more news: volume 1 issue 2
DESCRIPTION
We present to you Volume 1 Issue 2 of MORE News. This issue highlights a few of UAO’s accomplishments and events. Sisterly Sorors Donyelle Russ and Georgette Sherman Newsletter Committee Co-ChairmenTRANSCRIPT
May 2016
Volume 1 Issue 2
PAGE 1
MORE Motivation, Opportunity, Recognition, Engagement
1 Greetings from the Basileus 1 McGruder-Smith Scholarship 2-3 UAO Takes On Target IV 4 Debutante Cotillion Scholarship Ball 5 McGruder-Smith Scholarship Pin 6 Tau Pi 2016 Graduates 6 Committee Spotlight: UAO Service Recognition 6 ACS Research Funding 7 Connections – One Issue: View Point Discussion 8 Protecting Computer From Viruses 8 Law Day Celebration 9 Whitner Named Associate Judge 10 UAO Church Visitations 11 Recipe Corner 12 UAO Paparazzi 12 Pink Business Ads 13 UAO Presents 13 Contact Us
Inside this issue
Current financial members of Tau Pi Chapter who demonstrate leadership potential, discernable good character, and participate in the chapter’s service projects are eligible for the McGruder-Smith Scholarship. During the May 1st
reception, three applicants were introduced: Sorors Alicia Benson, Toni Jennings, and Gabrielle Williams.
This year’s winner was Soror Toni Jennings!
See more on page 5….
McGruder-Smith
Scholarship
Reception
Sorors, I hope you enjoy the second issue of MORE News! The second quarter has been a whirlwind of activities. Our Program committee has implemented events in all of our International Targets. The Connection Committee hosted two well publicized community forums. Hospitality, UAO University, and Sharing & Caring have implemented and hosted a variety of activities Sorors could participate. Our EAF Shoe Rally Campaign was a success….UAO is a PLATINUM Chapter! Our Membership Committee welcomed over 40 Sorors into the chapter. We are so honored that you selected UAO as your home. We are less than 40 days away from the historic 67th Boule in Atlanta. UAO Sorors have taken on leadership roles in many areas of this Boule and Sorors have stepped up to the plate to support them. The Retreat committee is planning an informative, planning, and sisterly bonding Retreat in September. Tickets are on sale for our very own UAO Presents Event: A Day Soiree- a day party in the city! We need the support of all UAO Sorors for this event to be successful. As we prepare to break for the summer, I hope you and your family will attend our annual UAO Family Picnic in June. My hope and prayer is that you have a relaxing vacation and the opportunity to spend time with family. As we continue to serve Gwinnett County and do the work of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., let us be mindful that we take care of each other and there is no other like Upsilon Alpha Omega! As always I remain dedicated in….. Service and Sisterhood
BASILEUS
GREETING
Volume 1 Issue 2
Environmental Ownership is the Target IV
National program initiative. Under this program
UAO is charged with providing healthy
environments to improve the quality of life in
underserved communities. UAO Sorors
completed three programs under the Acts of
Green Program℠.
UAO TAKES ON TARGET IV
Arbor Day On April 29th, 10 UAO Sorors and 3
guest volunteers participated in the
event at Club Drive Park in
Lawrenceville.
UAO TAKES ON TARGET IV Partnering with Gwinnett County’s Parks and
Recreation Division, Sorors assisted with weeding,
mulching around flowerbeds and refreshing the area.
The event was designed to promote Environmental
Sustainability by encouraging daily green efforts in
our local community.
PAGE 2
Adopt a Road
UAO picks up trash on
Five Forks Trickum Road
(4) times a year.
Last month 15 Sorors came out to plant new ivy and other plants, prune existing flowers and
generally clean-up the garden at the former Hopewell Christian Academy (now known as North
Metro Academy of Performing Arts Charter School) in Norcross. UAO established the “Ivy
Garden” project in 2007 under the leadership of Soror Geri Gonzalez, as a means UAO of
collaborating with a community partner. It was created to enable students to read and enjoy
outside time in pleasant surroundings. For the past two years, chapter Sorors have come out to
clean up the garden as part of the Target IV initiative. In prior years, we made donations to the
school in order to maintain the garden.
PAGE 3
Ivy Garden Clean-Up
A Night to Remember Sunshine Ahmad Aleycia Ballantyne Ryan Cameron Alana Conway Crystal Cox Tyler Cummings Breyahanna Daniely Gabrielle Davis Ja’Lia Edwards Niyah Farmer Alexis Ferrell Bria Frazier Naya Gillespie Jayla Jeter Alison Morris Alexa Ortiz Zoe Prescod Ayana Salone Alexis Smith Khloe Starling Zuri Washington Maya Wiley
2016 Debutantes
PAGE 4
2016 Debutante Cotillion
Scholarship Program
“Prelude to a Vision Fair” was held on Saturday, April 2nd at the Infinite Energy Arena. This year,
there were 22 Debutantes, 15 Sub Debutantes, and $60,000 in scholarships!
Miss Debutante 2016 - Miss Alexis Ferrell
1st Runner-Up - Miss Ryan Megan Cameron
2nd Runner-Up - Miss
Ayana Salone .
Introducing the McGruder-Smith Scholarship Pin
During the luncheon, Soror Janice McGruder’s daughter, Tecia McGruder McKay, introduced the McGruder-Smith Scholarship Pin that will be given to each scholarship recipient on an annual basis. The intent of the pin is to show family support for the honor that UAO has bestowed upon the McGruder and Smith families. It serves as a symbol of "to whom much is given, much is required." This pin will perhaps be worn on the recipient’s graduation regalia. Prayerfully, each of the scholarship recipients will feel "required" to continue supporting others, and further the legacy of scholarship for which Alpha Kappa Alpha stands.
PAGE 5
Soror Toni Jennings 2016 McGruder-Smith Scholarship Recipient
67th Boule: Atlanta, GAJuly 9-14, 2016 If you are attending sign up for UAO text message updates. TEXT @uaoboule16 to 81010
Tau Pi’s 2016 May Graduates
Alecia Benson
During Alecia’s time in Tau Pi, she served as the Recording Secretary and
Vice President. In true AKA style, she has been on the Dean's List for the
majority of her time at Oglethorpe, won the Metro Atlanta Founders’ Day
Scholarship (2015), Resident Assistant of the Month, and Tau Pi Soror of
the Year (2016). Alecia will be graduating from Oglethorpe with a
Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and will be taking a year off before
pursuing a doctoral degree in Industrial Psychology.
Toni Jennings
During Toni’s time in Tau Pi, she served as the only undergraduate
conference officer at the 61st South Atlantic Regional Conference in
Jacksonville, Florida. She has served as the protocol escort for Second
International Vice President, Autumn Kyles, served as committee chairman
for one of the largest cluster conferences in sorority history, and spoke at
several AKA Days at the Capitol. Toni served Tau Pi as President for two
years and prides herself on the innovative and award winning programs
and international recognition the chapter received during her tenure. She
was elated to receive the 2016 Homie Regulus Undergraduate President of
the Year award from the South Atlantic Region. Toni has chosen to pursue
a career in child advocacy and will be attending Howard University School
of Law in the fall of 2016.
Gabrielle Williams
During Gabrielle’s time in Tau Pi, she served as the Ivy leaf reporter,
treasurer, corresponding secretary, chapter hostess and membership co-
chairman. Gabrielle approaches the world with an open mind, a loving
heart, and diligent work ethic. Gabrielle’s future plans are to be a medical
assistant or a medical scribe in the ER for one year, and later attend
medical school.
PAGE 6
UAO PROGRAM HOURS
(Internal)
UAO Community Service Impact
Committees (Connections,
Cotillion, LMAKA, Scholarship,
Community Networking)
VOLUNTEER HOURS
(External) Total
100 Program Hrs. 0 Community Service Impact Hrs. 0 External Hrs. 100 Hrs. = Bronze
Level
50 Program Hrs. 25 Community Service Impact Hrs. 25 External Hrs. 100 Hrs. = Bronze
Level
HOURS BY AWARD Bronze Level Silver Level Gold Level
UAO Soror Hours 100-249 250-499 500+
Committee Spotlight: UAO Service Recognition
Introducing The President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA)
This program is the premier volunteer awards program, encouraging
citizens to live a life of service through presidential gratitude and national
recognition. This program will give MORE Recognition to UAO Sorors
for their service in the community.
Award Levels/Examples on How to Earn Hours
PAGE 6b
PAGE 6c
The President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) FAQs
* How do I submit my external hours (electronically)? Download the form from the weekly and
email to [email protected].
* What is the qualifying time period? January 1, 2016-December 1, 2016
* It’s already May! Can I submit my external hours from Jan, Feb, March, & April? Yes
* How do I submit my Community Impact Hours? Sign in at event; Event Chairman will email
sheet: [email protected].
* Can the minimum required hours be adjusted? No levels are determined by the Presidential
Program.
* When are my hours due? Committee will begin collecting data December 1
* Can I combine my Program hours, Community Impact hours, & External hours? Yes, see
examples on Page 6b.
* What will I receive if I earn the minimum? Along with the ultimate honor of presidential
recognition, recipients will receive a personalized certificate, medallion, and a congratulatory letter
from the president of the United States. The award will be presented to each UAO Soror at an event
that will be announced later.
* What type of community service is eligible? Awards are issued for volunteer service only;
additional levels of participation with the organization (i.e., donations) are not a factor considered
for the award.
On May 12th the Connection Committee hosted VIEWPOINT, a forum in which expert opinion on both sides of an
issue was discussed. This first event in the series focused on the topic of House Bill 941: Grand Jury Reform & Officer
Involved Shootings, which was recently signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal.
Of the 184 officer involved shootings in the state of Georgia, 0 police officers have
been indicted or held accountable for any wrong doing. A distinguished panel of
experts were compiled to provide unique and direct insight on the topic including:
Decatur civil rights attorney Mawuli “Mel” Davis as Moderator; District 5 State
Senator Curt Thompson; Gwinnett District Attorney Danny Porter;
Gwinnett Police Chief A.A. “Butch” Ayers; Attorney Marissa Dodson of Southern
Center for Human Rights; Daniel DeVore of Gwinnett Human Rights Council and
Attorney Gerald Griggs, 2nd Vice President of NAACP Atlanta Chapter. Atlanta
Journal Constitution and Pulitzer Prize-winning Reporter Brad Schrade was also a
contributor. His feature story about Officer Involved Shootings, “Over the Line”
received critical acclaim for investigative reporting.
The panel discussed officer-involved shootings and the grand jury process from
the framework of Georgia law, judicial accountability and community
involvement. Each panelist agreed a healing between police officers and the public is needed in many communities.
Sorors Natalie Lewis and Koi Fisher led the planning of Viewpoint. The forum was held at the Norcross Community
Center in collaboration with Rho Kappa Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., and Sigma Mu Zeta Chapter
of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Talk of the event buzzed on social media and Viewpoint garnered news media coverage as
a feature on Fox 5 News: http://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/140545964-story
CONNECTION COMMITTEE MAKES LOCAL NEWS
NNEWSNEWS
PAGE 7
.
Tips For Protecting Your Computer From Viruses NEWS
PAGE 8
Don't open email attachments unless
you're expecting them. Many viruses are
attached to email messages and will spread
as soon as you open the email attachment.
It's best not to open any attachment unless
it's something you're expecting.
Keep your computer updated. Many
operating systems releases security
updates that can help protect your
computer. Make sure your computer
receive these updates by turning on
automatic updating.
Use a firewall. Firewalls can help alert
you to suspicious activity if a virus or
worm attempts to connect to your
computer. It can also block viruses,
worms, and hackers from attempting to
download potentially harmful programs
to your computer.
Protecting your computer from viruses and other
threats isn't difficult, but you have to be diligent.
Here are some actions you can take:
Install an antivirus program. Installing an
antivirus program and keeping it up to date
can help defend your computer against
viruses. Antivirus programs scan for viruses
trying to get into your email, operating
system, or files. New viruses appear daily, so
set your antivirus software to install updates
automatically.
Use your browser's privacy settings. Being aware of how websites might use your private
information is important to help prevent fraud and identity theft. You can adjust your Privacy settings
or restore the default settings whenever you want.
Use a pop-up blocker with your browser. Pop-up windows are small browser windows that appear
on top of the website you're viewing. Although most are created by advertisers, they can also contain
malicious or unsafe code. A pop-up blocker can prevent some or all of these windows from appearing.
The Pop-up Blocker feature is turned on by default.
Turn on User Account Control (UAC). When changes are going to be made to your computer that
require administrator-level permission, UAC notifies you and gives you the opportunity to approve the
change. UAC can help keep viruses from making unwanted changes.
PAGE 8b
Pictured (left to right): Sorors Ayana Sterling-Jones, Michelle Reid, Kemay Jackson, Kimberly Poole, Dar’Shun Kendrick, Natalie Lewis, Rhonda Maxwell, Tabitha Rogers, Tiffany Porter,
Twillikki Davis-Young, Vickie Poliard, Yolanda Mack
Whitner Named Snellville Associate Judge- Source: Snellville.org Article, May 10, 2016
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
NNEWSNEWS
PAGE 9
SNELLVILLE – Attorney Tadia D. Whitner was
sworn in as associate judge Monday.
Whitner replaces Angela Duncan who was hired as
a full-time Magistrate Judge in Gwinnett County.
“It’s wonderful to be considered by (Mayor Tom
Witts) and Chief Judge (Mark Layng),” Whitner
said after being sworn in by Witts. “I am excited to
serve the citizens of Snellville.”
Whitner is a graduate of Howard University (B.A.,
Political Science, 1992) and Howard University
School of Law (J.D., 1995). After admission to the
Maryland Bar, Whitner received a direct
commission as a First Lieutenant to the U.S. Air
Force. She served as the Chief of Claims and Chief
of Military Justice while stationed at RAF
Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. After
graduating as a Distinguished Graduate from the
Air Force’s Squadron Officers School, Whitner was
stationed at the Air Force Court of Criminal
Appeals, the highest court of the Air Force.
Whitner was honorably discharged from the U.S.
Air Force as a Captain in 1999.
In 2000, Ms. Whitner joined the U.S. Virgin Islands
Office of the Attorney General. She also joined the
U.S. Virgin Islands Air National Guard, where she
again served as the Judge Advocate General for
both the U.S. Virgin Islands Air and Army National
Guard.
After ten years of honorable service, Whitner separated from the
military obtaining the rank of Major. In 2004, after admission to the
Florida Bar, Whitner relocated to Orlando where she was appointed
to be an Assistant Attorney General by Florida’s Attorney General
Charlie Crist.
In 2005, Whitner gained admission to the Georgia Bar and in 2006
she began working as an Assistant Public Defender for the Office of
the Public Defender in the Eastern Judicial Circuit. In 2011, Whitner
co-founded the Porter and Whitner Law Group, LLC, a general
practice law firm, in Norcross.
Whitner is a current and active member of the Gwinnett Bar
Association, the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys,
the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, Incorporated, Gwinnett Chapter, and the Howard University
Alumni Association.
She is a current board member with the Gwinnett Pearls of Service, a
non-profit organization that provides college scholarships to
Gwinnett County high school students. Whitner is licensed to
practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court of the
Northern District of Georgia, in the state of Georgia and the state of
Florida.
Whitner is married to Brian and they have two children, Zander, 11,
and Jaide, 10.
Sorors worshipped together on Sunday, April 24th at Hopewell Baptist
Church in Norcross.
UAO Church Visitations
Sorors also worshipped together at the
Suwanee Worship Center on Sunday, May
15th. Soror Theresa Dove-Waters, UAO
Visionary/Charter Member was the Women's
Day speaker.
PAGE 10
Asian Summer Salad
When you hear the words "healthy" and "salad" together in the same sentence, I'm sure
the first thought in your mind isn't, "Mmmmm, must be delicious!" Salad gets a bad rep
for being plain and boring, and much of that comes from its association with the worst of
all words, "diet." But when you get a little creative, salad can actually be a really filling,
yummy meal that will leave you feeling satisfied. No, really, salad can be really great!
Sorors, stop laughing. I'm serious. Try these summer inspirations… PAGE 11
Sweet Potato
Avocado Salad
Recipe
http://arismenu.c
om/sweet-
potato-avocado-
salad/
Recipe
http://www.thelittleepic
urean.com/2013/06/asia
n-summer-salad.html
Not All
Salads
Are
Boring…
Sorors, please be on the lookout for the
popp'n pink shirt or All Access Media
badge of your Publicity Committee,
aka “UAO Paparazzi”, at an event
near you. They will have their
cameras, pens and pads ready, flyers
will be on fleek, and have press
releases to the masses. Your one stop
shop for PR and Marketing!
UAO PINK BUSINESS ADS
PAGE 12
UAO Paparazzi
ARTICLE SUBMISSION/CONTACT US:
Submissions for the September newsletter
are due by Saturday, August 20th.
Please email submissions to
If you would like to join the Newsletter Committee, please sign up on
BigTent OR, email the Newsletter Committee at
Newsletter Committee Chairmen
Soror Donyelle Russ, Co-Chairman
Soror Georgette Sherman, Co-Chairman
MORE News Committee
PAGE 13