NASHVILLE,
Tenn.(TSU News Service)
– Tennessee State University recruiters got a chance to talk to some of the
nation’s brightest high school students at the Honda Battle of the Bands
College Fair in Atlanta on Saturday.
Numerous students stopped to talk to TSU officials who had a
booth at the event that was attended by high school students from across the
country. For TSU’s world-renowned Aristocrat of Bands, it was a record ninth
time that the marching band has been invited to the Honda Battle of the Bands
Invitational Showcase.
Aristocrat of Bands performs for 9th time at Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase. (Submitted photo)
“We are really glad for this recognition our band continues
to receive with this record appearance,” said Dr. Reginald McDonald, TSU’s
director of bands. “This is a huge recruitment tool for the university because
typically at this event, not only do we have people who are extremely fond of
HBCU bands, you also have high school kids from all across the nation that
attend.”
This time, the band arrived
at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a newly donated, wrapped 53-foot trailer
carrying the members’ equipment.
Named by The Undefeated recently as the Best HBCU Marching
Band in America, the AOB joins only the Marching Storm of Prairie View A&M,
and the Grambling State University Tiger Marching Band for the most appearances
at the Honda Invitational, the nation’s premier showcase for HBCU marching
bands.
In addition to the new trailer, the Best Band ranking, and
the Honda Invitational, the AOB enjoyed a stellar year of achievements and
accolades last year, and is looking forward to even more in 2020.
In April, during the NFL Draft in the Music City, the AOB
were featured on the nationally syndicated ESPN sports talk show, First Take, and
the band received a shout out from pop star Lizzo for the band’s rendition
of her “Truth Hurts” medley. In January, percussionists from the band performed
in the Rose Parade. They were also featured performers at the NFL’s Atlanta
Falcons’ 2019 home opener.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Tennessee State
University students learned about opportunities with NASA when Kennedy Space
Center engineers visited the campus on Jan. 28.
The engineers provided an informal student Q&A in the
Forum of the university’s Floyd Payne Campus Center, and discussed the agency’s
Artemis mission and internship opportunities.
TSU senior Tahmadiyya Dawson talks to NASA engineers about opportunities with the agency. (Photo by Lucas Johnson, TSU Media Relations)
“With the
Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and next man on the moon by
2024, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than
ever before,” according to the agency’s website.
Stacie Turner is a NASA engineer, as
well as a strategy and collaboration manager with the agency. She said it’s important
for young people, especially minorities, to know about the opportunities that
are available.
“We think that they are going to
be the folks that are going to take over and do the exploring, and the
development of all of NASA’s new technology,” said Turner.
TSU senior Tahmadiyya Dawson of Little Rock, Arkansas, said
talking to the engineers and learning about the Artemis mission was inspiring.
“This has been very beneficial,” said Dawson, who plans to
graduate in May with a degree in chemistry. “They have tons of opportunities.
So it makes me happy to know that I can have a job once I graduate.”
Antoinette Hargrove Duke, associate director of TSU’s Career
Development Center, said the NASA engineers are aware of the talent TSU has to
offer.
“They say in 2024 they want to have a female on the moon, and
we hope it will be someone from here,” said Duke.
Last
year, more than 200 students in grades K-8 from Davidson County and surrounding
areas took part in a NASA-funded, one-day STEM education workshop at Tennessee
State University.
Called “Dare to Dream STEM Saturday,” the workshop engaged
students in scientific experiments, and engineering design processes, such as
robotics, coding, drones, virtual reality, flight simulation and math games.
The TSU College of Education, in partnership with Metro
Nashville Public Schools, hosted the workshop under the Minority University
Research Education Project, or MUREP, a NASA program at the university.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – When Tennessee State University Alum Tanya Coplen Gray approached her high school classmates about producing a short documentary to commemorate their 50th year high school anniversary, Gray had no idea how important the project would become.
“This short film was done as a labor of love. We did this out of love for one another, and that’s really critical to me, to make sure people understand that is how it got started,” says Gray, who graduated from TSU in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in social work and a minor in sociology.
Gray, along with her Cameron High School classmates
Deborah Majors Bell and Ida Venson Currie, serve as executive producers of “The Past Is Prologue: The Cameron Class of
1969,” an award-winning documentary that recounts a significant, but
largely-forgotten, chapter of Nashville’s civil rights struggle that happened
during the late-1960s.
Featured are (l to r)Tanya Coplen Gray, Ola Hudson, Deborah Majors Bell, Ida Venson Currie, Mark Schlicher (Photo Submitted)
The film, which was produced and directed by Nashville
filmmaker Mark Schlicher, and co-produced by Lisa Venegas, will air on
Nashville Public Television, WNPT Channel 8 Sunday, February 16, at 10:30 p.m.,
and Wednesday, February 26, at 9:00 p.m..
In spring 1968, during a volatile period for race
relations in Nashville and throughout the United States, all-black Cameron high
school lost a high-profile basketball tournament game to Stratford, a
mostly-white school. A spontaneous protest and scuffles broke out afterward, as
many upset Cameron fans believed that the game had been unfairly officiated in
favor of Stratford.
In response, school authorities barred Cameron High
School from all athletics for an entire year, while Stratford received no
sanctions. In response to the punishment, parents, students, and supporters in
the community protested, marched in the streets, and enlisted famed civil
rights attorney Avon Williams, Jr., to champion their cause in federal court,
making it part of his long-running school desegregation lawsuit.
Currie, who secured a bachelor’s degree in English
Education from TSU in 1974, says former Cameron Principal O.R. Jackson,
marshaled the school’s faculty and staff to find ways for Cameron High School
seniors to enjoy their final year in spite of the punishment.
L TO R: Mark Schlicher, student extras, and Shelena Walden at Cameron High School (Photo Submitted)
“He knew we were not going to be coming to the stadium on
Friday night for football games. We were not going to be going to the gym in
the afternoon for pep rallies prior to the games. So he brought the vision to
the teachers, ‘Let’s do something for this senior class because they are
hurting in certain areas,’” says Currie, a retired commercial insurance product
developer and healthcare manager. “Mr. Jackson made sure we had our pep rally’s
on Friday afternoons, even if we didn’t have a game to attend. He also
orchestrated our senior class trip to Washington, D.C. during spring break,
which served as yet another memorable diversion to the suspension.”
Bell, a graduate of the Metropolitan School of Practical
Nursing at Vanderbilt Hospital and a retired licensed practical nurse, says in
spite of the security and assurance they received from parents and community
members, the unfair punishment left a lasting impression on their class.
“At the time, we were all young. We had no idea what a big
deal this was. We lived in a neighborhood where we had a lot of black support,
like our parents and our teachers,” says Bell. “Once this happened, that’s when
I really found out that I was considered a second class citizen.”
Schlicher says the documentary, which was funded in part by
the Metro Nashville Arts Commission THRIVE program, needs to be viewed by a
broad audience because of its historical significance.
Featured are (front row, l to r) Aaron Finley, Fletcher Moon, Tamiko Robinson Steele, Shawn Whitsell (back row, l to r) Co-Producer Lisa Venegas, Mark Schlicher, Shanika Gillespie, camera operator Keevan Guy at Seay-Hubbard UMC upstairs meeting room. (Photo Submitted)
“It was an honor to be able to do the 25 or so interviews
that were done with class members and with teachers, to learn the story and
share it in a way that honored the struggle and the triumph that the Class of
’69 went through and the place they have in the civil rights struggle in
Nashville,” says Schlicher, whose work as director or cinematographer has been
shown nationally on PBS, the Smithsonian Channel, Lifetime, and TBN.
After receiving rave reviews from classmates following the
film’s initial viewing, and subsequently winning “Best of Tennessee” at the
2019 International Black Film Festival, the group realized the film could serve
a larger purpose.
“We want to put this documentary in every public library and
to be able to hand it to school systems,” says Gray, a retired licensed
clinical social worker.
They believe the documentary will spark important
conversations about education, policy, neighborhoods and equity, as well as
bring awareness.
Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Enoch Fuzz
agrees. He plans to air the film at Kingdom Café, located at 2610 Jefferson
Street, on February 1, at 8:00 a.m. during One Nashville, a breakfast gathering
he initiated two years ago to bring people with resources, information and
awareness together to help progressive projects like “The Past Is Prologue”
succeed.
Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Enoch Fuzz (Photo Submitted)
“I was very touched by the story that these people told, and
I know that it could benefit some of the people in Nashville. There are some
good people in Nashville who want to understand race relations,” says Fuzz.
He says One Nashville gatherings, which are held every month
on first and third Saturdays, have attracted leaders from throughout the city including
the mayor, vice mayor, secretary of state, public defender and city council
members. He says some attendees are
looking for meaningful projects to support, while others come seeking
assistance.
“I was having people call me everyday with different needs,
and I said these people need to meet one another. So rather than me meeting
with everybody differently everyday, I came up with the concept of getting
everyone in the same room,” says Fuzz. “One
Nashville gets people from all over the community in the same room.”
Mary Jackson Owens, the Cameron alum who told Fuzz
about the project, hopes the film can garner financial support, so young people
can learn about this almost forgotten moment in Nashville’s civil rights
struggle.
“It hasn’t been talked about in 50 years. It’s time to have
a conversation about it, and tell people about the history,” she says. “A lot
of our children don’t know anything about being in an all-black school and the
loyalty that we have for Cameron.”
“The Past Is Prologue: The Cameron Class of 1969,” also features TSU alum Ola Hudson and TSU Associate Professor and Head Reference Librarian Fletcher F. Moon. Hudson, who graduated from TSU with a bachelor’s degree in Vocational Home Economics in 1951 and a master’s degree in 1953, taught at Cameron High School from 1955 until 1971. Moon, who portrayed his father, Rev. J.L. Moon, in the documentary, has worked at TSU for 36 years.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State UniversityFounded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE,
Tenn. (TSU News Service)
– High school students looking to get an early start on college now have a home
at Tennessee State University.
Dr. Robbie Melton, TSU Associate Vice President for Smart Technology and Innovation, conducts a coding class at Kenwood High School in Clarksville, Tennessee. (Submitted Photo)
Through its National Center for Smart Technology, the university has launched a dual enrollment program with three major school districts in the state that offers high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to earn college credits while enrolled in high school.
Participating
school districts are Clarksville Montgomery County School System, Metro
Nashville Public Schools, and Shelby County Schools.
Jalen Driskell and
Larry Perry, 12th graders from Shelby County’s Trezevant High School
in Memphis, are excited about the opportunity to earn early college credits.
The two were among 130 students also from Pearl Cohn High, and Clarksville’s
Kenwood High School, who participated in the Apple Coding class last fall as
part of the dual enrollment program.
Officials from the TSU Office of Smart Technology and Innovation join faculty and staff of Kenwood High School to kick off the TSU-Apple-Kenwood Coding initiative. (Submitted Photo)
“I learned a lot from the initiative, especially working as a team,” said Driskell, who hopes to major in engineering after high school. “Being enrolled allows me to move ahead in receiving my college credits and to do better with time management.”
For
Perry, he said the coding class was a lot of fun and increased his interest in
doing more college work.
“Coding
allowed me to gain the experience with talking to others versus typing,” he
said. “Receiving this college credit allows me to be prepared for my future.”
Dr.
Robbie Melton, TSU’s associate vice president for Smart Technology and
Innovation, said with the Apple partnership, TSU has created an amazing
opportunity for high school students to start coding
and creating.
“All
over the state, as well as all over the country, students are interested
in coding and creativity,” said Melton. “With
this dual enrollment program, it is unique in the fact that students across the
state of Tennessee can now embrace the skills of coding and creativity through
dual enrollment. We are positioned to provide coding and creativity on site and online, for high school
students to have a pathway to our computer science and “Everyone Can Code and
Create” curriculums at TSU.”
Dr.
Johnnie C. Smith is the executive director of the TSU Dual Enrollment
Partnerships. She said students who participate in the program must meet the TSU
admission’s requirement. They must be beginning juniors with a GPA of 2.75 or better, and must have recommendations from their principals or guidance counselors to participate. In addition to the Apple coding
curriculum, she said the program offers general education courses, as well as
engineering and English composition. The courses are offered onsite and online.
“Like all other schools in the state, we are going after courses we know will count in different schools, like general education courses,” Smith said. “We are targeting students within the state of Tennessee. They will gain college credits to get a jump start on college and also use those credits to meet their high school requirements for graduation. We are really excited about the possibility of what this program can do at the institution.”
Some
of the teachers whose students participated in the fall 2019 program said it
was very beneficial and definitely makes the whole dual enrollment initiative more interesting.
“This
program benefited our students by giving them the opportunity to learn the
fundamentals of coding and inspired them to create something unique for a
problem in their community,” said Abraham Wolfe, a high school AP Physics and Robotics teacher
in the Clarksville Montgomery County School System.
Quanita Adams, a high school math teacher with Metro Nashville Public Schools, said, “The students enrolled in DE Coding this semester have tapped into a world that they may have not experienced elsewhere and produced amazing products in a short time.”
Herbert
Vannostrand, a high school computer science teacher with the Shelby County
Schools, agreed.
“The Apple Coding curriculum provided my students with a
clear, concise, up-to-date and fun program to learn the Swift programming
language, as well as bringing relevant up-to-date information about how coding
can affect change in their lives,” Vannostrand said. “I recommend
this program to any computer science teacher and I am ready to teach the course
again next year.”
Dual enrollment is just one of many initiatives undertaken in the last year under the TSU-Apple partnership. In July, TSU launched HBCU C2 “Everyone Can Code and Create,” a national initiative supported by Apple, which seeks to bring coding experiences to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and underserved communities. To date, TSU has impacted 32 HBCUs with the HBCU C2 Initiative. Also, in July, TSU launched the first community “Everyone Can Code and Create” initiative for youth on its Avon Williams Campus. The initiative is also part of the National Center for Smart Technology Innovations.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State UniversityFounded in 1912, Tennessee State
University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier,
historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38
bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven
doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution
with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its
downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery
Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to
excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality
education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them
as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the
University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) –More than 700 students
gathered in Kean Hall Saturday before being bused to various locations
throughout Nashville to volunteer as part of the annual Joint Day of Service in
remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Students from several institutions throughout the city registered for the event and enjoyed an early lunch before being greeted by university leaders and hearing Freedom Rider and TSU Alum Ernest “Rip” Patton share inspiring words about his experience as a civil rights activist.
Freedom Rider and TSU Alum, Dr. Ernest “Rip” Patton, share inspiring words about his experience as a civil rights activist during one-on-one interview with TSU Sophomore Aubrey Sales.(Photo by Erynne Davis, TSU Media)
“This is your day, and this is your time to make a change
because what we did in the 60s, we did if for generations to come,” said
Patton, who attended Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial University, where he
served as drum major with the Aristocrat of Bands. Patton was one of fourteen students expelled
from Tennessee A & I by the Tennessee Board of Regents for taking part in
the Freedom Rides. He subsequently received an honorary doctorate from TSU in
2008.
“I did it for you. I’m using I as a plural. I made a change for you. I took a chance on my life. I went to jail. I went to prison. And I’m still out there trying to make a change, but it’s up to you to carry the torch,” he said. “And not only that, when you make a change, you are making it for the generations that come after you.”
Volunteers gathered in Kean Hall before being bused to various locations throughout Nashville as part of the annual Joint Day of Service in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media)
Shirley Nix-Davis, director of Outreach for TSU’s Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement, said bringing the students together for this service activity gives them an opportunity to consider the importance of service and how they can help others.
“It’s important to bring the students together just because
that was one of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dreams, to see every race, every
ethnicity, every color of person come together for one cause,” said Nix-Davis.
Volunteers were dispersed to work at 25 sites throughout the city, including Salama Urban Ministries, Schrader Lane Vine Hill Child Care Center, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministries.
Participating educational institutions included TSU, Meharry
Medical College, Fisk University, Lipscomb University, Vanderbilt University,
Belmont University Trevecca Nazarene University and Nashville State Community
College.
Brittanie Pruitt, a sophomore nursing major, volunteering at Harvest Hands Community Development as part of the annual Joint Day of Service in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media)
Brittanie Pruitt, a sophomore nursing major from Covington, Tennessee, who returned after participating in the day of service last year, said community service is critical.
“It’s definitely important to give back. Everybody needs a
helping hand,” said Pruitt who spent her afternoon with a group of 25 volunteers
organizing classrooms at Harvest Hands Community Development, a nonprofit
organization that provides after-school programming in South Nashville. “You
might need help one day, so it’s always important to give back.”
TSU Alum Chartrice Crowley serves as the director of Elementary Programs at Harvest Hands. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media)
Chartrice Crowley, director of Elementary Programs at
Harvest Hands, said the volunteers helped organize a collage, featuring Freedom
Riders from Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi as well as the organization’s
historically Black college and universities’(HBCU) classrooms.
“All of our classrooms where our kids are when they arrive here are named after HBCUs,” said Crowley who graduated from TSU in 2015 with a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. “The volunteers are working on the information that will go outside the classroom about the founding of the school, their athletic programs, famous graduates, and all of that.”
Nix-Davis, who served as co-chair of the event along with Vanderbilt University Assistant Director of Active Citizenship and Service Meagan Smith, said 326 of 715 students who signed up for the event were TSU students.
Volunteers organizing classroom at Harvest Hands Community Development as part of the annual Joint Day of Service in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media)
“I am really really pleased about the turn out because it is
raining,” she said. “We have some eager students who are ready to go out and do
their thing for their universities.”
Other dignitaries in attendance at the morning kick-off included Congressman Jim Cooper, State Senator Brenda Gilmore and Metro Council member Burkley Allen.
For more information about TSU’s Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/servicelearning/
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State UniversityFounded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – When
A’yadra Rodgers began her search for a high quality educational institution,
she placed Tennessee State University at the top of her list.
She says it was her relationship with Carlos Houston, president
of the East Tennessee chapter of the Tennessee State University National Alumni
Association, that sealed the deal.
“I actually babysat for him,” says Rodgers. “He would always say things like, ‘Have you been looking at TSU?'”
Houston’s persistence paid off, and Rodgers set her sites on
becoming a TSU Tiger.
A’yadra Rodgers (Photo by Charles Cook, TSU Media Relations)
“Tennessee State was the first school I applied to and the
first school I got accepted to,” says Rodgers, who graduated from Knoxville
Catholic High School in 2017.
Rodgers says Houston played a major role in helping her
secure a full scholarship to attend TSU.
After a transparent conversation with Houston’s wife Sheryl,
who graduated from Tennessee State with a degree in engineering, Rodgers
approached Houston about her need for financial assistance.
“Once she told me her grades and ACT score, I told her
to let me make a phone call, and the rest is history,” says Houston, who
graduated from TSU in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering.
“She got a full scholarship the next day, which was
fantastic, but her GPA and test scores made her deserving of it,” he says.
“She and her mother expressed in tears how grateful they were, and A’yadra
said she would not let TSU down.”
Carlos Houston, president of the East Tennessee chapter of the Tennessee State University National Alumni Association. (Photo Submitted)
A junior dental hygiene major, Rodgers entered the
university with the desire to become a nurse. However, her aspiration
changed as she became more aware of her true passion.
“When I first got here I had my mind set on nursing, and then I began to look more into it. I started to shadow, and I realized it wasn’t for me,” she says. “Then I started to think, ‘what do I love? Where do I like to go? Who am I around?’ And it was the dental office.”
After taking time to shadow her mother who works as a dental
assistant, as well as watch the dental hygienists who work with her mother,
Rodgers changed her major to dental hygiene and immediately began to excel.
During her first semester in the program, Rodgers’ classmates elected her as
class president and the Student Dental Hygiene Association’s first year
recording secretary.
Rodgers also joined the National Association of Colored
Women’s Clubs, Inc., an organization that she says gives her an opportunity to
participate in breast cancer awareness walks, make donations to Second Harvest
Food Bank, and volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House of Nashville.
A’yadra Rodgers (second from left) poses for photo with other members of the National Association of Colored Women’s Club, Inc. after volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House of Nashville, a charity organization that provides essential resources and a “home-away-from-home” for families of critically ill children receiving inpatient or outpatient medical care at Nashville area hospitals. (Photo Submitted)
“Being involved in this organization has been a blessing,
helping me to become a leader in all aspects of my life,” she says.
Brenda J. Kibbel, assistant professor of Dental Hygiene,
says Rodgers is an exceptional student.
“I expect great accomplishments in Ms. Rodgers’ future
endeavors because of her compassion and involvement,” says Kibbel. “I just see
so much potential in her as a young woman, and I expect great things.”
Rodgers, who plans to double major and earn an additional
degree in health information management at TSU, says she plans to become a
dentist.
“My goal is to go to dental school at Meharry Medical
College. After that I can decide if I want to be an orthodontist, or anything
beyond that,” she says. “I do want to do some work outside of the U.S., so I am
looking at Africa.”
She credits her parents with inspiring her to succeed.
“I feel like they are always working to make sure me and my siblings are OK, and so just seeing that work ethic and how they are really trying their best is inspiring,” says Rodgers.
A’yadra Rodgers
Kibbel, who worked as a dental hygienist for years after
completing her degree through a joint program between TSU and Meharry Medical
College, says the career landscape for dental hygienists is vast.
“We now in this state can do independent practice coming
under a dentist or we can work on our own in nursing homes. You can be an
educator. You can be a researcher. There are a lot of job opportunities.
It’s good money, and it has flexibility,” says Kibbel.
Brenda J. Kibbel, TSU assistant professor of Dental Hygiene (Photo Submitted)
She encourages students who want to become dental hygienists
to visit the department of Dental Hygiene.
“I’m really proud of our school. Our department strives to
not make them just great students and pass the program, but to become great
human beings who will be assets to our society, as well as the healthcare
profession.”
Tennessee State University’s Dental Hygiene Clinic is
located in Clement Hall on the main TSU campus. It provides a wide range of
dental services to nearly 600 patients a year at reduced cost. This includes
the campus, as well as the greater Nashville community.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University and the nation’s other historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) look to reap the benefits of federal legislation that permanently allocates $255 million to the institutions.
TSU President Glenda Glover
Last month, Congress passed the FUTURE Act to provide for the historic funding. TSU students and officials say the bill is critical to the viability of TSU and other HBCUs.
TSU President Glenda Glover commended
Congress for passing the legislation and hopes it will lead to additional
funding.
“The FUTURE Act legislation is a game changer for TSU, and the university is thankful to our Tennessee leadership of Senator Lamar Alexander, Representative Jim Cooper, Congressional Black Caucus members and others for their guidance to ensure the bill passed through both chambers,” says President Glover.
“I personally made calls to Sen.
Alexander’s Office, advocating the need for HBCU funding because of the
tremendous impact TSU has in changing the lives of our students, the community,
state and nation. I also spoke regularly with other HBCU presidents and
assisted advocacy groups United Negro College Fund, Thurgood Marshall College
Fund and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in higher education in
getting the bill passed. HBCUs have been
traditionally underfunded on all levels of government.”
“TSU is fortunate to have
relationships with local and state lawmakers that have resulted in much needed
appropriations. I believe the FUTURE Act is the beginning of the tide changing
in the amount, and types of funding HBCUs receive.”
The FUTURE Act not only provides permanent
funds to HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions, but also simplifies the
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and eliminates paperwork for
income-driven student loan repayment plans.
“We believe it’s a really
important piece of legislation,” says Amy Wood, assistant vice president for
financial aid at TSU.
The legislation
eliminates up to 22 questions on the FAFSA and allows the Internal Revenue
Service to share applicants’ tax information directly with the U.S. Department
of Education. It also automates income recertification for federal student loan
borrowers who use income-based repayment plans.
“Being able to eliminate some of
the processing time allows us more time to spend counseling students and
ensuring that they have what they need,” adds Wood.
Mariah Rhodes, a junior at TSU
majoring in political science, says she’s pleased the legislation may soon
become law. It has been sent to the President, who is expected to sign
it.
“HBCUs have produced some of the
best African-American doctors, lawyers, politicians and engineers,” says
Rhodes, a Memphis native who is an HBCU White House ambassador. “This money
will help HBCUs in a tremendous way.”
Her mother agrees.
“They (HBCUs) are underfunded, and
we need to really do something about that,” says Denise Woods.
TSU Dean of Students Frank
Stevenson called the legislation a “game changer.”
“HBCUs are still seeing a number
of first generation college students, and funding is really important to the
success of these institutions that have done so much to move the needle toward
equity and opportunity for higher education for students,” says Stevenson.
Last year, TSU received $2 million to support retention of academically high achieving students from underserved communities.
The funds were included in Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s budget
during the latest legislative session, and approved by state lawmakers.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State UniversityFounded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Hundreds of people
attended Tennessee State University’s annual convocation on Monday to celebrate
the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
TSU President Glenda Glover speaks to gathering before march. (Photo by Charles Cook, TSU Media Relations)
Despite the bitterly cold temperature, quite a few people turned out for the march that started in front of Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church and ended at TSU’s Gentry Complex, where the convocation was held. The keynote speaker was MSNBC political analyst and author, Joy-Ann Reid.
TSU President Glenda Glover set the tone for the convocation
in her greetings.
“We’re here because we understand if ever there was a time
that we needed each other, that time is now,” said Glover, who is also the
international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the
primary sponsor of this year’s convocation.
“We honor Dr. King and those leaders that he inspired to
continue the struggle for equality.”
Marchers line up to head to convocation at Gentry Complex. (Photo by Charles Cook, TSU Media Relations)
Reid echoed Glover’s sentiment in her speech when she said
people need to continue fighting for racial justice, economic justice, and not
just recite King’s speeches.
“We have to ask ourselves, what have we done with this
legacy?” said Reid. “America right now needs to get motivated, not to quote
King, but to live the dream he was fighting for.”
The convocation was attended by community leaders and
lawmakers, including Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper, and
his brother, Nashville Mayor John Cooper.
“What he hoped for is not complete,” said Lee. “We, being here today, continue that dream that he had that isn’t finished in this country.”
Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated attend convocation. (TSU Media Relations)
On Saturday, TSU hosted the MLK Joint Day of Service with seven other
universities and colleges. More than 700 students gathered in Kean Hall before being bused
to various locations throughout Nashville to volunteer as part of the annual
event.
Students enjoyed an early lunch before being greeted by
university leaders and hearing Freedom Rider and TSU Alum Ernest “Rip” Patton
share inspiring words about his experience as a civil rights activist.
“This is
your day, and this is your time to make a change because what we did in the
60s, we did if for generations to come,” said Patton
Brittanie Pruitt, a sophomore nursing major from Covington,
Tennessee, who returned after participating in the Day of Service last year,
said community service is critical.
Brittanie Pruitt, a sophomore nursing major, volunteering at Harvest Hands Community Development as part of the annual Joint Day of Service in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
“It’s definitely important to give back. Everybody needs a
helping hand,” said Pruitt, who spent her afternoon with a group of 25
volunteers organizing classrooms at Harvest Hands Community Development, a
nonprofit organization that provides after-school programming in South
Nashville. “You might need help one day, so it’s always important to give
back.”
Shirley
Nix-Davis is director of outreach for TSU’s Center for Service Learning and
Civic Engagement and co-chair of the Day of Service. She said 326 of 715
students who signed up for the event were TSU students.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover provided encouraging words of perseverance at the 8th annual Presidential Prayer Service on Jan. 8.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper thanked President Glover for her leadership. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
Dr. Glover was the keynote speaker, as TSU and the Nashville faith-based community joined hands to begin the New Year with a morning of prayer at Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church.
Faith-based leaders of various denominations from across Metro Nashville, as well as Mayor John Cooper, Vice Mayor Jim Shullman, and TSU alum and gospel legend Dr. Bobby Jones, participated in the program. Also participating was Bishop Joseph Walker III, chairman of the TSU Board of Trustees and presiding bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International.
During her speech, Glover encouraged the gathering — community, state and local leaders and citizens, TSU staff, administrators, alumni and students — to “stand” in the face of difficulties.
A cross-section of faith-based leaders participated in the 8th Annual Presidential Prayer Service at Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
“There will be difficult days in accomplishing goals, when others will challenge you and or doubt you, but you must stand and be steadfast,” Glover said. “We had some ups and downs, we had some trials and tribulations, but we are here. We are thankful for people who have stood up for TSU.”
Before
Glover’s presentation, Mayor Cooper thanked her for her leadership, and the
community for coming together in prayers for the city, TSU and residents.
Darrien Phillips, a TSU senior commercial music major, performs a musical rendition at the prayer service. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
“Dr. Glover, this is your day as you go into your eighth year as president of Tennessee State University,” Cooper declared. “The city of Nashville and I thank you for all you have done for not just this community but across the nation. TSU graduate students, teachers, engineers, to name a few, continue to nurture our students that come from TSU to go out near and far. The city of Nashville is so fortunate to have you here. We thank you for this annual prayer service.”
Following
Glover’s address, ministers offered prayer in several areas, including peace,
the global community, the Nashville community, children and youth, and the TSU
community.
Rev. Aaron X. Marble, pastor of
Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church, presided over the program. He
praised Dr. Glover for her leadership and said the annual prayer service “is a
wonderful tradition that she’s established.”
The prayers concluded with the Rev. Derrick Moore, pastor of Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, praying fervently for Glover as various ministers gathered around her in a display of unity and support.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State UniversityFounded in 1912, Tennessee State
University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier,
historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38
bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven
doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution
with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its
downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery
Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to
excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality
education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them
as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the
University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) –
Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover on Monday lauded faculty and
staff for their service, and assured them the institution is poised to
accomplish great feats for 2020, and beyond.
Dr. Glenda Glover
Dr. Glover spoke at the spring Faculty and
Staff Institute, a customary State of the University address held to commence
the start of each academic school year. Her address commended employees, and
touted fiscal strength and student success.
In thanking employees for their hard work, she
pledged her continued support, and encouraged them to strive to make the
university better.
“I’m here for you,” said Glover. “I just ask
that you show up every day and do your best.”
She reminded them that includes doing all they
can to help students succeed.
Glover noted that from 2018 to 2019, the GPA of incoming freshmen increased from 3.10 to 3.14. The university also implemented a targeted recruitment plan for high school students with a 3.0 or better to improve retention and graduation rates. Students’ GPA has steadily risen since TSU increased admission standards in 2016. All students must now have a 2.5 GPA and a 19 on the ACT for admission. The previous admission scores were 2.25 or a 19 on the ACT for in-state students, and a 2.5 or 19 ACT for out-of-state students.
The president also stressed the university’s fiscal soundness and plans to continue the trend. She discussed an endowment increase of $19.3 million over a five-year period, and a net increase of $15.7 million for reserve and endowment funds during the same time span.
Over the next 10 years, in what she called
TSU’s Decade of Excellence, Glover said she envisions an endowment of $150
million and $100 million in reserves. She would also like to see TSU be the top
HBCU in the nation, with an enrollment of 12,000.
The president also talked about TSU’s sanction by its accrediting body and gave a detailed update on the “plan of action” to address the issue. She emphasized to the several hundred in attendance that it is important to dispel any misconceptions and that TSU never lost accreditation.
Corrective steps taken so far under the plan include the university retaining a nationally known firm with expertise on accreditation matters and hiring a full-time director of assessment and accreditation to guide the process internally.
“We are 100
percent confident that TSU will do all that is required to prepare and submit
the documentation that is necessary to remove us from probation,” said Glover.
“Everyone is working together to get this done.”
TSU’s landscape will change over the next few months when construction of the new health sciences building is complete. The president shared the latest information on that, as well as planned construction of two new residence halls. Groundbreakings were held for the three buildings, along with a welcome center, during homecoming last year.
Glover also
touted a major accomplishment for TSU in 2019 that is carrying over to the New
Year: its coding partnership with tech giant Apple, Inc., which is drawing
global attention.
In July, TSU launched HBCU C2 “Everyone Can Code and Create,” which seeks to bring coding experiences to historically black colleges and universities and underserved communities. The initiative is part of TSU’s newly established National Center for Smart Technology Innovations, created through the HBCU C2 Presidential Academy.
The undertaking to bridge the technology divide has not gone unnoticed. President Glover told the audience that the university and Apple’s corporate office have received several inquiries about the program.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is among the initiative’s
champions.
“Anything is possible when people come together
with a shared vision,” Cook tweeted. “Thank you to @TSUedu for your leadership
and enthusiasm in bringing coding to your community and HBCUs nationwide!”
The institute marks the beginning of the academic semester. Students return on Jan. 13.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State UniversityFounded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
