Volume 67 Number 10WVSU Yellow Jacket

February 17, 2009

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WVSU President Hazo W. Carter, Jr. accepted the Proc-lamation of Black History Month from Governor Joe Manchinduring a ceremony at the Capitol.

This year’s theme for Black History Month is “The Questfor Black Citizenship in the Americas.” It commemorates thecentennial of the founding of the National Association for theAdvancement of Colored People (NAACP) and its struggle tocreate and maintain equal citizenship for all Americans. Thetheme is particularly fitting at a time when this nation haselected its first African-American president.

The founder of Black History Month, Carter G. Woodson,was a dean at West Virginia State University (then, West Vir-ginia Collegiate Institute) in the early 1920s. He began theconcept of a Black History Week to commemorate and cel-ebrate the contributions to our nation by people of Africandescent. The first celebration occurred on Feb. 12, 1926. Formany years, the second week of February was set aside forthis celebration to coincide with the birthdays of abolitionist/editor Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, aspart of the nation’s bicentennial, the week was expanded intoBlack History Month.

President Carter accepts Proclamation from Governor

Campus News

WVSU graduates and current employees, Todd Beane, Chris Jackson and Dr. Gregory Epps, attend theproclamation ceremony.

They fought against the likes of Hitler in WWII, while they also fought againstracism and doubts of their intellect from their white colleagues, to serve in the U.S.Military. They were the first African-American pilots. Nicknamed the Red Tail Angels,these military air fighters are known as the Tuskegee Airmen. They were trained at anArmy airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama. Most of the Airmen were either undergraduatesor graduates from college. Three of them graduated from right here at West VirginiaState University (WVSU), which at that time, was referred to as West Virginia StateCollege.

WVSU has a history rooted in military excellence, as it has turned out more gen-erals than any other non-military college in this nation; quite respectable by any stan-dards. There were around 1,000 pilots who graduated from Tuskegee training. Of thosepilots, 450 were involved with combat. Thirty-three became prisoners of war, and 66passed away while fighting. They destroyed 261 aircraft, damaged many more and flewmany missions.

There is controversy over the popularly accepted statement that the Airmen werethe only group who never lost a single bomber to enemy planes. In 1945, the ChicagoDefender claimed this statement, but in 2007, The Air Force Report claimed somebombers were destroyed the very day that article was published. The fact is yet to beproven - it’s still safe to say “job well done”.

WVSU has had quite a history, and the fact that three Tuskegee airmen graduatedfrom our school resounds in the classrooms today. In the Race and Gender course,students learn about a lot of the history of WVSU, and are taught about the TuskegeeAirmen. In 2006, the school announced that it would petition to open a Chapter of theTuskegee Airmen. The Airmen were the forerunners in integration of the U.S. armedservices. Just this year, the surviving Airmen attended President Obama’s inauguration,a course of history they helped create by being a major player in integration.

Tuskegee Airmen add to History of Military Excellence at Stateby Fallon Pierson

photo by Mary Casto

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Normally, I write reviews and satire for the Yellow Jacket. However, this ar-ticle is not one of those. Not only do I work for the Yellow Jacket, but I co-host ashow on the campus radio station.

The reason why I bring this up is that from time to time we would get com-plaints that all we play is hip-hop. For those of you who agree with the above state-ment, you have never been more wrong. This is the first semester that we had mostlyhip-hop, R&B, or anything related on constant rotation. Also, on my former show,Offbeat Radio, I only played two or three songs of this nature. To be quite honest, aslong as I have been working with the campus radio, I have hardly heard any blackmusic.

On that note, the Yellow Jacket, if you pay a lot of attention to the articles,doesn’t cover a lot of what is considered “black news”. I mean no offense to myfellow co-workers, but most of the articles are broad and general subjects. I am alsoguilty of this.

However, with this all said and done, I think the next thing to do is ask thequestion “why?” Why is it that at West Virginia State University, a historically blackcollege, that the newspaper and radio station have little black influence? And, whatcan be done about it?

May I suggest a proposal? Not all of us are going to be here much longer, infact, some of will be gone at the end of this semester. If you feel that there is some-thing odd about what I just described, then please get involved. This is a university,meaning a safe place to share and mix ideas. So, why has it not happened yet?

It’s your universityby Devon Nuckles

The month of February is here andit is time for West Virginia State Univer-sity to celebrate. The month means moreto State than any other institution of higherlearning in West Virginia, just like the uni-versity means more to the celebration thanany other in the state.

This is a month in which West Vir-ginia State University reflects on its past,and recognizes the likes of W.E.B.DuBois and Booker T. Washington fortheir contributions over a century ago. Itis a month in which the founding of thisuniversity is celebrated. It is a month inwhich WVSU recognizes two of her very

Black History Month and WVSUEditorial by Dave Miller

own, Earl Lloyd and Bob Wilson, forbeing trailblazers as two of the first sixblack players in the National BasketballAssociation.

If you were to take a look at thecampus of the largest historically blackcollege in the state of West Virginia, youwould see that since desegregation tookplace, the school’s demographics havebecome dominated by white students,outnumbering African-Americans nearly9-to-1.

If you have ever been to the BlackHistory Month Convocation on campus,you would notice that the attendance of

the white student population is minimal.Most students will enter one door of theWilliams Auditorium in Ferrell Hall, getcounted by their professor and walk outthe other side. Is this racism or a reflec-tion of apathy?

If you have ever been to a footballor basketball game on campus, the stu-dent section is primarily comprised of on-campus student, most of whom are Afri-can-American. Is this racism or is this areflection of apathy?

This is a time of year that West Vir-ginia State University should ask itself aquestion that really should not have to be

asked. “Are the majority of our studentsapathetic to what goes on this campus?”While celebrations take place through-out the campus, student involvement isgenerally limited to non-commuting stu-dents, a problem that needs to be solved.

Whatever the answer is to theproblem, there is someone on this cam-pus reading this and thinking, “I don’tcare!” That is the exact opposite of whatthis university needs.

Editorial

Have the ability to write?Show us your creative side!

email submissions to wvsuyj@gmail.comor stop by room 214

locatedon the 2nd floor in theWilson Student Union.

Student spotlight: Craig Rodarte

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Campus News

by Daniel Hodges

This weeks Student Spotlight fo-cuses on Craig Z. Rodarte, an individualwho is not only making positive changewithin the university, but within the com-munity as well.

Craig, 23, hails from Converse, TX,and made his way to WVSU in the fall of2006. Since coming to State, he has man-aged to keep his grades high and mangeto involve himself with several differentorganizations on campus. A junior, he isthe President of Omega Psi Phi Chapter,a member of student activities council,plays football and runs track, is a resi-dent assistant and a proud member of theHonda Campus All-Star ChallengeLeague.

Later this month, Craig and his fra-ternity will be hosting The Black Men’sForum, in honor of Black History Month.The premise of this year’s forum is to in-form, empower and educate young Afri-can-American men, and men of any race,creed or color, on campus. Topics willrelate to today’s issues in society, withinour own institution and in their own per-

sonal lives. The forum will also addresssuch issues ranging from sexual promis-cuity to politics to the economy to faith tohow to prepare and present yourself tobecome a successful young man in col-lege and beyond.

When asked where he sees himselfwithin the next five years, Rodarte replied,“With God’s graces, being successful inbusiness, and entering early family life.” When asked what he would like tobe remembered for by his family, andpeers, when it is all said and done. It tookhim a while to think about it, but then hesaid, “Invest in your faith, family andfriends, because nothing can give you morein return.”

Rodarte is a good role model for hispeers, his community and a bright repre-sentative for this school. He shows thatwith strong determination, patience, faithand belief in one’s self you can achievegreatness. That is why Craig Rodarte isin our Student Spotlight.

Craig poses with his father at Lakin Field before the Homecoming game vs. Concord.

The Sociology Club would like to honorDr. John Richards with a printed and bound collectionof letters from students, faculty, staff and members ofthe community, stating how Dr. Richards influencedyou and how his work will live on in you. To contrib-

ute, please e-mail your letters and suggestions to:tribute.wvsu@yahoo.com.

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Campus News

You might see more women wear-ing lots of red this month and if you thinkit’s in honor of Valentine’s Day, you willbe surprised to know that February isAmerican Heart Month. There are plentyof things you can do now to ensure yourheart stays its healthiest and happiest formany years to come.

If you are young, you may thinkyou’ve got the age factor on your side -think again. You may think because heartdisease doesn’t run in your family (at leastthat you know of) that you are clear ofthe threat. You may also think that eatinghealthy alone will prevent this deadly dis-ease.

The scary statistics show that everysecond a woman dies from heart disease.Every second! She could be your mother,your sister, your best friend, or yourdaughter.

While the fact that heart disease isthe number one killer of American women,it’s important to keep in mind that the dis-ease can be stopped in its tracks. If you’renot a woman, chances are you care abouta woman enough to share these tips with

American Heart Monthby Bethany Simmons

her in an effort to help protect her andhelp her live a life full of health and hap-piness.

You are what you eat.Think of your body as a temple.

You wouldn’t put junk in the most sa-cred place you possess. Rememberthat what goes in will ultimately showup somewhere, whether it is in yourarteries or shows up in the form of ex-tra pounds where you least want them.

Doctors used to recommend 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables aday, but now it is suggested that youget 9-11 servings on a daily basis.

Choose whole grains over whitebreads, cakes, pastas, and rice. Thewhole grains take longer to digest andkeep you feeling fuller longer.

Limit the amount ofsugar you eat.

There is a reason that you keepcoming back for more. Additives causean addiction and often the only way tosatisfy the craving is with continuedconsumption of the processed foods.

Drink plenty of water.If you can’t stand the taste out of the

tap, invest in a good filter to eliminate theimpurities in the healthiest beverage. Avoidsodas and sugary drinks all together ifpossible. Because many of us have grownup on these beverages, learning to livewithout them may take a while. Increaseyour consumption of water and wean outthe not so healthy beverage options.

Weight control.This means more than a number on

the scale. Women tend to have an un-healthy obsession with the scale. Starvingyourself is not the solution to the “battle ofthe bulge.” Instead, you may need to re-train yourself when it comes to eating. It’simportant to remember that muscle weighsmore than fat. Pay attention to how yourbody feels and act accordingly.

No Smoking.Like most drugs, cigarettes are de-

signed to keep users coming back formore. Their harmful effects can lead to ahost of medical problems, and even anearly death. Longtime users often develop

Emphysema and eventually become un-able to breathe on their own. That sucksthe fun out of being in the “cool” crowd.

Exercise.Our bodies were designed for

movement. You should strive to be ac-tive for at least 30 minutes most days ofthe weeks. Try to fit in extra movementany chance you get. Park in the furthestspot from the entrance of the store, takethe elevator instead of the stairs, walkaround while you talk on the phone, andfidget. That’s right, fidgeting can actuallyburn a significant amount of calories ifdone often and throughout the day.

When you lose your health, you loseeverything and once you stop to considerjust how vital your overall health is, you’llbe more likely to work on toward smallsteps that can make a big difference.

For more information on heart dis-ease and to calculate your own risk, justlog on to www.americanheart.org and formore small steps that can help you geton the road to a healthier tomorrow,check out www.smallstep.gov.

WVSU’s Single ParentSupport Group

will be meeting in the StudentUnion, room 135 on Sunday,

March 8 from 3-7 pm.E-mail

wvsu.spsg@yahoo.com formore information or to RSVP.

“Black historyis

American history.”

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Black History Monthphotos by Mary Casto

“That the black men and women of our past willfinally get the credit and acknowledgement thatthey truly deserve. Every American should feelresponsible to learn who and what blackAmericans did to contribute to our country.Without their contributions we may never havehad things like refrigeration, automobiles, hotcombs or steam engines.”

Vikki Green, Administrative Secretary.

“In this ‘era of change’I feel that it is time tointegrate black historyinto American history.There will continue to bediscrimination as longas there is segregation.”

Millie Booker, Executive Secretary to Dr. Byers.

Dr. Hazo W. Carter Jr., WVSUPresident.

“What does Black History Month mean to you?”

-Dr. Hazo W. Carter Jr.

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Black History Month

LaRonda Woods, Senior and V.P of. SGA.

“A time to celebratethe history and thefuture of AfricanAmericans that strivedand achieved or arestill striving andworking to achievetheir goals.”

“Black historymonth is a time forcelebration andthanksgiving forwhat has beenaccomplished in thepast.”

Michael Carpenter Harris, WVSU Graduate andAdmissions Office employee.

“Black history month is looking into the eyesof a beautiful, ninety-year-old black womanand seeing courageous a black womanpersevere in spite of crippling circumstances.Those eyes inspire me to be even stronger thanthose who paved the way for me.” Jennifer Bailey, Communications Major,

Sophomore.

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Campus EventsWVSU Black History Month Events

February 19 - Faculty Lecture Series: Tituba, Black Witch of Salem12:20 p.m. 103 Davis Fine Arts building. Open to the public.

WVSU assistant professor of English, Anne McConnell, discusses “Fictional Histories in MarseConde’s “I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem”. Tituba was the first person accused of witchcraft in theSalem Witch Trials. As a slave, Tituba’s life is largely un-documented although her story appears in

history and in texts about the trials such as “The Crucible.”

February 20 - Bernard Woma Ensemble Music and dance of Ghana, Africa5 p.m. WVSU Cafeteria.

Bernard Woma is considered a cultural treasure from Ghana who has toured the world as axylophonist and lead drummer of the National Dance Company. He is currently an adjunct faculty

member and director of the SUNY Fredonia African Drumming Ensemble.

February 21 - Berard Woma Ensemble and Imaginary Homeland7 p.m. Davis Fine Arts Theater. Free with a valid id. General Admission is $10.Imaginary Homeland weaves lyrical melodies and percussive grooves into a potent blend of

African and American traditions. Bernard Woma is joined by his musical proteges and master dancers.Together they perform Woma’s innovative compositions on the gyil and well as traditional Ghanaian

numbers.

February 21 & 22 - Tours of historic Malden, WV, childhood home of Booker T. Washington

February 21- (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.) February 22 - ( 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.)Norton House, Malden WV. Open to the public.

February 24 - WV: Black History and Its Roots8:30 a.m. Wilson University Union.

Norton House, Malden WV. Open to the public.

February 25 - Black History Month movie night in the Union7 p.m. Wilson University Union.

February 26 - Governor’s Annual Civil Rights Day luncheon11:30 a.m. Wilson University Union. Invitation only.

With the theme “From Whence We Came”, the event honors individuals for their contributions to theCivil Rights Movement.

February 28 - Tours of historic Malden, WV, childhood home of Booker T. Washington (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.) Norton House, Malden WV. Open to the public.

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Catch“Sportszone”

Thursdayafternoons@ 4 p.m.

on CampusRadio106.7

The Yellow Jacket men’s basket-ball team is continually improving upontheir conference record with an 11-gamewin streak after key victories over WestLiberty and Pitt-Johnstown.

Along the way, senior guard, TedScott has been shelling out double-digitscoring performances to place himselfhigher on the list of all-time scorers atState.

Following the home victory overSalem, the Yellow Jackets made tworoad visits to Bluefield and Glenville.

Scott hit a three-pointer to start thegame versus Bluefield State and sawWVSU never trail for a 88-74 victory.Scott finished the game with 21 points,as junior guard, Jason Emerson followedwith 18. Senior forward, Hensley Charlesrecorded a double-double with 15 pointsand 12 rebounds.

Glenville State brought a toughermatch for the Jackets. The Pioneers took

The Lady Jackets continue to addfavor with the WVIAC rankings follow-ing a signature victory at Pitt-Johnstown.

WVSU, presently ranked sixth inthe WVIAC standings, traveled intoPennsylvania and left with a major tri-umph versus the second ranked squadin the WVIAC. State took the lead 1:10into to the game and would not relinquishto the Lady Cats, 77-67.

Senior guard, Brittany Mingo led allscoring with 22 points while junior for-ward, Sandrea Coleman and juniorguard, Danielle Davis added 12 and 11respectively. It also proved to be an im-portant night for Mingo, in which shetopped the 1,000 career scoring markat WVSU.

The trail to this triumph was not veryeasy for Mingo and the Lady Jackets asthey had some speed bumps along theway. Following the loss to Shepherd,though, State would pick-up another vic-tory and their first sweep of a confer-

Yellow Jacket men keep 11 game win streak aliveby Craig Dutton

a three point lead late in the contest, butthis was axed with a 14-5 run by WVSUto secure the win, 89-83. Five players forState finished with double-digit scoring ledby junior guard, Darren Jones with 26points. Junior forward, Ricky Jacksoncontributed 19 points followed by Charles(18), Emerson (14) and Scott (11).Charles also tallied 15 rebounds to givehim his second consecutive double-double.

The biggest crowd yet to see theYellow Jackets at Fleming Hall this sea-son came when they hosted their cross-town rival, Charleston. The Golden Eaglesproved to be little in might, as the Jacketsgradually increased the lead throughout thenight and padded the stat column for a105-70 win.

Six players were in double-digitscoring on the night led by Jones with 24points followed with Scott’s 19. Jacksonrecorded a double-double with 17 points

and 16 rebounds. Also Scott surpassedMike Washington (2,111) in career scor-ing at WVSU to become fourth all-timewith 2,113, but he was still not finished.

With both West Liberty and Stateside-by-side in the first North AtlanticRegional poll, the match-up between thetwo would make for a memorable one.The nation’s highest scoring offense cameto Institute, just as predicted, and gavethe Jackets a very close game.

The lead varied between teams inthe second half until State put West Lib-erty on the foul line with seven secondsleft. After missing one of two free throws,Jones took the inbound and drove insidethe paint to draw a foul. With one secondleft, Jones converted on both shots andsealed the victory, 96-95.

Scott led all scorers with 33 points,while Jackson and Jones recorded adouble-double with 21 points, 13 re-bounds and 10 points, 10 assists respec-

tively in order.Two days following the shootout in

Institute, the Jackets traveled to anotherhighly touted opponent in Pitt-Johnstown.The Mountain Cats, which were on aseven game win streak, took a six pointlead into halftime. After State caught-upwith Johnstown, Scott hit a three pointerto hold-off the Cats and shut them downfor the rest of the game, 81-77.

Scott led scorers with 28 points,followed by Jackson (21) and Jones (15).Scott continued to make more history byexceeding Wayne Casey (2,153) andMike Taylor (2,171) to become the sec-ond leading scorer in WVSU history fin-ishing with 2,173 career points that night.

The Jackets will host Davis andElkins on Feb. 19, travel to Concord onFeb. 21, host Bluefield State on Feb. 23and close out the regular season at theUniversity of Charleston on Feb. 28.

WV State Women bolster in conference ranksby Craig Dutton

ence opponent in Glenville State.The Lady Pioneers were able to

suppress Renee Bostic’s squad to an eightpoint deficit twice in the second half, butWVSU would not succumb. Mingo hittwo free throws with 3:41 left in the gameto give the Jackets the lead for the re-mainder of the game in a comeback, 68-64 victory.

Mingo finished the night with game-high 33 points and eight rebounds. Sopho-more forward, Sharena Atkinson addedten points to the effort as well.

The next two contests at Urbana andversus West Liberty proved to be a littletoo much for State as they gave way totheir opponents.

WVSU first journeyed to Ohio totake on an Urbana team in which theJackets defeated earlier this season in In-stitute. The lead varied until the secondhalf in which Urbana started a run earlyto hold-off State in a rout of 73-59.

Urbana shot 52 percent from the

floor compared to the Jackets’ 37 per-cent. Mingo tallied 31 points and sevenrebounds in the loss.

Fleming Hall then played host toconference foe, West Liberty which wasranked third in the WVIAC at the time.The Lady Hilltoppers had a 15-4 run half-way through the first half to hold-off aJacket squad that was giving a solid per-formance until the run. Three-pointerswere also a dagger in the heart of the Jack-ets as West Liberty was shooting six offourteen outside of the arc in the 85-68loss for WVSU.

Mingo totaled a double-double inthe defeat with 24 points and 12 re-bounds. Coleman recorded 14 points aswell, while junior forward, Tiffany Finktonadded 11.

The Lady Jackets push towards theend of the season, as they host Davis andElkins on Feb. 19, visit Concord on Feb.21, celebrate Senior Night at Fleming Hallagainst Bluefield State on Feb. 23 and

close out the regular season on Feb. 28at the University of Charleston.

Sports

On the Cover: WVSU President Hazo Carter accepts

the Black History Month Proclamation from Governor Joe Manchin during aceremony at the State Capitol.

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YJ

Office ContactsOffice ContactsOffice ContactsOffice ContactsOffice ContactsPhone: 766-3212Phone: 766-3212Phone: 766-3212Phone: 766-3212Phone: 766-3212

Editor-in-ChiefDave Miller

Chief Copy Editor/News EditorMary Casto

Design EditorMegan Gothard

Design ApprenticeKatie Hawkins

Ad ManagerPaula Beasley

Copy EditorsMeghan Chester

Paula Beasley

Editorial EditorBethany Simmons

Sports EditorCraig Dutton

JacketStaff

Entertainment EditorDevon Nuckles

Faculty AdviserDr. Robin Boyd

Yellow

The Yellow Jacket - WVSU214 Wilson Student Union

Institute, WV 25112

Cover

Women inCommunications

will be meeting

Friday February 20,2009

at1:00 pm

in the

Yellow Jacket Office2nd Floor Student Union

Questions contact: Dr.Robin Boyd at 766-3274

photo by Mary Casto

Entertainment

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Catch

“Talk Cinema”with

Tim Steeleand

Shawn Price

Campus Radio 106.7Thursdays at 3p.m.

Coraline, not pronounced Caroline,is a stop-motion film directed by geniuspuppet master Henry Selick (“The Night-mare Before Christmas*,” “James and theGiant Peach”). The story is based on thebest selling book by acclaimed fantasyauthor Neil Gaiman.

The film story structure is solid andthe voice acting is perfect. However, whatreally impressed me about the film wasits use of color and 3-D effect. Finally, afilm that understands that 3-D is not justabout making things pop out at you, butinviting you into the world the film hascreated. For the entire film, I kept think-ing to myself, “OK, this all seems real.”

The color pallet just made sense andI mean this in the most respectable way.

Coraline is a world of wonders in 3-Dby Devon Nuckles

Lately, in animated films the color hasbeen good, but not perfect. It seemed thatthe others were afraid to use dark colors.Not Coraline. Coraline has a wonderfulpallet of bright and dark colors to tell thestory visually.

Lastly, the stop-motion animationadded a more refreshing and beautiful at-mosphere. More so than the latest CGIcan ever hope to create. Truth is, I can’tfind a single flaw in the whole movie. Ev-erything is perfect - award winning per-fect. This film is worth every penny!

*NOTE: For the tenth time, TimBurton produced Nightmare BeforeChristmas, it was his concept but hedid not direct it.

NewWVSU Writing Center

Ferrell Hall, Room 304

- Free and friendly writing assistance- Trained tutors will help with every stage of

the writing process – from brainstormingideas to documenting sources.

- We work with all types of papers from anyclass.

Walk-in hoursMonday thru Thursday 10:00 am to 2:30 pmTuesday and Thursday 3:00 to 5:00 pm

To schedule an appointmentcall: 766-3041

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