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TSU Campus Gets Facelift with Home Depot Retool Your School Funding; Student Success, HBCU Excellence Highlighted

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.

For more information on enrollment at TSU, go to http://www.tnstate.edu/emss/

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.

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More Than 100 Volunteers Expected On Campus For Retool Your School Project

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.

Alumni, College of Liberal Arts, EVENTS, Featured, NEWS, Uncategorized

TSU claims Home Depot’s Retool Your School top honor

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University took home “Campaign of the Year” honors in Home Depot’s Retool Your School- HBCU Campus Improvement competition. 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 grant award.

“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,” said Tennessee State University President Dr. Glenda Glover.

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.

Dr. Heidi Williams teaches research and technical writing in the Department of Languages, Literature and Philosophy at TSU. She turned the Retool Your School campaign into an assignment for her students.

“I had never seen students take things so seriously, and work so hard on an assignment,” Williams said. “They didn’t do it for a grade. They did it for themselves, for each other.”

Sophomore Gabrielle Davis is one of Williams’ students. She said she enjoyed working on the campaign, and is looking forward to how the win will benefit the university.

“This shines a great light on Tennessee State University,” Davis said.

Mon-Cheri Robinson, TSU’s assistant director of student activities, agreed. She helped galvanize the university’s student government leadership, as well as the sororities and fraternities, who used social media to help get the word out about the campaign, including announcements during the students’ Courtyard Wednesday activities.

“It’s all about having them see the big picture, and see how it benefits them, and the school overall,” Robinson said.

TSU alumni were motivated by National Alumni Association President Joni McReynolds, who led the charge for her alma mater on social media. McReynolds even posted a video outside of her local Home Depot store urging fellow alumni to vote.

“The TSU family, including students, alumni and friends, came together to allow us to win,” McReynolds said. “It’s good to see the Tennessee State University Tiger spirit.”

Student leaders, including SUB-G, were polled for ideas on how the administration should use the funds to make campus improvements. They ranged from landscaping, pressure washing buildings, upgrades to the recreation room, lighting for the campus amphitheater, and restoration of the courtyard and Welton Plaza. All will see a makeover with the funds.

Incoming Student Government Association President Katelyn Thompson said the win makes her proud to be a Big Blue Tiger.

“This is an outstanding accomplishment,” said Thompson, a junior majoring in criminal justice and psychology. “All of our hard work paid off.”

TSU has participated in the Home Depot program since 2014. Kelli Sharpe, assistant vice president for Public Relations and Communications, said getting the word out early and often was crucial.

“Staff put together a comprehensive social media campaign and worked to make sure students, employees, alumni and the TSU community as a whole were included on all communications regarding our campaign,” Sharpe said. “It was truly a team effort to see everyone come together for this great cause.”

Home Depot will have the final approval of the projects, which will start in the fall.

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 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.