Archive for September, 2008:
24 Sep
Last Wednesday marked the launch for Hispanic Heritage month, with an art exhibit in the African American Cultural Center featuring guest, José Galvez, a Publisher Prize winner for his amazing photography of the Latino experience within the U.S. Each year, the Latino organizations host a multitude of programs throughout the month to showcase their culture through song, dance, food and other cultural elements, as they continue to evolve within the NC State community. Mr. Galvez gave a short introduction of his photography before students, faculty and staff rushed the doors of the gallery. Students representing several student organizations lined the room’s walls to view photos taken throughout North Carolina by Mr. Galvez, entitled “El Norte, Al Norte.” The photos showed Latino contributions to this state, from working in food and textile factories, to leisure activities within predominately Latino communities, and also, as facilitators to cultural projects from the coastal area all the way to mountainous terrains of the western part of the state.
Mr. Galvez began his career working as a shoe shiner for a small newsroom at the age of 10, and was captivated by the atmosphere of writing and mainstream publication. This prompted his interest in photography during his high school years and later, exhibited his first professional gallery showcase at 22 years old. According to Mr. Galvez’s website,”Over 40 years, Galvez has used black and white film to create a powerful and unparalleled historical record of the Latino experience in America.”
Dr. Tracey Ray, director of Multicultural Student Affairs stated, “Most people think Latinos are taking jobs from Americans, when actually they are creating jobs and expanding our economy. This is just the start of several programs that help explain the impact of Hispanics within our culture; you must attend later programs and use this program as a mere start to a great lineup of future programs.”
Following the art exhibit, attendees gathered back into the Washington-Sankofa room to eat Latino inspired dishes like black beans, herbed chicken, and plantains (a banana like fruit) with white rice. Galvez walked the room and thanked everyone, personally, for their involvement with the program and for their attendance. Abraham Dones, the assistant director for Hispanic and Native American Student Affairs stated, “I am truly pleased with the diverse student presence at this event. I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit and meeting Mr. Galvez. I am interested to see how this program will boost student involvement at the Jim Johnson lecture, and the impact the Hispanic students have made to the NC State community.”
Danielle Roseborough, a senior in communication said “I enjoyed the showcase very much, it showed Latin Americans in a positive manner and highlighted how much they do for North Carolina.”
For José Galvez, photographing Latino people is not a one-time project or “current passion” but a lifelong commitment; he photographs nothing else. A resident of Durham, NC, Galvez and his family continue to make advances for Latin Americans and those who wish to become legal immigrants. They travel the country to further study and immerse themselves into Hispanic culture and make a difference wherever their travels may lead them.
24 Sep
What better way to express how you feel about someone but through anonymous replies on blogs from peers in your very own college or university. Juicy Campus, the hot new website where anyone is free to place personal gossip blogs about the activity and people on campus has caused quiet a bit of talk around North Carolina State University. Just recently introduced to the North Carolina State University college campus, it has caused some talk among the student body. As quoted by the Juicy Campus blog itself “This is the place to spill the juice about all the crazy stuff going on at your campus. It’s totally anonymous.”
Sadly, the posts on these websites have been far from positive as students leave anonymous replies about others placing negative labels one their peers that come off distasteful and disappointing. A large majority of the blogs discuss who the promiscuous female students are on campus, the virgins, the nice guys and girls on campus, the cutest couples on campus and the list goes on and on. Although many of these topics mean well, after careful observation from not only North Carolina State University Campus blog but from other colleges as well, I can confidently say it is a place for students to humiliate and degrade other students for the simple fun of it. The pleasure one gets out participating in these ridiculous blogs is puzzling to me yet very appealing for the blog readers.
While some of these blogs may seem funny to some to others it may be hurtful and with such a large campus we should, as mature, young adults, try to encourage unity in every way possible on campus or face the harsh truth that we could be a campus divided. It may seem impossible to for any campus this big to escape the temptation to gossip about each other but ask me the purpose of this blog and I’ll get back to you because it would take me years to think of a logical and overall acceptable purpose for this particular website.
It confuses me to why anyone would want to spend even a millisecond of their time on a blog that has no purpose but to gossip about others business which in most cases is either false and/or inaccurate information to begin with. Those who have something to say and feel they must to turn to a blog to say it must know that there are other ways you can go about getting this information across campus. Not only do we have two school newspapers but we also as humans have mouths and therefore can speak. For those who resort to anonymous posting that merely spread insignificant and sometimes hurtful information about others says to me that their voice has been silenced and therefore they either are very immature or have no one who will listen to them on campus. Instead, I encourage you to write for the Nubian Message if you are one of these people, all jokes aside.
24 Sep
We’ve all heard the phrase “Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder” and we’d all like to believe that to be true. I have a hard time putting my faith in this saying because it seems as if people have a misconception of what beauty really is. Are we really letting society starve young women to death? Is less more?
Kanye West’s lyrics made me think about the underlying taboo of eating disorders in minorities. I began to wonder where it all started. Culturally, African Americans have an advantage over European Americans when it comes to issues of weight. African Americans tend to find larger body types attractive and have fewer restrictions on their diets. As the ideals of older generations subside newer perceptions have emerged.
The modern entertainment industry has had an indirect hand in crippling the Western World’s sense of self. Television programs such as America’s Next Top Model as well as a significant amount of movies give a false representation of what a real woman should look like. Song lyrics as well as music videos have young women killing themselves from the inside out just to feel beautiful.
Ever since disordered eating habits were discovered and put in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM) the majority of studies and experiments were geared towards upper class Caucasian women. I am sure one of the reasons why eating disorders have grown in the African American community is because psychologists and psychiatrists only focused on one group of people.
The mixing of upper class white culture has had a definite impact on African American women and how they view themselves. Generally, people who are considered attractive have more self-confidence and are more socially popular. Overall, attractiveness can lead to a more well-rounded social circle and even job promotion. Young African American women who have been affected by this distortion often fuse attractiveness and thinness. They become dissatisfied with their bodies and have gone through great length to change that.
When disordered eating was first studied in African American women it was found that most had what was called “Binge Eating Disorder.” This disorder is categorized by eating large amounts of food in a small amount of time and eating up until physical discomfort. People with this disorder often use food to fill an emotional void. Some psychologists theorized that it was arising in African American women become of low socio-economic status and everyday life stressors. As I went further into my research I also discovered that some upper class, affluent African Americans associated body type with socioeconomic status. They associated thinness with those who belonged to the higher class and those with wider, more round bodies with the lower class. This even affects young women at the university level. The young women who went to predominately black colleges were less worried about their weight and liked the idea of having a curvy body. A percentage of those who attended predominately white college answered differently. They wanted to loose more weight and weren’t very receptive to larger body types.
After reading research on this topic, it made me wonder what had happened to the African part of our culture. My father is from the area of Congo and those people’s view of beauty is quite different from that of the western world. They find strong bone structure, wide hips, and an over all buxom stature more appealing rather than emaciated, frail bodies. This is also the case in Fiji, but a recent study showed that when western television series (mainly the popular sitcom Friends) started to air in their country the some young women began to compare themselves to the European American bodies. Some of the teenage girls were even reported saying “I would like a body like that.” It’s disturbing how an American television show can cause that much self-awareness among people who are not even American.
How are young African American women supposed to be comfortable in their own skin when we keep trying to shrink it? There are already so many stressors in one’s everyday life and to add weight to it would be unbearable. The surprising thing is that not one article that I read say anything about being healthy. If you want to loose weight it should be for your health. All of these television commercials and magazines ads advertise all the drugs to “Get thin quick” and totally disregard how being too thin can be detrimental.
I feel as if African Americans are beginning to loose sight of what truly makes someone beautiful. People put things like good character and philanthropy on the back burner while a small waist and large breast are at the top of the list. I believe all women are beautiful in their own way and Kanye, Tyra, and whoever thinks otherwise is wrong. Let yourself be the beholder of beauty and not the twisted views of society. So, appreciate your curves and if you want to lose weight (in the healthy way) do it for yourself and no one else.
24 Sep
Whether or not we want to face it, judgment is a part of our everyday routine. Our judgment and perception of others affects everything from what we wear to who we dine with to who we vote for. In some form or another we are judging and being judged all the time. The degree to which we judge and what we judge varies and depends on our personalities and life experiences. Some judge actions, while others judge appearances and some use a combination of factors to access who and what they allow in their lives.
As I think about my peers and the college lifestyle, I can’t help but believe judgment and perception is probably at its peak at this stage in our lives. While walking through the brickyard I can see how judgment and perception affects the groups we are members of. Of course, no one is the same and people from all races, social classes, and backgrounds interact, but there are always the stereotypical groups. You know, the athletes, the preps, the nerds, the blacks, the whites. Generally, we have something in common with the people we associate with, but we also choose to associate with them based on the judgments and perceptions we make of who they appear to be and who they eventually show us they are. These relationships are based partly on judgment and perception. They are also started, maintained, and ended based on judgment and perception.
Websites and website applications like Juicy Campus and Facebook’s Honesty Box are constructed solely to anonymously put forth the opinions and judgments of others. Someone receiving this type of attention either good or bad may not consider it relevant because of the source’s anonymity, but the opinions are still lurking in cyberspace, and in some cases for everyone to see. Personally, I would question the credibility of information from sites like these, but on college campuses this type of media has been known to ruin reputations.
It continues to raise the age old question of who are we to judge? Theoretically, there is no one judge. Most people tend to think that their higher power is their only judge, but ruthless vendettas and technology are beginning to prove otherwise. These judgments may not always be valid or may not directly affect one’s life, but they can be damning to one’s reputations.
So, the next time you begin to form an opinion about the girl who parties a lot or the guy who does drugs, ask yourself two serious questions. What has brought them to this point and who am I to judge? Seldom do we think about the situations that bring people to whatever state we happen to be judging. All we seem to see is here and now. Perhaps many people don’t think about it, but if you are miserable enough to publicly ridicule someone, someone is miserable enough to do the same thing to you. Judgment is something we will never be able to escape, but if we begin to make a conscious effort to first judge ourselves and second judge less harshly, our perceptions and implications may prove to be something other than damning to others’ reputations. 1 Samuel 24:15 says, “May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.”
24 Sep
“Jumping the broom,” “taking the dive,” “the old ball and chain.” No matter what anyone calls the institution of marriage, there is no doubt that getting married is one of the most important decisions of any person’s life, and that a good marriage (sometimes to a spouse met in college) can improve a person’s life, immensely. “Yes, I want to get married, marriage is important because it’s important to have that type of connection with your significant other,” says junior in business management, Ross Broadnax. Unfortunately, sentiments like these are increasingly rare and married black people are, seemingly, becoming an endangered species.
Marriage rates across the board have been dropping since the 1960s, but they have dropped like a rock in the African American community. About 43 percent of black men and 42 percent of black women have never been married, in comparison to about 27 percent of white men and 21 percent of white women who have never married. According to the 2000 Census, black families are the least likely to contain a married couple, at a rate of 46 percent in comparison to 81 percent of married families in all other groups.
While the incidence of the no marriage phenomenon is easy to quantify, the consequences of it are nearly impossible to completely comprehend. First, and perhaps most obviously, unmarried families tend to lack both parents supporting the children, meaning they have less income to use on child rearing as married families. This puts a strain on single parent families that all too many families know far too well. Having only one source of income makes it hard to make it month to month for average African Americans and almost impossible to save money for anything.
Even more difficult to put into any sort of numbers is how much mental and emotional stress only having one parent can cause for both the parent and child. “If I was starting a family, I would definitely want to get married; I think a marriage provides a foundation for a good family,” said Jelyse Dawson, a junior in business management. Anyone who has ever taken care of a child, even for a short while, knows that doing so is physically and emotionally exhausting. It is nearly impossible to supervise, discipline, comfort, and, otherwise, raise a child constantly without anyone there to give you a hand or give you a break.
As many black Americans on this campus and elsewhere are proof of, it is not impossible for the product of a non-married household to be a responsible, positive member of the African American community. However, raising a child without a father or without a mother is certainly not the easiest way to do an inherently difficult thing. Children with parents who have never been married experience difficulties that certainly do not ruin their childhoods, but they do make them more difficult.
So why are African Americans not getting married so frequently? Why are so many members of the community choosing to make raising a family even more difficult than it already is? The most likely answer lies in the somewhat cyclical nature of familial traditions. Basically, people whose parents were not married tend to not get married themselves, because they do not see the institution as an expected or important part of life. Considering that currently seven out of ten black children do not grow up with their fathers in the home, it is easy to see that many people do not grow up with marriage modeled in their homes for them.
However rare marriage has been in the past black American generations, it would be more greatly beneficial if more black couples who planned on starting families got married, especially if they planned on having kids. Marriage should not be looked at as a negative for men or women, but a positive for the family as a whole. More strong marriages would mean more strong black families, and more strong black families would mean a stronger community as a whole.
24 Sep
Have you heard about Rushmore Drive? If you’re technology savvy you’ve probably not only heard about the site, but have it as one of your favorites and use it regularly. If you’re like me however and are a little behind on the latest web sites, you’re missing out on a valuable tool.
Rushmore Drive is a website with a search engine that not only provides regular “mainstream” results like Google and Yahoo!, but also offers another list of results pertaining to the black community. However, this site is much more than a search engine. It has other useful features such as the job networks feature, latest news, features, and an Our Views section.
Latest news gives you the rundown on top news stories as well as business, entertainment, health, politics, science, sports, in addition to national and world news. This information pulls from news sites all over the web in one convenient site.
The Rushmore Drive Detour is a collection of articles written and compiled by various African American contributors on issues affecting the nation and world. One of the contributors and an editorial assistant with the site happens to be former Nubian Message editor-in-chief and NC State alum, Keitris Weathersbe. It is full of opinions and viewpoints spanning subjects such as politics or election 08, race and racism, sex and relationships, family and religion, money, health, entertainment, national issues, and sports. This portion of the site is very interesting, packed with thought provoking insights about issues affecting the world today.
There’s also the Daily Drive blog which gives web browsers a chance to read the views of Rushmore Drive pertaining to issues in the black community giving readers a chance to respond as well. This is a much more interactive approach.
The job networks page is an excellent way to network. Users can connect with each other based on work interests and even leave each other recommendations so employers can see what other people think of you personally and professionally. Rushmore Drive can find available jobs for you, though it’s your responsibility to actually get hired, based on your skills and interests. You can also create what is called a professional profile. The profile allows you to select your availability as well as upload your resume. The tags feature allows you to list one word descriptions of the skills you have such as sales, programming design and etc. You can also select and display a variety of associations including your professional, faith based and even Greek affiliations to appear on your profile to allow you to network with people with similar affiliations and possibly increase your chances of getting the job you want.
Users are also able to add links to their personal web page or blog to display on their profile. The last of the features offered on the professional profile is the My Video feature. Although it only supports videos hosted on YouTube, this feature can give potential employers a chance to really “see” what you can do. If you have any skill that benefits employers most to see you in action, the video tool can really work to your advantage.
Overall, I found this site to be very interesting and easy to navigate. I recommend that if you haven’t already, go ahead and check out Rushmore Drive at www.rushmoredrive.com.
24 Sep
Even before the game started, many sport analysts had picked East Carolina over NC State, even though it was a home game for the Wolfpack. Those same sport analysts said that this would be an easy win for the Pirates, making them one game closer to a BCS title game. They counted on ECU’s stellar offense and defense to help bring that prediction to light. However, there is one thing that both the analysts and ECU forgot to take into account: when dealing with NC State: the tenacity and eagerness the Wolfpack football team would possess to prove the naysayers wrong. It was this miscalculation, along with a well-noted effort by the revamped offense and defense, which propelled NC State to a win in overtime, 30-24.
In a game that had its share of rollercoaster moments, ECU would be the first to score, when Van Eskridge intercepted a pass thrown by Harrison Beck. Despite being down 7-0, the Wolfpack did not panic; instead, they took a good part of the latter first quarter and the wakening seconds of the second quarter, to score a touchdown, led by Redshirt freshman, Russell Wilson. This would be the first touchdown NC State has scored on offense against a bowl subdivision team, since November of last year. To answer the touchdown, ECU scored again on their next possession, making the game 14-7 and remained so until halftime. In a sense of rejuvenation from the offense, Wilson led the Pack to a touchdown on its first possession of the third quarter. Ironically, in a seemingly back and forth game, ECU would score once again, which made the score 21-14. However, from that point on, the stubborn NC State defense only allowed ECU 3 more points, which would help set up the grounds of victory for the Wolfpack. For the next quarter and a half, NC State answered 14 unanswered points to help tie the game at 24-24 and send it into overtime. Even though ECU had the first possession of overtime, they were not able to capitalize on it; this was because, after the first few plays, Defensive End, Shane McKeen, sacked ECU quarterback, Patrick Pinkney, which caused Pinkney to lose control of the ball, which was later recovered by Willie Young. Consequently, it would not take long for our offense to seal the deal. After two jaw-dropping plays that put the team in a good position to score, Andre Brown scored a 10-yard touchdown that helped put NC State at an even, 2-2, and helped hand ECU its first loss of the season and dashing its BCS title game hopes.
This game represented more than NC State, a team with “nothing to lose,” upsetting No. 15, East Carolina; no, this game means more than that. The game, perhaps, finally helped the offense find its identity with Russell Wilson at helm, after several years of hardly any success and countless letdowns. The game showed defense that is, finally, coming into its own, and has shown, they are a force to be reckoned with. But most importantly, the game showed a team that, finally, figured out how to play all four quarters to win a game. If, and only if, our team takes away the lessons learned at this game, will they have success in the games to come. For in the end, we have something to prove to our critics, the opposing teams, and ultimately, to ourselves.
24 Sep
In addition to his previous two best-selling albums,”In My Own Words” and “Because of You,” Ne-Yo returned with his very chic and appropriately titled album, “Year of the Gentleman.” For the past few years, Ne-Yo has been credited for writing some of the most popular songs known to date, such as Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable,” Rihanna’s “Take a Bow,” and Mario’s “Let Me Love You.” It’s safe to say that Ne-Yo has continued along this streak of hit songs with the already released singles from his album, such as “Miss Independent,” and “Closer.” This album gives you a Frank Sinatra kind of feel. Ne-Yo has said that he was inspired by the likes of Elton John and Billy Joel for this album.
Standout tracks are “Mad,” “Single,” “So You Can Cry,” and “Lie to Me.” “Mad” is your typical song of a man frustrated with arguing with his woman. However, Ne-Yo makes this song so beautiful with his clear tones and sweet lyrics. “I don’t want you to go to bed mad at me.” What woman wouldn’t melt over words such as these? “Single,” is a smooth track where Ne-Yo tells a woman, “If you are single, while the deejay plays this single, I will be your boyfriend until this song goes off.” That line may sound kind of crazy, but Ne-Yo always finds a way to make a song interesting, and once you understand what it is that he is saying, it is kind of hard not to fall in love with it and the very sensual vibe it creates. “So You Can Cry” has amazing lyrics, and a much laid back beat. “There will be pain but life goes on, with everyday a brand new song.” This should be everyone’s life motto, words spoken so true. This song is very beautiful, in that, it portrays a man lifting up a woman and standing by her side even though she has been hurt. He says, “I’ll ask the sun to shine away from you today so you can cry/If that’s what you want, all right;” very sweet. “Lie to Me” switches it up and talks about a man hurting because a woman is cheating, and he asking her desperately to keep lying, to spare him the pain. He says, “I don’t want to know what I know to be true.” That line is deep, and it sums up the overall message of the song. This track has a very sick beat, it really aids in helping you feel the music and the message. There is nothing like being able to connect with a song through a beat, even if you can’t relate with the lyrics.
There is no doubt that Ne-Yo has extraordinary song writing capabilities. Even though he may receive negative press about his sexuality, there is just no denying the greatness of this album or him as an artist and gentleman. He, truly, is someone that everyone can be a fan of, and most importantly, this album is well worth the listening time. Overall, “Year of the Gentleman” deserves an A+ and I can’t wait for his fourth album release.
24 Sep
New York has always been a noteworthy city in the United States, especially in regards to sports and entertainment. It’s what the legendary, Madison Square Garden calls home, with its historical moments from the University of Georgetown Hoyas, Michael Jordan, and the infamous New York Knicks. It is the home of many Super Bowl Champions of both the Giants and Jets, where legends such as Joe Namath, Brett Favre, Bill Parcells, and Lawrence Taylor pay respects on the gridiron. It is the city that, if you can make it there, then, you can make it anywhere. It’s also home to one of the more legendary landmarks, “The House that Ruth Built”, Yankee Stadium. This weekend was the last time that Yankee Stadium will host a game, as a new stadium will be built just feet away.
April 18, 1923 was when the first game played in the new $2.5 million stadium. George “Babe” Ruth hit the first, ever, home-run in the stadium against the Yankees’ most hated rival, the Boston Red Sox. It was the first of many that would be hit over the next 85 years. What made the stadium so unique was, in the fact, that it was built to seat around 60,000 people and no one could believe that a team could survive in New York. It survived and thrived as legends such as Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Lou Gehrig, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Alex Rodriguez have, all, donned the pinstripes of the Yankees and played on this hallowed ground. Countless other men have played and have paid homage to this legendary place.
Besides the record number of World Series games and championships won, there have been a multitude of events that have been staged at this stadium. Just like the city itself, at Yankee Stadium, anything can happen. June 22, 1938 saw Joe Louis fight the German boxer, Schmeling, a fight that gained fame due to Louis being disrespected by Adolf Hitler and during the time of the Nazis taking over Europe. This was one of Louis’ eight championship fights, and he won by first-round knock-out. June 25, 1952 saw Sugar Ray Robinson lose in a 104 degree weather fight to Joey Maxim, after 14 grueling rounds. After the massive renovation to the Stadium in the 1970s, there was only fight to ever be there was on September 28, 1976, when Ken Norton lost to, then heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali.
Yankee Stadium is more than just a sporting arena, and has shown to be a more valued place for history than just sports. It has served as a place for remembrance, as a memorial service was held there for the 9/11 attacks. A rally was held for Nelson Mandela after his release from prison on June 21, 1990. Multiple Catholic masses have been held there by several Popes, including the most recent Pope, Pope Benedict XVI. The Isley Brothers played the first, ever, concert there on June 21, 1969. On an even lighter note, there has even been a wedding, between sportswriter of over 40 years, Ed Lucas, who is blind, and his fiancée, which took place on March 10, 2006. So just like the city, everything has happened at the stadium.
Although the new Yankee Stadium will be remarkable beyond measure, once it is completed, the original Yankee Stadium will always be THE Yankee Stadium to us all.
24 Sep
So you’ve come to this point in a journey
That seems to last forever.
Don’t stop.
You have overcome many obstacles
And you see some still ahead.
Don’t stop.
You have struggled and struggled and struggled.
Don’t stop.
You have had to make difficult decisions
That have affected not only yourself,
But also people you hold dear.
Don’t stop.
In your journey, you have dealt with friends
And you have dealt with even more enemies.
Don’t stop.
You have had to come to grips with hard-hitting truths
During the times you thought
You were facing a breaking-point.
Don’t stop.
There were times when you felt like giving up
Because some of those truths made you realize
You still have a lot of growing up to do.
While you try to wrap your mind around that one,
Don’t stop.
There were times when you felt like giving up
Because of a bunch of lies that sounded true to you,
But you know that you know that they are not so.
Don’t stop.
You have met with successes and you have met with failures.
Don’t stop.
The thing you have loved so much
That was once within your reach is now gone.
Don’t stop.
The person you have loved so much
Who was once within your reach is now gone.
Don’t stop.
There are questions you have that are still unaswered.
Don’t stop.
You are wondering, “what is supposed to happen next in my life?”
Hold on to faith in God, obey Him, and
Don’t stop.
All this “stuff” is going on and you just want
To scream, “Why?!?!”
Don’t stop.
So you’ve come to this point in a journey
That seems to last forever.
Don’t worry, it doesn’t last forever.
God has your destiny in His hands and trust me,
If you don’t give up, He’ll see you through.
So please, don’t stop.
