NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Award-winning actor, poet and speaker Rashad Rayford recently visited Tennessee State University to promote his new book, “Elevate Your Vibe: Ten Ways to Grow You.”
The book signing was sponsored by TSU’s Avon Williams Library and the National Hook-Up of Black Women, Inc.
Rayford, who was recently crowned Moth Story Hour Nashville
Grand Slam Champion, has been featured at TEDx and on National Public Radio, as
well as in the Wall Street Journal, HuffPo, and USA Today.
“This book is a tool to help us activate or sharpen the
necessary attributes that we need to elevate to our highest selves,” said
Rayford, also known as Rashad Tha Poet. “How can we add value to other people
if we haven’t first acknowledged the value within ourselves?”
His company, Elevate Your Vibe, LLC, is a nontraditional speaking company that blends spoken word poetry, and inspirational speaking to help businesses tell more compelling and concise stories.
Department of Media Relations
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) – 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) – 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)
– The City of South Fulton, Georgia, has declared December 19 ‘Christion
Abercrombie Day,’ in honor of injured Tennessee State University football
player Christion Abercrombie.
South Fulton City Mayor William “Bill” Edwards, right, welcomes Christion Abercrombie to his office. (Submitted Photo)
City Mayor William
“Bill” Edwards recently made the proclamation during a ceremony at Westlake
High School, where the TSU linebacker graduated.
Abercrombie, an
Atlanta native, rose to national prominence last year after suffering a severe
brain injury in TSU’s game against Vanderbilt on Sept. 29. His
remarkable recovery was described as a miracle.
In a statement at
the Westlake ceremony, Abercrombie said he feels great.
“I thank God. I
feel amazing,” he said. “I thank everybody for coming out, my friends and
family. I just thank everybody for their support and prayers.”
In addition to
Mayor Edwards, several city dignitaries, and the South Fulton School Board
president and members attended the event. TSU head football coach Rod
Reed, along with some members of his coaching staff, as well as Abercrombie’s
little league tag football coach, also attended the program. Gus Morris, an SEC
official, who regularly visited Abercrombie during his recovery, attended the
Christion Abercrombie Day ceremony.
Christion Abercrombie, left, Gus Morris, SEC oficial; and Rod Reed, TSU Head Football Coach, attend “Christion Abercrombie Day” in South Fulton, Georgia. (Submitted Photo)
Staci Abercrombie,
Christion’s mother, said she wants ‘Christion Abercrombie Day’ to be special to
everyone in South Fulton.
“This is a city
that we both grew up in,” she said. “We are from Atlanta, and it was annexed
two years ago, and I want everyone to know if you have faith in God and you are
one who can fight and be a pillar of the community, you are honored in such a
way. Christion exemplifies all of that. He’s given so much to this
community, not just through football, but as a student-athlete and we are just
very thankful that today we celebrate Christion Abercrombie Day.”
During this year’s
Homecoming at TSU, Christion was honored as a grand marshal, and received a
Special Presidential Recognition from TSU President Glenda Glover. HBCU Digest
also named Christion “Male Athlete of the Year,” during the organization’s
annual honoring gala in Washington, D.C.
Christian’s family
has announced the formation of the “Christion Abercrombie Foundation,” a nonprofit
organization to assist families dealing with brain injuries.
“The mission of the foundation is to bring awareness to traumatic brain injury through education and outreach to families and patients,” Staci Abercrombie said. “What we have learned is that there are severe cases, like Christion’s was. We want to partner with medical staff, coaches and therapists on how everyone can work together in providing the necessary care.”
As part of his quest to obtain a degree in sports medicine, Christion Abercrombie currently takes online courses at TSU.
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) – The Tennessean newspaper has named a conference room in
honor of the late award-winning business reporter and TSU adjunct professor
Getahn Ward, who died in 2016. He was 45.
The Meter staffers visit the Getahn Ward Conference Room in The Tennessean new office building. Pictured are, from left, staff writer Brianna Sparrow, Editor-in-Chief KaBria Kirkham, and staff writer Nyah Peebles. (Courtesy photo)
The Getahn Ward
Conference Room, in the newspaper’s new office building, includes a table with
four chairs, a cabinet displaying awards Ward won while he worked there, as
well as a white board for writing ideas. The multimedia room in the TSU
Department of Communications is also named in honor of the fallen professor.
An active member
of the Nashville chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists,
where he chaired the scholarship committee, Ward was an adjunct in the
Communications Department at TSU, teaching an introductory course in journalism
for many years.
Former students
and staffers of The Meter, the TSU student newspaper, which Ward headed as
editor-in-chief while a student at TSU, visited the Getahn Ward Conference Room
recently. The experience, one said, “was very moving.”
Three visiting Meter staffers sit in on the morning editorial staff meeting at The Tennessean. (Courtesy Photo)
“Although I did not know him personally, but as soon as I saw his picture I felt an immediate connection …seeing his accomplishments and the remarkable person he was,” said KaBria Kirkham, editor-in-chief of The Meter, who came to TSU the year after Ward’s death.
She said as an
aspiring journalist, she was inspired by Ward’s dedication to excellence and
how he went about his work.
“I was just amazed
to see something so important dedicated to him in recognition of his work and
contribution to his community and individuals he came across,” Kirkham added.
During visit to the Getahn Ward Conference Room, The Meter staffers had an opportunity to interact with their counterparts at The Tennessean. (Courtesy Photo)
Meter staff
writers Brianna Sparrow and Nyah Peebles accompanied Kirkham during the visit
to The Tennessean. The group also toured the newspaper’s elaborate facility at
its new 1801 West End Avenue location, and sat in on the paper’s morning
editorial meeting, where the plan for the day’s coverage is discussed.
Following Ward’s
death, TSU, The Tennessean, the Gannett Foundation and NABJ partnered to create
a scholarship in Ward’s name to benefit aspiring journalists. The new
scholarship is the first endowed scholarship in the history of the TSU
Department of Communications.
“At a time when our majors are
working multiple jobs to offset the cost of a college education, this (scholarship)
will go a long way in helping some of our best and brightest students,” Dr.
Tameka Winston, chair of the TSU Department of Communications, said during the
launching of the scholarship. “This scholarship represents a man who
devoted much of his life to the field of journalism and to the education and
success of students at Tennessee State University.”
Ward, who previously worked at the
Nashville Banner before it closed in 1997, had a passion for teaching students
and advocating for black journalists. He earned two degrees at TSU, where he
was a proud alum.
To contribute to the Getahn Ward Endowed Scholarship Fund, visit https://bit.ly/35kPUjK
Department of Media Relations
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) – In January, Tennessee State University will begin construction on the first new residence halls on the campus in 23 years.
The State Building Commission recently gave the green light for the six-story, 700-bed facility estimated at $75.3 million. It will be located between Eppse Hall and the Performing Arts Center on the main campus. The new project is part of a number of planned and ongoing constructions, including a new Health Sciences Building, that are changing the landscape at TSU.
TSU President Glenda Glover believes the new
residence halls and academic building will play a major role in recruitment
efforts.
“The university is undergoing a
renaissance of sorts; it began with our new, higher admission standards, and
continues with the new construction of the residence halls and Health Sciences
Building for prospective students to enjoy and reap the benefits,” Glover said.
“We are proud of our legacy and
the current buildings on campus are a part of that legacy. The facilities are
the first state-funded construction projects on our campus in 23 years. These
are exciting times for the university and our partners.”
Joni McReynolds, president of the TSU National
Alumni Association, agreed that “building the residence halls with the best of
technology will help us recruit” new students.
“I am extremely pleased to hear that the
university will be able to move forward with the construction of two new
residence halls,” McReynolds said.
At
last year’s Homecoming, TSU broke grounds for the new residence halls, a new
Health Sciences Building, and an Alumni Welcome Center. The Health Sciences
Building, currently under construction on the main campus, is expected to be
completed in early 2020.
Dr.
Curtis Johnson, chief of staff and associate vice president for administration,
said construction of the residence halls will last for 18-20 months beginning
in January 2020. Prior to that, he said the university will soon begin making
modifications in parking that will include groundbreaking activity.
“The
facility will require some parking shift,” Johnson said. “The intent is not to
lose any parking spaces, but to just relocate those parking spaces to another
lot to allow the construction area laydown for the new facility.”
The
building will also have a high-tech security infrastructure that gives
exclusive access to occupants, he said. Outsiders coming in to use dining
facilities on the first floor will not be able to enter living areas.
“Security
design in this facility will include elevator lobbies, meaning that occupants
will have access through their IDs to be able to access the floor you live on.
There will be cameras and monitoring equipment throughout the facility,”
Johnson said.
Katelyn
Thompson, president of the Student Government Association, called construction
of the new residence halls “a historic endeavor that will make a big and
exciting difference” in student living.
“I am
so happy about this news,” Thompson said. “To have them starting the
construction this early means the world because I love my university, and to
watch it grow with new things is amazing, as new Tigers continue to enroll and
leave their mark at TSU.”
TSU’s
Dean of Student and Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Frank
Stevenson, said the new residence will greatly help relieve the university of
the growing demand for student campus housing.
‘This
will be a state-of-the-art facility that creates a more dynamic student
experience,” Stevenson said. “We are tremendously excited about the progress.”
The new residence facility will include an assortment of room types, four dining concepts, a fitness facility, indoor and outdoor meeting spaces, spa concept in some bathrooms, and laundry rooms. It will have three towers, and 4,5 and 6-story living areas. Construction is expected to be completed in summer 2020.
Department of Media Relations
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 is making the most of a $50,000 Home Depot Retool Your School grant it received last spring.
TSU students help install electrical fixtures in the amphitheater, as Home Depot production crew members look on. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
On Nov. 15, a
large production crew from Home Depot spent the day on the TSU main campus
recording student volunteers as they mulched, power washed and installed
electrical fixtures in the university amphitheater, the McWherter Circle, and
the exterior of the Floyd-Payne Campus Center. The film crew also interviewed
TSU President Glenda Glover, and several current and former students, as well
as staff and administrators about the benefit of the Retool Your School
campaign.
Student volunteers carry out various cleanup activities around campus. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
“Retool Your
School means so much to us and we are very much appreciative to Home Depot,”
Glover said. “The need to just fix the school up is a high priority, but
funding is not readily available, as we are busy trying to get money for
academic programs and to ensure that buildings are right for the students.
Retool your school has allowed our campus to fix some of the broken and
neglected areas. The students are really excited. They volunteered to
work. They want to make their campus look beautiful.”
Tennessee State
University received “Campaign of the Year” honors in Home Depot’s Retool
Your School HBCU Campus Improvement competition in the spring. This was the
first year for the award, which was created to celebrate the 10th
anniversary of the Retool Your School program. TSU beat out 60 other
institutions for the award.
Desire Wynn, a freshman dental hygiene major, helps pressure wash the amphitheater as part of the Home Depot Retool Your School campaign. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman)
“We are extremely
proud to have won this top honor for Campaign of the Year, and are just as
proud of our students, staff and alumni that mobilized efforts for TSU to have
such a strong showing to get the entire university family involved,” Glover
added.
Dwight Oliver, a
senior political science major from Memphis, and Desire Wynn, a freshman
majoring in dental hygiene, were two of the many student volunteers who mulched
plants in the McWherter Circle and helped to pressure wash the amphitheater.
They were thankful to Home Depot for the funding and for helping to give their
campus a facelift.
A Heme Depot production crew member talks to TSU alum Kolawole Odumade about his HBCU experience. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
“This was an
amazing experience for me to be involved in helping to make my campus look
beautiful,” said Oliver, who also works for Home Depot at the company’s One
Hundred Oaks location. “Just to see that my company cares about the community
that I live in and go to school in was very touching, and makes me want to give
back as an alumnus.”
For Wynn, the
Cincinnati, Ohio, native was glad to see her school as a top winner in the
Retool Your School campaign, and her fellow students’ willingness to “help
clean up our campus.”
“As soon as I
heard what this was all about, I jumped in and was happy to see many students
joining in,” Wynn said. “Retool Your School is a wonderful idea.”
Marquisia Taylor,
project manager of multicultural marketing for Home Depot, was on hand with a
team of company executives and workers to make a special presentation to
President Glover.
“I am so happy to be here and to congratulate Tennessee State University for being a 2019-2020 Retool Your School grant recipient,” she said. “We just want to continue to support HBCUs by providing funds to help them reinvigorate their campuses and to create something new and exciting that the student body, alums, staff and everyone who is a supporter can rally around. We also congratulate President Glover for her leadership.”
Since 2009, the Retool Your School Program has provided over $2.1 million in campus improvement grants that allow HBCUs to make sustainable improvements to their campuses.
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) – More than 100 volunteers are expected to gather at Tennessee State University on Friday to assist with campus renovations funded by the $50,000 Home Depot’s Retool You School Grant the university secured in the spring.
A 20-person camera crew from Home Depot will be on hand to record the volunteers, who will assist with mulching and power washing, as well as light installation in the university amphitheater and the exterior of the Floyd-Payne Campus Center.
Tennessee State University received “Campaign of the Year” honors in Home Depot’s Retool Your School- HBCU Campus Improvement competition in the spring. This was the first year for the award, which was created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Retool Your School program. TSU beat out 60 other institutions for the award.
TSU finished second in voting for the large institution category, but walked away with the Campaign of the Year award. Judges cited the overall performance of the campaign that was able to engage students, alumni and the community, as well as digital media strategies to promote voting.
Home Depot gave the final approval of the project, which begins
Friday.
Currently, there are several major construction projects underway on TSU’s campus. They include a new Health Sciences Building, two new residence halls, and an Alumni House and Welcome Center.
Department of Media Relations
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) – Atlanta high school senior Trinity Holt has made up her mind for college. She is coming to Tennessee State University to study pre-law, and she plans to play a little golf while she is at it.
Trinity Holt, a graduating senior from Mill Creek High School in Atlanta, will be a freshman at TSU Next fall semester. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
“I fell in love with TSU after watching the
school band play in the Honda Battle of the Bands in Atlanta. It was so nice,”
said the Mill Creek High School standout. “I talked to the band members, and
even though I was not playing, I felt like I was part of them.”
A
competitive golf player since her freshman year, Holt wants to bring her game
to TSU. She was among hundreds of high school seniors and juniors from across
the country who attended Spring Preview Day at TSU on Nov. 9 to get information
on the university’s offerings and programs.
The visitors – from about 15 states including, California, Texas, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin – had the opportunity to see the campus, get acquainted with admission processes, and meet with academic departments with displays in Kean Hall. They also interacted with student organization leaders, including Mister TSU and Miss TSU. They toured the campus, as well as took in the Big Blue Tiger Spring Blue & White Football Game in Hale Stadium, with entertainment by the world-renowned Aristocrat of Bands.
From right, high school senior Le’Kieffer DeBerry, her brother Kanaan, mother Kendra, a TSU alum, niece Mc’Kenzie, and father Dale DeBerry attend Spring Preview Day 2019. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
“Today
was amazing because students from all across the country got the opportunity to
see exactly what makes TSU special,” said Terrence Izzard, associate vice
president for Enrollment Management and Student Success. “Today was filled with
activities for parents and students. We were also blessed to have members of
our academic departments on hand to give information about programs,
scholarships and internships.”
Earlier
in a ceremony in Kean Hall, Dr. Curtis Johnson, TSU chief of staff and
associate vice president for administration, greeted the visitors on behalf of
President Glenda Glover, who was traveling. He directed his comments mainly at
parents.
Terrence Izzard, TSU’s Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success, middle, talks to a family during Spring Preview Day in Kean Hall. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
“I
encourage you parents to be excited and to know that those leaders that you
brought here today are going to meet leaders that I want you to talk to,”
Johnson said. “Drill them about what they are doing here and how that will help
your child. We want you to know that TSU is about business and that we are
going to take care of your children.”
Katelyn
Thompson, president of the student government association, also spoke and
introduced the visitors to the various campus organizations.
TSU admissions officials assist visiting students and parents in Kean Hall during Spring Preview Day. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
Like
Trinity Holt, many students came to Spring Preview ready to make TSU their next
home for their college careers, while several others said they were impressed
with the reception they received, the programs, as well as the campus and the
family atmosphere.
Le’Kieffer
DeBerry, from Holly Springs, Mississippi, came with her mother Kendra, a TSU
alum, father Dale, brother Kanaan, and her niece Mc’Kenzie. With a plan
to major in pre-med, Le’Kieffer said she is trying to make up her mind after looking
at other programs, and she thinks TSU would be a good fit, especially since her
mother attended TSU and her grandmother, Eloise Thompson Jackson, was a
longtime professor in the dental hygiene program.
“I am
not a stranger to TSU. My mother and grandmother always talk a lot at about the
programs and the nurturing students receive,” Le’Kieffer said. “I have been
seriously thinking about coming here.”
“I
definitely think TSU will be a good choice for her,” Kendra DeBerry, who
graduated TSU in 1989, added. “I want her to have that HBCU experience. I love
TSU. I think the school has a lot to offer.”
Kito
Johnson, who also traveled from Rosswell, Georgia, with his son Immanuel, said
Spring Preview Day was very encouraging.
“We have
looked at quite a few colleges,” he said. “This is the first HBCU we have
looked at and am very glad that we came.”
“My
experience here was pretty cool,” added Immanuel, who first heard about TSU at
a college fair. “After the counselor talked about the school, I decided to come
and look at it. I like what I see – a nice campus, nice people and great
programs.”
Immanuel
wants to major in psychology. He is also interested in the Honors College.
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.
