The Northerner | Ed. 63 Issue 4 by thenortherner.com

Edition 63, Issue 4 Wednesday, February 6, 2019

thenortherner.com @northernermedia Page 3 Column: Embracing my Blackness

Page 4 & 5 Black History Month: education, celebration

Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Race in America: New student initiatives Dean of students named a dancer’s perspective director most influential faculty

CELEBRATING

BLACK

HISTORY

ILLUSTRATION BY KAMRYN SPENCE

Natalie Hamren and Josh Kelly NEWS EDITOR, ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

Since the creation of Black History Month in 1976, America comes together every February to celebrate the accomplishments of its Black citizens. Each year, historians always give a platform to Black icons like Muhammed Ali and Rosa Parks, whose stories are often told and retold. For this issue, The Northerner wanted to give the students, staff and faculty that same platform and showcase the modern-day trailblazers that impact our current campus. As February approached, we knew we wanted to do a special issue for Black History Month. But we also knew that we didn’t just want to tell the stories; instead, we gave them the opportunity to tell their own stories. Kamryn Spence, sophomore, designed the front

cover and devoted many hours in the newsroom to share her talent with us. First-years Raven McNeal and Micah Petway from Poetic Justice lent their voices on page 3 to overcome stereotypes that are often associated with being Black. Senior India Hackle discusses her relationship with race and her experience with “The Mourning the Creation of Racial Categories Project.” On pages 4 and 5, News Editor Natalie Hamren breaks down the history of Black History Month, with visuals by Managing Editor Nicole Browning and Arts & Life Editor Josh Kelly. Kelly also showcases Lavette Patterson, a dancer whose childhood ballet classes shaped her views on race, on page 6. Reporter Noël Waltz writes about the journey that poet Onyinye Uwolloh took to reach NKU, where she discovered Nigerian parallels in English literature.

Assistant Arts & Life Editor Kane Mitten sat down with Carlous Yates, NKU’s newest African American Student Initiatives director, who aims to create a space for the university’s growing minority community, on page 7. Contributor Halley Gamble spoke with Dean of Students Arnie Slaughter about his career in higher education. Abdul Kooistra tells Sports Editor Sierra Newton what Black History Month means to him on page 8. The Northerner is proud to highlight the unique talents of NKU’s Black students, faculty and staff. Illustrated above: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle: Shirley Chisholm, Oprah Winfrey Bottom: Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali

02 Happenings

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

NORTHERNER STAFF

WWW.THENORTHERNER.COM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sam Rosenstiel [rosensties1@mymail.nku.edu] MANAGING EDITOR Nicole Browning [browningn30@gmail.com] NEWS EDITOR Natalie Hamren [hamrenn1@mymail.nku.edu] ASST. NEWS EDITOR Josh Goad [goadj2@mymail.nku.edu] ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Josh Kelly [kellyjoshual17@gmail.com] ASST. ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Kane Mitten [mittenm1@mymail.nku.edu] SPORTS EDITOR Sierra Newton [newtons3@mymail.nku.edu] PHOTO EDITOR Colin Johnson [johnsonphotography6626@gmail.com]

ASST. PHOTO EDITOR Emerson Swoger [emeswagg16@gmail.com] ASST. VIDEO EDITOR Abby Behrens [behrensm1@mymail.nku.edu] DESIGN EDITOR Bridgette Gootee [gooteeb1@mymail.nku.edu] DESIGN EDITOR Ian Lape-Gerwe [lapegerwei1@mymail.nku.edu] WEB EDITOR Laine Harrett [harrettn1@mymail.nku.edu] SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Maria Dossett [dossettm1@mymail.nku.edu] SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Kate Fulmer [fulmerk1@mymail.nku.edu] ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Isabel Winkleski [northerneradvertising@gmail.com] BUSINESS TEAM Tristan Tapia [northerneradvertising@gmail.com] ADVISOR Michele Day [daymi@nku.edu]

JOIN US 5 p.m. Mondays in Griffin Hall 204 Visit us in our newsroom GH 125

WHAT TO DO Check out the hottest campus happenings and can’t-miss events in Greater Cincinnati.

6-7

BLACK PANTHER SHOWING | AMC NEWPORT ON THE LEVEE | TIMES VARY In honor of Black History Month, Disney is giving viewers the chance to watch free screenings of “Black Panther” in 250 participating AMC theaters. The record-shattering movie will run until Feb. 7, so be Shuri to brace through the ice and cold like the Jabari to the Levee. Visit weticketit.com for more information. Wakanda forever.

GALLERY EXPERIENCE: BLACK ART HISTORY MONTH | CINCINNATI ART MUSEUM | 3 P.M. Join the Cincinnati Art Museum to examine art through a contemporary lens, whether it’s through a discussion or a performance. Every Sunday, the museum offers the chance to explore a new perspective of its collection.

FEB

COCOA AND CONVERSATIONS | NC 140 | 6:30 P.M. Nu Upsilon Black Women’s Honorary will host an open forum discussion centered around the topics of mental health, Black unity and institutional racism. The forum in Norse Commons is open for students to discuss personal experiences and thoughts. The overall purpose is to find a way to better the black community on campus and in general. LET OUR LOSS BE HEARD | UC 270 | 11:30 A.M. Dr. Joan Ferrante tells the fated tale of Margaret Garner, a slave from Covington, and how it plays a role in modern racial categories. The documentary utilizes dance, poetry, art and music to tell the story, while also including local families and their experiences.

What you missed at SGA Feb. 4

Billy Keeney CONTIBUTOR

Student Government Association read resolutions to extend Steely Library hours and confirmed the appointments of multiple new student senators and a new student justice. Here’s what you missed at SGA. Extended library hours? Senators Zachary Dichtl and Noelle Brooks presented the first read of their resolution that asks the university to extend the operating hours of Steely Library to allow students to study proactively and utilize campus resources. The proposed extended hours would be 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. the week before classes begin and the week before and during finals. In addition to these extended hours, the resolution also asks for 24-hour first floor access to the library throughout the semester to give students a safe place to study. Senator Kimberly Sparks questioned how the extended hours would affect Einstein Bros. Bagels hours, with Edelen commenting that the resolution would also ask Einstein Bros. to extend their hours.

North Poll

Elizabeth Cates

Senator Shayla Delamar questioned how the resolution would affect the student employees in reference to the extended hours before classes begin and how safe it would be to have students walking into the library at night in areas with limited lighting. New appointments New student justice Leila Graf, along with seven new senators, were unanimously sworn in on Monday. President Hannah Edelen had the appointees introduce themselves and stand for questions. Senator Trayonna Barnes asked the appointees how they wanted to make a difference at NKU. After an executive session, the decision was unanimous and the appointees were then sworn in as members of SGA. Student Government Association meets 3:30 p.m. Mondays in SU 104.

What does Black History Month mean to you?

REPORTER

ABOUT THE NORTHERNER Entire content is copyright of The Northerner and may not be reprinted without prior consent. Views expressed do not represent those of the administration, faculty or student body. The Northerner is considered a designated public forum. Student editors have authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. The Northerner staff respects the right to a free and open dialogue as allowed under the First Amendment.

The Northerner Griffin Hall Rm. 125 Highland Heights, KY 41099 Editor in Chief: (859) 572-6128 Designers Desk: (859) 572-6677 Advertising: (859) 572-5232

“It means bringing more diversity and culture into a society that doesn’t often celebrate it.” Makayla Wadkins, sophomore, political science

“It’s an opportunity to pay homage to the people that put me in the position of where I am now.”

Justin Fuller, sophomore, business informatics

“It means trying to give back for every way they have been wronged as a community over the years.”

Blake Gibson, junior, international studies

Ed 63, Issue 4

India Hackle

Guest column: Race, personified

Viewpoints 03

CONTRIBUTOR

We were 13, and he had a childlike curiosity about my Blackness. He’d trace my skin and was certain it felt different —not wrong, just different. Yet, I had a cowardly liking for his Whiteness, a liking that I ignored when around others. Even then I had reasoned that being

India Hackle, NKU student. PHOTO PROVIDED

Raven McNeal

Black was the cornerstone of my existence that risked deterioration being with him. It seemed best to release ties and seek a relationship with someone whose appearance would not further complicate my twoness; (a condition I had come to understand from the teachings of W.E.B. Du Bois in which appearing, identifying and/or being classified as Black in America conceives two existences: one that must adhere to the perceptions of others and one that must continuously revise “self ” based on those perceptions). When I separated from the young boy, I was proud of myself. Proud that I didn’t youthfully let blonde hair and blue eyes colonize me. I asked, “Aren’t you proud of me, Ma?” But she wasn’t. “We’re not the ones who hurt, we’re the ones who get hurt,” she said solemnly. She could have been speaking for women in our family or even for Black women in the world. At the time I didn’t understand, I just knew her words didn’t properly settle. It was not until I gave in to a founding principle of The “Mourning the Creation of Racial Categories” Project—race was created by severing intimate relationships—that I was able to

I Am Not

CONTRIBUTOR

I Am not A trend I am not the music you listen to the clothes you buy the hair you wear the food you eat the language you speak I am not the elephant in the room the butt of the joke the angry black woman I am not I am not

comprehend that the oppressed condition my mother had positioned me in was not isolated to the occurrence of a solitary relationship, but that it summoned the narratives of multitudes. My youthful and innocent coupling facilitated the realization that the voice of race had been neglected in being considered a dominant constituent. That generations of couplings have thoroughly communed in a triangular relationship with the race concept. Race is more than a highlighted term in a textbook; it is a concept embodied in beings and it should be magnified to reveal its truest forms. It’s in the sweaty palms of two curious kids holding hands, hopeful they can defy history. It’s in one of the clasped hands snatching away, realizing the weight of the history and a future of scrutiny is too heavy. It’s in the desperate, confused plea that keeps asking “why, why are you leaving me?” over and over. Peoples who populate American soil are not independent actors, able to transcend the grip of history; instead their beings are consistently burdened by their relationship with race. They think, speak and act through that heaviness.

Knowing of this relationship does not superficially place oneself beyond the possession of race or in fulfilled atonement with peoples within same and different racial categories. In fact, it is only with great optimism that my involvement in The MCRC Project produced collaborated works of poetry, monologues and more, that audiences can find familiarity with, to supply a language to mourn. Through collaboration and creative arts, the perfect platform, I personified. Race personified. In our speech, in our movement, in our body language, in the way we raise children or neglect them to figure it out. Take away the tape over our mouths, but even if it’s removed we don’t have the language of race, in our bodies. Why mourning is important? Because it’s vulnerable in saying much was lost, I can’t understand, but I am listening. India Hackle is a senior English and international studies major currently spending a semester in England. She is a writer and poet who appeared in the 2017 documentary “Mourning the Creation of Racial Categories.”

My Brown Skin I’m In

Micah Petway CONTRIBUTOR

I am a collection of soulful songs and praises strength and perseverance hope tradition courage and faith I am the the binding of a book the cement between the bricks the roots of a flower I am strong I am black I am proud

My brown skin I’m in Ain’t it nice So many shades of beauty So smooth and so much melanin My brown skin ain’t just something for your eyes to fancy See There’s so much behind this pretty brown skin, you just don’t know I can be more than just a sports player, rapper or singer, thug or gang banger My Brown Skin I’m In Represents power, strength, royalty, survival and hope Power because we have knowledge Strength because we are stronger together as one Royalty because we come from kings and queens Survival because we have, are and will continue to persevere through anything Hope for the future that will keep true to one man’s dream And that’s only scraping the surface of My Brown Skin I’m In

I am not

ILLUSTRATIONS BY KAMRYN SPENCE

Black History Month

News 05

04 News

15TH AMENDMENT RATIFIED, GIVING ALL MEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE

A time for celebration, education

NAACP FOUNDED IN NEW YORK CITY

FIRST BLACK PRO BASKETBALL TEAM FORMED

REBECCA LEE BECOMES FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO EARN AN M.D. DEGREE

Claudette Colvin A student that refused her seat to a White passenger

Margaret Garner An NKY slave that murdered her children to avoid slavery

Natalie Hamren

1870

1909

FEBRUARY:

W.E.B. Du Bois Founding member of the NAACP

1926

ILLUSTRATIONS BY NICOLE BROWNING

NEWS EDITOR

In 1925, historian, journalist and author Dr. Carter G. Woodson created the idea for the first Negro History Week—a celebration of experiences and accomplishments of African-Americans, said Dr. Eric Jackson, Black studies and history professor at NKU. Woodson, a graduate from Harvard University with a degree in history, had very little knowledge about the AfricanAmerican experience, according to Dr. Michael Washington, Black studies and history professor at NKU. Woodson wanted to create the week so people could gain information about AfricanAmerican history. Then, in 1926, the first Negro History Week was celebrated during a week that included the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. The ‘20s were a time of growth, creativity and success for African-Americans. However, they were also facing hardships throughout the triumphs, according to Jackson. “There was a period in which AfricanAmericans were still dealing with racial oppression and segregation, those type of issues in the nation,” Jackson said. “So, it was a way to balance that tough period in the history of African-Americans in the United States.” Washington said it impacted those in the community who were becoming more conscious of African-American

history. But overall, the week was only celebrated locally. “The people that it impacted was extraordinary significance,” Washington said. “But to the dominant society, it had very little impact.” Fifty years later, Negro History Week would become Black History Month, with President Gerald Ford telling Americans in 1976 to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” History professor Dr. Brian Hackett said Black History Month was created as a common understanding among historians that Black history had been ignored. “When people study the history, they ignore the facts of what really is happening and what happened,” Hackett said. “You think about places like the White House—big, magnificent structure. Well, it was built by slaves. Most of the roads in the South had been built by slaves; mansions had been built by slaves.” Hackett said in today’s political climate, history months have become controversial, saying “any kind of idea that somebody’s getting something that you’re not is a threat.” “The fact is, if you look at American history, it’s really inseparable; you cannot have one without the other. It isn’t

White history, it isn’t Christian history, it isn’t Black history—we’re really a conglomeration of history to tell a story. Everybody’s history is as valuable as everybody else’s,” Hackett said. There is some misunderstanding today about the purpose, creation, intention and celebration of Black History Month, Jackson said. Some people wonder, including himself, why it’s only celebrated during February. “It’s like you’re segregating—and some people use that term—the discussion of African-Americans in their achievements and their plight and their history to one month. And then the other 11 months, you don’t talk about it,” Jackson said. Jackson said that in recent years, more African-American accomplishments have been showcased in popular culture. In 2016, the Academy Award-nominated “Hidden Figures” recounted the untold story of African-American women scientists who worked at NASA on the launch of astronaut John Glenn into space. He also said that films and TV shows are becoming more inclusive and represent African-Americans, such as the 2018 Marvel film “Black Panther.” “It’s a cultural phenomenon that’s global because it’s the first time you have African-Americans, especially in a Marvel film, that’s on every level, not just behind the scenes,” Jackson said. “But

they’re on every level and it shows people that African-Americans and people of African descent can do certain things that people have questioned over the years— from directing to producing to acting.” Sophomore public relations major Janae Cofield said that she feels more people should be celebrating Black History Month. She said others can celebrate the month by educating themselves and learning about Black history. “Not everyone is able to, maybe, understand the struggle of someone being Black, but having the knowledge and having the ability to gain something from knowing what happened in the past,” Cofield said. Black History Month is a time to celebrate the successes and talents of African-Americans who go unrecognized, Cofield said. “There’s a lot of things that go unnoticed that Black people have given to the world,” Cofield said. “I’m just glad that there is a time to celebrate Black history and Black excellence.” Hackett said Black history has become political when “it never should have.” Recent movements, like Black Lives Matter, have sparked heated debates about race in America with some people objecting to it, he said. “America is founded on the distinct reality that all men are created equal. End of story,” Hackett said.

NEGRO HISTORY WEEK CREATED BY DR. CARTER G. WOODSON

TIMELINE BY JOSH KELLY

1818

1864

1923 Dr. Carter G. Woodson Founder of Negro History Week

FREDERICK DOUGLASS BORN IN MARYLAND

BLACK HISTORY THROUGHOUT THE YEARS 1951 NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL PASSES BILL PROHIBITING RACE-BASED DISCRIMINATION IN CITY-ASSISTED HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS

1976 BLACK HISTORY MONTH DECLARED BY PRESIDENT GERALD FORD

2002 HALLE BERRY BECOMES FIRST BLACK ACTRESS TO WIN AN OSCAR FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE

2018 “BLACK PANTHER” BECOMES THE THIRD HIGHEST GROSSING MOVIE OF ALL TIME

Black History Month

News 05

04 News

15TH AMENDMENT RATIFIED, GIVING ALL MEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE

A time for celebration, education

NAACP FOUNDED IN NEW YORK CITY

FIRST BLACK PRO BASKETBALL TEAM FORMED

REBECCA LEE BECOMES FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO EARN AN M.D. DEGREE

Claudette Colvin A student that refused her seat to a White passenger

Margaret Garner An NKY slave that murdered her children to avoid slavery

Natalie Hamren

1870

1909

FEBRUARY:

W.E.B. Du Bois Founding member of the NAACP

1926

ILLUSTRATIONS BY NICOLE BROWNING

NEWS EDITOR

NEGRO HISTORY WEEK CREATED BY DR. CARTER G. WOODSON

TIMELINE BY JOSH KELLY

1818

1864

1923 Dr. Carter G. Woodson Founder of Negro History Week

FREDERICK DOUGLASS BORN IN MARYLAND

BLACK HISTORY THROUGHOUT THE YEARS 1951 NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL PASSES BILL PROHIBITING RACE-BASED DISCRIMINATION IN CITY-ASSISTED HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS

1976 BLACK HISTORY MONTH DECLARED BY PRESIDENT GERALD FORD

2002 HALLE BERRY BECOMES FIRST BLACK ACTRESS TO WIN AN OSCAR FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE

2018 “BLACK PANTHER” BECOMES THE THIRD HIGHEST GROSSING MOVIE OF ALL TIME

06 Arts & Life

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

A dancer’s perspective on race in ballet Dada,

Josh Kelly

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

NKU dance major Lavette Patterson found herself playing the role of Margaret Garner, a slave that lived on a Boone County plantation in the mid-1800s, last semester during Dr. Joan Ferrante’s documentary “Let Our Loss Be Heard.” The role was an educational experience for Patterson, as she didn’t know how to connect to the role. She researched Garner and learned about what she went through and how to portray the role to the best of her ability. Patterson found herself unable to relate to the slave. She compared moments like caring for Garner’s daughter, Mary, to

moments like caring for her nephew. However, being a Black woman in a predominantly White community was something she was able to connect with. Patterson grew up in Cincinnati and started dancing at age 3. The 19-year-old dance student has learned “to deal with” a lack of diversity in her studios. “When I was younger, I always wondered, ‘why am I the only Black little girl in this room?’ And I would wonder those questions since I didn’t understand,” Patterson said. As Patterson continued with dance, she started ballet. There, she said she

Bluford win SGA presidential election

NKU dance major Lavette Patterson has practiced ballet since she was 3 years old. PHOTO BY JOSH KELLY

realized she had to adjust her look to be presentable to others. Per ballet tradition, performers wear pink tights and pink ballet shoes. Patterson finds herself dyeing her shoes with makeup after she purchases them, but dyeing her shoes and tights comes with a risk: during performances, the makeup can come off on the stage and ruin costumes. Patterson said the color of the tights was to help the dancers look paler and uniform and as a kid, it didn’t matter to her. Now, she says she can look at her recital pictures and see, “the pink tights and all the White girls look the same and one Black girl that just doesn’t fit. Her legs doesn’t [sic] match,” Patterson said. “This can make us African-American dancers feel out of place or as if we’re doing something that isn’t meant for us,” Patterson said. At NKU, the diversity in the dance program has been growing “throughout the decades,” dance professor Renee McCafferty said. However, Patterson said there are still only three Black female dancers including her. So, when she found out about “Mourning the Creation of Racial Categories” and that they were using student dancers to talk about race, she

jumped at the chance. The performance that Patterson demonstrated showed McCafferty that “Lavey was the perfect choice to portray Margaret [Garner].” “I was really impressed with her ability as a younger dancer in ‘Let Our Loss Be Heard’ to empathize [with the role],” McCafferty said. She said Patterson’s maturity and ability to carry on the narrative for a 26-minute dance was impressive. For Patterson, that was the part in the dance that was difficult. “I had to play so many different emotions at the same time,” Patterson said. She said that when you dance, you typically have one style and emotion to portray at a time and this was drastically different. She had to portray happiness that she was killing her daughter. Yet, at the same time, fear of her slave owner. “It was all this [emotion] and that was kind of a lot of pressure,” Patterson said. Throughout the years of dancing, she’s never let her struggles and challenges get her down. “Instead, I used it to push me even more to continue to follow my dreams by doing what I love and overcoming stereotypes of Black dancers,” Patterson said.

For student poet, the biggest risk is not taking one

Noël Waltz

Onyinye Uwolloh, a junior psychology major, uses haiku written in Pidgin English to draw parallels between her Nigerian roots and Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick.” PHOTO BY EMERSON SWOGER

From deciding to attend a university over 5,000 miles away from her home in Lagos, Nigeria, to the interdisciplinary challenges she faced head on, Onyinye Uwolloh is no stranger to taking risks. The elemental logistics of scholarships and tuition weighed on Uwolloh’s decision to come to NKU, but one perk she shopped for was a university that had snow. “It was fun the first snowfall,” Uwolloh, a junior psychology major, said. “We all went out and took pictures to send to family back home.” However, after enduring a polar vortex, she realized snow is something that gets old fast. Thankfully, the snow wasn’t the only selling point for NKU. She fell in love with the bits and pieces of the university along the way, especially the freedom that students have to experiment with disciplines outside of their major. This aspect in particular is especially different than education back home. “They are more rigid about what you can take depending on what path you’re on,” said Uwolloh. “Science students are discouraged from taking art classes and

vice versa.” She never felt the urge to alter the path that she chose when coming here. Her artistic hunger was satisfied by the interdisciplinary flexibility of her classes, especially those in the Honors College. One of those was a course she took in spring 2018 called Moby Dick and the Arts. It sent her on an artistic journey that lead to her greatest accomplishments so far. In this course, students are encouraged to do an artistic response to literature. Uwolloh’s project was “Ishmael na my Name,” a sequence of haiku—one for every chapter of “Moby Dick”—in Pidgin English. She read these poems and discussed her response to Melville’s work at a Six@Six lecture hosted by NKU Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement called “Moby Dick through a Nigerian Lens” in January of this year. Her series of haiku will be published in an anthology of poems centered around Melville, and she has also been invited to a conference in New York City to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Melville’s birthday and the works of art

REPORTER

that have derived from his literature. Her professor for the class that encouraged this project, Dr. Bob Wallace, is deeply passionate about discoveries that happen between the blurred lines of literature and art. “Literature and the arts and the intersections between them can enrich our lives in ways that we probably wouldn’t expect,” Wallace said. “And how surprising it is to see what people end up doing when they decided to express their response to one kind of art to a different kind of art.” Writing is going to be something that Uwolloh will continue to do throughout her life. She is currently working with Dr. Joan Ferrante on the “Mourning the Creation of Racial Categories” project— writing some haiku for the third installment of the four-part documentary series. “The things that hold us back the most are our own perceptions of what we feel we can and cannot do. Sometimes it just takes that push from someone who is looking in from the outside to get there,” Uwolloh said.

Arts & Life 07

Ed 63, Issue 4

New initiatives director aims to spark engagement Dada,

Kane Mitten

ASSISTANT ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

Bluford win SGA presidential election

Carlous Yates, NKU’s new director of African American Student Initiatives (AASI) office, is fiercely passionate about helping students—perhaps because he’s still a student himself. During the week, Yates leads the AASI office at NKU. But on his weekends, he has class at Western Kentucky University, as a second-year doctoral student in organizational leadership and postsecondary education. “I have class this weekend actually,” Yates said, as he laughed. “That takes up a lot of my time outside of work. I took all day yesterday reading because I’m in stats this semester.” Originally, Yates worked at WKU for five years as the director of student support programs. However, due to the statewide budget cuts at the collegiate level, his position was eliminated. While searching for a replacement position, he recalled the keynote he attended here at NKU as part of an event hosted by the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education. “Some of the individuals who were at the conference speaking, they were not of African-American descent, but they were talking about the importance of retaining students of color being everyone’s job, not just the Black offices,’” Yates said. “When you have colleagues who also understand the importance of diversity and inclusion, that’s a place that you want to work at.”

“For individuals who are underrepresented minorities, it’s always nice to have a space that you can go to and feel there’s someone who can understand your background and where you’re coming from, and be able to be you in that moment without being judged.” Carlous Yates, Director, NKU African American Student Initiatives Currently, Yates is in charge of recruitment, retention and helping in graduation for students of color. He also oversees the NKU R.O.C.K.S. program, which helps young students of color ease the transition from high school to college with a year-long program. All non-National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations involving students of color also report to Yates, such as Nu Upsilon

Black Women’s Honorary and the campus chapter of the NAACP. Keisha Frazier, a current graduate student at Chase College of Law and the graduate assistant for AASI, has been working in the office in various positions for seven years. She commended Yates for his work so far and discussed how he came to NKU a week earlier than his actual start date in the summer, just to get to know the students. “When he came that first week, it was so amazing…It was very cool for him to come in that early and just spend the whole week with us,” Frazier said. “It’s like he’s always been here. It’s amazing how well he fit in with the students.” Aliya Cannon, freshman, said Yates has been vital to her first year at NKU. “Mr. Yates, that’s my dawg. He’s done a great job, especially for his first semester. He’s really someone I can come and talk to about not just academics, but my life, or what I need help with,” Cannon said. “[Yates] is somebody I could really have a relationship with and I really am grateful for that. He’s had a big impact on me and my success right now at Northern Kentucky [University].” Yates, who is often seen wearing a tie or bowtie, said people are surprised at his hobbies. Growing up on a tobacco farm in Savoyard, Kentucky, Yates took an interest in hiking, fishing and other nature-related activities. “To look at me, you’d probably think, ‘no, he’s not,’ but I am as country as they come. I’m waiting for the summer because I love to be outdoors,” Yates said. “I’m a good ol’ outdoorsman, and I also like to garden and have my own plants, like tomatoes and squash.” In addition to the month-long programming for Black History Month this February, Yates has several plans for future events out of AASI—such as expanding the R.O.C.K.S. program. One upcoming event that is new to the office is an alternative spring break, where students take a trip through the Deep South to visit historical landmarks. Jontay Brown, sophomore marketing major and SGA senator, said Yates has been helping him grow both as a student and as a professional. “He came in here and everything was kind of just thrown at him and I feel like he’s doing a really great job with what he has… I know, especially in this office, he’s letting me take on things that I normally wouldn’t have the chance to take on,” Brown said. “He’s definitely been a mentor to me and he’s helped me reach my potential.” According to Yates, with several senior

Carlous Yates serves as NKU’s African American Student Initiatives Director. PHOTO BY COLIN JOHNSON

administration officials being people of color including University President Ashish Vaidya, it shows students of color that “there are individuals in places who can relate to them and understand their needs.” He said he feels it’s important to have diversity everywhere on campus and for NKU to host offices such as AASI, since NKU is a predominantly White institution. “For individuals who are URMs, underrepresented minorities, it’s always nice to have a space that you can go to and feel there’s someone who can understand your background and where you’re coming from, and be able to be you in that moment without being judged,” Yates said. Yates reflected on his goals for the AASI office in the future. “My ultimate goal is to reach all

African-American students on campus. I want this office to be a hub for everyone who comes to this campus who is Black,” Yates said. “Being able to find individuals who look like you and can share their story with you is important, because it gives you hope that you can do it as well and you can be successful too.”

FOR MORE ON BLACK HISTORY MONTH, VISIT THENORTHERNER.COM

@northernermedia

08 News / Sports

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Dean of students wins influential faculty award

Halley Gamble CONTRIBUTOR

Arnie Slaughter was recently named the recipient of the Faculty/Staff Strongest Influence Award by NKU alumni, and he’s worked hard to achieve it. While winning the award was certainly not his goal when starting at NKU in 2003, his close relationships with student advocacy and engagement proved him to be a worthy recipient. He credits his achievements to his “wonderful students,” and how they have helped him grow throughout the years. Slaughter is the Assistant Vice President of student engagement and dean of

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PHOTO BY HALLEY GAMBLE

students. He oversees six areas of student involvement: University Housing, Greek life, Campus Recreation, Office of Student Engagement, Student Union & Programming and the Student Conduct Rights & Advocacy Office. Aside from his official duties, he works closely with student organizations and individual students to help “enhance the student experience for everyone.” He also works with Student Government Association, wanting to ensure that students feel represented and to provide opportunities for students

who want to get connected with campus life and the community. He began working for University Housing in 2003 as a hall director, leaving his work at Miami University, where he also attended as a student. “My initial interest in NKU was looking at a new opportunity after my seven years of experience at my former institution,” he said. “I wanted to give back and help students who were much like myself.” Slaughter is a first-generation student, and said that many of the mentors he’s had in the past have encouraged him. He wanted to be able to provide that same encouragement to other students similar to himself. “The biggest piece of advice I can provide [for first-generation students] is to encourage them that they are not alone, and to get involved in programs or organizations designed to help navigate the collegiate experience,” Slaughter said. He recalled that as a first-year student, he was nervous about not knowing what questions to ask and encourages students to talk to their professors about any questions they have. He said it’s important to give back and maintained that helping a nervous firstyear can be just as impactful as going out into the community. “Students think that we are here to

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Athlete Spotlight: Soccer defender on Black history Sierra Newton SPORTS EDITOR

Meet Abdul Kooistra, a redshirt senior defender on NKU’s men’s soccer team, who hails from Madison, Wisconsin. Kooistra studies communications and is seeking a minor in marketing. Kooistra has played soccer for as long as he can remember and has always strived to play at a high level. “Playing collegiate soccer was something when I was really young, I always wanted to do and I guess at a young age, I was just striving for it,” Kooistra said. “It was just something I always expected.” Kooistra came to NKU in 2017 from the University of Wisconsin to “make something good.” “It was a new coaching staff then, so Stu [Riddle] just got the job and then with

give, but students give so much more to us,” he said. “I’ve had some really great experiences here; our students are resilient—they work hard, fight for what they have and they fight for their peers.” Slaughter does not take his influence and position on campus lightly. He is a student advocate and fights for the comfort, safety and success of students from all backgrounds. One area that Slaughter continues to impact is the Black community on campus. He said that everyone works together to help one another get through obstacles and to celebrate successes. The NKU R.O.C.K.S program, for example, connects first year students with mentors who help them get connected and engaged in the community. Slaughter was part of something similar during his time at Miami University. He said it’s important for students in a predominately White institution to have peers and mentors that look like them, and have had similar experiences, to be visible amongst the student body. “We’ve made some great efforts, but we can always strive for better,” he said. “It’s about really telling our story, getting to know our students and finding out how we can better serve and impact our students.”

Blair [Stevenson]. So, I believed in what they were saying and what they were doing, so I decided I wanted to join it and make something good.” Outside of soccer, Kooistra is a part of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, a committee that’s dedicated to making a student athlete’s life better—ranging from decisions that affect NKU’s campus to legislation that affects the NCAA as a whole. Kooistra’s free time consists of relaxing and the occasional FIFA match, as well as keeping up with music and fashion. “I’m more into hip-hop culture and rap,” Kooistra said. “I guess it kind of ties hand in hand. A lot of hip hop artists are really into fashion, and going to a lot of fashion shows and like traveling to Paris

and other places. So, kind of following those rappers and seeing where they’re going and looking at the brands they look at.” Kooistra said. Black History Month holds significance to him because in school, there isn’t much of a chance to learn much about Black history until February rolls around. “It’s a time to learn a little bit more about my culture, myself and learn about the big influential Black people that aren’t spoke about as much as they should be.” Abdul Kooistra, redshirt senior defender for NKU men’s soccer, transferred from University of Wisconsin in 2017. PHOTO BY COLIN JOHNSON