Letter From Editor
Greetings Broncos!
On the night of February 27th I sat anxious and hopeful behind my
laptop screen, continuously refreshing my Twitter timeline to keep tabs
on the updates for the Lady Broncos CIAA Championship basketball
game against Bowie State University. I could only imagine the exhilara
tion felt by the mass of Broncos who braved the jungle of the annual
CIAA tournament to support our lovely ladies. From the looks of Twitter,
the girls fought a long, hard game, clenching their lead and fighting to
stay afloat. I've seen Bowie State play and although I am not a bas
ketball expert, I believe they are pretty good. In the end, I don’t believe
statistics or skills mattered... It was about who wanted that championship
title. And our Lady Broncos demonstrated how badly they craved it. This brings me to examine
how important drive is, when compared to talent.
If you are a student at Fayetteville State University, obviously somebody thought you were
good enough to have the opportunity to pursue a higher education. Some of us are not as good
at Algebra or English as others, and some of us may not enjoy waking up early for that Biology
class or studying late at night for that history exam. Our talents and abilities vary and are not
always entirely responsible for our success. Often times, it is the person who lives, eats, and
breathes the essence of his or her passions and dreams...that gets to live them. You must take
control of your goals and drive them like your vehicle. When you get in your car, you don’t place
the key in the ignition and expect the car to just go wherever you wish, you guide it the entire
way, paying attention to stoplights, caution lights, and avoiding people who threaten to cut you
off. You don’t go above the speed limit, but you don’t go too slow either and if you don’t budget
your bank account (time), you won’t have enough for gas (energy).
Two years ago, I had a great conversation with the Senior Marketing VP of a national
publication, when I attended a gala in New York City. “How do you get hired here after college?"
I asked, in amazement of Manhattan. "You have to demand to be hired,” she responded. That
night I wondered about her answer. As a freshman, I couldn’t imagine walking into a public rela
tions agency and forcing somebody to put me on their payroll, so I dissected her words. Today,
I am fully aware of what she meant. You must work and work and work, and after you are done
working, you must still think of how you can work better in the future.
The semester is not done until it’s done, just as you cannot take your hands off the wheel
until your car is in park at your desired location. You wouldn't just stop and get out of your vehicle
in the middle of the highway, so don't do it to your dreams. Drive... Drive... Drivel
L’Asia B. Brown
Women’s History Month
by Shade’ Slade
Ladies were you even aware that there is a
whole month dedicated to you? The celebra
tion of Women’s History month takes place
during the month of March, recognizing the
honorable woman of our country’s history.
North Carolina figures like Nobel Prize-win
ning scientist Gertrude Elion and United States
First Lady Dolly Madison have made historical
contributions to the growth of North Carolina.
The celebration of women's history in our
country began in the year 1980; however the
initial time frame was only that of a week. It
wasn't until the seven year anniversary that
the weeklong celebration became Women's
History Month, still celebrated 30 years later
in 2010.
Governor Bev Perdue calls upon citizens
of the state to observe and commemorate
Women's History Month with appropriate
programs, ceremonies, and activities. On
the third Wednesday of each month FSU'S
College of Arts and Sciences Women's History
Month committee will host a gathering, open to
all students, faculty, staff and the community to
provide an opportunity to network and discuss
topics of interest. More information is available
on www.uncfsu.edu, keyword Women's History
Month. Events during March 2010 include
a presentation titled “Rabbit Proof Fence”
delivered by Dr. Micki Nyman on March 17. All
events will be held in the Lyons Science Annex
at 2:00 pm with served refreshments. See you
there!
FSU Listens
Former Public Enemy
member. Professor Griff,
dropped in February 19th
to encourage students
to take responsibility for
their education and the
community around them.
The affair was presented
by Bronco men and
classified as a Black His
tory Month cultural event
for freshman seminar
students. Public Enemy,
a hip hop group known
for their controversial
and politically charged
lyrics, showed interest
in the African American
community. The group
used their music to reach
out to such communities
and stress the importance
of education and getting involved. Griff, whose given name is Richard Griffin,
strived to convince students to step up and make themselves the best person
they can be. He suggested, in order to build the self, we must first build a
strong foundation. He went on to explain how African American history is the
key to establishing a stable base worthy of building on. “Take the books off the
shelves and let’s start building a foundation,” said Griffin.
Senior Willisa Covington opened for Griffin and shared with the audience
an original poem titled “Wisdom, Knowledge, and Understanding”. She then
went on to introduce Professor Griff as a writer, producer, and motivational
speaker.
Motivation is exactly what he provided for Freshman Brittany Creecy. “I
didn't want to go, but when I left the program I felt uplifted... like I should be
more focused and involved.” Griff explained the importance of education no
matter who you are or what you believe in. He used this same principle to
explain how the music industry has changed. “Hip Hop doesn't have a love-
hate relationship with education... it has a wonderful relationship," said Griffin.
Music reflects the issues of a time period. From slave era music to the blues,
preaching, to Negro spirituals, “Hip Hop combined it all like gumbo... and
became the voice of the people," said Griff. Hip Hop groups, like Public Enemy
spoke out on political issues and encouraged listeners to educate themselves.
This type of music convinced people to go out and vote, to get involved in their
government and community. Hip Hop motivated, uplifted even.
Professor Griffs passion for hip hop was quite evident. It was also easy
to see how he detests many of the current images associated with African
Americans, due to the tum the music industry has taken. He showed little inter
est in current music artists and their work. Shortly after referring to rap artist,
Lil Wayne, as Lil Wendy, Griff said, “we have rap music today not hip hop.”
The speaker went on to explain that even still, hip hop is not dead. “It is an
energy that cannot be created nor destroyed”. His theory is that big icons in the
music industry today are being paid to keep African Americans down. He also
believes rap music consists of nothing but sex, money, drugs, and the degrada
tion of women. Professor Griff went on to say it lacks content and many rap
artists glorify selling drugs, being from the hood, and staying in the hood, as if
it should be all African Americans’ version of the American dream. Referencing
the N word. Griff asks, “Why do we turn around... and identify ourselves with
these words? Why do we continue to buy into the hype?”
Griffin stressed how important it is to soak up as much knowledge as pos
sible. In his view, advertising agencies deceive without people even knowing it.
Due to a lack of education people tend to miss these things. Griff’s presentation
opened student’s eyes in more ways than one. He provided information that, as
students, citizens, and humans, we sometimes don’t want to believe, but can’t
always afford to ignore.
The Professor Speaks,
by Latasia Jones
photo by Tia Gilliam
If you’d like to submit a letter to the editor please write L’Asia Brown at
lbrown15@broncos.uncfsu.edu
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