XXXII | March 27, 2025
Why Not Her?
sentinel of black and marginalized voices at N.C. State since 1992.
Letter from The Editor
6 IMMIGRATION UNDER TRUMP
How Trump's policy and rhetoric impacts NC State students
9 BLACK ARTIST COALITION FASHION SHOW
Photo Gallery
15 NC STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Continued success through the 2024-25 Regular Season 17 BLACK IN THE CLASSROOM
Insight into the everyday Black student experience
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.
314 Witherspoon Student Center, NCSU Campus Box 7318, Raleigh, NC 27695 office 919-515-1468 advertising 919-515-2411 online thenubianmessage.com
Women’s History Month brings to mind one of my favorite novelists and activists, Alice Walker, who coined the term womanism to center the experiences of Black feminists and feminists of color. Womanism acknowledges the intersectionality of gender, race, and class oppression, offering framework for equitable empowerment.
We all navigate life through multiple identities, and for those who are girls, women, or femme-identifying within BIPOC communities, that journey is one of resilience and celebration.
In this issue, we highlight the remarkable success of the women’s basketball team, provide space for international students and those impacted by recent immigration policies to share their perspectives and access resources, and showcase the artistry of the BAC Fashion Showcase through an article and gallery.
Leadership
Editor-in-Chief Alianna Kendall-Brooks nubian-editor@ncsu.edu
Managing Editor Isaac Davis nubian-managingeditor@ncsu.edu
Photo Editor Kaela Belingon
Multimedia Editor Abby Harris
Social
Staff Writers
Ross Emelle
Emma Hamrick
Emilia Rivadeneira
Melanie Sierra
Adriana Hernández
Nevaeh Sturdivant
"Womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender." — Alice Walker
Alianna Kendall-Brooks
The Fight for Palestine reignited
Kristopher porter Layout Designer
A coalition of student organizations assembled a rally at Stafford Commons on March 20, 2025, in support of Mahmoud Khalil and Palestine. Protestors marched from Stafford Commons to Holladay Hall to handdeliver letters to the North Carolina State administration in Mahmoud Khalil's name. Mahmoud Khalil is a graduate student at Columbia University who helped organize protests and encampments at the university. On March 8, immigration officers arrested him outside of his apartment at Columbia University. Organizations like Dissenters, Pal Youth Movement (PYM) and Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) came out in solidarity with Mahmoud Khalil and Palestine because of Israel's recent actions.
Ten days after Khalil's arrest, Israel bombed the Gaza Strip resulting in over 400 Palestinians killed. Israel’s bombardment broke the ceasefire agreed upon between Israel and Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes, which killed mostly women and children. The strikes came after Hamas refused to accept Israel's demands to change the ceasefire agreement. On national television, Netanyahu said the attack was “only the beginning.” Netanyahu stated that Israel will continue its barrage on the Gaza Strip until it eliminates Hamas and frees all hostages. As reported by AP News, The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions. ”
The event began at 2:15 p.m., and people crowded Stafford wearing masks, kufiyas and holding signs that read “Ceasefire Now.”
The first speaker, Chelsey, an NC State faculty member and member of Dissenters thanked everyone for coming and shared their story. “I write this on March 18 as news floods in that the Zionist entity has once again escalated its genocidal campaign and martyred at least 450 souls last night. I wrote this with growing rage and concomitant sadness.”
Chelsey highlighted the rise of fascism, saying “We are living in an age of the normalization of fascism. Did it begin last weekend when Trump ignored a federal order to halt deportations? No. Did it begin when Mahmoud Khalil was abducted in front of his pregnant wife? No. It has been a slow and deadly creep, beginning as
settler colonialism took root and capitalist expansion drove forth genocidal and dehumanizing policies. So where will you stand NC State? Where do you stand new chancellor Kevin Howell? Will we be a transformative and liberatory institution or one that welcomes in the tide of fascism with open arms?
Chelsey concluded with, “We will continue to show up. We will continue to speak out. Administrative officials may react in fear. Fear of profit loss, fear of delegitimization, fear of losing power. But we act with conscience, with morality and the steadfastness of liberatory freedom.”
Chelsey then introduced Juliette as the next speaker.
Juliette Majid, a graduate student at NC State, addressed the crowd and acknowledged their emotions and fear. “Today, I feel a mix of emotions and fear for my community members and friends. Anguish for Mahmoud’s wife, Noor, and the families of so many people who are being kidnapped and detained by the U.S. Grief for the over 400 Palestinians murdered in Gaza by the zionist occupation. Yet, I feel love and pride for the people, especially the students, who continue to advocate for Mahmoud, Palestine and so much more in the face of repression and violence.”
Majid highlighted Khalil's arrest. She said, “Today, March 20, marks 12 days of Mahmoud Khalil's illegal abduction and detention by the U.S. government. Mahmoud broke no law. He exercised his First Amendment right to free speech. Columbia University, and universities across the country, like NCSU and UNC, are invested in corporations that give weapons to the Israeli military, the very weapons that are being used to kill Palestinian families.”
She ended by saying, “For me, what this highlights is the need to keep protesting. Keep pushing our institutions to protect students, especially our international and undocumented communities, and our rights to academic freedom and freedom of speech. Abandoning, threatening, and repression of students, faculty and staff will not win NCSU or UNC any favors, and in my eyes, will stain their reputation forever. No one, no matter their citizenship status, should be targeted for their views. That includes speaking out against Israel’s genocide and ongoing oppression of Palestinians.”
The final speaker was Cami a member of
the PYM. She started by saying, “Brothers and sisters, comrades and friends, we stand here today, not just as students, but as a collective force for justice, for dignity and for liberation. We gather because we refuse to be silent in the face of genocide. We gather because Gaza is burning once again. Only days ago, the Zionist entity shattered what was left of the ceasefire with unrelenting brutality. Once more, bombs rained down on the people of Gaza, people who have already endured 15 months of devastation. Over 500 martyrs [killed] just in the span of 48 hours. This is not war. This is not a defense. This is a massacre, and this is genocide.”
The speaker commented on how liberation threatens Israel, stating “They do not want liberation because liberation threatens their wealth and their power, and it is not just the Zionist entities. They are backed by the sailing forces that have oppressed and exploited people across the global South for generations. This fight is against the empire itself. The system wants us to believe that we are powerless, but history tells us otherwise. When we organize, we win, and when we resist, we shift to the tides of history.”
She concluded by saying, “We are at a turning point. They want us to be afraid. They want us to be silent, but we refuse. We refuse to let their fears dictate our actions. We refuse to allow history to repeat itself without resistance. For every Palestinian fighting for their land, for freedom and their very existence, we will not be quiet, because Palestine will be free from the river to the sea.”
In an interview with The Nubian Message, the three speakers shared additional thoughts.
Chelsey:
“Well, there's been a genocide ongoing for over 500 days, and the university has done little-to-nothing about it. And so I think it's very important for the university to take a stand and show us that they're either going to support academic freedom, freedom of expression, or be on the side of fascism, you can't concede to your oppressor's morality”
“They're not going to do anything because they think it's better. We have to continue to show up, we have to continue to press, or nothing will change. It's become too easy to commit genocide. It's become too easy to become hidden behind
the internet and it's time to rip the mask off and let people know who these folks are,” she added.
Majid:
“I think now more than ever, we're seeing the rights of so many groups in the United States being stripped away. And for the last 75 years, we've seen the rights of Palestinians, in their land, be stripped away from them as well.”
She then stated, “It's important to take a stand in these moments in time, especially as students are facing repression and violence more so now than they have in many past campus protest movements. All we wanted to do was ensure that our voices and our message were heard as we protect the students that they are supposed to be protected. We should not be doing the job of the administration. The administration's job is to protect us, not the other way around.”
Cami:
“Our rights as student protesters, they don't exist anymore. We're just here to practice our First Amendment rights, and the fact that students are being abducted by the government is what's happening and if you're not on the streets, then what's wrong with you?”
She continued with “They want us to just shut up and be quiet and not exercise our rights, and that's why we need to keep showing up. And we keep ourselves safe. We keep ourselves safe. I'm going to keep showing up for my people, they are the motivation at the end of the day, but also keep yourself safe. We are not going to stop until NC State divests. So whatever actions that we need to take are going to happen. NC State can’t keep ignoring us.”
The Palestinian movement has been given new life with the recent actions and it puts the spotlight back on the question of freedom for Palestine.
student government closes 104th session
ross emelle Staff Writer
On March 20, NC State Student Senate held its 104th Session’s final meeting. They discussed the closure of Black Male Initiative (BMI) and Native Space, and new chancellor Kevin Howell. They also passed several resolutions, including ones that regard diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), protect student centers and will develop a permanent International Affairs Department in Student Government.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the meeting items.
Officer Reports & Chancellor Howell
Prior to discussing legislation, Student Senate President Caroline Miranda spoke about the closure of the Black Male Initiative and Native Space living and learning villages. They said that NC State Housing has been advised not to talk to the media on the matter. The Nubian Message has not independently verified this information.
When asked if open forums existed where students can speak out regarding BMI closure, Miranda said that “[the] Senate is an open forum, and that could be a good place to utilize our voices.”
Student Senator Mary Ledford, chair of the Standing Committee on Government Relations and Oversight, said some villages, including the Students Advocating for Youth Village (SAY) are changing their mission statements to avoid closure issues.
“A lot of the villages — like International (Village) and like SAY, are working at the end of this month to change their mission statements to protect themselves from things like this. So I think that there's been a lot of domino effect from BMI and Native Space being shut down. And so SAY Village is going to be Students and Youth instead of Students Advocating for Youth, because apparently advocating for youth is bad,” she said. The Nubian Message has not independently verified this information.
After that, Student Senator Naila Din asked Student Body President Allison Markert about Kevin Howell’s selection as chancellor. She asked what made the UNC System select Howell when previously they had chosen a conservative chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill.
“That is a wonderful question; that was one of my biggest concerns going into this conversation within the search — seeing
things that are happening within the UNC System,” Markert replied.
Markert said the UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor selection was likely a political one; “I can't speak for the Board of Governors, because they didn't put anything out. But I don't think that they were happy with social events that happened on campus, and I think that their chancellor appointment may have potentially been in efforts to constrain students. Because NC State — I don't think, in their eyes — have had situations like that,” she said.
Resolutions Protecting Academic Success Centers
The Senate then moved into legislative issues. Four resolutions were passed: The LGBT Resource Center Protection Act, The Women's Resource Center Protection Act, Multicultural Student Affairs Protections Act, and the African American Cultural Center Protections Act.
“All four of these bills do essentially the same thing for our four university sponsored student centers. With the passing of recent executive orders as well as other federal and state mandated legislation. We believe it essential to pass proactive legislation to protect the existence of these student centers,” said Student Senator Bonnie Jo-Taylor, one of the bill’s sponsors.
Student Senator Chloe Webster, one of the bill’s sponsors, emphasized the resolutions’ proactivity. “We kind of were noticing how — at different universities — centers like this were disappearing, so we wanted to get on it, on the front end,” she said. “It's a lot easier to protect these types of organizations before we lose them than to have to try and figure out how to reinstate them, as we're seeing with our living and learning villages,” she said. The resolutions, which were voted on in-block — meaning all at once — passed with a 44-to-1-to-4 ratio. Only Senator Jack Biggs opposed the bill. Senators Ariana Bryne, Justin Pittman, Connor Rohlf and Preston Spencer abstained from voting.
NC State Forward Together Act
The Student Senate passed The NC State Forward Together Act, which will “provision a joint path forward for NC
State University in a post-DEI policy higher education system.”
Student Senate Pro Tempore Taquan Dewberry said this bill was born out of concerns from the NC State Staff Senate. “And basically what we wanted to do is make sure that we're emphasizing the fact that when these decisions are made, at least at NC State, we want to be consulted, because we're the constituent groups on campus,” said Dewberry.
After Senator Preston Spencer asked about the potential consequences from the Board of Governors due to passing the bill, Dewberry said it shouldn’t be a problem, and that to his knowledge, the bill only affected faculty and staff. Student Senator Maddie Watts said Spencer’s question was a sign of a larger problem. “The fact that people are scared to pass a bill like this is really concerning, because why are we scared to express our voices? That's concerning. It’s indicative of the times we’re living in.”
Student Senator Jodie Roberson also supported the Resolution, saying “As a person from a rural area, who has spent the last two years in my life studying rural areas, and as a person with a disability — I had a traumatic brain injury — I have been included in things because of that (DEI), I've been given a little extra time to do something. It's not that I couldn't do it, I just needed more time.”
“This is what inclusive practice has done for me, and because I'm from a wrong place, I wasn't exposed to a whole lot of stuff so when I came to NC State, it was in there that I was included in things. This is not about race. This is about people. People,” she said
Student Senator RayShaun Williams who’s from a small town also supported the Resolution. “Like, a lot of the things that I'm beginning to learn and get involved in now require lots of recommendations, require lots of network building and things of that nature. And where I'm from, like many people in my community — it’s not that they're not intelligent — they just don't have the opportunity to platform, nor the network, to even begin to do the things that many of us do now.” Williams said.
The resolution passed 40-to-7-to-1. Senators Jack Biggs, Madison Hardwick, Paul Lewis, Justin Pittman, Connor Rohlf and Preston Spencer voted against the resolution, while Senator Ariana Bryne abstained.
International Affairs Department Act
The Student Senate passed the Permanent International Affairs Department Act with an automatic veto override in place. This means that if Student Body President Allison Markert attempts to veto the bill, the Senate will automatically veto the Resolution without further discussion.
The resolution establishes “a permanent international affairs department within the North Carolina State University Student Government to support international students and students affected by global conflicts, foster community engagement, and enhance advocacy on international issues.”
Student Senator Shatha Boaj who sponsored the bill, said, “We must recognize the importance of this department in light of the ongoing global conference in other countries, especially in Palestine, the struggles faced by students from regions that are facing these conflicts cannot be overstated.”
The veto override is not common practice. Miranda said, “This is the first time that a vote to override has been written out so in terms of amendments, or just in general.”
Markert commented on the veto override, saying, “I just don't want this to be misrepresentative of my values. Personally, I hadn't engaged in any conversations or alluded to the fact that I would veto this; just saying I hadn't been looped into any conversations. I don't know if I'm allowed to say this, but, you know, I started SSGC [Student Government Select Department on Student Support for Global Conflicts] so it is a value of mine.”
The call for an override likely stemmed from Markert vetoing the Call For A Permanent Ceasefire Act in 2024, despite 30 votes for the bill and more than 32 student organization signatories on the bill. This attracted criticism from many, including Student Senator Naila Din, NC State Dissenters and the NC State Young Democratic Socialists of America
The call for an override passed, meaning a three-fourths vote would be required to pass the bill. The bill passed 48-to-1-to-0, with only Student Senator Preston Smith voting against the bill.
For further information, the meeting’s agenda contains information on the resolutions brought to the floor.
Not Another Muslim Ban: CAIR Hosts ‘Know Your Rights’ Training and Community Iftar
sHAERE Delgiudice Staff Writer
The Council on AmericanIslamic Relations (CAIR), the oldest and largest organization dedicated to defending Muslim civil liberties in the United States, presented “Not Another Muslim Ban,” a ‘know your rights’ training for international students on Tuesday, March 4.
This training was sponsored by the NC State Graduate Workers Union, Students for Justice in Palestine, the Muslim Students Association, Dissenters, Campus Community Alliance for Environmental Justice and Young Democratic Socialists of America, among others.
It was aimed at addressing “Muslim affairs under the new administration” as well as featured community iftar, the fastbreaking meal during Ramadan.
President Trump continues to threaten the rights of immigrants and international students — sharing on social media that “agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came,” in reference to what he calls “illegal protests” on college campuses.
Trump has also ended the temporary protective status for Venezuelans and rescinded the extension of this status for Haitians. It has become increasingly important for these students and community members to understand their options.
Al Rieder, the director of CAIR’s North Carolina chapter, opened the presentation by saying, “As we gather, we face a critical moment in American history, one that’s raised many questions and concerns for our Muslim community.”
He continued, “Many of us are grappling with uncertainty about our rights and safety, the future of Muslim affairs in the United States, immigration policies, civil rights, executive orders, DOGE and even the safety of our masjid.”
Executive orders
Rieder began the presentation by discussing executive orders, saying, “Under this administration, we've already seen executive orders aimed at limiting rights and freedoms. One of the most notable is the policy that rescinded the sensitive locations policy.”
“While they still need a judicial warrant
to enter the masjid, school, the hospital, what have you, which were formerly safe spaces, safe havens, they no longer need one to loiter outside, in the parking lot, or enter public spaces. They still cannot enter private spaces,” he said. However, Rieder explained that the distinction between public and private spaces can be blurry.
“This change puts Muslim communities at risk, especially at masjid,” the Arabic word for mosque, where he says the most vulnerable community members often are. He stated that ICE’s actions are “often intended to, and frequently do, create fear and concern” within communities.
He said, for example, if you are in the parking lot of a building, “for any reason, they can stop and pull you over and say, I need to see [your] ID, I need to verify that you’re here legally.”
He said lobbies are considered to be public spaces as well, and “they can arrest anyone they want to arrest, if they have reasonable cause in the lobby.”
Rieder also said rooms that are locked or clearly labeled as private are the ones that agents cannot enter.
He provided the example of a storage closet, saying, “If you as an undocumented person, or as a person who is fearful in general of ICE, walks into that room and locks the door, they cannot follow you. They can, however, loiter in the building until you come out. But if the building closes at a certain hour, then obviously, you have to leave, so basically, you're stuck there until the building closes. But that's better than being detained.”
birthright citizenship
Rieder then went into birthright citizenship, saying it “Has long been a cornerstone of American law… however, the new administration has taken steps to undermine this right.”
He added, “The good news is that courts pushed back, with 22 state attorneys general, including Jeff Jackson of North Carolina, [filing lawsuits] against this executive order. And almost as soon as it went into effect, it suddenly went away.”
Rieder also cautioned listeners, though, saying, “This does not mean, however, that something similar cannot come back.”
immigration
Reider followed that up with a discussion about the broader immigration landscape, saying, “The new administration has signaled its intent to make life more difficult for immigrants, including Muslims.”
“While the original Muslim Ban has not been reinstated, policies are still in place that make it harder for Muslims to enter or remain in the United States. Executive orders are being issued to tighten vetting processes … these measures might delay or prevent Muslim individuals and families from getting visas.”
Rieder shared an example from his own life prior to Trump taking office, showing how entering the country can be made difficult even for U.S. citizens.
He said he was visiting family in Karachi, Pakistan, and came back to the U.S. through Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. “When we got to Dulles, before our flight back to RDU, we were pulled aside by customs.” He said they then had their passports put into a box and had to wait for almost an hour before being seen.
“They took our luggage, opened it up and for the next like 15 to 20 minutes, they had us take every individual piece of our luggage out, inspected it and put it back in.”
He said, “thankfully our flight wasn’t till the next day,” but added, “If our flight was that day, we probably would have missed our flight.”
Rieder added they went through this due to him having a ‘quadruple S’ on his airline ticket, which stands for “Secondary Security Screening Selection.”
“95 plus percent of the people [on the list for additional screening] have ‘Muslimsounding’ names. This is something that CAIR has sued the federal government over and actually won a Supreme Court Case recently, nine to zero over this. It has not been de-implemented though.”
He went on to say, “We have now had reports of people [who are U.S. citizens] taking upwards of three hours” going through the same additional screening he had described.
“My advice for folks who are US citizens put in this situation, is that you need to book a flight in which your domestic flight, connecting flight and your international flight have at least a three hour window. Do not book a flight that has a 50-minute connection or an hour-and-40-minute
connection; that connection better be at least three hours for the rest of [Trump’s] presidency,” said Rieder.
He said that if another Muslim ban were to happen, it would likely be done using the State Department’s travel advisory classification system.
fbi, ice, and knowing your rights
Finally, Rieder went over how to deal with the FBI and ICE, as well as knowing your specific rights.
He first emphasized, “If the FBI knocks on your door do not open it without a valid judicial warrant.” He advised people to always ask to see a warrant before opening their doors, saying that they could ask to have the warrant shown to them through a window or slipped underneath a door in order to make sure it is signed by a judge. He continued, “you should never sign anything without legal counsel present,” and stressed the importance of knowing your rights, particularly, the right to remain silent.
For foreign nationals dealing with ICE, Rieder said one thing they can do is ask to speak with their consulate or embassy, “they legally have to [allow] you a phone call.”
He also described what denotes a judicial warrant, saying that judicial warrants are specific and signed by a judge and that these warrants will have ‘U.S. District Court’ on them or another specific court, “If it does not have a specific judge and a specific reason and a specific court, it is not a judicial warrant.”
He added, “many times ICE will show warrants issued by the [Department of Homeland Security,” which he says “are not real,” as they do not allow authorities to legally enter a home.
Rieder also wanted people to know that if ICE enters their home, they have the legal right to record the officers. He said, “There needs to be someone at every masjid” who is dedicated to knowing what to do if ICE enters their space.
Student Perspectives: Immigration Under Trump
Shaere delgiudice Staff Writer
President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and policy changes surrounding immigration have launched discussion and debate among legal scholars, political pundits and historians alike. While immigrants come from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, Trump’s increasingly hostile and dangerous rhetoric is often aimed solely at those from Central and South American countries. With an overall lack of empathy coming from his administration, The Nubian Message wanted to highlight a few of the millions of people impacted by the Trump administration’s actions, speaking to six NC State students about their experiences in the current climate, either as immigrants themselves, or as first-generation Americans.
These students included Karim Ortega, a third-year majoring in conservation biology whose parents immigrated from Mexico, Abrianna Moreno, a thirdyear majoring in social work whose mother immigrated from Peru and Kelly Hernandez, a third-year majoring in social work whose parents immigrated from El Salvador and Mexico.
Given the sensitive nature of this topic, three students wished to remain anonymous — a first-year political science student whose mother immigrated illegally to the U.S. from Mexico with her when she was one, who will be referred to as R.L., a secondyear majoring in fashion and textile design who was adopted from Guatemala and will be referred to as A.G. and a third-year majoring in genetics whose father immigrated from Colombia, who will be referred to as K.D.
The Nubian Message: The Trump administration recently undid a policy restricting ICE from certain enforcement actions, such as arrests, in or around “sensitive locations” like schools, churches, hospitals and more. What was your initial reaction to hearing about this policy change?
“I honestly thought it was really crazy,” said Moreno, adding “Even if people are mad [that] people are coming here illegally I feel like they should still have empathy for the children,” pointing out that young kids are often unaware of what might be going on.
She shared that upon hearing this news, she first thought of her local church, which has a large Hispanic population, and said, “I feel like it gives no one a safe space.”
“I think, the whole criminalization of immigration is just awful, and it's dehumanizing, and I think that it's intentionally dehumanizing to people, especially from developing countries,” said K.D. “We've destabilized so many countries, even just looking at Latin America, the United States has caused so many coups … so I see this as a wider issue.” She continued, “people are coming from other places for a reason,” and said “The United States kind of has its hands everywhere,” making a profit off the land and people in these countries.
Trump also announced that he’d be instructing the Department of Defense and Homeland Security to prepare a 30,000-person detention center for deportees in Guantanamo Bay — which is notorious for human rights violations. What was your reaction to hearing about this news and what do you think it says about the direction things are headed for immigration in the coming years?
“My reaction to that news was just a lot of frustration and just anger,” said Ortega, “He’s just generalizing a group of people.” He added, “To send them to a place that is notoriously known for abusing human rights, it just shows what he wants to do to these people”
“I think that it's scary and what I think as well is, you know, we read about the Holocaust and those types of events and, like, ‘Why did nobody stop this?’ ‘Why does nobody help?’ Like, ‘What was going on?’ And so now it's like, okay, well, we kind of see it happening in real-time. Why? Like, what can we do? Why is nobody really stopping him? Like, why can he do all of this, and so quickly?,” said R.L.
“I feel like it's hit after hit after hit,” said Hernandez. “It just feels very disappointing. But I feel like as a community, we have to rise up together and do what we can, protesting, sharing information, sharing sources, sharing charities or nonprofits.”
The NM: President Trump has used increasingly escalating language when talking about immigrants. What do you think the impact of this language is and have you personally seen or heard any examples in which this rhetoric may be influencing public perception of immigrants in general or changing the things that people feel comfortable saying out loud?
“I think it has changed so much,” said Hernandez, who pointed to an example from Trump’s first term saying, “I remember protesting and they said they were gonna deport me–I'm an American citizen–so you're speaking just out of what you see online, or what you hear from the Trump administration, or just in general, the conservative narrative.”
“I definitely have felt the impact of his language before,” said Ortega. “The things he says can be very easy to digest and regurgitate back,” adding, “It just makes me very upset because when he describes these people he’s describing people that I see as my family.”
“I think that it's really violent
rhetoric to label a community like that and I think that it leads to a lot of fear around a community that should not be feared. If you’re seeking asylum in a country you're seeking safety,” said A.G., who continued saying, “ I think that it creates a really ‘us versus them’ mentality in America. And I think that is so dangerous, because we've seen, in the past, other historical figures use that rhetoric, and it leads to people reporting their neighbors.”
A.G. said the idea that other people could think she is somehow messing up their community, “because of the fact that my skin is a different color than [theirs],” is really upsetting and mentioned a moment in a store recently where a stranger came up to her unprompted and said, ‘wow, you speak English really well,’ she added, “This is just the reality that we're living in now.”
The NM: Has this rhetoric impacted how safe you or other people you know feel?
For Ortega it has, saying, “I have a hard time focusing on school because ICE is in my hometown and there’s a chance one of my family members might be detained for something and it’s like I can’t do anything to help because I’m here.”
He says he feels like “being separated is already so ingrained in our culture” adding “My dad recently saw his mom for the first time in 24 years and I just don’t want that to happen again with any of my family members.”
This rhetoric has impacted R.L. as well who said, “Trump hates who I am to a T. He hates my existence as a whole. I am a prime example of who he would want out of this country because I'm here illegally” and “It's terrifying to think that people can view other people in that way, or think of human beings in that way.”
She gave a personal example of the influence of Trump’s rhetoric from her own life, sharing the experience of a family friend, who is Mexican, that occurred when they were both in fifth grade. “The day after Trump was [first] elected, at
THURSDAY, March 27, 2025 | 7
school, he was called a w----ck and told to go back to where he came from. He was told horrible, horrible, horrible things that I think no fifth grader should be told and especially no fifth graders should be saying.”
Hernandez said that Trump’s language, particularly as he is in the highest office, makes people feel comfortable saying these things.
She has felt the impact of his rhetoric as well, sharing that she has heard people say “Speak English; it’s America,” and gotten weird looks when speaking Spanish to her family in public, impacting how safe she feels, particularly due to being in the South.
The NM: People have talked about various stores that immigrant communities tend to frequent now being ghost towns; have you heard about or noticed any changes in where people go, or other ways in which the fears around ICE are impacting people?
“For sure,” says K.D “Everyone is freaked out. And I think it was very pronounced right after the [inauguration] too.”
“I've grown up a native here [in Raleigh], so I know what these areas are like and how they're filled with people and just joy and just like crowds of community, and they're gone; they're gone and they're scared,” said Hernandez
R.L. shared that because her stepdad is here legally, if their family needs anything from Hispanic stores, such as Compare Foods, he will go to pick it up for them now. “And they’re empty. And so it’s very disheartening to see that,” she said.
The NM: What are you thinking and feeling about the years to come in general and about the future of this country?
“I feel terrible. I feel like we're on a sinking ship,” said K.D.
“I honestly feel like something is going to happen, I feel like probably,some sort of, like, revolution or something will happen,” said Moreno, who added “I feel like the future of this country is very scary, even with stuff not relating to immigration.”
Hernandez echoed this saying, “I’m just more or less bracing for impact” but she also said “I think I have endless hope.” “Working in social work, I can see how
community comes together, and I see kind of the beauty of that.”
The NM: With such divisive and generalizing anti-immigrant rhetoric, what’s something that you wanted to share or wanted people to understand about immigrants from your experience?
“I’m very proud to be a product of immigrants,” said Ortega, adding that he didn’t have the words to show how “hardworking they are and how loving and how open-minded they really are.”
A.G. said that she wanted to, “share the fact that a lot of what Trump does takes away the empathy and the human stories of immigrants and these people who have come to the country seeking asylum are just trying to work for their families to make a better life for themselves. And in my experience, even if they don't know English, they have helped me learn Spanish. They are such a welcoming community and just bring a lot of joy into the different communities that they are a part of.”
“It's really sad to see such a joyous community be targeted,” she added.
“I feel like immigrants are very hard working people. I think a lot of people forget that they are also people too. And it takes a lot of work to come here from another country. So when a person does it, it's not because they want to commit crimes or something. Like, they genuinely want a better life … my mom, when she came here, she didn't know anyone — she didn't see her mom for like 18 years too after she came here. And I feel like a lot of people don't understand the emotional toll it also has on immigrants as well. I think, for someone to come here and leave everything behind, it's definitely a last resort, or something that they need to do,” said Moreno.
She added, “I feel like when people come here, they sacrifice so many things, and I feel like a lot of people now don't really see that, and they just see people coming here and taking their jobs, when in reality, that's not really happening.”
R.L. said, “Since the day that my mom has gotten here she has worked her ass off day and night. Growing up, I would see her once a week — in the afternoon, after school — because she would work so hard to be able to give me what she needed. So,
she did not come here with any malicious intent.” Adding, “She gave away everything that she possibly could, so that we could come here with a clean slate.”
“I would say immigrants are just regular people, and I am really proud to be a daughter of an immigrant, and I'm very proud of my family members that have immigrated, because when they have immigrated, they have [done so with] love and compassion, both for their family members, but also their communities,” said K.D.
Hernandez said, “They're just like you. They're families that work hard, they pay taxes. They are people that raise from the ground up. From a country that hates you so much, they're people that try to thrive and find community within their community. And it's really gut wrenching that people think such nasty things. But I want people to know that.”
“Please show sympathy. Please show sympathy for families that are being broken apart, for families that don't know what's to come, for families that are in hiding; please show sympathy. Advocate, use your platforms. Go to information sessions, tell your friends. People are just like you.”
She added, “As a first-generation college student, none of my family's ever been in university, and I wouldn't have been here without them. They did everything for me growing up.”
The NM: Is there anything else you want to share?
The
contributions and exploitation of immigrants
Ortega wanted to highlight the work immigrants do, saying, “They do a lot for the agricultural industry, and of course, I don’t want people to forget how important they are, but I think one thing I would love [for] people to know is how exploited they are.”
“They are hardworking individuals and a lot of times they overlook themselves, or they literally do destroy their bodies and a lot of times they’re not even getting a good wage.”
The dangers of Trump using scientific language
For K.D., coming from her background as a genetics major, she wanted to call attention to a statement Trump made on the campaign trail in October 2024, in which he he said that immigrants who had committed murder did so because it was in their genes and said there were “a lot of bad genes in our country right now.”
She said, “we're not only seeing this dehumanization, but we're seeing some of this, like, perversion of science, or like using science to justify his racism, basically, which is f----d up,” adding “I think that should be identified and also called out.”
“When you start using the word genes, you're talking science, and you're talking real biology, and that is not real biology, nobody has bad genes.”
The demonization of the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups
A.G. said, “One thing that I also worry about is the intersectionality of the immigration laws that are being made and LGBTQ+ rights,” adding she worries about the Trump administration further weaponizing language, pitting people against one another and making it seem like people are “a danger to American society, which is very dangerous rhetoric to be putting in the media.”
Ways to help the local community
For Hernandez, she wanted to highlight some local charities such as El Pueblo and Neighbor To Neighbor, adding, “If you go to undocu.carolina.edu you'll see a huge link with a lot of Latin charities and nonprofits that help immigrants community, community
the third annual BAC fashion showcase
Kristopher Porter Layout Designer
On March 21, the Black Artists Coalition (BAC) held a fashion show at the Witherspoon Student Center. The fashion show's theme was Black fashion throughout the decades.
Henoc Dossou, the president of the BAC organized the event and designed two of the outfits. He opened the show by explaining the BAC’s purpose, “And you don't know what the Black Arts Coalition is. It is a club that creates a space for POC artists to collaborate, develop and showcase results.”
He closed his introduction by saying, “Every spring we do a fashion show and this time I'm doing it a little differently. So what I did was choose a theme, gathered models together and had them collaborate with artists to create interpretations of the theme and now it's a fashion showcase.”
The Nubian Message was able to interview Lauren Singletary, Michael Opoku, Kendall Brown, Noah Mlingo, and Zania Sanders.
The Nubian Message: Why did you decide to participate in the show?
Lauren Singletary: Honestly, Henoc asked me, and I was like, “Sure, why not?” There was no underlying reason.
Michael Opoku: So funny enough — and it was really sudden — I just went to the MSA to do a show, and two other friends were like, “Oh, you should do it,” and I've modeled before for the African Student Union, so why not?
Kendall Brown: Well, I've always kind of been into fashion a little bit. In my undergrad, I was sort of known for showing up and showing out a little bit in my outfits. And I was like, “Why not?” It's my first semester here, and I was like, “Why not just jump on this?”
Noah Mlingo: Well, actually, someone came up to me and asked me to participate. And I was like, 'Sure. Why not?' I've never done one before, so this is my first time.
Zania Sanders: I decided to participate in this fashion show because we definitely have an influence on fashion — through K-pop culture, others — like ethnic
studies and race — even through dance, through different eras, like “Soul Train” and whatnot. So we always had an influence on culture in general, so I wanted to bring that back, especially like what's going on now in the present day, to show that I am proud of the change in fashion through the different eras.
TNM: What makes this show special and unique?
LS: I think a lot of the focus of the show was specifically on, like, people of color throughout these decades because a lot of times that's not the area of fashion and art and whatnot that we see. And I think that's why it was very important to me.
KB: It really showcases the diversity when it comes to Black fashion, especially over the years, and how our culture has really been reduced down to things like “ghetto” and “trashy,” and it brings things down, so it's really weird.
ZS: I was repping the 1950s fashions for African American women. It is significant for me because during that time, a lot of Black women didn't have many rights to say anything per se in their household, and what they could wear today. In the fashion show I was a lady in red because red was seen as grown, especially in the African American community, so I thought it would be cool to do. Instead of seeing a white woman in red, the lady in red would be a Black woman.
TNM: What were some inspirations and influences in your design?
LS: I pulled on biker fashion and Black rock from the 80s because it was really hard for me to find something that was really representative of the 80s. Personally, I am not a huge fan of this decade in terms of fashion, but I pulled on, like, biker rock and a little bit of hip hop influence.
MO: I was going for like a really late-nighttype jazz club, you know, like smokey, woody tobacco, like cigars. I just thought about jazz clubs, so I just want to go sexyish — you know, satin shirts.
KB: With the hairstyle, I was like, okay, I
know I'm not gonna have to hurt my hair or straighten it. So I was like, let me just Alicia Keys. Do some Alicia Keys, right there? Maybe some Erykah Badu. And then the outfit, I was literally just like, “What did my sister used to wear?” And I was like, I barely remember, but I know it was mostly jeans and then some Jessica Simpson.
NM: I had some Rick Owens pieces: the shoes and my hoodie. Rick's my favorite designer, so I like matching his pieces together, and then I feel like the baggage I use them with, like, the 2010s aesthetic. I kind of like incorporating those together.
ZS: What really inspired me was the song “Head on My Shoulder”, which was around 1959. And when I think about that, and like the trend people are always doing, like a red-like backdrop, and so it just made me think of a lady in red.
“Instead of seeing a white woman in red, the lady in red would be a Black woman. ”
TNM: What were some challenges or obstacles that you faced while preparing for this show?
LS: I love being a friend of a crowd, but the biggest challenge for me was definitely finding my outfit to begin with. I played with a lot of colors, textures and different looks before I settled on what you ended up seeing today.
MO: I think the coordination was shaky and, like, I didn't really know what to expect. I know a lot of people kind of dropped out of nowhere, just kind of sudden. I didn't know whether the show was gonna be canceled. So that was the main struggle with it. But I'm glad we turned out.
KB: Well, for one finding really was mostly just like finding clothes. Because I was like,
I was like, okay, I'm gonna go to a thrift store. Let's see what they have. And I have no idea what I was gonna wear, besides just jeans, something. And I was like, 'let me just find stuff and have this scour through the whole place.' So yeah, it was mostly finding the outfit.
NM: I feel like the first idea I had of my outfit was kind of basic. So I think, like, my biggest hurdle was trying to, like, spice it up, make it look better.
ZS: I guess the outfit, getting here on time and getting all the accessories, although I didn't have all the accessories. I definitely wanted to influence and wear significant accessories from back in the day, like wearing pearls. I didn't get that in time, but I still made it work with some gold jewelry.
TNM: In your opinion, what was the best part of the show?
LS: I think it was kind of a confidence booster. I enjoyed walking. I've never modeled before, so that was probably my favorite part.
MO: I think the modeling part, when we actually found a stage and like one by one, I think Kendall was my favorite out of all of us.
KB: Of course, the size of the show itself. It was really rehearsals, because I really got to see everybody try to like show their confidence, and we got to see people give some good advice on the people who had no idea what to do and they really do it and just show how like even the newest models can even look like they got it on. That's what I'll say.
NM: The best part of the show? Just getting the experience, because like I said, I've never done anything like modeling fashion before, but it's something I'm into. So I was glad I got to participate.
ZS: People coming up to me after the show and the compliments. And the song going together with the outfit and feeling like a celebrity.
pHOTOS BY NEVAEH STURDIVANT
Zania Sanders, Lauren Singletary
Michael Opaku, Kendall Brown, Arjun Kancharla, Noah Mlingo
WHY NOT...
Lorena Awou eyes the basket during the first round game of the NCAA Tournament against Vermont in Reynolds Coliseum on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Awou made two rebounds, one assist and one steal. The Wolfpack beat the Catamounts 75-55.
Emily Peedin/Senior Staff Photographer Freshman center
Alex Manuel/Senior Staff Photographer Senior guard Aziaha James expresses her emotions after the game against Michigan State in Reynolds Coliseum on Monday, March 24, 2025. James led the team with 26 points in her final game in Reynolds Colesium. The Wolfpack beat the Spartans 83-49.
Emily Peedin/Senior Staff Photographer Graduate guard Madison Hayes (left) and senior guard Saniya Rivers (right) dance while warming up before the first round game of the NCAA Tournament against Vermont in Reynolds Coliseum on Saturday, March 22, 2025. NC State won the game 75-55.
Alex Manuel/Senior Staff Photographer
Players hands go up for a rebound during the game against Michigan State in Reynolds Coliseum on Monday, March 24, 2025. The Wolfpack beat the Spartans 83-49.
HER?
Alex Manuel/ Senior Staff Photographer Sophomore guard Zoe Brooks shoots a floater during the game against Vermont in Reynolds Coliseum on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Brooks led the team with 19 points. The Wolfpack beat the Catamounts 75-55.
Alex Manuel/Senior Staff Photographer
Senior guard Aziaha James shoots a free throw during the game against Vermont in Reynolds Coliseum on Saturday, March 22, 2025. James scored 15 points. The Wolfpack beat the Catamounts 75-55.
Alex Manuel/Senior Staff Photographer
Senior guards Saniya Rivers, Aziaha James, and Madison Hayes celebrate a basket together during the game against Michigan State in Reynolds Coliseum on Monday, March 24, 2025. The Wolfpack beat the Spartans 83-49.
Emily Peedin/Senior Staff Photographer
Senior guard Saniya Rivers (right) laughs alongside graduate guard Madison Hayes (left) after Hayes scored during the second round game of the NCAA Tournament against Michigan State in Reynolds Coliseum on Monday, March 24, 2025. NC State won the game 83-49.
Vince Robinson’s Journey to National Championship
watching it,” he said. Robinson persevered through a lot of obstacles when moving up the wrestling ranks.
“I’ve been wrestling since I was like five or six years old. When I first watched the tournament, I was like, ‘Oh I wanna be on the national level,” said Vince Robinson in an interview with The Nubian Message. Robinson, a second-year sport management major and current redshirt freshman on the NC State wrestling team, won the NCAA 125-pound championship title on March 22, 2025.
Vince Robinson swept through his bracket — that contained several of the best wrestlers from across the country — with ease. During his first four matches, he managed to win without difficulty, leading him to the final.
Robinson’s Bracket
First Round - No. 29 Joey Cruz (Iowa; 12-1 major decision)
Second Round - No. 13 Marc-Anthony McGowan (Princeton; 6-4 decision)
Quarterfinals - No. 12 Dean Peterson (Rutgers; 4-2 decision)
Semifinals - No. 8 Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh; 4-2 decision)
Finals - No. 7 Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State; 2-1 decision, TB-1)
After beating Dean Peterson and Sheldon Seymour for the second time this season, Robinson advanced to the final where he faced Troy Spratley on March 24, 2025.
The two had a tight match throughout. Going into sudden victory overtime, neither wrestler managed to score in the two minutes. They moved to tiebreaker ride-outs, where the wrestler who scored first during regulation chooses their starting position. When the player at the bottom escapes, they earn a point.
In this case, Robinson chose to start at the bottom and secured an escape point within a few seconds of the first tiebreaker period. With a tense ending, Robinson secured the 2025 NCAA 125-pound championship title with a 2-1 win.
Robinson is the eighth wrestler at NC State to win the NCAA wrestling championship since 2018 winner, Michael Macchiavello, who won the 197-pound title. Overall, NC State finished eighth in the tournament. Their 2025 NCAA championship placement marks the program’s 11th season in a row placing within the top 20.
The Nubian Message interviewed Robinson on what it was like for him to get such a huge accomplishment, and childhood dream, come true.
“It was breathtaking, honestly, because it was like I’ve been dreaming about this tournament since I started
But his path to stardom was far from easy. He tore his meniscus prior to the season and had to get surgery, keeping him out of action for three weeks.
“I think the most support was from my dad and Coach Zack Esposito,” Robinson said about those who kept him motivated through those trying times.
“[Tommy Gantt] was the one that saw it in me a lot. It was days I didn’t even wanna get up. 7 a.m. [or] 8 a.m., he calling my phone and it’s like ‘Ain’t nobody going in; why I have to go in. Why me?’ And he was like, ‘You wanna go win, right?’”
Robinson also praised his teammate Ryan Jack, a senior studying sport management and redshirting this season.
“Jack was a big part of that too, 'cause I could call him at any time and I wanna work out, he’ll say ‘alright’. He’ll never say no.”
His impressive run during this season created new expectations for his time at NC State. Robinson's family, teammates and coaches have provided him with guidance and support. With his goals and ambitions ahead of him, he can easily meet these expectations and leave a lasting impact on the wrestling program and NC State as a whole.
“Just because [you had] one dream you wasn’t able to achieve, it don’t mean you can’t achieve another one.”
Kaela Belingon Photo Editor Nevaeh Sturdivant Staff Writer
Alondra Olivares Bojorges Correspondent
Charlie Otto Lilienthal/Staff Photographer
Redshirt freshman Vince Robinson celebrates his win with Daniel Cormier during the NCAA Wrestling Championship Tournament in the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
Kaela belingon/Photo Editor
Redshirt freshman Vince Robinson controls his opponent during the NCAA Wrestling Championship Tournament in the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
the High Expectations and Higher Achievement of NC state's women's basketball
Alondra Olivares Bojorges Correspondent
After the NC State Women’s Basketball team’s continued success and their NCAA Final Four appearance in the 2023-24 season — their second appearance since 1998 — expectations were high for the 20242025 season. With several key departures in the offseason and uncertainty surrounding Caitlin Weimar’s health, Head Coach Wes Moore faced the challenge of filling roster spots and preparing the team before their first game on Nov. 5, 2024.
Unlike other NC State teams, the women’s basketball team hasn’t failed to meet expectations. They ended the regular season with a 16-2 record — going undefeated at home and earning the 2025 ACC Regular Season Co-Champions title. Their remarkable season elevates NC State’s name in college sports, and deserves to be highlighted for their NCAA tournament run.
Under Moore’s leadership, the women’s basketball team has continued to stack accomplishments. Before their 2024 NCAA tournament run, the team ended the regular season 13-5, an improvement from the previous year’s 9-9 record. After defeating Duke and Florida State in the ACC Tournament, they lost in the final to Notre Dame but still secured their sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
During their 2023-24 NCAA tournament run, the Wolfpack entered the Final Four for the first time since 1998, facing the undefeated South Carolina. While they kept it close in the first half, they fell behind in the third quarter, ultimately losing 59-78 and ending a historic season. The NC State women’s basketball team finished the 2023-24 season with an impressive run and impact on the team’s history. They went into the off-season with roster changes and high expectations for the 2024-25 season.
The offseason saw three players transfer, but the most considerable losses were fifth-year seniors River Baldwin and Mimi Collins. The remaining roster, along with a strong recruiting class, was left with high expectations and exceeded them throughout this remarkable season.
Standout guards Madison Hayes, Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James returned after strong performances last season. They were joined by four-star guard recruits Devyn Quigley and Zamareya Jones, as well as sophomores Laci Steele and Zoe Brooks.
The guards maintained their standout performance this season, each leading the team in at least one of several key stats: Aziaha James is averaging 17.9 points per game, Madison Hayes leads with 7.9 rebounds per game, Zoe Brooks records 3.7 assists per game and Saniya Rivers contributes defensively with 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.
After their NCAA Tournament match against South Carolina, the now fifth-year senior and center Lizzy Williamson was injured but continued to play until the team's match against Coastal Carolina at the end of November 2024. Coach Moore later confirmed she would undergo surgery for the injury and not return for the remainder of the season.
Fortunately, sophomore Mallory Collier and freshman Lorena Awou stepped up, with Collier averaging a 57.3% field goal percentage and Awou a 50.7% field goal percentage.
Caitlin Weimar, a Boston University transfer, was expected to fill the void left by Mimi Collins. However, she was unfortunately unable to play with the
Wolfpack due to a season-ending hip injury. In her absence, freshman forward recruit Tilda Trygger and sophomore Maddie Cox made up for the team’s loss. Trygger has been a standout, starting 20 games and making a strong impact as a freshman.
With no losses at home, the Wolfpack ended the regular season with a 16-2 conference record. Their only regularseason conference losses came against UNC-Chapel Hill and California, with additional non-conference losses to Texas Christian University, Louisiana State University and South Carolina. Except for their game against South Carolina, their other defeats followed the same pattern: the team struggled to close out games after falling behind at the very end. Despite this, NC State’s guards remained dominant, leading in scoring, rebounds and assists nearly every game.
NC State defeated multiple top-10 ACC opponents, including Duke and Notre Dame. Against Duke, Aziaha James scored her NC State career-high of 36 points in a single game. The game remained close until Zoe Brooks secured the 89-83 win with two free throws at the end of the game.
Scheduled to go against the then-No. 1 team on Feb. 23, 2025, the Wolfpack hosted Notre Dame and ESPN College Gameday at Reynolds Coliseum. Playing a close game
and going into double overtime, Brooks came in at the end again, making two successful free throws to secure the 104-95 win. This game was important for Trygger, as she played an impressive game with the guards and matched her career-high of 19 points.
After their 69-45 win against Southern Methodist University, NC State received the ACC Regular Season Co-Championship title alongside Notre Dame.
At the end of the regular season, the Wolfpack went to Greensboro, North Carolina, to face Georgia Tech in the ACC tournament quarter-finals. Barely managing to win, NC State advanced into the semifinals with a 73-72 victory.
They then faced UNC in the semifinals, leading for the first 36 minutes of the game. Freshmen Lorena Awou, Tilda Trygger, and sophomore Mallory Collier played a crucial role in widening the scoring gap, helping secure a 65-56 win.
The ACC championship game against the Duke Blue Devils started strong for the Wolfpack, but they couldn’t hold on and eventually fell 76-62, making it the second year in a row that they lost the ACC tournament final. Despite the loss, some members of the Wolfpack managed to succeed. Aziaha James, Saniya Rivers and Zoe Brooks made it to the All-Tournament First Team, and Madison Hayes made the All-Tournament Second Team.
The NC State women’s basketball team entered the 2024-25 season with high expectations following their continued success in recent years, and so far, they have delivered. While Head Coach Wes Moore deserves some credit, the team’s seniors have driven their success.
As we head into March Madness, one can’t help but wonder whether they will continue to struggle with taking the lead in challenging games and closing them out or if they will adjust their strategy. However, they can make another deep NCAA Tournament run if they stick to their strengths and play with the same resilience. Their work throughout the season is a standout among NC State’s struggling sports teams; they symbolize the importance of giving women’s sports the recognition they deserve. Celebrating their achievements not only honors their work but also secures the program's future and leaves a lasting impact on NC State athletics.
Emily Peedin/Photo Editor
Senior guard Saniya Rivers (left) hugs freshman guard Zamareya Jones (right) during the championship game of the ACC Tournament against Duke in Greensboro Coliseum on Friday, March 7, 2025. The Wolfpack lost to the Blue Devils 76-62
Who the wolfpack leaves behind
The scoop on minority student mental health
Hail Zulueta Correspondent
Discussions about mental health on NC State University’s campus are not uncommon. Wellness days, wellness events, counseling centers and crisis prevention are advertised throughout the University — finding themselves in emails, course resource links and on social media posts. However, not all mental health issues stem from the same problems: an engineering student may have anxiety about daunting mathematical exams, while an English student may find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer amount of essays they need to produce. A variety of problems cause mental health issues for people.
Likewise, races and ethnicities are not monolithic in terms of how they experience mental health problems. Black and brown students may face colorism on top of racism. Immigrant students and international students may experience xenophobic rhetoric. People who are intersectional in their identities may also face a multitude of these problems.
This is a rising concern that students must ask NC State to direct their attention towards. How effectively does NC State address the mental health of its students of color?
With the news that important student spaces like the Black Male Initiative and Native Space villages are being taken away due to attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, students of color face additional stress. Beyond just what they face each day as marginalized people, the spaces that provide them with a critical and often hardto-find sense of community on such a large campus, allowing them to feel less alone, are disappearing.
The NC State webpage about BIPOC Student Support still exists, however, this does not mean the problem is solved. The simple presence of words about student support is not synonymous with effective structural student support.
The webpage says, “Sometimes the best help comes from people who you identify with. These communities, organizations, and resources focus on mental health and general support if you’re African American, Asian, Latino/Hispanic, or Native American.” While this is the site’s official statement, deeper dives into the webpage show shameful gaps in the University’s
understanding regarding the mental health of people of color.
The first link under the headline African American Student Resources — African American Communities and Mental Health — accessed on March 21, leads to a page on mhanational.org with the words “Oops! This page doesn’t exist.”
The very first link meant to address the mental health of Black students, who as of 2022, when NC State last shared demographic data, made up 6%, or over 2,000 of the students on campus, is a road to nowhere. This sends a clear and automatically discouraging message to Black students, making it evident that these resources are not checked regularly — that Black mental health must not be a real priority.
When considered alongside the newly confirmed removal of the Black Male Initiative Village, one must stop to question if NC State truly values the mental wellbeing of its Black students.
These consistent instances of overlooking the Black population on issue after issue can no longer be excused as one-off, isolated offenses. Rather, it is a pattern of neglect by the university.
Under Asian American Student Resources in the Mental Health/Wellness section of the page, the two links at the bottom — National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse and A Guide to Addiction and Recovery for Asian Americans — both lead to the same site about generalized demographics and addiction.
In this generalized article, Asian people are not talked about in depth, and there is no mention of their different ethnic groups and nationalities. Furthermore, Pacific Islander populations are not talked about at all. The correct, specified guide to Asian American Addiction and Recovery can only be found in an entirely different article. Missing pieces of information on addiction statistics and family support for Asian and Pacific Islander students, who made up around 7% of the student population in 2022, is not an oversight but rather reflective of broader themes of feeling isolated and alone in the face of struggle.
For Latin American / Hispanic Student Resources, the first link — National Latina/o Psychological Association –leads
to a site about an organization for Latino psychologists to join. This website does not offer any discussion about accessing mental health resources for Latino and Hispanic communities; it is just a career-focused website.
Just because a website is about psychology does not mean that it is a resource for accessing mental health help. The lack of thought and care put into providing this page as a “resource” further underscores the issues regarding the university’s care for students of color.
This is a website for professionals, not for students seeking help, and it reflects yet another failure in the University’s “effort” in understanding Latino and Hispanic students — who made up around 7% of the student population in 2022 — struggles. Providing a misleading resource is just as, if not more, harmful than not providing one at all, serving as a slap in the face to the community. This also brings into question who compiled these resources, as a simple skim through this one website was enough to determine its lack of effectiveness. Was this section made with the effort that the Latino community deserves? Or was it just simply googling “Latino mental health” and attaching that first link?
In Native American Student Resources, under the Student Organizations category, the link to “Native Space: A living and learning initiative” is still up despite the Director of Strategic Communications and Media Relations for NC State, Mick Kulikowski, confirming plans to discontinue the space for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Native American spaces are under attack, an unfortunate reminder of the neglect for their community as a result of the new presidential administration targeting DEI programs. Having this link still on the website for resources gets hopes up for prospective students of Native American descent; it can leave them hurting when they realize the university has no place for them.
To keep up a link about an initiative that will soon be terminated is not just representative of a lack of concern for Native American students, but symbolizes losing community. This is more than just an oversight by the university, it signifies a final disregard for the Native American community.
Despite the presence of an Arabic Club, an Arab Student Organization and the Middle East and North African Student Association, NC State does not have a section offering support for its Middle Eastern students.
NC State not only has a minor available in Middle East Studies under Interdisciplinary Studies and an Arabic Studies department in World Languages and Cultures, but also over 10 courses concerning Arabic world language and literature. A university that opens discussions on Arabic culture but provides zero cultural mental health support for its Middle Eastern students comes off as alienating the very people that campus resources are made for.
The fact that these organizations exist despite the lack of actual cultural student support shows a disconnect in understanding on the university’s part. In other resource sections, different student organizations are listed, emphasizing how crucial it is to keep multicultural programs and initiatives. If NC State takes away the very programs that they themselves categorized as a mental health resource, what does that say about the university's concern for mental health?
NC State is an amazing school, but it does not come without its failures — one of the most egregious of which is failing to pay attention to the mental health of racial minorities.
Mental health, particularly in a university where student deaths are known to happen frequently, is a large concern. Not updating the sources provided to help students is not just irresponsible; it is dangerous.
Not only must the administration work to address failing links, misleading resources and even the exclusion of an entire student demographic, but they must also ask themselves and take action on how to improve, ensuring these issues do not come up again.
For students, mental health is not just a small part of their lives. It can lead to making or breaking academic careers, pose a threat to physical health or even cost students their lives. The Wolfpack must come together to address these shortcomings, united in the belief that not a single person should be left behind.
The six triple eight history beyond the movie
Tess Hargrove Correspondent
Director Tyler Perry delivered the movie “The Six Triple Eight” to Netflix in 2024, which movie won five awards in the recent NAACP 2024 Image Awards.
The movie is based on the true story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed the "Six Triple Eight." The recognition of the 6888th Battalion is a moment to celebrate, but it only scratches the surface of their experiences. To truly understand their impact during World War II, we must look beyond the headlines and examine the historical realities they faced.
In 1942, the Women's Army Corps (WAC) was created, but didn’t have real military status until 1943. According to the Wounded Warrior Project, the WAC was converted from the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), Black women being accepted as enlisted WAC personnel was possible thanks to the efforts of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and the support of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. In the early forming of the WAC, the Army wanted women capable of performing non-combat
roles and after a long search, they found the perfect person for the job.
Charity Edna Adams was born in Kittrell, North Carolina. She applied for entry into WAAC, and the Army accepted her in the spring of 1942. Charity rose in the ranks to become the highest-ranking Black female lieutenant colonel officer during World War II.
In December 1944, Major Charity deployed to Europe, leading the first Black WAC unit to serve overseas. The unit, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, also known as the Six Triple Eight, an all-Black female battalion that stayed in service from 1945 to 1946. According to the U.S. Army Center of Military History, 824 enlisted personnel and 31 officers were a part of this battalion. The Six Triple Eight only had one assignment: sorting and sending mail for millions of American service members and their families.
The Battalion was assigned to get the task done in six months. The women of the battalion vowed to get it done with the motto, “No Mail, Low Morale,” in mind. By dividing their work into shifts that ran all week, the women processed an average of
65,000 pieces of mail per shift.
During their service, the battalion worked, despite many hardships. According to the U.S. Army Women’s Foundation’s Hall of Fame, three soldiers were even killed in the line of duty on July 8, 1945, in a vehicle accident.
However the battalion’s hard work paid off as they managed to finish their task in just three months as opposed to the six months given to finish the task. The Wounded Warrior Project states, “The last members of the 6888th arrived back in the States in February 1946 to no fanfare. No job well done. No thank you for your service. The group’s lone recognition was Major Charity Adams’ well-deserved rise to lieutenant colonel. According to the National Museum of the U.S. Army, Major Charity Adams even wrote a book that was published in 1989 called “One Woman's Army,” speaking about her life and experiences before passing away in 2002.
In 2021, the Six Triple Eight received the Congressional Gold Medal. In 2022, another surviving Six Triple Eight hero, Cresencia Garcia, was discovered in New York. Oprah Daily and CBS News featured
stories on her long-kept secret, the Six Triple Eight. Many former soldiers of the Six Triple Eight spoke up about their service after the Oprah Daily coverage, and now, with the creation of The Six Triple Eight movie, their story has been pushed further into the public eye.
The movie — which focuses on the main character Lena Derriecott Bell King, played by American actress Ebony Obsidian, and Major Charity E. Adams, played by Kerry Washington, shows the history of The Six Triple Eight from the perspective of the soldier and the commander.
The movie sheds light on history that many didn’t know about until the movie was released. The movie even shows footage of the real Lena Derriecott Bell King sharing her story. Lena previously met with all of the cast before her passing to thank them for sharing the story of the Six Triple Eight. The battalion impacted millions of families and demonstrated the capabilities of Black women in the military during a time when they were not welcomed, paving the way for greater inclusion and opportunity.
The Masterpiece that is cowboy carter to be Black in the classroom
NC State has a total student population of 36,042 with 22,966 white students compared to 8,448 minority students; 2,354 of those being Black and/or African American. For every Black student, there are nine white counterparts, and in the classroom, there's a chance you might be the only Black student there; for better or for worse. Being a person of color at a predominantly white institution (PWI) often means being a minority everywhere you go on campus. Whether it be in a club, in a sport, a giant lecture hall or an intimate classroom, being one of a few (if any at all) is not out of the ordinary. Education is a means for growth, accomplishment and the pursuit of knowledge and Black students have consistently faced challenges in the classroom.
Jordon Williamson, a first-year in exploratory studies, shared his thoughts about being Black in the classroom, stating, “For smaller, more involved classrooms, I feel that not being heard or accommodated for in those classes is a more intentional decision, especially if there are attempts to engage and feel like an active participant in discussion or when completing assignments.”
For some students, being Black in the classroom means sticking out like a sore thumb. It means being looked at for being the odd one out in a classroom of similar faces.
Christian Ross, a first-year majoring in exploratory studies, had similar thoughts, “When it comes to being a person of color for me in the classroom, I get looked at a certain way especially when it comes to being in what is seen as advanced classes… in other cases when it comes to subjects relating to people of color or minorities in general it seems as if your called on for everything or when something touchy gets said in class everyone turns to look at you.”
A modern definition of the expectations in a classroom includes subjects such as representation, fairness, equality and equity among students. However, sometimes that is not the case. Black students are
disproportionately impacted in a variety of ways, often facing subtle microaggressions, lack of representation, stereotypes and higher expectations.
Other Black students, like myself, feel as if we sometimes have to give double the effort and energy to meet the “bare minimum” in classes that do not reflect who we are. Whether intentional or not, standards are higher for Black students because of the fact that we are “that one student.” If we fall behind we get tagged with stereotypes of the unruly troublemaker, underachievers who slack off – failing the classroom standard and consequently being seen as not belonging and having an imaginary tag over our heads.
The imaginary standard set in nondiverse classrooms often holds Black students down mentally and academically. When barred from the resources and treatment we deserve, our motivation and ability to excel can diminish. We try and try again harder each time only to be met with the same (if not greater) resistance; contributing to burnout, anxiety, stress, depression and a feeling of dissociation. Being Black in the classroom also can prove socially challenging. As students, we try to find common ground with our peers to form relationships – in turn – creating friendships. However, being the minority in a classroom reduces the level of relatability to other students. As a Black student majoring in agriculture, a study that is predominantly white, there are cultural misunderstandings and disconnects that I face because of differences in race.
Connecting with people not like myself is enjoyable, but other times it can be exhausting, like when you try to connect with someone and you can tell they have never held a conversation longer than two minutes with someone who is Black and have never experienced Black culture beyond the stereotypes.
It’s about time we had a conversation about Cowboy Carter. The album was at the forefront of many discussions over this past year, whether about its genre, credibility or acclaim, lack of visuals, promotion and streams, or plainly whether it was good.
This album at its core is about the Black experience while calling out America's hypocrisy. Themes of Black struggle, perseverance, companionship and love all coexist on this album. From the opening track “AMERICAN REQUIEM” to “AMEN,” this album will make you look at genre and artistry differently, especially from a Black perspective. Beyoncé has never shied away from these themes in her music.
The album featured a short video titled “BEYWATCH” with “BODYGUARD” playing in the background, urging people to vote. On top of this, Beyoncé is also running “LEVII’S JEANS” commercials in collaboration with Levi’s. In addition, she did a halftime show on Christmas of last year in her home state of Texas.
The concept of this album’s genre was explored throughout the album, but it was specifically addressed in the song “SPAGHETTI.” The song starts with Linda Martell saying, “Genres are a funny little concept, aren't they...” In theory, they have a simple definition that's easy to understand. But in practice, well, some may feel confined.” This album isn’t conforming to a ‘typical’ country album. Cowboy Carter takes influences from folk, opera, hip-hop, bluegrass and R&B. The album injects these sounds and evolves into something more innovative that pushes the boundaries of country music.
enough.” On top of this, she received zero nominations from the Country Music Awards (CMA), sparking massive outrage by fans who were disappointed by the omission despite Beyoncé having a number-one song and album.
Country star Luke Bryan said, “Everybody loved that Beyoncé made a country album. Nobody’s mad about it. But where things get a little tricky…If you’re gonna make country albums, come into our world and be country with us a little bit.” Country legend Dolly Parton echoed that sentiment commenting, “I don’t think it was a matter of shutting out, like doing that on purpose. I think it was just more of what the country charts and the country artists were doing, that do that all the time, not just a specialty album.”
The country landscape remains out of touch and continues to shun any person of color who tries to break through. How did Post Malone get nominated for four CMA awards on his first album but Beyoncé didn’t get any?
Beyoncé made history as the first Black woman to have a number one country album on the Billboard 200 and have a number one song on the country charts. She had the fifth best-selling country album of the year. Beyoncé became the first Black artist to win “Best Country Album” and also took home “Album of the Year” at the Grammys, which again stirred up controversy with people downplaying her talent and album.
Beyoncé is set to go on tour for Cowboy Carter starting on April 28 of this year, and there are headlines of the tour struggling to sell out. News outlets are saying the demand for the tour was overestimated. People have also blamed Beyoncé for high ticket prices and calling her “greedy.” In reality, 94 percent of the tour has been sold out in addition to a new date added in Las Vegas.
Flash depicts a posing model who is spotlighted as cameras flash. Reference photo is of Senegalese Fenton model, Aly N’Diaye.
Though a handful of Black students feel the pressures of being in the minority in the classroom, there are also those who feel no pressure at all or excel regardless of the pressure. Even when struggles are presented towards Black students we have continued to excel and push through to be great. In the classroom we may be underrepresented and misunderstood at times, but there is always a chance to persevere.
Not to mention, Beyoncé featured legacy country artists such as Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson while also highlighting Black country artists like Shaboozey, Tanner Addell and Linda Martell. But even that wasn't enough for the country landscape to correct its past mistakes.
Beyoncé's number one song “TEXAS HOLD’EM” was not played on country radio stations because it “wasn’t country
This era of Beyoncé and this album have been wrapped in controversy since it was released, yet people are still excited about the upcoming tour, have bought tickets, and continue to stream and talk about the album. With all the outside noise and debate on whether or not it's real country, Beyoncé gagged and broke the internet, like she always does.
Caleb williams Photo Correspondent
Kristopher porter Layout Designer
stay alert disrobe the politicians
If politics had a dress code, it would be hand-stitched with outdated notions of masculinity and power.
On Feb. 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the Oval Office without a suit and reporter Brian Glenn felt compelled to ask about his attire.
I’m sure Zelenskyy’s response referring to suits as a “costume” had traditionalists clutching their ties and guarding their lapels against such “savagery,” despite Zelenskyy wearing the attire to remain in solidarity with his soldiers.
This concern over Zelenskyy’s choice of attire goes beyond “the dignity” of the Oval Office; it highlights how deeply politics and toxic masculinity are intertwined.
While Zelenskyy’s remark could be dismissed as an accident (since the word for suit in Ukrainian is “kostyum”), it remains fitting, as leadership is too often evaluated by dominance rather than genuine governance.
For years, political power has been entangled with theatrical performances of popular masculinity. These ideas — which misinterpret aggressiveness as decisiveness and vulnerability as weakness — codify the definition of male leadership at the expense of democracy, diplomacy and ethics.
President Donald J. Trump is an example of this show of masculinity in several instances. During the 2016 GOP debate, he defended not his policies but his “masculinity” after Sen. Mark Rubio mocked his hand size. Later, Rubio took this slightly “unmasculine” trait and said, “You know what they say about men with small hands? You can’t trust them.” This rhetoric between Trump and Rubio may seem like nothing, but is direct evidence on how masculinity is tied to governance within the political world.
Ideas of American and misogynistic masculinity fueled Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. According to The New York Times, Trump tried to convince Mike Pence to overturn the election saying, “You can either go down in history as a patriot or you can go down in history as a pussy.” This framing equated patriotism not with democracy but with dominance. Trump pressuring Pence to overturn the election is anything but fair
and democratic, but here Trump defines it as patriotism to support his cause.
Trump used this exact form of persuasion to mobilize his supporters into raiding the U.S. Capitol, saying, “We will stop the steal” and “We fight like hell, and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.” This twisting of patriotism and masculinity-fueled aggression is what lit a fire in thousands of Trump supporters to raid the capital in the name of preserving the dignity of Trump and his supporters. It was a temper tantrum of sorts, when theatrical representations of “leadership” failed.
This is not the only form of toxic masculinity within the political world. More recently, X (formerly known as Twitter) users criticized Gov. Tim Walz for shedding tears with many during Kamala Harris’s concession speech following her 2024 election loss. According to The Sun, Walz, a user wrote, “[Tim] Walz is crying, man we dodged a bullet with this one. This is incredibly unsettling.”
This is not the first time politicians have been criticized for showing emotion. In 2016, the National Rifle Association criticized Barack Obama for shedding tears on social media as he spoke about the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, while announcing an executive action on gun control. According to BBC News, the NRA released a statement calling the speech an “emotional, condescending lecture.”.
Compare this to the public response to Trump’s 2020 election loss. Interestingly, there is only one difference. The difference is not that one side was emotional while the other was not. It is not about strength or weakness. It is that Harris’ concession itself– the speech, the supporters and the loss — was not tainted by the toxic masculinity that fueled the Capitol riot. Both speeches were framed around fighting for America, but only one resulted in sincerity. The other was a tantrum dressed up in a red, white and blue American suit.
At the root of this obsession with masculine performance — whether it is attire, stoicism, or “fighting like hell” — is a fragile person. This constant rejection of emotions, humility and respect damages the political world.
It is not about wearing a suit, not crying or giving masculating speeches. It is not about those theatrics but what you do for the people. Zelenskyy may not wear a suit, but at least he does not hide behind one. Disrobe the politicians.
A biography about Jackie Robinson’s military service temporarily disappeared from the Pentagon’s website on March 19, 2025. This occurred amid what the New York Times describes as “the Trump administration’s effort to scrub references to diversity and inclusion” from government websites.
This isn’t an isolated incident. According to the NYT report, several pages highlighting African American achievements vanished from military sites. Pages spotlighting Black and female service members also disappeared from the Arlington National Cemetery’s website.
The military’s history with racial integration offers powerful lessons about institutional change. President Truman’s Executive Order 9981, which desegregated the armed forces in 1948, came just one year after Robinson broke baseball's color barrier as the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball.
Robinson’s experience of being arrested for refusing to sit at the back of an Army bus, a fact mentioned in the now-restored Pentagon biography, directly connects to later civil rights struggles against segregation.
Removing context about figures like Robinson strips away the connections to our shared history, and the removal of these pivotal figures isn’t an isolated event.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Ullyot said, “DEI is dead at the Defense Department,” in celebration of the department’s “rapid compliance” anti-DEI policies.
This systematic removal of historical content raises serious concerns about censorship. The military has a documented history of unequal treatment of minorities, and we should question attempts to delete history. As Rep. Yvette Clarke noted regarding the Robinson page removal: “History is history. At the end of the day, they're only fooling themselves. The history is written in terms of the contributions that African Americans have made to the development of our country.”
The temporary removal of Jackie Robinson’s story from Pentagon websites represents a concerning pattern that extends beyond simple administrative changes.
Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, emphasized that
Robinson’s significance transcends diversity initiatives, stating it would be “atrocious” to suggest Robinson’s rise was simply a “DEI story.” Kendrick noted, “Jackie Robinson epitomizes what it means to be a great American. His breaking of the color barrier wasn't just a part of the civil rights movement. It was the beginning of the civil rights movement.”
We must remain vigilant about how history is presented and preserved. While major policy changes make headlines, these quieter removals of historical content deserve our attention. The censorship of words and history can limit our understanding of America's complex past and enable harmful patterns to repeat.
Digital archives have become our modern historical record. Unlike physical books that remain on library shelves regardless of political shifts, digital content can vanish instantly, often without public awareness. This makes monitoring government websites and digital archives crucial.
We should also question the false dichotomy being created between celebrating military achievement and acknowledging diversity. Jackie Robinson was both a military veteran and a Black man challenging segregation. His identity cannot and should not be artificially separated into “acceptable” and “unacceptable” components for political convenience. What does erasing challenging aspects of our history accomplish?
It promotes ignorance and restricts our ability to learn from past mistakes. We should question why these changes are happening and recognize patterns of language restriction that may ultimately infringe on First Amendment rights. Historical erasure has real consequences. When we lose sight of how institutional discrimination operated in the past, we become less equipped to recognize similar patterns in the present.
Stay informed about what’s happening beyond the headlines. The preservation of our complete history, including its difficult chapters, is essential for building a more just future.
The Pentagon’s quick restoration of Robinson's page after public outcry demonstrates that citizen vigilance can be effective. This incident reminds us: only when we pay attention and speak up can the democratic government be held accountable to the people.
Nevaeh
Sturdivant Staff Writer
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richmond
Social Media Manager
COLLEGE NIGHT 2025
Dance the night away at the NCMA’s biggest college party of the year! Enjoy free admission to the exhibition, snacks, and accessible art activities.
THE TIME IS ALWAYS NOW
Artists Reframe the Black Figure
Friday, April 4, 5–9 pm East Building free with registration
Denzil Forrester, Itchin & Scratchin, 2019, oil on canvas,
Denzil Forrester, Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery; Photo: Mark Blower