Fayetteville State university Student press
The Voice
For students, by Students
Balancing Books and Babies
February 24,'2010 • Vol. 1, Issue no. 3
by Latasia Jones
Roshanta Lock had no plans of becom
ing a mother while trying to complete a
degree at Fayetteville State University. “It
was a surprise,” said the sophomore. But
now Lock has had to adjust her whole
life. “I actually changed my major to one
that I could complete online so that 1 will
be able to stay home.” Thousands of
young women have to make these kinds of
adjustments every year. According to the
American Pregnancy Association, 468,988
babies are born to teenage mothers annu
ally. “It’s hard to... keep doing this. It’s like,
ugh, I wanna give up," said Lock.
Lock isn’t giving up and has learned
pregnancy doesn’t have to mean the end
of the goal of achieving higher education.
In 2007, FSU substance abuse education
consultant, Debra Jordan, established a
single and expecting parent support group
here on campus specifically for students,
but Jordan says the program doesn’t
get the attention it needs. “I kept hear
ing retention, retention, we need to keep
students here. So I thought who’s talking
to pregnant students about staying in
college?" The goal of the support group
is to establish a support system among
pregnant students while at the same time
provide them with the encouragement and
resources needed to remain in school. “I
want to see students graduate... stay in
school and network together. Maybe even
help with child care amongst themselves.
That could happen." Jordan works hard
to make life easier for these students.
Whether it’s talking to different businesses
and organizations, about grant money
for childcare, or inviting local agencies
to present the services they provide that
could benefit group members. The single
and expecting support group is just the first
step for Jordan. “I hope to see this one day
become an organization,” says Jordan.
African American Bone Marrow Donors Needed
Jennifer Jones Austin has
been an advocate for women
and children for more than 20
years. But today 41 year old
Austin is fighting for her own life.
Doctors recently diagnosed
Austin with leukemia and her
only hope for a cure is a trans
plant from an unrelated bone
marrow donor or umbilical cord
blood unit. Like 70 percent of
patients, Austin does not have a
matching donor in her family, so
she is depending on the Be The
Match Registry® - the largest list
ing of volunteer marrow donors
- to find a match.
Because tissue types are
inherited, Austin is most likely to
match another African Ameri
can. Today, African Americans
comprise only seven percent
of the registry. Many more are
needed to save patients’ lives.
So, Austin - who was an attorney
for 20 years and is now senior
vice president of United Way
New York City - is now using her
personal network and profession
al expertise to raise awareness
about the critical need for African
Americans to join the Be The
Match Registry.
“I simply didn’t know about
the need before I was diagnosed
- or how easy it can be to save
someone’s life,” Austin said.
"Now, I’m doing all I can to let
people know of the importance of
joining the Be The Match Regis
try, Not just for me, but for all of
the other patients out there who
are searching for a match,”
Be The Match® is working
to fill the gap through targeted
awareness programs in diverse
communities across the country
and is seeing results. Last year,
more than 50,000 African Ameri
cans joined the Be The Match
Registry.
But the need is still great.
Be The Match recently launched
its “Say It Loud! Save Lives and
Be Proud!” program. That call to
action is already being heard on
HBCU campuses across America
as Be The Match is partnering
with Historically Black Colleges
and Universities (HBCUs) to
spread the word about the need
to add more potential African
American donors to the registry.
Be The Match representatives
are going on college campuses
to get young people involved and
they’re going online, too. The
new http://hbcu.BeTheMatch.org
site provides a space online for
college students to connect with
local Be The Match recruiters as
well as other HBCU students.
A larger pool of potential
marrow donors means patients
will have a greater chance to find
a match. No one knows this bet
ter than Sam Roberson Jr., who,
like Austin, attended Howard
University.
Roberson, now 26, was
diagnosed with leukemia at age
eight. At the time, his doctors told
his parents that Sam had a 25
percent chance to live.
Roberson’s only hope for a
cure was a marrow transplant.
Fewer African Americans were
on the registry back then, making
the search all the m6re difficult.
In the end, he couldn’t find
a match. So doctors used some
of Sam’s own stem cells to treat
him. He’s been in remission ever
since - and beat the odds since
he did not have a suitable match.
Because of his struggle,
Roberson vowed to help other
searching patients if he made it
through.
He stayed true to that com
mitment in a big way. A writer and
performer, Roberson wrote and
directed a one-man show “And
They Said I Wouldn’t Make It... A
Story of Hope." The play, which
recently had a run in Minneapolis
and is set to begin in Chicago
later this month, is a narrative of
hope and success and ends with
a call to action. He is also the
founder and president of Make
Me A Match Project, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to raising
awareness about leukemia and
other blood-related diseases that
places an emphasis on minori
ties.
“It’s critical that people get
involved; that’s why I’m encour
aging African American col
lege students - and the greater
community - to get involved and
join the Be The Match Registry,"
Roberson said.
Read more about the stories
of Jennifer Jones Austin and
Sam RoberSon - and view photos
and videos - by becoming a
member of the online community
at www.hbcu.BeTheMatch.org.
The site also includes informa
tion on how to join the Be The
Match Registry.
Joumalism
Program Comes
to FSU
Table of Contents:
: • News
• Features: page 4
• Opinion: page 7
• A.rts & Entertainment: page 8