NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University and a local non-profit were able to spread lots of cheer during the holiday season. The university and Simply United Together partnered again to host Toys for Tots on the campus to make sure hundreds of Nashville children awoke Christmas morning with smiles on their faces. On December 17, nearly 2,000 parents were able to select gifts for their children during the annual toy distribution organized by TSU and Simply United Together, a nonprofit that coordinates the pickup of donated toys.
A volunteer, right, helps Erica Dowlen picks out toys for her two children. (Photo by Aaron Grayson)
Erica Dowlen, of Nashville, a mother of a 6-month-old and a 6-year-old, was among those picking up toys. She said with a new baby and barely enough income to cope, she had nowhere else to turn.
“I really didn’t have anywhere else to turn and I heard about TSU. I went and was able to pick out some nice stuff for my kids,” said Dowlen. “I am totally grateful because this was a down year for me. I had just had a baby. I wasn’t able to work as I wanted to provide from my kids.”
It’s estimated that nearly 5,000 children, boys and girls up to age 12, received toys as a result of the program. Volunteers, including TSU students, staff, alumni, and representatives from area charitable organizations and churches, helped with the distribution in Kean Hall on the main campus. Since 2018, TSU has partnered with Simply United Together, and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots to distribute toys on the TSU main campus.
Volunteers help with distribution at the Toy for Tots giveaway in Kean Hall. (Photo by Aaron Grayson)
Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. William Hytche, coordinator of the Toys for Tots program for TSU, said the university is thankful for the continued partnership with Simply United Together to serve needy families during the holiday.
“It is an important service that I think we do as a community,” said Hytche. “TSU is in the community, so we like to serve the community whenever we get the opportunity. We have had this partnership with Simply United for over four years and it has worked very well.”
A volunteer helps stack up toys for parents during Saturday’s program on the main TSU campus. (Photo by Aaron Grayson)
Benetta M. Sears, the local director of Simply United Together Foundation, said she is thankful that TSU has continued to be a site to serve families, especially during this “very critical time.”
“Tennessee State University is very positive. This is a community school also, and the people here are more willing and ready to serve the Nashville community, and we are thankful to continue our partnership,” she said.
For more information on Toys for Tots at TSU, please call Dr. William Hytche at 615-963-5069.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is making sure children in the area have something to cheer about, as the holiday season takes hold. On Saturday, Dec. 18, nearly 500 parents walked away with at least two toys each for their children during a Toys for Tots distribution organized by TSU and Simply United Together, a nonprofit that coordinates the pickup of donated toys.
A volunteer helps Diamond Johnson, right, pick out toys for her children. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
Organizers said nearly 1,000 children were served with thousands of toys of different sizes and shapes for boys and girls up to age 12. Volunteers, including TSU students, staff, alumni, and representatives from area charitable organizations and churches, helped with the distribution in Kean Hall on the main campus.
Diamond Johnson, a Nashville parent with five kids, was among those picking up toys.
“With prices going up and things getting harder, it feels good to know that there are people who care to help out for people in need,” Johnson said. “I am thankful to Toys for Tots for making sure my children will have gifts for Christmas.”
Marvin Poole and his wife, Laura, also received toys for their four kids. They said with the pandemic, loss of income, and prices going up, they didn’t know where to turn for gifts.
Marvin Poole, right, a father of four children, says this is the first time his family has solicited for toys for their kids. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
“It’s been a hard year for everybody. We’ve never done anything like this before as a family,” said Marvin. “To have someone there in times of need, this is just a blessing and we are very thankful.”
Since 2018, TSU has partnered with Simply United Together, and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots to distribute toys on the TSU main campus.
Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. William Hytche, coordinator of the Toys for Tots program for TSU, said the university is thankful for the continued partnership with Simply United Together to serve needy families during the holiday.
TSU student volunteers participate in the toy distribution in Kean Hall. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
“It is an important service that I think we do as a community,” said Hytche. “TSU is in the community, so we like to serve the community whenever we get the opportunity. We have had this partnership with Simply United for over three years and it has worked very well. It is unfortunate that we are in this pandemic but we are doing everything we can to minimize the spread.”
Benetta M. Sears, the local director of Simply United Together Foundation, said she is thankful that TSU has continued to be a site to serve families, especially during this “very critical time.”
“Tennessee State University is very positive. This is a community school also, and the people here are more willing and ready to serve the Nashville community, and we are thankful to continue our partnership,” she said.
Sears said she hopes the parents who participated will one day encourage their children to attend TSU.
For more information on Toys for Tots at TSU, call Dr. William Hytche at 615-963-5069.
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 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight 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) – College campuses across the country are using creative ways to battle the latest surge of the coronavirus. At Tennessee State University – with one of the lowest number of cases among Tennessee colleges – officials are using technology and offering incentives to students to help curb the spread of the virus among the campus population.
Healthcare personnel say students are proactive and anxious about coming into the health center to register to be tested for the coronavirus. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
The university has stepped up its rapid testing, encourages students to do more contact tracing using a new software, and has set up electronic temperature checks around campus. Tigers Mask Up, an initiative that offers students discount cash coupons for observing proper protocols, has also been introduced. Additionally, the university encourages free discussion of the virus among students and staff.
“It is not a taboo to talk about cases and persons who are experiencing symptoms. The open discussion helps,” says Dr. Curtis Johnson, chief of staff and head of the TSU Coronavirus Pandemic task force.
He says the Tigers Mask Up initiative, introduced by the task force, is intended to recognize the efforts of students who go the “extra mile” to ensure compliance.
TSU introduces a mobile app for contact tracing among the campus population.
“The task force monitors what’s going on and makes recommendations to modify activities when necessary or initiate efforts to move us ahead, and so far, our efforts are paying off,” Johnson says.
A New York Times survey of more than 1,700 colleges and universities shows more than 214,000 cases and 75 deaths (mostly college employees) since the pandemic began, with Tennessee colleges accounting for 6,540 of those cases. Since TSU reopened for the fall with hybrid learning, the university has reported less than 75 cases, with mostly mild to no symptoms and no hospitalization.
Johnson and others attribute TSU’s low number to the university’s vigilance with testing and students’ overall cooperation with protocols put in place to keep them safe. The TSU Student Health Center is averaging between 50-100 students who come in per day to be tested.
Tigers Mask Up initiative recognizes the efforts of students who go the “extra mile” to ensure compliance.
Dana Humphrey, head nurse of the Student Health Center, says testing is going very well and students are very open to coming in to get tested.
“The kids are really engaged and trying to come and get tested,” she says. “They are proactive and really anxious about follow-ups and making sure they are healthy.”
Frequent testing is widely encouraged among the student population. In fact, the Aristocrat of Bands, and all sports program on campus have made testing mandatory for their members. Band members are required to test once a week if they live on campus, and twice a week if they live off campus. Members of all sports programs are required to test once a week.
Kristian Davis, a freshman biology major from Birmingham, Alabama; and Terriana Holt, a senior human performance sports science major, have tested a combined 15 times. Davis was positive on her first test and went into mandatory quarantine. She says she came into contact with someone who was positive. Davis has since been cleared.
“I have been tested six times,” she says. “I tested positive and went into isolation for two weeks. The staff was really nice, making sure I had everything I needed. I am glad TSU is making sure we are safe.”
For Holt, a member of the AOB, where she plays the trumpet, the experience with frequent testing “is no sweat,” she says.
“I really don’t mind because it is for my health and for the health of my fellow band members and the health of the school in general,” says Holt, who has tested nine times. “I see it as just a precaution.”
Frank Stevenson, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students, says students who test positive for COVID-19 are placed in an area identified as IQ, or isolation and quarantine zone where they receive “round the clock” service, including a health professional, meal service delivered three times a day, laundry service, and medication if needed.
“We have had great success managing students who have tested positive in providing a safe and comfortable space for them to be in while they go through their time period mandated by the CDC,” says Stevenson. “We’ve had a couple of students who were taken to the hospital for checkup, but none have been admitted or hospitalized. For the most part, 95 percent of the students that we’ve encountered have had very mild to no symptoms.”
Dr. William Hytche, assistant vice president of students affairs, manages activities in the IQ zone. He says students with positive cases are put in quarantine, while those who have been exposed or have been around someone who is positive, are put in isolation. Those in isolation are given a resting period to see if they develop the virus. In either case, a student stays in the IQ zone for a minimum of 10 days. To be released, Hytche says a student must be tested and produce two negative results over two days.
“Students in the IQ zone have access to medical staff and must give a daily report of how they feel,” says Hytche. In addition to help with the student’s physical health, mental health services are also available.
“If a student feels like, “The walls are closing in on me’, we get the university counselors involved who contact the student and evaluate their situation,” ‘Hytche says.
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) – Tennessee State University continues to keep community service at the center of its mission this holiday season.
On Dec. 21, more than 2,000 parents walked away with toys for their children during the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots distribution on the TSU main campus.
Thousands
of toys of different sizes and shapes, for boys and girls up to age 12, were
collected and distributed. Volunteers,
including TSU students, staff, alumni, and representatives from area charitable
organizations and churches, helped with the distribution in Kean Hall.
Parents excited to receive toys for their children waited patiently in a line that extended outside Kean Hall. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
This event stems from a partnership between TSU and the Marine Corps Reserve in its annual toy distribution program. Prior to Saturday, TSU served as the official drop-off center for donated toys.
Christopher
Terry, a senior electrical engineering major with a minor in computer science, served
as a volunteer at the event, helping parents to gather and secure toys for
their children.
Terry,
a Memphis-native whose community service group, Generation of Educated Men,
volunteered at the event last year, said assisting with Toys For Tots gives him
an opportunity to spread joy during the holiday season.
“Growing
up in Memphis I did this with my church, and it just feels wonderful being able
to do this now at an older age,” he said. “I just love the fact that TSU
continues to be a pillar for the Nashville community by giving back and
supporting the communities around us.”
Associate Dean of Students, Dr. William Hytche(right), coordinator of the Toys for Tots program for TSU, with Christopher Terry(left), a senior electrical engineering major with a minor in computer science who volunteered for the event, and Benetta M. Sears(center), the local director of Simply United Together Foundation. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media)
As part
of the partnership with the Marine Corp – the first with a university in the
Nashville, Davidson County area – TSU received unwrapped toys for children up
to age 12.
Associate Dean of Students, Dr. William Hytche, coordinator of the Toys for Tots program for TSU, said Simply United Together, a non-profit that coordinates the pickup of donated toys from Toys for Tots, spearheaded bringing the program to TSU. He said this year the program served a more diverse group.
“We have Hispanics now. We have our Caucasian brothers and sisters who are coming in, and that’s because they have closed their centers. So the demographics have changed this year,” Hytche said. “The director of Simply United Together was offered to go to other institutions who wanted this program, and they were offering a lot of incentives for her to come to their schools. She said, ‘No. I think Tennessee State University is where I want to be.’”
Benetta
M. Sears, the local director of Simply United Together Foundation, said the
number of families served at TSU this year has increased exponentially.
Benetta M. Sears(left), the local director of Simply United Together Foundation, with representatives from Nashville Noticias, a local media organization that assisted with recruiting parents for the Toys For Tots event. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media)
“Tennessee State University is very positive. This is a community school also, and the people here are more willing and ready to serve the Nashville community as it grows and we have exploded,” she said.
Sears said she hopes the parents who participated will one day encourage their children to attend Tennessee State University.
For
more information on Toys for Tots at TSU, call Dr. William Hytche at
615-963-5069.
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.
