Professor Jamal TourĂŠ recevies two state awards Page 4
Tiger’s
March 2019
Column: Losing my brother, Marcus Drummer Page 2
Roar
The Independent Student Voice of Savannah State University
SSU makes plans for Bostic Hall demolition Page 2
Savannah, Ga.
2 March 2019
News
SSU prepares for Bostic Hall demolition Summer 2019 Angela Farley, Contributing Writer
The hallways of Bostic Hall residential facility are empty this semester, as the university prepares to demolish the historic building on Savannah State’s campus. Bostic Hall residents were relocated to the Freshman Living and Learning Center for the Spring 2019 semester to clear way for the university to tear the older facility down. Physical Plant Superintendent Kellie Fletcher says Bostic will be demolished during the summer, and it will be replaced with a larger housing facility. The new building will house more students, and it will replace both Bostic and Bowen halls, Fletcher said. There is no timeline for when or if Bowen-Smith Hall will be demolished, but students will not be assigned to the residential hall starting in Fall 2019. No plans have been set for the area, Fletcher said. Bostic Hall is the only building on campus that is named after a student. Melvin Bostic, a war veteran, came to Savannah State College in 1972. He was murdered while he raising money for a scholarship. According to the story, white men were in a car and attempted to steal the money Bostic had collected from him. In a failed effort to fight back, Bostic was dragged by the car and run over. The school named the residential hall after him to keep his legacy and story alive. While some students were upset to learn the Bostic Hall would knocked down, Fletcher said she would find a way
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GUEST COLUMN
Losing My Brother, Marcus Drummer Raven Jackson
to preserve the bricks and the name in some way, as it remains a piece of the institution’s history. she said she is making an effort to make all freshmen residential housing in the circle of the university an historic landmark. Though students feel excitement for a newer housing facility, they are also frustrated that the new building is not named after Bostic. “I believe it’s a way to get rid of the last bit of history that we still have on this campus,” sociology major, Latia Carter, said. “As a HBCU we are based off the history of those before us. So if we get rid of Bostic, we are removing what Melvin Bostic did for the students of this institution.” Africana Studies major, Dejanerra Mugford, agreed. “To take away an idol building that represents a fellow students is to take away the essence of a university as a whole,” she said.
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On Feb. 17, my family received a call we hoped we would never get. My brother, Marcus Drummer, was killed during an armed robbery in Savannah. Do you know what it’s like to lose a brother? We attended Savannah State together, connected since freshman year. As I prepare for my final weeks in school, waves of grief overcome me because he is not here with me. The bond we shared was sacred. We had so many secrets between us, and we asked each other for advice. He would visit and write papers with me so I could help revise his work. Sometimes, Marcus would be distracted from school, but he would always come back to me to get him on track. One day, Marcus came to my room and explained he wasn’t doing as well as he needed to be. I asked what he was struggling with, and we got to work. We stayed up and missed parties to get him caught back up. His hard and dedication was set up for a May 2019 graduation date, but that won’t come anymore. Marcus never let me down, and told me to always keep my head up even at my lowest points. Marcus made sure he checked on me every week and asked me if I was doing OK or if I needed anything. After the news picked up the story about his death, Savannah State’s campus knew all about the death of my brother- but they didn’t seek to know his life. Marcus was a loving, caring, humble, and happy person. He was the one who let the people he loved know that he loved them. I was so distraught when I heard the news of his death. When losing a brother, there are so many emotions: sadness, anger, confusion, frustration, and peace. I’m sad that he is gone, and I’m sad because we were supposed to graduate with each other this year. I’m angry because he died at such a young age, and I’m angry because of the way he died. Finally, I’m frustrated with the people who were arrested for his death. You don’t expect to lose a family member, and you definitely don’t expect to lose a brother. It’s not easy to get over the death. I know I have to keep fighting and surviving for him and his legacy.
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Editorial
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March 2019
3
Orange Crush: Is a 30-year tradition dying? It’s March. The birds are chirping, spring is coming, and Orange Crush is around the corner. The infamous, unofficial Savannah State holiday will be celebrating its 30year anniversary this year. Orange Crush was started in 1989 by Kenneth Flowe, Dr. Ifekan Simon, and their SGA board. Flowe first brought the idea up of a beach party to the student leadership, and the group worked to create what we know and love as Orange Crush. The first Orange Crush was a full agenda of events that started on Friday and ended on Sunday, much like today’s Orange Crush. On Friday, Flowe, Simon and their team planned a talent show in the day and a concert that evening. Saturday was the usual beach bash with parties at night, and on Sunday everyone attended church together. “The Ques had a swimsuit show at the pool in Wiley,” Simon laughed. “And we brought Salt-n-Pepa here for the concert because that’s who was really popping back then. Orange Crush was an event. It was a show.” I asked Simon how he felt about the state of the relations between Orange Crush promoters and the city of Tybee Island, and he said that students need to be accountable for other students. “We didn’t have a permit. We had responsibility,” said Simon. “We checked other students. We had guys like Shannon Sharpe on the football team, Van Johnson in SGA, I was on top of those guys.” In order to continue the tradition, Simon feels students
need to build a better sense of community and address the issues head on. “You have to change the status quo. If it wasn’t cool to sag your pants, no one would be sagging. When you saw me on the beach, I didn’t have a red cup in my hand. Orange Crush isn’t about drinking. It’s about having fun and showing love,” Simon said.
“Orange Crush isn’t about drinking. It’s about having fun and showing love” - Ifekan Simon Though we take efforts to clean the beach, we can’t control the actions of everyone. What we can control is our actions and influence the community around us through our actions. I think it’s imperative that we start chipping away at the stigma surrounding our university and Orange Crush, and the first step in that process is filling out the necessary permits with Tybee Island. We often get caught up in our lives, but just thirty years
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ago, our school was facing some of the same issues we face today. Low enrollment was one of those issues, and Orange Crush was created to bring people here. It is a tool we can still use, but we must learn how to navigate the politics of our society. Simon wanted to leave the students an important sentiment, he said, “If it doesn’t make you look good, and it doesn’t make Savannah State look good, stop doing it.” I encourage everyone to enjoy Orange Crush, keeping it so future generations can still create beautiful, lasting memories.
Ashia Manning , Editor-in-Chief
Roar Ashia Manning- Editor-in-Chief Amanda Wilkins- Layout Editor Dani Birzer-News Editor Alaygra Wells- Sports Editor Isaiah Singleton- Features Editor Emmalee Walker- Online Editor Advisers Kareem McMichael Jessica Sparks
The Tiger’s Roar is the independent monthly student newspaper of Savannah State University. We welcome and encourage letters to the editor and staff. All letters must include an address and phone number for confirmation. We reserve the right to edit all published content for purposes of length, style, grammar and libelous material. Ideas expressed in editorials do not reflect the opinions of the editors and staff. The Tiger’s Roar adheres to the Associated Press Stylebook guidelines for stories and headlines.
4 March 2019
Features
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Professor Jamal Touré presented with two state awards Yasmine J Summerset, Contributing Writer
Photo by Yasmine Summerset of Jamal Touré
A Savannah State professor was honored with two distinctive awards by the state of Georgia. Amir Jamal Touré, an adjunct instructor in the Africana Studies program and owner of Day Clean Journeys tour company, was presented with the “Outstanding Georgia Citizen” award by the Georgia Secretary of State and the “Soldier of Justice award by the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus in February. Sen. Lester Jackson (D- Dist. 2) nominated Toure for the “Outstanding Georgia Citizen” award, which is given to citizens of Georgia who go above and beyond in their
dedication to the well-being of the state. For Toure, the honor is beyond him. “It was not about me,” he said. “It was about the ancestors and all of the work that our people have done, because I am just one of the machines…It was fitting because I am the voice of the ancestors, so as of now the ancestors are being acknowledged.” The “Soldier of Justice” award from the Black Caucus is given to those whom develop remedies for social and economic problems within their community on behalf of the state of Georgia. “I plant seeds. I also don’t have a problem with my voice,” Toure said. “If I see injustice, I am going to say something about it or do something to try to remove the injustice!” Watching Toure earn the accolades only fueled his students’ admiration for the professor. “When I walk on this campus, I know that I am surrounded by greatness,” said alum Christian Cooper. “He has always been supportive. He is a phenomenal leader on and off campus and outside of Savannah.” Brianna Turner, senior criminal justice major, said she met Toure while taking a course. “He encourages, uplifts, and protects me with everything in him! I’ve never had a father figure, but he filled that void,” she said.
Jamal Hendrix, senior mass communications major, is also a mentee of Toure. Hendrix said, “He’s an outstanding professor from teaching the knowledge to even bringing the experience to life. Jamal Toure has installed me to become a mover and maker in which I can understand that I control my destiny in the works I put in with the people around me.” Hendrix said Toure has a way of inspiring people. “I’ve never met someone who has worked so hard to enlighten people. He makes sure that everyone around him is good,” he said. Toure said he looks back on his time at Savannah State for people such as Hanes Walton Jr. Dem Piankhi, who were his professors when he attended the university. “Dr. Hanes Walton, Jr., is the greatest professor in the history of Savannah State,” Toure said. “He would go the extreme. He would tell us off, but he would hit us with information that we would carry with us for the rest of our lives.” Toure takes his vision for the future and his knowledge of history off campus to the community with his company Day Clean Journeys, which is a tour company which specifies in history and culture. He also a resident scholar at Geechee Kunda Museum located in Riceboro, Ga., which focuses on the culture of the Gullah/ Geechee.
Study Abroad programs take students around the world Jemecia Taylor, Contributing Writer Savannah State University students are gearing up, once again, to travel the globe as part of study abroad this summer. Students have been working on registering for classes, obtaining their passports, and meeting with their program leaders to stay on track. From Ghana to Panama, Japan to Costa Rica, these are just few places where SSU’s study abroad can take students for summer 2019. Study Abroad Coordinator Melanie Smith has been reaching out to students from different departments and enlightening them on the benefits and needs for studying abroad. “There’s nothing like studying in your major and being off from home. That’s the mainstream of our students, they’ve left home to come to school and find themselves. What I want to show our students, however, is that there’s more than the state of Georgia, there’s more than the United States. You’ll experience a little shock being at college, but you won’t experience a full culture shock until you leave your comfort zone,” Smith said. “I was a study abroad student in my undergraduate years, which is what lead me to be so passionate about doing this job here at Savannah State. I know what it did for me, and I know what it did for my career prospects. When I apply for jobs, the big difference from me to everybody else was the fact that I’ve been a study abroad student. Companies love to see that on resumes. This shows them that you can handle being immersed in another country’s culture in the business world,” Smith said.
Study abroad veterans Prof. Felicia Tuggle and Prof. Roenia Deloach are leading students from social work to Ghana. From tours of the country to volunteering in the communities, program participants have the opportunity to experience the people and the culture. Their program is 3 weeks long and offers four 3-credit classes. Theo Plothe, professor in mass communications, is leading students into Japan to discover a new outlook on media. The group will visit TV studios, newspaper outlets and university campuses. The 28-day adventure will allow students to experience up to two classes in mass communications. Prof. Irina Tedrick is leading students to Costa Rica and giving them the opportunity to spend time in studying the history and culture of Latin America. Students can take three 3-hour courses for the opportunity to earn up to nine credit hours toward language. Jessica Sparks is leading students to Panama to report on issues important to the Afro-Latino culture. During the 21 days in Panama, students develop story ideas for publication in partner media outlets, obtaining footage and interviews while exploring the culture. The course begins in Savannah, but travels together as part of the next step of the experience for class work. This trip will also feature three course options for students. Kisha Aites, professor in teacher education, is leading a excursion for 14 days in Botswana. Students will meet some of the country’s primary and secondary school teachers and students, university faculty, as well as diverse rural and urban dwellers. Students will explore Gaborone, nature reserves, museums, and cultural wonders such as
Spring 2018 Study Abroad class pictured in Panama
the Matsieng Footprints and Bahurutshe Cultural Village. Toni Renee Johnson, professsor of dance, will lead students into China on a two-week theater and dance tour. This will allow students the opportunity to watch and participate in some of the country’s most historic cultural arts. The study abroad website at SavannahState.edu lists all of the trips and their prices, which include room and board, field trips and round trip airfare from Savannah. Tuition, insurance, passport and visa fees, and required immunization fees are not included in the program cost. For more information, please contact: Prof. Melanie Smith – (912)-358-4152 smithm@savannahstate.edu
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March 2019
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SRPI addresses diversity in media Ericka Hampton, Contributing Writer Diversity is an important aspect to any industry, but especially the media. That was the message during the the 68th annual Southern Regional Press Institute, which took place Feb. 28 and March 1 at Savannah State University. The conference, which is for high school and college students, features multiple workshops on all aspects of the media from film to newspapers. Professionals including 94.1 FM’s Lady Mahagony and the Savannah Morning News cartoonist Mark Streeter were among dozens of people who participated in the panels and workshops over the two days. The institute is scheduled every February at Savannah State by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Weslyn Bowers is founder of Blessings in a Book Bag, Inc. She was one of several people to speak on entrepreneurship.
Above: Tatia Adams, vice president for global partnerships with Nickelodeon, and Traci Adams, executive vice president for promotions at Epic Records, join Michael Trammel, president of the Hierarchy Pictures Music Group, for a discussion on the entertainment industry. To the right: Beth Nelson, William Martin, John Grace, and Kareem McMichael discuss the film industry.
Tigers Roar brings home awards Kailyn Miller, Contributing Writer
The Independent Student Voice of Savannah State, The Tiger’s Roar, is having one of its best award years ever. The news outlet, which has been in existence since 1938, has been awarded several honors in the past few weeks. On Feb. 15, the Georgia College Press Association recognized the outlet’s efforts with six awards including an Improvement Award. This year’s group of awards represents the most the publication has won at the Georgia Press Institute since it became a member in 2014. The Tiger’s Roar also took home 3rd place for Best Campus Community Service Award for News for its coverage of the fatal shooting of Philip Burke at Savannah State in February 2018. The paper also won 3rd place for Best Layout and Design and a few individual awards including 3rd Place for Best Photo in an Editorial Feature by Neisha Rogers, 2nd place for Best Column for Jar-red McCoy and 1st place for Best Column by Josiah Webb. At the 68th Annual Southern Regional Press Institute on March 1, Tiger’s Roar’s Features Editor Isaiah Singleton won 1st place for Outstanding Feature Writing and former Editor-in-Chief Angela Saxon was awarded 1st place for Best Editorial or Column. “I am really proud of our team. We have honed our skills as journalist. We have worked together to make sure we are producing quality work and it shows through all of the recognition,” said Editor-in-Chief Ashia Manning. On March 8, Manning and Saxon were also recognized as finalists for their opinion writing by the Society for Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards. They received an honor at the Region 3 conference, which took place at the Coastal Georgia Center in Savannah. Isaiah Singleton and Ashia Manning recivers awards at SRPI on behalf of Tiger’s Roar Student Newspaper
Photo by Isaiah Singleton, Novlea Cross Holmes, former director of SRPI, was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
6 March 2019
Sports
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SSU Football names permanent football coach Alaygra Wells, Sports Editor The Savannah State University Athletics Department announced Shawn Quinn would stay in his position as head coach of the football team on March 7. Fans and players came to support the announcement. Quinn is the 26th football coach in the program’s history. Quinn was originally hired in February 2018 as the defensive coordinator. Quinn did an outstanding job in that role, as the defense finished first in the MEAC in pass defense (138.5 yards per game). “I wanted to do some air fist bumps with someone. I was excited and I called my daughters and one of them was awake, so she was pretty fired up. It’s been awesome, but we’ve got to go right back to work and this morning we had Blue Dawn with our guys out there early getting after it, so I’m just excited to get back to work and get where we’ve got to go, but we’re going to get there,” said Quinn at the press conference. Not only was he excited but the players are as well. “He just brought so much energy to the practice, to the games, and to everything we did. You know, he’s
Shawn Quinn was named permanent Head Coah for Savannah State University Football
a great guy and he’s someone who really cares about us and we can feel that. 6 a.m. in the morning, we’re working out. He’s loud, he’s energetic and you know, we feed off that,” said Awni Alshafei, a junior center on the team, said in the press conference. Quinn is a native of Chicago who attended CarsonNewman College as a four-year defensive line starter. There, he was an All-South Atlantic Conference selection who was also a part of four conference championships. He earned his master’s degree from Lincoln Memorial University. Quinn has had a plethora of experience coaching on
the defensive side. Quinn hopes to put Savannah State back on the map for football. Quinn is using key points from Bill Davis’s playbook to work with the new recruits. The 2019-20 school year will mark the first year SSU will re-enter the SIAC as a Division II school. As interim coach, Quinn has been trying to win community support for SSU. Off the field, he’s having players visit local schools and hospitals. “If we are going to be a good team, we have to learn how to be unselfish,” Quinn said in an interview. “We want to give and be a serving group. We want to do more things besides lifting weights and practicing.” Quinn has big plans for the men in the fall. “We want to go from being Floyd Mayweather to George Foreman,” he said. “We want to be physical and it will allow our defense to play better, and more importantly our offense. With our quarterback, offensive line and maximizing our roster, we are going to run will allow us to do that to be successful. Nobody runs this type of system, and whatever we need to do to be successful in that area we are willing.”
SSU Basketball heads to last MEAC tournament Alaygra Wells, Sports Editor Since Fall 2010, the Savannah State University basketball teams have seen their share of ups and downs with the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference. After eight years, Savannah State headed to its last MEAC tournament for the time being, as the school is moving to Division II SIAC in the fall. The 2019 MEAC conference was March 11 - 16 in Norfolk, Va. The men’s team entered the tournament ranked sixth after a big win against South Carolina State University on March 7. Junior Jaquan Dotson had a career high of 25 points in the game. The men’s final score was 90-87. Horace Broadnax, head coach for the men’s team, said that win put the team in the sixth seed for the MEAC, giving them the opportunity to play the first day of the tournament. The men finished regular season with a 12-19 record. SSU men’s basketball fell to Delaware State University 71-67 in the MEAC Tournament on March 11 in Norfolk, Va. The men finished the 2017-18 season as MEAC regular season champions, repeating a feat from the 2011-12 season. “You always want to set standards for the season. Last year was special for us to gain the title,”
Broadnax said. Junior Zach Sellers said he will miss the rivalries in the MEAC. “Just every team being competitive. We are always mindful of the opposition,” he said. Sellers said the toughest competition for him was Norfolk State University. The women’s team also won against SC on March 7, 65-64. The Lady Tigers finished the season 8-18 in the season and eighth seed in the MEAC. Baker said the school’s current team has done outstanding work this season, including a scoring record for Division 1 during the Nov. 6 game against Wesleyan College, when they won 155-26. When asked what he did to prepare the women for that game, he said, “I wanted them to be mentally tough, stay in control of their emotions. I just wanted them to do well. I wasn’t aware of making history. I found out the next day through social media that they set the NCAA scoring record for Division 1” The women played March 12 against South Carolina again, where they fell to the Bulldogs 62-53 in the MEAC Tournament. Freshman Alexus Bryant said she was going to miss playing against the top HBCUs in the MEAC. “The atmosphere, how everybody gets rowdy. Going against the top HBCU schools such as Norfolk and North Carolina A&T and the experience I’ve
had,” she said. Bryant said North Carolina Central University was her toughest opponent. The Savannah State women’s basketball team won the MEAC tournament in 2015, making the NCAA tournament where they lost in the first round. The Lady Tigers’ historic season ended with a loss against the Lady Gamecocks of the University of South Carolina, 81-48, on the national stage. Savannah State joined the MEAC in 2010, after leaving the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to move to Division I in 1998. Savannah State announced it was leaving the MEAC in April 2017.
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Explore our latest exhibitions, create in our studios, and interact with art-minded peers. @ 7pm, take the “Totally Radical Tour” and see the museum like never before– win prizes while engaging with the Keita Takahashi: Zooming Out exhibit
@ 6:30pm, join artist Derek Larson for a discussion and screening of his featurelength animation Trés Mall @ 6pm, tour one of our newest exhibitions, Jaume Plensa: Talking Continents with curator Rachel Reese
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207 WEST YORK STREET
8 November 2018
Features
CRUSHED
Will Tybee Finally Kill Orange Crush?
Ashia Manning , Editor-in-Chief
In early March, Jason Buelterman, mayor of Tybee Island, Ga., announced the city would be imposing fines on several well-known Orange Crush promoters if they did not fill out the proper paperwork to hold the large event on Tybee’s beach. Every year the city of Tybee looks for ways to stop Orange Crush. The town says the efforts are because no one will officially sponsor the event. “In the past, Savannah State sponsored the event, but now it’s just a group of people getting on social media. There’s no organization,” said Buelterman. Buelterman said he has reached out to some wellknown party promoters who have shared the event on their social media accounts and none of them responded to his request for the filing of a permit application. Orange Crush is an unofficial annual beach party held on Tybee Island in April. Floods of collegeaged students crowd the beach from universities all over the southeast. It was started by a group of Savannah State students and was, at first, sponsored by Savannah State; however, the university decided to withdraw its sponsorship of the event long ago. Savannah State students have also started organizing a beach clean-up every Sunday following that Saturday’s festivities following complaints of litter being left after the event. Still, Buelterman wants the proper paperwork done, or there to be no Orange Crush, he says. At the end of 2017, Tybee City Council passed legislation introduced a ban on alcoholic beverages and amplified music the weekend of the scheduled Orange Crush in 2018. The beaches were still crowded and there was still music and alcohol in that April event. Now, the city of Tybee is trying to curb Orange Crush with a proposed fine of up to $50,000 for anyone promoting the event. Buelterman said the city of Tybee and its law enforcement must be able to prepare for events like these. A permit must be applied for to host such a large-scale party, though Tybee is a public beach. “Right now, it’s just young people swarming the beach and without the permit Tybee has no way to protect them,” Buelterman said. When asked if the city’s tone would change if promoters were more willing to cooperate, Buelterman said, “The only problem here is no one wants to take responsibility. If some person or group were willing to do the paper work and fill out the permit, we would be welcoming them here. We are very welcoming. Tybee doesn’t push anyone away.” The promoters refused to comment.
Strippers and their snake were promoting their show for the night of April 21 during Orange Crush.
A man poses for a photo at Orange Crush on April 21, 2018.
A child plays with toys on the beach in the midst of the large college party Orange Crush on April 21, 2018.
Savannah State students pose for a photograph on Tybee Island during Orange Crush on April 21, 2018.
Despite threats to ban music and alcohol again on the beach, Tybee was filled with both on April 21, 2018.
Despite hundreds of people crowding on the beach, some were able to find the space to lay out and enjoy the sun.
Women from the University of Alabama pose off the boardwalk for Orange Crush on Tybee Island on April 21, 2018.