Apr. 8

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015 | NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM

Photos by Jasmine Jack

WHAT ’S INSIDE

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#WalterScott

Again. Yet again we hear about a killing of an unarmed black man by a police officer- except this time, the entire incident was caught on video. This time, the officer who shot this man was charged with murder and is facing the death penalty. In light of the recent events in Ferguson and New York, the shooting of Walter Scott is causing a buzz in communities across the nation.

For those who don’t know, on Saturday Walter Scott was stopped by a police officer in a traffic stop, attempted to flee from the officer, and was shot eight times in the back from many feet away. Afterwards, the officer orders unconscious Scott to put his hands behind his back. In a later statement, the officer claims that Scott had his taser - which is not what is seen in this video.

Why is deadly forced used so often on people of color? Why aren’t these biases addressed before police officers step out onto the field of duty?

How many fathers, brothers, and sons have to be buried before this issue is taken seriously?

This particular incident hits very close to home - just one state away, in South Carolina. I am speechless at the continued violence and injustices that plague Black communities across the nation. I hope that justice will be served, this time, in the case of Walter Scott. I am wondering what it will take for our society to appreciate the Black men that have been placed on this earth, rather than trying to take them from it. Something has got to give.

We need a change in our society. We need for things to be different, and for the continuous injustices like these to stop being excused and ignored. We can’t breathe.

-Nia Doaks, Managing Editor

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | CHRIS HART-WILLIAMS editor@nubian.ncsu.edu @CHartWilliams

Black professionals keep it real Students organize at Free Expression Tunnel to “pop” tension

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Spotlight: NC State’s longest jumper

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Big K.R.I.T. performs, first Pan Afrikan festival concert

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Black Woman: Nikki Giovanni visit

MANAGING EDITOR | NIA DOAKS @nia_kayee

LAYOUT DESIGNER | LISA REDFEARN @_thefashlife

Only with the permission of our elders do we proudly produce each edition of the Nubian Message.

Dr. Yosef ben-Yochannan: Dr. John Henrik Clark: Dr. Leonard Jeffries: The Black Panther Party: Mumia A. Jamal: Geronimo Pratt: Tony Williamson: Dr. Lawrence Clark: Dr. Augustus McIver Witherspoon: Dr. Wandra P. Hill: Mr. Kyran Anderson: Dr. Lathan Turner: Dr. M. Iyailu Moses: Dokta Toni Thorpe and all those who accompany us as we are STILL on the journey to true consciousness.

NEWS

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PHOTO BY BANU GANESHAN

Students, faculty and alumni gathered to honor the life of Olivia Spurlock at a candlelight vigil on Monday. Spurlock was a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering. She was also a Resident Advisor in Sullivan Residence Hall and involved in the National Society of Black Engineers, NSBE. Friends shared loving memories and stories in celebration of Olivia’s life. The vigil ended with a moment of silence and prayer.

For students who wish to recieve additional closure or assistance, contact the Counseling Center. The Counseling Center is located on the second floor of the Student Health Center and offers walk-in sessions with a counselor for emergencies. To set up an appointment, call the center during office hours at 919515-2563. For additional information visit http://healthcenter.ncsu.edu/counseling-center/.

NEWS

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Black professionals keep it real CHRIS HART-WILLIAMS | Editor-in-Chief Black young professionals, working and excelling in the corporate world, shared their personal experiences with students on Tuesday night.

The N.C. State Black Business Student Association, BBSA, invited a panel of Black professionals to campus for a discussion and networking event entitled Young, Gifted, and Black in Witherspoon Student Center.

The seven panelists answered questions regarding their careers and life since graduation.

“Remember why you came here,” said Christina Mass, an alumna of the Poole College of Management. “You’ll need it to keep going, go deep.”

Mass graduated from N.C. State with a degree in business administration and marketing in 2009, and she’s currently pursuing a graduate degree in Career Counseling Development. She encouraged students in attendance, especially upperclassmen, to not give in to hardship while in school or in the corporate world, but to grow from challenges.

“Y’all have to make it, you made it too far to give up now,” said Mass.

According to her there is much to gain from a job that is uncomfortable. “It took me two or three jobs to figure out what I wanted to do,” said

Mass. “Gain as much as you can from that experience and grow.”

It doesn’t matter where you come from, success as a professional is attainable, said one of the other panelists Otis Ricks a senior in the Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young.

“At N.C. State there wasn’t a gift that was given to us,” said Ricks. “Aim to be the boss, not the employee.”

Panelist and PNC Arena Assistant Vice President, Business Relationship Manager Christopher Fredrick, said two things he regrets not doing while in college was studying abroad and interning.

“Try out any internship opportunities you are interested in so you know if you like it or not, said Fredrick. “It may change your life, it may change your major.” “Keep in mind the type of reputation you put out because it starts now,” said Karen Bestman.

“I never knew what it was going to do,” said Me’chelle Degree, a senior consultant for Sciquest a software company. “People like to talk and people like to help you. Talk to the people that are out there actually doing it.”

Christopher Fredrick, Christina Mass, Otis Ricks, and Ashleigh Watts | Chris Hart-Williams

Degree stressed the importance of relevant work experiences for students and networking. “You don’t know who knows who- people network all the time. You definitely want to have an internship, you need internships. Everyone is graduating now, the pool of looking for a job is different now.

It makes it even better if you’ve already had exposure to different things.”

Building relationships can help navigate your career choices, said Fredrick. “Even if you don’t like the job at your internship, make sure you do your best, and make friends.”

Students organize at Free Expression Tunnel to “pop” tension JILLIAN SMITH | Staff Writer The Free Expression Tunnel recently served as a place where students could learn about microaggressions, intersectionality and other subjects related to discrimination, in light of the controversial events that have taken place on campus and across the country within the past few months.

S.P.E.A.K., Students Proactively Engaged towards Activism Knowledgably organized the event entitled, Pop the Tension on Friday, March 27.

The event provided students an emotional and artistic release.

Participants were paired together and after talking for a little while, they were given darts to throw at balloons spelling out “LOVE” on the wall.

“You could take all of your frustrations about injustices around you and channel it into the balloons,” said Amanda Haney, a sophomore in political science. “I got a lot of encouragement from the event,” she said.

Upon arriving at the event, participants were greeted by a volunteer and given a “LOVE” card. These cards contained the definitions of microaggressions, intersectionality and a fact that one participant would share with

another and vice versa.

The “new friend” section of the card encouraged students to get the name and email of the person they shared their fact with to build a connection.

There was also a section for participants to write how they plan to “pop the tension”, making the event something that could be carried over into their daily lives.

Despite pouring rain, the bright faces of volunteers and participants alike could be seen under the large tent. This was due, in part, to the many comical attempts by participants to pop the balloons set up against the wall with darts. Fortunately, students got as many chances as it took to hit one of the balloons.

Some of the key differences in the ways we experience life as well as some of the key similarities where highlighted at the event when students vioced their unique perspectives and opinions.

POP continued page 4

FEATURES

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Spotlight: NC State’s longest jumper CASLEE SIMS | Staff Writer Who would’ve thought a former english teacher in junior high school would be a reason why Alexis Perry became a very decorated hurdles and long jump champion on several different circuits.

A junior on NC State’s Track and Field team and nutrition science major, Perry has accomplished outstanding feats, including being a regular on All-ACC teams and medalling at many other competitions, stringing together a very impressive career.

Before clearing hurdles and extending her jumps, Perry lists her mother as one of her biggest motivational factors.

“My mother most definitely is my biggest fan and biggest motivator and is always there to pick me up.”

Perry was a winner at the prestigious Penn Relays this past year in the long jump; she says it’s her favorite site she has competed at.

“It’s such a big meet because of all the professionals, the crowds that come to see the races and the people I’ve had to race against there.”

Though she’s an All-ACC performer both on the track and in the classroom and a holder of a plethora of school records, it is her gold medal at the 2013 Junior Pan-American Games that has made Perry the proudest.

She’s also a two-time silver medalist at the USA Junior Championships in the 100m hurdles and the long jump.

“I won, so that was definitely a great moment because I had the USA uniform on and I was representing my country.”

An ACL replacement surgery along with a concussion, all suffered in high continued from page 4

“We wanted to create an understanding within the community and talk about tough issues in a safe environment,” said Aquilla Gardner, a senior in business administration and international studies and the public relations representative for S.P.E.A.K. Each time a dart hit a balloon, it was representative of overcoming some form of discrimination or hate, together.

“To share love, you have to have an understanding of a person because you

school, tried to slow Perry’s progress as an athlete, but to her, it was all a blessing in disguise.

“I was unsure about my potential in track, but it all seemed to work out because my career got better from there”.

So what is race day like for Alexis?

“I tend to think about a lot of different things, who I’m competing against, the race itself and thinking about everything I’ve done in practice to help me accomplish my goals”, Perry said. Like most athletes she follows a strict race day regimen that inPHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXIS PERRY cludes laying her uniform out “all the way down to the socks and the particular shoes”, and making sure that she eats Chicken minis to fuel her before a race.

A big part of her arrival here at NC State was due to her coach, Chris Coleman. Her and Coleman developed a close relationship while she was in high school.

“He was really the deciding factor”, Perry says. “I just got that feeling that I didn’t get at other schools”.

Other than performing on the track and in the classroom, Perry dedicates her time to being a Peer Mentor, a member of the Kappa Omicron chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee where she helps deal with legislative changes in the NCAA that affects her, her teammates and opponents.

cannot have a relationship without first understanding,” Gardner said.

The goal of the event was to provide a safe and comfortable space for students to discuss some hot-button topics with other individuals and learn about how different forms of discrimination affect different people. “ It is important to step out of your comfort zone and expand your horizons. I hope that they keep doing events like this and pushing the comfort zone of the student body. I would not want to see an event like this one go away,” said Haney.

FEATURES

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Big K.R.I.T. takes the stage, first Pan Afrikan festival concert NIA DOAKS | Managing Editor

K.R.I.T., born Justin Scott and left his home in Meridian, Mississippi in 2005 to pursue a music career in Atlanta.

Students, alumni, and fans gathered in Talley Ballroom for the university’s first ever Inaugural Pan Afrikan concert on March 27.

The concert, following a weeklong calendar of events planned by BSB including Afrolatinidad and a visit from poet and inspirational speaker Nikki Giovanni, was the grand finale to the 2015 Pan-Afrikan Festival Week.

Main artist, Big K.R.I.T., performed along with opening acts from Thomas Easley, College of Natural Resources Director of Community Diversity, DJ “Alfred Anderson” Fredo a senior in English and NC State alum Malcolm Brown, also known by his stage name The Deeepend. “[The concert] was pretty dope,” said Brown, who opened for K.R.I.T. “[The crowd] was really genuine and really positive… The energy was crazy.”

NC State students have been awaiting the Pan Afrikan concert since the cancellation of Migos’ appearance last year. K.R.I.T. didn’t disappoint

throughout the concert he interacted with the audience and had everyone on their feet.

“I didn’t know about Big K.R.I.T. before the concert, and that was my first time hearing him,” said Bianca Harris, a senior in design studies.

“He was pretty dope, I liked him.”

K.R.I.T.’s performance was high in energy, and with such an intimate setting he was able to connect with his audience – even pinpointing certain members of the crowd and interacting with them.

“He wasn’t shy about getting people up, and telling them to come [forward],” said Harris.

“He seemed pretty hype about it.”

K.R.I.T. is considered a very “conscious” rapper, as noted by his name – King Remembered in Time – and discusses a variety of topics in his music. As described by Brown, K.R.I.T. can be considered “the Southern version of Kendrick Lamar”.

K.R.I.T.’s music can be described as south-

ern-style rap. During the concert, K.R.I.T. performed a number of songs including “Lac Lac” and “Mt. Olympus”.

“On Mt Olympus, K.R.I.T. has this part where he’s rapping really fast and taking no breaths,” said Brown. “During the concert he actually stopped the music and did it- it was like one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen. Rappers should take notes from him.”

Unfortunately, the day of the concert coincided with other events- the N.C. State Basketball team playing in the Sweet 16 and the Curren$y concert- which may have affected the number of people that came to the concert.

“For this to be the first concert, it brought a lot of attention, but I think the turnout downplayed how important it was,” said Harris. “I think this is a really good precedent for future Pan Afrikan weeks.”

OPINION

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We need young people like yourselves to take this mentality that we have.

There’s only one race, there’s a human race.

Something is wrong with our fellow Americans if they think that their culture allows them to mistreat other people, they need to learn to grow up.”

Renowned poet, activist and educator Nikki Giovanni speaking in Talley on March 25 for Pan Afrikan Week. | PHOTO BY IAN GRICE PHOTO BY IAN GRICE

QUIANNE’ HOLMES | Staff Writer Black Woman. who knows who she is and whose she is.

Black Woman. who eloquently addressed the community with poise and grace with sass and class with rhymes and FACTS. Black Woman. inspiring others to greatness by reminding US what great IS. Black Woman. grasping us with her words painting her picture feeding our souls.

Is that “soul food,”

we will never know.

Or maybe we will when we see the face of a black woman on the twenty dollar bill.

Or better yet when the struggles continues we remember that the fight never dies and WE don’t get tired.

Black Woman. not afraid of what people think, who likes her, or what she says Who uses her space to create a world for us to see just for a brief moment whether its a flashback into history or an orbit in the galaxy Can you see it?

Did you feel it?

Did you hear it?

Black Woman. whose radiance poured into the audience and overflowed in our hearts and cried out in our laughter that sprang in our smiles that took our breath away Black Woman. who took Pan Afrikan Week by storm showing those It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten Black Woman.

I am You are because She is Nikki Giovanni.

We are Still Standing- Pan-Afrikan Festival Week 2015