingate, a junior studying communication, also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, Inc. worked the collection table informing students about the state of emergency in
Flint and what their donations will be used for.
“We are just hoping to add something to this cause and help people get clean access to in
some form,” Wingate said.
The Flint water crisis was the forefront of national news earlier this month when a federal
investigation conducted by the U.S. attorney’s office revealed that more than 100,000 people
had been receiving the contaminated water from the Flint River instead of from Lake Huron
though the Detroit city water system.
Complaints from residents began immediately after the water source was switched. At
numerous town hall meetings, the color, clarity, smell and taste of the water was questioned.
The government of Flint attempted to quiet the dissenters with public displays of the wa-
ter’s safety as well as posters reading “Hey Flint! It is safe to wash!” and “lead in bath water
will not soak into your skin fast or at high levels.” Now that the severity of the situation has
been revealed, reports of skin lesions, hair loss, high levels of lead in the blood, vision loss,
memory loss, depression and anxiety have surfaced.
“It’s a really really sad situation. We just wanted to do our part here in North Carolina to
help out,” said Wingate.
Wingate admitted that she was surprised by students’ enthusiasm and the number of dona-
tions given to the cause. The campaign garnered an overwhelmingly positive response from
the student body according to Wingate.
The money from the Penny War will go to the Flint Water Fund sponsored by United Way
according to Simpson. They will use the donation to buy more bottled water and new water
filters for Flint residents.
jillian smith
editor-in-chief
NC State’s motto is Think and Do, and there are so many organiza-
tions that make sure to transform our motto into a physical mission.
One organization in particular that has modeled such great behav-
ior is the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. On January 30, they invited
students to participate in a community service project assisting the
Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.
Early Saturday morning, participants came in ready to help in any-
way that they could. Facilitators quickly trained the students and put
them to work sorting out and bagging different types of vegetables for
families in need. Observing the atmosphere, people from all back-
grounds came with one purpose in mind: to serve.
There was cohesiveness in making sure the tasks were completed
efficiently and smoothly. Participants included NC State alumni and
Undergraduates who identified being in several organizations such as
the Society of Afrikan American Culture (SAAC), Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority Inc., the Black Alumni Association and many more organi-
zations.
Trevor Jenkins, a sopho-
more studying business ad-
ministration, and member
of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
Inc. shared that one of the
organization’s cardinal
principles is Uplift and
their motto is “friendship
is essential to the soul.” He
went on to say, “as men, it’s
our duty to serve our com-
munity and influence change and improvements in our world. It’s the
responsibility of every able bodied and able minded man.”
When asked about his personal experience during the community
service project he said, “the amount of food we were sorting through
brought to my attention just how much excess food is potential-
ly done away with by makers and producers of food. I’m not just
referring to farmers, but I have researched and found that many
restaurants and fast food services through away tons of leftover food
everyday.”
With service through all levels of the community you learn to
appreciate the things that you can easily take for granted. As college
students we have access to housing, a meal plan and even programs
with free admission, food, and prizes. Often times, it is easy to forget
the very things that help us get by each week or school year.
With this, I challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone to
give back what has been given to you. Share your talents, advice, and
your lending hands to make sure that you do not leave those behind
but bring them right beside you.
students volunteer with the food bank
of central and eastern north carolina.
quianne’ holmes | staff photographer
a student donates money to the nphc
penny war in talley student union.
victoria crocker | staff photographer

OPINION wednesday, february 10, 2016 | 7
“You always hear about Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and
all of them, but you don’t really hear about Malcolm
X or these different people that were just as important
but maybe were not as friendly to white cul-
ture,” said William Stewart, a senior study-
ing electrical engineering and President of
the Red Poets Society.
Stewart is one of many who believe our
education in black history to be lacking on
several fronts, and he places the responsibil-
ity for this deficit on the shoulders of those
in power, who are in the majority, and have
historically been white.
For the most part, black history education
begins with the slave trade and ends with the
civil rights movement, hitting a few high-
lights along the way. These highlights often
include Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks,
and George Washington Carver, along with
a few other prominent figures.
Often, the representation of these figures
is inaccurate and watered down for public
consumption. Whether or not this is inten-
tional is difficult to say, but the impact of
this effective ‘whitewashing’ is even harder
to deny.
Dr. Jamila Simpson, Assistant Dean for
Diversity and Student Services in the Col-
lege of Sciences, is an adamant supporter of
more in depth black history, as it was taught
to her in her college years.
“I think we need more representation of
what black leadership looks like, but I think
we also need authentic representation of
who these people actually were,” she said in
response to the typical black history curriculum.
Dr. Simpson spoke about her experience and the
impact it had on her when she was an undergradu-
ate here at NC State. As the first black female to ever
receive a degree in meteorology from NC State in
2000, and the only African American in her major,
Dr. Simpson was no stranger to the feeling of being
alone that many African American students face
upon arrival.
“My self esteem was very low coming from my
home town. I was often the only black student in
most of my classes, and I encountered racism when I
got here, too,” Simpson said.
One of the instances she remembers most occurred
during black history month.
“I would write African American history facts on a
dry erase board on my door every day during black
history month…and my RA, who was a white male,
came to me and said his girlfriend, who lived in my
suite, thought my board was offensive and he want-
ed me to stop doing it. He told me it wasn’t white
people’s fault that black people hadn’t contributed
to science and math in this country,” said Simpson.
Clearly, this narrow view of our history can have a
detrimental impact, not only on African American
students but also on the perceptions of the communi-
ty at large.
“Thomas Edison is credited with the in-
vention of the light bulb, but it was actually
a black man who came up with the filament
for the bulb…I learned that in fifth or sixth
grade and that’s when I started to realize
about race and the role that it plays,” said
Wesley Coats, a junior studying computer
science and the Vice President Omega Psi
Phi Fraternity Inc.
When black history is taught in schools, it
is most often the case that the accomplish-
ments that are focused on are limited to the
ones that impacted the black community.
In the fields of science, or mathematics, or
anything outside of strictly ‘black’ culture,
the information given is scarce or missing
entirely. “It’s subconscious, but we’re over-
coming messages that we haven’t contribut-
ed much, especially in STEM,” said Simpson.
The limited scope of black history shown
to students was the inspiration for a poem
by William Stewart. The poem speaks on
the sanitization of the legacy of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr., but also shines light on the
issue at hand with the last line, “I am the
only black king in their history books.”
“Martin Luther King was the least threat-
ening black leader they could think of. Mal-
colm X’s ‘by any means necessary,’ you know,
that’s scary to people who are comfortable in
their own privilege,” said Stewart.
His poem, “In my name,” is a powerful example of
how he decided to be part of the solution. Stewart
was adamant that it was not his intention to diminish
Dr. King’s legacy or the work he’s done in any way,
but simply to acknowledge, simply put, “That’s not all
there is to it.”
“I don’t want to speak for people whose experiences
I can’t relate to,” Stewart said,” but I hope maybe I can
inspire someone to use their voice, or show someone
that they have a voice.”
My legacy has been whitewashed
My words bleached
Scrubbed clean by hands that have never known callouses
Or what it’s like to work for someone else’s living
I am the only black king in their history books
Which makes me a weapon
Contorted from a man into the rifle that shot him
Placed in the same alabaster hands and gnarled Jim Crow fingers
That pulled the trigger
I was the least threatening black leader they could find
So they sewed my thread into their tattered tapestry
Scribbled out the ugly parts
Replaced “black” with “diverse”
And pretended racism had ended
In my name
Condemned the Baltimore riots
In my name
Created a “War of Northern Aggression”
In my name
Murdered 12 year old children
In my name
Because my name is nothing but a name to them
My legacy nothing but a legacy
But it had to be me
Because I’m the only black King in their history books
-William Stewart
anahzsa jones
correspondent
The only king in our history books:
A critique on black history education

At the beginning of the semester Chancellor Wood-
son released a letter on the NC State website titled
“Strengthening Campus Unity.” This letter served as
a welcome to students coming back from the winter
break. Chancellor Woodson began the letter in typ-
ical fashion pointing out that the university is better
than ever and “experiencing unprecedented success.
He went on to say that NC State still has issues to
overcome, saying, “In particular, we join campuses
and communities across the country in an important
national conversation about issues of race, religion,
intolerance and discrimination — critical matters
that in one way or another touch all of our lives.”
Woodson introduces seven initiatives designed to
“advance diversity and inclusion at NC State”. These
plans have the potential to have incredible influence,
if they ever happen. The first initiative states that the
chancellor and Provost Arden will work alongside
several students, faculty and staff to get their rec-
ommendations and hear about their experiences on
campus.
Chancellor Woodson says that these meetings have
already been scheduled and I hope that these groups
take full advantage of this opportunity and truly voice
any concerns that they may have. I also hope that
the students that he plans to meet with are a good
representation of the needs that need to be met on
our campus.
Another initiative discusses two programs that
will be implemented by the Office of the Provost, the
Emerging Scholar Program and the Senior Visiting
Scholar Program. According to the letter these pro-
grams are “an effort to attract African-American and
other underrepresented faculty to NC State.” He also
stated that the Council on Undergraduate Education
is evaluating ways to ensure that diversity are parts of
the NC State curricula.
While I certainly agree with our Chancellor that
NC State is experiencing unprecedented success,
this success is certainly not always applied across the
board. Our university prides itself on its think and do
attitude, yet far too often there has not been enough
action taken place when addressing issues surround-
ing race.
It is clear that Chancellor Woodson is aware of the
issues pertaining to diversity on this campus. Yet, we
all know that awareness is not enough in order to
implement change; it is only the starting point.
Students have voiced concerns about the racial
climate on campus for years. While this university
continues to strive for academic excellence and a
relevant space amongst our competitors Duke and
Chapel Hill, our diversity initiatives often come
across as ingenuine. While these efforts look great on
paper, it would have been even better to have Chan-
cellor Woodson address these plans in person at the
Racial Climate Town Hall meeting.
Far too often marginalized students have carried
the weight in addressing these issues, and honestly,
it isn’t their job to do so. As students, our time here
is short. While we may be able to start social move-
ments within the four years that we spend here, it is
hard to ensure that they continue after we are gone;
this is where administration should help.
Chancellor Woodson and the administrators
involved in these programs should be held account-
able for making sure that these programs come into
fruition. It will be nice to see their influence facilitate
a healthier racial environment on campus.
chauncey bowden
StaffWriter
Chancellor Woodson presents new initiatives
AMANI MANNING
CORRESPONDENT
PMP OFFErs CANDY GRAM delivery
wednesday, february 10, 2016 | 8 opinion
This year, the Peer Mentor Program is of-
fering to send Valentine’s Day candy grams to
that special someone on your behalf.
PMP hosts a number of activities through-
out the year to make sure that their members
stay connected and involved with other men-
tors and mentees.
Valentine’s Day often sneaks up on us, so
the candy gram fundraiser has been created
to help out those students who are low on
funds, but still want to send a gift to that
special someone. They also ask of faculty and
staff to participate in spreading the love to
their fellow employees.
Valentine’s Day is often assumed to be a day
for couples, but in reality, the ability to love
manifests itself in different relationships and
PMP strongly encourages that we acknowl-
edge those relationships with Candygrams.
“Who doesn't want flowers and some can-
dy?! This event does pretty well and I doubt
this year will be any different. Hopefully,
everyone receiving a candy gram will enjoy
their wonderful gift this Valentine's Day!”
said Nyla Ruiz, programming chair of PMP.
Regular orders are being taken until Friday,
Feb. 12 at 2pm. You can place your order
through email at msagraduateassistant@ncsu.
edu or in person in Talley room 4261 from
8-5pm. Prices include $1 per separate item:
candy bag or flower and $2 for combo.
To place an order you will be required to
know the first name, last name, and email ad-
dress of the person of interest. Lastly, you will
need to be prepared to write a one sentence
statement to be included on the candy gram.
Orders will be shipped out the 12th, on
account of the holiday being on Sunday this
year. Deliveries to on campus locations are
limited to Talley, Witherspoon, Central,
and West Campus so get yours soon!

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM | Wednesday, march 16, 2016
A lightatthe end
ofthe tunnel
diversityeducation week revisited

Letter from the Editor
wednesday, march 16, 2016 | 2
THISISSUE 3 LAMBDA PI CHI
Latinx sorority makes NC State history.
3 AAPI HISTORY MONTH
A preview of the upcoming events.
4 TUNNEL OF OPPRESSION
An interactive learning experience.
5 DIVERSITY EDUCATION WEEK
An interactive learning experience.
5 Q&A WITH NOLAN, STAFFORD
How the new SBP will support diversity.
6 WHITE PEOPLE ON CAMPUS
Documentary examines white privilege.
6 IMHOTEP ACADEMY
Program fights inequality in STEM.
7 CHANGING CONVERSATIONS
Diversity in rhetoric and in practice.
7 WHAT DIVERSITY MEANS HERE
Minority status on a white campus.
consciousness.
Editor-in-Chief
Jillian Smith
Managing Editor
Stephanie Tate
Hey guys,
As the primary elections have come to a close, we have a lot to
reflect on as a campus and a community.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, Donald Trump won the Republican
primary in our state. This is why now, more than ever, we need to
both recognize and embrace the diversity on our campus.
Trump has unabashedly promoted intolerance, violence and
hatred and many of us have been surprised by the amount of people
who support this rhetoric.
As the country is rapidly becoming more tense and divided, we
need to remember that we are one community, one pack, one family.
Diversity Education Week could not come at a better time as we are in serious need of a
reminder that this situation is not just black and white.
We cannot afford to lose sight of how many different kinds of people exist in this country
and this community. We have allies in our Asian, Latino and Native American peers and we
all know that there is strength in numbers.
With both Diversity Education Week Revisited and American Asian Pacific Islander
Month, we all have ample opportunity to learn about and interact with cultures other than
our own. I wholeheartedly encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities.
We cannot understand each other without knowledge of each other and understanding
one another is critical right now.
We should not allow public figures such as Trump (or rather Drumpf as John Oliver has so
aptly named him) to use our differences as a weapon against us. So get out and learn some-
thing new, it will be time well spent.
All the best,
Jillian
cover photo: brandon Lang | photo correspondent

features wednesday, march 16, 2016 | 3
Anazsha jones
correspondent
AAPI history Month Preview: Education, Inspiration awaits
nyna nickelson
correspondent
lambda pi chi first trans-inclusive sorority at NCsu
On March 14, NC State began cel-
ebrating its first Asian American and
Pacific Islander History Month. Asian
Students In Alliance (ASIA) is hosting
a series of events throughout the next
four weeks in collaboration with other
student groups focused on diversity
and leadership.
These events serve to educate the NC
State community on the history and
culture of Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders by sparking conversation and
awareness through festivities and pan-
els designed to challenge stereotypes
and more.
“My goal is to give people a better
sense of who the Asian American, Pa-
cific Islander community is on campus.
Know that we’re here, know that were
not what stereotypes in the media of-
ten portray us as,” said Nina Ondona, a
junior studying mechanical engineer-
ing, president of ASIA, and an officer
in Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority.
National AAPI history month is
actually celebrated in May, but because
the spring semester will be over, ASIA
decided to move it up on the calendar.
It began last year as AAPI week in
March, but due to the high volume of
events and other student organizations
wanting to participate, ASIA expanded
it into the end of March and beginning
of April.
This year, AAPI history month will
contain events like Holi Festival and
Viet Night on March 19, as well as
panels like “More than Just a Stereo-
type” on March 22 and Asian Men and
Masculinity on March 29.
One of the events that has already
passed was “Model Minority Myth
Busters.” A “model minority” is a
minority group who is most often
perceived as having a higher degree
of success, whether that be socially,
academically, or economically, than the
average population. The panel focused
on debunking this stereotype.
“It affects a lot more than just Asian
Americans. It negatively affects other
minority groups because it kind of
says ‘oh Asian Americans are doing
x, y, and z, why can’t African Ameri-
cans do it, why can’t Hispanics do the
same thing?’ It also negatively affects
Asian Americans because it’s not true
for everyone in our population,” said
Ondona.
Just as there is a striking disparity
between what is typically represented
and what actually happened in the
history of minorities such as African
Americans and Hispanics, the same
can be said for Asian Americans.
“We have to look at diversity as a ho-
listic picture, and not just as segments.
A lot of it is kind of intertwined,” said
Natalie Nguyen, assistant director of
the GLBT center.
AAPI History Month has the poten-
tial to be the start of a more inclusive,
holistic view of diversity and what it
means to be American, whether you be
of African, Latino or Asian descent.
This month is giving students a rare
opportunity to be a part of something
bigger than ourselves and our individ-
ual cultures.
“These student groups have done
a lot with cultural nights and dance
nights, a lot of food, fun and festival,
and we’re now going to try to dig a
little deeper,” said Nguyen.
When you think of a sorority what
picture does your mind create? Perhaps
an organization that values community
outreach and philanthropy; maybe a
group that consist of members who
not only look like you but come from
similar backgrounds.
Regardless the picture, the first word
that pops up in the minds of most is
sisterhood.
The hermanas (sisters) of the Rho
Chapter of Lambda Pi Chi or Latinas
Promoviendo Comunidad have taken
sisterhood to new heights on our cam-
pus by creating a space that promotes
inclusivity and diversity. In partnership
with the Assistant Director of the Gay
Lesbian Bisexual Transgender (GLBT)
Center at NC State, Natalie Nguyen,
Lambda Pi Chi is the first NC State
organization to be Trans-Inclusive and
Chapter Safe.
“For me Chapter Safe was a very
good and
welcoming
experience...
it was some-
thing that I
knew about
but I did
know the
specifics. I
feel like it
was very eye
opening and
educational,
especially now as our organization is
welcoming anyone who identifies as a
woman,” said Beatrice Paneto, secre-
tary of Lambda Pi Chi.
Chapter Safe is the brainchild of
Natalie Nguyen; it entails a certifica-
tion process that is meant to break
down barriers between populations
and to help organizations to create safe
spaces for all. Chapter Safe is a 2 hour
workshop that uses
scenarios to help
build awareness
and openness.
“The whole rea-
son why I created
it [Chapter Safe]
was I noticed there
was a huge divide
between the people
who were GLBT
identified versus
those who were
in fraternity and sorority life. And
what does it mean if there is someone
already in fraternity and sorority life
who identifies as GLBT or vice versa
if there is someone who is GLBT who
wants to be involved in fraternity and
sorority life,” said Nguyen.
This is a huge step toward a more di-
verse atmosphere within Greek life on
campus and one that is more inclusive
of the NCSU transgender population.
Lambda Pi Chi has opened its sister-
hood to include all who identify as
female. Lambda Pi Chi is not Latina
exclusive, meaning that the organiza-
tion is open to everyone and now has
made the conscious choice to become
Trans-inclusive and Chapter Safe.
Gabrielle Diaz, President of Lambda
Pi Chi, said, “We decided that [this]
was a great notion to make with today’s
given society and how things have
been changing just to become more
inclusive...after this we decided to
become Chapter Safe and Natalie was a
great way to make that possible.”
“I’m hoping that us being the first
sorority to become Trans-inclusive
this will encourage other fraternities
and sororities to follow the same path,
but it is kind of hard because I know
that with Interfraternity Council
(IFC) with them having cont. on pg. 8
The hermanas of Lambda Pi Chi poses with Natalie
Nguyen after completing chapter safe.
photo courtesyof facebook

wednesday, march 16, 2016 | 4 news
NC State hosted its sixth annu-
al “Tunnel of Oppression”
(TOO) on March 15
and 16.
The Tunnel of
Oppression
began at
Western
Illinois
Univer-
sity in
1994.
The
pur-
pose
of the
event
is to
give
view-
ers a
live ex-
perience
of what
it means
and how it
feels to be op-
pressed. Through
educating
and reflect-
ing, members
hope to use
these per-
formances
to combat
oppression.
Upon
entering
the doors of
Coastal Ball-
room in Tall-
ey, onlookers
are welcomed
by a staff
member.
The initial was a setup of four tables
displaying examples of everyday privi-
lege that some people benefit from. For
every statement that you could agree
with, you were asked to grab a paper
clip as a representation of your privi-
lege and link however many you had
together.
By the end of this opening activity,
many among the crowd were quite
shocked at how quickly their paper clip
chain of privilege grew.
The first oppression station fell upon
two actors depicting a scene between
a professor and a transgender student,
Kevin, formerly known as Kayla.
The identity preference for this stu-
dent, coming to confide in this pro-
fessor during his ongoing battle with
depression, left Kevin exiting the set
with the final words from his professor
“I hope you get the help that you need.”
“It was frustrating to watch because
of the professors reactions,” said
non-degree student student Sheila
Rouse, who previously graduated from
NC State with a psychology degree.
Sheila, along with many other students
and faculty, were taken back by the
harshness and unreceptiveness from a
professor towards his or her student.
The second stage that was set was a
scene depicting two students, Javier
and Brian, moving into their dorms.
This interaction allowed for audiences
to get a look at the difficulties of immi-
gration and citizenship as Brian tells
Javier, the immigrant student, that he
does not belong in this country.
“I think one of the big things that
struck me with that scene, was that
he [Brian] doesn’t even know who
the person is,” said Graecie Vrchota a
senior in social work with a minor in
women and gender studies.
The third setting presented the au-
dience with the oppression connected
to rape
culture.
A female
student
was being
reprimand-
ed by her
friend for
reporting
a fellow
student
of theirs
for sexual
assault.
The young
woman is
told that her friends and other peers
are also upset with her for doing this.
The said individual was simply a
friend of the assailant, but chose to
favor her oppressor .
“There are a lot of issues that con-
tribute to rape culture. In this case it
was a lot of hypermasculinity in his
tone and action. But, I think the wom-
an’s reaction could be more harmful
than the man’s. For somebody of your
same identity and not understand and
victim blaming shook me more,” said
Darryl Johnson a junior studying me-
chanical engineering.
The fourth and fifth situations
pertained to topics that have taken the
attention of many people, especially
since the beginning of this presidential
campaign: Islamophobia and the Black
Lives Matter movement.
Many of these stereotypes are sys-
temic, cultural, and institutional. This
forms a wedge between those under
these conditions and those who are
not; the privileged.
But, at the end of every tunnel, there
is always a ray of light.
This symbolic light referenced is the
Empowerment Room, where studnets
were put into groups and forced to face
their privilege and perhaps even more
tasking, come face to face with other
people’s oppression.
Through all of the darkness and
oppression, the event shows how
simply speaking to, understanding and
interacting with one another can have
amazing, even life-changing events.
benyame assefa
staffwriter
tunnel of oppression sheds light on issues
of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation
Students look at juxtaposed examples of discrimination and activism.
brandon Lang | photo correspondent
students and faculty write examples of stereotypes that they have
heard. This was an interactive exercise to expose typical beliefs.
brandon Lang | photo correspondent

news wednesday, march 16, 2016 | 5
Q&Awith
nolan, stafford
Keilah davis
correspondent
Q: One of the main sections
of your platform was “Diver-
sity and Cultural Competence.”
Explain what those words mean to
you.
Paul Nolan: The difference between
diversity and inclusion is very significant.
Diversity is having people of different
backgrounds all at the table, whereas in-
clusion is making sure everyone is welcome
at that table. You can slice and dice diver-
sity in a million different ways but it really
boils down to this: are we making sure that
everyone here at NC State embraces [diversity] and is culturally competent enough to respect those
individual differences? So part of our platform is making sure that the whole community is respectful
and educating people on what is the best approach in dealing with people who are not like ourselves.
Q: Why was it important for you to include diversity and cultural competence as one of your key
campaign components?
Brayndon Stafford: My biggest thing is that NC State [markets] this whole idea of diversity when
they’re trying to get students to come in and trying to get donors. I didn’t really see those efforts
come from the top down. NC State is minutely diverse compared to the way they express it to out-
side people. Now students want to make sure that the diversity NC States [markets] and the people
that are of diverse cultures are being appreciated and heard. Then in the future they won’t just say
that NC State is diverse but they’ll actually make efforts to make NC State diverse. That’s why I
thought it was a big component of our platform.
Q: Do you think it will be easy to implement your plans? Why or why not?
Nolan: We made sure our platform was very well researched and thorough. We looked at 35
peer institutions to see what their student governments were doing well and how we can rep-
licate that at NC State. I think it will slightly easier because we are well prepped for this. We
just need to make sure that we have great directors in the executive department because
those are the people who are actually putting the initiatives into action.
Q: What were your thoughts on the Racial Climate Town Hall? Do you plan to
have forums like this next year to include student voices in your initiatives?
Stafford: I definitely appreciated everyone who put in the work behind the
scenes to make the event happen. Students were able to express themselves
not only to other students, but to faculty and staff as well. When we finally
had a chance to express their feelings to administration, it was refresh-
ing because they could see that students aren’t just making things up.
It’s a great opportunity to start making change. I think it’s some-
thing we definitely need to have whether it is another town
hall or it takes a different form.
Student Body President Paul Nolan is a junior
studying material science and engineering.
jillian smith
editor-in-chief
What does diversity mean to you? What does it mean to have an inclu-
sive community? Why is it important to consider these things?
Diversity education week is back for round two, but this time, the
programs are for students, by students according to the Union Activi-
ties Board Diversity Chair Kamrie Risku.
“This is a student initiative to be proactive in how we educate on
diversity,” said Risku.
Revisiting the idea of diversity is important as it provides
students time to reflect on their education and understanding
of the subject. Important messages concerning tolerance and
understanding are often lost over time.
“We needed to revisit diversity education week because of
the insensitivity that occurred after the first diversity educa-
tion week. For example, the BET vs. CMT party,” said Maya
Davis, a freshman studying philosophy of law.
The events taking place between Monday, March 14 and
Friday, March 18 were designed to offer students an array of
interesting, interactive programs that will teach them what
inclusivity and diversity really mean.
“We want to make sure we are able to convey the same
message in a multitude of ways to reach as many people as
possible,” said Risku.
Many of the events have been sponsored solely by student
organizations while others are collaborative events with mul-
tiple campus organizations contributing. The programs range
from learning about discrimination, oppression and privilege
to understanding Islam and Native American culture.
“It is essential to recognize the importance of having an
inclusive campus for all students and moving beyond simple
tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions
of diversity contained within each individual,” according to the
Union Activities Board.
There are a variety of structures to the programs as well. Some
are lectures, some are panel conversations and some are a bit more
such as the Tunnel of Oppression.
“[The response] we expect to get is a new understanding. We are not
expecting complete 180s, but for the seed to be planted,” said Risku.
Whether you want to learn more about a different culture or get the op-
portunity to reflect on your own, Diversity Education Week has something
to offer you.
“Hopefully after this diversity education week, there will be at least a bit of
change,” said Davis.
While our campus has exprerienced some very real racial tensions and issues,
the important thing to keep in mind is that the only way we can move forward
is through education, inclusion and understanding. That is the goal of Diversity
Education Week Revisited and we should all try to gain something from it.
Diversity education week:
Revisited for greater impact
student body president Paul nolan (left) poses with
running mate brayndon stafford (right).
Molly Donovan | Agromeck Editor-in-chief

wednesday, march 16, 2016 | 6 opinion
Threa almontaser
staffwriter
elon price
correspondent
when “white people” came to campus
Imhotep Academy encourages Diversity in STEM
On Feb. 29,
Campus Diver-
sity Dialogue
had a showing
of the MTV
documentary
White People
at Witherspoon
Student Center. This film follows jour-
nalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Jose
Antonio Vargas. He meets and talks
to a group of white students and asks
them what they think it means to be
young and white living in America.
Vargas asked questions like “Are
you being made to feel guilty because
you’re white?” and “Are you having a
problem with race on social media?”
“I’ve never addressed the issue on so-
cial media. I try to stay away from that.
I don’t think I’m being made to feel
guilty. There are bigger issues than this
out there,” said Kayla Novello, a senior
studying English.
Dena Schulze, a senior also studying
English said “I don’t feel guilty either,
but I think people mainly should try to
be politically correct for all issues on
social media.”
At first, it almost seemed like Var-
gas’ quest was attempting to make
white people look like the victims of
an ever-growing and diverse America,
but later in the documentary Vargas
approaches a white female named Katie
Scottsdale from Arizona who feels she
isn’t finding any scholarships because
she’s not qualified for affirmative action
or financial aid.
Scottsdale mentions how those
scholarships are mainly for people of
color or minorities. I almost thought
“reverse racism” was about to come
into play. Vargas exposes her belief
along with many other common and
bold responses white people usually
have when told that they’re privileged.
He found a statistic that shows white
people in actuality receive scholarships
at a much higher and disproportion-
ate rate compared to people of color.
When he confronted Scottsdale with
this information, she felt like she was
being attacked and victimized.
Really, the film points out how peo-
ple like Scottsdale are actually in the
exact opposite situation.
Karina Gomez, a senior studying
English, appears to be white on the
outside through her skin color, how-
ever, she is of Mexican descent. Before
she converted to Islam and donned the
Islamic headscarf, everyone presumed
her to be white.
Karina said she never noticed the
privileges she easily received until after
she started to wear hijab, when it all
suddenly vanished. Now to people’s
eyes she wasn’t “white” anymore--she
looked like an Arab or a terrorist.
The film “White People” highlighted
minority struggles and addressed the
notion that white people should have
an understanding of this inequality and
how they inadvertently benefit from it
every single day.
If I were to
show you two
pictures, one of
a middle-aged
caucasian man
with glasses and
the other of a
much younger
African Amer-
ican woman with big, natural curly
hair, who would you automatically
assume to be the biochemist?
Perhaps, unsurprisingly, most people
would answer that the white male is, as
this is the image we are conditioned to
associate with a professional scientist
or engineer. Although their stories
often go untold or are considered less
important, African American scien-
tists and engineers have contributed
greatly to the fields of science, technol-
ogy engineering and math (STEM).
Along with improper recognition,
there is an overall lack of minorities in
the STEM workforce.
According to the US Census Bureau,
in 2011 African Americans made up
6 percent of the STEM workforce and
this number is slowly declining. Why
is this so?
Many people believe the answer lies
within the African American youth
and the education provided to them.
African American students are still
receiving unequal education. Whether
it’s due to lack of resources or outright
discrimination, something is not quite
right.
This is something I wasn’t aware of
until I began to really think about my
future career path. I began to notice
that many of the people in my desired
field looked nothing like me, and it
made me feel rather alone.
My mother did her best to ensure
I didn’t feel this way by finding any
information she could about black sci-
entists and engineers, but still, it wasn’t
quite enough.
Finally, she found a program that
filled this void. With great enthusiasm,
my mother enrolled me in Imhotep
Academy.
Admittedly, in the beginning I wasn’t
too thrilled with the idea of waking
up at the butt crack of dawn every
Saturday to endure more schooling.
However, it soon became something I
looked forward to every week.
Imhotep Academy is a program
whose mission is to expose young
minority students (African Americans,
Hispanics, Native Americans and
girls) to different aspects of STEM, but
most importantly, it allows them to see
that they can do so much more and
that there are a multitude of avenues
they can take to make a real difference
in the world.
“A lot of times in middle school
or younger, students...see different
careers...but they’re not really certain
as to ‘what it is it like?’ and [that’s]
something that evolves, and so it gives
students a chance to explore,” says Di-
rector of Imhotep and Kyran Academy,
Dr. Pamela Gilchrist.
The program allows students to see
how different careers can be related to
each other and how an issue can be re-
solved through different means. It also
aims to prepare students for matricula-
tion into college.
“I want them to see that there is this
cross link or connection between ca-
reers and they can be more thoughtful
about what they want to do.” said Dr.
Gilchrist. cont. on pg. 8

opinion wednesday, march 16, 2016 | 7
tiera george
correspondent
quianne’ holmes
staffwriter
What diversitylooks
like at our university
More than a buzzword?
On any given
day at North
Carolina State
University, you
are bound to see
hundreds of stu-
dents hustling
and bustling
through the campus. However, what
you will not see on the NC State
campus is a multitude of students of
color. Sprinkled in for a dash of flavor
like the cayenne pepper that you can’t
use too much of, you’ll find the Black,
Asian, Native American and Latino
students.
Since coming into college, I have
heard the word diversity 352,483,000
times. Diversity was pushed at every
event, orientation, and sometimes
discussed as a trigger word. Although
I heard all this talk, I walked onto this
campus seeing very few people who
looked anything like me. I was in a sea
of white students trying to find little
pieces of home in every black body
that I encountered.
“I believe NC State takes initiative
to bring in a diverse set of students,
but they don’t take that same initiative
to make those students feel welcome
or comfortable,” said Caleb Parker, a
freshman studying architecture. This
statement serves perfectly as an un-
derlying theme throughout the black
majority here at NC State.
In our American society, whites are
seen as “the norm” and the more that
a minority student differs from this
“norm,” the more secluded they often
feel.
According to Spelman Universi-
ty Professor, Beverly Daniel Tatum,
“Minorities, particularly blacks need
to go through a process of establishing
and affirming their racial identity by
securing a community free of negative
stereotype.”
This alliance offers a necessary sup-
port group, but on a campus made up
of over 34,000 students with only 6.6
percent of them being African-Ameri-
can leaves room for misunderstanding,
microagressions, discrimination, mar-
ginalization, and misrepresentation all
in the name of education.
In response to Beverly Tatum’s quote,
I agree that it is so refreshing to fel-
lowship with other black souls on this
campus who not only understand you,
but can give you the support you need
to carry on. I understand that I do not
look like the majority nor do I want to,
I am perfectly fine with embracing my
blackness. However, the privilege of
being understood more times than not
is definitely one of the more underrat-
ed privileges that white students are
able to bring to the table.
“I personally think that we are a
diverse campus, but because we are so
diverse we tend to self-segregate,” said
Vaani Kaur, a junior studying both
Plant Biology and Horticulture.
This statement follows suit of the
earlier quote by Parker in saying that
although we we have somewhat of a
diverse campus, we do not foster the
needs of minority students by making
the campus inclusive for all to get fa-
miliar with students of other cultures,
nationalities, and religions.
“We should have more opportunities
for people to just mingle without a
purpose and educate people on diverse
issues,” said Kaur.
Again, this ties into the frustration
that minority students are facing with
majority students by not being knowl-
edgeable culture or relations.
Growing up
as a millennial
there is a con-
stant need for an
ever changing
language. New
trends like, “on
fleek, dab, and
#blackgirlmagic,” have taken everyday
conversation by storm.
But what about the word diversity?
This has become the buzzword of
North Carolina State University. There
are so many entities at NC State that
focus on promoting spaces and con-
versations for diversity; however what
does that really mean?
“I believe the term diversity has
become a buzzword because people do
not know what the word truly means.
It is included in various statements,
clubs, and events in regards to NC
State but the lack of overall under-
standing reflects a contradiction to the
school’s principles,” said Alexis Greene,
a senior studying psychology.
Do students actually understand the
meaning of diversity and why there is
so much emphasis placed on it? This is
still to be determined.
Despite the uncertainty, there are
students, faculty, and staff who create
several avenues for audiences to be-
come educated about diversity.
“Diversity has been an important
topic of conversation on campus lately.
It has played an important role in
student government elections in the
various improvements that candidates
hoped to make the campus more
inclusive and culturally competent.
However, I do not think the university
as a whole is completely aware of the
issues involving diversity on campus,”
said Kathleen Miller, a sophomore
studying political science.
These efforts influence the rhetoric,
but not the necessary action from all
parties and this is where the problem
lies.
How can we not only have those
who are in the “choir,” who know what
diversity is, and have others who may
not know join these conversations?
When exploring how much of a
buzzword diversity has become, stu-
dents provided their personal opinions
on the word itself and its influence in
various avenues.
“Diversity does not simply mean
having individuals of different ethnic-
ities and races on campus but being
able to be inclusive to educating our-
selves and others,” said Miller.
This shows the importance of un-
derstanding how to go beyond using
the terminology to sound culturally
competent but actually making the
necessary decisions to educate your-
self and be willing to respectfully and
accurately educate others.
From this, we must make sure we
understand that having diversity as
part of daily conversation is a huge
step from where we have come but
we have a long way to go in which all
identities of diversity acknowledge and
respectfully accept each other as one
big Wolfpack!
“Where the concept of diversity
should be bringing us together, in
some ways it is splitting us apart be-
cause of the lack of knowledge for its
purpose,” said Greene.
It is important for students, faculty,
staff, or anyone part of the Wolfpack
to understand that we need to apply
our “Think and Do” principle beyond
sports and academics and create
character within ourselves and our
student body that reflects the utmost
respect and acceptance for diversity in
all aspects.

wednesday, march 16, 2016 | 8
Going to Imhotep gave
me the ‘Aha!’ moment I was
looking for. It showed me
that not only can I do what
I wanted to do but provided
me with the tools to accom-
plish my career goals. It was
this determination that got
me exactly where I am today,
an African American female
studying physics at NC State
University.
Imhotep Academy is held
in The Science House, locat-
ed on NC State’s Centennial
campus.
The program takes places
3 times during the year: fall,
spring and summer. The fall
and spring sessions meet on
Saturdays and run from 7:45
a.m. to 1 p.m, with summer
sessions running as two week
long camp sessions. For more
information about Imhotep
or Kyran Academy, search
them on Facebook or visit
the website: thesciencehouse.
org/k12students/imhotep
academy.php.
continued from pg. 3
houses campus I don’t think
that would be anytime soon,”
said Diaz.
Lambda Pi Chi has made
a notable stride in acknowl-
edging NCSU’s transgender
population and fostering a
sisterhood that is accepting
and welcoming. Though it
would be difficult for many
sororities and fraternities
with on campus housing to
implement Trans-inclusive
policies, that does not mean
that they cannot push to
become Trans inclusive.
Now when you picture a
sorority, imagine sisterhood
that could exist by imple-
menting a diverse and inclu-
sive safe space for all.
continued from pg. 6

TITLE
North Carolina State University | RALEIGH, NC | Thenubianmessage.com | Wednesday, april 13, 2016
Reminding us
of our roots:
Marc lamont hill

THISISSUE
4 WHY PAN-AF MATTERS
What this week means to us.
5 BLACK TO OUR ROOTS
Celebrating where we come from.
6 MARC LAMONT HILL
Questioning America’s promise.
7 CULTURAL HISTORY
A lesson in black culture.
8 PAN-AF PAGEANT
Students compete for the crown.
9 BENEFIT CONCERT
A showcase of local talent.
10 FASHION EXPOSE
AATS flaunts design skill.
11 STEP SHOW
NPHC hosts annual step show.
wednesday, april 13, 2016 | 2
cover photo by Brandon Lang | correspondent

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