News & Features
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Tuesday, Oc tober 19, 2010
The News Arm is Page 8
My Sister’s Keeper
WSSU women new mission, new motivation
Victoria Staples
Argus Staff Reporter
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Some Winston-Salem State students
were able to take a Wal-Mart trip off
their to-do list after attending Grocery
B-I-N-G-O sponsored by My Sister's
Keeper in Dillard Hall this month.
My Sister's Keeper is an organiza
tion that was introduced to the campus
spring semester and is working with
female students.
The first MSK Collegiate chapter was
established in September 2002 at the
Tennessee State University.
The Winston-Salem State chapter of
My Sister's Keeper is the first chapter
outside of Tennessee and the only
chapter in North Carolina. This chap
ter was started by Courtney Dubose,
Miss WSSU of 2009-2010.
7'he visionaries of My Sister's Keeper
are Cece Winans, Kiwanis Hockett,
and Demetrius Stewart. My Sister's
Keeper is an organization that focuses
on the needs and development of col
lege women.
The mission statement is "To edu
cate, motivate and inspire young
women to live whole and complete
lives in spirit, soul and body."
Their colors are silver/grey, repre
senting the word of God; purple, rep
resenting royalty; and pink, represent
ing "new life".
"Our goal is to counteract influences
that negatively impact the lives of
young women during crucial transi
tional periods in their lives — teen and
college years," said Valerie Able, presi
dent of My Sister's Keeper.
Able is a senior business man
agement and finance major from
Charlotte.
"My Sister's Keeper changed me in
the aspect of becoming more outgo
ing and not being scared to take a
stand for what I truly believe in," said
Sandra Sturdivant, secretary of My
Sister's Keeper.
Sturdivant is a senior exercise sci
ence major from Burlington.
My Sister's Keeper adopted Moore
Hall for direct mentorship with those
residents prior to its closing.
"The objective of adopting Moore
Hall was to establish an ongoing rela
tionship with the ladies of this female
dorm, welcome them to WSSU and
assist them in their crucial transition,"
Able said.
Door hangers were placed on each
resident's door in Moore Hall, Dillard
Hall, and Atkins Hall that read "MSK
Welcomes You."
Program activities are designed to
create a support network to nourish
healthy self-esteem and to instill the
qualities of grace, character, integrity
and humility.
"Although Moore Hall has closed,
mentoring cannot stop. We will con
tinue our interactions and hold specific
programs in Dillard Hall, and every
one is welcome to attend," Able said.
The organization sponsored two
events this month. The Grocery B-I-
N-G-O was one. The organization
collaborated with Campus Fitness for
Kardio Kick.
Grocery B-I-N-G-O was open to all
students and took place in Dillard
Hall. Some of the prizes included gift
baskets and individual items of toilet
tissue, bottled water, chips, fruit cups,
fruit snacks, popcorn, feminine prod
ucts, razors, bath soap, deodorant,
lotion, juice, cookies, cans of Sprite,
and hand sanitizer.
Kardio Kick, a program of aerobics,
boxing and martial arts combined,
took place in Thompson Center. At
the conclusion of the Kardio Kick, the
organization circulated My Sister's
Keeper bookmarks with health tips
and scripture on them.
"The purpose of this event was to
make WSSU's campus aware of our
organization and begin to bond with
some of the ladies on campus," Able
said.
"It could be a positive influence on
the young women of the campus to
inspire them to live whole and com
plete lives in spirit, soul, and body,"
Sturdivant said.
Able said the organization will focus
their upcoming events on the pro
spective members that attended this
month's interest meeting.
WSSU offers programs, nutrition options to help fight obesity
Jamie Hunter
Argus Staff Reporter
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With growing obesity rates,
it seems as though the fresh
man 15 has become the fresh
man 40.
According to Adebola
Ilesanmi, assistant director of
the A.H Ray Student Health
Center, Winston-Salem State
has seen an increase in weight-
related health issues amongst
young students.
Problems such as hyper
tension, diabetes, arthritis
and muscular problems
due to excessive weight are
diagnosed more frequently.
Healthy eating habits and
proper exercise are recom
mended for people diagnosed
with weight related health
issues.
"There are many wonder
ful programs available that
encourage people to live
healthy; however, the turnout
for those programs has been
very low," said Ilesanmi.
Obesity is defined as a body
mass index of 30 or greater.
BMI is calculated from a per
son's weight and height and
provides a reasonable indica
tor of body fat and weight cat
egories that may lead to health
problems.
During the past 20 years,
there has been a dramatic
increase in obesity in the
United States. As people take
in more calories than they can
burn off, they gain weight.
This applies especially to col
lege students, who are away
from home and lacking the
cash for the more expensive
healthful foods.
The Donald L. Evans Fitness
Center, on the ground floor
of the Thompson Center in
suite G-01 can check BMI.
The Fitness Center also boasts
seven different group exercise
classes that are suitable for all
fitness and skill levels.
Their newest addition is the
Masala Bahangra Workout,
an Indian-style dance-themed
workout that strengthens as it
tones your whole body. Other
classes include Zumba, Kardio
Kick, Yoga, 30-minute Abs,
Body Blast Boot Camp and
Conditioning Combo.
The instructional classes are
Monday through Thursday
and are free with no registra
tion required.
"We have an array of fitness
opportunities," said Vanessa
Hood, director of campus fit
ness and certified personal
trainer.
"I am always looking for
ways to keep it fresh and
trendy to attract students to
come to the Fitness Center."
A study done by the Center
for Disease Control compar
ing the obesity rates of African
Americans to Caucasians
shows that the rate of obesity
is much higher for African
Americans with 35.7 percent,
whereas Caucasians have an
obesity rate of 23.7 percent.
Making it very important for
African Americans to try and
maintain a healthy lifestyle
complete with diet and exer
cise.
How people eat and how
active they are as well as bio
logical factors affect how the
body uses calories and gains
weight.
Some people may inherit a
tendency to gain weight. And
family also helps form eating
and lifestyle habits, which can
lead to obesity.
"I don't think that the food
on campus is very healthy,"
said Shalonda Davis, a sopho
more English major from
Thomasville, N.C.
Kennedy Dining Hall has
made many modifications to
help students make healthier
food selections including
a Campus Dish nutritional
information kiosk, healthy
choices charts, pamphlets,
food allergy awareness stick
ers, and nutritional informa
tion about the daily entrees.
Whole grain options and
made-to-order pastas also give
students more of a say so in
what they choose to eat.
Students may not be aware
of the choices that are avail
able to them on campus.
Knowing is half the battle.
Getting motivated to live a
healthier lifestyle isn't always
easy, but it is a necessity for a
longer more prosperous life.
"We try to give students
multiple options for a
healthy diet," said Catherine
McCoulam, supervisor for
Kennedy Dining Hall.
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